The National Pass-Time

In addition to being the national pastime, baseball is (or at least was) the national pass-time, too. We passed our time with a ballgame on the radio or TV. We even paid attention.

A fond memory of childhood came to mind today. In the early mid 70's I was watching an A's game on the TV. It was summer and school was out. I was about 10 years old. It was in the late afternoon, and could have been a night game from back East. Anyway, the A's had a contest each game where, in a certain inning, if an A's player hit a home run, a contestant would win a certain amount in groceries from a supermarket chain. If they failed to hit a dinger, the amount would increase for the next game. Just send in a postcard with your name and address to enter the contest.

This particular home run inning, for a whopping $1400 in groceries, had a contestant, "Frank Wagner of Concord." Hey! He lives on my street! Oh, boy! Now, $1400 was a lot back in those days. Joe Rudi was as good a player to hit a homer as anybody. And he did just that. Elated, I leapt for joy, and immediately tore out the door and sprinted down to the end of the street to congratulate my neighbor. But an interesting thing happened. No sooner had I hit the edge of the driveway that I noticed about five other kids on our street ripping the doors off their hinges to head down to the Wagners' house. We had a virtual parade in no time. It seemed that everybody in the neighborhood was watching.

Anyway, we made it down to their house, and he still hadn't come home from work. His wife had no clue as to what we all were talking about. Then his truck came around the corner. A welcoming committee of giddy children blasted his senses with the news. He had completely forgotten that he sent in a postcard. I'm sure those groceries lasted quite a few months. The memory lasted a lifetime.

My First Game Ever

My dad took me to my first game when I was six. I don't remember much except that the A's played Milwaukee in 1970, the score was something like 10-1 in favor of the A's, it was a day game and we sat on the 3rd base side behind the A's dugout. I wish I had kept all the ticket stubs from my childhood.

Pretty good memory, except that the score was actually 11-1. Here's the box score.

AstroTurf update

In addition to the NL now being Astroturf-free (see my prevoius post), 10 of the 16 teams have a 162 game schedule completely on grass. The six teams with interleague matchups against Minnesota, Toronto or Tampa Bay are the Giants, Padres, Brewers, Cardinals, Nationals and Marlins.

You Guess the Attendance

In 1985, when the Giants were pathetic, attendance was very low. Many games I attended that year had crowds of only 3,000 or so. Some more, and a few less. One joy of that year was that the scoreboard operator had a sense of humor.

In the late innings, after all the ticket stubs were counted, the quiz game "You guess the attendance" was played on the scoreboard. Four choices were listed by letter, and as the fans yelled out their guess, wrong totals were eliminated one by one until the true attendance figure was revealed. Several times, though, the choices looked like the following, with the odd one making it to the last two, with wild cheering until better judgment was dashed in favor of what would show up in the box score the next day.

A 3,186
B 2,941
C 3,058
D 58,297

--OR--

A 2,813
B 3,002
C 2,930
D 6

Ahhhh, memories of Candlestick.

Good Bye to AstroTurf

Well, maybe only in the National League. With the moving of the Expos to D.C. and RFK's grass, the NL is now a grass only league. The AL still has Minnesota, Toronto and Tampa Bay with plastic carpets.

With all the new ballpark construction the past few years, most of the NL's fake fields have disappeared, and with Opening Day 2005, it's all gone. With the elimination of Olympic Stadium it is now gone, but when Stade Olympique was built it put the NL over the top with a majority 7 of 12 parks with AstroTurf. The others were Candlestick Park (replaced with grass in '79), Busch Stadium (replaced with grass in about '95), the Astrodome (replaced with Enron Field in '00), Three Rivers Stadium (replaced with PNC Park in '01), Riverfront Stadium (replaced with Great America Park in '03), and Veterans Stadium (replaced with Citizens Bank Park in '04).

In the AL, Royals Stadium had grass put in in '95, and Old Comiskey had some funky combo of infield AstroTurf and outfield grass for a while back in the 70's, Safeco field replaced the Kingdome in '99. Things have come a long way in this regard.

The Foul-Weather Fan

Everybody knows what a fair-weather fan is. The Johnny-come-lately who only cheers for a winner - while they're winning. And he does so usually in a good deal of ignorance. When it comes to a game I don't like, such as basketball, I freely admit that I'm a fair-weather fan. But...

