By Bruce Markusen

Today’s major league players freely make bold fashion statements. Many players wear goatees. An increasing number of players wear earrings, some featuring more than one on each ear. And players have worn mustaches and beards for years. Such practices have become so commonplace that they might not seem newsworthy anymore. [Read more →]

The signs are there. The AL West has entered the building.

This year’s Mariners are showing they are not as infallible as last year’s team, but the real story is the rest of the division.

Take a look. [Read more →]

The Giants need some offense!!

While the new arrivals to the Giants: Sanders, Shinjo, Bell, et al are excellent defensive players–especially Shinjo–the team’s real need is more offense. Maybe a system of roatating players such as Feliz and Minor into the lineup along with some use of Benard and Martinez could generate some hitting into the lineup. When Feliz joins the lineup Bell can play too giving Snow or even Kent a rest.

With Bonds hurting maybe he should go on the DL until he can be 100% in the field. The idea of Bonds, a multi Gold Glove outfielder, making errors on consecutive days is just proof that he is not at his best and it isn’t just his power loss I am talking about.

The pitching looks OK especially the starters who have performed well enough that the Giants record could easily be 20-7 or even 22-5. Livan has lost two well pitched games. The bullpen has blown three others, and Rueter has pitched well enough to have a 5-0 record. Maybe Fultz is the only reliever to have had really bad outings.

Maybe the biggest problem for the long haul is that the Giants seem to have no faith in their younger players–and this goes back to at least 1997. How long did it take before Rich Aurilia could land the starting shortstop job away from journeymen like Jose Vizcaino and Rey Sanchez? While having veterans gives the team stability, I think that prospects such as Feliz and Minor ought to get some playing time especially when the veterans are not really producing. Snow seems to have lost his knack for driving in runs, so there are a couple of solutions available on the roster: Kent can play first and David Bell move to second base. Then Feliz, who seems to be hitting much better this year, could get into the lineup–and I don’t mean batting eighth. This would seem an excellent idea when the Giants face lefthanders. Snow always looks paralyzed against lefties. And Minor will never develop as a power hitter getting to bat five times a week. Maybe the Giants need to use Minor at first with Bell sitting out against some right handers and Snow out of there most of the time.

Also, Torrealba should get more than an occasional start to see if he has a big league bat. Besides Santiago needs a rest at least two games a week so his leadership on the field is available in August and September.

Shinjo is the best in center field and after the past two years going with non center fielders like Benard and Dunston–or a non hitter like Murray–he looks even better as a fielder. But he doesn’t give the Giants what they need–a leadoff hitter who plays center field. Shinjo not getting on base means his great speed is not utilized to set up Aurillia, Bonds, and Kent. Having him hit seventh means the bottom of the order is almost non productive much of the time especially when Santiago is out of the lineup. Bell is passable at leadoff because he can get on base–but he is not fast enough to move himself to second and often dies there when the job of bringing in runs gets past Kent to Snow or Sanders who haven’t been hitting.

16-11 is a miracle given the Giants lack of production so far, but it would seem that they need to take steps to vary their offense when they can go through weeks losing games by scores like 2-1, 4-3, 9-2, 8-4.

Bill Graff [Read more →]

Todd asks the question about how many inside the park homers Rickey Henderson has hit in his career?

In a surprise answer, thanks to David Vincent, the home run guru, he informs us that Rickey has only one inside the park homer, hit on July 6, 1980 against the Chicago White Sox.

For my part, I will tell you the starting pitchers in that game:Lefty Ken Kravec started for the White Sox and Steve McCatty for the A’s. Chicago won the game 5-4. sweeping a doubleheader. Steve “Rainbow” Trout pitched a five hit shutout in game one, beating Mike Norris.

Interesting that you asked the question today (May 1st), the anniversary of Rickey breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record in 1991 and also one year later on this date, Henderson stole the 1000th base of his career against the Tigers in Detroit.

Bet you are glad you asked.

Marty [Read more →]

The National league’s most dynamic young player, Jimmy Rollins is Marty’s guest on Right Off The Bat Thursday at 2:50 PM Pacific. Rollins, an all star last year, talks about the sophomore jinx and manager Larry Bowa in a very entertaining interview. Heard live right here on LOTGP.com, the A’s website, or 610 AM KFRC. [Read more →]

In the American league, six, maybe seven teams are serious post season contenders.

The National League presents a more difficult analysis.

I realized this last night at Pac Bell Park when I felt the vibes around the Giants.

Here’s what I saw. [Read more →]

Charlie Steiner, one of the familiar voices and faces from ESPN, now the radio voice of the New York Yankees is Marty’s guest on Right Off The Bat at 2:50 PM Pacific. Charlie, a native New Yorker explains how the new opportunity presented itself. Believe me, you’ll be surprised. Tune in here on LOTGP.com, the A’s website, or 610 AM KFRC in Northern California. [Read more →]

The last time the A’s played in Yankee Stadium, they fumbled away their chance to knock the Yankees out of the playoffs.

Tonight, the Yankee tamer, Barry Zito, gives the team a chance to start this series on a high note.

Let me tell you what he has to do to be successful. [Read more →]

Billy Werber was signed by the New York Yankees in 1927 just before enrolling in Duke University. The Yankees invited the youngster to accompany the team for the summer, giving the 19 year old a taste of big league life. Werber saw Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and manager Miller Huggins among other greats of the game during his summer with the Bombers. Now 93 years old, Werber has written his memoirs in “Memories of a Ballplayer”. He’ll be on Right Off The Bat, Tuesday at 2:50 PM Pacific heard here on loveofthegameproductions.com, the A’s website, or 610 AM KFRC in Northern California. Don’t miss this show. [Read more →]

The baseball season grinds slowly through the spring, into summer, and then hits its closing crescendo in the fall.

We analyze the twists and turns on a daily basis, but what are we searching for each day? [Read more →]