The greatness and prestige begins with Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr, who after spending more than a decade as a player in the National League,  managed the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers for four seasons. With the advent of the American League in 1901, “Connie Mack” became manager, treasurer, and part owner of the new Philadelphia Athletics. He would go on to win – and lose – more games than any manager in major league history. Mack would also build, break down, and rebuild World Series-winning teams before settling into a nearly two-decade long routine of losing games and cashing dividend checks. A team that got off to a good start, but finished fourth, he once said, would be the best kind of team to have.

“A team like that will draw well enough during the first part of the season to show a profit for the year, and you don’t have to give the players raises when they don’t win.” – Connie Mack

Still, Mack won. From 1901-1914, the A’s won three World Series, six pennants, posted two second place finishes and had just one losing season. After getting swept 4-0 in the 1914 World Series, by the “Miracle” Boston Braves, an angry Mack dealt or sold away all of his best players. After a decade of losing, the franchise enjoyed another remarkable stretch from 1925-1933, including two World Series titles, three AL pennants and four second place finishes.

Sadly, the Mack club would never again rise to prominence after 1933, and would only post two seasons with winning records (1949-50) before the club was sold to Arnold Johnson in 1954 and he moved it to Kansas City.

The team’s shift from Philadelphia is long forgotten for most of today’s baseball fans, and predated the Dodgers and Giants shift from New York to the West Coast by three years. There have been no songs, books or poetry written to mourn the loss of the Philadelphia A’s, so we won’t attempt to do so here. However, despite all of the years that they occupied the second division of the AL, Connie Mack’s White Elephants also fielded some of the best nines ever to play the game.

Despite efforts to keep the club in the City of Brother Love, the Mack heirs finally sold the club to Arnold Johnson who would move the A’s to Kansas City to serve as a glorified farm team to the New York Yankees. It would be an insurance salesman named Charlie O’ Finley who would move the franchise to Oakland, change the A’s forever.

As defacto GM, O’Finley would build baseball’s last “real” dynasty. He would also open the door to a baseball future that would drive him from the game.  Finley finally got out in August of 1980, selling the club to Walter J. Haas, who controlled the Levi-Strauss empire. The club had finished 54-108 in 1979, so Finley had hired Billy Martin to run the whole operation. At first, the move was genius. Martin, the Oakland native, was 83-79 in his initial season, and followed it up by winning a share of the division title in the strike-shortened 1981 season. But the winning came with a price, because as the returning hero, Martin filled his front office and scouting department with cronies rather then the best people he could find. The result was chaos, and the new ownership group started giving more and more responsibility to young executive Sandy Alderson, a Dartmouth grad and ex-Marine.

When the bubble burst after a 68-94 season in 1982, Alderson would take over in 1983. It had been a three-year roller-coaster ride with Martin, who was also the club’s GM for the 1981 and 1982 seasons, but there was more to come.

Alderson would preside over four straight losing seasons while he rebuilt the A’s, finish at exactly .500 in 1987, and would win three pennants and one World Series during 1988-1990. Five losing seasons would follow before he gave way to his young assistant, who would become of the most talked about GMs in baseball history.

Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” fame has led to a change in the game of baseball we see being played today, surely, but for all of the praise, Hollywood treatment and near-Messiah status among the new baseball intelligencia, the pennants and World Series titles are non-existent. The franchise may eventually move to San Jose, a move that many feel would create the kind of revenue streams that would allow Beane to finally build a winner. But until that happens, to mention Beane in the same sentence as Connie Mack, Charlie Finley – or even Sandy Alderson – isn’t remotely fair.

And now, here are the All-Time Athletics:

Franchise Player – Rickey Henderson

“The only thing I wish I could figure out is how I got misunderstood regarding the type of person I really am and what I accomplished … Just because I believed in what I was doing on the field and dedicated myself to playing the game, does that mean I’m cocky? Does that mean I’m arrogant? People who played against me called me cocky, but my teammates didn’t.  I brought attention, fear.” — Rickey Henderson, Baseball Digest (Feb. 2003)

Let’s put a couple of things in perspective in regards to Rickey Henderson. Yes, he could be churlish and indifferent, a showboat whose “snatch catches” drove managers and teammates insane. But he was the best leadoff hitter in baseball history and a lethal weapon for nearly every one of the 3081 career games he played in. He was the last of Finley’s great players, signed as a high schooler from the Oakland streets, and made his debut in 1979. From 1979-1984, he stole over 100 bases three times, scored more than 100 runs four times, and did not have a an OBP lower than .398 in any of those seasons, save for his rookie year. He would return after a stint for the Yankees, where would score almost 300 runs in his first two seasons there, and arrived back in Oakland in time to help them win the 1989 World Series against the Giants. Of his 25 seasons, Henderson would play 14 of them in an Oakland uniform. He is the franchise leader in walks, runs scored and stolen bases. Only Bert Campaneris has more hits and games played in team history.

1B – Jimmy Foxx

Like Henderson, economics caused the exile of this homegrown HOFer to Boston in 1934, but before he left, “Double-X” proved he was the best first sacker in A’s history. He played 11 years for the Philadelphia A’s, in a town where the Phillies were an afterthought. From 1925-27, he would have three unremarkable cups of coffee with the big club, if you consider getting big-league at-bats at the ages of 17, 18, 19 unremarkable. As a 20-year old in 1928, he hit .328 with 13 Home runs and 79 RBIs with a .416 OBP in a little over 400 at-bats. The next year, he would hit at least 30 homers, drive in at least 130 runs and hit over .300 every year except 1931. Some of the seasons contained within that stretch are some of the most incredible years ever put together by a single player.

2B – Eddie Collins

As a GM, Eddie Collins helped delay the breaking of baseball’s color barrier in Boston. As a player with the 1919 “Black Sox”, he is best-known among today’s fans as they player who “ratted” out the eight men who would ultimately be banned for life by Judge Landis. But in 13 years as an Athletic, Collins would hit .337 with a .423 OBP. Though he made more than his fair share of errors, he also posted impressive fielding numbers during his career, and is considered more than just a passbale defensive player. Comparatively, when the Oakland A’s website decided to put together it’s All-Time “Oakland A’s” team, the best 2B they could come up with was Mark Ellis, who hit .265 with a .331 OBP in his A’s career.

3B – Sal Bando

Carney Lansford (10 seasons, .288/.343/.404 with 201 HRs and 548 RBIs) is a popular pick among many contemporary A’s fans, and if we cared about being contemporary, we might have picked him over Bando. But Bando (.259/.359/.418 with 212 HRs and 796 RBIs) was the captain of the team that won three straight World Series. Arguably, As far as the postseason goes, Bando’s numbers are remarkably similar to his career numbers, as are Lansford’s, with the former hitting more postseason home runs and the latter hiting for a higher average. Still, while Lansford was a very good player, and often underestimated, there are no ties in baseball, our pick is Bando.

SS- Bert Campenaris

“Dagoberto” is the all-time franchise leader in games played and hits. Bruce Markusen writes an excellent quick bio here. In an era where we judge players by their size and/or by the numbers that they post, “Campy” might not even get a chance to play at the minor league level, least of all the bigs. Traditional scouts would probably look at the 150-160 pound frame he carried throught his career as far too frail, but he stole a lot of bases, and scored a lot of runs and played on three straight World Series winners. Miguel Tejada will get some votes here as well, but like Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, Tejada’s Oakland career — while worth discussing — can’t truly be considered as “All-Time” player until evidence of PEDs can be truly measured. Outside of Tejada, Mike Bordick had some decent years in Oakland, and Chick Galloway did as well in Philadelphia from 1919-1927, but we’ll take Bert.

C- Mickey Cochrane

When people talk about the best catchers of all time, Yogi Berra, Roy Campenella and Johnny Bench are often the most mentioned, and rightfully so. All three are Hall of Famers, World Series champions and won multiple MVPs. Mickey Cochrane is as well known for being the player that Mutt Mantle named his son for as he is for winning the AL MVP in 1934 for Detroit in 1934. Yet when you look at his nine seasons in Philadelphia, wjere he hit .321/.412/.490 with an OPS of .902, he has to be in the conversation.  Terry Steinbach, despite a few good offensive years in Oakland, is just not the player Cochrane was.

LF- See Henderson, Rickey

CF- Dwayne Murphy

Unlike many of our picks here, Murphy did not play for a winner. His lone appearance in the postseason was 1981, and he subsequently played for losing teams thereafter. For his A’s career, spanning 10 seasons, he hit .247 with 153 homers, 563 RBIs and played a very good defensive CF as well. In 1984 he hit 33 homers with 88 RBI, his best season ever.

RF – Reggie Jackson

Most fans think of Reggie Jackson as “Mr. October” of the “Bronx is Burning” Yankees and his wars with Billy Martin. But Reggie was another of Charlie Finley’s HOFers who played nine seasons for the A’s before playing his five-year stints at New York and California. During those nine-years, he fought with hks teammates, won three World Series, including winning both the AL MVP and World Series MVP in 1973. That year, he hit .310 with six RBIs against the Mets, who should have selected him in the 1966 MLB draft, but according to rumors, declined to pick him because he was dating a white woman. Instead, Charlie Finley picked him, and a Hall of Fame career started. His A’s totals are 269 HRs and 776 RBIs over 10 seasons. His final season, fittingly, was played in Oakland, in which he still managed to hit 13 homers and 43 RBIs.

