Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays Manager, Joe Maddon

He has something called controlling the controllables. (To Maddon) As a baseball player, the one aspect of your game you have the most control over is your defense. How you work at doing your due diligence. Does that need some 'splaining? (I could sure use some!)

Per dictionary.com, due diligence: refers to the care a reasonable person should take before entering in an agreement or transaction with another party. (2) an investigation or audit of a potential investment. Due diligence serves to confirm all material facts in regards to a sale.

In other words, to a potential acquirer, "making sure you get what you think you're paying for."

Hope that helps.

Best advice Joe Maddon ever heard...I was on an airplane going from Phoenix, AZ to Midland, TX. In the early 1990s I was very annoyed and upset because I had been passed over as a major league coach. I thought it was very unfair, very wrong, and I was upset. I was carrying it over into my work. My concentration wasn't as good. I was always concerned about why I was being passed over-kinda had that victim's complex going on. This lady sits next to me on the plane, and I did not want to talk to anybody, but she chose to talk to me.

She threw out this phrase to me: Remember one thing always: whatever you put out there will come back to you."

When I'm getting outside myself or things aren't quite right or if I'm not feeling right, I do a little self-check. Am I putting the right stuff out there?

And if I'm not, I really make a conscious effort to do so.

Just one question, for Angels manager Mike Scioscia: What did you and Joe Maddon talk about-other than baseball-when you were together with the Angels?

"You open up any football conversation with Joe and it's going to lead right back to his quarterbacking days out at Lafayette. And his collegiate football days were the source of a lot of inspiration to a lot of our comebacks. He was a big Joe Willie Namath fan growing up, wore #12 at Lafayette. We got a hold of some college football films of him, and from high school, too. We put them on a DVD and showed them on a plane to the guys. That was great."

(thanks to Sporting News magazine, dated 4/27/09 for the articles that inspired this commentary.)

Kevin Marquez

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

We all like to get credit for things we did. Quiet, subtle behavior with a focus on attention to detail and manners should be recognized rather than the attention given to those who attract attention to themselves. You know, bright colored clothing, jewelry and a loud-mouth that never shuts-up. And the person operating that tongue and those lips doesn't pay particular attention to the timing of things because there is only one time AND that's when their lips and tongue are in motion.

Occasionally in sports, the one place where feats are magnified to an unbelievable size and with the prose used to describe the event(s) what is being seen or read about is poetry in motion. A player/participant may have only made a singular contribution and that one moment in the sun will afford them many opportunities to see if they can duplicate that feat.

Such is the case of Jim Qualls.

(In an article about Tom Seaver and the 1969 New York Mets, Seaver talks about his near perfect game in which Jimmy Qualls was the only Chicago Cub to reach base.)

In front of 50,000 fans the Chicago Cubs didn't get anybody on base until the 9th inning. Jimmy Qualls, a left-hand hitting rookie. Seaver said he had never faced Qualls before that game but that Qualls hit him hard all 3 times at the plate.

Seaver says this was a game that made everyone take note that the New York Mets were for real and for those lucky Met fans, they would find out later how wonderful the year would be for the Miracle Mets.

But about Qualls. Seaver said he was a left-handed batter. Actually, Qualls was a right-handed batter early in his career until he suffered a broken jaw after being hit by a pitch from a right-handed pitcher. After that, Qualls became a switch-hitter.

Qualls made his major league debut in 1969 with the Chicago Cubs.
He was traded to the Montreal Expos early in 1970. After appearing in 9 games with Montreal he was sent down to the Winnipeg Whips. With the Whips, he got into a dispute with the club about meal expenses, and he eventually returned home to California in August 1970.

He spent the entire 1971 season with the Indianapolis Indians, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
In 1972, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. He made the Opening Day roster. Appeared in just 11 games, primarily as a pinch-hitter, and was released.

Jim Qualls finished his career in Japan during the 1972-73 seasons.

Qualls was born on October 9, 1946 and his career ended in 1973. He was 27 years of age.

But he will forever be recognized as the player who spoiled Tom "Terrific's" perfect game bid on July 9, 1969. Not many of us will be recognized for playing baseball but hopefully if we do the right thing we will be recognized as someone who is a fine and decent human being.


