Today we’ll talk about baseball’s offseason winding down, take a look at a famous stickup man who swung a stick before turning to a life of crime, and profile a guy who played 105 games in The Show without a plate appearance.
It’s been cold as hell outside lately, but spring is right around the corner. No, chances are it won’t be warm in Minneapolis for at least another month, probably two. But pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Fort Myers in just over a week, and the baseball season will finally be underway again.
Baseball’s offseason is a time for teams to evaluate and restock talent, for players to look for greener pastures or accept that they’ve lost a step. It’s also a time for fans to dream of seeing superstars in the home team’s colors and decry the idiocy of owners and general managers.
But does baseball really have an offseason? We even have a name for the period where rumors swirl, players move around and teams get rebuilt or dismantled. The Hot Stove Season is perhaps my favorite time of year, where we get to play armchair GM and imagine all the possibilities for the coming season. Next year can always be better.
I don’t even know how many fall and winter leagues there are around the world, but there’s a ton of them, and they seem to run right up to spring training. Just this week, we’ve got the Caribbean Series taking place in Mexico, and the playoffs are winding down in Australia. The World Baseball Classic heats up in less than a month.
The Super Bowl is today, if you’re into that sort of thing. I for one am going to scour the Internets for baseball news, hang out with my chick and pit bull, and play some Super Mario Brothers 3. I’ll watch Super Bowl highlights tomorrow.
John Dillinger Played Baseball
Dillinger was a stud shortstop and second baseman for the Martinsville, Indiana Athletics in 1924, starting as a rookie. He was awarded a $25 bonus as the team’s top hitter, as the Athletics finished the season in first place in their semi-pro league. He later starred on a number of prison teams. Dillinger is the player top right with the arrow pointing at him in the photo at the top of this article.
This Week’s Number: 9
That’s the number of days until Twins pitchers and catchers report to spring training. It’s almost here.
This Week’s Fact: MLB teams may have spring training in other cities, but Japanese baseball plays spring training games in foreign countries, including South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Herb Washington, Designated Pinch Runner
I mentioned a player in an article a few days ago that played in 105 MLB games without a plate appearance. Washington was a world record-breaking sprinter signed by the Oakland Athletics to do one thing and one thing only: run. Over the course of one-plus seasons, he never picked up a bat or glove, but stole 31 bases as a pinch runner and won a World Series ring in 1974. His 1975 Topps card is the only one ever issued by the company with the position designation of “Pinch Runner.”
Hot Twin of the Week: Brendan Wise, whose Perth Heat team won in Australia.
Not Hot Twin of the Week: JaDamion Williams and the Sydney Blue Sox lost to the Heat.
Who I Wish was Hot Twin of the Week: Australian Brad Thomas, a former top pitching prospect for the Twins who never panned out.
Barely Legal Twin of the Week: Prospect Daniel Ortiz is playing for Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Series. He finished last season in Fort Myers.
What I did this week: I fell on my ass on the ice twice late Monday night, saw a metal show last night, and went to the Country Bar for the first time in over a year. I also finally got around to watching Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Funny stuff.
Here’s a video of Minor Twins Signing Brandon Boggs talking about spring training a couple of years ago. Seems like a good dude.
Later this week, we’ll start to delve into a position-by-position spring training analysis of the Twins, take a look at a couple of pitchers who could be this year’s Jared Burton, catch up with Brian Buchanan, and I’ll tell you why I think the Kevin Correia signing makes sense. You’ll probably still disagree with me, and that’s totally cool.
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