RHSP – Chief Bender

Tim Hudson has pitched longer for the Atlanta Braves now then he did for the Oakland A’s, and as much as we’d like to put him or Catfish Hunter into this spot, it’s hard to argue that anyone but Bender would be the top right-handed starter for any All-Time A’s club. His 38.1 WAR is higher than either Hudson or Hunter, and while Eddie Rommell and Rube Waddell’s WAR numbers are higher than Bender’s, he was a more valuable pitcher to the A’s during his career than Rommell. Waddell only pitched six years in an A’s uniform, and Bender — who was the right-handed complement to Eddie Plank — ranks only behind Plank and Lefty Grove in all-timer wins by an A’s pitcher.

LHSP – Lefty Grove

This is perhaps the hardest decision on the list; Eddie Plank or Lefty Grove? Plank is the franchise leader in WAR, post a 63.9 mark over 3860.2 innings and posting a 284-162 record with a 2.39 ERA. Grove (195-79, 2.88 ERA) is second all-time in WAR among A’s starters, a 59.6 mark over 2401 IP. Each won a pair of World Series with the A’s, and each was sent packing by Connie Mack once their prices went up. Ultimately, the decison comes down to this; Grove, in our opinion, was more dominant during his career. He didn’t pitch as long, but had better individual seasons against his peers than Plank.

Closer – Dennis Eckersley

“Eck”  is in the Hall of Fame because he revolutionized the closer position, aided and abetted of course by Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan. His ridiculous numbers are evidence alone. In 1989 he threw 57.7 innings, struck out 55, walked only 3.  The next year, he posts a 0.60 ERA over 73.3 innings, 72 strikeouts ant issues just 4 walks.  Sure, Rollie Fingers pitched more innings in his A’s career, and won three World Series with the “Swingin’ A’s” and gets major points for that, but Eck was more than just dominant, he was virtually unhittable for a few years.

Manager – Connie Mack

For of his faults, and he had many, Mack simply was better at his job than any other A’s manager. He beat Yankees teams that had Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and he beat Red Sox teams that had dominated the AL for years. Had he been a tad more visionary, could have begun another dynasty that would have saved AL baseball in Philadelphia, but that reality doen’t obscure his accomplishments. Dick Williams was incredible, but couldn’t work for Finley. Perhaps if he had stayed, maybe the A’s win four straight titles instead of three. As impressive as La Russa’s run as A’s manager was, his teams should have won more. Losing to the 1988 Dodgers and the 1990 Reds while boasting the array of talent he had at his disposal hurts his case.

With this week’s acquisition of Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres, Jocketty was able to add a top of the rotation starter in exchange for a package built around prospects Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal and disappointing starter Edinson Volquez.

Latos, who went 9-14 with a 3.47 ERA for the Padres last season, is a shining example of a pitcher whose won-loss record reflects little on how well he pitched a year ago. According to Dave Camewron at Fangraphs.com, not only did Latos have an impressive 2011, but for the last two seasons “has been one of the better pitchers in baseball.”

There aren’t that many pitchers in the sport who can miss bats with the frequency that Latos has established while also pounding the strike zone with regularity. Guys who can live in the zone and still avoid contact are generally the best pitchers in the game. This is the one skillset you want in a pitcher more than any other.

According to the Associated Press, the talent given up to acquire Latos was significant:

Alonso, the seventh overall pick in 2008, didn’t have a place to play with Joey Votto a mainstay at first base. The Reds moved him to left field briefly last season, but he struggled defensively. The 24-year-old Alonso batted .330 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 47 games. Byrnes said he’ll be a leading contender for the starting job.

Volquez was coming off a disappointing season, going 5-7 with a 5.71 ERA. The Reds got him from Texas in the trade for Josh Hamilton in December 2007. Volquez went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 2008, when both he and Hamilton made the All-Star teams. Volquez needed reconstructive elbow surgery the following year and has never gotten back into form.

Grandal, the 12th overall pick in 2010, batted .305 with 14 homers and 68 RBIs at Class A, Double-A and Triple-A last season, making a quick rise through the farm system. He was slotted behind catcher Devin Mesoraco, a first-round pick in 2007 who made it to the majors last season and played in 18 games.

Jocketty said Reds were willing to trade Alonso and Grandal because they were stuck behind other players at their positions.

The Reds also gave up right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger, who went 2-4 with 11 saves and a 2.03 ERA last season at Double-A and Triple-A. Jocketty said Boxberger was the final piece in finishing the deal.

“It was very tough giving him up,” Jocketty said. “We feel he was really starting to come into his own in the second half of the year. I don’t think we would have been able to make the deal if he wasn’t part of it.”

On paper, this appears to be a deal that will assist both teams. The Reds traded what Fangraph’s Cameron classified as “redundant prospects” a reclamation project and a RP with some upside for one of the most valuable commodities in all of baseball.

Padres GM Josh Byrnes has taken a huge gamble in trading away a top of the the rotation starter who is just 24 years old, but as San Diego appears to be in yet another rebuilding phase, spreading around depth makes more sense at the moment.

“It was a tough trade to make,” Byrnes told Dan Hayes of the North County Times, “but if you put it (with the trades of Adrian Gonzalez and Mike Adams) we have a huge chunk of talent we have put in the system the last couple of years, and ultimately I think that’s our best path to success.”

The Reds still need a closer, and how they acquire one will bear watching.

***

Not really sure what the Milwaukee Brewers are up to these days.

On one hand, there’s no way I’m giving $200 million bucks to Prince Fielder, especially when I have several holes to fill. On the other, giving $36 million to 33-year old Aramis Ramirez?

Ramirez is a very good offensive player, batting .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs in 149 games for the Cubs last season. and is of the top five third baseman in the game. But’s 33, and might be an even worse defensive third baseman than Casey McGehee. The Brewers are also talking about making him their cleanup hitter, and with the possibility of Ryan Braun missing the first 50 games of the season to start 2012, makes this signing a very “all in” type of move. For a team that’s going to lose it’s marquee player, it seems a strange way to go.

***

Jennie Finch is best known for being one of the legends of women’s softball, and is also a tiress advocate for worthy charities like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  She recently sent all of us here at BD a holiday greeting.

Happy Holidays to you and yours as well, Jenny. For more info on Finch, her charity work and more, please visit JennieFinch.com

***

The Miami Marlins have an MVP-caliber shortstop in Hanley Ramirez. They liked him so much at short that they went out gave $106 million to Jose Reyes. The question I have is this; did the Marlins speak to Ramirez before going after Reyes? If they didn’t, that’s pretty foolish. If they did, then Ramirez is being pretty selfish.

As for Reyes?

“As soon as I have the opportunity, I’m going to talk to (Ramirez), because we are very good friends,” Reyes said. “We’re both here for one reason — to win the World Series. It doesn’t matter where I’m going to play or where he’s going to play.” – AP

Reyes is ok with playing third base? Or second? As for the former, Alex Rodriguez, a superior talent in every way to Derek Jeter, moved to third rather than displace the incumbent Jeter in 2004. As for the latter, moving to second to accommodate Kaz Matsui didn’t exactly work out too well for Reyes. Some people are saying that Reyes should call Hanley and “work things out.”

Greg Stoda, who covers the Marlins for the Palm Beach Post, says that it “absolutely should be up to Reyes, a Marlins free-agent newcomer displacing Ramirez at shortstop, to make the initial contact.”

It’d be a gesture of goodwill, if nothing else. The club certainly shouldn’t have to back-channel things.
It’s understandable if Ramirez, who’ll switch to third base, doesn’t want to make the first move even though it would demonstrate a heretofore lacking leadership quality should he simply reach out to Reyes and welcome him to the team.

Reyes, however, by now should have made the effort to speak to Ramirez, which he hadn’t done as of Friday morning.

I couldn’t disagree more. As the “team leader”, Ramirez should be calling Reyes to welcome him to the team, and quelling any media speculation that he isn’t happy with the acquisition of Reyes, who is a far superior defensive player. His silence is deafening, and another churlish example of how selfish Ramirez has been his entire career.

As for Reyes, c’mon Jose. You haven’t had the “opportunity” to call your “very good friend” for a week or more? You’re not doing yourself any favors with those kinds of quotes.

I was the first player drug-tested in baseball, and I am the one who asked for it.” – Babe Dahlgren

The recent news that 2011 MVP Ryan Braun is appealing a failed “banned substance” test wasn’t expected, but after hundreds of failed tests for recreatiional or performance-enhancing drugs for baseball players, even the fact that a reigning MVP not thought to be the strerotypical behemnoth wasn’t all that’s shocking.

Let’s face it, we live in an era where its hard to imagine people choosing integrity over the millions that can be made with the popping og a pill or the injecting of a needle. Ryan Braun may indeed be innocent, and if he is, he will have the power, resources and platform to defend himself.

Some other players never got that opportunity.

There was another player who once took a drug test, the first one in known baseball history. It was paid for by then-MLB Commisioner Judge Kenesaw Moutian Landis, and it came back clean. For some reason, Landis and several of the commisioners that followed him, refused to make the results public, or provide ther player with some level of justice.

Instead, Babe Dahlgren, once considered the best fielding first baseman in baseball, was sentenced to a life as a baseball vagabond,  and even after his playing days, plagued with the inaction of a baseball industry that turned it back on him a long time ago.