(thanks to Baseball-Reference for the info on Jim Qualls and the inspiration by Sporting News magazine on Tom Seaver's day, 7/9/69.)

Kevin Marquez

May 23, This Day in Baseball

I'm sorry, but after reading Bruce Jenkins' article about the Giants, not to expect anything until 2011, I went right back to the history books. And after listening to them, on the radio, and how they have fared at the plate (in both San Diego and Seattle) Bruce probably has a beat on something. Even if he's a beat off.

Hope for the 2009 season is dwindling rather quickly even if it is only May 23rd.

This day in baseball...

On May 23rd, 1926, Hack Wilson, Lewis Robert Wilson, of the Chicago Cubs belted a homer off the scoreboard at Wrigley Field. At the time of the homer, the scoreboard was situated at ground level. Wilson became the first player to hit a ball off the scoreboard, which in 1937, will be moved atop the newly built bleachers.

On May 23, 1948, Joltin' Joe DiMaggio hit 3 consecutive home runs in a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Indians. Two of the homers were hit off of Rapid Robert Feller.

May 23, 1970: The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants battled for 15 innings with the Padres winning 17-16. Nate Colbert led the Padres with 5 hits and 4 RBIs. This was a day I recall as if it were yesterday. I recall getting in the car after Saturday church and hearing that Clyde King got fired and the new manager was Charlie Fox. I looked it up and King was let go in 1970 with Fox being his replacement. The unfortunate thing was this was King's 46th birthday, as he was born in 1924.

How is it I was able to recall this date and look it up because I had just enough facts to check it out? Because I'm a Giants fan and will always be a fan of the Gigantes/Giants.

It's refreshing to know not all of my memories are distorted. And even though Bruce Jenkins has reasons to believe the Giants will keep it close to the vest, come trading time, I still hold out hope the orange and black can turn it around like the Padres of San Diego have recently exhibited.

With me, hope springs eternal through the merry month of May and hopefully past the month of June when the Giants are known to swoon.

Keep the faith, Giants fans.

(thanks to Baseball-Reference.com for the day in baseball facts)

Kevin Marquez

Noah Lowry's Karma is Catching Up with Him

Noah Lowry, a Pepperdine graduate, showed some promise as a pitcher when he first came up with the San Francisco Giants. And that he was left-handed was all the more reason to have high hopes for the 28-year old who will turn 29 in October.

As recently as 2007, he led the team in victories with 14. But lately he's been having trouble pitching pain-free. 'The Giants were very diligent in having him see a variety of doctors, but ultimately it's based on results,' said Lowry's agent, Damon Lapa.

According to Lapa the Giants misdiagnosed Lowry's ailment, possibly leading to two (2) wasted seasons away from the mound because of a previous surgery that was not necessary.

Now, you the casual fan of baseball, can probably imagine the pain Damon Lapa is in, now that he and Noah finally learned the cause of Noah's painful arc, or shall I say, discomfort in his delivery.
All the money they both could have made had Noah pitched. Well, how about the money the San Francisco Giants lost after investing a substantial amount in a player who suddenly became damaged goods?

Noah's karma wasn't right.

I recall going to Spring Training one year. Everything about Scottsdale, Arizona was fantastic until it came time for me to try and get a few autographs on a baseball for my nephew. When I approached Noah Lowry he looked at me like I was a stalker. Like I was this older guy, a guy older than he, who wanted his autograph, only saying I wanted it for my nephew so he'd go ahead and sign the ball.

Well, I didn't get the signature nor did my nephew. He got a ball with Duane Kuiper and Jon Miller's name on it and my brother busted my chops asking, "All you could get was the announcers, a backup backstop and a bullpen catcher? What's with that?"

In closing, I have to go with Demon, uh, Damon Lapa's comments that had to make at least half of the Giants' fans bitter and that remark was: It's a happy day in the sense that we're excited the cause has been found... There's nothing worse than robbing a guy of what he loves to do.'

How many people had to figure something out when it was discovered they weren't going to do what it was they wanted to do? About half the population? At least.

And maybe half of those unfortunate Giant fans, who just happened to read that comment by Lowry's agent, would like an opportunity to do at least one thing they wanted to do and that would be to grab Damon Lapa by the throat and rob him of some oxygen.

