At the Corner: March 2012

Swingin' Time

Francisco Cervelli, Brennan Boesch. Detroit Tigers v. New York Yankees. Joker Marchant Stadium. Lakeland, Florida. March 24, 2012. Photo by Tom hagerty.

Spring Traing Baseball...I love it

Even if it's only on TV.
I'm watching the Rangers clobber the Reds by a couple dozen runs in a game that means nothing. The Reds played a combination of their AA and AAA teams, and the Rangers play something very similar to an opening day lineup. The broadcasters bluntly call it an insult to the fans and the Rangers to put out a minor league team, and the fun starts.
To some folks, it's a game to turn off. But we know this is the time for broadcasters to shine with "behind the scenes" stories.
Rangers' color commentator, and former catcher, Eric Nadel delivers a few gems, as the camera pans the crowd, and finds Nolan Ryan. (Suspend journalistic quotation rules, this is from the best of my memory.)

"Ya know what makes the great ones great is that they never stop. When Nolan was with the Rangers, he had pitched for 20 years. He could have quit, and still made the Hall of Fame. Little did we know, he'd pitch another seven years.
"The guy would pitch six or seven innings, then run the stairs in the Rangers' office building. Up and down. Up and down, until the game was over.
"Then he'd sign autographs in the parking lot for an hour or so on the way home.
"I remember one spring the team brought down 40 big sponsors for spring training. The special treat was that they got to hit on the major league field. Now they could have hit against a pitching machine, but Nolan Ryan pitched to them. One ad exec clearly had not seen a bat in years, so of course, Nolan lobbed him a few. But then a guy steps into the batter's box, taps the mud out of his cleats, and shows Ryan he's ready for business. Ever the competitor, Nolan lights up the 97 mph fastball."
If I haven't told you before, after 17 years in Texas, I have one Nolan Ryan story,
My wife and I go to the theater one night. We walk in, and I saw this guy that I instantly recognize. "Where do I know him from?" I ask myself. Church? Work? The local watgering hole?
After we sit down, I realize, it's Nolan Ryan!! "Deb, I gotta go say hi to that gujy, it's Nolan Ryan."
"You'll do no such thing, buster," she says. "The man brought his wife for a nice night at the theater. He didn't come here to talk baseball with you!"
We argue about it for a few minutes, and then the curtain rises. Yes, I'm whipped, guys.
At the first intermission, I thought I'd casually drop by his box, but some fat lady steps up, and chews his ear for the next 15 minutes. Yeah, I'm sure he'd rather listen to her than talk baseball with me. Second intermission, a repeat of trhe first. And that was my closest encounter with the great one.
It's 12-0 for the Rangers at the end of four innings. I've had enough fun. It's time for bed.

Local Hero

Stacy Booth. Joker Marchant Stadium. March 26, 2012. Photo by Tom Hagerty.

Before the Tigers-Marlins game yesterday I had the privilege of meeting Stacy Booth, an Auburndale, Fla., police officer who was shot multiple times in September 2011 while responding to a domestic violence call. After several surgeries and physical therapy she appears to be on the road to recovery. We all have troubles, but what she endured helps put things in perspective. My sincere thanks to her and all the law enforcement officials who put their lives on the line every day for our communities.

Do you daydream...

that you're part of the ground crew at old Tiger Stadium when you cut the grass? (I'll admit it, I do.)I even keep a few tomatoes in the bullpen like they did.

It's 1968, and I'm Herbie Redmond.

My nightmare would be to be on the ground crew when the Lions played on the same turf!

OK, I'm certifiably nuts.

Opposite Fields

Daniel Fields. Tigers v. Phillies. March 25, 2012. Photo by Tom Hagerty.

Less than 2 weeks before Opening Day

Ok my fellow arm chair managers....
With Rayburn's phenomenal hitting, does he get the start at 2nd over my beloved Inge?
Will cabrera be ready?
Is DH really a rotating position or has Delmon earned that spot with his spring?
If Delmon is DH, does Rayburn move to LF.
Has Jackson improved his strikeout problem?
Who will that 5th starter be?
Is this the year Leyland quits smoking??
What say ye??????