Trip to the Video Store ...
A little trip down memory lane here -- it was 25 years ago Thursday that the infamous pine-tar incident, starring enraged George Brett and fellow Sparty alumnus Tim McClelland, took place at Yankee Stadium.
A little refresher before the video: After Brett's ninth-inning homer off soon-to-be enshrined Yankees reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage to put the Royals up 5-4, Billy Martin -- the part-time Yankees skipper and part-time former Yankees skipper -- complained that the slugger's bat contained too much pine tar.
McClelland, going by the book, agreed (there was a good 24 inches; only 18 was allowed) and called Brett out. Then all hell broke loose in what might be the single-most played baseball video clip of all time (or at least it would square off in the film final against Willie Mays' over-the-shoulder number).
Of course, the Royals eventually protested the call, common sense prevailed and American League president (remember those?) Lee MacPhail overturned the ruling and the game was continued later in the season from the point of Brett's homer. And the Yankees eventually lost. In a game that proved to be utterly meaningless.
To the standings, that is, but hardly baseball legend.
Enjoy the Yankees' crew call, featuring Phil Rizzuto (who interestingly dreamed this day would come).
Power Rankings ...
1. Angels (2): Their 61-39 start is their second-best mark ever through 100 games (62-38 in 1995).
2. Red Sox (3): Second baseman Dustin Pedroia's 24-game road hitting streak set a franchise record.
3. Cubs (1): They have an MLB-best 23 wins against the NL West, one more than West's own D-backs.
4. Rays (4): They just got their 20th series victory, tying 2005 for the most in franchise history.
5. Brewers (7): Their 20 consecutive games with a homer sets a club record (19 in June 1996).
6. White Sox (5): Ozzie Guillen on his latest ejection and fine. "We were supposed to pay the boat with that."
7. Yankees (11): Jorge Posada will not catch again in '08. He's now rehabbing in hopes of playing first or DH.
8. Mets (9): With the series win over Philly, they have sole ownership of first for the first time since April 19.
9. Cardinals (8): Another blown save gave the Brewers their first sweep in St. Louis since 1999.
10. Twins (6): Being swept in the Bronx, they now are just 3-19 at Yankee Stadium since the start of 2002.
11. Phillies (10): Their 53 straight days in first was the team's longest since a 78-day stint in early 2001.
12. Tigers (14): Beware the offense: Post-break, it's had 10-plus hits in six games and nine in the other.
13. Marlins (13): They had beaten the Cubs 10 straight times until Thursday, a streak that dated to April 2006.
14. A's (12): The return for Rich Harden hasn't fared bad. In two starts, Sean Gallagher is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA.
15. Rangers (15): Since his callup last month, rookie Chris Davis has eight homers in 79 at-bats.
16. Blue Jays (16): Adam Lind wants to stay up, hitting .350 with five homers and 22 RBIs since a recall.
17. Diamondbacks (17): Randy Johnson became the first man ever to whiff 2,000 for two teams (Mariners).
18. Dodgers (18): With 10 straight at home, while the D-backs hit the road for 10, the NL West gets intriguing.
19. Braves (19): Bad luck continues. Chipper Jones (hamstring) and Tim Hudson (elbow) left the same game.
20. Reds (20): Bronson Arroyo's five-start win streak is the Reds' longest since Steve Parris' seven in 2000.
21. Orioles (21): They haven't won a series since late June and now are a season-worst five under .500.
22. Indians (25): No second-half falloff for Cy Young Cliff Lee. His last eight starts, he's 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA.