Kevin Marquez

2009 Giants Still Need some This Day inBaseball to create an interest

All Giants' fans have to be liking how Matt Cain has busted out of the gates with a 4-1 record. And in watching Matt, you have to know,(by now) he takes a while to get warmed up. Announcers are always pointing towards the pitch-count with #18 on the hill, but #18 has worked on his conditioning in the off-season, so it takes about 50 game-tosses to get him warmed up for the critically acclaimed strike zone of that game's umpire.

Sorry, but, Eugenio Velez is "No-brainy-oh" until he proves me wrong.

Very interesting stat in Sunday Night's ESPN telecast. As of that game the Giants were 14-0 when they scored first. Make it 15-0! Oh by the way, they are the only team in majors to do that.

This Day in Baseball ('cause I just love the feats)

In the merry month of May...

May 5, 1935: At Braves Field, young pitcher Dizzy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals faces Boston Braves and a 40-year old Babe Ruth. Dean walks Ruth his first 2 times up, then with 2 strikes on the Bambino, waves his outfielders back and throws a fastball by the big guy for strike three. Dean wins 7-0, and in his first at-bat, hits a homer over Ruth's head in right field.

May 6, 1915: Babe Ruth, pitching for the Boston Red Sox, collects 3 hits, including his first major league home run when he connected off of Jack Warhop of the NY Yankees at the Polo Grounds.

In 1931, on May 6, Willie Howard Mays, Jr. was born in Westfield, Alabama. Mays would make his major league debut in 1951. And hit his first homer at the Polo Grounds.

May 7, 1917: Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox allows only 2 hits and he outpitches Walter "Big Train" Johnson of the Washington Senators, 1-0, at Griffith Stadium. Ruth helps his cause by driving in the only run with a sacrifice fly .

May 10, 1967: In the 8th inning, with Jim Bunning of the Philadelphia Phillies on the mound, Hammerin' Hank Aaron drove a ball to deep center field and scores ahead of the relay. It will be the only inside-the-park home run among his 755.

May 12, 1932: Carey Selph of the Chicago White Sox collects his ninth (9) strike out. But it won't happen again. Selph will go another 89 games without striking out. Selph's record will last until 1958 when Nellie Fox sets a new mark with 98 consecutive games without a whiff.

May 20, 1919: Babe Ruth won a game pitching and batting as he hit his first career grand slam versus the St. Louis Browns (would later become the Baltimore Orioles) at Sportsman's Park.


(to get more of these Days in baseball log on to: baseball-reference.com)

Kevin Marquez

May 15th...

This day in baseball, on May 15, 2009, Tim Lincecum was on the mound. At one point the score was 5-1 Giants but due to one circumstance or another he ran out of pitches and his bullpen let him down... We'll get back to the Giants after some historical feats of note.

May 15th was a day for pitchers, ya think?

1918: Washington's Walter Johnson pitched a 1-0, 18-inning victory over Lefty Williams of the Chicago White Sox, who also went the distance.

1919: After 12 scoreless innings, Cincinnati scored 10 runs off Al Mamaux in the 13th inning to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-0.

1941: Joe DiMaggio began his 56-game hitting streak against Chicago's Eddie Smith, going 1-for-4 with one RBI.

1944: Clyde Shoun of the Reds tossed a no-hitter against the Boston Braves for a 1-0 victory in Cincinnati. Chuck Aleno's only homer of the season was the difference.

1952: Detroit's Virgil Trucks pitched his first of 2 no-hitters for the season, beating the Washington Senators 1-0. Vic Wertz's two-out homer in the 9th inning off Bob Porterfield won the game.

1960: Don Cardwell became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his first start after being traded. The Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 at Wrigley Field.

1973: Nolan Ryan of the California Angels pitched the first of a record 7 no-hitters, beating the Kansas City Royals 3-0. Ryan tossed his second gem 2 months later.

1981: Len Barker of Cleveland pitched the first perfect game in 13 years as the Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. (Sometimes referred to as the mistake by the lake.)

