Baseball Digest articles from July 2001

Baseball Digest archives from July 2001

Un-Covering the past.(former Minnesota Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... BERT BLYLEVEN Former right-hander featured in Baseball Digest 15 years ago IN THE SUMMER OF 1986, BERT BLYLEVEN WAS pitching in his 17th season in the major leagues, entering the campaign with 213 wins and 2,874 strikeouts. At the...

Letters To The Editor.
July 1, 2001... The Fans Speak Out We talk baseball at work all year around, and this subject came up recently. A guy at work said a pitcher can throw a perfect game and still have an error committed by one of his fielders, such as a third baseman...

Mike Mussina: He Gives Yankee Pitching Staff Extra Depth.(New York Yankees pitcher)
July 1, 2001... IT WAS AN UNFORGETTABLE SCENE. A FEW SUMMERS AGO, TED WILLIAMS AND Tommy Lasorda were seated in rocking chairs on the porch of the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, New York, carrying on a lively discussion on hitting. They were on hand for...

Catching: It's not for everyone, but no position is more rewarding.
July 1, 2001... It's a tough job physically, but a receiver draws stimulation from the mental challenges he overcomes AS THE RUNNER BARRELED TOWARD the plate, catcher David Parrish prepared for the collision. He gripped the ball. He bent his knees. He...

IVAN RODRIGUEZ Is he the best catcher ever?(Texas Rangers catcher)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... Rangers' receiver has earned praise from many experts for his all-around abilities on defense as well as offense IVAN RODRIGUEZ PICKED UP ANOTHER BAUBLE TO ADD TO THE TROPHY CASE LAST season. The Rangers' catcher received an award for...

STREAKS Good or bad, fans are attracted to feats extended over consecutive games.(baseball fans)
July 1, 2001... Luck is often a big factor in determining uninterrupted success or failure of a player or team WHEN IT COMES TO OBSERVING, recording and celebrating or occasionally deploring streaks of achievement or failure, even those that are...

Marlins Ace Right-Hander Ryan Dempster Learning to Be No. 1.(Florida Marlins pitcher)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... According to his catcher, Charles Johnson, 24-year-old starter has the `tunnel vision' possessed by great pitchers IT WAS EARLY, ABOUT 8:45 A.M. ON A typical day last March during spring training, and Marlins manager John Boles had just...

BASEBALL PROFILE.(Sean Casey)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... SEAN CASEY FULL NAME: Sean Thomas Casey AGE, HT., WT.: 27, 6-4, 225 Born: July 2, 1974 HOME: Jupiter, Florida STATUS/FAMILY: Married NICKNAME: Case LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL: My wonderful wife, Mandi, and I spend a...

DOES SIZE REALLY MATTER? Today's major leaguers are bigger and stronger than those of earlier eras.(physical size of baseball players)
July 1, 2001... Current baseball scouts generally focus their attention on larger prospects, particularly pitchers BABE RUTH STILL STANDS AS ONE of the legendary giants of baseball, but if he were alive today, he would stand taller than only 48 percent of...

It Seems Like Yesterday For Bobby Cox, First Year As A Manager Remains Fresh As His 20th.(Atlanta Braves coach)
July 1, 2001... Braves' skipper has won respect and five pennants by creating an environment that helps his players succeed IN THE MIDST OF HIS 20TH SEASON OF MANAGING IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES, BOBBY Cox is incapable of looking forward without simultaneously...

Royals outfielder Jermaine Dye His throwing arm ranks among the best.
July 1, 2001... Runners are wary of taking an extra base on him when he gets the ball and fires it back to the infield THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IS how relaxed Jermaine Dye looks. It wasn't always like that. There was a time when Dye was just itching to...

20 Years Ago, Fernando Valenzuela Was King of the Hill.
July 1, 2001... With the Dodgers in strike-shortened 1981 season, he won Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards IT SEEMED LIKE AN APRIL FOOLS prank in the spring of 1991 when Fernando Valenzuela's release from the Dodgers was announced. Just 10 days...

Baseball Quick Quiz.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 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. Who was the first...

Baseball Says Farewell to Pirate Great Willie Stargell.(Obituary)
July 1, 2001... Former players recall how Hall of Famer provided leadership through his approach to the game WILLIE STARGELL NEED NOT have worried about carving out a legacy in life. Upon his death, the collective reaction of his baseball...

A Wiser "Wild Thing" Mitch Williams returns to the game as a pitching coach.
July 1, 2001... Despite the conception of being an untamed reliever, he averaged 31 saves per year from 1989 through 1993 "SON, I CAN HELP YOU straighten out your pitching mechanics, help you become a big leaguer someday. You see how you are striding...

Yankee Executive Arthur Richman Recalls His 60 years in the Game.
July 1, 2001... Former sportswriter's love of baseball dates back to his days as a young fan of the St. Louis Browns PLAYERS, MANAGERS AND EVEN team owners get most of the credit when professional sports franchises win world championships. But every...

Baseball Rules Corner.
July 1, 2001... Some rules of the game are enforced unevenly DURING GAME 2 OF THE 2000 World Series played between the Yankees and Mets, TV cameras caught opponents John Franco and David Cone talking to each other over the Yankee Stadium bullpen fence...

Fielding Leaders.(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... LISTED BELOW ARE THE SEASON FIELDING PERCENTAGE LEADERS FOR EACH POSITION, except pitcher, since 1900. To qualify for a league fielding title, a catcher must catch in one-half of his team's games for that season while an infielder or...