Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

Saturday and Sunday are typically slower days here in Da Box, and for good reason: the hard-working members of the ZLC are enjoying their brief Canadian summer, to say nothing of their days off, and have better places to be. But we here in the United States are a similarly industrious lot, so here I am, providing weekend material for one and all to enjoy when they choose, if they choose. It is true that I am not your typical hard-working American -- indeed, I am not even working -- but we'll ignore the fact that my weekends range from Monday-Sunday and head to the baseball stuff.

The Marlins paid a huge bounty to acquire Ugueth Urbina. Adrian Gonzalez was the number one overall pick in the 2000 draft, and, while he has struggled a bit at the AAA level -- he was recently demoted to AA -- he's only 21-years-old and has a very high ceiling, obviously. Gonzalez would have been sufficient enough, but Texas also received Will Smith, supposedly a solid fourth-OF type, and Ryan Snare, a LH pitcher who was a second-round pick in the 2000 draft. Even if only one of the players pans out, the Rangers win this deal, because there's no point having a Proven Closer on a last-place team.

I question the acquisition of Gonzalez, however. While he's no doubt a top prospect, the last thing the Rangers need is another hitter, the impending retirement of Rafael Palmeiro notwithstanding. They need pitching (duh), and they need it bad. I'm not suggesting they should have turned down Gonzalez, but it would behoove them to collect two pitchers for every hitter. Make no mistake, though, this is a nice trade by John Hart -- and the words "nice trade" and "John Hart" don't flow often in the same sentence, unless it's something like this: "In a nice trade for the Pirates, Indians GM John Hart has shipped Brian Giles for situational left-handed reliever Ricardo Rincon." One can only assume that the tempestuous Juan Gonzalez is next, provided Mr. Cheerful agrees to a deal. Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus suggested a couple of weeks ago that the Rangers bench Gonzo until he accepts a trade. I second the nomination.

Due to trades and injuries, the Rangers now have a good number of prospects in their lineup: Ryan Ludwick, Mark Texeira, Hank Blalock, and Laynce Nix will all see regular time for a little bit, and any of those four would be top young players on most teams. Needless to say, the Rangers will keep scoring runs. If the upper tier of the Blue Jays minor-league pitchers -- i.e. Jason Arnold, David Bush, Justin McGowan, et al -- do not develop, and the Rangers continue to view the likes of Chan Ho Park as valuable commodities, Texas/Toronto games in the 2006 season could very well be more high-scoring than NBA games.

.......

In a move not mentioned here in Da Box (I think), Doug Davis has refused assignment to the minors and is now a free agent. When another team signs him, this will immediately be good news for all the hitters in the league. I do not claim to be as erudite and snappy as BP's Chris Kharl, but here are some other under-the-radar transactions from the past week, with my comments following.

Minnesota signed former Pirate Kevin Young to a minor-league deal

With all the available talent at 1B/DH/OF in the Twins system, this has got to be the strangest signing I've seen in a long time, even if it is literally a minor deal. Even assuming Pittsburgh is on the slab for most of Young's salary, if it cost the Twins $4 for calling Young's agent, $.35 for faxing the contract, and any incidental costs, then the Twins are literally throwing money away. Sure, it's a pittance, but they would have been better off donating the small change to the Democratic Party.

Cincinnati designated Todd Van Poppel for assignment

It's sad to say, but this may be the end for Van Poppel; if Don Gullett can't resurrect your career, you're in trouble. (Et tu, Bruce Chen?) I remember when the A's moved Van Poppel to the bullpen in 1995, and I particularly remember a three-plus inning stint he had against the Mariners in Seattle. He struck out six guys in 3 2/3 innings, using a 98-MPH fastball that he snaked on the black in addition to a viscious 12-6 curve ball he seldom commanded as a starter. I don't think a hitter even hit a sharp grounder that night. So right away I made offers to the owner who had Van Poppel in my AL-only fantasy league, because TVP looked like he was going to embark on a serious run as a dominant high-leverage reliever. The A's, though, insisted on putting Van Poppel back in the rotation -- he was, after all, only 24-years-old at the time -- and the rest we know. Van Poppel did eventually enjoy some moderate success as a set-up guy, and I will certainly never forget those three magical innings. It is hard to believe Van Poppel is only 31-years-old, yet he may be done with baseball.