(back to the 2009 San Francisco Giants)

Bullpen. It's not been Brian "Don't Worry Baby" Wilson in 2009. More like Brian "Help Me Rhonda" Wilson. Because last season was a breakout season for the guy- with the same name as the leader of the Beach Boys- I have shed the "Wouldn't it Be Nice." Fortunately, the Beach Boys have many song titles and I feel I can always arrive at one that fits his performance level.

The Giants. Where do I begin? Offense? Okay, let's go to when they are up to bat. This is a team that has to pay attention to its base coaches. Otherwise, just get a couple of cardboard cut-outs and stand them up, until a gust of wind blows them down and then stand them up again in their spots at first and third bases. It could be a job for the ageless "ball dudes or dudettes" to do, since attempting to catch a screamer down the line seems a bit life-threatening.

This offense cannot afford to run themselves out of innings. And, what's so damn difficult about sacrificing a runner over? Has bunting suddenly become blase for the person asked to do so and that's why the batter fails more times than not? The Giants have to do the Ground Attack (per Duane Kuiper, Giants' announcer) better than their opponent to have a chance to win. If not, it's gut-wrenching defeat after heartbreaking loss.

And for defense, what is it about Freddie Lewis? He's the only outfielder, I can think of, that always gets to the ball and just plain misses it. How about forking out the cash for some lasik surgery, huh Giants? Has there ever been a player who consistently got to the ball and then stabbed blindly at the passing orb?

I recall the story about Paul Waner, that it was discovered he was seeing the ball as a blurry object. And even still, he was proficient at making contact with that blurry white thing at a very successful rate. When he put the spectacles on he saw the ball clearly but now he was introduced to all of its movements and he wasn't as successful. Somebody couldn't leave well enough alone or they got greedy and wanted more!

Something has to be done with Freddie or take him out of the lineup completely and replace him with someone who gets to the ball and then catches it.

It's almost time for another timeout from YOUR San Francisco Giants. (Exactly one month from the first timeout.) Let's see how they handle the final game with the New York Mets. (If the Mets sweep it'll be the first time in their history that they swept the Giants in San Francisco. Holy Got-them city!)

(thanks to This day in Baseball)

Kevin Marquez

Know Your Role

Mike Krukow is a San Francisco Giants' broadcaster who does the majority of his games (on television) with former teammate Duane Kuiper. Kruk and Kuip have fun at the ball yard and don't hesitate to express themselves about a particular player. Whether that player is Barry Bonds, who was out of this world, or Brian "Help Me Rhonda" Wilson, ('cause you never know what you're getting with the Giant closer) Kruk and Kuip share their thoughts.

Last night, after the Mets 7-4 victory over the Giants, Krukow lambasted Brian Wilson, who came into the game in the 9th inning to hold a 4-4 tie. Krukow said Wilson completely forgot what his job as a pitcher is and that is: to keep the hitter off balance with an assortment of pitches to offset his timing and to change his sequence of deliveries so the baserunner isn't able to get into a rhythm with the pitcher's motion. In essence, what a pitcher must do with each and every batter he must also do with each and every baserunner.

Krukow's major league totals don't jump out at you and because he rarely let's the viewing audience watch the game without commenting on every little thing one might say Krukow must've been good when he played. Well, his career consisted of him playing for losing teams more often than not. His career record was 124W 117L with an ERA of 3.90. He had 1478 K's and 767 walks, 41-complete games, 1-save, and 10-Shutouts. Again, for being on teams that usually finished the season below .500 these are solid numbers. But you'd think a guy who has so much to say would have done a lot better, like won an award or something. He did win 20-games as a Giant in 1986 (after being traded by the Phillies with Mark Davis to the Giants for Al Holland and Joe Morgan in 1982).

Then again there is the understanding that sometimes the player who toiled around in the minors, for several years, who was able to absorb every morsel of information is the best candidate to manage a team because unlike the superstar (who may take for granted the natural abilities he had and expect them from others not so gifted) he won't be so demanding on athleticism as he would on fundamentals. The career minor leaguer will know how to manufacture runs and better yet how to implement the ballplayers to do it. Whether it be speed or ability to hit the long ball, the anti-superstar will have many options to make something happen where the superstar may just get frustrated that no one was able to do what he or another superstar did on-call.

