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.

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

If you reference my 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates report card, then you should know they have plenty of room for improvement as they prepare for 2012. Their offense was among the worst in the major leagues with a serious lack of power, while their pitching was only marginally better in comparison. They actually have some money to spend this offseason after a big pick up in attendance this past season and since several players fell off their pay books.

The exact amount they have to spend on free agent signings this offseason will be dependent upon who the Pirates decide to tender in arbitration and how much. If they increase their payroll to $50M, which they previously reported, then they should have approximately $20M of flexibility. Pirates’ general manager, Neil Huntington, reported, “We’re going to non-tender some players that people don’t want us to non-tender. We’re going to tender some players that probably surprise some people.” This worries me as this potentially means the team could bring back Ross Ohlendorf for another season who has been adequate at best, and we may lose Garrett Jones who had a fairly productive season while platooning at both first base and right field.

Team options were declined for Paul Maholm ($9.75M), Ryan Doumit ($7.25M), Chris Snyder ($6.75M), and Ronny Cedeno ($3M). The Pirates absorbed $2.2 million to allow them to walk along with their mid-season acquisitions, Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick. The loss of these key players caused the apparent necessity for a catcher, first baseman, shortstop, and at least one starting pitcher. The Pirates are lucky to have Neil Walker locked in at second base; Joel Hanrahan, Evan Meek, et al covering the bullpen; and Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, and company protecting the outfield.

There is no chance of Doumit returning as he recently signed with the Minnesota Twins for one year at $3M. The Buccos are not terribly concerned as they locked in Rod Barajas, former catcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a one year contract to the tune of $4M with a $3.5M team option for 2013. Veteran shortstop, Clint Barmes, is the most recent free agent signing and is now reportedly under contract for two years at the cost of $10.5M. If these reports are accurate, then they filled their gaps at catcher and shortstop with about $10M to spare for other acquisitions.

The team still desires at least one starting pitcher with Charlie Morton probably beginning the season on the disabled list, Maholm gone, and Ohlendorf hopefully in Pittsburgh’s past. Otherwise they will be relying upon an even younger starting rotation than they used in 2011, which ended poorly as they ran out of steam going into August.

Management acquired Lee and Ludwick before the 2011 trade deadline with the hope to add a much needed power threat in their lineup, but they were riddled by injuries like the rest of the roster. Ludwick should not be pursued this offseason as there is already a major logjam in the outfield, but I bet everyone would love to have Lee back next season. He performed poorly while playing in Baltimore, but played with MVP-like caliber during his brief stint with the Pirates.

The outfield is chockfull of young talent with Alex Presley, Jose Tabata, and Andrew McCutchen as their trophy centerpiece. But it doesn’t stop there. Starling Marte was protected from the Rule 5 draft and will be their regular centerfielder for their Indianapolis AAA team to start 2012, but there are also younger options still developing like Robbie Grossman and Josh Bell who are not quite ready for the Big Show. It is almost mind boggling to realize the Pirates actually have depth at a position, so how do you make them all fit?

It is possible they will ask McCutchen or Marte to shift from centerfield, but it is equally feasible for them to trade Marte or Presley in an attempt to alleviate this traffic jam and try to strengthen a weaker position. If they somehow manage to retain all of them, then Joel Hanrahan is another possibility as a buy low and sell high trade candidate.

The only position not aforementioned is third base which should have been covered by Pedro Alvarez; however, he had a terrifyingly dismal season and spent nearly two months in the minor league. We can only hope it was his “sophomore slump” and the performance picks up again next season.

There is plenty of talent developing down on the farm, as usually is the case in the Pirates organization, but the question of who we may see make their major league debut in 2012 is a little difficult to distinguish. Starling Marte may make an appearance if a positional opening is made for him, Rudy Owens could fight for a spot in the rotation but it may be difficult if they take his down year in AAA into account, and Matt Hague who was also recently protected from the Rule 5 draft.

I sincerely expect Hague to make his appearance in 2012. He has experience to play first and third base, which may be quite helpful if anyone gets hurt or fails to produce. Hague hits for average with modest power and has incredible patience at the plate. If I had a comparison in mind, I would hope he turns out to become a player similar to Kansas City Royals’ Billy Butler.

The Buccos were a playoff threat and divisional leader this past July, which caused a few fans to regain hope and hop back on the bandwagon. Here’s hoping that 2012 is the year the Pirates once again become an above average team. Perhaps they can reclaim their dominance last seen by fans in 1992.

Ryan Sendek
Analysis around the Horn

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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In being named manager, Matheny beat out fellow prospective employees Jose Oquendo, Joe McEwing, Chris Maloney, Ryne Sandberg, and Terry Francona.  Matheny was a tough as nails catcher, who spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, including four years (2000-2003) in St. Louis. His career was cut short due to concussions he had suffered in his career.

Like former player Robin Ventura (Chicago White Sox), Matheny becomes a Major League manager with no managing experience. He had been a minor league instructor in the Cardinals’ organization prior to the hiring.

Next Stop Boston

One job down, two major positions left to go. The Red Sox continued their search this past week by interviewing former White Sox and Pirates’ manager, and current Tigers’ third base coach Gene Lamont.  His last managerial stint was the 2000 season, but he told the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t wanted to.

“I’ve wanted to manage all along,” Lamont said yesterday at Fenway Park [map] after interviewing for the Red Sox [team stats] opening. “I guess I just didn’t toot my horn enough.”

Boston has also spoken with Phillies’ bench coach Pete Mackinin, Torey Luvollo, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Dale Sveum. Other than Sveum’s 12 games as interim manager for the Brewers in 2008, none of the candidates other than Lamont have Major League managing experience.

Whoever the new manager is, he’ll have a new closer as well. Jonathan Papelbon agreed to a four year deal with the Phillies this past week to take over as their closer. Boston thought they had a closer in waiting in Daniel Bard, but the fireballing right-hander struggled in his set up role in 2011 and the Red Sox are not likely to go with such an inexperienced late innings guy.

The Ivy League

The other big job left is, of course, at the ivy covered walls of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Reportedly, the decision is down to four candidates, three of which are major candidates for the Red Sox job- Mackinin, Sveum, and Alomar Jr. Joining them is Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux.

The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan took a look at the competition.

Meanwhile, recently fired manager Mike Quade is a candidate to take over the Twins’ Triple-A team in Rochester, NY.

Moves and Rumors

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported that Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit has received several offers and will sign with a new team by the end of the month. Pittsburgh declined options for 2012 and 2013, which set Doumit free.

Minnesota is expected to sign veteran utility man Jamey Carroll to be their starting shortstop in 2012. The Twins dealt J.J. Hardy prior to the 2011 season and subsequently used a variety of players at the position. The 37-yr old played 146 games for the Dodgers last season, and recorded a .359 OPS. The move is a little odd in that Carroll has only played 224 games at shortstop in his 10 year big league career. In fact, he’s played more games at both third base and second base.

The Marlins met with free agents Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes, and reportedly made an official offer to Pujols. His current team, the St. Louis Cardinals, said they will not increase their current offer. SI’s Jon Heyman reported the Cardinals offered Pujols a nine year, $210MM deal prior to the 2011 season.