Seattle placed Greg Colbrunn on the DL

Rotoworld had it right when they wondered how Colbrunn could get hurt playing once every three weeks. And this was the second time Colbrunn has been on the DL this year. The Yankees get much (deserved) abuse for their absurd depth, but the Mariners signed Colbrunn as a $3.6 million Edgar Martinez insurance policy. Very few teams have that kind of flexibility.

San Francisco optioned Jesse Foppert to Phoenix

Before the season started we talked about the Giants' three young future aces, and a consensus of sorts was reached that one would break down, one would be OK, and one would get traded. Here's what Coach said, which is interesting and amusing:

John Sickels says one of the Giants' three phenoms will be a star, one will be traded and one will get hurt. He admits he has no idea which is which; one of the most refreshing and candid prospect evaluations I've seen. (Right now I'll guess Ainsworth gets dealt, "Doc" Williams breaks down and Foppert makes it, but who knows?)

I was the most pessimistic of the group -- big surprise -- as I thought all three would fizzle. Having said that, I would not have thought Jerome Williams to be the one to succeed, because he is the youngest of the three. Foppert reminds me very much of Kevin Millwood, from their builds and motions right down to the numbers on their backs. However, Foppert isn't quite as smooth as Millwood, which makes me think that at some point he'll hurt his arm -- the Giants do not have a track record for developing pitchers, or anyone for that matter -- and he doesn't have Millwood's raw power. Some of the Giants' announcers compare Williams to Doc Gooden, a comparison made, I believe, because both pitchers are black. (I don't believe this is done with any racist intent, by the way, any more than me comparing Millwood to Foppert is racist. The Star may differ.) Their motions aren't too similar, Williams' breaking ball isn't nearly as sharp as Doc's, he doesn't throw as hard as Gooden, and while Gooden reached the Show when he was 19, Williams was in the minors at that age. Other than that, then yes, you can't tell them apart. Until Williams goes through the league a second time, and until he cleans up his K/BB ratio (55/41 in 93 innings), I will remain pessimistic. If someone does in fact get moved, it looks like Foppert may be the one, since Kurt Ainsworth has little value until his health is proven to be sound and since Williams has been lights out so far. Of course Foppert may yet return to the rotation after the all-star break. With the injury to Kirk Rueter, the Giants' pitching is in serious trouble; they may not be able to keep Foppert in Phoenix. But he may also be traded. Stay tuned.

Cleveland acquired Lyle Mouton for Aaron Myette

I mention this trade in the event one of Mouton or Myette's relatives does a Google search for either of their names. Perhaps it might make the families proud if they see that an obscure little Web site north of the border noticed this deal, because surely nobody else did. And with good cause.

.......

It is often said that we go to sporting events, baseball games in particular, because there is always the chance we will see something we have never seen before -- and possibly never will see again. I'm curious to know of some events the ZLC will never forget from baseball games they've attended. I was fortunate to be at Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, and it would be very difficult to top that moment, but I've also been lucky enough to see a triple play, a one-hitter by Steve Ontiveros against the Yankees, a bench-clearing brawl involving Neil Allen and Mark McGwire, the Royals clinch the 1987 pennant in Oakland, two all-star game workouts (including the 1984 one in Candlestick which featured the 1984 USA Olympic team), countless Barry Bonds and McGwire home runs, and much, much, more. (I also saw McGwire hit the longest foul ball I've ever seen, as I've described somewhere on Batter's Box, and that memory sticks out as much as the "real" ones.) What are some of your strongest memories? None are too trivial. The only rule is that you were at a big-league stadium. As an example of a seemingly throwaway event, the triple play I remember not only because of the action itself (Rafael Ramirez of the Braves hit the ball), but also because I had gotten to Jack Murphy Stadium three hours before the game to watch batting practice -- only to discover that sometimes they don't take batting practice on Sunday, this particular Sunday being one of those "sometimes."

I'll be back tomorrow with more garbage. Enjoy the weekend.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 03:23 AM EDT.

