Around The Horn

A new era in baseball begins in 2006. For the first time in the storied history of this great game, all illegal substances which heighten performance will be, truly and finally, banned from the game. Where will players turn for performance improvement? Does a product exist today that is legal and does not have any harmful side effects? Would baseball endorse such a product? Well here it is, CoreControl www.AVACORE.com. A recent article, “Totally Cool” in the 11/14 issue of Sports Illustrated explains how many athletes are now enhancing their performance using a device based on technology developed at Stanford University. The story talks about football players and boxers, not baseball.

After reading the story I sent missives to both the CEO and the company doctor asking what CoreControl™ could do for baseball. The next day both Ron Piasecki and Dr. Alan Dumont, MD responded to my email, and each of them took the time to call me up. I also communicated with Russ Miller, retired Detroit Tiger trainer, who is an advisor to the company. They explained how training with CoreControl™ can have many of the same results as steroids, without the adverse side effects. They indicated it would also keep your mind fresher and can improve endurance on hot days. I asked them if a pitcher used it, would they be able to pitch each third day, instead of each fifth. I was told that probably could not happen, but they said that some players might pitch every fourth day, without a tired arm, and be just as effective. I was told you could throw with better velocity in the sixth inning than normal by using the device in the dugout between innings. They explained to me that your cognitive functions and therefore your reflexes would be maintained at peak levels during a game by using this product between innings. This could mean that baseball players that once used some type of amphetamine to keep their body strong enough to play 162 games could now go cold turkey instead of using illegal performance improvement substances. They could simply use CoreControl™ to achieve most of the desired results, while not risking their health and any of the harsh sanctions that are now, at long last, a part of the game.

I am
The Fan’s Commish

Rick Swanson

Numbers, numbers, numbers. Yankee baseball has always been about numbers. Salary numbers, uniform numbers , record numbers - making for fascinating history and trivia. In 1929, the New York Yankees introduced identifying numbers sewn on the backs of player jerseys, the first time that uniform numbers were used on a full-time basis. The “original” ten Yankee uniform numbers were:

#1 - Earle Combs
#2 - Mark Koenig
#3 - Babe Ruth
#4 - Lou Gehrig
#5 - Bob Meusel
#6 - Tony Lazzeri
#7 - Leo Durocher
#8 - Johnny Grabowski
#9 - Benny Bengough
#10 - Bill Dickey

Beginning with Lou Gehrig’s number 4 in 1939, the Yankees have retired 14 uniform numbers to honor 15 players and managers. Two single digit numbers have yet to be retired: Number 2 (worn by Derek Jeter) and Number 6 (worn by Joe Torre). Torre had originally requested #13 but it belonged to utility man Jim Leyritz.

In two different stints with the Yankees, Charlie Keller wore four different numbers. From 1939 to 1943, and then again in 1949, he wore #9. From 1945 to 1948 he wore #12. In 1952, his final year as a player, the man they called “King Kong” alternated between #28 and #99 in the two games he played.

Jim Bouton was given #56 in spring training in 1962. When it was obvious that the hyper hurler was going to make the team, he was given #27. But Bouton wanted to keep #56 to “remind me of how close I was to not making the team.”

And we’ve got your number in the following list:

Zero Fewest passed balls in a season: 1931

The number of days Dave Winfield spent in minor-league baseball before reaching the majors.

.00009 The difference between the batting average of George “Snuffy” Stirnweiss: .30854 and White Sox Tony Cuccinello: .30845 in the closest batting race in major league history, 1945.

1 The number of times Babe Ruth was pinch hit for. (Bobby Veach on August 9, 1925.) Joe DiMaggio is the only player to get at least one hit in All-Star Games at Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds, and Ebbets Field. During Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game hit streak, he had just one hit in 34 of those games.

1.95 The career earned-run average of Herb Pennock in World Series competition.

2 The number of times Babe Ruth hit grand slam homers on consecutive days.
The number of managerial tours of duty of Dick Howser, Bob Lemon, Gene Michael and Lou Piniella.
The fewest shutouts by a pitching staff in a season, 1994.
The fewest times in a season grounded into a double play: Mickey Mantle, 1961, Mickey Rivers, 1977.
Most grand slams in a game, Tony Lazzeri, May 24, 1936 at Philadelphia.
The number of times a pitcher gave up home runs to the same batter in All Star competition.
Willie Mays homered off Whitey Ford in 1956 and then again in 1960.

2.57 Lowest earned run average by a Yankee pitching staff, 1904.

5 The number of times Mickey Mantle reached the gothic iron facade that hung from the old stadium’s roof.

6 The number of times Billy Martin had a tour of duty as manager. The number of Yankee starters: Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, Red Rolfe, Red Ruffing, and George Selkirk in the 1939 All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Mantle’s rookie uniform number.

9 Myron Hoag’s uniform number. Charlie Keller’s uniform number from 1939 to 1943 and in 1949. From 1945 to 1948 he wore #12. In his final year,1952, Keller played in two games and alternated between #28 and #99. Joe DiMaggio’s rookie number. Roger Maris’ number, retired July 21, 1984. The most .300 hitters in the 1930 season. The most shutouts in a season: Ron Guidry, 1978.