The Closer

Great news this weekend with the safe recovery of Washington Nationals’ catcher Wilson Ramos, who had been kidnapped in his native Venezuela.

Sad news though as former big league pitcher Charlie Lea passed away at age 54. The one time Montreal Expo and no-hit pitcher was found dead in his home Friday in Tennessee. He had been a color commentator for the Memphis Redbirds since 2002. Baseball Digest extends condolonces to his friends and family.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

That being said, Roberto Clemente’s impact on Major League Baseball and the importance being involved in humanitarian  activities has grown tremendously since December 31st, 1972, when Clemente died while escorting supplies to Nicaragua, which had been devastated by an earthquake.  Roberto Clemente, in more ways than one, has established himself as a benchmark for excellence on and off the field for future ballplayers.

Born on August 18th, 1934 in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Clemente reached the major leagues as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the age of 20.  For a franchise coming off its third straight eighth place finish Clemente offered a glimpse of potential, even if the team finished in eighth once again during his rookie season.

Bart Ripp of the Daily Iowan wrote about the ‘gifted player and extraordinary man’ that Roberto Clemente was in a March 1973 issue. Click here to check it out!

Over the first five seasons of his career, he solidified himself as the every day right fielder.  During the off seasons, Clemente played in the Puerto Rican Baseball League. However, a major change in his off season regiment had an impact on the rest of his career.  During the off season before the 1959 season, Clemente served with the United States Marine Corps Reserves, which added ten pounds to his frame and contributed to his .296 average during the 1959 season.  The off season change proved beneficial, and he continued as a member of the corps through 1964. Beginning in 1960, Clemente hit above .300 eight times and won four NL batting titles along the way.

As Clemente was arriving on the national stage, he was carrying the Pirates with him.  For the first time since 1927 the Pirates were facing off against the American League in the Fall Classic, and for the first time in 45 years the Pirates became kings of baseball when they defeated the New York Yankees for their third franchise title.  Clemente earned his first of fifteen All-Star nods during the 1960 season, and the first of twelve consecutive Gold Glove Awards.

From 1960 to his final season in 1972, Clemente hit .329 over that span. Over the course of his career, he averaged 200 hits, twice leading the league in that category.  Frankly, the right fielder ranked among the top 10 every year in most offensive and defensive categories throughout his career.  He secured his only MVP Award in 1966, in the midst of a four year span where he hit a robust .335.

In a September 1971 issue of Baseball Digest, Roberto Clemente tells George Voss about the ‘Game He’ll Never Forget’. Click here to read all about it!

With the new decade, the Pirates returned to the postseason in three straight seasons, culminating with a World Series victory over the 101 win Baltimore Orioles in 1971.  Clemente did his part with a .342 season average and a .414 average in the World Series. Though he played in just 102 games during the 1972 season, Clemente showed as a 38 year old that he was far from being finished as a ballplayer at the major league level.  His final at bat came on September 30th, 1972; and he stroked a double to left field. He came around to score the first run in a 2-0 victory over the New York Mets.

On December 23rd, 1972, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Managua, Nicaragua, killing 5,000 people, injuring 20,000 more and leaving a quarter million homeless.  Clemente organized efforts to send supplies to the victims, and encountered a government that was stockpiling foreign aid instead of ensuring the supplies reached victims.  After three failed flights with supplies Roberto Clemente boarded a plane overloaded, bound for Nicaragua, on December 31st, in hopes of ensuring supplies reached their intended destination.  Shortly after takeoff, the plane crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico.

Roberto Clemente’s body was never recovered, despite efforts by even his long time friend and teammate Manny Sanguillen, who dove off the coast of Puerto Rico on the day of his funeral services.  Less than four months after his death, the Baseball Writers Association of America held a special election to waive the five year waiting period to induct him into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Since 1973, Roberto Clemente has been posthumously honored  in several ways.  Perhaps the biggest honor Clemente has received(next to the three Presidential Awards) is the renaming of the Commissioner’s Award presented by Major League Baseball each year to a player in his honor that “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team”.  Clemente’s legacy also lives on with his his, Roberto Clemente Jr., who established the Roberto Clemente Foundation in 1993.

Michael Maher is a senior writer for BaseballDigest.com.  He can be reached at MinorLeagueSpotlight@Gmail.com or you can follow him on Twitter @BD_Maher and check out his blog.

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After a deal for Rich Harden fell through at the last moment, the Boston Red Sox took a risk on another brittle pitcher, the Seattle Mariners Erik Bedard. To land the talented, but often disabled lefty, the Red Sox and Mariners got the Los Angeles Dodgers involved for a three team deal.

In addition to Bedard, Seattle also sent right-hander Josh Fields (the pitcher, not the former White  Sox third baseman) to Boston. The Red Sox dealt catcher Tim Federowicz, and pitchers Juan Rodriguez and Stephen Fifer to the Dodgers for outfielders Trayvon Robinson and Chih-Hsien Chiang, who Boston then spun to the Mariners. Despite some time on the DL, Bedard appeared to return to his old form this season and is a low risk move for Boston. He’ll eventually take the place of Andrew Miller in the rotation, with Clay Buchholz likely out for the season with a back injury, but for now Boston will employ a six man rotation.

San Diego Padres set up man Mike Adams and  closer Heath Bell both heard their names thrown around in numerous rumors all week. As things came down to the wire on Sunday it was first announced that Bell had been dealt to the Texas Rangers, but it turned out it was Adams that was being sent to Texas. He’ll team with another pickup, Koji Uehara, to strengthen the Rangers’ pen. In return the Padres received pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and their fans are having the time of their lives right now. Normally the Pirates are sending veterans to other teams in July, but after acquiring Derrek Lee from Baltimore on Saturday, the Bucs picked up outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the Padres on Sunday. The Pads will get a player to be named later or cash.

The Dodgers and Cardinals finalized their deal for Rafael Furcal. The shortstop and cash went to Missouri for outfielder Alex Castellanos.

Arizona added to their bullpen by sending slugger Brandon Allen and pitcher Jordan Norberto to Oakland for reliever Brad Ziegler.

Deals can still be made as the calendar turns to August, but players must pass through waivers in order to be moved.

Done Deals

Boston – Kansas City: The Red Sox have added to their depth by picking up Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder Yamaico Navarro and pitcher Kendal Vez. In Aviles, the Red Sox get a player who can play 2B, SS, and 3B, all positions that have seen players banged up this season. He also swings a decent stick. Aviles fell victim to the youth movement in KC and was sent to the minors at one point this season. He could face a demotion again when Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie returns from the DL.

Texas – Baltimore: The Rangers spoke with a number of teams about relievers and were hoping to land the Padres’ Heath Bell.  But the asking price was too high for the pitchers that Texas most coveted. So instead, the Rangers went a cheaper route by sending corner infielder Chris Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for Koji Uehara.

It’s a low risk move for both teams. Uehera is good, but not outstanding. He’s a strikeout pitcher despite not having overpowering stuff, but also can’t be used on back-to-back days due to his tendency to get banged up. Davis has been a productive hitter in the minor leagues, but hasn’t been able to put it together in “The Show”. He strikes out way too much and can’t hit left-handed pitching. Unless the Orioles deal Derrek Lee, Davis will probably only see occassional playing time at DH and 1B.

