A Perfect Fit
Jackie Robinson and the city of Brooklyn were perfectly suited for one another
Dumping the DH Ken Griffey Jr: From Debut To Departure in 1000 Words
The Legend of Tom Terrific HOF: A Case against Considering Morality
Letter From The Editor Well, it’s been a period of transition for the staff here at Baseball Magazine. With the start of a new year, we set our sights on continuing to improve our publication, honing our craft to bring our audience the very best in historical baseball examination, while continuing to put contemporary topics into a historical context. During our first few months with our digital publication, we sought to bring a monthly issue to the forefront, but as changes needed to be made, staff members leaving, and new ones arriving, rather than just putting something out there just to do so, we pulled back the reigns, and decided to put out a January/February issue instead. We’ve added the talents of contributing editor, and award-winning author, Dan Schlossberg, and he shares his thoughts on the designated hitter. We have a new member of the Baseball Magazine family, as contributor Wayne Cavadi and his wife recently welcomed baby Brooklynn into the world, and we couldn’t be more excited for them! With all of the excitement in preparing for their new addition, Wayne writes about how and why Tom Seaver up until this year’s Hall of Fame vote, was the gold standard when it came to highest voting percentage. One of our youngest contributors, Matt Mirro, examines how the excitement over the New York Yankees’ big three bullpen, pales in comparison to the original threesome of Cincinnati’s “Nasty Boys.” Charlie Spencer-Davis argues that Ken Griffey, Jr. indeed had a Hall of Fame career, but by no means, should he have received the highest vote tally of all-time due to the second half of career being middle of the road at best. Eric Gray takes us down memory lane, reliving Game 7 of the 2012 National League Championship Series, and how Giants’ fans are some of the most dedicated in the game, rain or shine. Jacob Misener checks in and shares his thoughts on the Chicago Cubs/Ryne Sandberg reunion in the Windy City, and what that means for both the franchise and one of their most heralded players. J.J. Keller delves into the world of baseball and drugs, and how the writers who determine who will be forever immortalized in the halls of Cooperstown, seem to hold a double-standard. Associate Editor Dan Hughes takes a look back to celebrate the launch of the most successful league in baseball history. Also in this issue, I begin a multi-part series on the history of baseball in the Rose City, Portland, Oregon. Last but certainly not least, our cover topic for the January/February issue of Baseball Magazine, Christine Sisto brings the Brooklyn Dodgers series full-circle, and shares the impact that Jackie Robinson had on the borough of Brooklyn, and how his loyalties prevented him from ever wearing any other uniform that didn’t say “Dodgers.” We are excited for the season to get underway, as we are only a couple of weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting to Florida and Arizona. We hope you enjoy this month’s issue of Baseball Magazine, and hope you’ll stay with us throughout the 2016 season and beyond! Best regards,
PAGE 4- Baseball Hall of Fame: A Case Against Considering Morality PAGE 5- Coming Home: Cubs, Ryno Have Eyes Set on the Future PAGE 6- The Legend of Tom Terrific PAGE 7- Writer Still Wants to Dump the DH PAGE 8- Cover Story: Jackie Robinson and Brooklyn were a Perfect Fit PAGE 10- Trend Setters: The Original Bullpen Trio that Started it all PAGE 11- Happy Birthday National League PAGE 12- A History of Baseball in The Rose City (Part 1) PAGE 14- Ken Griffey Jr: From Debut to Departure in 1000 Words PAGE 15- View from the Cheap Seats: 2012 NLCS Game 7 Questions? Comments?
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Table of Contents Cover Photos Courtesy: baseballhall.org & bigappled.com
Baseball Hall of Fame: A Case Against Considering Morality The 2016 Baseball Hall of Fame election took place earlier in January, with Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza gathering enough votes to make their way into Cooperstown. Of course Junior is the biggest story here, managing a record breaking 99.3% of the vote his first time on the ballot. He is remembered as one of the more talented guys to ever play the game, and though the latter part of his career was dampened by injuries, he still had a tremendous career, and did so (presumably) without the aid of performance enhancing drugs. Piazza is a slightly different story. While Griffey is the first #1 overall pick to make the Hall, Piazza is the latest pick to do so, having been taken 1,390th as a favor to his father. Beyond that, he admitted to taking androstenedione, which many would consider a steroid despite the fact that it was available over the counter and no testing was taking place at the time. And this helps illustrate a piece of my forthcoming argument: subjectivity. “Andro” was banned by the Olympic Photo Courtesy: foxsports.com Committee at the time, and has since been banned in most other sports, but at the time there were no rules against it in baseball. Some debate whether it should be classified as a steroid. Clearly many voters were able to overlook this one, and 83% agreed that he belongs in the Hall of Fame. There is a chance this helps open the flood gates, allowing the other “users” to find their way in Cooperstown before long. Guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are slowly getting more votes, but they are still a ways off, and I don’t envision a meaningful jump anytime soon. I take issue with that. First, let me say I am not out to defend the use of PEDs, or any other form of cheating (though, again, it wasn’t cheating at the time). Doing so is wrong, I think most of us can agree with that. But I do not agree that the choice to use PEDs should be the automatic disqualification many have made it out to be. Anyone who bothers to take a look at the numbers can tell that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were Hall of Fame bound with or without help. Bonds’ career is comparable to that of Babe Ruth. Steroids don’t turn a run of the mill player into Babe Ruth. One has to
By JJ Keller
already be special, and Bonds was. We can’t know exactly where he would have finished without PEDs, and that comes back to subjectivity. There isn’t any clear evidence that steroids drastically increase a player’s skill. In most cases, they help with strength and healing, not being able to catch up to a 95 MPH fastball, or hang in on a curveball that starts at your head and ends up over the plate. Jesus Montero was popped for steroids, and he is currently fighting for his life as a bench bat for the Seattle Mariners. Did he just not do it right, or is this evidence that steroids don’t do as much as many like to believe? Now, others understand these ideas but still do not think users belong in the Hall, due to
-- before games like it was candy. Mays was even a dealer, if you will, as he always had some “red juice” in his locker that teammates could use. Absolutely no one that I know of has an issue with Willie Mays or Hank Aaron or Willie Stargell or the countless others who sucked down amphetamines in order to get a boost of strength or speed or stamina. There isn’t a meaningful difference. I don’t have a definitive answer as to why they are treated differently. I can venture a guess that it is because those who are vehemently anti-PED are often not old enough to have seen a guy like Mays play and idolized him growing up. Others know about how great he was from hearing stories, and grew up watching other known greenie users like Mike Schmidt, also in the Hall of Fame without anyone batting an eye. Because their experience with these players came as children, they assume that childlike, heroizing mindset when it comes to those players. They feel they can do no wrong, choosing to ignore the blatant drug use, something they don’t do the aforementioned automatic disqualificafor the steroid era. tion on the grounds of some kind of moral I’m not saying Cobb and Mays and Schmidt shortcoming, making a travesty of the game, don’t belong in the Hall, either. They all do, etc.. I get this idea. We all care about this because they were great baseball players. game, and