Krukow said the other day, on the post-game Wrap, that he never wanted to come across as a former player who knew it all and I was abashed that those very words came from Kruk's lips.
Because since he's been on- the other side of the microphone- he's talked as if his game was infallible. Perhaps to those who know him he's just Mike but to listeners he's a know-it-all, who if he hushed up once in a while, would be heard as opposed to talked over.

I agree with his assessment of Brian Wilson, because the Mets just ran at will. It had to be a lack of concentration where Wilson just didn't pay attention to the runners and that is something that cost him the game every bit as much as his ball not getting past the hitter's bat. Fans of the Giants know that Wilson does get lapses like the one he got last night. And he will be instructed by the coaches so that the same scenario will not take place again.

I like an announcer who says it like it is, just give us listeners a break. We know something about the game, we don't need to be told about everything we are seeing. The nuances and intricacies of the game, things where the expertise of a player (who made it into the bigs) might lend to some insight are appreciated.

I'm listening because I hope to get an occasional tasty morsel vs. the repetitive hammering like the colorful yet annoying woodpecker.

Kevin Marquez

The Game is Not as Easy as Some Make it Look

I've been hearing a lot of complaining about the productivity of one Aaron Ryan Rowand.

Before someone accuses the Giants of making a blunder in the acquiring of Aaron Rowand, first lets look at his history. When he played for the Chicago White Sox, that was a much better team than the Giants are right now. So good, were the White Sox that they won the World Series during Rowand's stay there.

The Phillies were also a much better team than the Giants are now. But on the upside the Giants are making dramatic improvements over the past couple of seasons and the Giants' brass believed a player like Rowand would contribute in the overall improvement. Whether his numbers show him to be a significant contributor or not he still adds to his teammates by the way he comports himself in the clubhouse and the effort he gives when between the lines.

In these tough economic times fans are wont to expect more than what Rowand has done runs-batted-in, homers and batting average wise. And I suspect as his teammates improve so will Rowand's numbers. You still have to give him time to see if the numbers will factor out.

Playing on a young up and coming team takes away from the daily totals but as they come together and manufacture wins versus defeats I believe you will see Rowand's contribution to the Giants.

Good things don't happen overnight. If you want an overnight sensation, go to a movie. Movies have a way of speeding up the process and ironing out all of the bumps and bruises. It's a fantasy land movie goers have come to appreciate and may always enjoy. It's a form of entertainment without the blood, sweat and tears...To each his own.

Baseball, like all sports, takes time to perfect. Sometimes the efforts to achieve perfection just aren't realized but you respect the efforts made toward reaching the goal and you root for your favorites because you know if that were you playing you'd want people to show some appreciation for what you know to be all-out efforts. Some players play the game in a manner that may appear effortless but you should know that what you are seeing is an amazing athletic ability. Not everybody who plays their chosen sport comes across this way, only those with extra special physical abilities.

Maybe it is our own struggles to perform such "tasks" on the field that contribute to our appreciation of those who make the game look easy. Where it seems like a job to some it is a game to others and that's the difference between winning teams and losing teams. We, as fans, can be losers or winners as well. Good sportsmanship separates the winners from the losers.

Those fans who expect a lot out of players probably think they were better at playing the game than they actually were. I suspect some of this is true with me when it comes to officiating. We tend to take out all of our anxieties on the player because the player is so overpaid and we are struggling day-to-day to eke out a living. If sports does that to you, take a rain check on sports. It's supposed to separate you from your daily grind not add to the grind, right?

Kevin Marquez

Gaylord Jackson Perry

In Saturday's (May 9, 2009) San Francisco Chronicle, Bruce Jenkins outdid himself. His article was entitled Who Are We to Judge Baseball's Best? And all I had to see was the name Gaylord Perry.

Because when you think of Gaylord Perry you don't think of the 2 Cy Young Awards -one the year after YOUR San Francisco Giants traded him to the Cleveland Indians for Sudden(ly) Sad Sam McDowell and the other with the San Diego Padres- you think of how he doctored the baseball.

Now if that isn't cheating, what is?

