Friday, March 16, 2007 |
Pickoff Moves
Today's Birthdays
Tom Bradley CAL b. 1947, played 1969-1970. A right-handed starter who got his first real look at the tender age of 23, his is a story of management incompetence and impatience. He was traded with the 24-year-old Jay Johnstone and also-24 Tom Egan for a package of soon-to-be has-been players: 30-year-old centerfielder (and one-time All Star) Ken Berry, the jewel of the trade as far as the Angels were concerned; 27-year-old utility infielder Syd O'Brien; and garbage-time reliever, 26-year-old Billy Wynne. That is, the Angels were getting older, and especially at the one position of value the team needed. Berry was a bust his first year but bounced back in his last two seasons with the club, while the other two were out of baseball within two years. Meanwhile, Johnstone had a long if checkered career, Egan eventually made his way back to the Halos in the Rule 5 draft, and Bradley had two good years with the Chisox, spending his last three seasons in the majors as a bad reliever for the Giants; San Francisco sent Cy Young winner and later broadcaster Steve Stone to get him.
Hee Seop Choi LAN b. 1979, played 2004-2005. I guess it's safe now to declare him a failed experiment. Maybe Jim Tracy was right about Hee who shall not be named, now working for the Devil Rays; he has suggested that he will return to Korea, or possibly Japan. It's hardly a surprise, considering he's hitting .118 in spring training.
Patsy Donovan BRO b. 1865, played 1890, 1906-1907, d. 1953-12-25
Jake Flowers BRO b. 1902, played 1927-1931, 1933, d. 1962-12-27
Rick Reichardt CAL,LAA b. 1943, played 1964-1970
Lloyd Waner BRO b. 1906, played 1944, All-Star: 1938, Hall of Fame: 1967 (Veterans), d. 1982-07-22. "Little Poison" played a half-season with the wartime Dodgers in 1944, who returned him to Pittsburgh where he spent the majority of his long and successful career; he's a dubious choice for the Hall of Fame, since most of his value came from his batting averages rather than power, a bad choice for an outfielder. Does the Veteran's Committee catch heat for failing to elect Ron Santo, as they should? The flip side of this coin is backslapping choices like Little Poison, whose brother, Paul "Big Poison", was a legitimate Hall of Famer.
Spring Delayed Is Spring Denied ... Wha?
Vin Scully will call his first game Saturday, at 10 am. Spring is finally here.Labels: angels, dodgers, spring training, tv
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