some feel that means anyone who That’s what it should be about in the end. does something they deem unethical should Not some holier-than-thou sense of morality be cast aside. The problem, again, is subjecthat ends up being wholly subjective. It’s the tivity. Baseball Hall of Fame, not the Nobel Peace Ty Cobb, for example, was a known anPrize. gry, racist jerk. He once beat the tar out a If you absolutely must factor in issues of one-armed man, and though the guy was morality, then at least be consistent. Don’t certainly no saint -- he “insulted” Cobb by exclude HGH users while including amphetinsinuating he was half black, using a more amine fiends, or act like choosing to take offensive word to describe it (remember that some form of PED is worse than being an this is 1912) -- I can’t say Cobb was justified. outright racist psychopath. For as much of a This also is a pretty clear indication that mockery that these players may have made Cobb himself was racist. If that’s not enough, of the game of baseball, voters who fail to be he would sharpen his cleats and make it a consistent do the same to the Hall. point to try to spike his opponents. That man is in the Hall of Fame, and no one seems to JJ Keller is currently in college on his question his morality despite racism and way to earning a degree in History violence being markedly worse than taking steroids. Education with the hopes of becoming And let’s not forget about the amphetamine a high school teacher, but writing users that came before the steroid era that no of all sorts has become a one seems to worry about. These guys, inpassion over the years. cluding greats such as Willie Mays and Hank Follow JJ on Twitter: Aaron, took “greenies”-- essentially speed 4
@KJ_Jeller
Coming Home: Cubs, Ryno Have Their Eyes Set On the Future Last season, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg vacated his role as the manager of the floundering Philadelphia Phillies mid-season, instantly drawing fire and criticism from virtually the entire baseball world – and with good reason. For Ryno, it came down to losing – something he admittedly didn’t handle all that well in his time with the Phils. “In a lot of ways I’m old school, and I’m very much dissatisfied with the record and not pleased at all with that,” Sandberg said. “I think that goes hand in hand with being a manager. So it’s been a difficult thing to swallow, but I have thought about it for some time and we’ve come to this day. The accumulation of losses was something that I take responsibility for and something that really took a toll on me.” In his time at the helm of a team with an aging roster and dim short-term prospects for success, Sandberg went 119-159, and the high levels of the front office were set for impending changes, which led him to believe he was probably on his way out regardless, as the new regime would likely hand-pick a new skipper for the future. Thus ended Sandberg’s short-lived tenure as a big league skipper, something he aspired for over the course of half a decade with the team he made a name with: the Chicago Cubs. That run ended bitterly as well, a trend that has followed the Cubs icon since he hung up his spikes and gotten into coaching. That’s not to say he still isn’t beloved in the Windy City, because he surely remains one of the most iconic players in North Siders history. But Ryno’s departure to Philadelphia following the 2010 campaign was one that split Cubs Nation in two: those who wanted the Hall of Famer on the top step and those who wished him good riddance. For years, Sandberg worked his way up through the Chicago system as a minor league manager, finally hitting Des Moines, home of the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate after the 2009 campaign. There, he worked to prepare himself for what was widely expected to be a promotion to the big time when Lou Piniella retired. However, that day never came. Chicago tapped Mike Quade to take over the big league club, thus setting off the merry-go-round of skippers at the
By Jacob Misener
Photo Courtesy: bullpenbrian.com
Friendly Confines. Since Sandberg left the organization and Quade was hired, Chicago ran through the likes of Dale Sveum and Rick Renteria before getting their guy in Joe Maddon ahead of the 2015 campaign – which, if you’re counting, comes out to four managers in just five years. Now, everyone knows that the first few years of this decade were painful for the Chicago Cubs and their fans. The brain trust of Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod came in and tore everything down, rebuilding the organization through strong drafts and trades that brought in promising young talent. Meanwhile, the major league club languished, losing at least 87 games from 2010 to 2014. In stepped Maddon, a player-friendly skipper who helped young Tampa Bay clubs make improbable runs year after year, and suddenly, everything changed for Anthony Rizzo and Co. Chicago won a staggering 97 games - a 24-game improvement over the prior season - taking down the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals in the postseason before falling in the National League Championship Series. Maddon brought home NL Manager of the Year honors, Kris Bryant won Rookie of the Year and ace Jake Arrieta put together one of the best seasons in Cubs’ history en route to a National League Cy Young Award. All was forgiven. Hope has blossomed on the North Side once more, with an offseason that included the team adding the likes of Jason Heyward, John Lackey and Ben Zobrist to the mix, not to mention Adam Warren - who could very well become a key cog in the Cubs bullpen next season. Off the field, Chicago turned to an icon 5
in Ryno, bringing him back in an official capacity as an ambassador for the organization. He won’t be in uniform - and, to be frank, that’s probably a good thing. It’s clear that Maddon and his team have this club purring along flawlessly and introducing someone of Ryno’s stature into the mix may upset that balance. But adding him back into the organization in a front office-style role is something that lends both credibility and respect to all parties involved. “The best part of the whole thing was the Cubs allowed me to go elsewhere and fulfill a dream of managing at the major league level,” Sandberg said. “The other thing that they did was they left in place a personal services contract I could come back to any time that I wanted to with open arms. That allowed me to leave and have a chance to manage at the major-league level with some security and knowledge that I’d be welcomed back in some capacity if that ever came about.” There you have it. No more animosity. No bad blood. With the Chicago Cubs poised to make a run at their first World Series title since 1908 and their first Fall Classic appearance since the end of World War II, all eyes are on the future and what lies in-store for a team ready to leave its mark on baseball history. Jacob Misener is a die-hard Cubs fan who grew up in the Steroid Era, which, believe it or not, he loves to reminisce about often. Favorite players include Randy Johnson and Craig Biggio. Believes that Wrigley Field is the greatest place on earth. You can follow Jacob on Twitter: @jacobrmisener