23. Pirates (23): At least they never say die. They have 16 last at-bat wins, the team's most since 17 in 2004.
24. Royals (24): After taking the first six from the Tigers, Detroit swept this weekend, outscoring K.C. 33-6.
25. Astros (22): After hitting .365 the first three months, Lance Berkman has hit .203 with no homers in July.
26. Rockies (27): Closer Brian Fuentes recently retired a team-record 22 consecutive hitters.
27. Giants (26): They are 35-0 when leading after eight innings. The problem: They've trailed in 53.
28. Mariners (28): At .231, they are flirting with the worst RISP average in team history (.229 in 1983).
29. Padres (29): Greg Maddux's winless streak is at 14, despite allowing two ERs or less nine times.
30. Nationals (30): Not a good sign: They are responsible for two of Barry Zito's five victories.
Power Rankings ...
1. Cubs (3): A true team effort: They have an MLB-most 11 different players with 20-plus RBIs.
2. Angels (2): Weird stuff: They've allowed 20 hits in a game they won and zero in a game they lost.
3. Red Sox (5): Dustin Pedroia's last 20 games: .455 (40-88) with three homers and 15 RBIs.
4. Rays (1): They entered the break with a pair of seven-game streaks - one winning, then one losing.
5. White Sox (4): They've been in first place since May 17 and are an MLB-best 36-20 since May 14.
6. Twins (7): Closer Joe Nathan just improved to 26-for-26 in save opportunities against the Tigers.
7. Brewers (6): Jason Kendall has thrown out 21 of 48 runners (43.8 percent) after just 13-for-124 in '07.
8. Cardinals (8): Troy Glaus heating up is a big lift. In his last six games, he's hitting .583 with four homers.
9. Mets (12): Their first 10-game winning streak since '91 brought them from 6.5 back to tied for first place.
10. Phillies (9): After going 2-0 and 20-for-20 on save opportunities, Brad Lidge lost the All-Star Game.
11. Yankees (11): Richie Sexson, since the start of '07, has hit .210 with 176 K's. Yeah, he's the savior.
12. A's (10): Jack Cust's 114 K's fell one shy of the AL pre-break record. He just fanned in 19 straight games.
13. Marlins (15): Dan Uggla: First ever - in any game -- to make three errors, K three times and hit into a DP.
14. Tigers (14): Bad news: Only once in the past 10 years have they been above .500 in their last 68 games.
15. Rangers (13): Ian Kinsler has hit in 24 straight, four shy of the club record set by Gabe Kapler in 2000.
16. Blue Jays (18): Roy Halladay's 11th shutout put him second in team history, behind Dave Stieb (30).
17. Diamondbacks (17): Brandon Webb-Dan Haren duo tops MLB with a 2.98 ERA, 224 K's, 30 quality starts.
18. Dodgers (16): They will be the lone MLB team not to play a regular-season game at Yankee Stadium.
19. Braves (22): Chipper Jones' .310 average is second all-time among switch-hitters (Frankie Frisch, .316).
20. Reds (20): Francisco Cordero blew his fifth save in 24 chances, allowing six straight hits to the Mets.
21. Orioles (19): The Orioles' loss to the Tigers was their ninth straight defeat in one-run games.
22. Astros (24): Their second-half winning percentage has been at least .534 in six of the past seven seasons.
23. Pirates (21): Paul Maholm had a 2.67 ERA in eight starts prior to Thursday, his first loss since May 20.
24. Royals (23): Their 5-4 victory over the Rays on July 12 was the team's first walkoff win since July 7, 2007.
25. Indians (26): Next up on the likely-to-soon-be-dealt-out-of-town list: SP Paul Byrd and IF Casey Blake.
26. Giants (25): They've had 10 rookies make their MLB debut in '08, the fourth-most in team history.
27. Rockies (26): On their four-game skid - snapped Thursday -- they managed two runs on 15 hits.
28. Mariners (28): Some good news: In the last 70 games, the bullpen's ERA fell from 6.00 to 3.65.
29. Padres (29): They've allowed an MLB-worst 114 stolen bases, with only 20 runners being caught.
30. Nationals (30): Cristian Guzman was D.C.'s first All-Star shortstop since Rocky Bridges in '58.
Contenders or Pretenders ...
