Blue Collar Baseball

John Thorn Named Official Baseball Historian

2011-03-01T21:07:00.004-05:00

Bud Selig has named John Thorn the Official Baseball Historian for Major League Baseball. Thorn's books are too numerous to list but include the Total Baseball series Baseball: Our Game (1995), The Game for All America (1990), and a forthcoming book called Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game which looks like something I would like. The one of this book that in my collection is, The National Pastime (1987). Thorn also served as a consultant for Ken Burns' documentary, Baseball. Thorn succeeds Jerome Holtzman who passed away in July of 2008. Holtzman has been called, "Baseball's Hemingway."

Here are some of my favorite John Thorn Quotes:

Baseball presents a living heritage, a game poised between the powerful undertow of seasons past and the hope of next day, next week, next year.

Better than anything else in our culture, it enables fathers and sons to speak on a level playing field while building up from within a personal history of shared experience - a group history - that may be tapped into at will in years to come.

Donning a glove for a backyard toss, or watching a ball game, or just reflecting upon our baseball days, we are players again, forever young.

For many of us, sport has provided the continuity in our lives, the alternative family to the one we left behind. It gives us something to talk about, to preen about, to care about.

One of the first lessons he or she learns is that in baseball anything, absolutely anything, can happen. Just two days ago as I write this, something happened that had never happened in baseball before.

Bench to be immortalized at GABP

2011-02-26T18:16:00.011-05:00

We immortalize the greats and Johnny Bench will become one of the Reds legends to receive a statue at Great American Ball Park. The statue will be unveiled in front of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum on September 17. Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Robinson currently have statues on Crosley Terrace near the main gate to the park, so Bench's will sit somewhat alone. If you visit the Reds HOF and Museum, inside the main entrance you'll find life-sized statues of Harry and George Wright, founding members of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings (they were really small guys but probably typical for the time). Upstairs in the museum you'll see more statuary: managers Sparky Anderson and Fred Hutchinson, and the "Great Eight" of Bench, Rose, Perez, Morgan, Foster, Concepcion, Gereronimo, and Griffey.

The most unique thing about the Bench statue is, it will feature him in the motion of throwing out a would-be base stealer. Bench was, of course, known for his cannon arm and it's certainly appropriate to portray him that way, it's just that I've never seen anything like this. Most catchers are portrayed crouched behind the plate in position to receive (i.e. Lombardi at GABP and Campanella in Cooperstown) or those known more for their offense have a bat in hand (i.e. Josh Gibson at Nationals Park and PNC Park). This is such a great idea by sculptor Tom Tsuchiya to reproduce Johnny Bench in this way, it recognizes all the tools that a great catcher must possess and one of the reasons for why Bench is the greatest of all time.

Links:

Toolz of Ignorance predicts that the Reds will finish 2nd in the NL Central behind the Brew-Crew but will get the Wild Card spot.
Royals Review, the best SB Nation blog out there for pure entertainment value, has a bit of a caption contest going on.
Seventh Inning Stache has a nice little piece (with links) about Blue Collar Baseball's favorite manager, Jim Leyland. Including a link to this video from Bugs & Cranks of a Leyland impersonator.
At Home Plate comes up with some odds of which team will sign Albert Pujols and stricter off-field rules for players.

Baseball In Spring Revives the Senses

2011-02-25T15:46:00.008-05:00

One of the beautiful things about baseball is how it can be experience through all the senses. Maybe that is why spring is such a great time for baseball fans. Our senses are reawakened, revived, and are used in their full capacities this time of year. We aren't completely numb during the months of December and January but we're close to it. It's not until times like now, February and March, when all of our senses work together to baseball. Why I am writing about this today? Well, today is the day that real-life baseball appeared back on my XM radio. The Giants are playing the Diamondbacks as my fingers tap the keys and Jon Miller's voice is streaming throughout the house. Tomorrow, five games will be broadcast over the XM ether, a virtual baseball orgy. Those regular BCB readers (if there are any left after my hiatus) know that I love baseball on the radio. It's really it best way to experience baseball without actually being there. Allow me to describe what I mean by experiencing baseball through our senses.

The Sounds of Baseball: The crack of the bat; the muted punch of a ball into a catcher's mitt; the abrasive scraping sounds of a slide into home or cleats going from clay to concrete. The grunt of a tired pticher releasing a put-out fastball; and that of a slugger after missing it. The sighs of 40,000 people when the threat of a rally turns into just that, a threat. The hopefull gasp as the ball climbs and the cheers and it goes over the plane of the wall. An old-time organ at pressbox level. Vin Scully reminds us that Brad Ausmus went to Dartmouth; Marty exclaiming, "This one belongs to the Reds!"

The Smells of Baseball: The scent of a new leather ball or an old mitt. The stained wool hat that you've been wearing superstitiously all season. The smell of grass and a freshly watered infield; and who could forget the stadium hot dogs. The charcoal smoke of tailgaters in the Kauffman Stadium parking lot.

The Tastes of Baseball: The salty taste of a pitcher's fingertips before he steps to the mound; the gritty texture of dirt after stealing third. The hot dogs with mustard; the watery beer; and the ice-cold Coke. The earthy taste of yellow-painted cedar as the score-keeping fan clinches his teeth with a runner in scoring position with two outs in the ninth.

The Touch of Baseball: A ball rubbed with Delaware River mud; the raised seams. The feel of a wooden bat, without batting gloves; the vibrations that flow up your forearms when you don't exactly connect with the sweet spot. The young fan with clammy hands hoping his favorite player knocks in that run; the hands of a rookie in his first major league at bat. The burn of the scratches on your outstretched hands when you get caught stealing and the fact that those don't burn so badly when you're called safe. The heat on the back of your neck just before the sun goes down; the sunburn. The condensation on that plastic souvenir cup; you'll take it home and drink out of it all season long, your eyes will cross as you stare at the schedule on it while you sip; darn it if the dishwasher didn't wipe out April.