The Legend of Tom Terrific That’s just bizarre to think about in it’s own For the past 24-years, one of the ways to right, a Dodgers organization not willing to show that you knew your baseball “stuff” was to answer the following trivia question: dish out money. But this was another time. Who received the highest percentage of Think about that, though. Had the Dodgvotes in Hall of Fame history? ers signed Mr. Terrific that would have made the 1966 Dodgers rotation Sandy It showed you knew your stuff, because Koufax, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton, Claude of all the names to walk through Cooperstown’s hallowed walls, Tom Terrific wasn’t Osteen and Seaver. That’s four Hall of the first that came to mind. Famers. That’s the kind of rotation that may This year’s Hall of Fame class saw Ken have gotten Koufax to pitch a few more Griffey, Jr. fall just short of 100-percent of years. That would have been sick, and the the votes in earning his enshrinement in stuff my fantasy baseball mind often wonCooperstown. He garnered 99.32-percent of ders about. the votes, as a mere three voters for one reaAnyway, after Seaver joined the Mets the son or another denied “The Kid” of becom- following season — after a bit of draft coning the first unanimous inductee. troversy with the Atlanta Braves and NCAA Griffey of course broke Tom Seaver’s 24regulations — he would be joined in New year old record for the highest percentage of York by another flame throwing righty. He votes. Tom Terrific garnered 98.84-percent unfortunately wouldn’t find his real groove of the votes when he was elected in 1992. until he headed for the West Coast, but When you think about it, you often wonder you have to wonder how many more World how Seaver was on top of that list. Not that Series the Mets would have been in with Seaver was anywhere near undeserving, Seaver and Nolan Ryan atop the rotation. but he is also one of the least suspecting to That is neither here nor there. Ryan would hold that honor for the better part of three become a Hall of Famer with the most decades. no-hitters and strikeouts of all time, and Names like Ted Williams, Babe Ruth Seaver would go on to become a Hall of and Willie Mays came before him. Mike Famer with some pretty insane numbers of Schmidt, Greg Maddux, even Cal Ripken, his own. Jr. came after Seaver would Photo Courtesy: waytofamous.com him. These win three Cy guys all Youngs with seemed like the Mets and players who quite honestly would merit I don’t know more votes how he didn’t than Seaver, win four. He but none of took home them were his first Cy able to catch Young in 1969 him. as the ace of Maybe a the World look at his Series chamcareer — a pion Miracle sick one at Mets behind that — can a 25-7 record, explain why. 2.21 ERA, 208 Seaver strikeouts and wasted little a 1.04 WHIP. time makThe Mets ing a name would make for himself. the World He won the Series again Rookie of when Seaver the Year Award in 1967 and quickly became earned his second Cy Young Award behind well known as the New York Mets ace. a league best 2.08 ERA and 251 strikeouts. There are two things I always wonder about He would claim his third and final Cy when it comes to Seaver in regards to his Young Award in 1975 behind a league best early career. 22 wins and 243 strikeouts. The right hander was originally drafted He would lose the Cy Young in 1971 in a by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965 after a season that was arguably better than any other Cy Young year he had. He finished spectacular sophomore campaign at USC. 20-10 with a career and MLB best 1.76 The Dodgers however refused to pay the ERA and well as a 0.95 WHIP that was also future Hall of Famer his asking price — rumored to be a lofty $70,000, the same tops in the MLB and the best of his career. amount that Sandy Koufax had made the He struck out a career high and NL-best year prior — and Seaver returned to USC. 289 batters while finishing 21 games that 6
By Wayne Cavadi he started. He would somehow lose out to Fergie Jenkins by 11 first pace votes despite having a lower ERA, a lower WHIP and more strikeouts. That doesn’t lessen the career of one of baseball’s all time great pitchers. Seaver was a 20-game winner five times and he struck out over 200 batters 10 times. He was so impactful to the Mets that his 1977 trade to the Reds — part of what has been coined the “Midnight Massacre” — nearly buried the franchise. The Mets would sink into the cellar of the NL East and wouldn’t win more than 68 games in a season again until 1984. It took a completely new front office and the additions of former NL MVP Keith Hernandez and these two young kids named Doc and Darryl to save the Mets. By the time Seaver reached the Reds he had began to wear down physically. He would still record some very good seasons, and then a few more when he went to the Chicago White Sox, but he would never be that electric Tom Terrific again. Seaver headed into Hall of Fame eligibility with 311 wins (18th all time), 3,640 strikeouts (6th all time), 61 shutouts (7th all time) and a 2.86 ERA. He was without question a first ballot Hall of Famer, and certainly worthy of a unanimous vote, however with those that failed to reach the elusive 100-percent before him, Seaver wasn’t likely to get close. Or so we thought. He did. The closest ever until Junior this past election. Part of it had to due with the fact that Seaver was a cut above the rest of his voting class. Rollie Fingers had a very impressive career — who joined Seaver in Cooperstown that season — but the rest of the ballot, although stuffed with future Hall of Famers, simply didn’t compare to Seaver’s greatness. That’s what makes Junior’s feat all the more impressive. There were plenty deserving votes, and he still nearly ran the board. Tom Terrific may no longer be linked to that trivia question of baseball lore, but he still will go down as one of the best pitchers the game has ever seen and arguably one of the most valuable to the franchise in which the high point of his career was with. Hey, he still has the highest voting percentage of any pitcher in the Hall. Keep that head up, Tom, you still have your trivia question.
Wayne Cavadi is an avid baseball junkie, whose love for the Yankees is only surpassed by his love of the game. A proud graduate and forever loyal fan of the mighty Delaware Blue Hens Follow Charlie on Twitter: @UofDWayne
Writer Still Wants to Dump the DH When I included Edgar Martinez among my 10 choices on the 2016 Hall of Fame ballot, a friend from the Society for American Baseball Research questioned that choice. “You voted for a DH?” he asked. I did – albeit reluctantly – because the designated hitter has been part of the game since it was introduced as a three-year “experiment” by the American League in 1973. I even co-authored Designated Hebrew: the Ron Blomberg Story a few years ago. Ron is a great guy and a good friend who has joined a few of my baseball theme cruises. He’s also a creative type: the bat he
By Dan Schlossberg
those who throw strikes at 100 miles an hour. They are few and far-between but a joy to watch. Remember Tony Cloninger? On July 3, 1966, he became the first player in National League history to hit two grand-slams in one game. He also had an RBI single in that 17-3 romp over the San Francisco Giants. And how about Wes Ferrell, who hit 38 career home runs, or Warren Spahn, who hit an NL-record 35 and was often used as a pinch-hitter? In the old board game All-Star Baseball, which had circular player cards that were
League owners when their collective league batting and slugging averages trailed the rival National League by wide margins. Adding the DH merely made things even. On the other hand, it made over-the-hill stars stay on the active roster long after their skills disappeared. Harmon Killebrew, Orlando Cepeda, Billy Williams, and even Hank Aaron wound up their careers as fallen heroes, future Hall of Famers who should have been playing in Old Timers Games instead of major league contests. Sure, fans don’t like to let go. But they also would be better served by seeing the best possible brand of baseball. To assuage the feelings of the Players
placed on a spinner, Don Drysdale and Don Newcombe had huge “1’s” on their discs. That meant they had big-time power – as both did. Catfish Hunter once got a $5,000 bonus from Charlie Finley because he could hit. Billy Martin used Rick Rhoden as a DH on occasion and often batted him seventh. Even Rollie Fingers could swing the bat. And here’s one for the books: guess who holds the record for the best batting average by anyone who played in at least 500 games? The answer, and you could look it up, is Terry Foster, immortalized forever when David Letterman pulled out his rookie card, looked at the rotund reliever, and called him “a fat tub of goo.” The bottom line here is that the DH should disappear into the dustbin of history. Though first advocated in 1928 by National League president John Heydler, its time has come and gone. It was a gimmick, created by American
Association, why not expand the rosters by one to 26 per team? That would create 30 new jobs – double the amount of DH jobs that would disappear. Prime time to do that would be at the end of this season, when Cooperstown-bound David Ortiz retires and the Basic Agreement is up for renewal. Getting both leagues to play by the same rules would give Rob Manfred a lasting legacy – one he could top only by also putting an end to the farce we know as interleague play. But that’s a column for another issue.
