Boston Red Sox Quiz (1901 – ): 1) Who was the only 20-game
winner in the 50s? 2) Who was the manager of the 1946 team
that went 104-50 and lost to St. Louis in the World Series? 3)
Who has the most stolen bases, season? 4) Most RBI, season?
Continuing with Johnny Mac”s Hall of Fame Musings.
Atlanta Braves: Guess we should start with the pitchers.
Maddux is a pretty easy pick as first ballot lock. 240-135 with a
2.83 ERA, 2350 Ks against only 733 walks, those 4 Cy Young”s,
the 4 ERA titles, not to mention 11 Gold Gloves. It is hard to
argue against him on any level except the Clemens one.
comparatively mediocre post-season numbers. Glavine is a cut
below Maddux. A helluva pitcher for a long time, he has a 208-
125 record with a good 3.39 ERA, and over 1800 Ks (for a
control pitcher, not too bad). Those 2 Cy Young”s are
impressive, as is his leading the league in wins 5 times. He is in
the post-season every year, getting 26 starts. And Glavine has a
more than respectable 3.06 ERA in those games, although his 10-
11 record is less than stellar. He is 35 now, and still looks
effective.probably needs a few more big years to be a serious
candidate.
John Smoltz is one of those guys whose record is not as good as
you might think. He has rightfully earned a rep as a big-game
pitcher, as his 12-4 post-season record will attest. The Braves
are perennially in the play-offs, so you just assume Smoltz has
had good year upon good year. Fact is, his career is an endless
stream of 14-13, 15-12, 14-11 seasons with that one monster year
in ”96 (24-8 with 276 Ks and the Cy). At 33, and with a history
of injuries, he is a long shot at best.
Two position players rate a mention. Chipper and Andruw (sic)
Jones. Chipper has been a regular now for 6 seasons,
establishing himself as an elite player. A typical year finds him
scoring and driving in 100, hitting 32 homers, while batting .300.
At 29 and playing for a perennial contender, it should not
surprise anyone if he ended up with Hall credentials. Andruw is
just 24, but it seems he”s been around forever already. Making a
splash at 19 in the ”96 Series, he established himself as a regular
in ”97 and has shown improvement every year. Last season he
scored and drove in 100, hitting 36 home runs while batting .300.
Andruw also steals about 20 bases and may be the best
centerfielder since Mays. If he stays healthy and at least
maintains the level of production he established last season (there
seems to be no reason he shouldn”t), a Hall of Fame career would
not be a reach.
Montreal Expos: Have a few up there, although it”s better than
even money that neither of them finish their careers in Montreal.
Vladimir Guerrero is just a super player. Playing regularly for
just 3 seasons, this kid has got some upside. He has already
scored over 100 and driven in 100 in those three years, averaging
over 40 homers and hitting better than .320. And he is just 25,
and still learning. Guerrero has a bit of a temper, could use a
little maturity, and he might consider taking a pitch every few
weeks, but what talent. Considering that nobody has actually
seen him play because Montreal is never on TV, and they draw
flies up there, he might remain the best kept secret in sports until
his free agent year.
His partner in crime, Jose Vidro, seems destined for the same
fate. A regular for just 2 seasons, the 26-year-old second sacker
is the real deal. He hits for average, has good pop, can steal a
base and fields his position. A keeper. Just way too early in his
career for a call.
The elder statesman of the group, “Rock” Raines, can be
accurately evaluated. Now in his 4th decade (he came up with
the ”Spos as a teenager in 1979), Raines has been a great lead off
hitter and base stealer. He unfortunately is directly compared to
the best ever at his job, the enigmatic Rickey Henderson, a
comparison Raines loses. Still, those 800 steals and 1500 runs
are nothing to scoff at. He had a pretty public battle with cocaine
in the 80s, which might hurt his chances, although his bout with
Lupus has made him a sympathetic figure late in his career. A
unique and valuable player for a long, long time, I”m afraid he
will end up just shy of Cooperstown. [Ed. Never knew my
buddy had such feelings for the Rock!]
