Baseball Digest articles from November 2004

Baseball Digest archives from November 2004

Letters to the editor.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... In an earlier issue of Baseball Digest this year, it was mentioned that uniform No. 42 has been retired by all major league clubs in honor of Jackie Robinson. How come Yankee closer Mariano Rivera still wears No. 42? Paul Hitchcock ...

Infield corners, no place for the faint-hearted.(Warm Up Tosses)
November 1, 2004... IN A GAME AGAINST THE TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS AT TROPICANA FIELD MIDWAY during the 2003 season, Angels third baseman Troy Glaus dove in the air while trying to make a catch of a bunted ball and landed harshly on his right shoulder. His dive...

Majors' best starters in 2004: San Francisco's Jason Schmidt and Oakland's Mark Mulder rank among the game's top moundsmen.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... GOING BACK THROUGH THE PRE-season rosters of each of the 30 major league clubs, you could find a number of young pitchers touted as the teams' top prospects, such as Edwin Jackson of the Dodgers, or those who were being primed to step in as...

Pinch-hitting: baseball's toughest job: little recognition is given to players who are successful at coming off the bench and providing needed offense in a substitute role.
November 1, 2004... THE TOUGHEST JOB IN BASEBALL? That's not an easy designation to make in a game replete with difficult tasks in the field, at bat, on the mound, and in the ever-hot seat that keeps managers squirming with apprehension, frustration and despair....

Twins' Johan Santana: thriving in his role as a starter: since joining Minnesota's rotation at mid-season in 2003, left-hander has developed into club's ace.
November 1, 2004... The DISPLAY IN PITCHER JOHAN Santana's game room tells the story of his career firsts: He's got his uniform, batting glove and baseballs from his big league first game and first win. He also has his first autographed baseball, from the 1994...

Defense never rests: some of majors' top fielders discuss the toughest plays for their position.
November 1, 2004... DURING THE BASEBALL SEASON, defensive highlights are a nightly television staple, a handful of plays that range from the extremely athletic on up to just jaw-dropping amazing. An outfielder will leap against a wall to catch a ball headed...

Leader of the tribe: catcher Victor Martinez a new star for Cleveland's Indians: young switch-hitter continues to develop into a quality backstop and a clutch performer with the bat.
November 1, 2004... VICTOR MARTINEZ THINKS ABOUT his mother--a lot. He remembers the day that his father died of a heart attack. No warning, just gone. Just like that. The Indians' catcher was seven years old, living in Venezuela, not sure what would happen...

Bob Sheppard: your attention please, ladies and gentlemen, now speaking--Yankee Stadium's public address announcer.(Questions & Answers)(Interview)
November 1, 2004... NOT ALL SPORTS FANS WOULD RECOGNIZE HIS name, but almost all would recognize his voice. It is the voice of the New York Yankees, the New York Giants, and it is as distinctive as pinstripes. Former Yankees great Reggie Jackson once called it the...

Like It or not: baseball's pitch counts are here to stay: trendy stat forces managers to walk a fine line between a starter's strong performance and protecting an arm.
November 1, 2004... THE PITCH COUNT IS THE TRENDY new baseball statistic. TV announcers talk about it constantly, saying things such as, "It's the fourth inning and he's already thrown 75 pitches." Newspapers carry individual hurlers' pitch counts in their box...

Baseball quick quiz.
November 1, 2004... 1. Through late August, Cincinnati's Adam Dunn and was one home run shy of becoming the 11th player in major league history whose last name has four or fewer letters to hit 40 homers. Collect one point for each of the ten players you can...

Mike Epstein: former slugger remembers his home run off Mikey Lolich for Oakland during the 1972 American League Championship Series.(The Game I'll Never Forget)
November 1, 2004... I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO REMEMBERS WHAT HAPPENED ON A 2-2 pitch 30 years ago, but I recall my first big league at-bat. The Orioles called me up in September 1966, and they sent me in to pinch-hit against Joe Horlen of the White Sox who...

Baseball profile: Barry Zito--Oakland A's.
November 1, 2004... FULL NAME: Barry William Zito AGE, HT., WT.: 24, 6-3, 210 HOME: Los Angeles, California STATUS/FAMILY: Single NICKNAME: Zee LIFE OUTSIDE OF BASEBALL: Pretty basic. I don't really do too much. I don't have cable. I just go...

Unusual cache of vintage baseball collectibles scarce old cards, uncut sheets, prints, and signs.(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... 1980s All-Time Greats Baseball Greats, 50-card set full of Hall of Famers. Included are Aaron, Banks, Berra, Campanella, Clemente, Cobb, DiMaggio, Feller, Ford, Foxx, Gehrig, Greenberg, Hornsby, Mantle, Mathewson, Mays, Musial, Ott, Brooks...

Where are they now? Former manager Chuck Tanner: one-time Pirates skipper recalls 1979 Pittsburgh club that defeated Baltimore in an exciting seven-game World Series.
November 1, 2004... TO KNOW CHUCK TANNER'S relationship with baseball all you have to know are two quotes. "The greatest thing in the world is winning a major league game," the manager of the '79 world champion Pirates said. Then Tanner, still ebullient and...

Baseball rules corner: determining a "legal catch" can sometimes be tricky.
November 1, 2004... IN A MAY 1 GAME BETWEEN THE Rockies and Braves, Colorado third baseman Vinny Castilla reached into the stands in foul territory to make a catch. It appeared that Castilla had the ball in his glove and the hat of a fan. But before he had a...

MVP voting results.(Illustration)
November 1, 2004... MVP Voting, Results Listed herewith are the top three finishers in the Most Valuable Player Award voting for both the American and National League since 1931 when the Baseball Writers Association of America began issuing the honor....

Cy Young Award voting results.(Illustration)
November 1, 2004... Cy Young Award Voting Results Listed below are the top finishers in the Cy Young Award voting for both the American and National League since 1956 when the Baseball Writers Association of America began issuing the honor. From 1956...