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4/16/2008
Billy-Ball Daily
Bill Chuck (Billy-Ball his own self)
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The only spin here is on my screwball
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Top of the 1st
MORE THAN A NUMBER
Yesterday, throughout baseball, Jackie Robinson’s #42 was once again “unretired.” Nine teams and 330 players, managers and coaches as well as the full squads of the Dodgers, Cardinals, A's, Angels, Pirates, Rangers, Rays, Mets and Nats all wore #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Owner Extraordinaire (I am trying out new names for Commissioner Bud Selig) retired the number throughout baseball in 1997 on the 50th anniversary of Jackie’s debut and the unretiring began last year upon request of Ken Griffey, Jr. This was a brilliant suggestion by Junior, but somehow the sincerity of the moment has resulted in chaos that results only when either Buddy Boy or the Democratic Party is forced to make a decision.
I don’t quite understand how or why Matt Guerrier, Livan Hernandez, Craig Monroe, Denard Span, Jerry White, and Delmon Young of the Minnesota Twins wear the number but the only Phillies representative is Jimmy Rollins. Please, oh pretty please, don’t tell me that this is a decision based on the skin color of the player because there would be no greater insult to Jackie’s memory if we only had African Americans wearing #42.
The question truly is whether there is any plan or focus to this very serious salute? Clearly the answer is “no” at a time when baseball needs a “yes.” A new study indicates that once again the number of African-American players in MLB dropped again last year, to 8.2 percent, the lowest number in over 20 years.
This is not Zelig’s fault. MLB does make a concerted effort to promote diversity. In fact, Major League Baseball received its best grade for racial diversity in hiring, receiving its first A- for race from Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. Its grade was B+ in last year’s study. I will admit to not being knowledgeable enough to know whether their efforts are focused or mere lip service. I do know however the baseball never does a good job in saluting it’s past stars and I do know it’s because they can’t figure out a way to do that and make money in the process, because after all, isn’t that what the business of baseball is all about?
One way to show the world that baseball cares is by bringing organization to Jackie Robinson Day. Let that number mean something. Make sure there is education going on not just at the ballpark but at schools, community centers and on television. Every televised game on Jackie Robinson Day (and every game is shown on that full schedule) should have a salute in the middle of the 7th inning. We sing “God Bless America” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” so there is no reason why on this one day that we shouldn’t sing the praises of a man whose impact was far greater than his play on the field and his demeanor off the field. Jackie was a man who through his strength and courage changed this country for the better and should be honored.
Leading that salute on the field should be the one player representative from each team who was accorded the honor of wearing his number that day. That would be mean two players, one from each team, reading words that have meaning and explanation as all the players stand in front of each dugout in salute to how Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson and baseball changed this country.
Only two teams should have all their players wearing #42 – naturally the Dodgers, Jackie’s team. The other – the New York Mets representing Jackie for all of baseball and because Citi Field, the Mets new ballpark, will be an homage to Ebbets Field, Jackie’s home ballpark. In the rotunda of the new park there will be an eight-foot blue statue of his No. 42 as well as enormous photos from his life to be mounted in the rotunda. His famous quotation “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives” will be inscribed on the walls along with the nine values that Jackie shared with his family: citizenship, commitment, courage, determination, excellence, integrity, justice, persistence and teamwork.
It’s not too late for baseball to get this right. In fact, just this week ESPN Films announced a theatrical film about Robinson with Robert Redford playing Branch Rickey. MLB just needs a plan in place announced by next March; that should be plenty of time even for the Democrats and Alan Bud Selig.
Top of the 2nd
A DUSTY RETURN TO WRIGLEY
After four years as manager of the Cubs, and after a last-place finish in 2006, Dusty Baker returned to Wrigley Field last night this time as manager of the Cincinnati Reds. The result for Baker was the same but different for the Cubs as Chicago hit three homers to beat their former manager, 9-5.
Baker was heartily booed, just like the good old days as was former Cubust Corey Patterson.
Top of the 3rd
ASTROS FULL OF BULL
Houston was leading the Phils 3-0 last night going to the 9th inning but Jose Valverde gave up two home runs and hit a batter while giving up four runs in a third of an inning as the Astros lost 4-3.
Suddenly Astro fans miss Brad Lidge.
Top of the 4th
THANKING THE ESTIMABLE HARVEY FROMMER
Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 39 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) will be published this year as well as a reprint version of his "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." In addition, Harvey reviews numerous books and we are particularly proud of this one:
Sunday, April 13, 2008
THE BOOK REVIEW "Walkoffs, Last Licks and Final Outs" and other Worthwhile Reads
All variety of prisms function quite nicely through which to view different aspects of the network of sports. Some have a narrow focus while others take a broader view. All have something to say, something to stay with us.