San Francisco Giants: They have one guy, and he is a mortal
lock. Barry Bonds might end up surpassing his Godfather,
Willie Mays, as the greatest combination of speed and power
ever to play the game. In all likelihood, he will hit 600 homers
and steal over 500. Throw in those 3 MVP awards, a bagful of
Gold Gloves, and assorted other credentials, and it is hard to see
him not as a first ballot selection. That being said, he doesn”t
play for my team. He is a surly, egomaniacal guy who
epitomizes all that is wrong with the modern athlete. Bonds is a
certifiable post-season bust, he is a “clubhouse lawyer” who
undermines authority, and, despite his immense talent, one must
ask why he played left field (the most insignificant position
defensively) his whole career. Jeff Kent, by the way, for all his
recent success, just won”t put up the career numbers needed for
the Hall, it would appear.
New York Mets: There are 3 guys here worthy of a mention.
Mike Piazza seems destined to take his place with the immortals.
An offensive juggernaut, he hits for power and average as no
other catcher past or present. He never has an off year at the
plate, a fate that has befallen many other catchers (see Bench,
Berra, Campanella, et al). The position takes such a physical toll
that even the greats have down years due to injury. Piazza just
marches on, hitting over 35 homers, driving in 120, batting .330;
awesome stuff. I see him a lot, so I really appreciate how he
crushes the ball. With the possible exception of McGwire,
nobody in baseball hits it any harder, especially to the opposite
field. His defense, especially his arm, is less than exceptional,
but for the numbers he gives you, you learn to live with it.
Piazza”s partner at second, Edgardo Alfonzo, has been quietly
establishing himself as one of the best position players in the
league. A stellar fielder, he hits for good average, has some pop
in his bat, decent speed and a professional demeanor. A few
more good years and he could be a serious HOF candidate.
And how about Johnny Franco? John Franco, you ask? Well,
there are the 420 saves, the 2.68 lifetime ERA. I never really
considered him a serious Hall candidate, but those numbers are
impressive nonetheless.
[We”ll wrap this up Monday.]
“What”s its gots in its pocketses!”
It”s been awhile since I read Tolkien. I think Gollum said that.
Anyway, a few days ago there was a ferry boat accident in the
Congo and, initially, professional divers were used. Evidently,
more than 100 were trapped inside the boat and the divers
recovered about 30. But when they failed to retrieve any more,
authorities ordered them to remove their gear and wet suits.
Guess what? The officials found bundles of Congolese franc
notes tied to the divers” bodies with twine. They were arrested,
at which point local youths were called on and they were able to
recover another 11, without any equipment whatsoever. [Source:
AP]
Mad Ostrich
Now this is sad. It is thought that ostriches in Germany are
dying of mad cow. They are developing BSE-type symptoms
after being fed animal bonemeal. Johnny Mac, on a somewhat
related topic, suspects that stock analysts are fed animal
bonemeal at their desks, which may explain the holes in their
brains. That”s just his opinion, he could be wrong.
Just Musing.
My brother and I were chatting about this whole animal thing the
other day. For the next decade, I imagine, folks in Britain will be
debating whether the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of farm
animals was really necessary to combat foot-and-mouth. After
all, most of the animals recover. But, yes, the problem is a
farmer certainly can”t sell those that are infected. So what do
you think the animals are saying?
“Hey, what the hell is Farmer John doing? Where is that truck going?
He was such a nice guy…the wife, too. Why are they doing this to us?”
*By the way, folks, the editor is out in the South Pacific and by
Wednesday or Friday of next week, I may have some real fish
tales for you. On the other hand, I could be eaten, first, by the
brown tree snakes of Guam. Yikes! When in Guam, never go to
sleep without checking under your bed, behind the bureaus, in
the closets, behind the curtains, inside the television, the mini-
bar, the toilet bowl, underneath the bath towels…Stay tuned.
Pleasant dreams!
Top 3 songs for the week of 5/8/61: #1 “Runaway” (Del
Shannon) #2 “Mother-in-Law” (Ernie K-Doe) #3 “A Hundred
Pounds Of Clay” (Gene McDaniels)
Boston Red Sox Quiz Answers: 1) Mel Parnell went 21-8 in
”53. 2) Joe Cronin managed the ”46 club. 3) Tommy Harper
stole 54 in ”73. 4) Jimmie Foxx drove in 175 in ”38.
Next Bar Chat, Monday. Barring technical difficulties.