12 The number of ballparks Babe Ruth hit at least one home run in. The number of times Babe Ruth led the American League in homers. Billy Martin’s rookie uniform number.

14 The number of players lost in the 1918 season to military service.
The record for the most consecutive years playing in 100 games or more: Lou Gehrig.
The team record for runs scored in an inning: fifth inning against Washington, July 6, 1920.
Lou Gehrig, career steals of home.

15 Babe Ruth three times had 15 homers in one month; DiMaggio and Maris accomplished that feat once.
The number of Yankee retired numbers, most for any team.
Babe Ruth, total World Series home runs, second place all time.
Thurman Munson uniform number, retired, 1979.
Yankees have won more than 100 games a season, a record (thru 2001 Most runs allowed by Yankees in post-season competition, Game 6, 2001 World Series.
Babe Ruth three times had 15 homers in one month; DiMaggio and Maris accomplished that feat once.

16 Whitey Ford uniform number, retired, 1974.
Hall of Famers have a Yankee logo on their plaque.
Dallas Green was fired on August 16, 1989 becoming the 16th manager fired by Steinbrenner.
The “Boss” also disposed of four coaches that day for good measure.
Monthly home run best: Mickey Mantle (16) May 1956.

17 Monthly home run best: Babe Ruth September 1927.
Mickey Mantle struck out a record 17 times in 16 All Star at bats.
Roy White, franchise record for sacrifice flies in a season, 1971.
Years Bill Dickey played for the Yankees.
The trade that sent Larsen to the Yankees was the largest in history. Completed in two stages, it involved 17 players. On Nov. 18, 1954, Larsen, Bob Turley and Billy Hunter came to the Yankees for Harry Byrd, Jim McDonald, Hal Smith, Gus Triandos, Gene Woodling and Willie Miranda. The deal was finalized on December 1 with Mike Blyzka, Darrell Johnson, Jim Fridley and Dick Kryhoski also coming to New York for Bill Miller, Kal Segrist, Don Leppert and minor leaguer Ted DelGuercio.
August 1989 Bucky Dent replaced Dallas Green as manager - the 17th managerial shift since 1973 when George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees.
Late in his career, Gehrig’s hands were x-rayed and doctors spotted 17 fractures that had “healed” while he continued to play.
On his 17th birthday in 1985, in his native Puerto Rico, Bernie Williams signed a contract to play professional baseball for the Yankees.

18 Most years with the Yankees: Yogi Berra (1946-1963), Mickey Mantle (1951-1968).
Most World Series home runs, Mickey Mantle.

19 Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in a decade of playing together homered in the same inning 19 times.
Longest winning streak, 1947.
Managerial changes Steinbrenner made in eighteen years, before Buck Showalter came along and lasted four years as manager.
Whitey Ford’s rookie uniform number.
Derek Jeter set a 5-game World Series record with 19 total bases in 2000.

21 Babe Ruth hit 21 of his 60 homers in 1927 with the same bat. He used to carve a notch around the trademark each time he homered.

25 Fewest total players used in a season, 1923, 1927.
Most consecutive games with a home run, 1941.
Don Zimmer’s age when he was on the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers, who played the Yankees in the World Series. A broken cheekbone kept Zimmer from playing.
Uniform number selected by Jason Giambi when he signed with the Yankees in December 2001. The 2 and 5 added up to “7,” Mickey Mantle’s retired number, the player Jason’s father idolized growing up. The new Yankee would have preferred #16 but that was Whitey Ford’s number, long retired.

31 Number of managers all time through Joe Torre.

36 Frank Crosetti wore Yankees pinstripes for a record 36 years.

45 Forty five different players wore the Yankee uniform in 1913 including seven catchers.
Reggie Jackson played in 45 league championship games.

50 The bat that Babe Ruth hits his 50th home run with in 1920 was auctioned off to raise money to help starving Amenians in Turkey.
Fewest wins in a season by a Yankee team, 1912.
Most players used in a season by a Yankee team, 1989.
Mariano Rivera saved 50 games in 2001, setting a new team record and recording the third-highest total in AL history.

104 Bill Virdon, Manager of the Year award winner in 1974, was fired after 104 games in 1975.

126 Cal Ripken, most games played at Yankee Stadium by an opposing player June 18, 1982 - September 30, 2001

.309 Highest team batting average for a season, 1930

$400 - the amount Mickey Mantle was paid in 1949 to finish out a minor league season.

413 - Smallest home attendance for a game, September 25, 1966

420 - Fewest strikeouts in a season, 1924

.439 - Highest World Series batting average, Bobby Brown.

454 2/3 - Number of innings Jack Chesbro pitched for Highlanders,1904

457 - Babe Ruth, all time season leader in total bases - 1921: 101 singles, 44 doubles, 16 triples, 59 home runs

.471 -Joe Torre’s career winning percentage as a manager prior to coming to the Yankees in 1996.

1921 - In the 1921 World Series, it was brother versus brother - Bob Meusel of the Yankees against Emil Meusel of the Giants. It was also the first time in baseball history that the World Series was played at one stadium, the Polo Grounds. It was the final best-of-nine games World Series.