Photo Courtesy: sportingnews.com
used when he became the first DH on April 6, 1973 is in Cooperstown. Yes, a guy who had 52 career homers is in the Hall of Fame. Nice going, Bloomie! For those who might not remember, Blomberg was a first baseman of marginal defensive ability who was supposed to be “the Jewish Mickey Mantle.” Because of injuries and incessant platooning, Bloomie was more like the Jewish Mickey Tettleton but hey, that hardly matters today. What does matter is that the DH still exists – and that it exists only in the American League. During interleague play, it’s used only for American League home games, though it’s creeped into the All-Star Game and is threatening to do likewise in the World Series. I don’t like it. Not one bit. Call me a baseball purist, but I like to see pitchers hit. Those who can have the same built-in advantage over their opponents as
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Ex-AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is the contributing editor of Baseball Magazine. He is the author of 38 baseball books, including The Baseball Catalog and this year’s When the Braves Ruled the Diamond: Fourteen Flags Over Atlanta. Follow Dan on Twitter: @Braves1
Brooklyn’s Secular Cathedral: Brooklyn’s Effect on the Mythology of the Dodgers (Part 4) Editor’s Note: This is the fourth part of a five-part series exclusive to Baseball Magazine by guest contributor Christine Sisto.
restaurants and hotels and told him what his wife, Rachel, would hear in the stands. He told Robinson that no matter what happened to him or his wife, he could not fight back. “Bear it well and a day will come when every By the time the Dodgers won the World team in baseball will open its doors to NeSeries, Branch Rickey had left Brooklyn, groes. The alternative is not pleasant.” Robbought out of his ownership by the infainson’s behavior over the next few years was mous Walter O’Malley at the end of the 1950 mapped out. Not only must he keep his temseason. However, most of the famous Dodg- per, Robinson was not allowed to endorse ers’ lineup who won the World Series were products or lend his name to articles. He developed by Rickey. One player in particuhad to arrive and leave every game secretly. lar would not have been playing professional “It was feared that Jackie would represent a baseball at all if not for Rickey: Jackie Robin- symbol more than a ballplayer attempting to son. make good.” If Robinson, the first African-American to Although Robinson did exactly as Rickey play in the major leagues and the first in the instructed in the early years—he was called Baseball Hall of Fame, had not been a Brookup to the Brooklyn Dodgers just before the lyn Dodger, history would have been difstart of the 1947 season-- it took a toll on the ferent. Furthermore, no other team or city could have handled the social hurricane that Robinson brought with him. Baseball teams take on the personality of their hometowns and Brooklyn and Jackie Robinson were perfect for each other. The Jackie Robinson story has been described as “the best… example of Rickey’s wit and cleverness.” As mentioned above, Branch Rickey’s driving force in life was to win pennants. During the late 1940s and early ‘50s, there was much talk in baseball about the color barrier, the understood rule that African-Americans could not play professional baseball. When the New York State Antidiscrimination Law was passed, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia called a committee to discuss the role of Negroes in baseball. Larry MacPhail and Branch Rickey were members of the committee. Frustrated with the slow deliberations, Rickey sent his scouts all over the country to find the best Negro baseball player. Rickey realized that African-American ball players were the country’s untapped resource for cheap, extraordinary talent, normally quick-tempered ballplayer. Rachel and this, and not some deeper sociological, Robinson, a registered nurse, worried about humanitarian issue, is what ultimately broke his health, “He couldn’t eat… and at night the color barrier. he’d toss constantly in his sleep. Finally, I inWhen Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson’s sisted that Jack consult a doctor, who warned name came across Rickey’s desk, he saw him if he didn’t stay away from the ballpark, that Robinson had the talent to play major he would surely suffer a nervous breakdown. league baseball, but he knew that he needed But Jack wouldn’t give it up.” Perhaps the to interview him to be sure he had a strong only reason Robinson got through those enough spirit. “Rickey knew that a black tumultuous first years was because of the unman who was an Uncle Tom, who was bowending support of his teammates. Of course, ing and scraping and saying: ‘Yas suh, boss,’ not all of the Brooklyn Dodgers agreed to couldn’t do it.” Rickey brought Robinson to share the field with a Negro. Famously, Dixie Brooklyn for an interview where he asked Walker, a southerner, asked to be traded. him if he could handle playing in the maPee Wee Reese, also a southerner and the jors. As Robinson wrote later in an article, “[Rickey] spoke of barriers to be broken and team’s captain, compelled his teammates to how to break them. He spoke of bigotry and accept Robinson, which they did in short order. In a now infamous incident, during hate and how to fight them. He spoke of great things to be done and how to do them.” batting practice before an away game in St. Louis, fans were relentlessly heckling RobRickey took Robinson out to the baseball diamond and threw balls at his head. A man inson. Near the end of the practice, Reese walked over and conversationally draped his who never cursed, Rickey spit profanities in arm around Robinson, a moment that is now Robinson’s face and called him racial epiimmortalized by a statue in Coney Island. thets. He brought Robinson to segregated 8
By Christine Sisto
It was not only the team’s captain who supported Robinson. All of the Dodgers backed up their teammate in heated moments on the field. During a game in Philadelphia, Phillies players carried black cats on the field and shouted, “Hey Jackie, here’s one of your relatives.” Robinson’s teammates immediately prepared to storm the field, until he asked them not to. Many similar incidents occurred throughout Robinson’s career in Brooklyn. “The Dodger team always came together with remarkable cohesion when outsiders engaged in race-baiting… The Dodgers unity in the face of outside prejudice remained a hallmark of the club to the end of its years in Brooklyn… Race… added depth to the unity the Dodgers manifested, and Robinson was the center of that.” The Dodgers seemed to be aware that the entire
Photo Courtesy: nydailynews.com
country was watching them, waiting for them to prove that breaking the color barrier was a mistake, but their unity was never broken and set an example for Brooklyn’s fans, who also wholeheartedly accepted Robinson. On August 30, 1953, the St. Louis Cardinals came to Brooklyn for a three-game series. Robinson had injured his leg, but was still playing. During the first six innings of the game, St. Louis’ Ed Stanky was seen and photographed imitating a limping ape, obviously making fun of Robinson. Because Ebbets Field was so small, at least half of the packed stadium could clearly see Stanky’s imitation. Robinson led off in the seventh inning and Stanky’s imitation became even cruder. Seeing this, ultimate Dodgers’ fan Hilda Chester, sat herself directly behind the Cardinals’ dugout. She waved a white handkerchief and led the entire stadium in a round of boos. The Dodgers scored a humiliating twelve runs that inning and Stanky, as the Cardinals’ manager, walked out to the mound twice to change pitchers. Both times,