Contrast that with the "foul-weather fan." This fan shows up no matter how badly his team is or is playing. Or how bad the weather is, for that matter. Unknown to fair-weather fans, the foul-weather fan receives many benefits. No lines for food or beer or restroom. No ballpark traffic. He virtually has his own personal vendors. Great seats bought at the last minute. He can wake up in the morning and say, "it's a great day for a ballgame" and then go. He gets to see a comedy of errors every day. Not only can the visiting left fielder hear his heckling from the bleachers behind him, but the crowd is so small he can hear him when he's in the dugout.

At the time of this post, the Giants and A's, in the midst of long losing streaks, have only about 4 teams worse than they. Attendance is already down, and I'm wondering if it might continue this way. It's been quite a few years since Bay Area baseball had two losers, but if we're heading toward the bottom of the barrel for a few years, I'm ready to have a different kind of fun that I haven't experienced in a long time.

The Really Windy City

Chicago is known as the Windy City. Accordingly, Wrigley Field is known for its wind. But it only blows in one of two directions, in or out.

At Candlestick Park, the wind would blow in all 360 degrees at the same time, in 3D. Peanut shells, anyone?

The Pitching is Fine

A commonly held belief in baseball is that the pitching of today is mediocre. The reason given is usually that expansion has diluted the talent pool over time to such an extent that the glory days of pitching are gone and unlikely to return again. Yes, Roger Maris, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa all broke records in expansion years, 1961 and 1998. But there's more to it than that.

I have a different point of view. I don't believe the pitching of today is worse than that of previous eras, but is in fact better. It's just that the appearance of today's pitching is worse. What has caused the appearance of pitching to be worse is a number of changes in the game, including to the rules, that have favored the hitter. Also, the talent pool of hitters has been "diluted" just as much as that of pitching.

To prove my point, I'd like to suggest that if baseball made the following changes, we would quickly find out just how good the pitching of today really is. I'm not suggesting that these all be implemented, just that if they were, my point would carry some weight.

1. Eliminate the Designated Hitter Rule.
2. Raise the height of the mound from 10" back to 15", as it was before 1969.
3. Increase the size of the strike zone to what it used to be, knees to shoulders.
4. Take all protective gear away from batters. This would include shin guards, elbow guards, batting gloves, sunglasses, and, yes, batting helmets. Make them wear their wool fielder's caps, just like it used to be.
5. Number 5 is closely related to number 4. Give back to the pitchers the brushback, knockdown and beanball pitches, and take away the umpires' enforcement of these. Neither the pitcher or his manager would have the slightest fear of warning, ejection, suspension or fine for using these pitches. Just like it used to be. There might be a few more bench-clearing brawls, but boys will be boys.
6. Eliminate the dark green batter's backgrounds in centerfield and open the bleachers up to shirt-sleeve crowds, like it used to be.
7. Prohibit the new hardwood maple bats.
8. Move the Rockies to sea level.

I don't believe, either, that expansion has diluted the overall talent pool. It does, relatively, each time baseball expands, but this has throughout history been more than compensated for by:

1. The growth of the American population.
2. The breaking of the color barrier and the inclusion of black and Latin players of color.
3. Popularity of baseball in, and heavier scouting of, Latin countries.
4. New available talent from foreign countries like Cuba, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and others.

Don't worry. The pitching is fine.

The Bronx Zoo

Here's a crazy story about my visit to Yankee Stadium back in '86, where I was by myself in the bleachers for a night game in the Bronx with my luggage. While traveling to Montreal to visit a friend at a business conference (the Expos were home, of course. That's the whole point!), I had a choice of a layover in Dallas, where the A's were playing the Rangers, or New York where the Yankees were home vs. the Blue Jays. Direct flights to Canadian cities were just about non-existent from San Fran. What a choice....well, duh! I picked the 16 hour NY layover, landing in NY late in the afternoon and to catch the early morning flight to Montreal.

The next day's flight was so early that I decided to skip lodging and catch a few winks in the lounge at LaGuardia. So I went to place my bags in those airport lockers and catch a cab to the big stadium. Not so fast... There was that international terrorist bomb scare in '86, and LaGuardia decided to shut down their lockers until things cooled down. This meant having to take my luggage to Yankee Stadium. Arrrrgh! Okay, so I get in a cab and go to the yard. Upon arriving, I asked the cabbie where they picked up after the game. "Uhhhhm, we don't." "What!?" "Oh, Yellows don't run the Bronx after dark. You'll have to take the subway." Yeah, right!

Now, I was wearing an A's hat and shirt (I wore A's stuff to visit AL parks and Giants stuff in NL parks back then), carrying my own luggage, completely alone, never visited NY before, and I was pretty scared. The cabbie told me I could catch a gypsy cab, which didn't run on meters, so I had better negotiate before I got in, otherwise he'd tell the judge that he drove me all over Jersey and would win the case.

