Rambling on About My Glory Days – Greatness Comes in Big and Little Sizes

I usually get these questions from my students “Who did you play for?” or “What position did you play?” Adults usually follow up with “Who was the best pitcher you ever faced?” and “Who was the best player you ever played with or against?” I assume all former major league players get the same questions. […]

The National Pastime Almanac and the Joy of Numbers

This time of year is my favorite for obvious reasons: Spring Training is in full swing, newsstands are peppered with baseball preview magazines, and the weather starts to warm up, allowing me to hang out in my back yard with a good book or magazine, an adult beverage, a strong cigar, and, eventually, a Red […]

Letters From Quebec: Remembering Willie Davis…

“There was only one Jackie Robinson and he was fantastic,” Willie Davis said about the Dodger immortal who broke baseball’s colour barrier, first with the old Montreal Royals and then with Brooklyn Dodgers.  Then he added, “There’s only one Willie Davis, and I’m fantastic too.” Willie Davis, to Montreal Gazette journalist Tim Burke, June 12, […]

Weighing Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper had no where to go but down after being hyped as Lebron James last June.  Questions arose after uneven moments in his play last summer, then again at the start of the college season.  Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo, who will pick first in the amateur draft in three months, must decide whether the […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Spring Training: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

“Jack, you are like a son to me, but we have to send you down.” If I heard those words from manager Tommy Lasorda once, it seemed like I heard them a thousand times. I wanted to respond with, “Could you consider me a distant cousin or something instead, and keep me on the team?” […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Joe, You are Remembered

Curt Flood took a stance to help players and teammates and made his mark on baseball history. Some guys make their mark with great statistics, whereas others are remembered for other things. Players often take stances day in and day out for their teammates that are not as momentous or reported, but they are never […]

Touring the Bases With…Ron Swoboda

My good friend Bob Lazzari, award-winning sports writer with the Connecticut Valley Times and NY Sports Day, has offered us fantastic material featured at his web sites, Bob Lazzari On Sports and Monday Night Sports Talk, which broadcasts on cable channel CTV-14 in North Windham, Connecticut.  Those of you who are used to reading interviews […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – How I Became a Lifetime .380 Hitter – No Thanks to Nolan Ryan

Now that I have your attention and before you think of me as a liar, let me explain.

Washington Snowmen Add Wang

The almost three feet of snow in front of the house is melting, but during the white out conditions last week the Nationals fought through it all to sign Chien-Ming Wang.  Were the Nationals snow-blinded to the big risks of signing Wang?  There is little chance they are getting the pitcher who won nineteen games […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – The Night and Day of Professional Baseball

Sure, playing in the big leagues is everything it is cracked up to be. Along with unbelievable salaries, players are given everything – free equipment, more than adequate per-day meal money, great clubhouse spreads after the game and the obvious adulation. The hotels are five star hotels with first class treatment. Major league players cruise […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Immortality

You may recall my last post when I wrote about how I ended up attending Murray State University, tried out and made the baseball team. While there, I was part of a most remarkable experience. It all began with one of my teammate’s box score: 3 At Bats 0 Hits 0 Runs 0 RBI and […]

Hot Stove Report Card Warms DC Snow

If there were a report card for front office moves by the Nationals in the off-season, it would be upbeat, but still a mixed bag.  In an economic climate where almost every team–even the Yankees–is cutting back, the Nationals will end up spending more than last year.  They will have a better team in 2010, […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Here’s to You J.D. Salinger

As many of you probably heard, J.D. Salinger, the author of the “Catcher in the Rye” died a few days ago. That was my favorite book, especially the part where he wrote about the person who could really whistle. He writes about how every person has at least one thing that they do very well […]

Touring the Bases With…George Culver

George Culver pitched for the Cleveland Indians (1966-67), Cincinnati Reds (1968-69), St. Louis Cardinals (1970), Houston Astros (1970-72), Los Angeles Dodgers (1973), Philadelphia Phillies (1973-74), and Nippon Ham Fighters (1975), and tossed a no-hitter in 1968.  He only led the league in one category once in his career – hit batters (1968). In nine seasons, […]

Early Returns in DC–Before the Polls Close

In 2009 the Nationals scored 4.4 runs per game and allowed 5.4.  Nationals GM Mike Rizzo has said his team will narrow that gap in 2010 and no where can the progress be seen more sharply than in the Washington bullpen that is emerging this off-season.

