Tampa Native Notches Milestone

Last Friday night, future Hall of Famer Gary Sheffield accomplished what fellow Tampan Fred McGriff came just seven round trippers short of amassing. The Hillsborough High School graduate smacked his 500^th home run, his first hit as a New York Met, in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers, and did so in a clutch spot to boot, as the solo blast tied the game and made him the first player to hit his 500^th home run as a pinch hitter.

Ironically, the home run came against his first MLB team, one whose longtime fans still dislike Gary to this day thanks to his attitude when playing for them nearly two decades ago (he was said to have, among other things, played at half-intensity and intentionally made errors with the goal of getting traded, at which he ended up succeeding). The stigma of a bad attitude would stay with him for much of his career.

In fact, it’s his general attitude that has alienated baseball fans from him over the years. Stories include his 1998 trade from the Marlins to the Dodgers, about which he complained about having to pay a state income tax in California. Another was during his stint with the New York Yankees where, in response to an invite to the inaugural World Baseball Classic he quipped, “My season is when I’m getting paid.”

On top of his money grubber reputation, he also has well-documented steroid and racist allegations to contend with. He was named in the infamous Mitchell Report in December 2007, rehashing the story of Sheffield having obtained “the cream” from Barry Bonds, which he claims did not help him anyway. He also made derogatory remarks against the Brewers, calling them racist when they started Bill Spiers, a white player, at shortstop and moved Gary to third base. On top of that, Sheffield made disparaging comments about Latino players in 2007 while with the Detroit Tigers, saying, “They have more to lose than we do. You can send them back across the island. You can’t send us back. We’re already here.”

Despite the negativity, however, Gary Sheffield is a Hall of Famer, as his natural talent and his eye at the plate in addition to pure numbers will likely get him in. In researching his high school and minor league careers, it was obvious since his teenage years that he had “it” and would succeed at the highest level. He will also go down as one of the best fastball hitters in modern baseball history. Then again, I think that would be the case with any baseball player who had a young Dwight Gooden for a cousin and practice partner.

Ryan Burkett

Ryan can be reached at rburkett@gmail.com

MLB Robs Crowe

Well MLB umpires have made another bonehead call, but this one really has my blood boiling. I am currently watching the Cleveland Indians play the New York Yankees in a game that is truly bullspit. It’s the seventh inning and Trevor Crow, Indians outfielder, has just been robbed of making a spectacular play at the right field wall.

Some stupid fan reached his glove over the wall and knocked Crowe’s glove out of the way. Crowe almost recovered and made the catch on the ground when the ball fell back into play. To my naked it eye, it was completely clear to see what had just happened. So why did I see some stupid ignoramus waving his finger around in the air signaling for a home run? Are you kidding me ump? I could’ve made that call from the space station and you had a perfect view of it.

So obviously I assumed Eric Wedge, Indians manager, would come out and protest and he did just that. I was ecstatic that the umpires actually convened and discussed whether or not to review and they ended up agreeing that the best thing to do was to take a look at the replay. So, I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the umps would go look at the replay and rule that it wasn’t a homerun.

BUT THEY DIDN’T! THEY LEFT IT STANDING ON THE SCOREBOARD!

How can any competent person, umpire, or anyone with a functioning brain make that absurdly erroneous call? Because of that call the Indians, instead of being up one run in the seventh inning, they were down by a run. I mean, this is truly a game changing decision. How can you just rob the Indians of a hard fought game by being so completely blind?

It boggles my mind that two professional MLB umpires, with tons of experience, could actually look at a perfect replay of the dispute at hand, and actually uphold the decision of a homerun. I’m just so furious about this. Why even have replay in baseball if these obtuse umpires can’t make an obvious call about whether or not a homerun has been hit or not?

I’m not saying that the ball that Jorge Posada hit wasn’t going over the fence or even that Trevor Crowe would have caught the ball, but his glove was right there with the ball at the wall. He had the opportunity to make a great play and a fan clearly interfered with him. I’m tired of baseball always having problems with fan interference. I have a solution to all this interference nonsense. Remove the first rows from every area of the field where a fan has the potential to interfere with a play. There; problem solved.

I’m still trying to calm myself down about this, but I’m just in shock at the lack of intelligence that has just been displayed. I have no doubt now that the Yankees will win this game, and they shouldn’t. Hopefully in the future of instant replay in the MLB, these idiotic conclusions will not be made.

All that is left to be said is one name: Jeffrey Mayer. The right field wall in Yankees Stadium, new or old, is truly an enemy to all that dare challenge it.

 

-Sam Gerb

Sam can be reached at sgerb@ut.edu

 

Six Game Suspension Thrown at Beckett’s Head

I am so happy that the MLB actually took some action and suspended Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett for six games after the Angels game. Beckett through at Bobby Abreu’s head after Abreu called time in the box.