The Sights of Baseball: The way your heart flutters when you step into a major league stadium and see the playing field, even at age 30. Seeing the runner break for second in the corner of your eye just before the pitcher releases the ball; trying to watch both movements at once. The way a baseball field looks so different from the upper deck, lower deck, and field level. The beautiful ballet that occurs when a base-clearing double goes to the wall. The shadows on the field as the sun marches from afternoon to dusk.

The Sixth Sense of Baseball - Imagination: The reasons why baseball on the radio is so valuable to me is, it's the only media and appeals to baseball's sixth sense, imagination. Writer, Roger Angell, writes of this notion in his essay "The Interior Stadium." Baseball is a mythic, imagined game that makes real-life occurrences into legends, Babe Ruth's called shot for example. As a fan listens to baseball on the radio he or she not only engages to the game through their sense of hearing but recreates the other sensory experiences in their interior stadium. This is lost in the television broadcast which gives us a tunnel vision view and the impression that the game is merely a duel between pitcher and batter. The fullness of the game, the ballet of movements and combination of textures, tastes and smells, can only be experienced vicariously through radio. Welcome back to baseball on the radio!

Links:

A link to Thomas Boswell's list of 99 reasons why baseball is so much better than football.
A new blog on my favorite's list, Toolz of Ignorance.
A spring training story from Diamond Hoggers about witnessing the end of Rob Dibble.
Not quite the crack of the bat but "Ping! Part 2" from Church of Baseball.
In case you haven't heard, Bud Selig has hired Joe Torre as MLB executive VP of baseball operations.
Just a mention for those of you that haven't read Morgan Ensberg's Baseball IQ.
And for those of you that like baseball literature, poetry, etc., think about subscribing to Spitball magazine.

Dusty Announces Volquez as Opening Day Starter

2011-02-22T17:06:00.004-05:00

Dusty Baker announced Edinson Volquez as the 2011 Opening Day starter for the Redlegs. Not only does it indicate that Spring Training is underway but also that decisions (although possibly too early) are being made to move forward into the glorious time of year that we all know as baseball season. To be honest, I'm surprised with the decision. I just assumed that it was a forgone conclusion that Bronson Arroyo would take the mound in the Queen City on March 31. Of course Arroyo is no "ace" but he has been the Reds most consistent pitcher and he's cemented in Cincy for a few more years with a new contract (but we all know that he'd rather be in Boston).

What's nice about this is, in ways, it symbolizes a new era with the Reds. Maybe not as much as Jay Bruce's homer to clinch the 2010 NL Central division title for the Reds but still it's the first time in a long time that the Reds will begin a season with everyone expecting them to win. Aaron Harang started five straight openers in Cincinnati, all of which lead to losing seasons (as did many other guys before him). Bronson is not the future of the Reds put a solid, #3-ish guy to build a rotation around. Volquez has the stuff to be an ace, so does Cueto, heck, so does Wood.

Dusty's explanation for starting Volquez is to mix up the hard and soft tossers; Bronson will start game 2. Followed by Cueto? ...Wood? ...Homer? ... Leake? ... who knows, but it's a nice situation to have.

I am, however, a traditionalist and think that Dusty should have waited a little longer. Let Volquez "earn it." Chris Sabo's Googles is with me on this one. I am also annoyed that we have a PED user (also mentioned by CSG) representing the Reds on a very important day. One more thing, the hair and the hat and combination thereof... I can let Bronson get away with the hair because he looks stylish is a 1993 sort of way but where is Marge Schott when you need her!?

Here are the thoughts of Red Hot Mama, Blog Red Machine, and Redleg Nation on this on Dusty's decision 2011.

Royals fans could be the best in baseball

2011-02-19T17:28:00.010-05:00

One of the reasons that I love baseball so much is for its myths, its stories. "America's game" is filled with all sorts of tales and some are taller than others: the story of Abner Doubleday creating the game of baseball, Babe Ruth's "called shot" in the 1932 World Series. We still create myths today and the catalysts for creating these stories are still largely the same: influential individuals, coverage on national media outlets, and entertainment. Some of these myths are based in truth but are yarned out over and over so often that they tend to produce a tapestry that obstructs other myths from being created. In other words, the prevailing myth continues to prevail regardless of truth.

Earlier today I was reading this post over at one of my favorite blogs, Royals Review. The post itself discussed the intrastate St. Louis/Kansas City rivalry and mentions the notion that Cardinals fans are "the best fans in baseball." I agree that Cardinals fans are good fans (I've attended 25-30 games in St. Louis in my life), I'm just not sure that they're the "best." I guess I need to set the ground rules for what constitutes "best" for me. For one, being "the best fans in baseball" means pure dedication to team regardless of success. You are never embarrassed to wear that cap out in public and you're going to attend games no matter the time of year or where your team is in the standings. Secondly, to be the best you must have knowledge of the players on the field and your team's history.

Cards fans do have these qualities but I'd argue that it's a lot easier for them because of the success factor. It's easy to be a Cardinals fan just the same way that it's easy to be a Yankees fan. The knowledge is something that is learned and must be worked on, but Cardinals fan have lived in such a cloud of success and history for so long that they can almost simply absorb it through osmosis. The Cardinals have national media backing their myth of being "the best fans in baseball," we hear it every time the Redbirds play on ESPN or FOX. The Cardinals also have the benefit of individuals with St. Louis ties in the national media like Joe Buck and Bob Costas along with a historic national sports magazine, The Sporting News, based in their city.

