Jaybird's Jottings

The Greatest Draws in Sports

"I don't know if I'll be involved," Mays said as he began his annual visit to camp, "but if the club feels they want me to go on the road and Barry needs some kind of companionship, I will. He might start feeling a little pressure when he starts getting close to that number." - Mays says he's up for a road trip with Bonds, Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer, Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Washington is all a buzz this morning over the news that D.C. just went from the PGA Tour’s outhouse to its penthouse, courtesy of one Tiger Woods. It’ll be hotter than hell out there at Congressional, but when the greatest draw in sports comes to town, you don’t mind paying $5 $6 for a bottle of water.

Speaking of great draws, the possibility exists that baseball fans will get 2 for the price of 1 this summer. GIANTS WIN notes Henry Schulman’s report that Willie Mays said he would be willing to travel with the Giants when Bonds got close to 755.

In the ideal situation, Bonds passes Aaron in San Francisco this year, splashing number 756 into McCovey Cove on a gorgeous weekend afternoon. It would also be great if Barry could tie Hammerin Hank at Mays Field. The home fans deserve that too.

In my dream world, Barry does hit 756 at Mays Field. But since I’ve never attended a game where huge history was made, I’m hoping Bonds ties Aaron here at RFK. That’s not out of the question. The Giants are on tap for a three game set at RFK in the first weekend of September.

“Honey, do we really need to go the beach again this summer?”

An Unreasonable Man

"The undisputed leader of the modern Consumer Movement, Ralph Nader built a legislative record that rivals any contemporary president, all without ever holding public office. Many things we take for granted-seat belts, airbags, product labeling, no nukes, even the free ticket you get after being bumped from an overbooked flight-are largely due to the efforts of Nader and his citizen groups." - An Unreasonable Man.

I’ve made it a point to avoid politics here at my blog. (So here I go with one of its most inflammatory topics as my debut!)

But since I'm an admirer of Ralph Nader's work as a Consumer Activist, and not his runs for President, (ok you can put down that baseball bat), I figure I'm safe saying something about An Unreasonable Man, Henriette Mantel and Steve Skrovan’s new documentary on Nader. I attended its Washington premier at E Street Cinema in downtown D.C. on Friday night. After the movie, Nader spoke to the theater audience.

My Mother adored Nader. She was a transplanted Yankee Democrat who had to adapt to the conservative South. I don’t remember my father’s sentiments towards him but Dad was conservative and pro-business, so it’s easy to assume he didn't like the man.

Spoiler alert:

The movie takes a two-prong approach. One fills in the details about Nader’s consumer advocate work starting in the 60s. Love him or hate him, the man has helped the average American through a body of work that has been forgotten about. I enjoyed this part the most because I didn't really know about all the work Nader did to get groups organized, legislation passed and awareness brought about. He got an unexpected boost of publicity when General Motors tried to find dirt on him. Turns out the only dirt on Nader was on his hands from all the hard work he was doing. The chairman of GM had to issue a public apology.

The second area is the politics. Nader had a legion of fans in the early days but he lost many when he decided to run for President in 2000. The 122-minute movie does a good job of not being one-sided.

As critic Harvey Karten notes:

“Did Nader do the right thing by standing by his principles, or should he have held his nose and supported the Democratic candidate as the “lesser of the two evils?” To the film’s credit, you will leave the two-hour production giving quite a bit of thought to this one, big question raised by an astute and entertaining political documentary.”

Nader had time for about four questions. I’m always amazed when audiences ask questions to someone famous. Like last night, I was hoping someone would ask him something we didn't already know, such as any plans he has for another Presidential run (gulp).

But everything was old hash and things covered in the movie. This one person, although he may not have realized it, was very, very rude and hogged the 10 minutes with follow-up questions.

Nader has a few loyal fans, and they identified themselves at the screening by chuckling halfway through the movie when a spokesperson told the camera that corporations have very little influence in the halls of legislation. And Nader did get a standing ovation from the audience.

As I walked past him, and even now, I can't seem to decide how I feel about Nader. I'm not sure there's ever been someone who has done so much for consumers and citizens, and yet so disliked by so many.

Mom, I wish you were here to discuss it with me. This one's for you.

Note: I spoke with two Voice of America journalists who were there to try and film some reaction to the movie. They said to look at their website for their coverage under American Life. I haven't seen anything on it so far.

