6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

Harry Wendelstedt, father of current umpire Hunter, passed away today at 73; in Daytona Beach, Florida; of a brain tumor. He was perhaps most famous as the plate umpire on May 31, 1968, when Don Drysdale was pitching. With his scoreless streak on the line, Drysdale loaded the bases, and hit Dick Dietz, but Wendelstedt declared that Dietz had not attempted to move out of the way of the pitch, preserving the shutout.

Drysdale threw a 2-2 pitch that struck Dick Dietz on the elbow, and the shutout streak seemed to be over. But Wendelstedt, the plate umpire, immediately ruled that Dietz didn't try to get out of the way. Wendelstedt called the pitch a ball and told Dietz to get back in the batter's box.

"I'd never seen that call before in the big leagues," Lasorda recalled. "Never had seen anyone make it."

After a heated argument, the game resumed. On a full-count pitch, Dietz flied out and Drysdale wound up pitching a shutout. Orel Hershiser set the shutout record of 59 innings in 1988, pitching under Lasorda.

"Harry had a wide strike zone, he liked to see hitters swing the bat," Lasorda said, laughing. "Dick Dietz. Harry, he got him out. And the streak continued."

Labels: deaths, dodgers, giants, history, obituaries, umpires

Weaver Tosses Another CG Gem: Angels 5, Mariners 1

I didn't watch this in its entirety, but Jered Weaver only really got into trouble in the third and seventh innings, giving up the opposition's only run in the third on a Brendan Ryan single. Other than that, the Angels got as much as they would need in an answering rally in the bottom of the third, posting a three spot on three hits, including a Howie Kendrick double.

Unfortunately, Peter Bourjos pulled up lame at second base during an eighth inning rally, and as a consequence the Angels made a surprise move and called up Mike Trout all the way from AA Arkansas. Here I was thinking I'd have to go there to see him (and log a visit with my in-laws at the same time — not a bad thing), but he's coming to me, tonight!

ESPN Box • Angels recap

Dodgers Break Five-Game Skid With Six-Run Shutout: Dodgers 6, Mets 0

The Dodgers were in danger of posting their longest losing streak of the year (and as it was, they already matched their longest with five straight), but somehow managed to get behind a strong eight-inning performance by Clayton Kershaw and beat up on the Mets' Dillon Gee, who gave up five earned runs for the first time this year.

ESPN Box • Dodgers recap

Roster Notes

• Rod Barajas, whom I missed going on the DL with a ? injury, is expected back after the All-Star break.
• The Dodgers announced Wednesday Jon Garland will have season-ending shoulder surgery, which conceivably could be career-ending as well.

Fan Falls To Death In Arlington

A terribly sad happening in Arlington as a fan fell to his death trying to catch a foul ball thrown into the stands by Josh Hamilton. Video from the game is surprisingly un-disturbing; we don't see him hit the pavement. My condolences to his family.

Labels: angels, deaths, dodgers, injuries, mariners, mets, rangers, recaps, transactions

Former Angels Strike Force girl Heather (Hoefnagels) Beyer passed last Saturday, from breast cancer; at 27. Her memorial service is Tuesday, May 10 at 1-4 PM. Condolences to her family at a terrible tragedy.

Labels: angels, deaths

Sad news this morning that Cubs broadcaster and long-ago great third baseman Ron Santo had passed, from bladder cancer complications. Al Yellon provided a nice eulogy at Bleed Cubbie Blue; and of course, Helen was disconsolate all morning. Still is.

As a public service, Bill James' case for the Hall of Fame from his Historical Baseball Abstract:

Dear Mr. James:

I saw you on ESPN Sunday Night, when you said that Ron Santo should be elected to the Hall of Fame I just had to write and tell you how wrong you are.

You said that there are fewer third basemen in the Hall of Fame than players at any other position. Well, so what? The Hall of Fame should be only for the very greatest players. If you put in Santo because you need more third basemen, are you going to put in Sal Bando after that and Buddy Bell after that and Gary Gaetti after that? Eventually we'll wind up with Bob Bailey and Pete Ward in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is supposed to be for players like Wille Mays and Tom Seaver, not for players like Ron Santo and Pete Ward.