The Kansas City Royals don't have these national media outlets or the myth of having the best fan base in the major leagues but I'd put Royals rooters right up at the top of my list of best fans. I lived in Kansas for about four years and attended probably 30-35 games over the course of that time. I was so impressed with the fan base (not what I saw on the field) that I adopted the Royals as my American League team. Royals fans, just like Cardinals fans, come from a large geographic area - Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas - some of which overlap with "Cardinal Country." I've been to Royals games late in the season, the team is well out the race, it's getting cold, and there is a 12-2 score in favor of the opposition and 18,000-20,000 Royals fans continue to cheer. Teenage K.C. fans continue to sport their blue caps even though they can't remember the success of their team. Sit next to a Royals fan at Kauffman Stadium and you're more likely than not to get a good baseball conversation. I can't say this about all fan bases, even the one that's most near and dear to my heart, the Reds.

Cincinnati Reds fans, just as Cardinals and Royals fans, come from miles around - Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia - but in my experiences of going to games at Great American Ball Park (I can't remember much of my experiences at Riverfront) there are a lot of people that aren't there to watch the game. Sure you're going to get fans like that anywhere, and even a few in St. Louis and Kansas City, but from my own personal experience, there are less of those types in St.L. and K.C. than in Cincy. I've sat next to people at GABP that talked the entire game about matters that had nothing to do with baseball, people who've spent more time watching the screen on their phone than the area between the pitcher's mound and home plate, those that really had no clue about the current Reds players. Last season, a 35-ish year old lady behind me asked the person next to her, "Why isn't Sean Casey* playing tonight?" the reply was, "I don't know, he must be hurt or something." I'd like to think that Reds fans are the "best fans in baseball" but I can't, Royals fans have us beat.

On a sour note, the Royals look to be on the bottom of MLB payroll projections for 2011.

*Here's come recent BCB-worthy news on Sean Casey.

The Man Matched Hustle with Humility

2011-02-15T16:49:00.006-05:00

President Obama honored Stan "The Man" Musial with the country's highest civilian honor today, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Stan, also nicknamed "Baseball's Perfect Knight," is in more ways than one, a legend. The things that he did on the field such as his unfathomable consistency (1815 career hits at home, 1815 career hits away) and humility (he was the first player to make $100,000 and possibly the last to ask for a pay cut when he didn't perform up to his own expectations) have mythic qualities.

You can watch the video of the ceremony here and here. My favorite quote is from President Obama who said, "Stan matched his hustle with humility."

Of course the St. Louis Post Dispatch has some good pieces on Stan today. This one asks St. Louis sports writers the question, "What is one lession that you think today's pro athletes could learn from the life and career of Stan Musial?" Bernie Miklasz writes, "America gives back to Musial with Medal" and "Musial and politics, a history."

If you like player biographies, I read James Giglio's, Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man a few years ago and it is very good.

Here is Joe Posnanski's SI piece on "The Man" from this past August. I usually only save a 2 or 3 issues of Sports Illustrated a year. I saved the issues with Posnanski's featured article on Musial and the issue with Joey Votto on the cover in 2010.

A well-known story about Musial is his instiable love of interacting with fans; this includes signing autographs and Stan is still doing it. If you see him out in public, I'm sure he'll give you one for free but you can buy a Stan Musial autograph from StanTheMan Inc. My wife bought me an autographed baseball one year for Christmas and it remains at the center of my collection. Funny story about that... the autograph was supposed to be a surprise but I was home alone one day and the home phone rang, the caller ID read, "Stan Musial." I thought to myself, "What the heck!?" I picked up that phone with a slightly sweaty palm to find that it was Stan's office (Stan The Man Inc.) calling to tell me that my baseball was being shipped.

Faith, Fandom, and the Sports Geography of Northwestern Ohio

2011-02-13T14:20:00.014-05:00

Over half a year has passed since my last post but pitchers and catchers have already begun to report and my mind is fluttering with images of games of catch, long toss, and other pre-game rituals. Today, a 40-degree temperature here in Toledo feels downright balmy and is beginning to melt the 18" of snow we received less than two weeks prior. Who knows I could see grass in the backyard by Opening Day!

Sports geography has long interested me and most notably the distribution of fans. I like to think about how these patterns develop and how people pass along or develop their fandom. Likening sports as religion is nothing new but that's the way I like to thing about sports geography and the nature of fandom. We pass these rituals and allegiances from generation to generation, we make pilgrimages to stadiums (aka Green Cathedrals) to renew our faith, during pilgrimage we feel a sense of community, we perform rituals as well as adorn sacred garments, maybe in the form of a lucky hat. Occasionally, someone in the family can test their boundaries (i.e. a Cubs fan in a Cardinals household) and sometimes religious adherence can fluctuate with age. Our faith can also be tested throughout out lives as success rates of our clubs peak and plummet. Take a person growing up in Pittsburgh during the 1970s. They would have had a successful team to follow and would likely develop a stronger sense of "faith" during their formative years. Children growing up in "Pirate Land" today have little to base their faith on and may be more likely to turn to a team with a national following like the Yankees or completely turn their backs on baseball.

Now to my primary task at hand, a brief description of the sports geography in northwestern Ohio. This part of the Buckeye State, around Toledo, is a cultural transition zone when it comes to sports; Nike's "United Countries of Baseball" map is pretty accurate in this respect. Just as further illustration, Buckeye Cable (my local television cable company) carries Tigers, Indians, and Reds games. I think this is extremely unique and would speculate that there are very few, if any, other places in the country where this would happen without paying extra. Toledo has both Tigers and Indians radio affiliates and Reds affiliates from Fostoria and Lima, OH are within signal strength (WLW, the Reds flagship, can be tapped into on some evenings).