As I Please 3 | 22 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

Coach - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 08:41 AM EDT (#97785) #

One of my most vivid memories is watching Barry Bonds take batting practice last summer. It was the first time I truly appreciated his greatness. Sustained goosebumps for 15 minutes.

Most horrifying moment was in San Diego (1976) when a large piece of a shattered bat stuck in Steve Yeager's throat. On one knee in the on-deck circle, Yeager appeared surprised, though he didn't panic, or even move, and quick action by the trainers and doctors probably saved his life. Not everyone in the Murph saw it occur (I watched in disbelief as the spear -- at least a foot long -- flew into his neck) but the hushed buzz that swept the crowd as they realized what had happened is something I'd prefer never to hear again.

Sundberg's windblown fly ball was devastating, therefore unforgettable. I've tried.

Trivial? My "called shot" catch of a foul ball three years ago at a Red Sox game was kinda fun. Sitting in the front row of the 200 level, midway through the game, I had a premonition that Carl Everett was about to foul one straight back. I put my glove on, turned to my sister (who had bought the seats as my birthday present) and said, "Hello, my name is Carl. I'll be your foul ball hitter today." On the second pitch, he ripped one that would have hit the facing, except that I was ready for it. I jumped up, leaned over the railing and made one of those grabs that gets sustained applause.

Limiting this exercise to big-league stadiums excludes a lot of my favourite baseball memories involving the youth teams I've coached. The entire 1995 season, with a fantastic group of 9-year-old kids and their parents, was a dream come true, with a win in the Canadian Open tournament just one of the highlights. There's also a David-vs.-Goliath high school game involving a 9-run comeback, but I'll spare you the details.

Dave Till - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 08:57 AM EDT (#97786) #

My most vivid memory in a ballpark was the first game of the 1989 "showdown series" between the Orioles and the Jays. (The teams played the last three games of the season against each other, with the Jays going into the series one game up.) I was in the fifth deck, and to say that it was a tense, thrilling game would be a woeful understatement.

A more trivial memory: I was in the north grandstand of Exhibition Stadium for Game 1 of the 1985 ALCS. When Brian Mulroney threw out the first ball, the entire grandstand yelled "Tuna" at him (in reference to some political scandal, the details of which I've forgotten).

And, going further back: in the late 1970's, a local radio station sponsored Teen Nights, in which teenage fans could sit in the north grandstand for $1. The games themselves usually weren't interesting, as they were so far away, and the home team was usually trailing 8-1 by the fourth. What was interesting was the behaviour of the teenage spectators, who would throw wads of paper at each other and chant "He's got a bottle!" at anyone they caught smuggling an illicit beverage into the park. (This was before they sold beer in the park.) I still sometimes miss the north grandstand, even though the seats were crappy, the food was crappier (hot dogs in coolers?) and the crowds were overwhelming - the enclosed roof meant that fans could actually make noise and be heard, so we did.

Dave Till - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 08:59 AM EDT (#97787) #

By the way: JMG, is your "As I Please" title a reference to George Orwell?

Pistol - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 09:44 AM EDT (#97788) #

I was at the Jays playoff game against the A's when Canseco was the first to hit it in the 500 level.

I also went to the Oriole/Phillies game a couple weeks ago that went 17 innings. At the game we were talking and we believe the Phillies' bullpen set a record for most consectutive shutout innings in one game at 15. Duckworth got hit by a line drive on the last out of the first inning and the Phillies bullpen (that's right the Phillies bullpen) worked 15 straight scoreless innings before giving up a solo homer in the 17th inning (Phillies won 4-2). The game ended at 12:50, after a couple of west coast games ended.

_Spicol - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 09:45 AM EDT (#97789) #

the hard-working members of the ZLC are enjoying their brief Canadian summer

Yeah, I was just explaining to my wife how the tundra makes it difficult for me to plant my basil. Where do you think we're living, Gitz? Moosonee?

Dustin McGowan, people. Dustin! As in Diamond. As in Screech.

Mike D - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 10:28 AM EDT (#97790) #

For everyone's benefit, I'll limit this to ten memories.

I was at the same Jays/Orioles game as Dave. Outstanding stuff -- a Gregg Olson wild pitch scored Tom Lawless!