— Cooperstown Defender

Dear Coop:

Thanks for writing. With regard to there being fewer third basemen in the Hall of Fame than players at any other position, you missed the purpose of the information. My point was not that there are too few third baseman [sic] in the Hall of Fame, and therefore we should elect a bunch of third basemen. My point was that Ron Santo was a better player than most of the third basemen in the Hall of Fame, and this is true despite the fact that fewer third basemen have been elected to the Hall of Fame than players at any other position.

As to Santo being a better player than most of the Hall of Fame third basemen, I think that if you study this issue carefully, you will be forced to agree that this is true, or was true before Schmidt and Brett. George Kell in his career drove in 100 runs once, scored 100 runs once; otherwise his career high in RBI was 93. Ron Santo scored 100 runs once, and drove in 93 runs every year, eight straight years. Obviously, Santo was doing a lot more to change the scoreboard than Kell was, even though Santo played in the 1960s, when runs were hard to come by.

Santo was not only a better hitter than Kell, he was also a better hitter than Jimmy Collins, Pie Traynor, Fred Lindstrom, and Brooks Robinson. He was a good hitter in a relatively long career, as he ranks eighth all-time in games played at third base. Defense? He won five Gold Gloves. I will agree that Santo was not a brilliant defensive third baseman. Had Brooks Robinson or Clete Boyer been in the National League, Santo's Gold Gloves would have been few and far between. Santo was a sure-handed third baseman with an excellent arm; he was not quick on his feet. I might even agree that Kell was probably a better fielder than Santo was — but Santo was a fine defensive third baseman. Kell, if he was better, could not have been enough better to offset the facts that Santo created more runs per year, that he did it for more years, and that he did it in a time when each run was more valuable.

By my reckoning, George Kell was the 30th best third baseman of all time; he is in the Hall of Fame. Fred Lindstrom was the 43rd best third baseman of all time; he is in the Hall of Fame. At several other positions, players have been selected who were not among the top 50. After the Hall of Fame has already honored the 30th-best and 43rd-best players at the position, does it degrade the Hall of Fame to then include the sixth-best? Does it not, in fact, enhance the integrity of the honor, to show that the institution is capable of some minimal consistency in its selections?

We could all agree, could we not, that the Hall of Fame is simply not going to stop selecting people? It's not going to happen; neither the Veteran's Committee nor the Hall of Fame as a whole is going to stop making selections. What I am saying is, it's not Ron Santo against Willie Mays. It is Ron Santo against Pete Browning, or Babe Herman, or Bob Meusel, or Jake Daubert, or somebody else whose only real advantage on Ron Santo is that he played so long ago that his flaws have been forgotten.

The reality is, Wille Mays never was and never can be the standard of the Hall of Fame. In the 1940s, many players were selected to the Hall of Fame who were nowhere near as good as Ron Santo, let alone nowhere near as good as Willie Mays. Players who were nowhere near as good as Ron Santo were elected to the Hall of Fame in the 1950s, players who were nowhere near as good as Ron Santo were elected to the Hall of Fame in the 1960s, players who were nowhere near as good as Ron Santo were elected to the Hall of Fame in the 1970s (lots of them), players who were nowhere near as good as Ron Santo were elected to the Hall of Fame in the 1980s, and players who were nowhere near as good as Ron Santo were elected to the Hall of Fame in the 1990s. It is preposterous to argue that the Hall of Fame standard is Ted Williams, after six decades of honoring players like Tommy McCarthy (1946), Rabbit Maranville (1954), Elmer Flick (1963), Dave Bancroft (1971), George Kell (1983), and Tony Lazzeri (1991). The Ted Williams/Bob Gibson/Honus Wagner standard for Hall of Fame selection has never existed anywhere except in the imaginations of people who don't know anything about the subject.

Look, certain things just do not happen. Rivers do not run uphill, iron does not become gold, time does not go backward, whores do not become virgins, pigs do not give birth to lions, supermodels do not marry auto mechanics, and politicians do not forget about the next election. There is no alchemy by which the Hall of Fame may become what it never has been. Ron Santo towers far above the real standard of the Hall of Fame.

Labels: cubs, deaths

His father passed from injuries sustained by a kick from a horse.