The Detroit Tigers allegiance is obvious in Toledo. Around town you'll see more Old English Ds than anything else; one reason is our geographic proximity to the Motor City. We're about a 45mins to 1 hour drive, depending on what part of town you live in. The Toledo Mud Hens are also a city staple. The Mud Hens-Tigers affiliation is one of the longest running in baseball and with the Triple-A status, Toledoans can see players go up to- and down from Detroit on a regular baseball which adds to the emotional bond between fan and team. The demographics for Tigers fans in Toledo seems to stretch across all age groups.

Indians fans in Toledo seem to be mostly of the mid 20s - early 30s age bracket. This would make the formative years of fandom coincide with the 1990s success of the Tribe. I haven't noticed any trends for Reds fans in Toledo probably because there aren't enough to get a good sample size. I'm a Reds fan but I didn't grow up in this area. The best place to see Reds fans in the Toledo area is Fifth Third Field when the Mud Hens play the Louisville Bats (the Reds Triple-A club). You really have to go south of Bowling Green before you begin to see the number of Cincinnati fans pick up. It also seems that as you go southward of Toledo, away from the Michigan line, Indians fans will increase and Tigers fans will decrease. I sat next to an older man at a Mud Hens game a few years ago who told me that, everyone west of the Maumee River used to be a Tigers fan and everyone east of the Maumee was an Indians fan; I don't really believe that but I just wanted to pass it along.

On to other sports... There is no better place to witness the Ohio State - Michigan rivalry than Toledo. It's about about a 50/50 split here. We are geographically closer to Ann Arbor (45min drive) than Columbus (2 1/2 hours drive) but for some people state lines mean a lot. Many root for Ohio State because they're Ohioans, others roots for Michigan because their families are from Michigan or their grandfather was a Wolverine fan. It's not uncommon to see homes sporting flags for both universities on a single flag pole in the front yard. Although I'm relatively neutral in the situation, everyone here seems to have an opinion; "Ohio State or Michigan?" is a question you're often asked by someone you meet for the first time. There is also a segment in the newspaper, The Blade, that spotlights local high school athletes. Student-athletes list their favorite musical artist, fast food, the person they most admire, and, of course, "Ohio State or Michigan?" People (usually U of M fans) will even evoke the Toledo War of 1835! The Toledo area even has the Buckeye & Wolverine Shop. Which makes me wonder, is there a Cubs/Cardinals store in central Illinois or a Jayhawk/Tiger outlet in Kansas City?

Toledo is also a hockey town. The Glass City's minor league hockey franchise has mostly teamed with the Red Wings over the years although the Walleye are now affiliated with both Detroit and Chicago (yeah, it's odd). NHL fandom is dominated by Detroit. I don't think I've ever seen anyone wearing any Columbus Blue Jackets apparel in Toledo (my guess is probably because of the success factor).

The weirdest sports geography in Toledo has to be the city's NFL fandom. Take a look at the NFL maps on any given Sunday during the regular season and we're getting the Browns and the Lions on our TV sets. Browns and Lions allegiances are also commonly seen on the cultural landscape in the form of license plate frames, back window decals, and various team apparel. Go to a supermarket on a Sunday, however, and what you'll see the most of are Steelers fans! They're everywhere and it's more than mildly annoying. Go into a department store like JC Penney and you'll have more options for Steelers gear that you will Browns or Lions. Why is this? I have a few ideas. The success factor is obvious. Neither Detroit or Cleveland has been on the top of the NFL world in the Superbowl era; it's hard to cultivate new fans or keep your old ones for that matter with such long-term mediocrity. Another thought that I've had is, Steelers fans are more visible. They are more likely to wear a Polamalu jersey to Kroger and more likely to hang that black & gold flag out the window of their vehicle. Browns and Lions fans just might be more subtle, they don't feel like that have to shout out their "religious beliefs" in a public setting. Maybe I'm wrong here but NFL fandom, to me, just seems less regionally loyal than other sports. You are likely to see your team play on television several times a year regardless of whether or not you follow the local team.

I'm going to leave you with something that is not an uncommon find in northwestern Ohio. A few months ago I was behind an SUV at a stoplight. The vehicle has a personalized Ohio license plate that read "GO BEN 7" accompanied by University of Michigan and Detroit Tigers decals in the upper corners of the back window.

Ken Griffey Jr. and the Summer of 1989

2010-06-03T11:18:00.019-04:00

I was nine years old the summer of 1989. In the life of a young baseball fan those were both uncertain and exciting times. Pete Rose, a player that I emulated in the backyard although I vaguely remember seeing him at the end of his playing career, accepted a ban from baseball. I developed an somewhat odd following for San Francisco Giants first baseman, Will Clark. I had a Will Clark folder that looked like a baseball card, I carried it to school everyday. Will "The Thrill" was in the middle of his best major league season in 1989 and leading the Giants to a Bay Area World Series appearance. An earthquake halted that series and I hated the Oakland A's for eventually sweeping the Giants. The Reds sweep of the A's the following year would be made even sweeter. Also during the summer of '89, Ken Griffey Jr. was bursting onto the scene for a team in the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Mariners.

Similar to my infatuation with Clark, I was awestruck by Griffey's swing. I'm not a lefty but when I think about it, a lot of my favorite players over the years, adding Sean Casey, Andy Van Slyke and more recently Curtis Granderson to that list, have swung the lumber left-handed. Even as a hobbled 40-year old Griffey's swing still captivated me. I'm not going to argue that it wasn't time for Junior to retire but it saddens me to think that he won't be taking more of those beautiful swings.