But the best, most tense game I've attended was Game 2 of the '92 ALCS -- Rickey Henderson got sent back to third after apparently scoring on a errantly thrown ball that ultimately rolled into the Jays dugout. An alert Gene Tenace ordered Pat Borders to let the ball roll in, and sure enough, Rickey was sent back. Mark McGwire also hit a long foul ball off of David Cone before fanning with men on base.

Speaking of Jays/Orioles, I was at the 10-homer game, still a record (poor Ken Dixon). Gitz, I don't know if you remember what Exhibition Stadium looked like, but there were no bleachers in right field. Fred McGriff hit a bomb that just disappeared into the darkness. Ernie Whitt went yard three times -- and hit a warning-track fly in his next plate appearance. Even Rob Ducey homered! I remember when the record-tying or record-breaking home run was hit to left, the ballboy sprinting past my third-base seat with two baseballs and a bat. Evidently, that wasn't enough to sway the souvenir recipient. So the ballboy sprinted back with several balls and bats -- and returned with the historic ball, to wild applause.

I saw Kenny Williams plow the Jays' third base coach, and Mookie Wilson "drive in" three, including himself, on a bunt that was horribly misplayed by the Royals. On a similar "mad dash" play, I remember Eddie Zosky trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run with the crowd in hysterics. Out by a mile.

I saw an emotional Bob Ojeda make his first appearance in a big-league game after the spring-training tragedy at Municipal Stadium.

I saw Domingo Cedeno hit a grand slam off of Doug Jones at Camden Yards.

I saw Cecil Fielder hit some ludicrously far blasts in the '91 home run derby.

I saw Robbie Alomar hit homers from both sides of the plate -- one in the 9th to tie the game, and one in the 11th to tie the game. Cleveland won, but those were the days when Alomar really could do anything he wanted on the field.

For some reason, I've never forgotten the following moment from a Jays/Twins game. I sat next to two guys that were the equivalent of Jay and Silent Bob; a little guy who yapped without pausing to inhale the entire game -- and a big guy who didn't say a word. But with Ron Coomer up, the big guy rose dramatically from his seat, and yelled, "YOU'RE FAT!" The next pitch, Coomer homered. The big guy sat down and remained silent for the rest of the game. He had spoken his piece.

Finally, although millions claim to have been there, I actually *was* at the Bruce Kison/George Bell karate kick incident. Sheer mayhem, although I wish we weren't subjected to Bill Caudill trotting out to make an appearance at the brawl -- wearing an undershirt with his pants brazenly unbuttoned. Ugh.

Dave Till - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 10:57 AM EDT (#97791) #

But the best, most tense game I've attended was Game 2 of the '92 ALCS

I was there too!

I was also at Game 5 of the 1992 World Series - the one where Morris gave up the grand slam to Lonnie Smith.

_Jurgen - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 12:40 PM EDT (#97792) #

If someone does in fact get moved, it looks like Foppert may be the one...

Not if Foppert can't recover that 5mph he "lost" somewhere between Fresno and F'risco.

I was at that Game 2, too. It's all starting to sound like a Velma Kelley comeback: "Yeah, you and half of Chicago were there that night."

The most amazing thing I've seen was being mere rows away from where Phelps' blast landed last year.

Gitz - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 02:02 PM EDT (#97793) #

Good stuff here.

In no particular order ...

Mike, I do remember the old Exhibition Stadium, and I do recall that Black Hole in right field. That must have been quite a bomb by McGriff. And how the devil can anyone rip on Ron Coomer? That guys is so easy to like, perhaps easier than Rance Mulliniks, since, once I stopped playing baseball I've drifted more toward Coomer's body type than Mulliniks'. "Drifted," mind you. I'm not there yet.

Coach, this may shock you, but I too was at the Padres game (we lived in San Diego for four years). I was too young (6) to know what was going on, so all I remember is what my parents told me about it. Apparently they were horrified, too.

Spicol, I apologize for thinking there was actually summer in Canada. When I finally move there, I suppose I'm glad Vancouver/Whistler will be the target.

Dave, yes, the "As I Please" is an homage to Orwell, the greatest, or at least the most important, writer of the 20th century. James Joyce is probably the better writer; he certainly is the one who had the largest effect on the writing world. By the way, the "Notes From Nowhere" stuff I used to do (once Craig finds time again he'll keep his "Notes," as he should) is a reference to William Morris' Utopian News From Nowhere, in case any of you were wondering.