Labels: deaths, dodgers

The Denver Post reports that Colorado Rockies President Keli McGregor was found dead in a Salt Lake City hotel room; foul play is not suspected. He was 48. My condolences to his family.

Via David Pinto.

Labels: deaths, rockies

At the Diamond Club in Angels Stadium, 5:00 pm; for colleagues, close friends and family.

Labels: angels, deaths, tv

In his Palmdale home; of unknown causes. He was 54. Funeral services are pending. It's no secret that Rory was the best of the Angels' broadcasters, and not by a little; it's not a surprise that the most stirring moments in the 2002 World Series win had his calls running underneath them. Halo games just won't be the same without him. I'm thunderstruck.

Update: The Times' Fabulous Forum reminds us that Markas had a blood clot in his brain on November 1, 2008. You've just gotta wonder if that wasn't the proximate cause of his death. As Vinny says, if you want to make God smile, tell Him your plans.

Update, 1/6: Oh Lord, I've misspelled his name in the mast and elsewhere here. Fixed, too.

Also, Jon points to a Daily News piece by Tom Hoffarth about Vinny remembering Rory:

[At] the Golden Mike ceremony [where Markas introduced Scully] two years ago, Scully said he remembered that Markas was "more than generous and I was very touched. It was so typical of him to be so warm and giving. That's the way I'll always think of him."

Labels: angels, deaths, obituaries, radio, tv

Via David Pinto, it appears that an autopsy revealed Gabrielle Schoeneweis died from an overdose of cocaine and lidocaine.

Schoeneweis is a free agent.

Labels: deaths, diamondbacks, ex-angels

Original Dodger Organist Passes

Bob Mitchell, the original Dodger Stadium organist (he also played at Angels games when the team was in Chavez Ravine) passed away Saturday at 96.

Ronald Belisario Returns To LA For An MRI On His Elbow

Interesting. Cory Wade got the callup; Jon wonders whether his troubles might have started on the three consecutive days he pitched in May (the 16th through the 18th).

Stan Conte, Injury Psychic?

Well, he thinks he can predict them, anyway, using not the music of the spheres or counting crows or any such divination, but using actuarial data.

The ability to predict how players’ bodies will fare is a holy grail. With an actuarial approach, Conte seems to have a head start in the pursuit. He is trying to build a formula that would give teams a competitive advantage and help them avoid players who spend their days in the training room and not on the field.

“The insurance industry has made millions of dollars off figuring out how, when, where and why people are going to die, and we are trying to figure those things out about injuries,” Conte said.

Every major league team and scores of independent analysts are trying to understand why injuries strike certain players. But Conte said his effort is more advanced because his data has been compiled over 15 years as a trainer for the San Francisco Giants and now the Dodgers. He has had hands-on interaction with hundreds of players before and after their injuries, and his observations and medical records inform his hypotheses.

Conte also draws on the analytical prowess of David Zes and Adam Sugano, statisticians who teach at U.C.L.A., and Matt Marks, an employee in the Dodgers’ baseball operations department. They are building mathematical formulas that they hope will show the chances a player will be injured within the next season.

“This project couldn’t have been done 5 to 10 years ago,” Sugano said. “There weren’t enough numbers, and there wasn’t access to lots of the numbers. The numbers weren’t being collected, and those that were weren’t the cleanest. And 20 years ago, there wasn’t the computational power. It didn’t exist.”

Labels: deaths, dodgers, injuries, obituaries, transactions

The wife of former Angel and current Diamondback Scott Schoeneweis suddenly died, cause of death unknown. She was 39.

Via David Pinto.

Labels: deaths, diamondbacks, ex-angels

28-year-old former Oakland starter Joe Kennedy died early Friday morning, possibly due to a brain aneurysm, according to his agent, Damon Lapa. My condolences to his family.

Update: Ken Arneson writes a great piece on the subject.

Labels: deaths

The Texas League office has declared official yesterday's contest, and there will be no completion. Today's game will be postponed and played as a home doubleheader for the Travs, who were scheduled to meet the Drillers later in the week anyway.

A fund has been set up for Coolbaugh; fans may remit any amount to the Mike Coolbaugh Memorial Fund, C/O Spirit Bank, 1800 S. Baltimore Ave, Tulsa, OK, 74119.

Labels: deaths, minors