I remember buying packs and packs of 1989 Topps baseball cards -- okay, technically my mom bought them -- hoping to get one of "The Kid." I remember when I got it. I was sitting in my mom's 1986 Chevrolet Cavalier (white w/ red cloth interior). My mom picked me up from my grandparents house and the hot summer sun was beating down on my right arm as I sat in the passenger seat unwrapping the pack of cards. There it was! It was only about two or three deep in the pack. I had it! As soon as I got home I ran to tell my neighbors, the Hatfields -- I grew up in southern West Virginia, remember, everyone there has a Hatfield for a neighbor.

Junior's arrival to the Reds, my favorite team, in 2000 was one of those rare moments in a fan's life when all the planets seem to align. Unfortunately things really didn't work out in Cincinnati. I know this seems contradictory to a lot of things on BCB but I was always on Junior's side no matter what he did. If he didn't run out a ground ball, I didn't care, he was Ken Griffey Jr., one of the greatest baseball players of all-time. Who cares if he wears his hat backwards, he's Junior! A lot of Reds fans didn't feel the same way and I understand that. If you play for the Cincinnati Reds you need to win or play like Pete Rose to earn the fans' respect and Junior did neither of those things. As Hal McCoy and Trent Rosecrans write, Junior really was a class act he just didn't want the publicity for it. A commenter on Trent's blog passed this story along.

Grif's numbers will stand up in any argument that he was one of the great baseball players ever to lace up a pair of cleats: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle. Junior's career, like Mantle's, will always carry that aspect of "what if..." If not for injuries and bad luck, he could have been the greatest player of all-time. Here is Mark Sheldon's from Reds.com.

Sporting News has put together a great set of videos on the "Top Ten Moments in the Illustrious Career of Ken Griffey Jr."

This is weird... I just read Chris Sabo's Goggles post and he mentions Will Clark too!

Curtis Granderson blogs about Junior, his favorite player.

Stand for Stan

2010-05-26T22:25:00.005-04:00

Stan "The Man" Musial was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He is also arguably one of the greatest people to put on a major league uniform. To be honest, I don't think the Cardinals gave him enough recognition at the St. Louis All-Star Game. Musial's service to the community is well known around St. Louis but the Cardinals have started a grassroots 'Stand for Stan' campaign to prompt the President to bestow Mr. Musial will the highest civilian honor that a U.S. citizen can receive, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron have all received the honor. Stan deserves to be in that list. The only bad thing is they've created this goofy looking cartoon of Stan that you can print for this campaign... whatever it takes I guess. At least it's a better likeness than the statue in front of Busch Stadium. You can sign the petition and write a letter here.

Ernie Harwell public visitation

2010-05-07T15:25:00.013-04:00

I drove 45 minutes north into Michigan yesterday to pay my respects to one of baseball's great gentlemen, Ernie Harwell. Although I didn't grow up a Tiger fan and rarely got to hear Harwell's voice while he was actively broadcasting, I developed an attachment to Harwell from stories, books, and recordings. My dad, like me, is a baseball history buff. The 1968 Tigers were one of his favorite teams and he told me stories of Harwell before I really understood who he was. I remember hearing tales of an announcer traded for a catcher and a beloved baseball broadcaster fired by a University of Michigan football coach. Later in life, I realized this was Ernie. I bought my dad the Complete Ernie Harwell Collection from the Detroit Free Press one year for his birthday and, of course, bought myself the same collection. On long drives I often listen to the 4-CD set of Harwell's stories and broadcasts. Two years ago I took my dad to Comerica Park for a tribute to the 1968 World Series Champions. We sat about 8 rows right behind home plate (the best seats I've ever had for a major league game). At one point in the game I turned around to look up at the press box and there was Ernie in his trademark Greek fisherman's hat talking with the FS-Detroit television broadcasters. I was much more captivated by Harwell sitting above me for that inning or so than the game being played on the field in front of me.

The Tigers pulled off a very classy public visitation yesterday, fitting of Ernie. Comerica Park gates were open from 7am until midnight. Although as I understand, they stayed open until about 12:35am this morning because people kept coming. I'm guessing that half the state of Michigan passed through those gates yesterday. Ernie's body was placed just inside Gate A of the park next to his statue and surrounded by pictures and flower arrangements. I shook the hand of Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski upon leaving around 11:30am -- later I learned that he stood there for 6 hours that day. Outside there were several places for fans to leave written messages for the Harwell family. Parking was free in the Comerica Park lots. Half of one of the smaller lots was occupied by a plethora of TV news vans -- I saw several trucks from Canada.

Here are some of my pictures:

The game loses another great voice

2010-05-04T21:34:00.004-04:00

Baseball has not only lost one of its greatest voices but also one of the game's greatest people. Ernie Harwell passed away this evening at the age of 92. Surely an impromptu shrine is being formed on Woodward Ave. in Detroit tonight.

Chapman Impresses Toledo with 9Ks and 101mph Fastball

2010-04-11T17:56:00.005-04:00

Aroldis Chapman definitely impressed me in his US professional debut this afternoon. Here's his line from my scorecard: 4.2IP, R, ER, 5H, 1BB, 9K. He struck out the last two batters of the first inning and the last of those strikes read 101mph on the Fifth Third Field radar. This piece from ESPN says that he reached 100mph five times... I was watching the stadium readout pretty closely and I don't remember it reaching that mark more than twice. C. Trent Rosecrans agrees with ESPN saying 3 pitches at 101mph, 2 at 100mph, and 5 at 99mph... so I guess I wasn't watching that close. Here is some video.