Baseball Pioneers

“The black baseball players, in a real sense, were making a contribution. They were playing a role. They were not necessarily boycotting buses or walking a picket line, sitting in at a lunch counter, or going on a Freedom Ride, but what they did in a very quiet and dignified manner on the field was just as powerful, just as significant.” - Congressman John Lewis to Bruce Adelson, Brushing Back Jim Crow, The Integration of Minor-League Baseball in the American South.

In its long history, baseball has had many pioneers. Thanks to a review from David Pinto at Baseball Musings, I am reading the stories of some lesser known baseball pioneers. Bruce Adelson’s book is titled Brushing Back Jim Crow, The Integration of Minor-League Baseball in the American South.

Several Giants tell their experiences. Felipe Alou talked about the struggles he encountered when he was playing for Lake Charles Giants in 1956.

Alou:

“When they told me I had to leave Louisiana, it took me three days on a Greyhound bus to travel from Lake Charles to Cocoa Beach, Florida. The bus stopped everywhere. When we stopped, I had to find the lines that said Colored People. By the time I found that line and got on the line, the bus was ready to depart. I never had a chance to eat. They gave us twelve dollars. Meal money for three days. I arrived at Cocoa with ten-something dollars in my pocket. They used to have machines you could put ten cents or whatever in and you’d get some peanuts. That was my food for three days.”

Manny Mota also traveled from the Dominican Republic to begin his professional career in the Giants' farm system. After a year with Michigan City, Mota played for the Danville Giants.

Mota:

"You can hear racial epithets because you never heard them before, and you keep that in the back of your mind. You can’t block them out, because you have feelings. I felt sorry for those people. I called those people ignorant."

Adelson also documents the story of the 1958 Corpus Christi Giants. They won the Texas League and were set to face the Southern Association champs, the Birmingham Black Barons for the Dixie Series title. Black players, however, were barred from playing in Birmingham, site of the series. Corpus Christi owner E. J. Humphries asked George Trautman, the minor-league commissioner if he could substitute three whites for the Giants' three African-American players. After Trautman refused, Humphries kept his three black players off the team. The Black Barons won the series six games to four.

This is an excellent book that includes photos of Willie McCovey and his Danville Giants teammates. The only drawback is there’s no index.

More Spring Training Blogs

What happens when a passionate baseball fan and his wife take their camera, recorder and love for their team to the first week of spring training?

Answer: NATS 320.

He’s blogging the Nationals at their camp in Viera. Combining the interviews, the pictures, the scans, the weaving of his past and present, the personal touch, the love of the team, the restaurant tips and the fact that the traditional media aren't covering the Nats' first week in quite the same manner, this is blogging at its best.

If you grew up in the 60s, be real careful with his first ST post (Feb 13). There’s some serious nostalgia wave action – Apollo 9, Holiday Inns, Mickey Mantle and station wagons! I hated them when I was a kid. I thought only weird people owned them. Looking back, they still look like something our family would have never owned but they so define those times. And it turns out some pretty cool people rode in them.

Seeing Mantle's baseball card also threw me back to the mid 60s and my first years as a baseball fan. For a brief period, I remember I liked both five tool stars, Mantle and Mays. I really believe I would be blogging the Yankees right now instead of the Giants had I chosen Mantle over Mays. I’m probably getting a little creative here with my memories but I have to wonder also the role the two ballparks played.

The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. For a Southern boy, that was kind of a negative.

But Candlestick Park, ....

Barry Zito on the Cover of TSN

Barry Zito is on the cover of the current issue of The Sporting News.

Robb Nen Coming Back

"The Giants are planning to hire Robb Nen as a special assistant. It's hard not to feel a special affection for a guy who did so much to get the Orange and Black into the World Series five years ago and then hurt his arm so badly in the post-season that he never pitched again.” Giants Win, Remembering Robb

Giants Win has an excellent post today on Robb Nen's return to the Giants. It was so cool to have Nen come on, knowing how fun it was to bring back chatter like, "Hey batter, you can't hit what you can't see." By keeping fans in the park in the "Nenth Inning," Nen created more traffic jams than Critical Mass.

A lot of teams bring back players in some capacity, but it sure seems the Giants have done this more than others. Nen will join an impressive list of players who have lived up to the words of Chief Meyers who said, “once a Giant, always a Giant.”

Memorable McCovey

A great player like Willie McCovey had many memorable games. I thought it would be fun to search for and write about some of them. Using three excellent resources, Nick Peter’s Giants Diary, Retrosheet’s Top Performances and BaseballLibrary, I came up with an initial list of about 40 games. From there, I pared it down to 10 games and conducted microfilm research of the San Francisco Chronicle.

