Baseball Digest articles from June 2002

Baseball Digest archives from June 2002

The fans speak out. (Letters To The Editor).
June 1, 2002... A letter-writer in the April issue mentioned the long losing streak of the 1961 Phillies. That year, the Phillies finished with a 47-107 won-lost record. Could you give me a chart of the five worst won-lost seasons in major league history?...

Stories about Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams are still relished. (Warm Up Tosses).(Column)
June 1, 2002... THERE ARE TIMES IN A COLUMNIST'S LIFE WHEN HE OR SHE ENCOUNTERS A creative period as arid and virtually lifeless as the El Centro desert in Southern California where the temperature can soar as high as 120 degrees in summer. And, at this...

Jim Thome: hard work pays off for Cleveland slugger; Indians first baseman chips away at club record book with every mighty swing.(Interview)
June 1, 2002... WHEN JIM THOME WAS EIGHT years old, he strode into the kitchen of his home in suburban Peoria, Illinois, and announced to his mother, "I'm never going to work. I'm going to play big league baseball." The boy was crazy about the sport. His...

Manager-player relations often volatile: hostility frequently erupts when a skipper and his charges don't see eye-to-eye on issues concerning the team.
June 1, 2002... IT'S NOT INEVITABLY A CASE OF "PLAY me or trade me" or "love me or leave me" but relations between managers and players are always fragile, often tense and occasionally even erupt into physical confrontation. Not that a lively exchange of...

Sammy Sosa: evolution of a big league hitter: cubs slugger continues to improve as a hitter--establishing season high marks in batting average, runs, RBI, walks, and on-base percentage in 2001.(Interview)
June 1, 2002... JEFF PENTLAND INSERTS THE VIDEOTAPE. Class is now in session. The Cubs hitting coach was asked to explain how Sammy Sosa, once a feast-or-famine free-swinger, has transformed himself into perhaps baseball's greatest offensive force. "You...

Twins' Torii Hunter and Doug Mientkiewicz take pride in their glove work; Minnesota's center fielder and first baseman captured Gold Glove honors for their defensive play in 2001. (Defense Recognized).
June 1, 2002... THEY COVER MORE GROUND THAN broadleaf, spend more time horizontal than bobsledders, and share the kind of mutual respect usually reserved for daredevils. But until last November, Torii Hunter and Doug Mientkiewicz had only turf burns to show...

Phils' Bobby Abreu silences his doubters; since coming to Philadelphia in 1998, young outfielder has been a consistent producer offensively and defensively.(Interview)
June 1, 2002... WHEN BOBBY ABREU ARRIVED on the Philadelphia sporting scene in the spring of 1998, he was a shy, slightly built young man who spoke little English. He came to town in a trade with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with exceptional baseball tools, but...

A Recipe For Success: After cooking up MVP-type season last year, Giants shorstop is ready for an encore.(Interview)
June 1, 2002... RUMOR HAS IT THAT SPORTSWRITERS appreciate a good meal now and again. If the writers who cast National League MVP ballots last year only knew that Rich Aurilia can cook a mean shrimp scaloppine, he might have cracked the top 10 in voting. ...

Baseball quick quiz.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... 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. Which player holds...

Steve Garvey: consistency was his game: during the 14 full-seasons he played in the majors, former N.L. MVP was a productive performer.(Interview)
June 1, 2002... FOR PARTS OF 14 BIG LEAGUE SEASONS, from 1969-1982, the Dodgers had this Smiling Irishman who played a marathon-like first base for them, going almost the equivalent of two presidential terms without missing a game. Name: Steven Patrick...

Jose Canseco 1988 A.L. MVP. (Baseball Profile).(Interview)
June 1, 2002... FULL NAME: Jose Canseco AGE, HT., WT.: 37, 6-4, 240 Born: July 2, 1964 HOME: Miami, Florida STATUS/FAMILY: Single with one daughter LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL: Spending time with my daughter and playing golf. SPORTS HERO...

Former pitcher Billy Pierce: he ranked among the best of his era. (Where Are They Now?).(baseball players)(Interview)
June 1, 2002... ONE OF THE GREATEST PITCHERS in Chicago White Sox history, Billy Pierce won 211 games and started three All-Star games over his 18-year big league career. Today, the 74-year-old is still an important part of the White Sox family, making...

Nicknames: they're a colorful part of baseball history: from "Hammerin' Hank" to "The Splendid Splinter", monikers have added a special touch to the national pastime.
June 1, 2002... THERE IS SOMETHING MISSING from baseball these days and it's easy to pin a name on it. Or rather, nobody bothers to come up with a name and that's the problem. Whatever happened to baseball's colorful nicknames? Despite the humorous...

Eddie Joost recalls how Connie Mack revived his big league career; talented, but outspoken, shortstop struggled in making the grade before Hall of Fame manager gave him a second chance. (Turn Back The Clock).(Interview)
June 1, 2002... EDDIE JOOST HAD A REPUTATION TWO OF them, really; one got tacked on him and one he earned. Both of them followed him all the days of his baseball life--until he met Connie Mack. The rap he earned was with his mouth, telling managers bluntly...

Active career batting and pitching leaders.(stats)
June 1, 2002... Active Career Batting & Pitching Leaders (Some players' all-time rank is listed to the right of their career totals) BATTING HITS ALL-TIME LEADERS PETE ROSE 4,256 TY COBB 4,191 HANK AARON...

Highest percentage of hits going for extra bases, season (minimum 85 extra-base hits, since 1900). (Batters With Added Punch).
June 1, 2002... Batters With Added Punch Highest Percentage of Hits Going For Extra Bases, Season (Minimum 85 extra-base hits, Since 1900) Year Player, Team EBH Hits Pct. 2001 Barry Bonds, Giants 107 156...

Baseball rules corner: appeal plays involve restrictions on both offensive, defensive teams.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... RESTRICTIONS REGARDING APPEAL plays are placed on both the offensive and defensive teams, To begin with there are five appeal plays in baseball: (1) batting out of turn, (2) failure of the batter-runner to return to first base immediately after...

All-time single-season batting leaders; top 5 for each club since 1900.(stats)
June 1, 2002... All-Time Single-Season Batting Leaders Top 5 For Each Club Since 1900 Note: To be listed among hitters with top batting averages, player must have qualified for league batting championship for that season ANAHEIM ANGELS...