We’re talking about the GOLD GLOVE AWARD. What third-baseman should be held up as the example of fielding excellence. Brooks Robinson. Clete Boyer.
Did Gold Glove voters consider Ozzie Smith’s hitting or base stealing abilities? To not consider Mr. Felix for a Gold Glove because of his lack of hitting, or because nobody knows him, speaks of big-city / regional media bias. Perhaps the Gold Gloves should be divided between the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Red Sox!
Games played should be a factor, though it’s not as big a deal as when determining the MVP. Perhaps it’s like having enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title. Fielding percentage, range factor, great plays – yes, they all should be considered. Errors are a valid statistic, certainly not antiquated.
The MLB rulebook concerning Official Scorekeeping addresses errors in section 10.12. When it comes down to it, it says: “…in the scorer's judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the official scorer shall charge such fielder with an error.”
While there may be minor differences in judgments of official scorers in different cities, those differences are minute. Review each error? I trust the scorers…they’ve attended tons of games just to qualify, many more than you or me. You could review the errors to see how greatly they contributed to the outcome of that game. The Mets had a losing record in games Wright committed an error.Great plays could be reviewed and tabulated as well.
Players make spectacular plays, but Zimmerman and Wright botched ordinary plays twice as often as Felix, Ramirez, and Jones. For that reason alone the GOLD GLOVE shouldn’t be given to Zim or Wright.
We’re pulling each other’s chains here. A bunch of words and pretty pictures aren’t convincing arguments, guys. I’ve only been watching / studying / loving baseball over all other sports for 45 years, but I don’t know everything. My oft-mentioned CPA friend is more of a student of the game than me. He agrees that Wright shouldn’t have won. Perhaps I can get him to render his opinion. The last post gave the opinion of a veteran MLB beat-writer (who’s always respected Wright’s hitting), who was similarly perplexed.
Upon further review, perhaps travesty is a strong word. Between Zim, Wright, Felix, Ramirez, and Jones, there are numerous arguments and perhaps no clear favorite. But using any quantifiable measure of fielding, what places Wright first?
Things you always wanted to know about James Brown, host of CBS's NFL Pregame show. Formerly Bradshaw's buddy (still is). Joked about his name. Well spoken, even without a teleprompter.
This morning I attended the “Buckhead Businessman’s Prayer Breakfast” put on by Church of the Apostles, at the Cobb Galleria. Saw pastor Michael Youssef, who’s older than I thought, and saw Eldrin Bell slip in by himself. Sat at a table with Bob Abernathy. There were 136 tables seating ten each, and most were full. Matthew’s baseball coach Tim Turner had invited me.
Bob Volyes introduced the speaker, James Brown, “JB” – the host of the CBS NFL pregame show, formerly on the Fox NFL pregame. I knew he was an Ivy Leaguer…Harvard. He went there because he was impressed by Bill Bradley. Drafted by the Hawks in the Maravich era but cut by Cotton Fitzsimmons, who told him he knew he’d be a success. JB told just a few stories, but mainly stuck to a timeline of his life.
Told why he switched back to CBS from Fox…partly because LA-based Fox dragged their feet, but at the same time got a nice offer from NYC-based CBS. Lives in DC…his mother was sick at the time. JB has recently lost 30 pounds, and looked good.
Voyles was reading a list of JB’s accomplishments, and stopped after noting that JB was a part-owner of the Washington Nationals…and Volyes asked how they were doing. Kind of a cheap shot. Later JB said the Nats were on the right track, and noted that he was a minority owner in more ways than one.
JB also mentioned Tony Dungy’s book, which Ceil read while sitting around the hospital when her dad had surgery. She loved it. I saw Dungy on Letterman. People had wanted Dungy to write a book for year, but he never took the time until the Colts won the Super Bowl. The book people told him it would take 6 months to write and 3 to publicize. Dungy didn’t have that time, so he prayed. God told Tony to write the book and not worry about the rest. He wrote it (with help) in 2 weeks and traveled for 10 days in July to publicize it, including hitting all the Letterman & Leno type shows. The book people expected to sell 100,000 during the book’s life…instead it sold 400,000 copies in a month.