The whole story is chronicled in the book, Rumor In Town: A Grandson’s Promise to Right a Wrong, written by Dahlgren’s grandson, Matt Dahlgren.

Sadly, two of the most respected figures in baseball history played a large role in Dahglren’s misery, and it is perhaps that reality which is responsible for the lack of coverage and discussion of these events.

From Gotham Baseball’s Spring 2011 Issue, “Going Nine: The Other Babe”

“The guy can do everything, and I have a hunch that he invents plays as he goes along. If an old-timer were to swear to me on a stack of testaments that there was every a greater defensive first baseman than Ellsworth ‘Babe’ Dahlgren of the Yankees I wouldn’t believe him.” John Lardner, The New Yorker, June 13, 1940

According to Matt Dahlgren, Babe was also the victim of a vicious rumor, that he was a marijuana smoker. Mike Lynch of Seamheads.com summarized it best, stating that the rumor was “started by a Hall Of Fame manager, perpetuated by a Hall of Fame executive, and buried by a Hall Of Fame Commissioner.”

Dahlgren started his career in the Boston Red Sox system and was poised to become the team’s first baseman until the Bosox got Philadelphia A’s slugger Jimmie Foxx. Babe hoped for a trade and got one, to the Yankees, where Lou Gehrig was entrenched. Determined to prove that he belonged, Dahlgren took his game to the Yankees’ top farm team in Newark in 1937, where he hit. 340 for the Bears, one of the greatest minor league champions in baseball history.

He would make the Yankees in 1938 as a utilityman, but played in just 27 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter. In 1939, he would make the most of an opportunity he desperately wanted, he just hated the way it happened.

Replacing Gehrig, Dahlgren hit a home run, a double off the top of the fence and two drives that were caught against the fence in a 22-2 rout over Detroit. “I especially admired Gehrig because he was a first baseman like me,” Dahlgren told Newsday’s Joe Gergen in 1988. “I never dreamed one day I’d be in New York to take the man’s place.”

He would hit only .235 that year for the Yanks, but he would hit 15 home runs and drive in 89 runs batting seventh or eighth in a powerful lineup. In the World Series that year, Dahlgren would hit his only World Series home run, helping the Yankees sweep the Reds. The future looked bright for the 27-year old Dahlgren. Then he went home to San Francisco, and his life would never be the same.

Local legend Lefty O’Doul hated the fact the Joe McCarthy, and not he was the manager of the New York Yankees, telling anyone who would listen that “Ol’ Marse Joe” was a bush-button manager and that anyone could manage the Yankees. An Associated Press photographer took a picture of Dahlgren receiving batting tips from O’Doul at a off-season (the reality was that they barely talked that day). Combine the cracks that O’Doul made that day, “The Yankees have to send me their players to learn how to it.” a thin-skinned heavy drinker in McCarthy, and a now-veteran first baseman who was well-liked by his teammates and the local press, and you had the makings of a very bad situation.

Dahlgren had another solid year in 1940, hitting .263 / 12/ 73, and played a brilliant first base, but when the Yankees did not win the pennant. McCarthy seemed to blame Dahlgren, citing a key error down the stretch that cost the Yankees a ball game.

He was sent to the Boston Braves in 1941, and was dealt midway in the season to the Cubs, where he really played well, hitting .263 / 23/ 89 for the season. While he was having the best year of his career to date, McCarthy was telling the New York sportswriters – who all liked Dahlgren, thought he was a superb first baseman, and were watching Johnny Sturm hit just .235 with no power and nowhere near the glove – that Dahlgren’s arms were too short to play first base.

Really.

The longer the season wore on, the longer it looked like McCarthy had had a personal beef with Dahlgren, and the writers pressed McCarthy on the trade. Now, remember, it was the 1941 season, and Joe DiMaggio was setting his magical streak and Ted Williams was hitting .406 for the Red Sox. Dahlgren was happy in Chicago, playing well and finally getting the accolades he deserved.

Then, almost instantly, Dahlgren would spent the rest of his career, from 1942, getting traded from Chicago to St. Louis to Brooklyn (where Branch Rickey would accuse him of smoking marijuana, the first time Dahlgren would hear of the rumor) to Philadelphia (where he became an All-Star) to Pittsburgh (where he would drive in 101 runs and hit .289 in 1944) and finally back to St. Louis, where he would finally be discarded.

In the midst of the incredulous rumor, Dahlgren informed then-Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis of the rumor, and the Judge, according to the book, paid all the expenses for what would prove to be a “clean” drug test for Dahlgren. But Landis and every subsequent Commissioner – up until his death in 1996 – failed to address Babe’s cause.

Dahlgren also died not going who had started the rumor. He had always assumed that it was Rickey, because of the way the situation had played out. It wasn’t until his grandson Matt, who wanted to write the manuscript that would become “Rumor in Town” (Babe’s original manuscript, as well as a letter from Landis proving the rumor existed, were lost in a fire at Babe’s home in 1980), that the origin of the rumor surfaced.

Dahlgren was doing research for his book when someone suggested the aforementioned Marty Appel, arguably the preeminent Yankees historian, for stories about his father.

Appel told him about a conversation he had with New York Times sportswriter John Drebinger in 1973, recalling McCarthy talking to a small group of baseball insiders at the end of the 1940 season. McCarthy, Appel remembered Drebinger telling him, noted that the Yankees would have won the pennant in 1940 had it not been for an error that Dahlgren made in a late-season game against Cleveland. “Dahlgren doesn’t screw up that play if he wasn’t a marijuana smoker.”

Tired of being made a fool for suggesting that the obviously proportionally-limbed Dahlgren’s arms were more than long enough, McCarthy decided to spread a rumor so incredible, so scandalous that few would ever repeat it. But the ones that did cost a good man his career.

“Rumor in Town” might be a promise by a grandson to his grandfather to right a terrible wrong, but one would hope that it also motivate Major League Baseball to right a terrible injustice. To date, the case is one that MLB doesn’t feel needs to be reopened.. And that is a big a tragedy as was the rumor that cost Babe Dahlgren his career.

We caught up with then-FA, now Texas Ranger Joe Nathan at the dedication of “Joe Nathan Field” at Stony Brook University, chatted with MLB.com’s Jay Berman about the Hot Stove, and I ranted about the lack of inclusion of African-Americans in ther MLB managerial interview process.

As always, we had the the Mazer Moment, voiced by legendary broadcaster Bill Mazer, recalls the 1961 HR chase between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

Watch Episode 2 Here

Each year, MLB celebrates “Jackie Robinson Day“, rightfully commemorating the moment that changed baseball — and America — forever.  Each year, the “Civil Rights Game” is played, to further honor those who fought for civil rights on and off the field.

The declining number of black players is a troubling issue, but it’s becoming clear — especially during this offseason — that opportunities for a black man to manage a baseball team is getting harder as well.

When it came time to hire five new managers this offseason, only one qualified black candidate was even contacted; DeMarlo Hale, who received a phone call from new Cubs GM Jed Hoyer, who was instructed to do so from new Cubs President Theo Epstein.

“He kind of falls into the Terry Francona category, where we know each other so well that we don’t need to put him through the entire process,” Epstein said. “Jed interviewed DeMarlo because he hasn’t been with him for a couple years, and I know him really well. DeMarlo’s a great coach and grew up in Chicago, and it was worthwhile hearing from him.”

Five vacancies. Dozens of interviews. One phone call.

Epstein revealed the Hale interview call on Nov. 14, 2011. The date of the so-called “interview” was not revealed, but I think it’s safe to say that it was conducted after I wrote this on Nov. 4:

Yes, there have been reports that Theo Epstein could “consider” bringing in Hale for an interview, but no commitment has yet been made. Even if it is, most feel he has little chance. So, there is a very good chance that with five managerial openings, only one African-American candidate will be interviewed.

Frank Robinson was MLB's first black manager

I recently spoke with a former baseball executive, whose identity I will keep to myself, who admitted that while the inclusion of qualified minority candidates (Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Dave Martinez), was a “good thing”, the lack of interviews for qualified black candidates like Bo Porter, Terry Pendelton and Willie Randolph was “troubling”.

“Willie should definitely be considered for another manager job,” he said. “He’s a great baseball guy, with plenty of experience and had some success in New York.”

Randolph spent the 2011 season on Buck Showalter’s staff in Baltimore, after two years as bench coach in Milwaukee. His tenure in New York as Mets manager had some highs (2006 NL East title) and some lows (2007 stretch drive, Tony Bernazard), but it’s hard to argue with his record (302-253, .544). He hasn’t been interviewed for a managerial opening since. Yet, Gene LaMont got two interviews and was a finalist for the Red Sox job.

Gene LaMont.

“It’s almost like a curse for a manager, because once you’ve had a taste of that — I’m not saying I can’t do what I’m doing, but it’s tougher, because you still have your own ideas, you still have your own mind-set, you still have a feel of how you would do things,” Randolph told the New York Times this past summer. “You’re loyal to the people you work for, but you still itch and burn.

“I’ve always been a competitor, and I talk to my guys about competition and how you want to be the best. For me, you want to get back to that, because I know I’m going to be better, and I know that I’ll be able to get more out of my players than I did the first time because of the experience.”