_jason - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 02:10 PM EDT (#97794) #

After seeing some of the strike calls in the last two series I think I'm starting to warm to the idea of putting the QuesTec system at the Dome.

_Jordan - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 03:18 PM EDT (#97795) #

Jesse Foppert better find those five missing miles per hour -- I just traded for him in the BBFL a couple weeks ago. Although, since all I gave up for him was the stuffed and mounted carcass of Al Leiter, I don't feel too bad about it. And anyway, I'm getting stomped on by the gashouse gorillas 11-1, effectively ending any pretensions of playoff appearances this year (hmmm....sounds familiar).

Foppert, Ainsworth and Williams were the three guys everyone was targeting to acquire in trades last fall and winter ... considering what's left of the Giants' pitching staff, the odds of San Fran dealing away any of them have fallen from slim to none. (Though, hey, here's a thought: Adrian Gonzalez to the Giants for Williams.)

It's just amazing what Loria and friends are doing in Florida. I fear greatly for the next franchise that Bud sends them to play guardian strip-miners for. And I'll have to revise my estimation of John Hart upwards slightly. It's a nice example of Delayed Karma: the Marlins were the team that snookered Arizona for Matt "15-Day" Mantei in exchange for Brad Penny and Vlaimir Nunez. Just goes to show, all you need to do in this game is find a GM more gullible than you are.

Although ... remember when Arizona dealt away Jack Cust for journeyman lefty Mike "Not The Real" Myers? Many people, especially many Primates, went absolutely batsh*t over the highway robbery carried out by the Rox. Cust, as you may know, is currently hanging out here in lovely Ottawa-Gatineau and "batting" .283/.419/.430 with an eye-popping 68 walks and 81 strikeouts in just 286 at-bats, making him possibly the most boring baseball player to watch who ever lived. At a certain point, you have to wonder if he was really ever all that to begin with, and whether Joe Gariagola Jr. is quite as dumb as we think.

The reality is, trades involving Proven Veterans (PVs) and their counterparts, Vaunted Prospects (VPs), are to a certain degree throwing darts at a board. PVs often have a two-month stay and limited value and VPs often never flourish. Even Brian Giles, central figure in maybe The Worst Trade Ever Made, was widely considered a fourth outfielder at the time of the deal, and Rincon was one of the best lefty setup men around.

We should keep this in mind, because I'm pretty sure the Blue Jays will be engaged in at least one or two trades of fairly substantial proportions in the next several weeks. Should Toronto drop these last two games to the Yanks (not out of the question, even with their two best pitchers on the mound, because this team is staggering badly), then they'll be 11 games out of first place, as many as 9 games out of the Wild Card (with three teams above them), and just a game above .500. I've seen very little from the current squad in the last two weeks that would make JP think this team, even with upgrades, can make a run at the playoffs. If there's a market for Stewart, he'll be gone; if not, he'll walk at the end of the season. If there's a market for Lidle and Escobar in August, they'll be gone; otherwise, at least one will be offered arbitration and will either be a member of the rotation next year or will yield a first-round draft pick. In all events, if the Blue Jays do acquire live bodies for these guys, rather than draft choices, we should temper our expectations for the quality of the return. Kurt Ainsworth and his ilk are not coming to Toronto anytime soon.

In terms of unique ballpark moments: one of my more enjoyable Skydome experiences was a hot Sunday afternoon against the Angels, perched on the front row of the 500-level in right field. You don't know the leisurely thrill of hanging your legs over the top railing of a ballpark till you've done it. Anyway, Dick Schofield was playing short for the Jays at that time, and he was on second base with one out when the batter -- I forget who -- cracked a big fly ball to straightaway center. The outfielder raced back to nab it, and Schofield tagged up to go to third. But when the fielder took his time slowing down and getting the ball back in, Schofield accelerated around third. The cutoff man yelled for it, got the ball and fired it towards home, but Schofield slid in just under the tag, making him the only person I've ever seen score from second on a sacrifice fly. Great, exciting play.