So I got to the park and was immediately hit with a tidal wave of scalpers, full of bull. I told them I was going to sit in the bleachers. Sold out, they said. Bull, I knew. I got in and took the sights in. I was in the house that Ruth built! I took my seat and had a beer. After a while I had to go to the restroom. So I took my luggage, and once in the door, there were about six mean looking characters standing right in the middle of the room smoking dope. If there ever was a time to choose a stall over a urinal, this was it. Once inside the stall with my luggage, these guys started yakking about Canseco sucks this, Oakland sucks that.... If there ever was a time to choose not to wash one's hands after going, this was it. Terrified, I decided to run by them. But they had me blocked in pretty good. They cornered me and started asking questions.

"Are you from Oakland?" "Well, uhm, yes." "Do you go to a lot of games?" "Well, uhm, yes." "Where do you sit?" "I sit in the bleachers." Six hands were immediately stretched out to shake mine. It was unwashed, but I didn't care. Bleacher bums have a large family, and these guys were no longer going to bury me next to Jimmy Hoffa. I love New York.

I also got to talk to Rickey Henderson between innings out in centerfield. Rickey will talk to anybody that will give him attention. I knew an A's fan from the bleachers in Oakland who knew Rickey personally, so I relayed greetings. And since I was in A's garb from head to toe, he ate it up. Also, I got to hear Bob Sheppard "Number thirty-one-one-one, Dave-ave-ave Winfield-field-field. Number thirty-one-one-one." Wow. In person. And a fight. Some 75 year old guy stole a boom box, so its owner beat up the 75 year old guy, cops everywhere. A guy with a Walkman full blast stared into space for 9 innings, drooling and occasionally laughing out loud for 10 seconds. The guy who promised to help me find a cab after the game split in the 8th inning. And a close call at first that went against the Yanks resulted in an instant, collective leap of every fan on the whole 1st base side of the stadium about 5 feet in the air with fists frantically flying in all directions. I mean in a fraction of a second.

Once outside, nobody, even the police, would help me find a gypsy cab. But I finally found one and $20 to the Nigerian soccer player driver got me a lift to LaGuardia. A few hours sleep in a lounge chair with my limbs locked through my baggage straps and I was good to go to see baseball in Montreal. My regret was not getting to see the great monuments in centerfield.
(Box Score)

The Owner's Box in Section 8

The richest of the very richest living in government housing?

Billionaire owners, employing multi-millionaire players, lining up huge corporations for stadium naming revenue, advertising, corporate luxury boxes, millions coming in from TV and radio revenue, souvenirs and marketing, consessions, parking, and ticket sales, are so horribly entrenched in abject poverty that new stadiums must be paid for by the taxpayers. Right?

Here's a little lesson in economics. The last two privately financed ballparks, Dodger Stadium and Pac Bell/SBC Park have been known as the best parks of their construction eras. Dodger Stadium, in the "modern" park era (50's to 80's) was known as the Taj Mahal of baseball. SBC Park is widely viewed as the best of the new "retro" era parks. Coincidence?

Owners would rather resort to extortion of their fans (and even more non-fans, i.e. taxpayers) than put their money where their mouth is.

"This Time it Counts"

So the All-Star game finally counts for something after all these years. It determines which league's team has home field advantage in the World Series. Novel concept, but too bad the All-Star game's managers can't do what they can to win. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, because it's all a game of politics.

They've got huge rosters, with the expectation that every player will play. If they don't, fire is called down from heaven. Their management of other teams' pitchers is under a microscope, and any arm problems will be blamed on them. The stupid rule, IMHO, that requires one All-Star from each team should be done away with. If that team Royally sucks (pun intended), then maybe they don't deserve a player there. If their best is batting .270 with 12 homers, then he can go fishing with his buddies. The late innings of an ASG are filled with substitutions every few outs. Pinch hitters that get on base have a pinch runner. Defensive replacements every inning. A new pitcher every batter. Why not just pick the best nine and have a nine inning game? Play it like a normal game, which is to win!

The managers aren't allowed to try to win. The tie game a few years back proved this. I can't blame Bud Selig for his decision to call the game. There are too many ideals that contradict themselves for a perfect ending to always happen. Leave the World Series out of it.

Thinking Outside the (Batter's) Box

Some conventional wisdom in baseball is based on subjective rather than objective logic, resulting in skewed ideas. One area of subjective thinking is to view many things within the game in terms of batting (offense) instead of the thing in view itself. This is understandable to a degree because we Americans love the home run and the thrill of the crack of the bat.