I have to tell you I agonized over what to put in and what to leave out. At first I tried to think of it as his Greatest Games list. But it ended up being a variety of feats and thrilling moments. And since I already talked about McCovey’s debut game and his big games versus Drysdale, I did not include those. I also didn’t include his post-season, figuring fans knew more about those.

As a Giants fan who grew up in the 60s on the wrong coast, always watching two other teams on The Saturday Game of the Week and only seeing McCovey in the boxscores and newspaper accounts, I can only wish I had some great memories of seeing Stretch in action. But bringing them back for others was a fun task and I hope one or more of your favorites are here.

Happy remembering!

July 4, 1962

Seven Ribs on the Fourth

Game Played on Wednesday, July 4, 1962 (N) at Candlestick Park

NY N 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 4 7 3
SF N 3 1 0 3 1 0 0 3 x - 11 13 0

Legend has it that Mark Twain once quipped, “the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

That was before the Giants came to town.

Coming into this Fourth of July doubleheader against the Mets, the Giants were hot, winners of 9 of 11 with a 53 and 29 record. The Dodgers, next on the schedule at Candlestick, had won six of seven and held a half game lead over their rivals.

After a pair of sac flies in the first and second inning, McCovey belted a two run homer in the fourth to give the Giants a 7 to 3 lead. In the eighth, his three-run shot sent home Davenport and Mays and put the game away. The seven rbis proved to be his highest in a single game in his career.

The Giants won the second game 10-3, to stay apace with the Dodgers who also swept their doubleheader.

September 22, 1963

Three Straight Homers

Game Played on Sunday, September 22, 1963 (D) at Candlestick Park

NY N 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 - 4 7 1
SF N 3 3 1 1 0 5 0 0 x - 13 16 3

The books remember this game for the history the Alou brothers made. For the first time, three brothers shared the outfield. The momentous occasion occurred in the seventh when Matty, replacing Mays, trotted out to left to join Felipe who moved from left to center and Jesus who moved from center to right.

McCovey ensured the moment came with a win. He would hit three homers in a game three times in his career. This was the first and he did it in style. If you arrived late for this one, you missed his early barrage. Big Mac went deep in the bottom of the first with Hiller on board, giving the the Giants a 2-0 lead.

In the second, McCovey homered once again with Hiller on base, padding the Giants lead to 6 to 0. In the fourth he took reliever Grover Powell deep, a solo shot to make the score 8 to 0.

The Chronicle noted that “Willie Earned His Award.” Before the game he was honored with a special Candlestick Award presented by the wife of the publisher of the Chronicle (Oh how times change!!). The trophy said, “To Willie McCovey, whose deeds have been an inspiration to our fair city.”

In his article, Bob Stevens noted “the Giants moved one game closer to a third place finish and the approximate $1400 per man that goes with the swag." The Giants indeed finished in third, besting the Reds by two and a half games.

July 9, 1966

Look at that Boxscore!

Game Played on Saturday, July 9, 1966 (D) at Candlestick Park

CIN N 0 0 2 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 - 7 15 2
SF N 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 2 - 8 15 1

McCovey had 12 four hit games in his career. This thrilling game was the most prolific in terms of HRs (2) and rbis (6).

The Giants were two ahead of the Pirates and four in front of the Dodgers coming into this Saturday afternoon affair at Candlestick. McCovey drove in the Giants' first six runs. The first two came on a two-run homer in the first to give the Giants a 2-0 lead over the Reds. In the fifth, his double off the top of the fence sent home Tito Fuentes to tie the game at three. In the seventh he singled home Mays to make it 6-4 Reds. In the ninth, Willie Mays singled off Don Nottebart. McCovey then slammed a line drive over the center field fence to tie the game at six. It marked the ninth straight time he had reached base.

In the top of the 12th, Fuentes’s error allowed the Reds to take a 7 to 6 lead. In the bottom of the frame, he came up with two outs, no one on, and hit a dribbler to Joe Nuxhall, the Reds fourth pitcher. Nuxhall threw past Tony Perez, allowing Fuentes to reach second. Tom Haller then stepped up and hit the first pitch he saw of Nuxhall over the fence in right field.

The Pirates had won earlier in the day so the Giants maintained their two game lead.

September 17, 1966

Three Blasts in a Pennant Race

Game Played on Saturday, September 17, 1966 (D) at Candlestick Park

NY N 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 - 4 11 0
SF N 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 - 6 13 1

What if? What if? The Giants asked themselves that question in both '65 and '66. McCovey certainly did his part, having one of his best seasons in terms of OPS+. And on this day, he made sure the Giants won. Two weeks were left in the tight pennant race with the Dodgers and the Giants were four back.