Perhaps if Terry Pendelton were white, he’d be considered a career baseball guy who’s ready to take the next step, rather than a guy who just gets mentioned as a “minority” candidate every few years or so. A former MVP who won Gold Gloves, played in five World Series and was an All-Star, Pendelton was also considered a leader wherever he played. He didn’t get any calls this offseason either.

The Cardinals interview former Cardinal supersub Joe McEwing and Hall of Fame Cubbie Ryne Sandberg for the job that eventually went to Mike Matheny, but Pendelton didn’t get a call. He’s coached for 10 years in the majors, and with the exception of pulling out of the Nationals manager race a few years ago, hasn’t gotten an interview.

As bad as the omissions of Randolph and Pendelton are (and remember, we are talking about interviews, not hires), the lack of any interest in the up-and-coming Bo Porter seems the most inexcusable.

The worst part about this whole situation is the lack of concern shown by my fellow journalists. With the exception of Jim Duquette (MLB Network Radio / SiriusXM) and Doug Glanville (ESPN.com), not a single national media scribe even had the decency to respond to my direct inquiries. A few local guys, like Steve Popper (a very decent guy who’s been supportive) aren’t sure how to fix the problem. But at least they acknowleged it as a problem.

Teams are free to hire who they deem fit, but to ignore qualified black candidates seems contrary to everything baseball is trying to accomplish.  And people who have the platform to cultivate change need to start doing so.

Five managerial openings. Dozens of interviewa. One phone call.

This cannot happen again.

Filled with great writing and amazing photography, the SI Baseball book is everything that a book that celebrates the American Pastime should be (and rarely is), featuring essays by respected baseball writers including Rick Reilly, Peter Gammons, Richard Hoffer, George Plimpton and Frank Deford.

Stories like “How Tiny Tim became a Pitching Giant,” in which Tom Verducci marvels at the powerful pitching mechanics of the Giants’ diminutive Tim Lincecum, a wonder of modern science; “War of the Words” by S.L. Price looks at the relentless honesty of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen; and in “Pure Hitters,” Verducci points to the exciting future of baseball, with a new generation of hitters and a tougher drug policy. Verducci commends the memorable grace and sportsmanship demonstrated by Detroit’s Armando Galarraga in “A Different Kind of Perfect,” and recalls baseball and beyond within the treasured walls of the great Yankee Stadium in “It’s Gone! Goodbye!”

As Baseball Digest gets ready to celebrate its 70th year as the longest-running baseball magazine ever, we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done, bring the best of baseball to the millions of fans that love this great game. That’s why it’s easy to call The Sports Illustrated BASEBALL Book the perfect holiday gift for your favorite baseball fan.

“We recognize that there is a lot of work to do. Particular with the lack of minority managers and general managers,” Richard Levin, who serves as Commissioner Bud Selig’s official spokesperson, told SportsLine last week. “Within the last two months, the Commissioner has sent a memo to all clubs. He has instructed that when they are hiring a manager, general manager, assistant general manager or scouting director, they have to touch base with him first before they hire anyone.”

In the memo, which was obtained and published by The New York Times last month, Selig said, “If a club has an opening in any of these positions, the club owner must notify me personally. In addition, your list of candidates must be provided to me. I expect the list to include minority candidates whom you and your staff have identified. I will provide assistance to you if you cannot identify candidates on your own.”

Bob Melvin, who has never taken a team to a World Series, or won a pennant, has a career losing record as a manager and who led the Oakland A’s to a rousing 47-52 record in 99 games after replacing the stunningly mediocre Bob Geren, was given a three-year deal by GM Billy Beane on Sept. 21st.  No other individual was considered that we know of.  In 2006, after firing Ken Macha, Beane interviewed then-coach Ron Washington – the top choice among many players – but hired Geren, who posted one .500 record and four losing records, including 27-36 at the time of his June firing. Washington has won back-to-back pennants.

AP:

While Beane didn’t say whether a minority candidate was given consideration per MLB rules, he noted the A’s front office over the past month was “in constant communication with the commissioner’s office to make sure we honored the process.” Otherwise, Beane said, Melvin might have already been named the manager.

After trading Ozzie Guillen to the Florida Marlins, the Chicago White Sox hired former All-Star Robin Ventura to thhe position. No coaching experience or no managing experience seems to be required for that opening, as even current player Paul Konerko was briefly considered.

Williams, baseball’s lone African-American GM gave the following statement:

“When I met with the media as our season ended, I identified one person at the very top of my managerial list. I wanted someone who met very specific criteria centered around his leadership abilities. Robin Ventura was that man. His baseball knowledge and expertise, his professionalism, his familiarity with the White Sox and Chicago and his outstanding character make him absolutely the right person to lead our clubhouse and this organization into the seasons ahead.”

Both hires were done internally, so there is no way of knowing whether any qualified African-American manager candidates were interviewed. Of the names we have heard so far in the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals managerial searches, there have been several Latino candidates mentioned as potential hires, but  not a single qualified African-American managerial candidate — with one exception — has been identified. DeMarlo Hale of the Red Sox has been classified as someone who could be in the mix, but no interview has yet been scheduled.

In a must-read column by ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes, he writes Hale should be the first choice in Boston, and we agree.

“He did a great job in his interview with the Mets,” said one executive with direct knowledge of that session. “He was very prepared. Do I think he’s qualified to be a big league manager? Yes.

“But you might be a good candidate and not be the right fit. The timing is just not right. That’s a shame, but that’s what happens.”

Despite Hale’s “great job”, he did not get a second interview for the Mets’ opening. Terry Collins, Melvin and fan favorite Wally Backman ( who I supported for the job) did.  The retread Terry Collins, who finished with a worse record in 2011 then Jerry Manuel did in 2010,  inexplicably got an extension for the 2013 season in spite of his cluib’s sub-par performance. Many have said he did a “fabulous job”. Nothing like low expectations, huh?

Yes, there have been reports that Theo Epstein could “consider” bringing in Hale for an interview, but no commitment has yet been made. Even if it, most feel he has little chance.  So, there is a very good chance that with five managerial openings, only one African-American candidate will be interviewed.

I wonder if Jackie Robinson — who was in the last days of his life during the 1972 World Series when he chided MLB for not yet having hired an African-American manager — would prefer everyone wearing “42″ on Jackie Robinson Day, or MLB making sure its teams were adhering to policies the sitting commish put on the books himself?

For weeks I have been asking current African-American coaches about this non-existent market for their services. Each one has declined to be interviewed, even off the record, for fear of potential blowback. The baseball beat writers I have contacted have each given a collective shrug at the question. One went even farther than that:

“Not sure I understand your point. should teams put on a show?’

I’m not telling anyone who to hire, but unless teams expand the talent pool and include African-Americans in their respective managerial searches, how can a qualified candidate get the exposure he needs to get to the next level?

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is very high on his third base coach Bo Porter, but he hasn’t gotten a single call this offseason. Porter is a fantastic instructor and could be an asset to any club. Yet he sits and waits.

In 1999, Don Baylor, who is now on the Arizona Diamondbacks coaching staff, spoke about the inequities that face African-Americans looking to serve as MLB managers.

“What’s happening in a lot of cases now is there’s not even an interview process,” Baylor told SportsLine. “They pick their guy.”

Again this was 12 years ago.

In the same story, by then-CBS Sports,com writer Ian Browne (who now covers the Red Sox for MLB.com), also spoke to Dusty Baker.

“The thing that has really disgusted people is that there doesn’t even seem to be an interview process any more. It ain’t equal opportunity when there isn’t even an interview process,” steamed the Giants manager in his office before a recent game at New York. “People have their minds made up on who they’re going to hire most of the time. And most of the time, they hire a friend.”

Have things changed that much? It sure doesn’t seem so. Here’s another quote from Baker:

“The problem I have is it’s even harder for a black man to get the second job,” Baker said. “How many black managers have been fired and rehired. Not many? Try not any. Not Cito (Gaston). Not Hal (McRae). Not Baylor yet.”

Those names mentioned have since had other jobs; Caston did return to the Toronto dugout for a short visit, McRae waited seven years fro another shot, and Baylor spent three years managing the Cubs, but the quote is still relevant.

Willie Randolph, Davey Lopes, Lloyd McClendon and Jerry Royster represent the most recent African-American managers that have only held one position. The blame used to be placed on “the old boy network” who were reluctant to risk their own employment to take “risks” on previously unproven managers.

But with the new breed of GMs who place less and less value on the field managers they hire, and who have taken more control of the organizations they run, the inclination towards advanced metrics hasn’t translated to more advanced hiring practices.

Also, if the MLB clubs decide to use the Commioner’s guidelines in a dishonest manner and grant “show” interviews — as many suggested during my repeated tweets on the matter — then it is a referendum on them, not the process. In addition, the lack of transparency during these “internal” searches is equally unethical.

I understand that Bud Selig has his hands full with the Dodgers , as well as keeping Fred Wilpon in business, but he has to start making sure that the MLB clubs are doing what they need to do to make sure that African-Americans are getting a fair shake.

Because at this point, it is a disgrace.

I spoke with Bernie Williams about his new book “Rythyms of the Game”, got to know Bellville, NJ Little Leaguer Alex Luna. I also weigh in whqt the new playoff system should look like.

On the mound for Milwaukee, first-year Brewers Shawn Marcum may not be a rookie like his Game 3 counterpart Josh Collmenter, but he is pitching in the postseason for the first time.