Oh yeah, I stood up and watched Joe Carter's home run sail over the left-field fence and ka-thump against the padded bullpen wall, ending the 1993 World Series and sending the Dome into utter bedlam. That was cool, too.

_Donkit R.K. - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 03:52 PM EDT (#97796) #

"Sundberg's windblown fly ball was devastating, therefore unforgettable. I've tried."

I don't recognize this moment... Explain

Mike D - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 05:11 PM EDT (#97797) #

Worst trade ever made? Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas was worse than the Giles deal. Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio was another.

_Mick - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 07:34 PM EDT (#97798) #

One of the finest threads in the storied history of Da Box.

First, Gitz:
Orwell, the greatest, or at least the most important, writer of the 20th century

Shame on you. A politically conscious radical in texterity like yourself, and you claim a couple of British Isles fogies like Orwell and Joyce as the greatest writers of the 20th century? You mean English-speaking white male fiction writers and essayists of the first half of the 20th century, right?

Truth is, a wildly disproportionate number of the truly novel -- make that "groundbreaking," so as to not confuse with the literary genre -- writers of the late 20th century are Canadian. Several that leap to mind are Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, William Gibson and of course, Toni Morrison.

Favorite ballpark memory? Easy. Tiger Stadium, 1988. I was in my first job out of college and my boss, pastor of a huge honkin' Toledo, Ohio church, hauled us all up to a meaningless late September Tigers/Indians game. I turned to good ol' Pastor Bob at one point and said "Nice time for Darrell Evans to hit his 400th home run." Next pitch, off then-hot-prospect John Farrell. Then a couple of innings later, Chet Lemon hit his 200th career home run off of, I think, Scott Bailes who is probably still pitching somewhere.

I also saw Phil Niekro pitch Opening Day in Cleveland in the mid-1980's and after a 1-2-3 first inning, catcher Andy Allanson -- who had the least amount of power per square inch of body frame in big league history -- run out to the mound to shake his hand. Niekro, who would go 11-11 that year, as legend has it, then uttered the line that made it into Major League II -- "Take it easy kid. We play 162 of these."

Oh, and I saw future Hall of Famer Tim Crabtree make his Toronto Blue Jay debut in Yankee Stadium where he hit 99 on the gun.

So ... who's seen major league games in the most venues? I've hit New York (just the Bronx, not Flushing), Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Texas. An embarrassingly low five.

Coach - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 08:48 PM EDT (#97799) #

I don't recognize this moment... Explain

Donkit, you are forgiven for being a mere pup. Seventh game of the ALCS, 1985, a series the Blue Jays had led 3-1. It was freezing cold at Exhibition Stadium, with a nasty October wind coming off the lake. Sixth inning, K.C. ahead 2-1, bases loaded. Ancient, light-hitting catcher Jim Sundberg lofts a routine fly ball that gets carried by the gale, miraculously, until it bounces off the very top of the right field wall for a 3-run triple. The Royals had friends in very high places that year; Don Denkinger made the worst call by an ump in World Series history to break the Cardinals' hearts in Game Six. It woulda, coulda, shoulda been the Blue Jays' first championship.

who's seen major league games in the most venues?

Two Toronto parks, of course, and two in Montreal. The now-defunct yards in Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, San Francisco and Chicago, plus Wrigley, Yankee Stadium, Shea, Philly, San Diego and L.A. -- 15 buildings in 11 towns. I've been to a few minor league games, too, and toured Florida during spring training for three years. The Gizzi family being at the Murph the only night I was ever there is certainly a weird coincidence.

Jordan, scoring from second on a sac fly is one of those things you coach young kids to do -- like taking second on a walk, or running out an inside-the-park "homer" on a dropped strikeout when the catcher throws it into right field. To see it in a big-league game would be a rare treat.

Gitz - Saturday, July 12 2003 @ 11:03 PM EDT (#97800) #

Stadiums attended: Anaheim, Jack Murphy, Dodger, Safeco Field, Candlestick Park, PacBell Park, The Oakland Coliseum, Old Comiskey, Wrigley Field, and every spring-training facility in Arizona plus a handful in Florida (the ones near Tampa). So I guess that's nine ML parks in seven cities.