If you would prefer the Cliffs Notes version, I like the Rays, Angels, Phillies, Cubs and nobody in the NL West.
Trip to the Video Store ...
In case you missed it, another minor league manager flew off the handle Wednesday -- to the point where Wichita Wingnuts skipper Kash Beauchamp actually forced the umpire to smell not only his shoes, but his armpit, too. And all he got was a slap-on-the-wrist four-game suspension.
These blowups are occuring so frequently now, I suspect many are premeditated with publicity in mind.
Power Rankings ...
1. Rays (1): They have been over .500 for 74 days now, one more than their first nine years total.
2. Angels (2): Meet the only 2008 front-runner who also was in first place on this day one year ago.
3. Cubs (3): They are 35-12 at home. Last time they started better was 1907, pre-Wrigley Field.
4. White Sox (5): Wanna know why they're in first? Being 26-12 vs. AL Central foes doesn't hurt.
5. Red Sox (4): Jonathan Papelbon's next save will be No. 100. He's saved at an 88-percent success rate.
6. Brewers (8): With other candidates set to work this weekend, Ben Sheets is the likely National League SP.
7. Twins (6): How hot are they? They've won 17 of 22, and that includes just getting swept by the Red Sox.
8. Cardinals (7): Ex-MSU star Mark Mulder's first start of '08 ended with a shoulder injury after just one out.
9. Phillies (10): Here comes Ryan Howard: In his 13-game hitting streak, he's hitting .353 with eight homers.
10. A's (9): RP Brad Ziegler has started his career with 19 scoreless innings, three shy of the AL record.
11. Yankees (11): In Sidney Ponson's outings - two quality starts and one thumping - the Yankees are 3-0.
12. Mets (17): Johan Santana finally snapped a six-start winless streak, during which his ERA only was 2.48.
13. Rangers (13): Ian Kinsler has hit in 22 straight, one shy of the longest streak this year (Michael Young).
14. Tigers (12): Yes, Todd Jones has blown just two saves, but his ERA the last seven games is 12.00.
15. Marlins (14): Anibal Sanchez (shoulder), out of MLB since last May, could rejoin the rotation by late July.
16. Dodgers (19): The last three games, their starters have flirted with two perfect games and a no-hitter.
17. Diamondbacks (15): They need another left-handed bat, but it now appears Barry Bonds is not an option.
18. Blue Jays (20): They've outscored their opponents by 20 runs, yet remain two games below .500.
19. Orioles (16): They've snoozed on getaway day. On Thursday, they fell to 8-19 in series finales.
20. Reds (24): The seven homers they hit during Thursday's win in Chicago only tied a season high.
21. Pirates (22): Michigan's Nate McLouth is the first Pirates' All-Star CF since Andy Van Slyke in '93.
22. Braves (21): Old friend Jair Jurrjens was 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA in June, making him NL rookie of the month.
23. Royals (18): They led each game by at least three runs, yet took just one from the White Sox.
24. Astros (23): In his last 30 games, Carlos Lee is hitting a scorching .369 with nine homers and 25 RBIs.
25. Giants (25): They've got three SPs with 100-plus K's. Only two others teams (CIN, TOR) even have two.
26. Rockies (29): Trade bait Matt Holliday's last 14 games: .415 with four homers and 13 RBIs.
27. Indians (26): Not much to write home about: On their recent trip, they were swept three times.
28. Mariners (28): Ichiro Suzuki is hitting .364 (32-for-88) when leading off a game this season.
29. Padres (30): Kevin Kouzmanoff has been beaned 12 times already, one shy of the team record.
30. Nationals (27): Get well soon, Ryan. They just fell to 13-29 since Zimmerman last played May 25.
My Final Vote ...
