Baseballhead:
Better than Xmas

Michael Cox

Welcome one and all to Baseballhead, the column that wants to let you know that yes, you've already seen almost everything on that blooper reel.

Congratulations on making it through another winter (although being able to point out just how few give a damn about the NBA certainly helped it along for me). We've got actual, for-real games to discuss (note to Randy Johnson: maybe you should have checked to make sure your new team had an actual bullpen before signing) and contrary to what losing managers will be saying this month, they count just as much as games in September. Actually more for the Brewers and Pirates.

Lotsa cool (and some not quite as nifty) junk happened this week, and we'll try to touch on some of it...

Item: Dampening opening day spirits somewhat was the passing of Hall of Famer Early Wynn, who died of complications from a stroke on Sunday. Wynn was another cut of the same cloth as the likes of Don Drysdale and Bob Gibson, and in a famous quote said he'd throw at his own grandmother "if she's digging in."

Nowadays, when every inside fastball causes someone to comment on how "beanballs" (a term now used to mean any ball that hits a batter anywhere) are "ruining" the game, "digging in" happens all the time (watch Mo Vaughn hit and tell me it doesn't), and no pitchers have the guts to teach 'em any different. Whining about taking away a batter's "livelihood" abounds, but remember that back in Wynn's day, that steady income was much more important than it is today.

Let's face it, today's players are wimps. Except Vaughn. Please don't hurt me.

Item: Billed as a rumor, but in all likelihood a trial balloon from Bud Selig himself, was the revelation that MLB is considering the sale of ads on uniform sleeves. I can't say I'm surprised -- with most teams already maximizing local revenue via new ballparks, rotating billboards behind the plate, and sundry other means, the next frontier was the players themselves (look for an players' union protest of such a move, until the players are given a cut).

I'm not that worried about such an ad - at about 1 inch or so, they'll be about as noticeable as the uni makers' logos are now (which is to say, not much. Hope you're reading this, corporate America). However, have you noticed the new precedent baseball is setting?

After placing World Series logos on both teams' caps for the last couple of years, MLB is this year commemorating Henry Aaron's 715th with a regular-season logo in the same spot (buy them now. Collect the whole set. You will be assimilated). How long do you figure it would be from the time the jersey logos were approved until that prime cap real estate was annexed as well?

I don't even want to think about what they might do with all that empty, prime real estate on players' butts...

Item: I guess I spoke too soon with my Mark Langston retrospective last week -- I guess he was only retiring unless another team wanted him. Question: do you think the Tribe might be looking at Langston as another wad of bubble gum in their MacGyver rotation? Fearless prediction: by season's end, Langston will have already whittled his first birdhouse on his front porch.

Item: Speaking of guys who are ready for career retrospectives, the Cubs, always in search of new potential "fan favorites," give Hideo Nomo a third chance. Now, call me crazy, but don't you think Nomo's problem may be mechanical?

That about wraps it up for this week, but before we put this puppy to bed, a reminder that Thursday is the silver anniversary of Aaron's historic blast, and a thought: it's well-known that Hammerin' Hank got a lot of not-so-nice mail at the time. Why not send him a friendly piece of snail-mail this week, just to let him know you care? Address your mail to:

Henry Aaron
Senior Vice President
Atlanta Braves
Turner Field
P.O. Box 4064
Atlanta, Georgia 30302

Now fly, my pretties! Fly!

about the author

Michael Cox can't pass a White Castle without thinking of Kevin Mitchell. Offer him images of something that won't give him night sweats at mc@strikethree.com.