An example is the conventional wisdom that says that the way the DH is used in the World Series gives the National League team an advantage. Actually, it gives the AL team an advantage. It's just that so many people look at it in terms of hitting that they don't see the whole picture. I'll write a commentary sometime here that will prove my point.

Another example is the SF Giants' history of focusing on hitting, and not pitching. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have taken the opposite approach. The Giants have produced the most exciting sluggers in the history of the game, yet the LA Dodgers have won 5 World Series to the SF Giants' none.

I'll also tackle divisional play, balanced/unbalanced shcedules, tiebreaking schemes, home field advantage (both from best record and All-Star game victory), the wild card, All-Star game managerial strategy, expansion, tradition, changes in the game, rivalries, foreign players and baseball's future. Oh, boy, that's a lot to write. Stay tuned.....

Bleacher Bummer

When the Raiders returned to Oakland in the mid 90's, the construction project that added permanent football seats to the Coliseum outfield, known as Mt. Davis after the Raider owner, not only added the most monstrous, hideous and obnoxious eye sore in any major league ballpark, and not only blocked a beautiful view of the East Bay hills, it did something far worse. It destroyed what were just about the best seats in all of baseball.

The Coliseum bleachers with their wood benches, steel floor for great foot stomping, great view of the game, good weather, very knowledgeable fans, sense of community, cool security guards, non-reserved seating, fans' involvement in the game, made for just about the best place to sit in the majors... with maybe, maybe the exception of the bleachers at Wrigley Field.

They were one of my baseball's homes. They are sorely missed. They were the only place I'd sit for an A's game, and as a result, I'm no longer a die hard A's fan. I catch maybe one game every year, and I still cheer for them, but the team is no longer as dear to my heart. Maybe they'll get a new ballpark some day with real bleachers again. I'm not holding my breath.

A Double Header the Hard Way

We all know what a double header is: two games in one day. But a double header "the hard way" is two games in one day - in two different ballparks. I've had the fortune to do it this way a number of times. Here's a list of ballparks with the day game listed first:

Oakland Coliseum - Candlestick Park (several times)
Candlestick Park - Oakland Coliseum (several times)
Wrigley Field - "Old" Comiskey Park (twice on consecutive days)
Dodger Stadium - Jack Murphy Stadium (San Diego)
Jack Murphy Stadium - Anaheim Stadium
Pacific Bell Park - Oakland Coliseum

Ballpark Visits

Here's a list of all the Major League ballparks I've visited, in chronological order of first visit. There are 18 total to date, and I hope to add to it in the near future. I'll use the name of the park at the time of visit or it's most common name. If I know the exact date, I'll show it, maybe with a link to the box score. You might notice me visiting two new parks in the same day. Yes, what an experience! [Update 11-26-09: Ballparks no longer used for baseball are highlighted in yellow]
1970 - Oakland Coliseum, Oakland
1974 - Candlestick Park, San Francisco
1985 - Aug. 17 - Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim
1985 - Aug 18 - Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego
1986 - Apr 18 - Kingdome, Seattle
1986 - May 5 - County Stadium, Milwaukee
1986 - May 6 (day) - Wrigley Field, Chicago (box score)
1986 - May 6 (night) - "Old" Comiskey Park, Chicago (box score)
1986 - Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
1986 - Sept 29 - Yankee Stadium, New York
1986 - Olympic Stadium, Montreal
1987 - Royals Stadium, Kansas City
1987 - Busch Stadium, St. Louis
1993 - Mile High Stadium, Denver
1998 - Pro Player Stadium, Miami
2000 - Pacific Bell Park (SBC Park, AT&T Park), San Francisco
2001 - Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix
2004 - Petco Park, San Diego

More About Me

[Updated 06-07-09]

I've been a baseball fan my whole life. I grew up with the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants, and until the Raiders return to Oakland, when my bleachers were torn down to make way for Mt. Davis, I was a fairly equal fan of both teams. While a bleacher bum in Oakland, I've had season tickets with the Giants for 25 years. Bleachers and box seats. Not a bad combo.

I'm 45ish, married to a great wife (baseball fan, thank the Lord), and have three beautiful boys who I hope will like baseball.

As many games as I've attended in person, I've watched more games by far on the radio. It will always be the perfect background noise for so many activities.

Welcome!

My new baseball blog. I've always loved the game, and I've always loved talking baseball. Hope you enjoy it.