Hunter is a #4 starter at best. He pitches to contact and isn’t going to blow anyone away.  The Rangers’ number one pick in 2007, Hunter got off to an 8-o, 2.31 start last season, but went 5-4, 5.07 in his final 14 starts plus one relief appearance. Hunter is also an injury risk and missed a good chunk of this season with a groin injury.

Detroit – Seattle: The Tigers wanted to shore up their starting rotation for the stretch run and feel they did so by picking up Doug Fister from the Mariners. Fister can’t be judged by the 3-12 record he amassed with a bad Mariners club. In 21 starts, Fister allowed less than a hit an inning and walked just two hitters per nine innings while he struck out 5.5 batters. He also allowed just four home runs and had a 2.8 WAR with the Mariners.

Reliever David Pauley accompanied Fister to give the Tigers some depth in their bullpen. In return, Seattle received pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later.

Furbush is a 25-yr old left-handed strikeout pitcher that was used as both a starter and reliever by the Tigers. No word yet if he’ll replace Fister in the rotation or Pauley in the pen. Wells is a fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield spots, but doesn’t hit much.  Martinez is a highly touted third baseman, but only the second best hot corner man in the Tigers organization. The 20-yr old Venezuelan is still developing his power, but had pretty good splits (.282/.319/.405) for Single-A Erie.

Arizona – Washington: The Diamondbacks added to their rotation by sending infielder Zach Walter, a former 9th round draft pick, to the Nationals for veteran starter Jason Marquis. The soon-to-be 33-yr old joins his sixth organization after 1+ seasons in the Nation’s capital. Marquis was 8-5, 3.95 in 20 starts this season and averaged six innings each time out. With a WHIP over 1.4 and 0.8 WAR, Marquis is a shaky back-end-of-the-rotation starter. He missed most of last season with elbow surgery.

Rumors

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Rockies have reportedly lowered their demands since they have yet to make a deal.  The Red Sox, Reds, and Indians are said to be negotiating the most, while the Yankees are still in play.

Hiroku Kuroda: The Dodgers right-hander really doesn’t want to leave LA, but has reportedly told the cash-strapped team that he’d be willing to accept a trade to the Rangers, Red Sox, or Yankees.

Josh Willingham and Ryan Ludwick: The A’s and Padres outfielders are still being talked about and are expected to be moved at some point this weekend. Right now it appears A’s GM Billy Beane is asking too much for Willingham.

Heath Bell: Unless the Padres lower their demands, the team’s closer won’t be going anywhere.

Denard Span: The Nationals have been working for days to try to land the Twins’ outfielder. A rumor spread earlier this afternoon that the Twins were trying to get the Yankees involved in a possible three-team deal.

Rafael Furcal: The shell-of-himself shortstop is close to being sent from the Dodgers to the Cardinals.

Update 7:20 PM

Hiroki Kuroda has refused to waive his no-trade clause and will remain an LA Dodger. The ramifications of Kuroda off the market is that the Rockies can now boost their asking price back up for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Long before that though, the future Hall of Fame member was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1890. He was a good athlete growing up and quit high school to play for the Kansas City Blues of the American Association. He later played in the Northern Association and the Blue Grass League, but still studied to become a dentist.  Obviously, baseball won out and Stengel was chosen by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1911 draft. He appeared in 17 games for the Dodgers in 1912, hitting .316 with one home run and 13 RBI.

Stengel hit .284 in six seasons in Brooklyn (who were known as the Dodgers, Superbas, and Robins during that time; they didn’t become the Dodgers full time until 1931.), and helped lead them to the World Series in 1916. He was 4-11 (.364) in the Series, but the Dodgers lost to Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox in four games. His final four seasons were in the tutelage of legendary manager Wilbert Robinson.

In 1918, Stengel was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a deal for another future Hall member, pitcher Burleigh Grimes. Stengel was dealt three more times in his career, to the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, and Boston Braves. One of his best seasons with the Giants was in 1922 when he hit .368/.436/.564 with 48 RBI in only 84 games. He also went 2-5 in that year’s World Series when the Giants topped the Yankees. One year later, he was on the losing end to the Yankees, but hit .417.

During his time in Pittsburgh, Stengel’s reputation for nutty/funny behavior was best exemplified when his Pirates team visited his old Brooklyn team. The fans booed Stengel mercilessly until he stepped into the batters’ box, doffed his cap, and a bird flew out.

Learn more about “The Old Perfessor” in Milton Richman’s 1957 profile in Baseball Digest. Click here to read all about it!

Stengel retired early in the 1925 season to become player/manager of the Worcester Panthers of the Eastern League. A year later he began a six year stint at the helm of the Toledo Mud Hens of the America Association. (He saw some playing time as well in five of the six years.) Then it was back to the Major Leagues and Brooklyn as a coach for two years before Stengel was named as the Dodgers manager. Unfortunately for Stengel, the Dodgers lacked talent and didn’t finish higher than 5th place before Stengel was fired after the 1936 season.

Stengel got another chance with the Boston Bees/Braves in 1938, but the talent level was no better than in Brooklyn. Boston had four seventh place finishes in Stengel’s first five seasons, but that may not have hurt as much as the broken leg Stengel suffered when a car hit him in April, 1943.  Casey missed 46 games, but the Braves continued their losing ways when he returned, though the  team moved up a notch to sixth place. With the Braves coming under new ownership prior to the 1944 season, Stengel decided to resign, saying he did not want to “embarrass the new stockholders…”.

Stengel’s best days were ahead of him though, as were many more games to manage. After one season running the minor league Milwaukee Brewers he returned to his roots as the skipper of the Kanas City Blues in 1945. Then it was three years at the helm of the Pacific Coast League’s Oakland Oaks before Stengel got the break of a lifetime. The Yankees and manager Bucky Harris agreed to a mutual departure after the 1948 season and Stengel was hired. He would wear the Yankees’ pinstripes and road greys for 12 seasons (Kind of sounds a little like the Joe Torre story, no?).

Stengel became one of the first managers to heavily utilize platooning. He inherited an aging DiMaggio, a young  Mantle, and stalwarts like Berra and Rizzuto. Though he would sometimes clash with veterans and maybe liked the attention he got a little too much, it’s hard to argue with “The Old Perfessor’s” success. 10 pennants and seven world championships, including five straight titles from 1949-1953. He was nearly fired after losing the 1957 World Series to the Milwaukee Braves and then fell behind three games to one to the Braves in the 1958 series. But the Yankees rallied to win three straight games and the Series. Among his memorable moments as Yankees manager was his 1958 anti-trust testimony in front of Congress, in which he had everyone in stitches with his rambling style.

Yankees ownership decided to go in a new direction after the 1960 season and let Stengel go. He would be out of the Majors for one season before accepting a job across town with the expansion New York Mets. The Mets were short on talent so they knew they needed a charismatic figure to help boost attendance. The 71-yr old Stengel was the perfect fit, it didn’t really matter what the Mets did on the field. Good thing too since they lost 120 games that first year and dropped over 100 in the next two seasons as well.

