Baseball Digest articles from December 2001

Baseball Digest archives from December 2001

JOE MORGAN: Hall of Famer featured on Cover of Baseball Digest 26 years ago. (Un-Covering the Past).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... DURING THE 1975 SEASON, CINCINNATI REDS second baseman Joe Morgan enjoyed his first of two back-to-back National League MVP campaigns. Through the course of the '75 season, Morgan led the Reds to the N.L. pennant and first World Series...

Letters to the editor: the fans speak out.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... I agree with your reader who recently objected to "an ill-informed reporter" saying Joe DiMaggio was "a Punch and Judy hitter" in comparison to the sluggers whose career home run totals are so much greater than DiMaggio's 361. That 361...

High and low points of a season prolonged by attack on America. (WARM UP TOSSES).(baseball)
December 1, 2001... IN THE WAKE OF THE MASSIVE MURDER OF INNOCENT PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY, Washington and in southwestern Pennsylvania by a group of hate-filled terrorists on September 11, Major League Baseball did its bit to help restore a measure of normalcy to...

Baseball digest's 2001 rookie all-star team.(baseball)
December 1, 2001... Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and the Cardinals' Albert Pujols are top freshmen among talented group that includes pitchers Roy Oswalt and C.C. Sabathia and infielders Jimmy Rollins, Alfonso Soriano and Marcus Giles TIMING ISN'T EVERYTHING BUT...

Ichiro mania: Seattle outfielder Suzuki makes it big in major leagues.(baseball)
December 1, 2001... After winning seven consecutive batting titles in Japanese League, Mariners' top rookie brings his talent to The Show TWENTY JAPANESE MEDIA MEMBERS were huddled in the Kauffman Stadium press box around one of their colleagues, the pool...

Baseball quick quiz.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Collect ten points for each question answered correctly. Answer on page 95. (If you score 80 or better, you are a baseball expert; 70 or better, superior; between 60 and 70, and between 40 and 60, average. 1. Before Ichiro Suzuki, who was...

No ordinary rookie: Cardinals' Albert Pujols sparkled in his first major league season.
December 1, 2001... ALBERT PUJOLS WAS NO ORDINARY rookie last season. Versatile and powerful, he was a big reason the St. Louis Cardinals were in contention for the National League Central Division title. "Right now, I'm just getting a chance to play every...

Major league rookie of the year award winner.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... 1947 Jackie Robinson, Bkn. (1b) 1948 Alvin Dark, Bos. Braves (2b) (Only one selection in 1947 and 1948) AMERICAN LEAGUE Year Player, Team, Pos. 1949 Roy Sievers, St.L. (of) 1950 Walt Dropo, Bos. (1b) 1951 Gil...

Taking command: Astros' pitcher Roy Oswalt: he took control of his game.
December 1, 2001... Rookie right-hander looked like a seasoned veteran as he won 14 of his first 17 big league decisions in 2001 HOUSTON COACH MATT GALANTE has been in the Astros' organization for 22 years and he's never seen anything like Houston rookie Roy...

Has steal lost its appeal?: with the popularity of the home run, stolen bases have diminished in majors.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... IN 1980, AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYERS stole 1,455 bases and National Leaguers swiped 1,839 among 26 different teams. In 2000, with 30 major league clubs, American League players stole 1,297 bases and their N.L. counterparts pilfered 1,627....

Crime doesn't pay anymore.(Rickey Henderson's numbers in baseball)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... WHEN RICKEY HENDERSON BROKE LOU BROCK'S major league record for stolen bases ten years ago, the mercurial star was home free. Even the world's greatest felon couldn't swipe the crown back from Henderson. In fact, Henderson's...

Next stop: the hall of fame: Rickey Henderson's numbers have cooperstown waiting.(Interview)
December 1, 2001... NOBODY STARTED A RICKEY Henderson watch. While all eyes appeared to be on Barry Bonds approaching the single-season home run record in the final weeks of the 2001 campaign, the Padres' Rickey Henderson was sneaking up on a couple of records...

Rickey recalls one they took away; a stolen memory.(Rickey Henderson's record for stolen bases)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... THE ANNIVERSARY PASSED ALMOST UNNOTICED, AS ninth anniversaries often do. Nine years ago--May 1, 1992, Rickey Henderson made himself the leading base stealer of all time. It hardly was a "so what"' moment when he pushed his career total to 939,...

Do you remember ... when Hank Sauer was the mayor of Wrigley Field.
December 1, 2001... Former slugger became first N.L. MVP winner on a second-division club in 1952 when he led league with 37 homers and 121 RBI playing for the Cubs DURING THE WINTER OF 1986, THE day after Billy Williams of the Cubs and Catfish Hunter of the...

One of a kind: Jimmy Piersall's Antics overshadowed his talent.(baseball player)(Interview)
December 1, 2001... Charismatic outfielder hit .272 over 17 big league seasons, won two Gold Glove awards and was widely considered one of the best defensive players at his position JIMMY PIERSALL WAS THE NOISIEST ballplayer the Indians ever had. He was...

Contact sport? Not for baseball's big swingers.(numbers)
December 1, 2001... Major league batters strike out more frequently in today's game of power hitting and tape-measure home runs TED KLUSZEWSKI WAS MARK McGwire first, but without the weightlifting and andro. They called him "Big Klu," and he would cut the...

Stan Musial: Hall of Famer won seven N.L. batting titles, three MVP Awards, collected 3,630 hits, 475 homers and batted .331 over 22 big league seasons. (BASEBALL'S PERFECT KNIGHT).
December 1, 2001... DURING THE 20TH CENTURY, NO one was named Most Valuable Player in the major leagues more than three times. Stan Musial came close missing his fourth MVP by only nine votes in 1957. Though he batted .351 that season to win the last of his...

Baseball profile: Darryl Kile.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... FULL NAME: Darryl Andrew Kile AGE, HT., WT.: 32, 6-5, 212 Born: December 2, 1968 HOME: Englewood, Colorado STATUS/FAMILY: Married with twins--a boy and a girl NICKNAME: DK LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL: It consists of a lot...

Baseball rules corner: defense can't be penalized on certain umpire interference calls.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... IN THE GAME BETWEEN THE MARINERS and Rangers in Texas on July 3, plate umpire Dana DeMuth ruled interference on himself. Here is what happened. Seattle was batting in the top of the first inning with Carlos Guillen on third when Texas...

Catching on.(no-hitters)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... CHARLES JOHNSON, WHO HAS CAUGHT ALL THREE NO-HITTERS IN FLORIDA MARLINS HISTORY, BECAME THE NINTH catcher to be behind the plate for three no-hitters. The no-hit receivers: Catcher No-Hit Pitchers, Year, Team Charles...

No-hitters that fell short of perfection.(numbers in baseball)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... (BY A WALK, ERROR OR HIT BATSMAN) Date Pitcher, Team Opponent Score June 30, 1908 Cy Young, Red Sox Yankees 8-0 Comments: Walked first batter of the game on a 3-2 count. The runner...

StatisticPage: 20-game winners listed by club.
December 1, 2001... Current Big League Teams ANAHEIM ANGELS Year Pitcher W-L 1964 Dean Chance 20- 9 1970 Clyde Wright 22-12 1971 Andy Messersmith 20-13 1973 Nolan Ryan 21-16...