AL candidates: Jermaine Dye, CWS; Jason Giambi, NYY; Jose Guillen, KC; Evan Longoria, TB; Brian Roberts, BAL
My pick: At first glance, Dye gets the spot -- his average (.310) and home-run tally (19) are tops among the remaining crop. But I've got to give the nod to Longoria, the Rays rookie third baseman whose arrival on the baseball scene not-so-coincidentally coincides with Tampa Bay's arrival on the baseball scene. The early rookie of the year favorite, his offensive production (16 homers, 52 RBIs) is matched by Gold Glove-caliber skills. Plus, let's be honest: The team with the majors' best record should have at least as many reps as the mediocre Yankees (three).
One gripe: Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco easily deserves a spot on this list over Roberts.
NL candidates: Pat Burrell, PHI; Corey Hart, MIL; Carlos Lee, HOU; Aaron Rowand, SF; David Wright, NYM
My pick: The statistics among this collection are so ridiculously close -- well, except for Rowand's lack of pop -- that it's no easy call. So, then, with no clear-cut fave, it's only fair to go with the team most deserving. That narrows the choice to either Burrell or Hart. From there, it's a coin toss: Burrell has more homers (21 to 14) and their RBI totals are identical (53), but Hart is hitting .293 to Burrell's 277. The deciding factor for me, though, is OBP, where Burrell (.411-.333) is a slam dunk deserving of his first trip to the Midsummer Classic.
One gripe: Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard's HR-RBIs total (24-76) excuses the abysmal .224 average.
Oh really, Jim?
"He was not really good tonight," Tigers manager Jim Leyland barked at FSN Detroit's Ryan Field, who -- gasp! -- had the nerve to suggest starter Armando Galarraga deserved a slightly better fate Saturday night than the no-decision Fernando Rodney saddled him with.
Seriously?
Rodney implodes again -- that ERA's up to 8.59 now, not exactly trustworthy digits late in a one-run game, in my humble opinion -- and the manager finds it necessary to take a swipe at the staff's best starter of 2008?
On a night he went six innings, allowing a mere run on five hits, in lowering his ERA to 3.27?
Spare me.
Granted, Galarraga -- the Tigers' best bet to be announced as an All-Star later today, if I had a vote -- was a tad off in this one. Mostly, he struggled with his control, walking three and throwing only 53 strikes to 48 balls. But the rookie right-hander was absolutely nails when he needed to be, the end line -- a solo homer being the lone lasting blemish -- was nearly spotless and he gave the team a one-run lead entering the late innings.
That, by definition, is a quality start.
That, by common sense, is good enough for a win.
And that deserves more than a "not good enough" from the skipper.
Power Rankings ...