No problem, says rookie manager Ron Roenicke.

“This is a guy that can stop a big-time offense,” Roenicke said. “He certainly did it a lot of times in the American League East. Those lineups there, with Boston and New York, you don’t get any better than that. I have a lot of confidence in what he does.”

Meantime, the Diamondbacks are doing little to prove they can turn things around in this series, having struck out 23 times in two games.

But some in Arizona, like Dan Bickley of the Arizona Reblic, can’t wait to start blaming it all on the manager:

In a Game 1 loss, he left Ian Kennedy in too long, leaving the decision in his pitcher’s hands. In Game 2, he took out Daniel Hudson too soon, just two batters after taking a chainsaw through the heart of Milwaukee’s lineup. ,,,

Gibson waited too long to remove imploding reliever Brad Ziegler. He waited too long to issue the first intentional walk of the series. Some think he waited too long to put Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup. And the desire to challenge Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun isn’t working out so well, is it?

In any event, it’s do or die for the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

It’s even more familiar for the Game 2 starter, Zach Greinke, weho is 11-0 with a 3.13 ERA in 15 starts at Miller Park this year, and Milwaukee is 15-0 in those games.

From Stats Inc.:

Greinke (16-6, 3.83 ERA) allowed two runs and threw 74 pitches in six innings of a 7-3 win at Pittsburgh on Wednesday, helping Milwaukee secure homefield advantage in its NLDS. The right-hander was kept on a limited pitch count with the intent of him throwing at home in Game 2 on short rest, ideally with a chance to take a huge advantage in the series.

Making his first playoff appearance after enjoying only individual success during seven seasons with Kansas City, the former AL Cy Young award could not be more excited about the opportunity regardless of how rested he is.

“Plenty comfortable,” Greinke said. “I didn’t throw that many pitches last time because we planned on it possibly happening. “It’s still just getting ready for a game and just try to make your pitches and things should work good if you just do that.”

For the Diamondbacks, Game 2 represents a likely last chance to win this series.  

Arizona manager Kirk Gibson also has faith his club can bounce back.

“We’ve got a good guy (Daniel Hudson) pitching, and we’ve been down before and we’ve been resilient,” he said. “We’ll come back with a good attitude and believe we can win (Sunday).”

Ryan Roberts(notes) homered in the eighth inning of Game 1 and Willie Bloomquist(notes) had two of the four hits for the Diamondbacks, who are making their first postseason appearance since 2007, when they defeated the Chicago Cubs in a division series but got swept by Colorado in the NL championship series.

All-Stars Upton and Montero went a combined 1 for 8 on Saturday, but are a combined 7 for 13 off Greinke with the two homers and two doubles.

“When I look at it you can’t script it,” said Gibson, whose team will open the National League Divisional Series at Miller Park on Saturday.

“We had the Navy Seals come in during spring training and they gave us a presentation showing us a lot of the things they do and we were like ‘wow how to you do it’ they said you just deal with it so whatever comes your way you just have to understand it.”

Every GM in baseball whose team failed to make the playoffs is hearing how the Diamondbacks, after back-to-back 90-loss seasons, turned things around in a hurry, so why can’t they do the same? Well, first of all it’s not that easy. It helps to have developed some of the best young talent in the game.

From the Associated Press:

The Diamondbacks’ biggest star is Justin Upton — and even he feels as if he and his teammates get lost in the shuffle.
“We’re just a bunch of guys nobody ever heard about,” Upton said. “In Arizona, still, nobody’s heard about us.”

Upton is just one of the D’Backs young talents, as are Game 1 starter Ian Kennedy (21-4, 2.88 ERA), and All-Star catcher Miguel Montero.

ESPN’s Sweei Spot conributor Tyler Emerick thinks that Arizona might use that general public’s lack of respect might play a role in this series.

Nobody thinks they can: Out of the eight teams in the MLB playoffs, the D-backs are the biggest surprise. The Rays are a close second, just because they are in the AL East but no one saw Arizona coming. It’s been a magical season in the desert and every time the odds are stacked up against the team, they always seem to find a way to win. This club is set up for the future, but with the way 2011 has played out so far, making a run in the playoffs doesn’t seem so far-fetched with this balanced squad.

To make that run, the D’Backs will have to find a way to get past what some think is the most exciting team in baseball.

The rotation: Yovani Gallardo, Zach Greinke and Shawn Marcum, Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford in the bullpen, and a lineup boasting two potential MVP candidates in Ryan Braun and and the soon-to-be ex-Brewer, Prince Fielder.

“They’ve had great years,” Gibson said. “I’ve known Fielder since he was a very young kid when I played for the Tigers with his father. He used to come in and hit balls in the upper deck. I have a ton of respect for this team, their manager and what they’ve done.”

This should prove to be an exciting series, and will display some of the best young talent in the game.

]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/09/30/nlds-preview-diamondbacks-at-brewers/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/09/15/shane-victorino-wins-2011-branch-rickey-award/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/09/15/shane-victorino-wins-2011-branch-rickey-award/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:47:04 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=10356 (DENVER, COLO) Shane Victorino, star centerfielder of the Philadelphia Phillies, has been named the winner of the 2011 Branch Rickey Award. Alanna Rizzo of Root Sports made the announcement today at the Denver Athletic Club.

Known as the “Flyin’ Hawaiian,” Victorino will be inducted as the 20th member of the Baseball Humanitarians Hall of Fame during a banquet on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Marriott City Center Hotel in downtown Denver.

Created by the Rotary Club of Denver in 1991, the Branch Rickey Award honors individuals in baseball who contribute unselfishly to their communities and who are strong role models for young people. Each year, the Major League Baseball teams nominate one player from their team for this nationally acclaimed award. All of the nominees personify Rotary International’s motto, “Service Above Self.”

Victorino was chosen by a National Selection Committee, comprised of 300 members of the sports media, past award winners, baseball executives and Rotary district governors. All 30 Major League teams submitted a nominee for the award.

In 2010, Victorino and his wife Melissa founded the Shane Victorino Foundation to help under-served youth in both Philadelphia and his native Hawaii. The Foundation’s most ambitious project to date is renovating the 105-year-old Nicetown Boys & Girls Club located in an impoverished area of Philadelphia. They pledged more than $900,000 to transform the aging facility into the centerpiece Club of the 12 sites in the city. Victorino, who grew up in the Boys & Girls Club in Maui, has been actively involved in the planning and upgrading process. Grand opening of the Shane Victorino Boys & Girls Club will be held on Sept. 22. This facility is only the second club in the country named after a Major League Baseball player (the other is named for Willie Mays).

This August, the Foundation held its Second Annual All-Star Celebrity Fashion Show that featured Phillies players, their wives, sports personalities and entertainers modeling the latest high fashion designers on the catwalk. This year’s event raised more than $325,000.

On November 19, the Foundation will host its 4th Annual Celebrity Dinner and Golf Classic in Maui, Hawaii.

In the past two years, the Foundation has raised nearly $500,000 for various charities in Hawaii, including the Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of Maui, Alzheimer’s Association Aloha Chapter, Waipio Little League and St. Anthony’s High School.

The Victorinos also support, both personally and financially, the foundations of teammates and friends like Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Jamie Moyer and Ryan Howard.

In 2008, Victorino played a key role in helping the Phillies win their first World Series Championship in 28 years. He was elected to the 2009 and 2011 National League All-Star teams. Last season, he won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award, committing only two errors in 373 chances.

He recently released his first book, Shane Victorino: The Flyin’ Hawaiian, that documents his experiences in life and baseball.

The late Branch Rickey, known to millions as “Mr. Baseball,” is credited with breaking the color barrier in the Major Leagues in 1945 when he signed Jackie Robinson, the first modern day African-American player. He also hired the first Hispanic player, Roberto Clemente.

Rickey helped develop the farm system in baseball and stimulated the sport’s expansion into more cities. Always an advocate for underprivileged children, he spearheaded the development of the famous “Knot Hole Gang,” to allow kids to attend big league games.

Previous recipients of the Branch Rickey Award include: Dave Winfield, Toronto Blue Jays; Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins; Ozzie Smith, St. Louis Cardinals; Tony Gwynn, San Diego Padres; Brett Butler, Los Angeles Dodgers; Craig Biggio, Houston Astros; Paul Molitor, Minnesota Twins; Al Leiter, New York Mets; Todd Stottlemyre, Arizona Diamondbacks; Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks; Bobby Valentine, New York Mets; Roland Hemond, Chicago White Sox; Jamie Moyer, Seattle Mariners; Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles Dodgers; John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves; Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres; Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; and last year’s winner, Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Winfield, Puckett, Smith, Molitor, Gwynn and Lasorda, as well as Branch Rickey, have also been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Branch Rickey Award is a 24-inch bronze sculpture, The Player, created by internationally prominent sculptor George Lundeen. A 13-foot tall bronze sculpture was dedicated in front of Coors Field at 20th and Blake on June 2, 2005 in celebration of Rotary International’s Centennial Year.

Tickets for the Branch Rickey Award banquet are $200 per person and may be reserved online at www.BranchRickeyAward.org. For sponsorship information, please call the Rotary Club of Denver office at 303-893-1919.