McCovey’s bat was smoking coming into this Saturday afternoon affair at the Stick. He had a five game hitting streak and five of his hits were homers. The one he hit on Friday night was reported as the longest homer ever hit at Candlestick (500 feet).

After walking in the first, McCovey took starter Dennis Ribant deep in the fourth to open the scoring. He hit a solo shot in the fifth to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.

With the Giants down 4 to 3, Jim Ray Hart tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a solo homer off Larry Miller. After Frank Linzy held the Mets scoreless in the top of the tenth, Mays cracked a one out single off Miller. McCovey then belted a 1-2 pitch over the fence for the much needed win. With the Dodgers loss, the Giants moved to within three games.

September 21, 1969

Sweep L.A.!

Game Played on Sunday, September 21, 1969 (D) at Candlestick Park

LA N 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 - 3 7 2
SF N 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 - 4 10 1

With about two weeks left in the season, the Giants held a half game lead over the Dodgers and Braves with the Reds two back. The Dodgers came to town and the Giants took the first two. In the third and final game of the series, the largest crowd in two years at Candlestick (41,051) watched a thriller.

The game went into the tenth tied at 4. After Ron Hunt and Willie Mays grounded out, McCovey, who was on his way to winning the MVP title, walked to the plate. The crowd roared with glee, knowing how quickly number 44 could send them home happy. McCovey was hot, already four for four with a walk.

In a rare move, the Dodgers gave McCovey the none-on, free pass. Reliever Mikkelson then could not find the plate. With the crowd loving every minute of it, Pete Mikkelson walked Bobby Bonds and Ken Henderson. Jim Davenport, on a 1-1 pitch, hit a grounder to shortstop Maury Wills. The veteran let the ball go through his legs. McCovey ran home with the winning run and screaming delights in his ears.

The Dodgers never recovered. They left San Francisco three and a half back and lost seven of their next eight to finish eight back. The Giants stumbled in San Diego, losing two of three and the lead to the Braves, who won 10 of their last 11 and took the first N.L. West crown by three games over the sick-of-second Giants.

September 3, 1973

Stun LA!

Game Played on Monday, September 3, 1973 (D) at Candlestick Park

LA N 0 0 2 1 5 0 0 0 0 - 8 13 0
SF N 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 0 4 - 11 11 2

“You can’t keep either club out of anything when these two teams meet. There’s just something about it that gets the blood flowing faster and determination stronger.”

Those were Willie McCovey’s comments following this comeback win over the Dodgers. Coming into this Monday night contest, Los Angeles was in first place with a one game lead over the Reds and six ahead of San Francisco.

Things looked bleak for the Giants in the fifth. Starter Tom Bradley and Don Carrithers both got the hook as the Dodgers scored five times to forge a 8 to 1 lead.

San Francisco roared back in the seventh off starter Tommy John. McCovey, whose 24th home run of the season accounted for the Giants' only run prior to the inning, singled and scored in the uprising. Six black caps came across home plate to make the score 8 to 7.

With the score the same in the bottom of the ninth, the Giants loaded the bases. Bobby Bonds then cranked a no-doubter over Bill Buckner’s head. The dramatic win ended the Dodgers' 73-game long ride as sole possessors of first place. The Giants swept the Dodgers and got to within four games of the Reds on September 7.

June 27, 1977

Two Jacks in the Same Inning, Twice

Game Played on Monday, June 27, 1977 (N) at Riverfront Stadium

SF N 0 1 0 0 2 10 1 0 0 - 14 12 1
CIN N 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 9 16 0

The Big Red Machine jumped all over the Giants on this Monday night contest at Riverfront Stadium. John Curtis was sent to an early shower in the second.

Down 8 to 3 after five innings, the Giants exploded in the sixth. With one run already in, McCovey hit a solo homer into the right field stands off starter Jack Billingham. After three more runs crossed the plate, McCovey came to bat for a second time in the inning. This time, the sacks were full. McCovey clobbered a fastball off Joe Hoerner, the ball landing in the second deck in right field.

With that second homer, McCovey set two records. The grand slam gave him 17, moving him past Hank Aaron for the NL record. The two homers in one inning marked the second time he had done so (first time April 12, 1973). No other major leaguer had accomplished this feat.

McCovey’s five rbi in the inning was one short of tying the major league record of six. The second homer was career number 478.

