Baseball Digest articles from June 2005

Baseball Digest archives from June 2005

The fans speak out.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... I would like to see the pitching mound raised back to 15 inches. How did lowering it come about? I am tired of all these games with scores like 11-9, and all the home runs. I want to see guys get struck out, and have a real nail biter of a...

Rating the Majors' best shortstops, no easy task.(Warm Up Tosses)
June 1, 2005... A LETTER-WRITER RECENTLY ASKED, "IF YOU WERE BUILDING A TEAM AND could pick any current shortstop to complete your lineup card, who would you choose?" We receive many questions of a similar nature during the course of a year and we can't...

Baseball records: fact or fiction: some of the game's historic marks may be inaccurate, but they continue to be a driving force in the popularity of statistics among fans.
June 1, 2005... A MAJOR AND NAGGING BYPRODUCT OF BASEBALL'S STEROIDS SCANDAL IS A perceived threat to the sanctity and validity of the game's records and awards. Some fans, particularly those who venerate statistics, may consider such a hazard even more...

Rangers' Michael Young: a multi-talented shortstop: All-Star infielder has stepped up his play in the field and with the bat while displaying leadership qualities in the clubhouse.
June 1, 2005... IN 2004, MICHAEL YOUNG HAD ONE of the most productive seasons of any player in the major leagues. He collected a club record 216 hits, and he finished ninth in the American League with a .313 batting average. In his fourth full season in...

Managing by 'The Book'.(baseball)(Reprint)
June 1, 2005... YOU WILL NOT FIND the book (or, more accurately, The Book) on Amazon, no matter how adroitly you manipulate their search engine. Even the most massive Barnes and Noble outlet doesn't stock this tome, revered though it may be. The curators...

10 great moments in 'The Book' history.(baseball)
June 1, 2005... 1. One of the great modern examples of flouting The Book--indeed, of tearing it into tiny pieces and burying them under the nearest cactus--occurred May 28, 1998, executed by Arizona manager Buck Showalter. Barry Bonds, who no one yet knew...

Baseball profile: Todd Helton--Colorado Rockies.
June 1, 2005... FULL NAME: Todd Lynn Helton AGE, HT., WT.: 31, 6-2, 215 HOME: Knoxville, Tennessee STATUS/FAMILY: Married with one daughter NICKNAME: T.L. LIFE OUTSIDE OF BASEBALL: I try to spend as much time as I can with my family. I...

Twins' Shannon Stewart strives for injury-free, comeback season in '05: All-Around outfielder seeks to return to form as a .300 hitter, a base stealing threat, a table-setting run producer and a defensive standout.(Interview)
June 1, 2005... THE MORNINGS WERE THE WORST, when Shannon Stewart would wake up, roll out of bed and get an instant reminder of how bad his right foot was. He was suffering from a pesky inflammation of the foot tissue which limited him to 92 games last...

Brad Lidge lightning out of the bullpen: after an impressive showing last season, Houston closer is expected to continue his dominance in the late innings in 2005.
June 1, 2005... AS OCTAVIO DOTEL STRUGGLED through the start of last season, hardly any Astros fan could forgive the club for trading Billy Wagner to the Phillies. The reality of the situation, however, is that the Wagner trade might have been the type of...

Baseball quick quiz.
June 1, 2005... 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. The American League...

Terry Francona a manager with respect: growing up the son of a major league player, Red Sox skipper learned the finer points of the game at a young age.(Interview)
June 1, 2005... TERRY FRANCONA, WHO GREW up visiting big league locker rooms as the son of major leaguer Tito, may only be 46 years of age, but he has been and will continue to be a baseball "lifer," a man who spends his entire life around the game. The...

7th inning stretch.(Illustration)
June 1, 2005... Listed in the following charts are the top 20 players--appearing in a minimum of 100 games in each of the last two seasons--who finished with the largest point gain and those with the largest point decline in their batting average. ...

When 'Dem Bums' won it all: former Dodgers recall when they captured their only World Series championship in Brooklyn.(Turn Back The Clock--1955)
June 1, 2005... WHEN I LOOK BACK AT IT, had anyone told me that the '55 Dodgers would finally win the World Series at the beginning of that season, I don't know if I would have believed it. "You always begin the season with hope. And we knew what we had...

Bill Stoneman: the game I'll never forget: right-hander who tossed two no-hitters during his career recalls victory over Padres in which he fanned 14 batters.(Interview)
June 1, 2005... I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO THROW two no-hitters in my career, and both of them were with the Expos. The first one happened on the road against the Phillies in Connie Mack Stadium. It was on April 17, 1969, which was just the ninth game ever...

Ex-hurler Lou Brissie: recalls his battles to pitch in the majors: World War II veteran overcame injuries to get his chance in the big leagues, playing for Connie Mack in Philadelphia.(Interview)
June 1, 2005... LOU BRISSIE IS AN ALL-AMERICAN hero. The extremely modest former major leaguer would be the first person to deny it. However, make no mistake about it, from his volunteering to serve in World War II to suffering a leg shattering battle...

'C' suits Varitek just fine.(Baseball Notes: from around the league)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... JASON VARITEK SAID HE AGREED TO WEAR A "C" ON HIS UNIFORM JERSEY THIS YEAR, but the Red Sox catcher said he hoped it stands just as much for "consistent" as it does "captain." Named just the third Sox captain since 1966, Varitek said the...

Maddux balancing age with wisdom.(Baseball Notes: from around the league)(Greg Maddux)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 1, 2005... GREG MADDUX IS STILL GOING STRONG. EVEN THOUGH HE TURNED 39 LAST APRIL 14. WITH 15 or more wins in each of his last 17 seasons, the future Hall of Famer needs 187.1 innings to automatically kick in the 2006 option year in his contract. ...

Players with 2000 career hits.(Illustration)
June 1, 2005... Players With 2,000 Career Hits THROUGH THE 2004 SEASON, THERE HAVE BEEN 238 MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS WHO HAVE COLLECTED 2,000 OR MORE HITS DURing their careers. Among these batters, 112 are right-handers, 101 are left-handed swingers, 25 are...

Baseball rules corner: here is a quiz measuring your ability to interpret rules.
June 1, 2005... IT'S TIME FOR MY ANNUAL RULES challenge. Following is a ten question True or False test. if you get 9-10 correct answers, you are ready for your first big league assignment. A score of 7-8 places you in the high minors; 5-6 proper responses...