In July, 1965, the 75-yr old manager broke his hip getting out of a car and, on advice from his doctor, retired in August. A year later, the Veteran’s Committee selected Stengel for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Casey is the only person to wear the uniform of all four 20th century teams in New York and both the Mets (1965) and Yankees (1970) retired Casey’s #37.

The baseball world was saddened on September 29, 1975 when Casey Stengel passed away at age 85. He was married to his beloved Edna for 51 years.

Also Born Today:

Clint Hurdle (Big Rapids, MI 1953): Clint Hurdle was a Sports Illustrated cover boy in 1978 and was predicted to be a star in Major League Baseball. Though his time with the KC Royals and three other organizations never lived up to the hype, Hurdle has made a successful career for himself in post-playing days. He’s currently in his first year as manager of the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates, who are in the running for a division title for the first time in nearly 20 years. Hurdle previously managed the Colorado Rockies from 2002-2009 and took the team to it’s sole World Series appearance in 2008.

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Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Right in the mix of the strange start are the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates have long been the doormats of the NL Central.  Their last playoff appearance was in 1992 with a NLCS Game 7 last inning loss to the Braves (Sid Bream anyone?).  Coincidentally, this was also the last time the Pirates had a record at or above .500.  This is a team that has been trying year in and year out to become respectable once again.  They repeatedly have fallen short.  It really is a tough time for baseball fans in city of Pittsburgh.  They have rich history (5 World Championships) a great ballpark, and have been anxiously awaiting a revival all this while watch neighboring Philadelphia have great success.  So, at a start of a season, fans can begin to see hope when Pittsburgh is hanging in there.  But, will it last?

Inspecting the big league roster, you begin to see the positional players who are providing the offense for this team are young.  Jose Tabata (22), Andrew McCutchen (24), Neil Walker (25), and Pedro Alvarez (24) all have their baseball prime years ahead of them.  All had positive impact on the 2010 squad and promise to do the same this year.  Throw in a veteran catcher in Chris Snyder, newcomer Lyle Overbay, a fair power bat in Garrett Jones and a decent defensive shortstop in Ronny Cedeno and the line-up looks formidable.

With the offensive prospects now arriving in Pittsburgh, the question is where is their pitching talent? The lower levels of their farm system would be the answer to that question.  The prize possession for the Pirates of last year’s draft is Jameson Taillon who was awarded a $6.5MM signing bonus, the second-largest bonus in draft history.  After him, Stetson Allie, Luis Heredia, Bryan Morris, and Rudy Owens are on a short list of prospect arms.  Baseball America ranked the Pirates nineteenth in baseball in terms of minor league prospects, only three players crack the top 100 overall prospect list.   It seems as if the Pirates still have some drafting or trading to do to get their pitching future to match up with their hitting future.

The current pitching, particularly starting pitching, would be the weak point of the organization at the moment.  The current group of starters: Kevin Correia, Charlie Morton (who has changed his windup to mimic Roy Halladay), James McDonald, Paul Maholm, and Russ Ohlendorf do not have anyone trembling at the plate.  Through the first 16 games, they rank at the bottom portion of the league in strikeouts and in the top tier for base on balls.  It is easy to see that they have had some good luck to begin this season and would be hard to imagine it being sustainable throughout 162 games.

Can the Pirates keep up and perhaps break the .500 barrier this season?  It’s hard to see that happening.  But with some right moves, in 3-5 years, this team could position themselves with hitters who have come of age and perhaps some pitching talent to mix with it.  Until, and if, that day arrives, Pirates fans must remain cautiously optimistic and steadily patient.

Castro has been projected to be a slick fielding shortstop with a strong arm that will make good contact at the plate.  He has struggled a bit defensively at times, but should be able to excel once he comes into his own.  Through the minors and his 135 games in the majors thus far, he has displayed a nice eye only striking out around 15% of the time.  The other thing working for Castro is his 20-30 SB potential.  It’s Castro’s play that has allowed the club to deal a strong shortstop prospect named Hak-Ju Lee to the Rays (with others) for Matt Garza.

Starlin is off to a hot start through the seasons first 11 games.  He shares the Major League lead for hits at 18 with fellow teammate Marlon Byrd.  Manager Mike Quade has already seen enough to hand the lead off spot over to him.  Perhaps the only knock on Castro is his lack of power.  His 6-0/190 frame does not bode well for huge spurts of power growth but for now, Castro knows his game is to hit the ball on the ground, or on a line, and set the table for the rest of the lineup.

Some project Starlin Castro to be a player similar to Edgar Renteria.  Both entered the majors at about the same age.  They have similar build, similar fielding abilities, similar speed and similar plate discipline.  If the Cubs shortstop does develop some double digit home run power, then that might be the match.  If the power really develops, his ceiling might be more like Derek Jeter (as noted by Jim Callis from Baseball America). If Castro instead keeps racking up doubles (Michael Barr from Fan Graphs points out that he had more doubles last season than Derek Jeter and Hanley Ramirez, while playing in only 125 games), then another comparison could be drawn to the former Blue Jay, Tony Fernandez, a four-time gold glove and five-time All-Star shortstop.

Whether he develops more power, more speed or better defense remains to be seen.  At a position that has declined in talent as its stars have aged, the Cubs have to feel good about what they have at the top of their line-up and in the middle of their infield.  It’s fair to speculate on some All-Star appearances, and perhaps a few gold gloves.  Cubs’ fans are hoping he will be one that will help lead the franchise to a title for the first time in over 100 years.  Whatever the future holds, we are all privileged to watch a talented young shortstop develop into the next Starlin Castro.

Matt Wilson covers the NL Central for BaseballDigest.com.  You can follow Matt on Twitter @matwil24

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Chris Narveson out of the second round in 2000.  He appeared in 5 games for the Redbirds in 2006 and was a small part of the World Series championship team.  The Brewers signed him to a minor league contract in the winter of 2007.  Narveson finally made it with the big club to stay in 2010.  In 2010, Chris had a 4.99 ERA in 37 games for the Brewers.  He garnered 13 wins while striking out 7.4 per nine.

In his first start this season against the Braves, he struck out five and walked three getting a quality start surrendering no runs in 6 innings.  His second start went even better.  Saturday, against the Cubs, Narveson struck out nine in 7 innings and once again was not scored upon.  In his next start, Narveson will face the Pittsburgh Pirates and he looks to make them the next opponent he will carve up.

Perhaps a team that needs their starting pitching to step up even more is the St. Louis Cardinals.  No news was more devastating to the Redbirds than finding out Adam Wainwright would miss the season with Tommy John surgery.  A lot of Cardinal Nation felt the season was over before it began.  However, the Cardinals strength still lies in their starting rotation.  Now, it just needs each man to step up a spot and carry the load.

Jaime Garcia was drafted in the 22^nd round of the 2005 MLB draft.  He was drafted due to the influence of a scout who originally had drafted him with the Orioles the year before. Garcia never signed with the O’s and landed in Cardinal red.

At the end of 2008, Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the larger portion of the 2009 season.  Last season, he broke camp in the Cardinals rotation and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting with a 2.70 ERA and 13 wins.  Coming in to the season, he was expected to be the number three in the rotation.  After Wainwright went down he has to pitch like a number two.  So far, he’s pitched like an ace.