What a good idea to comment on the MLB choices for each team’s most outstanding player.I have been casting my votes…here they are, along with some comments.I’ll rank all five for each team.First my favorite, the senior circuit…
Arizona:Randy Johnson’s perfect game and Series championship beats out Gonzalez’s steady career.Williams also starred for the Giants, Bell for the Pirates.Why not Greg Counsell or Curt Schilling?
Braves:(1) Aaron, no question. (2) Spahn is the all-time winningest lefty. (3) Niekro won 300 pitching for horrible teams. (4) Tie!Chipper’s run of 100+ RBI seasons and Smoltz’s 150 wins and saves put them at Cooperstown’s doorstep…but how do you pick them over Maddux or Glavine?Dale Murphy’s back to back MVP seasons also take a back seat, because the selectors must’ve wanted young voters to bleed votes away from Aaron.
Cubs:Five fine choices…Ernie, Billy, the underrated Jenkins, Ryno, and Santo.And I wore Sandberg’s 23 at the fantasy camp.Yes, Sammie got the shaft.
Reds:I’ve been voting for Bench instead of the tainted hit king.Robinson had a great career, but it was so split between the Reds and Orioles.Bench, Rose, Robinson, Morgan, Perez.
Rockies: Not much to pick from here, though Larry Walker was a five tool players before being slowed by injuries.Career Rockie Helton tops, Walker, Coor’s Field stud Vinny, El Cate Grande (loved by all Braves fans), and Bichette.
Marlins:With the revolving door swinging after each title, nobody has taken a foothold.Dontrell becomes the Marlins all-time wins leader this year.Then Series hero Beckett, followed by Castillo, Conine, and Nen.
Astros:Tough call…I’ll pick Nolan over Biggio and Bagwell, then the Toy Cannon, and Dierker, who has done everything in the organization.How about Ceasar Cedeno?
Dodgers:Even tougher.Jackie is tops, for all he went through.Koufax’s short, excellent career is second, then Campy, Pee Wee, and Duke. Tough to leave off Drysdale, Orel, and Fernando. A step below are Garvey, Dusty, and Kirk.
Brewers:Yount was great at the plate, at short, and center…beating out Molitor and Fingers, both of whom also starred elsewhere.Then the under-rated Cooper and Gantner.
Mets:As a Braves fan, perhaps I should be voting for Strawberry.Surely Tom Terrific is tops.The other guys pale in comparison.(2) Strawberry tore it up while he was a Met.(3) Franco’s long career tops (4) Series hero Tug and (5) Piazza, whose best days were in Dodger blue.What about Dwight Gooden?
Phillies:I’m taking Lefty over Schmidt, then Roberts, Klein (who I don’t recall), and Ashburn. They outrank Luzinski, Bowa, and that great centerfielder (Elliot Maddox?).
Pirates:Being old school, Honus barely tops the excellent Clemente.Feared power hitter Stargell then beats Series hero Maz and Kiner.Didn’t Pittsburgh have a skinny outfielder win a few MVP’s in the 90’s?
Cardinals:Again the old school Stan the Man beats out the tough as nails Gibson, whom I still dislike for his stint as the Bravos pitching coach…trying to make Rick Mahler a power pitcher!The Wizard’s illustrious career tops Pujols, whom I love…he could be the player of this decade.Brock is no slouch, but brings up the rear of these five.
Padres:Gwynn spent his entire career in San Diego, and boy could he hit for average…most of the time in pain.That beats the amazing Winfield, whom I’m telling my boys about.Winfield spent many years with other teams.Hoffman has been quietly piling up saves for a mostly average team.Jones pitched a no-hitter, and maybe Giles is the current favorite…what about the shortstop Greene?Or Garry Templeton…or Ozzie?
Giants:Say Hey Willie tops this tough five.Perhaps if Bonds wasn’t so tainted and self-absorbed I would pick him.Third is Mel Ott, who hit his 500 homers in a tougher time than Stretch…who stuck around past his prime to pile up homers.Marichal was quite the competitor.
Expos/Nationals:Whether Tim Raines?Wasn’t his number retired?And Ellis Valentine, or even Warren Cromarte?Carter was not my favorite, but he beats le Grande Orange.Write in time!Soriano’s performance for the Nats this year puts him third, then Raines and Valentine.Don’t the Nats have an above average closer?