September 18, 1977

His Greatest Day

Game Played on Sunday, September 18, 1977 (D) at Candlestick Park

CIN N 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 - 2 5 1
SF N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 - 3 11 0

Bob Stevens had it right. “No sane writer would dare touch” this one. A sure fire, beloved Hall of Famer, on his Day, with his mother in attendance and a standing ovation before the game, drives home the winning run with two out in the bottom of the ninth.

It happened.

Before the game against the Reds, played on a Sunday afternoon at Candlestick, McCovey received dozens of gifts including a new car and a plaque from the Baseball Writers Association of America.

The 39-year old fared poorly in three of his first four plate appearances, striking out in the first with two on, popped out in the sixth and fouled out in the eighth with two on.

Bob Knepper limited the Reds to two runs. The Giants rallied in the eighth for a pair of runs to tie the game at two. In the ninth McCovey came to the plate against Pedro Borbon with two out and Thomas on third and Bill Madlock on first.

With the crowd standing and cheering, McCovey cracked a single to left center. After the game, he told reporters, “It was the greatest day I’ve ever had in baseball.”

April 10, 1979

Tamargo!

Game Played on Tuesday, April 10, 1979 (D) at Candlestick Park

SD N 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 7 1
SF N 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 - 4 8 0

Say what you will about the new retro ballparks. They hold their intimate charms and the fans love them. But none will ever know the awesome beauty of hosting a massive throng such as the one that filled Candlestick Park for the Home Opener in 1979. The turnstiles clicked 56,196 times. Bob Stevens noted it was the “largest San Francisco crowd ever.” The mark, as far as the regular season's biggest crowd, stood until April 12, 1993 (56,689 for the Home Opener) and is the team’s eighth largest regular season crowd at CandleCom.

Gaylord Perry and Vida Blue went at it, both giving up just two earned runs though eight and nine respectively. John D’Acquisto, another ex-Giants, relieved Perry in the bottom of the ninth. After two were out, up walks number 44, pinch-hitting for shortstop Roger Metzger. The crowd had given McCovey a one minute ovation when the team was introduced. Now Candlestick filled with roars of anticipation.

McCovey came through, cracking a single. Max Venable took his place with McCovey getting another round of applause. John Tamargo batted for Blue, he the owner of one home run in his previous 56 games as a back up catcher. On a 1-1 pitch, Tamargo hit a fastball over the fence in right and was mobbed by his teammates as he crossed the plate.

June 29, 1980

Going Out in Style

Game Played on Sunday, June 29, 1980 (D) at Candlestick Park

LA N 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 3 6 1
SF N 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 - 4 8 0

When it’s time to say goodbye to the game they love to play, it’s never easy for the greats. McCovey, giving in to the realities of his weakening knees, announced his retirement on June 22, 1980. He pointed to Sunday, July 6 in Los Angeles as his last game. With 46,244 on hand that day, McCovey got a standing ovation and hit a pinch-hit sac fly in the eighth to give the Giants a 4 to 3 lead. The Dodgers were determined to spoil McCovey’s goodbye, tying the game up in the ninth. McCovey’s teammates put three on the board in the tenth and won 7-4.

The weekend prior, the Dodgers invaded Candlestick for a four-game weekend series. The Giants were eleven games out of first but this was the rivalry and for some, a last chance to see their beloved slugger.

After losing the first game on Friday night 8 to 0, San Francisco bounced back with a thrilling win on Saturday afternoon. Down 2 to 1 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Giants tied it up. The Dodgers went ahead 4 to 3 in the tenth, only to watch the Giants tie it back up. The Giants won it in the bottom of the eleventh on Larry Herndon’s sac fly. McCovey had contributed to the rally with a pinch walk.

On Sunday, 50,229 filled The Stick for the doubleheader. In Game One, Don Sutton and Bob Knepper drew the mound assignment. Knepper scattered six hits in nine innings and held the Dodgers to three runs. Sutton went eight innings, giving up one earned run and three overall.

The game went to the bottom of the ninth tied at three. Bobby Castillo came on in relief. With Rennie Stennett on second and two out, McCovey pinch hit for Knepper. Bruce Jenkins described the sight of McCovey and the standing ovation as “one of the most memorable scenes in recent Giant history.”

On a one and one count, McCovey drilled a rocket to the gap in right center. Stennett scored easily as the crowd went nuts. After McCovey was mobbed by his teammates, he retreated to the clubhouse. For three minutes, the throng cheered, “We Want Willie!”

