Baseball Digest articles from December 2000

Baseball Digest archives from December 2000

JOE TORRE: Baseball Digest's Player of the Year Recipient 29 Years Ago.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... In 1971, Joe Torre of the St. Louis Cardinals had the finest season of his 18-year major league career, earning him selection as Player of the Year in our December 1971 issue. During the '71 season, the Cardinals' third baseman led the...

The Fans Speak Out.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2000... In the October issue of Baseball Digest in the article on "Rookie Scouting Reports," it was mentioned that Alex Rodriguez "became only the third shortstop since 1900 to play in the majors at age 18." Robin Yount was one of the other two....

Fans' Loud Insults Require Big Leaguers To Be Thick-Skinned.
December 1, 2000... AS WE CLOSE OUT THE 20TH CENTURY, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO REVIEW A subject that has been part of major league baseball since 1901 and, undoubtedly, beyond; namely, the booing by fans of players who don t perform up to standard for the home...

BASEBALL PROFILE RICHIE SEXSON.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... RICHIE SEXSON FULL NAME: Richmond Lockwood Sexson AGE, HT., WT.: 25, 6-7, 225 Born: December 29, 1974 in Portland, Oregon HOME: Vancouver, Washington STATUS/FAMILY: Married LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL: I play golf or fish....

Baseball Digest's 2000 ROOKIE ALL-STAR TEAM.
December 1, 2000... Our selections for the top first-year players for 2000 are Rafael Furcal of the Braves in the N.L. and Kazuhiro Sasaki of the Mariners in the A.L. Many GREAT PLAYERS HAVE BROKEN in as rookies with the Pittsburgh Pirates during the last...

A MATTER OF OPINION: Voters Disagree on MVP Criteria.
December 1, 2000... Since baseball writers began picking league Most Valuable Players in 1931, controversy has been a part of the election process UNIQUE TO BASEBALL AMONG THE major sports is the phenomenon of different people looking at the same thing and...

Baseball Quick Quiz.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Collect ten points for each question answered correctly. Answers on page 95. (If you score 80 or better, you are a baseball expert; 70 or better, superior; between 60 and 70, good, and between 40 and 60, average. 1. From 1931 through...

JEFF KENT Giant Run-Producer at Second Base.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Middle infielder has been a steady run producer, averaging 29 home runs and 119 RBI per year since 1997 THE LAST REMNANT OF THE MATT Williams trade smacked 33 more home runs last season. He dropped 125 more RBI in his hip pocket. He played...

MIKE PIAZZA Mets' catcher comes up big.
December 1, 2000... With a .324 batting average, 38 homers and 113 RBI, he paced New York in the National League pennant chase HE IS THE GREATEST OFFENSIVE catcher in major league history. He has a career .328 batting average with more than 275 homers in nine...

BARRY BONDS At 36, He's Still One of Best.
December 1, 2000... Despite his age, Giants left fielder put up a career-high 49 HR last season and is within 29 steals and six home runs of the 500 plateau "WHEN YOU'RE IN A GROOVE, you're just in a groove," Barry Bonds said. "You have your good days and your...

FRANK THOMAS `Big Hurt' puts up Big Numbers.
December 1, 2000... After two sub-par seasons (for him), slugger loads White Sox to division title with career-high 43 home runs and 143 RBI UNDERSTAND THAT FRANK THOMAS would rather not get sucked into this Most Valuable Player thing. He really wouldn't...

ALEX RODRIGUEZ Master of Baseball Arts.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Talented shortstop is fascinated with education and has earned high grades as one of game's top stars SAY THE NAME "LEONARDO" around Alex Rodriguez, and you'll get a story about da Vinci instead of DiCaprio. When he's not playing...

CARLOS DELGADO A Triple Crown Threat.
December 1, 2000... Toronto Blue Jays slugger fell short of winning RBI, home run or batting title despite hitting .344 with 41 HR and 137 runs driven in BAD NEWS REACHED CARLOS Delgado via messenger. The night before, while the Toronto Blue Jays' first...

1983 George Brett Recalls Pine-Tar Home Run.
December 1, 2000... Hall of Famer looks back on controversial four-bagger hit against Yankees 17 years ago IT MIGHT BE THE MOST famous piece of wood in Royals history. But it's what was on it, and the commotion that resulted, that led to its resting place at...

WALKING WITH THE BABE: Rickey Henderson Approaches Majors' All-Time Leader in Bases on Balls.
December 1, 2000... Stolen base king two shy of surpassing Ruth's mark of 2,062 free passes WHEN PETE ROSE BROKE TY Cobb's hit record, the Reds commemorated the feat by painting a circle around the spot where the ball landed in the outfield and marking it...

An American Hero: Bob Feller excelled, in the Navy as well as on the pitcher's mound.
December 1, 2000... BOB FELLER, GREAT AMERICAN. That's how I often have described the Strikeout King of the mid-20th century, two generations removed. "Rapid Robert," as he was known then, had a 98-101 mile-an-hour fastball, the antecedent of Nolan Ryan of more...

Baseball Rules Corner.(ball in dead territory)
December 1, 2000... Problems can arise if ball goes into dead territory with runners on base METS' LEFT FIELDER BENNY Agbayani pulled a rock at Shea Stadium on August 12 in his team's 3-2 win over the Giants. Down 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Giants...

Most Valuable Players.
December 1, 2000... Each team's MVP recipients, near-winners and sore losers IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS, THE MOST Valuable Player citation has been awarded 160 times to 125 different players on 25 different teams through 1999, That means there have been about 150...

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD WINNERS.
December 1, 2000... Selected by Baseball Writers Association since 1931 AMERICAN LEAGUE Year Player, Team Pos. Age 1931 Lefty Grove, Phil. A's P 31 1932 Jimmie Foxx, Phil. A's 1B 24 1933...

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S CY YOUNG AWARD WINNERS.
December 1, 2000... THE CY YOUNG AWARD WAS DESIGNED TO HONOR THE major leagues' most valuable pitcher during the regular season of each year. From 1956 through 1966, only one award was given out. Since 1967, two awards have been handed out--one in the American...

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS.
December 1, 2000... AMERICAN LEAGUE Year Player, Team Pos. Age 1949 Roy Sievers, Browns LF 22 1950 Walt Dropo, Red Sox 1B 27 1951 Gil McDougald, Yankees 3B/2B 23...