A classic quote involved Gaylord Perry. It may have been Alvin Dark, his manager at the time in the early 1960s with the San Francisco Giants. Dark mentioned, tongue and cheek, that the day Perry hits a home run there will be a 'man on the moon.' Wouldn't you know it, the day there was a man on the moon, Gaylord Perry hit his first major league homer. Perry would hit 6 in his career, so Dark wasn't the sage many may have thought after the remarkable coincidence.

Do you think, because what Gaylord did was allowed in the Dead Ball era, that writers thought it was creative of Gaylord to do what he did? His ability to doctor the ball did aid and abet him in the attaining of very impressive numbers. And 1991 he was voted into Cooperstown, New York with 342 votes of 443 ballots. (You need 75%.)

The use of whatever ointment on the ball vs. on his body or in his body extended Gaylord's career just as long as the steroid users in the 1980s, 1990s and into 2000.

The five time 20-game winner had 314-W 265-L ERA: 3.11 BB: 1379 K's: 3534 CG: 303
Shutouts: 53

Writers didn't have a problem voting Gaylord Perry into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown but Rafael Palmiero (500HR/3000 hits), Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds have been placed in that gray area of Hatersville by writers for their own personal reasons. Should that, in and of itself, be allowed by one with the power to vote?

Bruce Jenkins has opened a door to the reasoning process that may need to go into how voting for a Hall of Famer needs to be updated. Because some of these players qualify regardless of how they achieved the numbers they finished their careers with.

And let's not forget Pete Rose, was he a cheater (to deceive by trickery) or an insane gambler. (Per Hedley Lamar in Blazing Saddles iterated: This is the bill that will convert the state hospital for the insane into the William J. Le Petomane memorial gambling casino for the insane. Governor Le Petomane: Gentlemen, this bill will be a giant step forward in the treatment of the insane gambler.)


Kevin Marquez

Umpires and Baseball jargon

Official game: A game that can be considered complete. If more than half the game has been played before being called by an umpire.

Umpires in the major leagues have a good paying life. Let's not talk about the long and winding road that led them to our door for watching big league baseball. Rather than that, let us share what we see now that the door is open.

Ford Frick, Baseball Hall of Famer, came up with the Ten Commandments of Umpiring (1949).

If you look at each one of these commandments, and every umpire adhered to them like the Rule Book should be his Bible, then I wouldn't go (what must seem like out of my way) to pounce on da bums!

(Note: all commandments with asterisks are those that hit the bullseye in regards to the Women Without the Shapely Curves.)

1. Keep your eye on the ball.
2. Keep all your personalities out of your work. Forgive and forget.*
3. Avoid sarcasm. Don't insist on the last word. *
4. Never charge a player and, above all, no pointing your finger or yelling.*
5. Hear only the things you should hear- Be deaf to others.*
   
6. Keep your temper. A decision made in anger is never sound.*
7. Watch your language.*
8. Take pride in your work at all times. Remember, respect for an umpire is created off the field as well as on.
9. Review your work. You will find, if you are honest, that 90% of the trouble is traceable to loafing.
10. No matter what your opinion of another umpire, never make and adverse comment regarding him. To do so is despicable and ungentlemanly.*

More Jargons:

OFP: Overall Future Potential. Have the baseball stat-heads gone Star Trek? With a stat like this there must be a galaxy of unnecessary numbers, good for getting little boys and girls who don't like math to like math. Or at the very least, computer geeks to become interested in Fantasy baseball now that they can factor in all of these newfangled stats. That could be the only purpose for such frivolous numbers tied to what ifs.

The actual definition of OFP is: a scouting assessment of a young player's potential as a future major leaguer. Scored from 20 to 80. The criteria are different for pitchers and position players. See also tools. (Not like the people who figured this gem out aren't "tools.")

Can an umpire get an OFP rating if he exhibits an unusual ability to call balls and strikes. Through unordinary focus, the ump is able to consistently call rulebook balls and strikes (ie, balls/strikes according to the rulebook definition and strike zone graphic). And what separates this ump is his ability to call strikes for the elite pitcher and the rookie. No squeezing of the strike zone, just callin' 'em like he sees 'em, and this guy sees 'em better than any one who ever donned the dark blue suit.

Make the Overall Future Potential stat work so a new breed of fan can go to the ballpark and root for an ump! Ya think this could happen? Probably not in our lifetime, huh?


Kevin Marquez