I wrote this whole thing up before the David Robertson news broke, so I’m going to post these now. And you’ll damn well like ’em.
Will Gehrig’s accomplishments fade with time?
Keith Olbermann chimed in over the weekend with some concern that with modern players putting up bigger numbers than their older counterparts, some players may fade into distant memory. As he says, it’s just “a reminder of the remarkable quality of Gehrig’s, and that as time guarantees that his name will become harder and harder to find in the record books, he should never be forgotten.”
He should not be forgotten, and I don’t have serious worries that he will be. Dave Pinto puts it well: “Keith is worried that Lou Gehrig will be forgotten. Fortunately for Lou, due to his tragedy, due to his unforgettable speech in the face of death, and due to the enormous hold of the Yankees on the world of baseball, that isn’t going to happen.”
Pettitte still undecided about next year
If that sounds like a ridiculous premise for news, well, you’re right. As Jon Heyman admits, Pettitte has said basically the same thing for the past two years. His decision of Yankees or bust came a bit later last year, and given how it played out last winter I doubt he says anything similar this time around. But if he wants another go-round, I think the Yanks could find a place for him in 2010.
Doc Gooden goes to work for the Bears
The Newark Bears aren’t doing so bad in the standings. They’re four games back of Somerset in the Freedom Division, though there are only 14 games left, so there’s not much time left to catch up. Unfortunately, the team is seventh out of the eight teams in attendance, which can be death for an independent league team. One measure they’re taking to help matters: hiring Doc Gooden as senior vice president. Gooden will “be an ambassador and assist in youth camps and with Little League development in Newark.” He’s not the only former Yank working with the Bears; Tim Rains managers the team.
ESPN Classic could be downgraded
ESPN Classic is included in most basic cable packages, but that might not last too much longer. The station wants to focus more on its younger viewers, and they are more easily captured with the programming on ESPNU, ESPN360, and ESPN Deportes. That might mean a downgrade for ESPN Classic, meaning you might not be able to watch black and white boxing matches for much longer. There’s no definitive word on what ESPN will do with it, but it looks like fewer people will receive the channel.
Tales from the first Japanese MLB pitcher
If asked who was the first Japanese MLB pitcher, many might answer Hideo Nomo. While Nomo did start the recent surge of Japanese talent in the the majors, he was not the first. That would be Masanori Murakami, whom the Nankai Hawks lent to the San Francisco Giants in 1964. He pitched 89.1 innings in 54 appearances over two years, and was eventually called back by his home club. Only 30 years later did Nomo come over.
I found this article mainly because I thought it was about this guy, an author I admire. (Seriously, read The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. It’s a winner.) It turned out to be an interesting read, a bit about the Japanese talent filtering to America, partly about Murakami’s career, and partly about the death threats Giants manager Herman Franks received for using Murakami. The FBI had him under protection for a week. If nothing else, it’s an interesting take on how times have changed over the past 45 years.
Former Yank Sean Henn is headed to his fifth destination. After stints with the Yanks, Padres, and Twins, he’ll now be part of the Orioles system. The southpaw had 45 strikeouts to 16 walks in 38.2 AAA innings this season.
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