$6,595.38 - The amount payable in 1927 in bi-weekly checks to Babe Ruth that added up to the record salary he earned of $70,000.

$7,500 - Mickey Mantle’s 1951 rookie salary

$8,000 - Joe DiMaggio’s rookie season salary, 1936.

$10,000,000 - amount George Steinbrenner and his group paid to purchase the Yankees on January 3, 1973.

$189,000,000 - The amount of Derek Jeter’s 10 year deal signed in 2001.

HF

Harvey Frommer is now in his 32nd. consecutive year of writing sports books. His “Old Time Baseball” will be published in 2006. He is the author of 38 sports books, including the classics: “New York City Baseball,” “Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball,” “Rickey and Robinson,” “A Yankee Century,” and “Red Sox Vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry” (with Frederic J. Frommer). Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.

For the Red Sox fan who has everything, the top gift to have this season, has to be “The Nation” A documentary about Red Sox fans produced and directed by Lenny Manzo. It is currently available at www.rsfans.com. First we had Cowboy up, and last year Faith Rewarded, but The Nation truly is a story that reaches the soul of every Red Sox Nation member. It really shows the strong ties of family and faith from Milford, CT to Rumford, ME. From Rutland VT to Portsmouth, both RI and NH. From Provincetown to Stockbridge. Every Red Sox fan can relate, from the first time their dad took them, to the first time they took their kids. It showed how these fans really care with passion and agony the following of a team year after year. For those over 50 it is a story to remember Yaz and the Impossible Dream. “My father held on to my jacket, and wouldn’t let me run on the field with 10,000 others, because in his words, there still were more games to be played on that field, the World Series.” That day fans stole all the bases, and even dug up the bloody mound as one writer wrote the next day. For those over 40, there are stories from the 70’s. There was the joy of Carlton Fisk, and even losing the seventh game, didn’t hurt. The only pain was pinch hitting for Willoughby. The first real pain came from watching B.F. Dent’s lazy fly. That was a tough pill to swallow. The editing was poignant, as it had one fan after another, all saying the same thing, with regards to that sad day in October of 1978. The next segment is for those in the thirtysomething that can remember 1986 and the bright lights of Shea proclaiming, “The NY Mets congratulate the Boston Red Sox 1986 World Champions.” The last part is for those of this generation. The members of the Nation that for the first time in 2003 were baptized with the pain of Grady and Boone. One fan talks about how he needed to release tension by breaking something, and how he took it out on his grill, destroying it because of a baseball game. The end turns out to be a happy one as the 2004 season brings joy to the whole Nation, but first there was the pain of game 3 in 2004. Up until the moment when Roberts was safe, every member of the Nation felt this doom that would never end. The remaining 8 games became a blur, that sometimes today, Red Sox fans have to ask themselves “Did we really win the World Series last year?”

The Nation is a documentary that gives the essence of what it really is like to be a true fan of the Red Sox.

I am The Fan’s Commish, but really someone who is proud to be part of The Nation

In an interview with Chris Myers, Commissioner Bud Selig made some revelations. Foremost was his “4 more years” admission. Bud Selig will leave the office in December 2009. That gives me four years to start my campaign to move from “The Fan’s Commish” to the real deal. Another point of interest made by Bud was his desire for realignment in the game. He also admitted if this did ever occur, then there would be an abolishment of the designated hitter. Here are the new divisions now lets see if we can add this and subtract the DH. If baseball gives this just one year, as a trial, I guarantee it will last for the rest of the century.

Northeast/Southwest: Boston Red Sox, NY Yankees, NY Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks

Southeast: Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Florida Marlins

Mideast: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers

Midwest: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers

California: San Diego Padres, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s

Texas/North Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins

Bud also talked about adding more playoff teams, so what if we added 2 more wild cards and then made them really wild. The Monday after the season ends, will be known as Wild Card Monday. The four Wild Cards will play one game, and the winners advance to the real playoffs. This way there is a premium put on winning your division, and Wild Cards would have to survive a one game playoff just to advance to the real playoffs. In this new set up each team will play teams in their own division 2 teams 15 times and 2 teams 16 times. (62 games) Each team will play all the other 25 teams 4 games. (100 games) Every 2 years you would see all the teams at your home park. Since many series will become 4 game series, each team will play 15 doubleheaders or day night games. In effect June July and August will have more games played, and less games will be played in April and September. The season will end by September 20 and the World Series will end by Columbus Day. There will be no more DH in baseball, but there will be more excitement. There will not be an American League and National League champion, but there will be 6 teams that will win a pennant. The playoffs will be seeded from best record to worse, with the remaining Wild Card teams seeded 7th and 8th. Teams from the same division, could end up playing in the World Series. This format could produce a World Series between the Red Sox and the Yankees. Maybe Arizona does not belong in the Northeast, but with Josh Byrnes as GM, and Randy Johnson in NY, and Curt Schilling in Boston, there could be quite a rivalry there now.

Do you think this idea would be for the good of the game?

Let me know, I am The Fan’s Commish for now

Rick Swanson