One of my favorites of recent seasons is Bill Chuck and Jim Kaplan's "Walkoffs, Last Licks and Final Outs" (Acta, $14.95, 216 pages, paper). It features all matter of factoids, trivia, charts, facts and figures focused on "baseball's grand and not-so-grand finales." Fred Merkle failing to touch second, base, Carlton Fisk touching them all and waving his arms to wave the ball he hit fair in the 1975 World Series, Bobby Richardson catching the liner that Willie McCovey of the Giants hit at Candlestick Park, box scores, line scores, the last games in ball parks - the slim book has a treasure trove of goodies for all baseball fans. TOP OF THE HEAP
http://frommersports.blogspot.com/2008/04/book-review-walkoffs-last-licks-and.html
Top of the 5th
HALL OF FAME RESEARCHER TO APPEAR ON JEOPARDY!
Gabriel Schechter, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Library researcher will appear on the national broadcast of Jeopardy! this Friday night, April 18. Schechter taped the show in Los Angeles on February 6.
“Originally Jeopardy went on the air in 1964, the Art Fleming version, and my mother was on the show that year,” said Schechter. “She ran up against the first five-time champion and finished in second place. It has taken me 44 years to get redemption for that.”
Final Billy-Ball Jeopardy! Question: Who is the last and only active player allowed to still wear #42? Answer in the Bottom of the 9th.
Top of the 6th
BILLY-BALL-SITE-OF-THE-DAY
Today it goes to The Cub Reporter - http://thecubreporter.com/ - which states that they have been analyzing the Cubs to death since July, 2001. I, of course, would have dedicated it to Jimmy Olsen, but that’s me.
Send your suggestions for a site to be recognized to bill@billy-ball.com with the subject SOTD.
Top of the 7th
PROBABLE PITCHERS
AL
Red Sox (Clay Buchholz) at Yankees (Chien-Ming Wang), 7:05
White Sox (Jose Contreras) at Orioles (Adam Loewen), 7:05
Tigers (Armando Galarraga) at Indians (C.C. Sabathia), 7:05
Rangers (Kason Gabbard) at Blue Jays (Jesse Litsch), 7:07
Rays (Jamie Shields) at Twins (Livan Hernandez), 8:10
Royals (Gil Meche) at Angels (Jered Weaver), 10:05
Mariners (Felix Hernandez) at A's (Joe Blanton), 10:05
NL
Diamondbacks (Brandon Webb) at Giants (Barry Zito), 3:45
Astros (Roy Oswalt) at Phillies (Kyle Kendrick), 7:05
Nationals (Matt Chico) at Mets (John Maine), 7:10
Braves (Tim Hudson) at Marlins (Mark Hendrickson), 7:10
Reds (Josh Fogg) at Cubs (Carlos Zambrano), 8:05
Brewers (Carlos Villanueva) at Cardinals (Adam Wainwright), 8:15
Rockies (Mark Redman) at Padres (Justin Germano), 10:05
Pirates (Paul Maholm) at Dodgers (Brad Penny), 10:10
Top of the 8th
DID YOU KNOW?
On this date in 1935, Babe Ruth made his National League debut playing for the Braves in Boston. The Babe had two hits including a 430-foot home run off of Carl Hubbell, as Boston beat the New York Giants, 4-2.
Top of the 9th
POPE VISITS
While in the US, Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate large open-air Masses at Nationals Park in Washington and Yankee Stadium in New York.
I’m still surprised that he’s not meeting with the Cardinals, but what do I know?
Bottom of the 9th
BUY THE BOOK
Bill Chuck is the creator of Billy-Ball.com and, with Jim Kaplan, is the author of the book, “Walk-Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales,” with a Foreword by Jon Miller available now from ACTA Sports.
Autographed first editions are available by contacting, Bill@billy-ball.com or order directly from Acta Sports, http://www.actasports.com/detail.html?&id=3427 or from your favorite bookstore worldwide.
Mariano Rivera is the last player allowed to wear #42
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Information provided in Billy-Ball has been gathered from A.P. reports, espn.com, sportsline.com, mlb.com and numerous other e-sources. Opinions expressed in Billy-Ball are obviously solely the opinions of the author of Billy-Ball and do not reflect those of source material no matter how off the wall they may be.
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