Tomorrow is Opening Day

“As long as we have Opening Day every Spring and the World Series every Autumn, I will continue to believe to the adamantine rock bottom of my soul that God blesses America and has an exceptional plan for this nation.”

http://americandigest.org/wp/opening-day-2018-life-imitates-norman-rockwell/

This will be one of the greatest seasons ever in the 142 years of Major League Baseball.

Back in the day

Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Burleigh Grimes on why he didn’t hesitate to throw at batters: “When I was a teenager, I decided that the best I could make back home was thirty-five dollars a week driving horses in a lumber camp. Baseball was my answer. … There was only one man standing between me and more money, and that was the guy with the bat. I knew I’d always have to fight that man with the bat as if he were trying to rob me in a dark alley.”

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/0957655a

‘Phenomenal’ maybe; ‘Smith,’ not so much

Phenomenal Smith was a pitcher for seven major league teams, 1884-1891. His record was 57-78, with an ERA of 3.87. Hardly phenomenal for the deadball era.

And, he wasn’t even a Smith. Phenomenal was born John Frances Gammon in Philadelphia on Dec. 12, 1864. He died April 3, 1952, in Manchester, N.H.

One unusual thing was the number of teams he played for in a given year:

1884: Athletics, Monumentals and Alleghenys.

1885: Trolley Dodgers and Athletics.

1888: Orioles and Athletics.

1890: Phillies and Alleghenys.

As a hitter, Gammon/Smith wasn’t too bad: .243 lifetime average, with 16 doubles, 10 triples and two home runs. He pitched in 140 games and played outfield in 11 games. Fielding, Gammon/Smith committed 44 errors, with five in the outfield. His overall fielding average was .830. He stole 17 bases.

“He reportedly received the nickname "Phenomenal" after pitching a no-hitter against Baltimore on October 3, 1885. Only two batters reached base, one on an error and one on a base on balls, and Smith picked off both runners at first base.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenal_Smith

Stats: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=smithph01

Take me out to the ball game

Yesterday at a park I saw a boy walking to a baseball diamond. Over a shoulder the boy carried a long bag, presumably with his baseball equipment – his favorite bat or bats, glove, batting glove and whatever else makes up a boy’s baseball needs these days.

“My first year in Little League,” I said to Priscilla, “the coach had a red and white 1957 Ford convertible, with white leather interior. On out-of-town games those of us not carried by parents piled in the car, and away we went, 80mph and the top down. Not a seat belt even in anybody’s imagination.”

Priscilla said, “And I don’t remember ever reading about a Little League team wiped out from a car crash.”

I don’t either. I do remember speed and wind blowing and the roar of the V-Eight Ford when the coach needed some power for passing or just for speeding up a little more.