the entire stadium and the Dodgers’ dugout, booed Stanky mercilessly. “It was a Dodger moment; it was a Brooklyn moment… This was the last time St. Louis would openly exercise its anti-black bias against the Dodgers.” The message was clear: Brooklyn sticks up for its own, despite his race. The message was even clearer because Ed Stanky had been a former “Ebbets Field hero;” it did not matter who you were, if you were intolerant, you were not welcome. Brooklynites did not just support Robinson because he was a Dodger. They supported him because Brooklynites believed in his struggle. Joseph Boskin remembers his childhood in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn: Brighton Beach was the center of radicalism in Brooklyn. Coney Island-Brighton Beach was the center of the Communist Party… The Zionist movement had a center there and the Socialist movement, which included the Socialist Party and Socialist Youth… and so when Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to play for the Dodgers… in my neighborhood all of the radicals were well aware of what it meant. Brooklynites took pride in Robinson because they knew that few places accepted him, as St. Louis aptly demonstrated. Brooklyn understood people who were different, because few people accepted Brooklynites, as the Society for the Prevention of Disparaging Remarks Against Brooklyn had proved. Conservative Manhattan would never have accepted a black ball player on one of their teams, and indeed, the Yankees were the one of the last major league baseball teams to integrate. Brooklyn represented baseball, and baseball represented America, and America was ready to integrate. One could tell by the reaction of the fans in Ebbets Field. “Every time he got on base, there was always a rising excitement, because everyone knew he was going to try to steal… Everyone went berserk… They had to stop the game for awhile.” Of course, black fans showed up in droves to watch Robinson. In his first game at Ebbets Field, 26,623 people were present; half of them African-Americans. Anecdotes abound of white fans coming to Ebbets Field and sitting next to black fans, but once the game started, and people started discussing the Dodgers and how they should be playing, the fan next to you became your friend, despite his background. Robinson, however, was not an average Dodger, he became the Dodger. Brooklynites loved him, first and foremost, because he was an amazing ballplayer, who would possibly lead the Dodgers to a championship. His skill created, what I call, “perfect non-racism.” The effect is explained the best in the following way: when a manager was asked how he felt about Negro ballplayers,
Brooklyn fans, which could not imagine their beloved second-basemen playing at the Polo Grounds. Robinson’s mailbox was met with a swarm of fan letters, advising him what to do. These letters evidenced that Robinson and the Dodgers were not just important to New York; they were important to the country. A fifteen-year-old Jewish boy in Astoria explains that he “had always idolized you for the way you fought to make Americans realize that we are all equal.” A seventeen-year-old girl in Texas explains that “the Dodgers have plenty of fans in Texas” and they were enraged at the proposed trade, showing how far the Dodgers’ influence stretched. A sixteen-year-old Chinese-American boy from San Francisco, who admits to being a Giants fan, tells Robinson that he has shown that “this is a country of true democracy. I think that this element has never been as well demonstrated as in the story of your life.” These letters, from fans of all cultures, from all over the United States, show that Robinson spoke to everyone. Like Brooklyn, he was the epitome of the American ideal: it does not matter where you come from, as long as you work hard, you will succeed. Jackie Robinson surprised everyone by deciding not to accept the trade to the Giants. Instead, he retired from baseball, began working in the private sector, and became heavily involved in the civil rights movement. By 1962, when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he had become so influential in civil rights that Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Jacob Javits, Robert Wagner, who was the mayor of New York at the time, and even the New York Yankees wrote to Robinson Photo Courtesy: siphotos.tumblr.com to congratulate him. At Robinson’s congratulatory testimonial dinner, which was held in New anything associated with the Dodgers: The dominant truth of the Jackie Robinson York’s Waldorf-Astoria, Martin Luther King Jr. attended and Robinson asked that all Dodgers was integration… [The team] respected one another as competitors and they proceeds from the dinner go to the Southern Voter Registration Drive of the Southern knew they were set apart. No one prattled Christian Leadership Conference. Because about team spirit. No one made speeches on the Rights of Man. No one sang “Let My of Brooklyn’s support, Robinson was able to move on to greater things. If Robinson had People Go.” But without pretense or visible fear these men marched unevenly against the been on a team that did not unify around him, the world would have not taken notice. sin of bigotry… By applauding Robinson, a If he had been on a team whose fans did not man did not feel that he was taking a stand on school integration… But for an instant he rally around him, he and the team would not have made headlines. Brooklynites supporthad accepted Robinson simply as a homeed Robinson because they saw him as part town ball player. of their story. As one fan of Jackie Robinson In 1956, after playing for the Dodgers said upon his retirement from baseball, “It for a decade, Robinson was surprised with seemed as though an era had come to an a proposed trade to the New York Giants. end—and I guess it had. There can never He received a personal letter from the again be a breaking of the barrier that for so vice-president of the National League, who apologized for the situation and said, “There many years kept top ranking athletes from top competition. It had to be you—with the is a great deal more to baseball than just Dodgers. Nothing could have been more playing the game on the field. I think you fitting and proper.” know what I mean.” The news devastated he answered, “Can they hit, throw, and run? That’s all I want to know.” All that mattered to Brooklynites, and later, America, was that Robinson played great and that he was a Dodger. If he had hit a slump, he would have been booed, not for the color of his skin, but for his poor performance. As mentioned, Branch Rickey signed Robinson in the hopes that he would help the Dodgers win pennants, not to make a political statement. This perfect non-racism could be seen most clearly in Brooklyn’s children. As Ira Glasser said, “we ingested [the situation with Robinson]. I say ingested it, because it wasn’t cognitive. It was visceral.” Children of all races, playing baseball in the streets, tried to copy Robinson’s stance; they tried to swing like him; they tried to run the bases like him. None of the children stopped and considered his race. They mimicked and emulated Robinson the same way they had for all of their other sports idols. Roger Kahn summarized the situation perfectly, as he did with almost
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Trend Setters: The Original Bullpen Trio That Started It All It seems like only a few years ago the idea of a relief pitcher was once again being relegated to a much lower status. We disregarded relievers as replaceable, the embodiment of the “Dime a Dozen” aphorism. Closers were being regarded as overrated and unnecessary. Anyone can pitch the ninth inning, right? Well, once the Kansas City Royals rode a three-headed bullpen monster of Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera all the way to the American League pennant in 2014 and then to a World Series championship last year. As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery, and the rest of the league followed the Royals lead. The Boston Red Sox constructed their centerpiece bullpen by acquiring Craig Kimbrel to team with Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa in the late innings along with Carson Smith, who was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. The Houston Astros brought in Ken Giles to serve as their relief ace with Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek filling in the eighth and seventh innings. Then the New York Yankees blew up baseball by striking a deal with the Cincinnati Reds for top closer Aroldis Chapman, adding to their already monstrous bullpen along with Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances. The trio combined for a 1.70 ERA and over 300 strikeouts in 2015 and the new three-headed monster has made people wonder if the Yankees have assembled the greatest bullpen in history. Well, I don’t know about that, but I suppose it could be. Time will tell us if they live up to their new billing. They could become the best but not the first. Heck, the Royals weren’t even the first. Every bullpen trio is going to have to deal with the constant comparison of that championship 1990 Cincinnati Reds’ team whose bullpen set the tone for what we perceive as an excellent bullpen. Randy Myers, Norm Charlton and Rob Dribble formed the trio that is still lovingly referred to as “The Nasty Boys.” To this day they are the gold standard for a dominant relief corp. Randy Myers was 27 when he was acquired from the New York Mets in exchange for closer John Franco before the 1990 season. Myers had been dominant
with the Mets but in 1990 he broke out, saving 31 games and striking out 98 batters while maintaining a 2.08 ERA (2.87 FIP) in 86.2 innings (66 games). 1990 saw Myers head to the first of his four All-Star Games as he lead the Nasty Boys and the Reds team to a Championship. The lefthander wrapped up his career after the 1998 campaign after compiling 347 saves, 12th on the all-time list. Home grown southpaw Norm Charlton appeared in 56 games for the Reds in 1990, winning 12 games and losing 9 (He even started 16 games that year), pitching to a 2.74 ERA (3.57 FIP) and striking out