]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/09/15/shane-victorino-wins-2011-branch-rickey-award/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/08/31/1976-the-yankees-renaissance/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/08/31/1976-the-yankees-renaissance/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:46:44 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=10248 (Editor’s Note) This story was originally published in Gotham Baseball in 2006. It is available for viewing in the National Archive at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY – MH

They called them the “CBS Years,” the dark, dismal time when CBS owned the Yankees and the team floundered in mediocrity from 1965-1972. In 1973, a Midwestern shipping magnate named George Steinbrenner bought the team and immediately plunged them into a two-year renovation of Yankee Stadium, exiling them to Shea for 1974 and 1975.

But in 1976 everything finally came together, and one memorable dinger delivered the first pennant to the Bronx since 1964. Now on the 30th anniversary of the ’76 pennant, GB looks back on the Yankees’ return to prominence.

“That was the year we had just acquired Willie Randolph from Pittsburgh,” recalls outfielder Elliott Maddox. “We traded Bobby Bonds to the Angels, so we picked up Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa

for Bonds. With those acquisitions, we knew we had a good shot.”

Figueroa would go 19-10, Rivers led the team with his .312 average and between the two of them Randolph and Rivers stole 80 bases. Thurman Munson, the undisputed leader of the team, hit .302 with 105 RBI, Graig Nettles hit 32 home runs, and Chris Chambliss batted .293 and led the team with 188 hits. The pitching was solid as Catfish Hunter and Dock Ellis racked up 17 wins apiece, and Sparky Lyle and Dick “Dirt” Tidrow had 33 saves between them.

Between the stacked lineup and dominant pitching, the Yankees ran away with the East.

“Yeah, we led from start to finish that whole season,” says Roy White, who scored 104 runs that year. “The lowest our lead got down to was about five games in August, and then we went on a winning

streak and extended it back up to nine or ten. So winning the American League East that year was kind of a cake walk for us.”

Munson took home the AL MVP Award and six Yankees went to the All-Star Game: Chambliss, Hunter, Lyle, Munson, Randolph, and Rivers.

The real challenge came with the American League Championship Series. The best-of-five ALCS had only begun in 1969, so the Yankees had never played in one. “Billy Martin was as nervous as can be,” Maddox recalls. “He was just beside himself. He wanted to win so much. Billyjus

t wanted to join the ranks [of winning managers like] Casey Stengel and be a winner in New York.” They faced the Kansas City Royals led by hot-hitting George Brett, who had tallied 215 hits that

season. In the top of the first the Yankees jumped out to a two-run lead, partly on an error by Brett, and Catfish Hunter pitched seven scoreless innings before the Royals nicked him for one in the eighth.

The Yankees came right back with two more, and Hunter completed the game for the 4-1 win.

The Royals exacted revenge the next night. The Yankees chased Dennis Leonard in the third inning, but the Royals roughed up Ed Figueroa for 4 runs, then got another 3 off reliever Dick Tidrow. The final stood at 7-3, the series tied.

The series then shifted to the remodeled Yankee Stadium for the final three games of the set. The Royals drew first blood, jumping out to three run lead in the first in Game Three, but Chambliss hit a

two-run shot in the fourth and they chased starter Andy Hassler with a three-run sixth. Dock Ellis earned the win and Sparky Lyle the save by pitching the ninth.

If the Yankees could beat the Royals one more time, they would win the pennant in four games, but the Royals had other ideas. This time Catfish could not keep the Royals down, and they nicked him for three runs in the second, and after giving up a double to Hal McRae and a triple to DH Jamie Quirk to start the fourth, he was pulled. The Yankees lost 7-4 and set up the win-or-go-home Game Five.

Ed Figueroa toed the rubber for New York and the first two Royals were retired smoothly. But Brett doubled and John Mayberry landed one in the short porch in right, just beyond the reach of Oscar Gamble. Unfazed, Figueroa struck out Hal McRae, and his hitters went out and got the runs right back, plus some. Dennis Leonard lasted only nine pitches into his start when a triple, infield hit, and a single to left brought one run in and had two men in scoring position with three lefty hitters coming up, Chris Chambliss, Carlos May, and Graig Nettles.

Nettles watched the pitching change–to the “Yankee Killer,” lefty Paul Splittorff–with dismay. “I was hitting sixth in that lineup and I was hoping to see the righthander,” he recalls. Chambliss managed a

long sac fly to score a run, but May and Nettles went back empty handed. The game was tied, 2-2.

The Royals got another run in the second, but the Yankees came back with two in the third, when the table-setters of Mickey Rivers and Roy White came around again. Rivers singled, White walked, and Munson knocked one in. Chambliss grounded out, allowing another run to score

and give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.

The Yankees next rally came in the sixth, and again started with

Mickey Rivers, who had his third hit of the night, this one a bunt

single. White sacrificed him to second, and Munson brought him in to

score–though he was gunned down trying to stretch the hit to a

double. Chambliss followed his own base hit with a stolen base and

crossed the plate on a ball that George Brett threw away.  6-3

Yankees.

The three run lead seemed safe when, after allowing a leadoff single in the eighth, Figueroa was lifted for reliever Grant Jackson, who was tough on lefties. With Brett coming up. Martin figured now would

be the time to pit Jackson against him. But pinch-hitter Jim Wolford got a pinch-hit, and Brett, representing the tying run, came to the plate. “Brett had already hit us pretty good in that series so I kind of thought we were due to get him out,” says Roy White.

White’s prediction was wrong, as Brett smacked a three-run job that tied the game. Willie Randolph describes it as “very nail-biting at the time. But when you’re in the heat of the game, you’re just

thinking you’re going to win, you’re going to win, you’re going to win.”

The tie held into the bottom of the ninth, when a big rookie warmed up on the mound for the Royals. Mark Littell was known for his fastball, and as Chris Chambliss took his place in the on deck

circle, several other Yankees were feeling quite hopeful. “Mark Littell was the perfect pitcher for Chris to bat against,” according to Elliott Maddox. “He had become such a good fastball hitter, he

made the fastball look like a change-up.” Meanwhile, rowdy denizens of right field started throwing bottles at right fielder Hal McRae and the game was delayed while the debris was cleared from the field.

Willie Randolph remembers the delay well, in which Littell stood on the mound watching the grounds crew instead of continuing to throw.

“I thought, ‘Gee, I wonder if this guy is going to stiffen up.”

Whether stiff or not, Littell had confidence in his fastball. He had beaten Chambliss with it earlier in the series. He threw the high heater, thinking Chambliss would swing and miss. Instead, Chambliss

connected for what Murray Chass described in the New York Times as “a blow that rivaled Bobby Thompson’s 1951 home run.” As the ball disappeared into the stands, fans came pouring out onto the field. Nettles grabbed Chambliss’ bat, several other players attempted to make sure Chris touched all the bases, but they soon fled to the clubhouse. The jubilant fans had torn up the bases and carried them

away.

Some time later, the on-field party still continuing, the umpires escorted Chambliss back to the field, protected by a phalanx of New York’s Finest, to make sure he touched the spot approximately where

home plate had been. Pennant fever had claimed New York utterly. The Yankees themselves partied the night through. But dawn, and the World Series, came all too quickly, and the hard-fought and emotional series had drained the Yanks. Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine, well-rested after their three-game sweep of Philadelphia, plowed through them easily in four straight games. The experience was enough to light a fire under the Yankees, such that they would return to the World Series in the next two years, winning both times.

]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/08/31/1976-the-yankees-renaissance/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/07/28/going-nine-nash-way-off-base-with-halper-smear/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/07/28/going-nine-nash-way-off-base-with-halper-smear/#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:55:13 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=10043 (Editor’s Note) You may have noticed that fora few hours today, this story wasn’t available. It seems Mr. Nash wasn’t satisfied with “having his say” on his site in response to this column, he sent me an email threatening to sue me for writing it. There were some inaccuracies in my reporting which have been fixed, and I apologize to my readership for that. They have been corrected. However, otherwise, I stand by my story 100 percent. Anecdotal statements are not sworn testimony, neither are quotes from an unnamed source on the status of a FBI investigation. The opinions of anyone, no matter their standing or reputation, are also not evidence of any kind. MH

The newspaper industry is in enough trouble these days without printing smear jobs written by “journalists” who have a conflict of interest about the very subject they are writing about.  But this past week, the  New York Post did just that by publishing this gem by Peter J. Nash about deceased baseball memorabilia collector Barry Halper.

What the New York Post doesn’t tell you is that Nash is involved in a long-running litigation with a memorabilia auction house that represented Barry Halper, admitted in publicly-filed court papers to committing fraud against that very same auction house, and has an outstanding warrant against him related to this ongoing legal battle.

Nash contends that his admission of fraud in the above case was part of the settlement deal, which he explains — in detail — on his site. His warrant, he argues, is “a civil (not criminal) warrant only in Somerset County, NJ, and related only to discovery and document production in the case with the auction house and the collection of their judgement.”

Nash is also perplexed as to why, as a journalist for more than 15 years, I would question his integrity in reporting this story. Well, the above collection of facts disqualify him from rendering an unbiased opinion, no? Once his accusations went from the insulated world of a niche blog to a news major news site, and he did not fully inform the readership of his involvement in the case at hand, ethics went out the window.

Yes, it’s so edgy and interesting that the once-rapper whose most famous moment was clubbing a Vanilla Ice lookalike in a music video, that the New York Post wouldn’t fact-check either the article or the person who wrote it?

According to Nash, the Post contacted him after reading his blog. So they certainly can’t plead ignorance of the author’s background.

