Baseball Digest articles from July 2000

Baseball Digest archives from July 2000

The Fans Speak Out.
July 1, 2000... When my son and daughter were growing up in the 1980s, their baseball heroes were Dale Murphy and Kirby Puckett respectively, two great ballplayers and even greater role models. How do these two men compare in regard to career statistics,...

Without John Smoltz, Braves May Be Pressed To Set New Winning Record.
July 1, 2000... NOTES AND RANDOM THOUGHTS ON THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCENE: With starting pitcher John Smoltz sidelined after undergoing elbow surgery, it will be interesting to see if the Atlanta Braves this year can amass 100 wins for the fourth...

Jim Edmonds Searches for A Pennant in St. Louis.
July 1, 2000... Cardinal Rules Play Hard, Play to Win, Have Fun, Play Hard, Play to Win, Have Fun With a new team, center fielder hopes to produce a season like he did for Angels in '95 JIM EDMONDS' first day as a Cardinal was nothing to call home...

Aces of Diamonds.
July 1, 2000... Club's No. 1 Pitcher Is Even More Valuable Than You Think When he takes the mound, his teammates feel they don't have to score eight runs to win the game HOME RUN HITTERS, PETE Rose once moaned, drive the Cadillacs. Since even backup...

The Fall From Ace.
July 1, 2000... Some Top Starters Have Slipped Down From No. 1 Slot an Rotation Pitchers who lose their premier status must learn how to win with less than overpowering stuff AN ACE IS NOT FOREVER. IT'S EASY to compile a list of big league pitchers...

BASEBALL PROFILE DELINO DESHIELDS.
July 1, 2000... FULL NAME: Delino Lamont DeSheilds AGE, HT., WT.: 31, 6-1, 175 Born: January 15, 1969 in Seaford, Delaware HOME: Fairburn, Georgia STATUS/FAMILY: Married with one son, one daughter NICKNAME: Bop LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL:...

Mariners' Shortstop ALEX RODRIGUEZ Not A Typical Superstar.(Interview)
July 1, 2000... In a effort to improve himself, he went to college in Florida to take classes in writing and political science THERE ARE TWO REASONS Stan Javier is playing baseball this year with Seattle. One is he believes to his core that the...

War on Baseball Tradition May Backfire.
July 1, 2000... Short-term benefits, such as blurring distinction between two leagues, might hurt game in long run ONLY A FANATICAL PURIST COULD be so blind to reality as to insist that baseball must cling to its past, adamantly shunning all change while...

Houston First Baseman JEFF BAGWELL Baseball's Overlooked Star.
July 1, 2000... He doesn't get the attention of a McGwire, Griffey or Sosa, but his all-around play makes him special WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE Big Three who now reside in the National League Central, it's understandable why Jeff Bagwell gets overlooked. ...

Baseball Quick Quiz.
July 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. This July Quick Quiz is a...

Taking It To Another Level CARLOS BELTRAN Wants To Be A Major League Star.
July 1, 2000... Rookie of the Year in '99, Royals center fielder seeks to polish his skills in hitting and on defense CARLOS BELTRAN WON'T BE satisfied with Rookie of the Year. Royals bench coach Jamie Quirk is certain of that. "Some kids just want to...

The Changeup.
July 1, 2000... For pitchers, the appearance of velocity can be the key to success In creating the illusion of throwing a fastball, hurlers can disrupt a hitter's timing IN BIG-TIME SPORTS, THEY SAY SPEED kills. But sometimes the illusion of it can be...

Batting Professor.
July 1, 2000... Rod Carew's Hitting Expertise Now Directed Towards leaching Now an instructor for the Brewers, Hall of Famer impresses his listeners with a simple formula for success IF ROD CAREW EVER FELT compelled to recite his career...

History In A Box.
July 1, 2000... Rows of statistics distill the action of a game and reveal who did what to whom on the field SPRING MEANS MANY THINGS, BUT to true baseball fans it means return of box scores. "I can't wait until the morning after Opening Day," ESPN...

Andres Galarraga Swings for the Fences.(Interview)
July 1, 2000... After missing the '99 season because of his battle with cancer, Braves first baseman has made a strong comeback to the majors ANDRES GALARRAGA THOUGHT HE was a dead man. "When the doctors told me `lymphoma,' I thought I might be dead the...

Where Are They Now?(Interview)
July 1, 2000... Former Player RON HUNT Recalls His Big League Career In 1971, second baseman set a major league record when he was hit by a pitch 50 times with the Expos EVERY MAJOR LEAGUER DOES his best to get hits while batting. Ron Hunt may be the...

Despite His Small Stature, Joe Morgan Was A Big Success.(Interview)
July 1, 2000... He won MVP honors and a place in the Hall of Fame through his consistent work as a hitter, fielder and base runner JOE MORGAN WAS PLEASED TO BE an honoree last year in the Park series (commemorating Houston's final season in the Astrodome),...

Baseball Rules Corner.
July 1, 2000... In making the call on triple plays, umps have to be aware of particulars I READ RECENTLY IN A WASHINGTON Baseball Historical Society newsletter that 29 games in big league history ended in a triple l)lay. I'm not going to try to support or...

UNASSISTED TRIPLE PLAYS IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... --1900 through 1999 * Neal Ball, shortstop, Indians vs. Red Sox at Cleveland, July 19, 1909, first game, second inning. Ball caught Amby McConnell's liner, touched second, retiring Heinie Wagner, who was on his way to third base, and then...

1960s Rookie Scouting Reports on Former Players.
July 1, 2000... Reports on promising major league rookies have been published in Baseball Digest since 1955. What follows are random selections from reports made in the 1960s which give readers an idea how some well-known players were rated before they reached...

LIFETIME TEAM PITCHING RECORDS AMERICAN LEAGUE (1901-1999).
July 1, 2000... ANAHEIM ANGELS WINS Chuck Finley 165 Nolan Ryan 138 Mike Witt 109 Frank Tanana 102 Mark Langston 88 STRIKEOUTS Nolan Ryan ...

LIFETIME TEAM PITCHING RECORDS NATIONAL LEAGUE (1876-1999).
July 1, 2000... ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS WINS Andy Benes 27 Omar Daal 24 Brian Anderson 20 Randy Johnson 17 Gregg Olson 12 STRIKEOUTS ...