He did get a bit wild at times, getting behind hitters with 2-0 and 3-0 counts, but he always seem to battle back and only walked one batter. Several Mud Hens batters couldn't touch him, especially Jeff Larish, a player with about 75 games of experience in the major leagues.

Aroldis is a long, lanky, imposing figure on the mound. Being a left-hander and wearing #51 he reminds of Randy Johnson. His long arms and delivery lessens the distance to the plate so that 101mph fastball probably seems more like 108 or 110mph.

I haven't seen that many cameras at the ballpark since Diasuke Matsuzaka made a rehab start with the Pawtucket Red Sox here in Toledo. Also, there were A LOT of Reds fans there. Many of which, like myself, local to the area. But I would venture to say quite a few drove up from southern Ohio to take their first glimpse at Chapman -- they didn't go home disappointed.

Big baseball weekend here in Northwestern Ohio

2010-04-10T12:45:00.005-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while. I've been busy with stuff and really haven't had much time to have any thoughts much less type them up. Now, however, the season had started and I feel revived.

This is a big baseball weekend for me. Here in a couple of hours, I will be going to my first practice as a member of a local Vintage Base Ball team. I've always been interested in the history and traditions of baseball. In particular, I'm drawn to the era when players weren't highly paid superstars but regular Joe's. To be honest, a lot of the professional baseball players in the 19th century were social outcasts and hard-nose brawlers. During that time in American history being a professional ballplayer did not pay very much and the very nature of it (year-to-year contracts, etc.) was not considered to be a good career choice. People that didn't quite fit into the rest of society, in turn, chose to play baseball. Fifty-nine in '84 by Edward Achorn paints a nice picture of baseball during this time. I was approached a few months ago by a friend who does Civil War reenactments for the county historical society about playing Vintage Base Ball and I jumped at the chance. I went to get measured for my uniform earlier this week and have ordered my 19th century-style baseball cap to match. I've got a feeling this is going to be a lot of fun. I'll try to post some picture of our games -- first game is May 2.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Fifth Third Field here in Toledo to see Aroldis Chapman pitch in his U.S. professional debut for Reds Triple-A affiliate, Louisville. I'm looking forward to seeing his 100+mph fastball live and close up.

Clark and Van Slyke sound off on McGwire

2010-01-15T09:29:00.003-05:00

I found this in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this morning. Former Cardinals Jack Clark and Andy Van Slyke sound off on Mark McGwire and other steroid users. Clark especially rips into McGwire and says when the two cross paths at the Cardinals Winter Warm-Up this weekend, "I'm not going to say hello. I'm not going to shake his hand. He's a sad excuse for a player in the industry of baseball. Just seeing him in uniform makes me throw up."

Here are a couple of selected Clark and Van Slyke quotes from Rick Hummel's article:

Clark: "All those guys are cheaters —A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez). Fake, phony. Rafael Palmeiro. Fake, a phony. "(Roger) Clemens, (Barry) Bonds. (Sammy) Sosa. Fakes. Phonies. They don't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame."

Van Slyke: "There's a lot of finger-pointing by Mark McGwire. He blames it on not being tested and he blames it on the era. Why would you blame baseball for taking steroids? That's like me saying the reason I was drunk driving was because I knew that on this particular highway, they didn't have anything for me to blow into."

Click here to read the rest.

Expanding farm systems a fix for baseball?

2009-12-24T12:58:00.010-05:00

The guys over at Redleg Nation are discussing possible changes to the game. What about this... no salary cap but let's give organizations the opportunity to expand their farm systems.

The relatively low-budgeted St. Louis Cardinals increased their ability to compete with other clubs in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s with as many as 40 affiliated teams. The Cards won World Series titles in '26, '31, '34, '42, '44, '46. They also played in the 1928, 1930 and 1943 World Series but lost to the NY Yankees, Philadelphia As and Yanks again respectively. The Cardinals are second only to the Yankees in World Series championships (10) and this is partly due to Branch Rickey's invention of the farm system.

A few quotes from Rickey on the farm system:

"The farm system, which I have been given credit for developing, originated
from a purely selfish motive: saving money."

"The money part aside, the system offered a selection of better players. We
know our own material; we had followed it for several years. We brought it along
at each level... We controlled the institution and discipline, and we had a much
better idea of a player's major-league ability than if we had gone blindly into
the open market."

This would allow teams to stockpile talent and use that to built continually winning teams and relatively low cost. Sure you have to pay minor leaguers, coaches, staff, etc., but not nearly as much. Teams could also use their stock of minors leaguers in trades for proven major league talent if they feel they just need a final piece to make a run for title. It would reward good organizations rather than owners with deep pockets and big revenue streams.

Selig's 14

2009-12-15T23:37:00.013-05:00

Bud Selig has formed a committee of 14 people to look at ways of "improving" Major League Baseball. This might actually be a good idea but I'm still a little worried, as usual, about change. The group will examine things like instant replay and pace of game. Which to be honest, I don't see any problems with either one. I'm fine with no instant reply and enjoy baseball's slower pace. To change these aspects of baseball would just make baseball like other sports and in turn would draw in "casual" fans and alienate true baseball fans. Seems like a Selig-esque move doesn't it?

I would like to see some changes made. For one, something needs to be done with finances. Smaller market teams need to be able to keep some of their star players. Of course this doesn't ensure those clubs would be more competitive but it does mean that fans would have some players to identify with for an extended period of time -- a player they would be willing to buy a jersey of because they know they'll be around for a few years.

