Baseball Digest articles from December 2002

Baseball Digest archives from December 2002

The fans speak out. (Letters To The Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2002... On June 2, 1973, I was the honorary batboy at a Pittsburgh Pirates game. I didn't get to go on the field and retrieve bats, but I did get to watch the game from the Pirates' bench that day. I was a bit star-struck as an impressionable...

Broken bones have impaired many a major league career. (Warm Up Tosses).
December 1, 2002... IN THE THEATER, THE CUSTOMARY WAY FOR YEARS TO WISH AN ACTOR GOOD LUCK as he makes his first appearance in a show is to pat him on the back and say, "Break a leg!" How this expression came about has never been clearly settled, but it is...

Baseball Digest's 2002 All-Star rookie team: top first-year players in the majors last season include third baseman Eric Hinske of Toronto and pitcher Jason Jennings of Colorado.
December 1, 2002... IT WAS THE YEAR OF THE ROOKIE PITCHER EVEN THOUGH AN ample supply of position players, most notably Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Eric Hinske and Montreal Expos outfielder Brad Wilkerson stood out among newcomers to the big leagues in 2002....

Baseball Digest Rookie All-Star teams (1971-2002).
December 1, 2002... BASEBALL DIGEST Rookie All-Star Teams (1971-2002) Year 1971 1B Chris Chambliss, Indians 2B Doug Griffin, Red Sox 3B Steve Braun, Twins SS Roger Metzger, Astros LF Ran Blomberg, Yankees...

Young arms heating up the big league scene: talented new pitchers are emerging in the majors; they come equipped with velocity and strength, but need added experience for continued success. (Cover Story).(Cover Story)
December 1, 2002... THE RECORD IS GAUDY, DOMINANT and seemingly much too good to be true. If this bottom line belonged to Randy Johnson or Curt Schilling, Greg Maddux or Pedro Martinez, it simply would be their latest example of veteran excellence. Consider...

A's Pitchers Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson talk a good game. (1 ... 2 ... 3 ...).(Interview)
December 1, 2002... Pitchers Mark Mulder (19-7), Tim Hudson (15-9) and Barry Zito (23-5) had successful seasons in 2002 and are widely acknowledged to be Oakland's most valuable assets and the game's best starting trio in the major leagues. The talented...

Baseball quick quiz.
December 1, 2002... Collect ten points for each question answered correctly. Answers on page 90. (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. Fred McGriff is the only...

Cubs' Mark Prior has all the ingredients to be a winner: blessed with the tools to succeed, former first round draft pick must learn from his experiences to master the art of pitching in big leagues. (`Can't-Miss' Phenom?).
December 1, 2002... WE NEVER SAW HIM IN THE flesh and did't know what he looked like. We hardly knew anything about him. But we loved him, anyway. The phenom. He's hope. He's here. This time, his name was Mark Prior. A new Cubs pitcher who made his...

Braves' closer John Smoltz: dominant in his new role: in his first year as a late-inning relief specialist, Atlanta right-hander set a new National League record with 55 saves. (Coming Up Big in The End).
December 1, 2002... AS THE ANIMATED LIGHTNING struck the Braves large monitor above their main scoreboard, John Smoltz made his leisurely, determined stroll to his place of dominance while AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" sounded over the Turner Field loudspeakers in a...

Anaheim's David Eckstein: a giant contributor to club's success. (Small in Stature ... Big at Heart ... Huge in Angels' Eyes).
December 1, 2002... DAVID ECKSTEIN SAYS VERY LITTLE. No pun intended. OK, OK. Pun intended. Sorry. See? There's another one. A short joke. Eckstein, the shortstop who has to laugh along with everyone else at the Anaheim Angels' generous listing...

Robb Nen: San Francisco Giants. (Baseball profile).(Interview)
December 1, 2002... FULL NAME: Robert Allen Nen AGE, HT., WT.: 32, 6-5, 222 Born: November 28, 1969 HOME: San Mateo, California STATUS/FAMILY: Married with two children Nickname: Robb LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL: Spend time with the family,...

Here's the good, bad and ugly of baseball: the rating game: San Francisco Giants broadcasters Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow have witnessed more than 30 years of major league baseball as players and announcers. Giants Magazine asked them for their opinion of the best (and occasionally the worst) ballplayers in a variety of categories. (The Rating Game).(Interview)
December 1, 2002... Best Dresser Krukow: Benito Santiago is a sharp dresser. So were Jeffrey Leonard, Chili Davis and Ellis Burks. Shawn Estes is probably the best dresser I've ever seen in sports, and then Kuiper was an excellent dresser when we were...

Correction.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2002... In the November issue, the statistical feature that listed the season batting records for each position omitted Garry Templeton and Cristian Guzman among the leading shorstops with the most triples hit in one season. The top five shortstops for...

Fred Lynn: 1975 A.L. MVP and Rookie of the Year: former defensive standout and league batting champ has fond memories of his 16 years in the major leagues. (Where are they now?).(Interview)
December 1, 2002... IN NOVEMBER 2001, AFTER A PHEnomenal debut season, Seattle Mariners right fielder, Ichiro Suzuki, was named both Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player in the American League. The 28-year-old right fielder led the majors with both a...

How Baseball Digest readers voted for Hall of Fame candidates.
December 1, 2002... IN THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF BASEBALL DIGEST, WE ASKED READERS TO FILL OUT A BALLOT LISTING THEIR TOP ten choices of former players--eligible for the Halt of Fame--to be elected to the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. The poll generated 1,127...

Players who have hit three or more homers in a game.
December 1, 2002... PLAYERS WHO HAVE HIT THREE OR MORE HOMERS IN A GAME Players who hit four homers in a game in hold face type ANAHEIM ANGELS Player Date Lee Thomas Sept. 5, 1961 Leroy Stanton July...

Baseball rules corner: passing a preceding runner on the base paths can be costly.
December 1, 2002... AN INTERESTING PLAY OCCURRED in the Royals' 4-3 win over the A's last July 6 at Oakland. With the score tied 3-3, Joe Randa led off the top of the tenth with a single. An out later, Michael Tucker hit a shot that sailed over the fence in...

Players who tied for league HR title.
December 1, 2002... Players Who Tied For League HR Title Since 1900, league home run championships have been tied between two players 24 times, 13 in the National League and 11 times in the American League. Hall of Famers Mel Ott, Ralph Kiner and Reggie...