Under no circumstance, no matter how bad they may be, a pitcher should never throw at another player’s head. It is simply an unwritten rule that all players should abide by. I don’t care what anybody says, or what Beckett’s history shows, because it is clear in my mind that he fired one right at Bobby’s dome.

Beckett throughout his career has been one of the most accurate pitcher’s in all of baseball as well as one of the most aggressive. Even though he is not known for head hunting opposing batters, there is no denying the short fuse that Beckett clearly has.

What I find so humorous about the whole incident is that it was not Abreu who charged Beckett, which I think he had probable cause to do, but it was Beckett who charged home plate. Get back on the mound Josh and stop running your mouth. Better yet you should have been instantly tossed out of the game after you took one step off the rubber.

It is plain to see that the umpire has an unfair double standard going on.

When a player charges the mound he is automatically tossed from the game, even when he was clearly thrown at. So why isn’t that standard rule used for pitchers who charge home plate? Hmm, I don’t know why, but there needs to be a rule implemented after this incident.

Even though I am glad to see the suspension handed down there is one thing that bothers me. A six game suspension for a pitcher is extremely misleading. That means that Beckett basically only misses one start.

I think that when the MLB hands down suspensions for starting pitchers, they should suspend them for a specific number of starts. For example, for this incident I think that Beckett should have been suspended 1-2 starts. That works a lot better for a pitcher than six games suspended.

When fans hear numbers like that it forces a brow to be raised, but in actuality the suspension is not as harsh as it sounds.

But the thing that really is a shame about this whole debacle is the timing of it all. I think Beckett is a coward for pulling a stunt like this after the recent loss of Angels’ pitcher Nick Adenhart. This team is going through an unimaginably hard time and you throw a heartless fastball at the head of an Angels’ player.

I think Beckett should be ashamed of himself and issue a formal apology to offer some sort of reconciliation with the Angels organization.

-Sam Gerb

Sam can be reached at sgerb@ut.edu

Tragedies Strike Out Baseball Nation

This his past week, three deaths in three separate incidents have rocked Major League Baseball and its fanbase.

Thursday night went from bad to infinitely worse for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Top prospect Nick Adenhart put his potential on display, pitching six shutout innings against the Oakland A’s. His bullpen blew the lead and they lost 6-4. Later that night, Adenhart and two friends became the latest victims of America’s drunk driving epidemic. A man ran a red light and slammed into the Mitsubishi carrying the pitcher’s group. Adenhart was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He was all too young, only 22 years old. Adenhart died along with Courtney Frances Stewart, 20, and Henry Pearson, 25. Jon Wilhite, 24, was left in critical condition. This is a terrifying tragedy, regardless of whose lives are lost. But hopefully the public attention this has received can save some lives in the future. It was too late for three families and the Angels.

Monday then delivered a double dose of untimely death. First, long-time Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas collapsed in the announcers booth at Nationals Park as he prepared for an afternoon game. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at age 73, just one day after calling his final game. Kalas, also the voice of NFL Films and the Puppy Bowl, was one of the greatest sportscasters of his era and likely ever. His deep, commanding voice guided generations of fans through dog days and long nights for over 40 years. He was one of a truly dying breed, one who would call just enough action and let the pictures and/or sounds of the game tell the rest of the story. His style resonated with fans who wanted to watch or listen to a sporting event comfortably as his grandfatherly voice echoed in the background. Kalas is survived by three children, the oldest of whom, Todd, carries on the legacy as a reporter for the Tampa Bay Rays. But Kalas is certainly an irreplaceable icon in sports and in broadcasting.

Later on Monday evening, it was reported that Mark “The Bird” Fidrych was found dead on his Massachusetts farm, crushed by a dump truck he had been fixing. He was 54. Fidrych, a two-time All-Star pitcher, burst onto the scene in 1976 with the Detroit Tigers. He won 19 games and earned widespread popularity through such antics as manicuring his mound by hand and talking to the baseball. A slew of injuries, however, pushed him out of baseball before he turned 30. Content with living the quiet life, he moved to a large plot of land where “The Bird” became just another guy on his farm. He is survived by his wife and 22-year-old daughter, who even now is still too young to lose a parent this way. Mark Fidrych will forever be known as one of the most popular Tigers of all time and, despite his post-baseball normalcy, one of the most abnormal characters in the history of the game.

The old saying goes “deaths come in threes.” Let’s hope it stops there. We as fans and human beings should mourn the lost lives of Nick Adenhart, Harry Kalas and Mark Fidrych and soon be able to move forward. But this has unquestionably been a tragic week.

R.I.P. Nick Adenhart, Courtney Frances Stewart, Henry Pearson, Harry Kalas and Mark “The Bird” Fidrych.

-Brenton Burkett

 

Brenton can be reached at bburkett@ut.edu