Jaybird's Jottings

New Books

Apologies for the lack of writing. My distractions include two excellent books. The first is a reprint of David Nemec’s Early Dreams. It's historical fiction, about the 1884 American Association's season, as seen through the eyes of four lesser known players and written by the fictional character Earl “Ducker’ Draves.

Andy McCue says this book is “one of the most thoroughly researched baseball novels ever!” That is saying a lot but Nemec delivers the goods. I mean, I’m not a 19th Century expert by any means but it has been fun and educational to do internet searches on the subjects and items Nemec puts forth.

One is Pete Browning. I got to talking about him with my friend Bill who is a 19th Century baseball fan. I usually don’t agree with those who say "so and so player deserves to be in the Hall of Fame," but Browning might just be the first in line.

Further looking around included Browning’s bio at sabr.org. Fans of this player will be interested to know that one of the sources for this well-written bio is Closed Minds, Closed Doors: Cooperstown, Pete Browning And The A.A. It's not yet unpublished.

The other work keeping me up at night is Neil Peart’s third book Traveling Music. Rush fans are devouring this autobiography by the legendary drummer. Music lovers will like this one, especially if your tastes are as eclectic as Peart’s.

Enjoy your summer and don’t grind your teeth too hard on our favorite team.

Schmidt Wins 12th Consecutive Decision

Congratulations are in order for Jason Schmidt. The Giants ace sparkled again last night, giving up just four hits and two walks while striking out 8 Rockies batters. He lowered his ERA to 2.35 and is now 12 and 2. There is not a better pitcher in the majors right now. His WHIP is one of the best in the majors (130 IP, 79 hits, 44 walks), one of just a few under 1.00.

Schmidt, with his 12th win in a row, is in some very good company. The franchise record for consecutive wins (in one season) is 19, held by Tim Keefe (1888) and Rube Marquard (1912). Carl Hubbell won 16 in a row in 1936.

The team record for most consecutive wins is held by Jack Sanford with 16 in 1962. Juan Marichal’s longest streak was 10, accomplished twice (1966 and 1968). He put together a streak of 12, but that was over the course of two seasons (1963 and 1964). Hubbell won 24 in a row – 16 in a row in 1936 and 8 at the start of the 1937 season.

A Statue for Juan Marichal?

“What about Juan Marichal? When are the Giants going to do something for him?”

I almost froze in my tracks when I heard those words this past Monday. A middle-aged lady in a Giants ballcap stood next to Willie McCovey’s statue. She was talking to a teenage kid, probably her son.

We were passing by on our way to find our tile. The comment was very timely to me. I had been thinking the same thing in the past few months when I was doing some research on Marichal. The Dominican Dandy was such a central figure in the Giants SF history.

Of course, it's common knowledge how great Marichal was. Lesser known are his still good relations with the team. Quite frankly, I have no insider knowledge on that one but I do remember he tossed out the last first pitch at Candlestick.

Marichal was not as great as Mays nor as beloved as McCovey. But Giants fans have not seen the likes of Wonderful Juan, that is, a first-ballot Hall of Fame pitcher who wore the Giants uniform for the vast majority of his career, since Carl Hubbell, who retired in 1943.

Giants principal owner Peter Magowan has done a great job with the park formerly known as Pac Bell. All the little touches to the franchise’s past are there and Mays and McCovey have been immortalized with statues.

It’s my belief that Juan Marichal deserves to be next.

Giants On the Cover Of The Sporting News

In May 1965, The Sporting News, breaking from their long-standing tradition of publishing text-based, multiple story covers, began to print one subject cover stories with a full length photo shot.

This is the eighth in a continuing series of reviews of those issues with a Giant(s) on the cover.

March 1, 1969
Willie Mays
Cost: 35 Cents
(Spring Training Issue)

Picture: A bust shot of Mays smiling. (The copy that was made for this digital shot came out dark).

Caption: Willie Mays, Perpetual Youth
Photo by Fred Kaplan

Page 3 picture is of Mays being brushed back.

Article by Harry Jupiter. “He can still do it all but not every day.” Notes Mays good work ethic. Stays healthy. Giants had begun to rest him some in 1968.

Talks about his poor and frustrating start in the big leagues and the comforting help from Leo Durocher. Giants good draw on the road.

Other Giants news: There’s a photo of Dave Marshall leaping at the top of the chain-link fence at The Stick. Two boys are ready to snare the prized souvenir.

With Mays getting rest breaks, Marshall ended up playing 110 games. But neither he nor Ken Henderson did very well. Giants fans must have hated it when Mays did not play at home and surely loved it when he and Bonds were side by side.

Our Willie McCovey Tile

Roberta and me, along with our close friends Joe and Dana, attended the Giants game versus the Rockies this past Monday. The home team did not deliver but we had a great moment afterwards.

Two years ago, the Giants broke ground at China Basin Park, located across the waters of McCovey Cove. The new park features a statue of Willie McCovey, a seat wall of markers commemorating each Giants team from 1958 to 1999, picnic areas and a tee-ball field.

The public was given a chance at Giants immortality there with the purchase of a McCovey Point tile. Willie Mays was my favorite player growing up but McCovey and Marichal were right up there on my hero list.

I wrote up an inscription when the offer came out in July 2002, but my wife wondered if it was too common. The paperwork sat in a forgotten file. The deadline passed. I thought I had blown it.

Turns out the Giants were taking a few more applications. I spoke with Mandy in May 2003 and her friendly voice told me they were taking a final batch of entries.

My wife and me decided to go with our first draft and sent in the paperwork. A few weeks later I got a baseball signed by McCovey and a certificate of authenticity indicating our tile was located at Section 56. Last August we visited the park but did not see our tile. I went on-line and checked at the tile locator. Nothing.

I called up Mandy and she said there had been some delays. Our tile would be there soon.

After the game on Monday, we walked across the Lefty O’Doul bridge along with the mass of fans pouring out of the park. We got to Big Mac’s statue and turned right to where the late comer’s tiles are located. Kept looking and finally saw it towards the end.

We Love You
Willie
Roberta and Jay
Roberts

We sure do.

Greetings From The City

Hello sports fans,

This is coming to you from the beautiful city of San Francisco. We're here on vacation and to visit with my wife's family and our friends. Thanks a million to Chris and Rich for their great hospitality this weekend in Lake Tahoe. Watched the Giants there on Friday night. Bonds hit number 680 and the Giants beat the A's.

We're back in The City for today's game against the Rockies. This is my first Giants home for this season and my first, if memory serves me, holiday game.

I was hoping that we would get to see Barry tie or break Henderson's record for most career walks (2190) at today's game. Bonds passed Henderson yesterday. Congrats Barry on another great record.

Fun to read The Chronicle, the actual one versus the on-line version. It used to be pretty much a given that folks had the local newspaper delivered to their homes. Now, you see less and less of that. Rich was kind enough to drive to town and pick up the Chron for us. I'm headed out here shortly to buy this mornings. I always enjoy reading the Chron when we visit here. One particular feature I have really enjoyed is the GIANTS TODAY feature in the back of The Sporting Green. The other day they listed Giants players state by state.

We're heading out for the game soon. Hope we don't jinx them.....

GO GIANTS!!