According to a story written on Dec. 9, 2009,SI.com,

Nash recently lost a lawsuit against a leading memorabilia auctioneer in which he admitted to fraud, and, according to sources, the FBI is investigating whether he sold forged memorabilia.

Among the allegations in the countersuit were that some of the collateral Nash had put up — such as a ball and glove that had belonged to Fred Tenney, first baseman for the pennant-winning 1897 Beaneaters — were not his to consign. Nash rescheduled court appointments, canceled his own deposition at the last minute and, when he was finally deposed under oath, invoked the Fifth Amendment dozens of times in response to questions about the origins of specific pieces of collateral.

Yet, this did not stop the Post from allowing Mr. Nash to accuse Barry Halper — based largely on unnamed sources or in some cases no sources at all, just innuendo — of being a “con artist,” who “allegedly paid people to back his lies,” and that Barry Halper is “the primary suspect in a notorious heist of the New York Public Library’s Fifth Avenue branch.”

Perhaps Mr. Nash — the Ivy League educated hip-hop impresario and baseball enthusiast — deduced that by attacking a extremely well-known and beloved baseball collector — who also happened to be deceased — was a great way to spark interest for his upcoming book — which just happens to be about malfeasance and fraud in the baseball memorabilia industry.

Getting a fellow Red Sox fan who sued the same auction house that Nash is involved in a lawsuit against to call Halper “The Madoff of Memorabilia” is even more despicable, and transparent, for that matter.

Barry Halper lost his life at the all-too young age of 66, and to those who knew him, his baseball collection wasn’t a Ponzi scheme that he ruined thousands of people’s lives with. It was a passion that he wanted to share with others. A lifelong dream pursued, reached and celebrated with everyone.

From the NJJN.com website:

Rabbi Laurence W. Groffman, spiritual leader of B’nai Jeshurun, where Halper and his wife, Sharon, were members, praised Halper as a “really kind, wonderful mensch.”

“He would never turn down a request from our temple brotherhood to do lectures,” the rabbi said. “I remember he did a great presentation once showing his collection of vintage boxing films. The thing about it was not only that he had this great material, but the depth of his knowledge about it was incredible. He was always generous with his time.

Hall Of Fame catcher Yogi Berra:

“He was a wonderful guy, a very good friend for a long time,” the Hall of Fame catcher said in a statement. “Baseball and his family, those were always the greatest things to him.”

Always one for a self-deprecating remark, Berra mused that Halper “had more of my stuff than I had. Barry loved telling stories, and he really loved the Yankees. He was always real generous to charities and helped out” the Yogi Berra Museum and Education Center in Montclair.

Nash’s article begins like this:

The vaunted dealer, with a wing named after him in Cooperstown, has been unmasked as a con artist who hawked replicas and forgeries as one-of-a-kind gems.

Really? By who?

But Halper didn’t just buy fakes and pass them off as real. He allegedly paid people to back his lies about how he acquired some pieces, and he’s the primary suspect in a notorious heist of the New York Public Library’s Fifth Avenue branch, where $1 million worth of letters to baseball pioneer Harry Wright and other scrapbook entries vanished in the 1970s.

There is a not a single shred of real evidence that exists that would allow anyone, least of all a journalist, make these accusations. Each one is laughable.

The FBI already has carted away photos and documents from Halper’s collection that were allegedly swiped from the Boston Public Library, but not before some of the artifacts were auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1999 as part of a $30 million sale.

No, they did not.

“When tracking the stolen items, all roads seem to lead to Barry Halper,” said a source familiar with an ongoing FBI probe of the New York theft.

Nash must really have trouble selling this book. This is the most entertaining gem in a mountain of a sloppily-put together “expose”. But while it’s laughably obvious to me what a biased, self-serving, and useless piece of “journalism” this is, it wasn’t such to the New York Post, which published it as a story.

That it did so without mentioning any of the legal difficulties facing Mr. Nash, which clearly show a clear conflict of interest with the subject matter, makes it a grave disservice to the reader, and more so to the Halper family. That the Post also failed to publish any material forwarded them by the Halper family that informed them of their error concerning the enormous trust they placed in their newest contributor is even worse.

Jason Halper:

My father was one of the first people to gather baseball memorabilia into a collection, and if he didn’t invent the hobby, he was certainly among the first, going back to the 1940s. His boyish enthusiasm for any great “find” never waned, and he was a beloved figure on the baseball scene not only for his collection of more than a million items, but for his love of the hunt, and the stories behind his acquisitions. As his reputation and collection grew, he began hearing from people all over the country with unusual items, and as the hobby developed and prices became associated with artifacts, he was sought after for his willingness to purchase goods.

When illness beset my father later in his life, he agreed to put his massive collection up for auction rather than have his family burdened with the estate issues. When certain items were said to be replicas and not originals, he either did not sell them or he expressly relabled them as replicas without dispute. This includes the Ty Cobb, Pud Galvin, Mickey Mantle, and Babe Ruth uniforms referenced by Mr. Nash in his article. In fact, many of the items identified in Mr. Nash’s article, such as the Ty Cobb shotgun, were not sold at all by my father. Evidently, Mr. Nash did not want such facts to get in the way of his public smear campaign.

In all events, my father did not collect memorabilia for the money – he was a very successful businessman and a minority owner of the New York Yankees. And he certainly would have never done anything to compromise his reputation. Was my father ever “had” over the years? My father was not a forensic expert and he never claimed to be an authenticator, and he certainly may have been gullible when he was presented with exciting finds. My father’s collection had literally over a million items and spanned over 50 years of collecting. It is therefore quite possible that some of the items he purchased over the years would not pass today’s forensic tests. That is not unusual for collections of my father’s size, baseball or otherwise. But did my father ever knowingly participate in a fraud, as Mr. Nash now claims? Hardly. If anything, my father was the victim of fraud from people with a good story, anxious to receive a payment. My father had a good heart, and he tended to believe people. This was, after all, a hobby, not a business to him, and his collection was all about showing off historical items and telling the stories behind them.

Contrary to Mr. Nash’s accusations in his article, the FBI has never “carted away photos and documents from Halper’s collection that were allegedly swiped from the Boston Public Library.” That is an outright lie. Mr. Nash also states that my father’s “1846 Knickerbocker baseball may be a phony” – and that the letter from Alexander Cartwright (the “father of baseball”) that accompanied the ball in my father’s 1999 Sotheby’s auction “was stolen from archives in Hawaii.” Those accusations are also pure nonsense. Indeed, Mr. Nash and the Post fail to inform their readers that the 1846 Knickerbocker baseball was purchased by my father directly from the Cartwright family, was described in the Sotheby’s catalog as “The Cartwright Family Baseball,” and was accompanied by a description stating that “there is no way we can be certain” that the ball was from 1846. As for the letter from Cartwright that accompanied the ball, Mr. Nash omits the fact that my father purchased that letter from Josh Evans, an auctioneer – who is quoted favorably elsewhere in Mr. Nash’s article. If the Cartwright letter was stolen, as Mr. Nash now claims, perhaps Mr. Nash should ask Mr. Evans where he got it from.

In addition, Mr. Nash’s article grossly inflates the monies paid for my father’s collection at the Sotheby’s auction and by Major League Baseball. Mr. Nash even concocts bizarre tales like a two-way mirror in our home to spy on visitors. That is another lie. I lived in that house for 20 years. There was no two-way mirror.

Mr. Nash identifies other items from my father’s collection – mainly older uniforms and Ty Cobb-related items that my father purchased from Cobb’s biographer – that he claims are not authentic. I am not qualified to comment on whether century-old uniforms or diaries are authentic or not, but my father believed Cobb’s biographer (why wouldn’t he?). When purchasing Cobb items (or any other items) my father did not bring items to laboratories to conduct forensic tests. He trusted people. And it is important to note that to the extent any items identified by Mr. Nash were actually sold through Sotheby’s or to Major League Baseball, those items were openly documented, cataloged, and reviewed by authenticators, not by my father. If anyone had any questions or doubts about a particular item, they could have simply raised those questions at the time the items were sold in 1999 – as opposed to 12 years after the fact, when my father is no longer around to defend himself.

In short, Mr. Nash’s article in the Post is a sad attempt to discredit the achievements and reputation of a man who devoted a great portion of his life to baseball and the memorabilia of the game, for the pure joy of collecting. My father was a sincere person who never knowingly misled anyone. Mr. Nash refers to my father, apparently in the hope of selling books, as the “Madoff of Memorabilia.” That is outrageous. Such a title is ironic, given that Mr. Nash is the one who has readily admitted in court papers to committing fraud. To the extent that there were any authentication issues with certain items in my father’s collection, such issues can and should be established by clear evidence – not by malicious accusations from a biased fugitive like Mr. Nash.

Peter J. Nash was once Pete Nice, and he wrote, or helped write, and perform “Pop-Pop Goes the Weasel”, a 1990 rap “anthem” pointed at the injustice of rappers who were “posers” who weren’t representing the true nature of what rap was all about. As a member of “3rd Bass”, I assume Nash was all about “keepin’ it real” back then.

Funny thing about life. If you make the wrong choices, it’s not that difficult to become what you once despised. Smearing a man’s good name to sell a book?

Pop-pop goes the weasel, ’cause the weasel goes pop.