In his opening start, Garcia struck out nine in a complete game shutout of the Padres.  He followed that up against San Francisco by striking out nine in 6 innings, only allowing one run, and was in line for a win before things came unraveled for the Cardinals in the ninth.  His next start comes against the Dodgers at Dodger stadium.  Being a pitcher’s park, Jaime stands a good chance to stymie another opponent.

Matt Wilson covers the NL Central for BaseballDigest.com.  You can follow Matt on Twitter @matwil24

Even though this team has been successful at run scoring, they been average at best at plate discipline.  In 2010, the Reds with their 1218 strikeouts were seventh most in all of baseball and their 545 walks were sixteenth.  This year, a patient approach is becoming more prevalent.  The team has walked 18 times through four games.

Four games is a small sample size, however the patient approach is evident in the players.  Fourth outfielder, Chris Heisey, had a nice performance Tuesday.  Heisey walked with the bases loaded in the first and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second.  His counterpart in the attack, Jonny Gomes, also walked forcing in a run in the second and had two walks in the game.  Gomes, who has seven walks on the young season, walked just 39 times in 2010.  Gomes also walked three times against Shawn Marcum of Milwaukee, who usually puts on an exhibition of control.

Gomes and manager Dusty Baker both believe that much of their hot start can be attributed to good spring trainings.  Dusty said, “I haven’t seen this many guys swinging this well early.  It goes back to spring training and how they worked in the cage with (hitting coach) Brook Jacoby and amongst themselves.”

Not only are the Reds off to a good start.  They also have roster issues to deal with due to their depth.  After a good start from Mike Leake, he may find himself without a rotation spot once Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey return from injuries.  The Reds have a talented and crowded pitching staff.  Even their backup offensive players like Chris Heisey and Ryan Hanigan are playing big when called upon.  Hanigan hit two home runs in their victory over Milwaukee on Sunday.

With so many things going the right way and being so hot right out of the gate, it looks as though the Reds are poised to exceed their 2010 finish.  With the depth, the biggest challenge Dusty Baker may face all year is getting everyone enough playing time.

The Chicago Cubs will open their season at home against Pittsburgh on Friday, April 1^st.  Starting for the Cubs will be Ryan Dempster.  This will be the first time for him to hit the bump to open a season in nine years.  His last opening day start came for the Florida Marlins in 2002.  He threw 7 1/3 innings while striking out seven and surrendering three runs resulting in 7-6 loss to the Montreal Expos.  The previous year, he opened for “The Fish” and went 5 innings giving up 3 runs to the Phillies losing 6-5.  Although he has pitched well in Opening Day starts, this year he looks to garner his first win.

For the Pirates, Kevin Correia will be taking the hill.  Correia signed a two-year $8 million deal as a free agent.  He will get the nod over Paul Maholm, who will start the home opener next week against Colorado.  Maholm is the longest tenured Pirate pitcher but manager Clint Hurdle decided to go with Correia.  This will be Correia’s first opening day start and the Pirates fourth different pitcher for game one in four years.

Two other Central Division rivals will square off to open the year in Cincinnati.  The Reds set out to defend their divisional crown against the Milwaukee Brewers.  The Reds will send out Edinson Volquez as their ace for 2011.  Volquez, coming off a shortened 2010, as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, will start in his first opener.  He got a late start to spring training due to work visa issues and has looked rusty.  He will be tested early going against a potent Brewer lineup.

Leading the Brewers would have been newcomer Zach Greinke.  Instead, he’ll begin the season on the DL due to a fractured rib.  Now, Yovani Gallardo will lead “The Crew” for the second year in a row.  Last year, he was on the losing end of a 5-3 game to Colorado.  Gallardo has had a great spring with a 1.96 ERA with 23 Ks in 18 innings.

Brett Myers transitioned well back to a starter in his first year with the Astros.  Now, he’s got a tough draw facing off against Cy Young winner Roy Halladay and the Phillies, the team he opened for from 2007-2009.  After those previous Opening Day bids, Myers is still seeking his first win.

For the 5^th time, Chris Carpenter will open the season for the St. Louis Cardinals.  Carpenter is 3-2 in six Opening Day starts.  The Redbirds face off against the Padres on Thursday.  The Padres will send Tim Stauffer to the mound; he will get the start, as Mat Latos will begin the season on the DL with shoulder bursitis.

Matt Wilson covers the NL Central for Baseball Digest.  You can follow him on Twitter @matwil24

For someone to say my knowledge of New York City was ‘next to nothing’ would be inaccurate. It was absolutely nothing.  While I have the luxury of enjoying a quick glimpse of random celebrities walking down a Manhattan street nowadays, I really have no idea what it was like to see Lee Mazzilli walking around the city in 1979.

That being said, when I try to picture what it would have been like to see the Brooklyn native, who ranks fifth on the New York Mets’ all-time base stealers list, playing professional baseball and becoming famous in his home city, one image comes to mind.  The famous, final scene of Staying Alive.

In fact, hypothetically speaking, if one were to shoot a film to honor a ballplayer such as Mazzilli, who posted a 40 stolen base season with ease in his prime, you could easily commit to an homage opening sequence. Tight shot of Mazzilli’s feet running from first base to second on his way to yet another stolen base - the catcher yet again failing to throw him out, all set to the appropriate tune of the Bee Gees’ ‘Staying Alive’.

Born in 1955, Mazzilli would find speed playing a major role throughout his life. Speed bags, speed skates, speed on the base paths.

Early on in Mazzilli’s playing years, he set a minor league record while playing in the California League by stealing seven bases in one game for the Mets’ minor league affiliate, Visalia. Well known throughout Brooklyn for not only his athleticism but also his good looks, Mazzilli had the privilege of  entertaining fans across the country, as well as in front of his hometown crowd playing home games for the Mets at Shea Stadium and the Yankees later on at old Yankee Stadium.  How many baseball players in Brooklyn would love to be associated with the Mets or the Yankees, let alone both. His career included stints with both of his city’s beloved teams: the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. The former as a player and the latter as a coach.

Born the son of a boxer, Mazzilli inherited the ability to strike from the left and right side from his father. Unlike most switch hitters who are naturally gifted on one side of the plate, and then must learn how to hit from the other, Mazzilli was a natural switch hitter.

While his father worked to excel in the ring, Mazzilli excelled on the diamond. A star on his high school baseball team in Coney Island, Mazzilli lived the dream every young baseball player imagines: being drafted by your home team’s professional baseball club.  In Mazzilli’s case, it was the team in Flushing, not the Bronx.

He was drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 1973 MLB draft, straight out of Lincoln High School. Three years later he received the call to the bigs and began to make a name for himself on the major league level.

Mazzilli took advantage of the opportunity and showed flashes of brilliance on the grandest of stages. One example in particular that stands out for me: the 1979 MLB All-Star game.

In 1979, Mazzilli was the lone All-Star for the New York Mets. There, displaying his talents along side the best in the game, Mazzilli hit a game-tying solo home run in the eighth inning and then drew a bases loaded walk in the ninth to bring in the winning run as the National League claimed victory over the American League, 7-6.

