Baseball Digest articles from October 2003

Baseball Digest archives from October 2003

The fans speak out.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... The recent article on relievers (August Baseball Digest) underscored my belief that the save is one of the most over-hyped and misleading statistics in today's game. A reliever who "protects" a three-run lead in the last inning earns a...

World series memories revived by current and former players.(Warm Up Tosses)
October 1, 2003... IT WAS SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE ALL-STAR GAME AT U.S. CELLULAR FIELD IN Chicago last July 15. Players, coaches and managers from the American and National League were gathering in their respective clubhouses for what would turn out to be a...

Albert Pujols: quickly becoming baseball's biggest' star.
October 1, 2003... KERRY WOOD STARED IN FROM the mound waiting for Albert Pujols' response. Pujols was sprawled in the dirt of the Wrigley Field batter's box after ducking away from a 98 mph fastball that was aimed at his chin. It was a hot afternoon...

Flops, failures and disappointments: World Series performances by some major leaguers were not on a par with their regular season accomplishments.
October 1, 2003... SUPER STARDOM IS NO GUARANTEE of World Series success, as many great players, including Ted Williams, Rogers Hornsby, Ty Cobb and even Babe Ruth, on occasion, have discovered to their mortification. A player, no matter how good, is almost...

Winning atmosphere Bobby Cox and the Atlanta Braves know what it takes to win.
October 1, 2003... ELEVEN YEARS IS, THE BASEBALL equivalent of an eon. That's how long the Atlanta Braves have reigned in their division, and are currently in the process of making it an even dozen before the end of the 2003 campaign. But the lofty phrase "11...

Former Yankee Charlie Devens eyewitness to Ruth's 'called shot': ex-pitcher recalls game 3 of 1932 world series when the Babe homered against Cubs pitcher Charlie Root.(Interview)
October 1, 2003... FUNNY THING ABOUT LEGENDS. The further back you go, the closer to the truth you get. Charlie Devens can close his eyes and go all the way back to the sounds, to the smells, to his vantage point from the visitors' dugout at Wrigley...

Major League FEUDS: Baseball rivalries still exist, but free agency has dumped water on once-fiery hostilities.
October 1, 2003... TO THIS DAY, DECADES LATER, the accent gives away his Rhode Island youth. Ask any baseball guy from New England about the major leagues' greatest rivalry, too, and you presume he'd instinctively say "Yankees vs. Red Sox." Davey Lopes...

Baseball quick quiz.
October 1, 2003... 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. There have been 52...

Don Larsen: the game I'll never forget: former Yankee hurler recalls the World Series in 1956 when he tossed a perfect gem--the only no-hitter in post-season history.
October 1, 2003... I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO PITCH that game (Game 5 of the 1956 World Series) until I came to the park. In those days, I started and relieved. I had 20 starts and 18 relief appearances in '56. We were always available, even when we were...

Mike Lowel: coming in first at third: for most of the 2003 season, Marlins slugger paced all major league third basemen in home runs and RBI.(Interview)
October 1, 2003... DISCOVERING HE HAD TESTICULAR cancer was frightening enough for Mike Lowell, as were the sickening radiation treatments that made him vomit even after the skimpiest meal. Yet, neither scared the Florida Marlins third baseman more than...

Baseball rules corner: official scorer's job requires full knowledge of the rules.
October 1, 2003... THE JOB OF THE OFFICIAL SCORER is always a challenging assignment. Although determining a base hit versus an error routinely raises controversy and discussion, there is much more involved. The-official scorer must have superior knowledge of the...

Baseball profile: Moises Alou--Chicago Cubs.(Interview)
October 1, 2003... FULL NAME: Moises Rojas Alou AGE, HT., WT.: 37, 6-3, 220 Born: July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia HOME: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic STATUS/FAMILY: Married with three sons LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL: I like to be at the back...

World series results.(Illustration)
October 1, 2003... WORLD SERIES RESULTS The Fall Classic has been a best-of-seven series except for 1903, 1919, 1920 and 1921 when the World' Series was a best-of-nine game showdown between the National and American League pennant winners. Listed on...

League Championship Series results.(Illustration)
October 1, 2003... LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RESULTS The League Championship Series began in 1969 with a best-of-five game series before moving to a best-of-seven game format in 1985. Below are the results of each LCS by league. AMERICAN LEAGUE ...

Divisional series results.(Illustration)
October 1, 2003... The divisional round of playoffs began in 1995 when both leagues were divided into three divisions and a wild card team was included into the post-season format. The Division Series has been a best-of-five since its inception in 1995. Results...

World series records.(Illustration)
October 1, 2003... Most series played 14--Yogi Berra, Yankees, 1947, 1949-1953, 1955-1958, 1960-1963 Most times on series-winning club(playing one or more games each series) 10--Yogi Berra, Yankees, 1947, 1949-1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962 Most...

Miscellaneous post-season records.(Illustration)
October 1, 2003... LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GRAND SLAMS Player, Team Year Mike Cuellar, Orioles 1970 Ron Cey, Dodgers 1977 Dusty Baker, Dodgers 1977 Don Baylor, Angels 1982 Will Clark, Giants ...