1. Rays (4): And the milestones continue. It's the first time they've seen 50 wins before Aug. 1.
2. Angels (2): Their starting pitchers have accounted for 43 of the team's 51 wins (84 percent).
3. Cubs (1): The team's No. 7-8 hitters have combined to hit a major league-best .296.
4. Red Sox (3): Yes, they're 6-0 against the first-place Rays in Boston, but 0-6 in St. Petersburg.
5. White Sox (7): Finally, the offense has perked up. In June, they batted .301 with 48 homers.
6. Twins (11): Nick Blackburn, in starts after giving up four-plus earned runs, is 5-0 with a 1.82 ERA.
7. Cardinals (6): Troy Glaus has 11 homers in his last 107 at-bats; he began '08 with two in 187.
8. Brewers (5): They have lost 19 times in games they've led, including Thursday's debacle.
9. A's (9): Justin Duchscherer (1.96 ERA) has allowed two runs or less in all but two of 14 starts.
10. Phillies (10): Became the first team to sweep two straight three-gamers in Atlanta since '89.
11. Yankees (8): First time they've played Boston after May with neither team in first since 1997.
12. Tigers (15): Placido Polanco, once hitting .174, now is up to .320 with 80 hits in his last 54 games.
13. Rangers (17): They've been at .500 22 times; on Monday, they got two over for the first time since '06.
14. Marlins (13): At 261 games, they've tied the Nationals' record for the longest complete-game drought.
15. Diamondbacks (14): Five-run rally in the ninth Thursday was one short of the team record.
16. Orioles (12): Thursday's loss was the Orioles' first when scoring six-plus runs. They were 27-0.
17. Mets (16): Pedro Martinez's string of three straight five-plus earned-run outings ties a career high.
18. Royals (19): Jose Guillen has 14 multihit games in his last 24 starts. He's hitting .336 since June 1.
19. Dodgers (20): Now, after back surgery Thursday, Rafael Furcal is out at least another eight weeks.
20. Blue Jays (21): They are 7-17 against left-handed starters, which is worst in the American League.
21. Braves (18): In the finale of a sweep by the Phillies, Jair Jurrjens took his first loss since May 12.
22. Pirates (22): That's three NL Central teams (Cardinals and Brewers, too) hitting the pitcher No. 8.
23. Astros (24): You gotta love Lance Berkman, who actually is recruiting Home Run Derby participants.
24. Reds (26): Josh Fogg might be on the mend. In five rehab starts, he was 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA.
25. Giants (25): What SI jinx? All Tim Lincecum did was mow down the Cubs and single in a run.
26. Indians (23): They've given up an MLB-worst eight grand slams, including two to Edgar Renteria.
27. Nationals (29): Talk about walking wounded. They've spent a combined 544 days on the DL.
28. Mariners (30): Why the boos? Richie Sexson has three HRs and six RBIs at home and 7, 21 away.
29. Rockies (27): On the recent eight-game skid, their 'pen boasted an ugly (and demonic) 6.66 ERA.
30. Padres (28): Their .167 interleague win percentage in '08 was tied for the worst of all-time.
I got it, I got it!
Ever snag a ball at a major league game? Yeah, me neither. In fact, I believe there only are two acquaintances of mine who have.
Then there's Zack Hample, who, at last check, has hauled in 3,494.
In all, he's averaged more than 184 baseballs a year for the past 19 years, with the first being April 3, 1993, at Shea Stadium, where a now-unknown Met tossed him a ball at the age of 12. And that was the beginning of a craze, which at a recent Nationals game peaked when Hample netted a personal-record 28 on a single night.
They aren't all foul balls, of course. Several of them are from batting practice. A couple have been actual homers -- including Barry Bonds' 724th. And some are casually tossed to him by players, with whom Hample, 30, goes to great lengths to communicate with. He knows 32 different languages, including sign, which once led to Curtis Pride throwing a souvenir in his direction.
"Some might learn a language to say, 'Give me a beer' or 'What's your number?' Hample recently told Associated Press writer Pat Graham. "No, I can ask for a ball."
Ask and you shall receive, I guess.
And before you ask, yes, Hample occasionally does share his take with the kids -- but only if they brought their glove to the game. Most of the baseballs, though, he has kept for himself over the years, now storing them at his parent's home. His collection has filled five drawers and six 121-liter barrels.
In all, he has been to 44 MLB ballparks, and -- according to his riveting Web site, where he has a complete log of his baseball haul, photos and tips -- he caught 18 at Tiger Stadium and seven at Comerica Park.
That adds up to 25 in Detroit alone, or approximately 25 more than my take.
And, more amazingly, Hample did that in just three games at Tiger Stadium (one in 1998 and two in '99) and two at Comerica Park (2003). In comparison, I've only been to 16 games at Comerica Park ... this season!
Anyway, this whole ball-chasing fascination has turned into quite a biz for the fella. He already has penned books about his experiences, he's a blogger at MLB.com and his Web site also details a "Watch With Zack" feature. For a mere $500, he'll attend a major league game with you and -- provided you are in the park in time for batting practice -- guarantees you will get at least one baseball.
And shockingly, people actually take him up on this.
Whatever it takes, I suppose. I guess I'm just too content with collecting the $8.50 beers. So, if you want to watch a ballgame with me, I can gaurantee you will get one, too. That's if you're 21, of course ...