Baseball Digest highlighted Mazzilli’s exciting 1979 All-Star campaign for the New York Mets in an article by Phil Elderkin. Check it out by clicking here.

In 1980, Mazzilli further established himself as the poster boy of the New York Mets, setting the bar for his teammates with his performance on the field by posting an impressive stat line of 162 hits, 31 doubles, 16 home runs, 76 RBI, 82 runs and 41 stolen bases.

The fact that Mazzilli was able to finish his career in fifth place on the Mets’ all-time steals list may attest to his earlier athletic accomplishments in life.  While you may have expected Mazzilli to choose boxing as his sport of choice due to his father’s participation, the sport Mazzilli chose to excel in before focusing solely on baseball was speed skating. As a junior competitor, Mazzilli won eight national speed skating championships.  If those speed skating titles had been Mets’ World Series titles, I’m sure the name ‘Lee Mazzilli’ would have graced the New York Mets’ promotional schedule more than a couple times since.

While he may not have landed the New York Metropolitans eight World Series titles, he certainly did help reel in one. Even if it was in a round about way.

In 1981, the Mets traded Mazzilli to the Texas Rangers. As a fan favorite, the trade was right up there with other unpopular moves such as Dykstra/McDowell for Juan Samuel and Mookie Wilson to the Blue Jays for Jeff Musselman and Mike Brady. As much as the fanbase voiced displeasure with the move at the time, it was this particular move by the Mets that brought back Ron Darling, a key piece of their 1986 championship season rotation.  The trade also brought in Walt Terrell. While you won’t find any specific Walt Terrell highlights in any Mets ‘Best of’ reels, you will find that without the Mets having Walt Terrell to trade to the Detroit Tigers after the 1984 season, the Mets more than likely do not acquire another key piece to that 1986 championship season: infielder, Howard Johnson.

While Shea Stadium was rocking back in Mazzilli’s home town throughout the 1986 season early on, in a season that would feature the Mets clinching the East by 21.5 games, Mazzilli was playing ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets inquired about a trade with Pittsburgh, offering to send Ray Knight to Pittsburgh in exchange for the return of Mazzilli. The Pirates balked at the offer but then released Mazzilli in July of that same year. With a reunion possibility in sight, Mazzilli and the Mets took advantage. The Mets re-signed him nearly a month later and as a result Mazzilli was able to share in the thrill his home town experienced in 1986. Right in the center of it all, celebrating after their Game 7, World Series clincher at Shea Stadium, was Mazzilli taking it all in alongside teammates Johnson, Darling and Knight.

In all, Mazzilli played 14 seasons in the majors finishing with a career average of .259. He would go on to coach in New York with the Yankees and win his second championship ring. This second ring came at the Mets expense as the Yankees defeated their crosstown rivals in the 2000 Subway Series. From 2004-2005 he served as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles, his one and only managerial position with a major league ballclub.

Mazzilli has no rings to show for his time in Pittsburgh, Texas, Baltimore or Toronto where he finished his career. However, with eight speed skating national championships, two World Series rings, a resume that includes SNY television credits and off-Broadway stage experience playing Tony in Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, he certainly has plenty to celebrate.

In the spirit of adding one more item to his list of things to celebrate, how about another birthday? Lee Mazzilli turns 56, today.

Also Born Today:

Tom Glavine turns 45 today. Drafted in the second round of the 1984 amateur draft by the Atlanta Braves, Glavine would go on to have a great career with the team posting five seasons of 20 wins or more.  Glavine had a .600 win/loss percentage over his 22 year career. While he made an All-Star appearance as a member of the Mets in 2006, he is remembered for his time with the Braves where he won two Cy Young awards.

Travis Fryman turns 42 today. A five time all-star, this infielder played for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. Fryman won his sole Golden Glove Award in 2000 as a member of the Indians and is currently the manager of the Indians’ Class A New York-Penn league team, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

Ryan Maloney is a Staff Writer for BaseballDigest.com, the author of popular Chicago Cubs blog Prose and Ivy and contributing writer to MLB.com/Entertainment.

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NL East

Atlanta: Superstar-in-the-making Jason Heyward returned to the Braves’ lineup yesterday after sitting out the the last four games due to a sore back. Heyward saw a specialist on Wednesday for further evaluation. “He told me it’s bone structure vs. muscle or anything like that, nothing to be torn,” said Heyward, who hasn’t played since his back stiffened Saturday in batting practice, a scheduled day off for him. “If I can’t tear anything or do anything worse, I’ll play, and that’s what I told Fredi (Gonzalez).”

Florida: The Marlins may have a makeshift outfield in their lineup on opening day. Another superstar in the making, Mike Stanton, has yet to play in a spring game after injuring his quad in an exhibition game against the U. of Miami. While he has taken some at-bats in minor league games, he’s been replaced by a pinch-runner each time he gets on base. On Thursday, Chris Coghlan was sidelined with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. Manager Edwin Rodriguez has not ruled out Coghlan starting the season on the DL.

Free agent pitcher Javier Vazquez was scratched from a Tuesday start due to elbow soreness, but threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and felt fine afterwards. He’s scheduled to start against St. Louis tomorrow. Fellow starter Anibal Sanchez is expected to pitch in Sunday’s game after being out since March 10 after a comebacker bruised his shin. Their potential battery mate, John Baker, is day-to-day with a muscle strain near his right throwing elbow. He can swing the bat, but so far he has been prohibited from throwing.

New York: Things have been rough in Metsville and they may get rougher. Reports surfaced this week that ace Johan Santana was behind schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery. The Mets have denied the report, which specifically stated that Santana’s bullpen sessions were not going as planned. Whatever the case, Santana will be on the DL (as expected) to start the season. Carlos Beltran has been slowed by left knee tendinitis and might start the season on the DL. GM Sandy Alderson is contemplating not having Beltran play any additional spring games so that the DL time can be backdated.

Philadelphia: All-Star 2nd baseman Chase Utley continues to be bothered by patellar tendinitis and chondromalacia in his right knee and sought out assistance from a specialist on Thursday. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is hoping Utley can avoid surgery. “We’re doing everything we possibly can to have him not get into a surgery,” Amaro said. “Until we stop seeing progress, then we’ll continue to exhaust all those possibilities.”

Third baseman Placido Polanco had to leave Wednesday’s game after hyperextending the same elbow he had surgery on in November. He’s expected to be back in the lineup in a few days. Closer Brad Lidge is day-to-day with muscle soreness in his right bicep, but Amaro is not worried since Lidge has already thrown a good number of innings. Finally, prospect Domonic Brown was lost for the season after he broke the hamate bone in his right hand and underwent surgery.

Washington: Chien-Ming Wang continues to try to come back from 2009 shoulder surgery. He’s been limited to a pair of bullpen sessions, including one this past Tuesday, so the Nationals have not been able to set a timetable for his return. 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman strained his groin on Monday and has sat out since. He’s expected to return to action next week and said he would have played had it been during the regular season.

NL Central

Chicago: Angel Guzman will miss the start of the season and won’t be back until mid-April at the earliest, as he recovers from a tear in his throwing shoulder.