By Matt Mirro
model bullpen and they set the tone for the entire attitude of that squad. Grizzled, tough, competitive and hard-throwing, the Nasty Boys were a force to be reckoned with on the mound. That year, fans came out to see the bullpen which might be similar to what the Yankees will experience come 2016. Chapman, Miller and Betances were the only three relievers in 2015 to strike out 100 batters and were top three in the league when it came to strikeouts per innings. But the numbers can stack any which way they do. That doesn’t mean the curPhoto Courtesy: www.cincinnativseveryone.com rent trio is headed for the lore of the Nasty Boys. For all we know they could end up being better than the 1990 Reds’ bullpen, but it’s hard to imagine they reach the height of fame the Reds did that year. What is evident, is that baseball is finding that bullpens win games. Shortening the game instead of relying on volatile starters to go eight or nine innings a game, which simply doesn’t happen much anymore. The Kansas City Royals’ starting rotation was far less than productive last year. It was the bullpen that carried them, While we may say that the Red Sox, the Astros and the Yankees are imitating the Kansas City Royals, it’s simply not true. The 117 in 154.1 innings. Charlton only saved Reds discovered this method of winning two games that year, but he finished 13 before it was cool. If the whole concept of including a complete game shutout in one the bullpen didn’t become frowned upon of his starts. While he was greatly success- for a short period of time, we’d be saying ful during his tenure in the Queen City that the Royals copied the Reds instead he fell off following a move to the Seattle of treating the Reds as an anomaly beMariners and he called it quits after the fore their time. No, baseball friends, the 2001 season. Reds were the first to truly take advantage Of course, there was the 26-year old of three lockdown, back-end bruisers third year right-hander, Rob Dibble. Of and deserve more credit than they get. the three Nasty Boys, Dibble had the best Enough of Holland, Davis and Herrera. year in 1990 as he compiled a 8-3 record Let’s remember Myers, Charlton and Dibwith a 1.74 ERA (1.50 FIP), 11 saves and ble and call them the pioneers, the trend 136 strikeouts in 98 innings (68 games). setters. He finished a whopping 29 games for the Reds in what would turn out to be the last dominant year of his career. Matt Mirro is currently the Lead Dibble would struggle with injuries and, American League Writer at Call to the after stints with the Chicago White Sox Bullpen, an MLB.com affiliate. He is a and Milwaukee Brewers, called it quits certified member of the Internet Basefollowing the 1995 season that saw him ball Writers Association of America. appear in just 15 games. Follow Matt on Twitter: The Reds back-end trio have become the @Mirro_The_Ronin 10
Happy Birthday National League Baseball fans are fond of certain numbers. Say any one of these numbers - 755, 2130, 61, 56 - to a baseball fan and they will most likely know what you are talking about. Dates are a little less important, though again, most fans can recognize certain dates of significance - Oct. 3, 1951, Apr. 8, 1974, Sept. 6, 1995. But do you know the significance of February 2, 1876? Judging by the title, you have probably guessed by now that that was the date, 140 years ago, in which the National League was formed. Of its eight charter members, only two remain today. The Boston Red Stockings are now the Atlanta Braves (the oldest continually operating team in Major League Baseball) and the Chicago White Stockings are now the Chicago Cubs. But what of the other six? The St. Louis Brown Stockings and Louisville Grays both filed for bankruptcy and folded after the 1877 season after four Louisville players were banned for gambling. Two of those players Jim Devlin and George Hall - were signed to play for St. Louis for the 1878 season, thus their banishment affected the Brown Stockings as well as the Grays. The Hartford Dark Blues moved to Brooklyn and played as the Brooklyn Hartfords for the 1877 season before folding as well. The Cincinna-
ti Reds - recognized as the first professional baseball club - became a charter member of the National League before being expelled after the 1880 season because the league suspected that the club would eventually violate two new rules the league had adopted. The first was a rule that prohibited the sale of beer at games. The second, was prohibiting the use of the stadium on Sundays. The Reds routinely sold beer at games and rented the stadium out on Sundays. The Reds joined the American Association for the 1881 season and rejoined the NL prior to the 1890 season. The last two teams (the New York Mutuals and Philadelphia Athletics) were expelled from the League following the inaugural 1876 season. The two clubs both fell behind in the standings and then refused to make westerly road trips late in the season, both preferring to play games nearby against nonleague competition to recoup some of their gate losses rather than travel. New league president William Hulbert reacted to the clubs’ defiPhoto Courtesy: www.billsportsmaps.com
By Dan Hughes
Photo Courtesy: www.19cbaseball.com
ance by expelling them both, an act which not only shocked baseball followers (New York and Philadelphia were the two most populous cities in the league) but made it was mainly a move to make it clear to clubs that the league schedule commitments, a “cornerstone of competition integrity,” were not to be ignored. Today, the National League is home to 15 teams and has had as many as 16 at one point. The league has witnessed teams come and go in many cities including but not limited to: Indianapolis, Providence, Buffalo, Syracuse and Montreal. It truly has been a “National” League with representatives from coast to coast and from border to border. Happy birthday National League. You look good for 140 years. Here’s to the next 140. Dan Hughes has been writing at various outlets since 2003. Dan lives in Salem, Oregon with his beautiful wife of 17 years, Amy, as well as his three amazing kids. When Dan isn’t writing, he’s coaching his 13-year old son’s team or rooting on the Braves and Mariners. You can follow Dan on Twitter at @DEgan4Baseball
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A History of Baseball in the Rose City (Part 1) Editor’s Note: This is the first in a multi-part series examining the history of baseball in Portland, Oregon. Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, the topic of Portland baseball and its roots, is something that has always needed more coverage, and the author hopes to shed some light on the sport and its origins in the Rose City.~BB
from Clackamas/Oregon City and Vancouver, Washington. The team was comprised of local businessmen, doctors, attorneys, and the like. Later, a second team in Portland, the Willamettes, would become an inner-city rival of the Pioneers. The first recorded game for the Pioneers came on August 3rd, 1866. The Pioneers “Hitting
Baseball to this point had very humble beginnings in the city of Portland, first taking place on a vacant lot in the area of Washington Street, while later games were held on Broadway and Stark in the downtown Portland area. As more games were played however, the designation of “East” became a part of the Pioneers team because the team was located just over the Willamette River on the east side of town. While the city of Portland, located as the head of the Willamette Valley has never played home to a big league team, its rich history of baseball goes back more than a century. In the eastern part of the city, in May of 1866, the first known team in Portland made their debut, the Pioneer Base Ball Club. Not only was it the first team in Portland, but it holds the distinction of being the very first organized baseball team in the Photo Courtesy: The Oregonian entire state of Oregon. Nine” took on their own “Fielding The team’s home field, Pioneer Park, was also located in the east- Nine”, and won the “intra-squad” ern part of town, and they began game by a final of 28-24. During the season of 1866, the by first playing games against goal of most of these clubs was to each other, and later schedulfind enough opponents to be able ing games against other teams to play a full schedule, which was in the region, including teams 12
By Billy Brost
accomplished a year later, in 1867. It was in late 1867, that the Pioneers advertised that they would take on any and all comers who wished to step on the diamond against them, and the aforementioned teams from Portland and Clackamas, answered the call, and the three teams played one another at that year’s Oregon State Fair.