I always stress going to the weekday Braves games.Wanted to leave work around 2:30, 2:45…3 pm at the latest.Boss called me in to work on a project at 2 pm, so I didn’t leave until 3:15.Left home with the boys right at 4 pm, make a quick run through the Lower Roswell McDonalds drive-thru, and it took 30 minutes to make it to 75…going my best short cut way.Still, even with a stall on the downtown connector, we were in line at 4:55, before the games opened.The same guy was behind us in line last week.I’ve ditched my old free Clark Howard parking spot across the connector and park next to the stadium at the old ballpark lot.Getting out of the car, I realized Matthew hadn’t brought his glove.
We had the same deal as always during BP…Will on the front row, me sitting several rows back, at the end of a row.Francoeur was wandering around the outfield…Will wanted him to sign his jersey, but it was a logistical impossibility.Frenchy picked up a ball, and facing the plate, tossed it high over his head, into the stands…right toward me.I should’ve made a leaping basketball rebound, because the guy in the row in front of me knocked it away…neither of us got it (it bounced to a lady, which was nice).But then a Brave hit a BP HR to the section to my left, so I stood and turned that way, to observe.The ball bounded right, soaring past me.I reached back with my right hand and made a nice outstretched one-handed catch, which brought a few cheers.Matthew was delighted when I handed him the ball.Just a minute later Will reached across his body, in front of a few others, and speared a line drive HR himself.
For the first time, both the balls had green print on them…they were official MLB practice balls, with Selig’s signature…made in China.Aren’t game balls still made in Haiti?Andruw hit a HR off the facing, inches below in 1992 championship flag, the longest ball I’d seen hit.It seemed like he and JF were just trying to hit HRs in BP.Levian Hernandez was having a good time tossing balls into the stands, as was that long-haired Nats reliever.Soriano waved to those calling him while talking to Jorge Sosa.Remlinger chatted with John Wetteland and Mike Stanton.It was fun watching Soriano and Nick Johnson’s sweet swings.In BP Soriano hit most of the balls to RCF. Orr was in CF during BP, charging every ball and throwing home, but he was just amusing himself…seeing where the ball rolled to. Betemit stayed close to the infield, particularly 3B.
Matthew wanted to return to Tooner Field after BP, and he and Will played in the little game with the other kids.Matthew almost hit the ball out of the park, up onto the ramp to the upper deck…much further than the other kids his size.I was amazed.Will had brought his notebook to keep score of the game.We sat in RF, but Matthew and I walked around to the Coke bottle so he could run a little.We sat in a spot where we couldn’t see the Nats CF crash into the wall and get hurt…and they didn’t show a replay.We stayed to the end of the game. During last night’s game, Will decided we’d get one of those 40th anniversary patches to sew on his red jersey sleeve.
While Cox sticks by his players and they win it at the end, other managers (like Larry Bowa, the Phillies and the Mets...in the past?) make those daily changes.In the meantime, everyone panics when you’re not in first place, winning every game.I shouldn’t let Kincaid get to me (that’s his plan, right?), but after several days of panic over the losing streak, yesterday they weren’t happy about the victory.What will make them happy?It’s not like we haven’t had these same problems the last 14 years…we haven’t led wire to wire every year!
When the Braves hit 8 HR that Sunday afternoon in Chicago, so many were hit that Matthew made a list of who hit them. This was when Will was in Rome, Ceil was napping, and I was off shopping with Anna.Watching by himself, he was “keeping score”!
I’m taking off tomorrow…we’re going up to Lake Burton…a Little League family is up there for the week. Saw a Georgia plate…NWOLEANS.
As my boss had suspected, this morning when a guy called from one of our Florida offices, he mentioned the upcoming move. When I boss leaves, I will get more questions about the reports that I send out.
Last December Ceil went to the same optometrist’s office we had before, in network.But a different doctor, who was out of network. Only cost $175.00 extra.I’ve used up my Flexible Medical Spending amount…next year I’ll know to raise the amount.
No relation to Dale! Lifetime Georgia boy...enjoys visiting the rest of the USA. The CPA is my buddy with a finger on the pulse of MLB. I'm a GT grad who also appreciates UGA. Love the Braves & MLB, tolerate the Falcons, Hawks, & Thrashers. A worker bee enjoying Little League & ballet - my excuse for not having hours to write & research. More ramblings can be found at www.sacrifice fly.blogspot. com