Cincinnati: Johnny Cueto had to leave his start last Friday with stiffness in his right bicep, but after having a throwing session yesterday, he’s expected to return to the mound on Saturday.

Houston: Earlier this month, the Astros lost their starting catcher, Juan Castro, for the year with torn ligaments in his knee. Infielder Jeff Keppinger is no longer hampered by the walking boot he’s been wearing since he underwent foot surgery to remove the sesamoid bone in his left foot. He’s hoping to be back in the Astros lineup in mid-May. Wandy Rodriguez, who signed a new deal this winter, has been bothered by shoulder tendinitis and was scratched from his last start. But the right-hander threw a side session this morning and is good to go.

Milwaukee: The Brewers were hoping to get off to a good start with their 1-2-3 punch of Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum, and Yovanni Gallardo, but Greinke injured his ribs playing pick up basketball and is out until mid-April. Outfielder Corey Hart may miss opening day due to a strained rib cage. He took swings off a batting tee on Tuesday, but still doesn’t feel right. ”It’s still not coming as fast as I want it to,” Hart said. “It won’t go away. I still can’t go full-speed on anything. Hitting off the tee is fine, but I can’t amp it up the way I know I can. I can throw, but as soon as I have to do a quick move or let it go, it kills.” Catcher Jonathan Lucroy may or may not be ready to catch on opening day. He’ll undergo surgery on Monday to remove pins that were placed in his hand when he broke his pinky finger during a catching drill back in February.

Pittsburgh: Reliever Joe Beimel has been out since early March with pain in his left forearm, but has been cleared to pitch against the Orioles this coming Monday. Catcher Ryan Doumit has missed a week with a strained oblique, but is expected to be back in the lineup today.

St. Louis: Utility infielder Nick Punto underwent surgery in February for a sports hernia and is out until at least mid-April. The Cardinals’ most devastating injury was, of course, losing starter Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery.

NL West

Arizona: Infielder Geoff Blum will miss a few days with a swollen right knee that he strained earlier in the week.  Zach Duke, who was competing for the #5 spot in the rotation, is out until May after a line drive broke two bones in his pitching hand.

Colorado: Aaron Cook was already starting the season on the DL due to shoulder inflammation, but then slammed and broke his finger in a car door and is out until May. 3rd baseman Ian Stewart is day-to-day with a sprained right knee. Eric Young Jr. is back competing for the utility position after sitting out all spring with a broken tibia.

Los Angeles: The Dodgers were expected to be competitive  because of their starting pitching, but have suffered two injuries already. Jon Garland is out until mid-April with a strained oblique, and Vicente Padilla is lost until late April/early May with forearm surgery.

San Diego: Outfielder Kyle Banks returned from a 10-month absence after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he served as the DH on Monday. He is a certainty to start the season on the DL. Starter Tim Stauffer is still hurting from a strained hip flexor and missed his scheduled start today. He’s listed as day-to- day. Southpaw Joe Thatcher was scheduled to undergo an MRI today on his ailing left shoulder. Thatcher hasn’t appeared in a game this spring and is headed to the DL as well.

San Francisco: Starter Matt Cain returned from a nearly two-week absence caused by elbow inflammation to throw three scoreless innings on Monday. Just like their AL counterparts, the defending NL pennant (and World Series) champions are in good shape to start the season.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Though he performed poorly with the Seals, he was league MVP the following season when he joined the Columbia (SC) Comers of the Southern League, and batted .345.  That same season was Paul’s rookie season in the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates. With Paul’s backing, Lloyd tried out and made the 1927 Pirates. The rookie led the National League with 133 runs scored and hit a sizzling .355. Paul, meanwhile, won the NL MVP Award and the Pirates captured the pennant with one of the best teams of the decade.

There was just one problem; the Pirates had to go up against the vaunted Murderer’s Row lineup of the New York Yankees in the World Series. They never stood a chance. Though Lloyd hit .400, the Yankees swept the Pirates in four games in what would be the only World Series appearance for the Waner brothers, who by then were known by the monikers “Big Poison” (Paul) and “Little Poison” (Lloyd). Actually, neither was very big, standing 5’8″ or 5’9″ and weighing less than 160 pounds.

Al Abrams of the Pittsburgh Gazette talked to the speedy Waner in 1966 about his ability to leg out infield hits. Click here to read all about it!

Lloyd would hit better than .300 in 10 of his first 12 seasons in the bigs, but it was his first three seasons in the majors that really stood out. Over that stretch, he averaged 226 hits, 13 triples, 22 doubles,129 runs scored, and batted .347. The centerfielder also set career highs in several categories, including RBI, average, doubles, and triples. He played 14 seasons in Pittsburgh before being traded (at age 35) to the Boston Braves for second-year pitcher Nick Strincevich. In June he was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds for another second year hurler, Johnny Hutchings.

Waner spent the ’42 season with the Dodgers before returning to Pittsburgh for the final two years of his career. It was a career that was likely extended by MLB’s desperation for players during World War II. After his playing days were over, Waner worked as a scout for the Pirates and Baltimore Orioles, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the veterans committee in 1967. Waner passed away in 1982 and was survived by his wife Frances and their two children.

Also Born Today

Stephen Drew (Hahira, GA, 1983): The Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop is beginning his sixth season in the Major Leagues after being the 15th player (Florida St.) selected in the 2004 amateur draft. Drew is a good glove and has been a consistent offensive performer, averaging 15 HR and 63 RBI per season, but the Diamondbacks had hoped his offensive would have been more developed by now.

Curtis Granderson (Blue Island, IL, 1981): The speedy centerfielder begins his second season in a New York Yankees uniform after six seasons as a Detroit Tiger. Granderson has averaged 23 HR and 69 RBI the last five seasons, and hit 30 home runs in 2009. Granderson has struggled with his average the last two seasons, but is hoping to turn things around with the work of Yankees’ hitting coach Kevin Long. In 2007, he became only the third player to top 20 doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases in one season.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

A good move by the then-Devil Rays turned into a bad one when they dealt him later that day to the Philadelphia Phillies for shortstop Kevin Stocker. The thinking was “you should build your team around a strong young shortstop”. The only problem was that Stocker was not that player; he lasted just 2+ seasons in Tampa and retired after the 2000 season at age 30.

Meanwhile. Abreu became the Phillies’ regular right fielder in 1998 and a star was born.  In his first full season, he produced 17 home runs, 74 RBI, 19 steals, and a .312 batting average. (Having surpassed the minimum number  of at-bats the previous season with Houston, he did not qualify for rookie status.) Abreu also displayed a trait that would become a trademark of his career- patience at the plate- by drawing 74 walks. That season proved to be no fluke when Abreu hit .335 the next season, led the league in triples, stole 27 bases and posted a .995 OPS.

In June, 2002 Jim Salisbury of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a piece, “Phils’ Bobby Abreu Silences His Doubters”. Click here to read all about it!

Over a seven year period, Abreu hit .300 and averaged 24 HR, 96 RBI, 31 steals, and 110 walks. He became a two-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner. It also earned him a five-year deal that could have been worth $78MM in total.