The Pioneers and the team from Clackamas, would square off in October of 1866. The final score resembled a basketball game more than it did a traditional baseball game. The contest was held in Oregon City, with the home
the plate, and the batter could take literally as many pitches as were required, to hit the one he wished. The thought of trying to strikeout the hitter, and the strategy that goes along with winning baseball games, was not even close to what we know as today’s game. In a rematch of the previous October, Portland this time, played host to the Clackamas club in June of 1867, and the Pioneers exacted revenge for the lopsided victory the opposition enjoyed, coming out on top, 7837. Less than a month later, Clackamas would come back Photo Courtesy: The Oregonian to beat the ers interested in playing the game, Pioneers on the Fourth of July, that team President, Theodore F. winning 55-44 in Oregon City. Minor, in an effort to spread the The Pioneers would continue to love of the game and to encourpractice against other teams, in age the growth of the sport in the preparation for the Oregon State region, split the Pioneers into two Fair of 1867, while their second team, would play pick-up games separate teams. The first games of the 1867 season were held at against whomever they could the end of May, with the Pioneers schedule. taking on a team from Vancouver, The interesting thing about the Washington, called the Occiden- development of baseball during this time period in Portland, and tal Club. Portland came away with the the surrounding areas, was that when a team formed, it was unvictory, winning 79-62. To keep these scores in the proper context, derstood that the groups would this was still a time when pitchers be known as “a gentlemen’s were directed to lob the ball over group” and that no professional team scoring an eye-popping 77 runs, while the Pioneers put of 45 of their own. That was the last known contest of the inaugural season of baseball in Oregon. The Pioneers reassembled in March of 1867 to begin practicing. The Pioneers had so many play-
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ballplayers would be allowed to participate with the teams being formed. This was simply a regional men’s rec league, with the intention of keeping the game pure, and promoting civic pride. Players were required, just as with any modern recreational activity, to pay a user’s fee to be a member of the team--hence the ability for the Pioneer club, to split into two squads, without any player feeling slighted. To increase the number of teams, and to continue to attempt to grow the sport and the number of games that could be played, in February of 1868, Mr. Minor reached out to teams all over the western region, including teams in Idaho and Washington, along with teams throughout the state of Oregon, in an attempt to form a coalition or league of teams. This grouping would become known as the Oregon, Washington and Idaho Territories Association of Base Ball Clubs. Five original teams made up the association, and they played by the rules adopted by the National Association of Base Ball Players. A far cry from big league baseball to say the least, but the development of the Pioneers, the Willamettes, the club from Clackamas/Oregon City, and the oft-visiting team from across the river in Vancouver, Washington, laid roots for what lay ahead in the Rose City--a baseball tradition that up until recently, had some semblance of organized baseball each and every year, until the late 1990s, and then again in the early part of the twenty-first century. Be sure to check back in next month for Part 2 of: A History of Baseball in the Rose City. Billy Brost resides in Riverton, Wyoming with his wife and two children. In his spare time, he coaches youth baseball at the Little League and American Legion levels, and serves on his county’s historical preservation commission. You can follow Billy on Twitter: @Billy_Brost
Ken Griffey Jr.: From Debut to Departure in 1000 Words throughout most of his playing career, was his glove, speed, and intuition patrolling centerfield. The 9-time Gold Glover seemed to catch everything that came his way, eating up fly balls and line drives that against most other fielders would have yielded doubles and triples. Watching Griffey’s debut at-bat now-knowing all he did and all he became as a baseball player-- it provides a very fascinating microcosm of his career. If you read deep enough, from the smallest of sample sizes, its representative of what Griffey was, and still what could have been. That first double was one of 500 more, no small feat for any Major Leaguer. But in his first at-bat, much like the second half of his career, Griffey fell short of ‘what could have been.’ If you split Griffey’s career right down the middle at his age-30 season, you see two different players. The first was a 10-time All Star, 9-time Gold Glove winner, a 7-time Silver Slugger, and .300+ hitter. The second half? A sub-.270 average, 3 All-Star Games, and fewer than 250 home runs. Granted, comparing an AllTime Greats prime to his fading years isn’t always fair, but reflects the vulnerability of even the greatest players the game has ever seen. The second half of his career was marred by injuries, yes, but for me his most damaging moPhoto Courtesy: www.espn.com ment came with the demanded trade from the Mariners to the son. What’s more, the Kid started his first Cincinnati Reds. MLB get in center field and batting secMany vehemently disagree with me, ond, a very unsubtle nod to his to-be pro- and you too may do likewise, but I think longed greatness. In the 80s Mariner grey the way Griffey left Seattle is more woruniform with the royal blue piping and thy of criticism than the departure of a yellow ‘S’ on the cap, Griffey stood in the enigmatic Alex Rodriguez. In 1999 the box, fearless, against the pitcher who then-Mariners GM Pat Gillick was dogged would finish second in the AL Cy Young by Griffey demanding a trade. He had one voting and lead the Oakland Athletics to year left on his contract worth $8.25 milthe 1989 World Series Championship. On lion, and he gave a four-team list of placthe first pitch from Dave Stewart, Griffey es he wouldn’t veto a trade: the Atlanta unveiled his smooth swing and laced a Braves, the Houston Astros, the New York line drive to the base of the left-center Mets, and the Cincinnati Reds. Everyone wall. claims he wanted to be traded to be ‘closer He cruised into second base with a smile to family,’ but with a geographically dion his face, and his march into baseball verse trade list, it’s hard to bite on such a immortality and greatness began. statement. There is no doubt Griffey’s greatest years What’s more, Griffey had one year left on were his first 11 with the Seattle Marihis contract. With a step out into the free ners. He amassed just under 400 home agent market, he would have had his pick runs, batted over .300, and averaged more of team and city. But instead, for whatever than 30 home runs each season. He was a unknown reason, Griffey forced his way out of Seattle and into what I consider dominant force at the plate. But what set a severely disappointing career beyond Griffey apart in those younger years, and Ken Griffey, Jr. went wire-to-wire in terms of talent, expectation, and greatness. He may have faltered for his health, and his divorce from the franchise who drafted him was more fracturing than most are willing to admit, but he battled time and expectations and opposing pitchers with a big smile, a backwards hat, and the sweetest left-handed swing of alltime. Griffey knew baseball. His dad, Ken Griffey, Sr., played in 19 MLB seasons. Griffey Jr., on the other hand, stampeded to 22 years in the bigs after a debut at the ripe old age of 19. The Seattle Mariners placed Griffey on their Opening Day roster for the 1989 sea-
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By Charlie Spencer-Davis
Seattle. There is no doubt in my mind Griffey is a first ballot Hall of Famer. I do not, and will never, think he deserved to be the first unanimous. Praise is deserved for remaining players unmarred by the Steroid Era, and playing through a myriad of injuries at the tail end of his career. But on the other end of his backwards cap and pearly whites, was a less than sterling sendoff. He went from demanding a trade to a Seattle return in his age-39 season, a year in which he DH’d and batted a paltry .214/.324/.411 over 117 games. Then, in the most unceremonious fashion, he retired 33 games into the 2010 season after rumors of him falling asleep in the clubhouse during games, and a season in which he batted .184 across 98 at-bats. But that’s not what dogs me most about the unrelenting, unqualified Griffey-love. So many people, Mariners fans included, dub Safeco Field and Seattle Mariners baseball ‘The House that Griffey Built.’ People defend the idea that he saved baseball in the Pacific Northwest. It’s sexy to explain it all that way. But what of the Big Unit, long lefty Randy Johnson, who screamed through the 1995 season with a .900 winning percentage and a 2.08 ERA? The Mariners ultimately won more than 75% of the games he started. And what of the man who drove Griffey home on that iconic double in the Kingdome? Edgar Martinez, dogged for his short playing career and lack of ‘in the field’ metrics, treads water in the Hall of Fame balloting while all the glory-- some deserved-- gets poured onto Ken Griffey, Jr? If Safeco Field is ‘The House That Griffey Built,’ he sure left his home in a hurry. And in what was without a doubt a Hall of Fame career, Griffey had a few glaring misrepresentations and missteps. But fortunately for him and most of his most ardent supports, most people don’t remember his neediness or his time spent in Cincy and Chicago. He was one of the greatest to ever play the game, with one of the sweetest left-handed swings any of us will ever see. But, he like most everyone else, wasn’t perfect. But that debut double? I couldn’t have pictured it better myself.