Mick, we should engage in a discussion of great writers in another venue. As soon as I wrote "most important writer," I said to myself essentially what you did: "I really should have qualified that by saying 'most important Anglo-political writer whose Socialist visions have been corrupted by both political parties in the United States.'" Alas. I stand by my assertion, however, and would have done so if Orwell had been black, green, female, Pakistani, etc. The fact he is white and dead does not take away the brilliance of his words and the importance of what he had to say. In my graduate program we talked about adding to the canon -- as in bringing in Zora Neale Thurston, Toni Morrison, and Kate Chopin, for example -- without sacrificing someone like T.S. Eliot just because they were dead white males. There is room for many, many more, too.

But I'm always up for debate. Via e-mail, that is. I've bored the good people at BB too much of late.

_Mick - Sunday, July 13 2003 @ 12:32 AM EDT (#97801) #

Coach, you've caught me in misuse of the term "venues." I claim two stadiums each in Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Texas -- ironically enough, all the cities I've been to games in except New York, which has two major league teams (if you count the Mets, that is). So, nine parks in five cities. I have also visited stadiums when games were not available in Boston, St. Loo, Chicago (Wrigley and Old Comiskey) and Toronto (in 1978).

I've bored the good people at BB too much of late.
Ah, Gitz, don't deal the self-deprecating card ... you haven't bored anyone here in, well, ever. Now, over on ESPN.com, I would venture that some of your most entertaining work (including the James Joyce knockoff a couple of years ago) bored to tears a great many readers who just wanted to know when Jeremy Giambi would start hitting 40 homers or to crush you for suggesting that Ted Lilly might not win 25 games this year.

You just put one in my wheelhouse, and from the sound of it, knew you were doing so even as you threw the pitch. Liner note from tomorrow's Batter's Box Gameday Notes ... "Doherty, now 1-22 lifetime against Gizzi, doubled off the wall in another display of his career-long warning track power."

_Shrike - Sunday, July 13 2003 @ 12:37 AM EDT (#97802) #

Well, I insist on being included on discussion about the Canon. Too many literature seminars in my past are screaming for an outlet. ;)

_Mick - Sunday, July 13 2003 @ 12:46 AM EDT (#97803) #

Don Denkinger made the worst call by an ump in World Series history ...

Holy Jorge Orta, this is probably true. But one that never seems to be remembered -- probably because it didn't really affect the outcome of the game, much less the series -- the very last pitch of the most famous game in World Series history ... Don Larsen's perfect game.

Have you ever seen tape of the final called third strike to Dale Mitchell. That was a foot -- maybe a foot and a half -- outside. It was the kind of call that makes you think that game-ender to Hinske the other day was a perfectly appropriate and reasonable punchout.

Home plate umpire Babe Pinelli - a National League guy, no less -- was working the very last game of his career behind the plate. And maybe it's urban (shocker) legend, but I read an interview iwth Pinelli once in which he said something like "It was my last game. What a way to go out! I think I might have wanted that perfect game more than Larsen did."

Umpire heresy, certainly, but a very human thing to admit.

Gitz - Sunday, July 13 2003 @ 04:30 AM EDT (#97804) #

Sean, I look forward to an e-mail from you. It's been two years since I've been out of school; I miss it so much I would even enjoy a discussion of Jacques Lacan.

Mick, I suppose I did throw you an eephus, and you knocked it out of the park. Nice work. If I was on my other computer I would post a few of the responses -- and there were many -- to my Joyce riff. Let's just say that the majority of them started with, "What the hell are you smoking?" I took it as a compliment, as Joyce no doubt would have, that nobody knew what the hell I was talking about. I wonder about that myself sometimes ...

_Donkit R.K. - Sunday, July 13 2003 @ 02:43 PM EDT (#97805) #

Thank you, Coach... I recognized most, if not all, of the other moments mentioned here but the Sundberg fly escaped me.

Mike D - Monday, July 14 2003 @ 11:08 AM EDT (#97806) #

Two parks each in Toronto and Cleveland, plus Yankee, Shea, Fenway, Camden, Tropicana (really!), New Comiskey, Comerica, Wrigley, Miller, PNC and Pac Bell. So 15 in 13 cities, with the latter two being my co-favourites.

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