]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/07/28/going-nine-nash-way-off-base-with-halper-smear/feed/ 11 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/05/06/its-gets-late-early-out-here-baseball-digest-fantasy-baseball/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/05/06/its-gets-late-early-out-here-baseball-digest-fantasy-baseball/#comments Fri, 06 May 2011 15:54:05 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=9566 Things are starting to fall into place, and for some Fantasy Baseball owners, that’s not a good thing. On this weekend’s Baseball Digest Fantasy Baseball, host Mark Healey talks to some of baseball’s most respected experts to find out who is going to start proving they are for real, and just who might be having a year they’d like to forget.

On Saturday,  Jim Duquette who co-hosts “Power Alley” with Kevin Kennedy on SiriusXM’s MLB Network radio (XM 89 / Sirius 209);, Baseball America Co Editor-in-Chief John Manuel,  and The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro will appear.

On Sunday’s show, MLB.com Joe Frisaro (marlins.com) and BaseballDigest.com’s Bill Ivie and Jess Paguaga will appear as well.

Not sure who to start, wondering who the next great prospect is, or maybe hear about some trade rumors rumbling around the industry? Listen to Baseball Digest Fantasy Baseball on SiriusXM’s Fantasy Sports Radio (XM 87, Sirius 207)

 

]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/05/06/its-gets-late-early-out-here-baseball-digest-fantasy-baseball/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/04/08/baseball-digest-fantasy-baseball-talking-to-steve-phillips/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/04/08/baseball-digest-fantasy-baseball-talking-to-steve-phillips/#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:20:58 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=9372 “Baseball Digest Fantasy Baseball” will air ever Saturday and Sunday from 10am-1pm ET on SiriusXM’s Fantasy Sports Radio channel (XM 147 / Sirius 211). Hosted by Baseball Digest Online editor Mark Healey and veteran sportscaster Jim Grieshaber, you’ll get Fantasy Baseball information from the guys and from experts all over the country.  The number to call is 888-XM-Fantasy or 888-963-2682.

This weekend promises to be a special one.

The Saturday Show:  Insane lineup includes Will Carroll from Sports Illustrated, the Injury Expert himself will give us the latest updates on key injuries to Fantasy Impact players.  Is Brad Lidge really out until the All-Star break?  Chase Utley is scheduled to come back in a few weeks, will he?

National baseball writer Bob Nightengale from USAToday he’ll be on board (live from Arizona, where’s he’s covering Diamondbacks-Reds), to give you the latest news and notes from around MLB. Is Jay Bruce going to make that turn from solid to All-Star?

The Seattle Mariners have some of baseball’s intriguing Fantasy Baseball players, and Larry Stone from the Seattle Times will join us to break ‘em down.  Can Eric Wedge make a difference?  How long will Brandon League be the closer?

Last but not least, the one and only Steve Phillips, host of the Mad Dod Radio Morning show will join us to chat about his team in the SiriusXM hosts Fantasy Baseball League and his early impressions of the 2011 MLB Season. Will his club outlast the Baseball Digest team? (run by Mark Healey) or will one of his former players, Cliff Floyd, be better than both of them?

 

The Sunday Show: Newsday’s national baseball writer Ken Davidoff will join us to discuss his first impressions of the MLB season.

The Sports Network’s Chris Ruddick will also join the show to help the guys with their Fantasy teams, and give some Fantasy predictions of his own.

All weekend, your calls and more!

The Hosts:

Mark Healey brought Baseball Digest online for the first time in Dec. 2009. He is also the Founder of Gotham Baseball (whose entire print run is part of the archive at the National Baseball Hall of Fame ). In addition to being the MLB Insider on SiriusXM’s “Fantasy Pros 911 Show” on Saturdays, he is also a frequent MLB analyst on The Scott Ferrall Show on Sirius XM’s Howard 101.  He covered MLB, the NFL. NHL , NBA and college athletics from 1998-2006 at the Associated Press, and his work has been published on ESPN.com, FoxSports.com and USAToday.com.   His TV work includes “Mets Weekly” and “Playing For Peanuts” on SNY, and he has appeared on radio shows on WFAN-AM and WOR-AM.

Jim Greishaber is a sixteen year broadcasting veteran, including a two-year stint on The Sports Edge (Sirius). From 2000 to 2002, he was lead host of Lew and Jim on Sports, a daily four-hour sports talk show, host of Arizona Cardinals NFL Wrap-Up and “live” post-game anchor of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ World Series run, also on AM 1060. Jim also hosted a weekly show in Miami, Florida on 790 The Ticket, and has also anchored pre-game, halftime and/or post-game shows covering the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, and Florida Marlins. Jim has also covered the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and many other teams at spring training.

]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/04/08/baseball-digest-fantasy-baseball-talking-to-steve-phillips/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/30/baseball-digest-live-2011-mlb-preview/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/30/baseball-digest-live-2011-mlb-preview/#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:09:06 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=9293 The long winter’s nap is OVER!

On this week’s Baseball Digest LIVE, Mark Healey will preview the upcoming season for the Cincinatti Reds and Cleveland Indians with Dave Mitchell, the host of the Battle Of Ohio showon BlogTalkRadio.  Also on the show to break down the rest of MLB’s upcoming season will be BaseballDigest.com Assignment Editor Bill Ivie, as well as BD.com Senior writers Shai Kushner and Drew Sarver.

yOUR CALLS: 646-727-2874

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]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/30/baseball-digest-live-2011-mlb-preview/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/16/baseball-digest-live-baseball-in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil-with-robin-ventura/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/16/baseball-digest-live-baseball-in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil-with-robin-ventura/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:50:52 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=9150 But the dream is never forgotten, only put aside and never out of reach: Where once the dream connected boys with the world of men, now it reconnects men with the spirit of boys.
John Thorn

On this week’s Baseball Digest LIVE, author, and official Major League Baseball historian, John Thorn joins host Mark Healey to discuss his newest book “Baseball in the Garden of Eden.” during the SABR Seventh Inning Stretch.

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In addition to discovering the documentation that traced the origins of baseball to Pittsfield, Mass, Thorn has also been named chairman of the Baseball Origins Committee. The committee is made up of 12 experts and historians that will seek to determine the facts of baseball’s beginnings and its evolution. Following the study, they will seek to tell the full story of the game as well as its development in local communities.

Also appearing on today’s show, former All-Star third baseman Robin Ventura, whose NCAA hit streak (58 games) remain’s the game’s standard, is touring the country on behalf of the Capital One Cup, which honors the country’s top mens – and womens – collegiate programs across 13 different sports, honoring the winning schools with $200,000, money earmarked for athletes looking to go on to graduate school. He’ll also talk about his major league career, which Bill James ranked as statistically the best third baseman of the ‘90s. A standout at OSU, Robin – as you know – is considered among the best college players of all time.

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Also, BaseballDigest.com Fantasy Writer Jesse Paguaga breaks down the Top 5 Fantasy SS sleepers to look out for.

]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/16/baseball-digest-live-baseball-in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil-with-robin-ventura/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/09/baseball-digest-live-streaks-tout-wars-and-other-things/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/09/baseball-digest-live-streaks-tout-wars-and-other-things/#comments Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:05:29 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=9074 “56″ author Kostya Kennedy (Senior Writer, SI.com) joins the show to talk about his incredible new book, chronicling the record 56-game hitting streak of HOF Joe DiMaggio.

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Also on the program, appearing on the SABR Seventh Inning Stretch, F.X. Flinn will talk about Tout Wars, the annual event that brings Fantasy Baseball players from all over the country to NYC.

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Also, New York Post senior sports columnist and author Mike Vaccaro (The First Fall Classic, 1941: The Greatest Year In Sports, Emperors and Idiots) joins the show to discuss the ownership situation of the New York Mets, and how it will affect the ability of the Wilpons and / or MLB to run the team all season.

Your calls at (646) 747-2874 in the last segment and more!

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]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/09/baseball-digest-live-streaks-tout-wars-and-other-things/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/02/baseball-digest-live-the-orioles-and-nine/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/03/02/baseball-digest-live-the-orioles-and-nine/#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:16:45 +0000 Mark Healey http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=8994 On this week’s Baseball Digest LIVE, MASN reporter Jennifer Royle, who covers the Baltimore Orioles for MASN TV, joins the show to talk about the O’s off-season, hopes for 2011 and the impact of new manager Buck Showalter.

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Also appearing on the program will be author Jean Hastings Ardell (Breaking into Baseball: Women and the National Pastime). She is the co-chair of the Nine Spring Training Conference, held in Arizona each March, and next week, the 18th Nine ST, on the Historical and Sociological Impact of Baseball will be held on
Wednesday, March 9-Saturday, March 12 in Tempe, AZ.

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In the past year, she has profiled Reggie Jackson, moderated the panel discussion “Love to Hate: The Dodgers-Giants Rivalry, with author Arnold Hano and broadcaster Ross Porter; and was a panelist on “Ball Four Turns Forty”, with author Jim Bouton, screenwriter Ron Shelton, and bookseller David Kipen.

A major point of discussion will also be the current situation of the New York Mets and the balance it’s fan base has to deal; rooting to win, wishing for ownership stablization and the future the 2011 holds.

Host Mark Healey, online editor for Baseball Digest, will take calls at 646-727-2874 in the 11:00am – 11:25am ET segment and at 12:30pm- 12:55pm segment.

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