September 7, 1982
Los Angeles
"I have met presidents, governors, senators, and congressmen. I know famous writers, artists, musicians, and industrialists. The most exciting man I ever met - my only hero - was Casey Stengel." --Maury Allen, New York Post columnist and professional writer
Cover image at left by Jagne Parks
Report from Los Angeles
by the Editor
And so, in the beginning of September, they're saying the Dodgers are going to take the pennant. It scares me. They're the same ones who said the Dodgers were out of the running in late August. They're the same ones who wrote off the World Champs last season just before the various playoffs. They have little spirit, even less imagination and no soul. There they are, the newspaper writers, the television announcers, half the Los Angeles fans. They know they're always right, and now they say the Dodgers are going to win. I'm getting worried.
The only man to ever be killed in a major league baseball game was Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman. The year was 1920. Chapman was batting second in a mid-August game against the Boston Red Sox. The pitcher was Carl Mays. Chapman hit two doubles off Mays and stole third twice. He made it home both times. In the field, the made two putouts, two assists, and two errors. Mays, the least liked player in the league even before he killed Chapman, hit Ray twice in the game. The second time he hit him in the head and killed him. The ball ricocheted off hes head and halfway back to the pitchers mound; Mays made sure he got the out and threw the ball to first.
A. L. Reader sends two items of interest. The first concerns Tommy Lasorda, Jr. Choosing new romantic clothes over a baseball uniform, Tommy Jr. claims his pop "...could talk the back legs off a donkey." He disdains mind altering substances, but claims that if there was a drug that "...kept the dark circles from under your eyes and your hair shining, I'd be pounding [it] down my throat." The second item is an example of how baseball can affect matters outside the world of sports. It seems that Roone Arledge, President of ABC, was extremely upset with Bob Lemon over the Yankees lack of initiative last season in the World Series. If Lemon had managed the Yankees into a seventh game, the premiere of last season's HILL STREET BLUES would have been postponed. Unfortunately for Toone, of course, the Dodgers dispatched New York the night before and nobody watched ABC's 20/20. Ain't it a shame. Thanks for the info, A.L.
Starting this issue: The Ken Koss Kwiz: What are the seven ways a man can reach base? (Answer next issue.)
Under a Lot of Strain
by Ann M
Actually, I really have nothing to contribute to Baseball Diary, as any trace of child-like enjoyment of the sport I might have had has long been crushed by living with a Kansas City Royals addict.
I'm sorry to bore you with the gruesome details, but with the playoffs only weeks away and Kansas City in first place, I'm getting desperate. Now take today for example, Kansas City is playing the Yankees. I'm no fool - I exit for the entire game only to come home to find Jim poised with remote control switch in hand acting like he'd just discovered the theory of relativity. "Come here, come here," he says. "I've gotta show you something. You're really going to love this!" I am suspicious. "Is the game over" I ask. "Yes," he says, and begins to punch away at the video recorder. For a few minutes I am amused watching Willie Wilson and George Brett race around in jerky triple time, but the novelty quickly wears thin and I want facts. "Get to the point, " I demand. Jim, however, ignores my request for a succinct explanation and continues to "fast search" through the game while babbling about this great discovery he has made. This goes on for a few minutes until he is unable to find the "right place" AND under threat of my imminent departure, he is forced to reveal his find.
It seems, ladies and gentlemen, that Jim has discovered (by using careful scientific measures and the single frame advance on the video recorder) that while executing similar double plays and starting from the moment the second baseman has the ball in his glove until the moment the ball is released, that it takes Willie Randolf of the Yankees 24 frames to complete the motion and Frank White of the Royals only 21. In addition, when Frank White was making the play, the ball was received by the first baseman two frames before the runner touched the bag. THIS, he theorizes, (and get this because that's all there will be) means that if Willie Randolf had been the second baseman on that play, the runner would have been safe! This hypothesis now becomes the platform from which to launch a polemic attack on any New York Yankee fans who might have the audacity to even SUGGEST that Willie Randolf might be the best second baseman in the American League. "After all, " Jim explains, "Frank White hasn't won five Golden Gloves for nothing!" On that note, Jim rests his case. There can be no other conclusion. Based solely on pure scientific data, it has been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that Willie Randolf is the SECOND best second baseman in the American League - Frank White has inched him out (by one frame!)
What truly astounds me is not that this is how my 39 year old highly educated partner chooses to spend his Saturday afternoon. But what does leave me absolutely dumbfounded is that he would think I would actually want to SEE it, to sit there, frame by frame by frame by frame. Tortuously giving a life of minutes to an event that barely deserves a split second. That's what id does to you, this addiction; this seasonal monkey on your back that comes in the spring, like allergies! This insanity that devours you, distorting your vision and forcing your loved ones to stoop to rooting desperately against a team they care nothing about!
Oh, excuse me, I really didn't mean to get carried away. It's just that, well, with the American League Western Division lead changing daily from California to Kansas City - I've been under a lot of strain. (But with KC losing five of its last seven games, I just admit I have been more hopeful of late.)
I'm enclosing a small contribution in order to help with Xeroxing costs. However, I hope that the growing tendency of Baseball Diary to become a Dodger fan letter will stop. The Dodgers are frankly a team with a limited reader interest. (Although I hear they have a nice stadium.)
Response from the Editor:
Ann: First of all, we thank you profusely for your financial aid viz-a-viz Baseball Diary. We can only hope that this will develop into a trend, especially with our new policy of color covers when the material warrants (visual artists take note). Secondly, thank you for your column. We can only assure you that we sympathize with your situation, i.e., having to live with a Royals fan. Thirdly, a bit of an explanation about the Baseball Diary editorial policy. WE have no desire to be "...a Dodger fan letter..." BUT - we recognize Los Angeles' superiority on the major league baseball diamond. Despite the fact that the Big Blue Wrecking Krew is technically the best team in baseball, the World Champions in fact, one need only look at the team to realize their importance. Pedro Guerrero may well be the National League Most Valuable Player this year, Valenzuela is having a great second full season, and Dusty Baker has one of the top ten batting averages in the League. And that's just for starters. Baseball Diary is based in Los Angeles and the editorial staff is, obviously, strongly pro-Dodger. Now here's the other side of the thing. We accept material for publication on ANY team. We encourage submissions, we search our mailbox for submissions. Only one quarter of the people on our mailing list live in or around Los Angeles. The rest are scattered across the United States. So you see, the more submissions we get, the more varied will be the teams discussed. And while we're on the subject, BD would like to institute a new policy: for every submission one of you makes, please include the name and address of someone you think would enjoy AND CONTRIBUTE TO this publication. That's it for now.
Baseball Diary is accepting submissions of a personal, penetrating nature relating to baseball. Prose, poetry or visuals are welcome. Letters, too.
Baseball Diary Editor and Publisher: William Fuller
No comments:
Post a Comment