Rick Kaplan

(OAKLAND) June 30 - Been catching up with some of the Right Off the Bat interviews, and I had to run over to the keyboard after hearing Marty's conversation with Johnny James !! What a thrill, a lightning bolt from the past, and from a time when every Yankee--even a relatively anonymous middle reliever like James--was like a god to me.

Apparently Johnny--and the rest of his major league teammates--shared the same awe for Mickey Mantle as us 12 year-olds up in the third deck (Actually, I was lucky enough to sit about three or four rows behind the Yankee dugout every so often, and my sister Lynne and I convinced ourselves that the Mick would acknowledge our cheers with discreet eye contact as he trotted in from center field.).  Another great interview with yet another charming, and modest, baseball veteran. Thanks, Marty!

Speaking of our heroes acknowledging us, I'm reminded of a visit, around 1980 or so, to the Coliseum early in the career of Oakland's newest Hall of Famer. My daughter, Katrina, two years old at the time, wanted to go out to left field to say hello to her hero, Rickey HENSIDEN (That's what she called him then. And we still do, as a family tradition.). 

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The Giants have a "real hitter" to go along with Sandoval, name of Schierholtz;  they have to dump Aurilia and bring up their Fresno second baseman in the place of Downs.  Torres should get more playing time than Winn.  Sadowski should, at the very least, get another chance.  Talk of sending him down right now and continuing with Sanchez makes no sense.  They can use another lefty in the bullpen and it is possible Sanchez could fill that spot.  He has demonstrated that he is a liability as a fifth starter.

Ed