But a couple of things happened that changed his status and reputation in Philadelphia.  A collision with an outfield wall made him less aggressive going back after balls hit near the wall. Suddenly, Abreu was tagged as a “soft” player. The other incident occurred when Abreu entered the 2005 All-Star break with 18 home runs and won the event’s home run derby after hitting a then-record 24 home runs in one round. Perhaps it was psychological; perhaps it was a change in his swing. Whatever the case, Abreu hit just six home runs the rest of the season and his power hasn’t been quite the same since.

When Abreu struggled through a mediocre 2006 season, the Phillies decided it was time to move him and the remainder of his contract at the trade deadline. Abreau was sent as part of a package to the New York Yankees for C.J. Henry (minors), Jesus Sanchez (minors), Carlos Monasterios and Matt Smith. The trade turned out to be a steal for the Yankees. Abreu helped the Yankees to the division title, hitting .330 after the trade.

He was steady over the next two seasons (2007-2008), with 20+ steal and 100+ RBI seasons, but the Yankees did not pick up his $16MM option and Abreu became a free agent for the first time in his career.  A 35-yr old free agent in a bad economy didn’t make for a good mix, and Abreu had to settle for a one year, $5MM deal with the Los Angeles Angels. It proved to be a Godsend for the Halos. Abreu helped lead the team to their first ALCS since 2005 with 103 RBI, and proved to be a good influence on the team’s young Latin ball players. The Angels rewarded him with a two year, $18MM contract with a vesting option for 2012.

15 years into his career, Abreu has often been overlooked due to his soft spoken nature, but his numbers speak for themselves. 2,252 hits, 276 HR, 1,265 RBI, 1,358 runs scored, 372 steals, and .296 lifetime average. With Bobby Abreu, what you see is what you get.

Also Born Today

Dan Uggla (b. Louisville, KY, 1980):  Sometimes the best players in baseball are not the ones selected in the early rounds of baseball’s amateur draft. Sometimes an 11th round pick can turn into a perennial slugger. Such is the case with the Atlanta Braves’ Dan Uggla. The 2nd baseman was an 11th round pick out of the University of Memphis by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Four years later, the Florida Marlins selected him in the Rule V draft, and suddenly Uggla’s Major League career was underway.

He finished third in the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year voting after he slugged 27 home runs and drove in 90 runs. He averaged 31 HR and 93 RBI over the next four seasons, garnering two All-Star appearances and a Silver Slugger Award. But over the current off-season he couldn’t reach a deal on a contract extension and was dealt to the Braves on November 16 for lefty reliever Michael Dunn and infielder Omar Infante. A short time later, Uggla and the Braves were able to work out a new five-year extension worth $62MM.

Cesar Geronimo (b. El Saibo, D.R., 1948): When you think of the Big Red Machine of the 1970′s, Cesar Geronimo is not one of the first names that come to mind. But that’s what happens when you’re playing alongside Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and others on the Cincinnati Reds. But Geronimo was the glue in the outfield, a four-time Gold Glove winner patrolling center field for back-to-back World Series champions in 1975-1976. Geronimo played the first three seasons of his career with the Astros after being selected as a Rule V draftee from the Yankees in 1968. Prior to the 1971 season, he was part of a major deal between Houston and Cincy that sent Morgan and pitcher Jack Billingham to the Reds for a package that included slugger Lee May and steady 2nd baseman Tommy Helms. Geronimo finished up his career in 1983 after playing three seasons with the Kansas City Royals.

Dock Ellis (b. Los Angeles, CA, 1945):  The right-hander won 138 games over a 12-year career after being signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1964 amateur draft. Ellis helped the Pirates win the 1971 World Series, their first in 11 seasons, and his 17-win season helped the Yankees to their first pennant in 12 years in 1976. But Ellis had issues and addictions off the field (possibly on the field as well; he claimed to have thrown his 1970 no-hitter while high on LSD), that derailed a good career from being a great one. He played for five organizations, including three in his final season in 1979. Sadly, Ellis passed away in December, 2008 from liver disease.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

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Case in point, the Minnesota Twins where Joe Nathan is coming back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent back in March, 2010. Feeling healthy, Nathan proclaimed he was taking role his back from trade deadline acquisition Matt Capps. He recently told Kelly Thiesier of MLB.com that he’s pleased with his progress thus far. “The command has really been a pleasant surprise to this point, and I can’t ask for much more than what’s gone on out there now as far as life on the ball, movement on the ball, sharpness and stuff. Just keep moving forward and keep trying to improve and build arm strength, and I’ll be ready for April 1. I’m happy, very happy with how things feel right now.”

Seattle’s David Aardsma was a subject of trade rumors soon after the 2010 season ended, but then underwent hip surgery. He has yet to be cleared to throw which means he won’t be ready for opening day. Erratic set up man Brandon League is the favorite to fill the role, while former Orioles’ closer Chris Ray and reliever Manny Delcarmen are auditioning as well.

Jonathan Papelbon is the Red Sox closer to start the season, but the front office isn’t totally happy with the him or his $12MM salary. With former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks and closer in training Daniel Bard on the squad, the Red Sox could move Papelbon before the trade deadline.

Leo Nunez is the incumbent closer for the Florida Marlins, but by no means is his job safe. Should Nunez falter, Clay Hensley is more than willing to grab the job.

Brandon Lyon is the projected closer for the Astros. That doesn’t say too much for the Houston bullpen.

Fernando Rodney will start the season as the Angels closer, but anyone who has seen him pitch for LA (AL) or Detroit knows that may not last. Free agent pick up Scott Downs should definitely get some save opportunities as he did in Toronto.

The Orioles have Kevin Gregg as the early favorite for closer, but could go back to Koji Uehara who did a fine job when placed in the role late last season.

Texas has yet to decide whether or not to keep 2010 AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz in the closer’s role or move him to the starting rotation. Beat writer Anthony Andro tweeted on Monday that Rangers’ GM Jon Daniels is expected to make a decision around March 22.

Clint Hurdle has named Joel Hanrahan as the Pirates closer to start the season, but give Hanrahan’s erratic performance as closer with Pittsburgh and Washington (in 2008), Hurdle could turn to Evan Meek.

The Atlanta Braves are looking for a closer after Billy Wagner retired following the 2010 season. Craig Kimbrel, Pete Moylan, George Sherrill, Scott Linebrink,  and Jonny Venters are all getting a look. It’s possible new manager Fredi Gonzalez will open with a closer by committee.

Tampa Bay lost a number of players to free agency including closer Rafael Soriano. Joe Maddon, like Gonzalez, may go with a committee at first until he can pick a clear cut closer. Rookie Jake McGee impressed Maddon immediately when he came out and said he wanted the job. Now he has to back it up. Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, Joel Peralta, Adam Russell, Chris Archer, and Cesar Ramos are among the pitchers looking for roles in the Tampa pen. Farnsworth is the only one with closing experience in the majors.

The Blue Jays shook up their bullpen and now must choose between three pitchers with closer experience- Frank Francisco (the favorite), Jon Rauch, and Octavio Dotel.

In non-closer news, Zack Greinke’s Milwaukee Brewers’ debut is on hold and the Brewers front office can’t be happy about it.Greinke fell hard to the floor while playing pick up basketball the first week of spring training and fractured a rib.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.