Number 44 came on to the field and tipped his hat in appreciation. My guess is there weren’t a lot of dry eyes.

The Presidents Cup to San Francisco

If the news holds true, it's a bittersweet goodbye for golf fans here in the nation's capital. After a four tournament stay at the beautiful, lakeside Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Northen Virginia, a short helicopter ride for the Golfer-in-Chief, the Presidents Cup will be moving to a new home at Harding Park.

I will miss the tournament a lot. I went all four times and always had a great time. Lots of good memories including getting to spend some time with my Air Force buddy Guy. In 1998, I think it was, we were standing outside the Players/Media tent catching up on old times. Guy's job is to make sure anyone who walks in has the proper credentials.

Next thing you know, here comes Ken Venturi.

"Hey Guy."

"Kennie."

Next up was Ernie Els. He looked right at me and nodded a hello.

Then came Vernon Jordan. Let me tell you, Jordan is the smoothest, most courteous person I ever saw in action. He tried explaining the situation. His well-dressed friend was a member of the club and had lost his badge. Couldn't the rules be bent?

Guy was having no part of it. No badge, no entry.

They turned and walked away.

"Do you know who that was?"

"Nope."

Vernon Jordan, only one of the most powerful players in Washington.

Guy was unimpressed.

So yes, I will miss it dearly. But with friends, family and acquaintances in the Bay Area, I'm happy to see it moving to San Francisco. The Presidents Cup doesn't have the intensity of the Ryder Cup, but that's just fine with me. Golf is not football as far as spectating and etiquette, but it's getting that way at the Ryder Cup.

In a dream world, I attended the whole week of action at the President Cups. In reality, I had to break it up. One year I went to the Opening Ceremonies instead of the matches. Pretty cool pomp and circumstance, especially if the President does make it.

The real deal, of course, and the reason there will be an outbreak of flu that late summer week in 2009, is the matches and getting to see the greats. The Presidents Cup provides the less crowded setting by controlling the number of tickets sold. It's like a fantasy getting to see Tiger, Phil, Vijay, Ernie and the other greats compete without the worry of the cut or early/late tee times. There's no purse but every single golfer out there would give a million to sink the heroic, match-winning putt.

As much as Mid-Atlantic golf fans are disappointed, there's an upside to moving the tournament. Weather-wise, we were very lucky. Late September, early October can be hit or miss. We had great weather all four times. But sooner or later, the odds were going to catch up with either a tropical weather system or a cold snap that would ruin the fun.

San Francisco, you're set for some great golf. Have fun and don't forget to brush up on your match play procedures.

Oh by the way. We send it to you with a perfect record. The Americans won all four times it was here.

Living Again

"Boys, we're living again."

That’s a quote attributed to Wes Westrum. Can’t find the reference but even if no one said it, there’s no need to tell you baseball fan what it's all about.

And on this day when pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale, we once again feel the sharp contrast between the warmth from that knowledge and the cold temps in many parts of the country. We say it every year but it’s so true.

Fishermen have a line – “Did you hear that bass jumping?”

We hear mitts popping.

Note: Don’t forget to check out the awesome Giantfan9. He’s blogging (yes!!) the spring training once again this year.

Yea, life begins on Opening Day but it wakes up today!!

More on The Cooperstown Giants

A follow up to my post yesterday. At the Giants official site, where they list Hall of Famers, they also list three broadcasters - Russ Hodges, Lon Simmons and Lindsey Nelson.

Beyond what is now, I concede, a tired argument of whether or not we should call broadcasters and writers Hall of Famers, I wanted to point out that this list is incomplete. Mel Allen (1939-1943), Jack Brickhouse (1946) and Ernie Harwell (1950-1953) should be added as being honored by the Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award and having spent some time behind the mike at Giants' games.

I’m also curious as to why the Giants, since they list the broadcasters, do not list the The J.G. Taylor Spink Award honorees, given annually to a baseball writer for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing." Such a list includes Bob Stevens, Leonard Koppett, John Drebinger, Heywood Broun, Damon Runyon, Frank Graham, Grantland Rice and a few I've surely overlooked.

The Giants were also covered by greats such as Sam Crane (1888 to 1925). It's a shame that Crane and some of his colleagues have not received the Spink award.

By the way, if you'd like to read about some of these forgotten writers, be sure and visit Baseball Fever. Bill Burgess has posted some of his incredible research on not only writers but other baseball players and figures as well. It's a true labor of love and I've never seen anything like it on the web.