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Leave It to Lasorda on A Night to Remember

Of course, we all know of great rivalries in sports. Yankees vs. Red Sox, Michigan vs. Ohio State, and Celtics vs. Lakers all come to mind when I think about great rivalries.  I had the opportunity to be part of one of those in my playing days and it all came to a violent, crazy […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Riding the Roller Coaster

Last post I mentioned that I hoped that the good memories of my professional playing career never end so I could keep writing about the happy times. Then of course, I couldn’t think of another good memory that I haven’t already written about. I hope that is only a case of temporary amnesia. Below is […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Earning Respect

This is one of my most often used comments when talking with my baseball students, “Remember the good at-bats and forget the bad ones, or this game will drive you crazy.”

Nationals Sing New Song for 2010

Washington baseball has been a Leonard Cohen song, a suicide dirge with dark, seductive overtones.  With free agent signings like Jason Marquis, Matt Capps and Pudge Rodriguez, and the trade for Brian Bruney, the search for textural complexity in 100-loss seasons may be over.  We are switching to Bruce for 2010, “praying for a savior to rise from these streets.”  Hit a big strong guitar […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Game Within a Game

Baseball fans see teams competing against each other and batters battling against pitchers. What they have no way of knowing about is the personal battles that often develop between two players, or even sometimes between a player and the opposing manager.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: April Fool’s Day

As baseball people know, April fools day lands near the end of spring training each year. The end of spring training is a very nervous time for most players. Obviously, this is when major league teams have to cut down to the twenty five man roster for the beginning of the regular season. Players, who […]

Changing Baseball on the Field

Being a Nationals fan is all about dealing with the stiff headwind of reality.  Bud Selig’s new commission to address changes in the game on the field faces such a headwind–one of cynicism and distrust by the average fan.  We in Washington have as balm an eloquent columnist like Tom Boswell to explain things and coax us […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Where’s Waldo, I mean Johnstone?

So many of my crazy, memorable baseball experiences happened when I played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. This is kind of ironic because I was only with the big league Dodger team for a short while. I guess it makes sense though, because after all, it is Hollywood. The following story is quite famous, told […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Peace of Mind at Thanksgiving

Of course, Thanksgiving is the time of year when one looks back, thinks of and thanks the people who they are most grateful for. In my professional career, there is one person that fits that bill every Thanksgiving.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: From Yaz to Perco to Ochocinco

Whenever I have a baseball coach’s clinic, I begin with a trivia question, “Who caught the last ball that Carl Yastrzemski ever hit in a major league game?” Not one person has ever answered correctly; until I gave them the hint, “The answer is so obvious, like it is right in front of you.” Every […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: A Higher Calling

Things were looking up for me and the 1982 Cleveland Indians, literally.

A Mike Rizzo Team We Could Remember

The Washington Nationals ended the 2009 season much as they began it, the worst team in baseball.  Yet here in DC dogged faith abounds in new GM Mike Rizzo.  After signing Stephen Strasburg and becoming GM, he has put together much of the personnel to build the organization.  But what of the major league team in the 2010 season?  It’s […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days: From Mariano to A-Rod; World Series Thoughts

It is always sad to see the season end. I love watching the playoffs/World Series and wish they continued all winter. I would not mind if they shortened the regular season and had an extended playoff system, either. Otherwise, here are some random thoughts about this year’s World Series.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Welcome to Professional Baseball Moment

You may recall my previous post about being drafted and the joy my family and I felt when I was chosen in the 16th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. To celebrate Dodger Blue, I went out and spent my whole bonus on a shiny, metallic Green Buick Century?

Rambling On about My Post Glory Days: Bring on the Red Flags

I am not usually a bandwagon jumper, but it has been very difficult to watch the game I love during these baseball playoffs.

Rambling On About My Glory Days: The Sociological Effects of Baseball

Don’t worry baseball fans, a college degree is not necessary for this article.

Memo to Mike Rizzo on Tony LaRussa

There are growing rumors about a rift between Tony LaRussa and the Cardinals after the failure of the Cardinals to perform to expectations in the NL playoff series.  A recent column by Buster Olney is one of the more expansive to opine on the subject.  I hope Mike Rizzo of the Nationals has read it. 

Rambling On About My Glory Days: Cheer Up Matt Holliday

by Joe Baseball – Note to readers, I am writing this article under an alias to protect the innocent.

Touring the Bases with Ray Sadecki

Ray Sadecki threw 2,500 innings in 18 major league seasons with the Cardinals, Giants, Mets, Royals, Brewers and Braves. He took the time to sit down for a Seamheads.com interview over the phone from his home in Arizona.

Kasten’s Plan, for What Exactly?

Stan Kasten is a gentleman and an Ivy-league scholar.  When the Lerner family outbid their competitors for the rights to the relocated Montreal Expos, MLB, Inc. insisted the Lerners take on Kasten as a partner.  Fans were delighted to see someone affiliated with the Braves dynasty coming aboard.  But Kasten’s endless insistence that the laughing stock of baseball […]

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