I'd also like to see the DH eliminated. There is really no need for it anymore. I'm sure that the players union would fight it. It allows sub-par and aging athletes to continue their career and make way too much money for doing as little as possible. Eliminating the DH would also help to shorten the length of American League games.

The schedule needs to be balanced. I'd be fine with going back to the 154-game schedule (see comments section for further explanation).

Interleague play should be eliminated or, at least, the number of interleague games reduced.

Selig's 14 will include 4 GM/executive representatives:

John Schuerholz (Braves)
Andy MacPhail (Orioles)
Terry Ryan (Twins)
Mark Shapiro (Indians)

4 owner reps:

Chuck Armstrong (Mariners)
Paul Beeston (Blue Jays)
Bill DeWitt (Cardinals)
Dave Montgomery (Phillies)

4 managers:

Tony La Russa (Cardinals)
Jim Leyland (Tigers)
Joe Torre (Dodgers)
Mike Scioscia (Angels)

also:

Frank Robinson (HOFer)
George Will (author/columnist)

This is certainly a great collection of baseball minds. This could one of Selig's few good ideas. I do tip my hat to him for putting this group together.

Update: 12/16/09 -- 10:24am:

I was just thinking about this pace of game issue again. If you're looking for a source of the "problem," look at television. How many times have you been to a live game and seen the pitcher and batter ready to go only to have to wait for the TV timeout?

Update: 12/16/09 -- 12:15pm:

Phil Rogers' piece in the Chicago Tribune, "MLB sets up system that could ban DH"

Update: 12/16/09 -- 3:37pm:

A take on improving the game from True Blue L.A. who says that the September roster expansion is one of the biggest threats to the integrity of baseball. Good point!

New York's gonna love Curtis Granderson

2009-12-09T14:02:00.009-05:00

Former Tigers coach Andy Van Slyke had some kind words to tell the New York Post today. "[Granderson's] almost too good to be true... I've got four boys. If I had a daughter, I'd want him first on line to marry my daughter."

Grandy's former teammate Sean Casey says, "[Granderson's] a mentally tough guy. He's out to beat you... He plays the game hard all the time. You'll never see Curtis job to first base... you're going to get full-tilt baseball." Casey also goes on to tell The Post that Grandy is, "the epitome of a great teammate... Character-wise as far as being a teammate and being a team guy, he's a workaholic. He's always hitting. That's why he's going to be successful in New York because he's always looking to get better... New York's gonna love Curtis Granderson."

A few more tastes of what kind of person the Yankees are getting:

Curtis' book, All You Can Be: Dream It, Draw It, Become It. With the help of fourth-graders across the state of Michigan, Granderson shows readers how a strong foundation of learning can help you reach any goal, no matter how big. [Amazon.com]
One of Grandy's larger community involvement works, The Grand Kids Foundation.
Shawn Windsor's piece in the Detroit Free Press, "Curtis Granderson more than a good player."

Update 12/10/09 - 1:20pm:

Greg over at Where Have You Gone, Johhny Grubb? offers some interesting perspective to chew on. He argues that Curtis will get less recognition for his off-the-field work in NY. Greg writes:

What a waste of a good guy. New York won’t appreciate what Granderson does for life outside of baseball. He’ll be able to walk the streets of Manhattan and the only time he’ll be stopped is if someone happens to ask him for the time. In Detroit, Grandy might one day have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Mayor Dave Bing in front of the groundbreaking for a new playground. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg might not even have time to take his call—if he even knows who Curtis is.

Curtis on the Grand Stage

2009-12-08T18:12:00.005-05:00

It looks like the three-way deal that will send Detroit Tigers centerfielder, Curtis Granderson, to the New York Yankees is done. It's a sad day of this Grandy fan but I wish him the best. Curtis is a classy guy and I think his personality will suit him well in New York. I'm just slightly worried that if he doesn't start to hit left-handed pitching better that the NYC media and Yankees fans are going to tear into him and I would really hate to see that. At least Curtis didn't go for the free agent dollars, he went via forces that were probably beyond his control. I really think that he would have been happy playing in the Midwest (Detroit, Chicago, etc.) for the rest of his career. He established himself in the greater Detroit community and grew up in Chicago and just seemed like a very down-to-earth guy. I wouldn't be surprised if he puts a full-page add in the Detroit Free Press thanking fans for their support.

Selig's legacy and fan consumerism

2009-11-28T19:24:00.007-05:00

In case you haven't heard, Bud Selig plans to retire as commissioner of Major League Baseball in 2012. When considering Selig's legacy on the game, it's easy to point to changes to divisional formats, the Wild Card playoff spot, interleague play, and steroids. We can also say that baseball, as a business, has exploded under Selig's watch. That's good for the owners and players but not so much for the fan and the overall historical integrity of America's pastime, at least that's my opinion.

Another thing that has changed since Selig first took the reins as interim commissioner in September 1992 is the consumerism associated with the game - fan consumerism. Whether this is good or bad is debatable. I've been thinking about this for the past few days. I've had some time off and have been watching some old game films on the MLB Network. We all know, of course, that men and women regularly wore dress clothes to games up until the 1960s or so. But watch a game tape from the late 1980s and even the early 1990s and you'll notice that fans in the stands aren't covered in logos like they are today.

First of all, I'll disclose that I'm not acting in the same way that I am idealizing. I'm a logo-clad fan. I've spent who knows how much money on officially licensed merchandise and I have a collection of baseball caps that is borderline obscene. Go to a major league ballgame today and most fans there will be like me, wearing $30 t-shirts with their favorite team's name and logo on it, team cap, and possibly a replica or authentic team/player jersey. I really can't point to a specific time or year when this started but like most things it probably happened gradually, but it wasn't happening in the early 1990s from what I can tell. Sure there were fans wearing team caps or t-shirts but it didn't seem to be the vast majority like it is today. There were still a lot of fans at the games wearing just "regular, every day" clothes, don't you think?