Charlie Spencer-Davis is a 2015 graduate from Boston College with BAs in International Studies and French. A die-hard Mariners fan born and raised in Seattle, Charlie has spent much of his life writing in his spare time. Follow Charlie on Twitter: @C14SpencerD
View From The Cheap Seats 2012 NLCS Game 7 It was the last game of the 2012 NLCS, October 22. The Giants had won three straight on the road from the Cincinnati Reds to erase a 2-0 deficit in the NLDS; they were again playing catch-up against the St. Louis Cardinals. Behind 3 games-to-1, the Giants had tied up the series to force a deciding Game 7. I attended the game with my daughter, Rachel, and Josh and Leah, my nephew and niece. We converged from different locations, meeting at the Willie Mays statue which graces the front of the main entrance to AT&T Park, 24 Willie Plays Plaza. The rain had been intermittent and light throughout the day, and there was a soft, but steady rain falling as we watched live the pre-game broadcast from the plaza prior to entering the stadium. We then filed in significantly before game time, food purchased, our seats already quite wet, eight rows from the field, just beyond the infield dirt on the first base side. If my memory is correct, it stayed dry pretty much the whole game, lopsided from the beginning. The Giants scored five runs in the third off Kyle Lohse to take a 7-0 lead. All nine Giants in the starting line-up had at least one hit, including the starting pitcher, our favorite Giant, Matt Cain. Second baseman, Marco Scutaro had three hits and Brandon Belt had a home run. Hunter Pence had that ridiculous hit, shown a billion times on replay, where the bat hit the ball three times before curving at a crazy angle for a base hit exactly NOT where shortstop Pete Kozma thought it was going. Cain pitched well, but after throwing over 100 pitches (let’s not start on pitch count) was replaced after 5 2/3 shutout innings. He was followed by relievers Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla and Javier Lopez, who also shut down the Cardinals. It was like playing Monopoly, when one player has all the properties and then the prolonged series of dice rolls until the game finally ends, sometimes taking forever (like this sentence), with the outcome long previously decided. And then, about the bottom of the eighth, the skies opened. There was a torrential downpour. This was not a five minute shower; I mean, it didn’t stop, and it didn’t look like it ever would. I say this cautiously, this rain
seemed to be of biblical proportions (I say cautiously as I am neither a religious person or scholar nor a meteorologist). Let’s just say it was really, really hard and unrelenting. Completely exposed to the elements, we were soaked and did not care. No one around us did. I am pretty sure the Giants’ players didn’t. After all, they held a commanding 9-0 lead when they took the field in the top of the ninth. As I Iooked around the field, seeing lakes on the infield and rivers in the outfield, one odd thought struck me, although it is probably one that was shared by few, the ultimate pessimists. This was a game that could end really quickly……or go on forever. Except for a strikeout, there conceivably would not be a single simple play to be made. Any simple fly ball to the outfield would involve slogging through rain-soaked grass. Any ground ball could just die in the grass and mud. The wet ball might be uncontrollable by the pitcher, leading to walks. The game could be over in two minutes, or every ball hit could be an adventure, leading to hit after hit, run after run. Logically speaking, that would not happen, but you never know. Lopez secured the first two outs of the inning, and then it was up to Sergio Romo, the Giants closer, he of the quirky regimen. He had replaced REALLY quirky closer Brian Wilson, out with an injury. Romo took the mound, extending further this rain-soaked evening as he walked in from the bullpen, probably sprinted in as he generally does, and took his warm-up pitches. Up to the plate stepped Cardinals’ outfielder Matt Holliday. Baseball, like much of life, is circumstance, coincidence and karma. I don’t believe in divine faith, I don’t think that, if there is a God, he intervenes in things such as baseball games. But, there is that karma thing. Earlier in the playoffs, Holliday had taken out Scutaro on what many thought was a dirty slide. Scutaro went on to keep playing in the series, although there is evidence that that play began the series of injuries that ultimately ended his career. At any rate, with a sold-out raucous crowd screaming at every pitch, Holliday popped up Romo’s 1-2 count fourth pitch to
By Eric Gray second base. There was no need for Scutaro to navigate through the lake, splash through what seemed to be knee-high water to get to the ball. He didn’t have to deal with the conditions that fed my concerns. He just had to stand there and wait for it to come down. Maybe the hardest thing for him was to isolate the ball among the huge raindrops falling side by side. He stood there looking up, arms extended up to signal the ball was his, and then reached up with his left hand and let the ball settle down into his glove. Then, the usual happened. Brandon Crawford embraced Scutaro. Romo and catcher Buster Posey ran to each other’s arms. Pablo Sandoval and Belt did the same. All the players came running in and did their dogpile, in the unceasing rain, between first and second base. Fireworks exploded to the soundtrack of Blur’s “Woo Hoo”. As the players celebrated, the grounds crew hurried onto the field to cover up the mound and bring out apparatus for the Giants brass to make all their post-game speeches and congratulations to the crowd. The team did a victory lap around the field, high-fiving every fan they could reach. Most of the sold-out crowd continued to stand in that pouring rain for the speeches, not really caring what was said, but craving the opportunity to cheer for their team. And this was just the NLCS, two years after having won the World Series. People have said that the game should have been postponed because of the impossible field conditions. As it turned out, it kept raining all night, and all the next day, a postponement would have created more problems than the one it would have solved. I don’t have a problem with postponing games because of bad weather; it amazes me that soccer and football are seemingly played regardless of how bad the weather is. But postponing that game for one-third of an inning would ultimately have been a bad decision. I would imagine the Cardinals were anxious to get it over with, and the Giants wanted their victory. The fans certainly did not want to go home. And then it was over. The four of us dispersed much as we had arrived, except we were all soaked to the bone. Leah was picked up by her folks. Josh caught the train to Santa Clara. I drove Rachel home. One of the great nights came to an end. Of course, several days later, Pablo Sandoval launched three home runs against the Detroit Tigers...
Eric Gray is from Plainview, New York, and got his BA from SUNY New Paltz. He moved to San Francisco and spent his career with the Department of Labor overseeing job training programs for disadvantaged youth. He has been married for 36 years to Lynn, and their two children, Rachel and David. They are huge Giants fans. He can be followed on Twitter, if he ever decides to post something, @ericcgray1
Photo Courtesy: www.washingtonpost.com
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