Idle thoughts on an idle day
One of the great things about growing up in the military and being able to watch Minor League baseball in places like Montgomery Alabama is you get to see players like Mark Fidrych before they ever get to the Major Leagues.
Actually got Mickey Vernon’s autograph one time at a Salinas Packers game. He was scouting for somebody at the time.
Ten players I would have loved to watch in person: 1. Christy Mathewson; 2. Jackie Robinson; 3. Babe Ruth; 4. Mike Kelly; 5. Bill “Kid” Nance. 6. Steve Dalkowski; 7. Bob Feller; 8. Satchell Paige; 9. Sandy Koufax; 10. Joe DiMaggio
Just finished The Yankee Years by Tom Verducci. One of the best baseball books ever written. Yes it is about Joe Torre but far more than that. It is about baseball over the past 15 years and as good as anything about that era that has been written.
One game I wish I could have witnesses: Game 3 of the 1932 World Series.
Think smebody could have at least been more imaginative with the outfield signs at the Ballpark in Arlington? Yes the revenue is important but how about some creativity that blends in with the overall ambience of the park?
David Murphy or Marlon Byrd. You would like to see Murphy get a chance to get going. He was a definite Rookie of the Year candidate. But people are beginning to understand the importance of Byrd on this team on and off the field. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers (and other teams) view his free agency.
Still remember 20-plus years ago when Norm Hitzges was going off on some tangent during a Rangers broadcast and Merle Harmon told him, “Norm that’s enough!” right there on the air.
Wonder if Rudy Jaramillo will be the first coach ever inducted into a Major League team’s Hall of Fame without ever having played a game in the Majors?
At this point don’t care if they ever commercially develop the land around the Ballpark. Just finish the construction and maintain the original pastoral setting.
Jason Jennings’ slider may be the single best pitch on the Rangers pitching staff. He didn’t seem to thrilled when I suggested he should remain in the bullpen permanently. Just my suggestion but nobody listens to me.
But then I never suggested that the Rangers might be wise to pursue Juan Cruz.
T.R. Sullivan
Toby
It sure looks like the Rangers are moving toward looking at Jennings as the right handed set-up guy…….how that stretches him out to eventaully move him back to the rotation is a mystery to me……..Though I will say I think he can help either place……..
I am reading the Yankee Years and as a Red Sox fan I am loving it! The background on the Red Sox – Yankees rivalry is fascinating.
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
Someone should tell Norm that more often. Hehehe
Byrd should be playing, no doubt, he is on fire. But how about moving him around in the outfield and at DH. Murphy, Cruz and Hamilton are the future. I seem to remember someone showing stats that Hamilton’s numbers dropped drastically after playing a day game after a night game. Since this is the case, then why not sit Hamilton during this process? Murphy or Byrd could play center field and left field. Nolan says he loves Murphy and lets this happen? Byrd and Jones are in their 30′s and could be the future here, but Byrd if he keeps playing the way he is playing is gonna want Bradley money. Same goes for Jones. We have already proven that we aren’t going to ante up at that price. So play Murphy he is a good player too, he just needs to play. Slumps are a part of baseball. You would think with our abundance of talent that someone might get traded for some pitching help.