When did this all begin and why? When did it become the "norm" to be completely clad in team gear at the ballgame? I do it and it seems to me that about 75% of the folks at MLB games do this. It just looks odd to see the majority of fans at a major sporting event (1988 All-Star game, 1991 World Series, etc.) not dressed like this.

This phenomenon certainly isn't confined to baseball. Actually, I would probably say NFL fans are the most clad with team apparel, followed by NCAA sports fans, NBA, then MLB, and NHL.

I welcome your comments and thoughts on this.

Bob Costas for Commissioner of Baseball

2009-11-10T23:33:00.003-05:00

I'm currently watching Bob Costas' interview of Bud Selig on the MLB Network and he's giving the commissioner hell! If you've got the MLB Network on your cable system, check the schedule and plan to watch it next time it's on. You regular readers know my views about Selig. Costas, I like. He's a traditionalist and I'd love to see him as baseball's next commissioner. Costas' book, Fair Ball (2001), is a little outdated now but it's still a great read. Costas lends a well thought out discussion of how he would protect and promote the game.

Lee and Pedro bring inspiration

2009-10-29T20:04:00.008-04:00

I'm back. Part of the reason that I haven't posted in over a month is that I've found it difficult to get inspired. The last few weeks of the regular season and the first couple of rounds of the playoffs didn't really light a fire under me. This year's World Series between the Phillies and Yankees seems to be a great matchup on paper but, to be honest, I don't like either team so I wasn't sure I'd find anything to write about. I hate what the Yankees symbolize. That coupled with the fact that I'm a small-market fan means that I can't root for them. I do, however, have a great deal of respect for Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera. They're classy guys, they play the game the right way, and they all came up as Yankees. This means they stayed in New York for the money but they didn't go there for it like some other players.

To cut to the chase, Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez are my inspiration for throwing up a post for the first time since September 18. How can you not get fired up about Lee's performance in game 1? The guy is so fun to watch. He works quick, he's focused, and you know he's loving every minute of being out there. World Series nerves didn't seem to phase him at all as he mowed down the Yanks last night. If anything Lee came across as more loose than usual. Especially as he nonchalantly stuck his glove out for that pop-up to the mound with Jeter on first. Then again when he caught a liner with his glove behind his back. Judging from his reaction afterwards you knew he was as nonplussed as his teammates on the bench and Phillie fans at home.

Pedro, who is pitching as I type, has gained a lot of my respect during his short stint in Philadelphia. The guy is a competitor and you can tell that he's sparing nothing to help his team win. There was a game near the end of the regular season where Pedro had thrown something like 130 pitches. He worked himself into trouble, convinced Charlie Manuel to leave him in, and proceeded to retire the remaining batters. Pedro gained a fan there. I wish him and the Phillies the best tonight.

Aaron Harang Giveth

2009-09-18T09:00:00.003-04:00

If you watched the Reds game on FS Ohio last night you may have heard George Grande and Chris Welsh talking about what Aaron Harang did to show his appreciation for the hard-working Reds clubhouse staff. Harang bought Rick Stowe and his staff a primo 6-seat golf cart to use while running errands around the ballpark. It's a top-of-the-line $6,500 cart. Harang said last night that it is road ready on streets up to 35mph. Here is Mark Sheldon's post. Hat tip to Redleg Nation for the link.

Ernie's farewell

2009-09-17T11:47:00.002-04:00

Few people get a chance to give a farewell speech or see how much they've touched other peoples lives but if anyone deserves that chance it's Ernie Harwell. Here is his farewell address to Tigers fans.

Big League Stew's post.

Ernie's farewell to his media colleagues.

Harwell's diagnosis is incurable

2009-09-04T08:16:00.007-04:00

Sorry folks for not posting much lately. I've been extremely busy.

I just wanted to share this piece of news about long-time Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster, Ernie Harwell. Unfortunately, Harwell has been diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Harwell is one of baseball's great voices and I highly recommend listening to one of his old broadcasts if you get the chance.

The Detroit Free Press store sells a few of Harwell's books as well as an audio scrapbook. I'm continually enthralled by some of the stories that Harwell tells on the 4-CD audio scrapbook, like getting Babe Ruth to autograph his shoe and his interview with Ty Cobb.

Read this article and some of the comments. I especially like what one commenter had to say:

If you open the dictionary to the definition of........
Compassionate
Thoughtful
Inspiring
God fearing
Mentor
Student
Leader
Loving
Moral
Giving
Baseball.........and countless others. You will find a picture of Ernie Harwell.

Adam Dunn, Good Guy

2009-08-17T13:40:00.006-04:00

I've been critical of Adam Dunn's effort (or seemingly lack of) in the past, however, he really is a good guy. Here's a great Dunner story via Hal McCoy.

ALL YE haters of Adam Dunn, check this out.
A large group of people was gathered outside the media elevators after Saturday’s game and Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn was among them.

He was chatting with a man in a wheelchair diagnosed with terminal cancer. Dunn posed for pictures and signed autographs, then said to the entire group, “Would like to come back to Sunday’s game”

The group said, “Of course,” and Dunn said, “There will be 10 tickets for you at will call. Come and watch us kick the Reds’ butts.”

Ballplayers are universally criticized for being greedy, selfish jerks. Some are. Most, though, do things behind the scenes that never get out in the media. I just happened to stumble upon the Dunn scenario as I was leaving the park last night.