January 24, 2006

Frick and Frack

Now that this year’s vote has been taken by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, it’s time to consider the next stage of Hall of Fame voting—the election of the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award, which will be announced on February 21. There are 10 candidates on the final ballot, ranging from old-time legends like Graham McNamee to current broadcasting stars like Dave Niehaus to two recently departed fan favorites, Tom Cheek and Bill King. 

Unlike ballplayers, there are no statistics for us to use in judging the quality of broadcasters. We can only use our ears, and in some cases, the history books, in venturing a guess. Given how difficult it is to evaluate broadcasters unless you’ve heard them, either live or on audiotape, I’ve decided to restrict myself to those I’ve listened to during my years as a fan. That would include A’s legend King, Mariners institution Niehaus, longtime Red Sox voice Ken Coleman, traveling man Gene Elston, and former major leaguer Tony Kubek.

For me, the choice is clear: Tony Kubek. As a broadcaster, he filled almost every role, from doing live interviews in the stands during World Series broadcasts, working as the No. 1 analyst for a major network (NBC), and performing both play-by-play and color commentary for two teams, the Blue Jays and Yankees, on a local basis. Articulate enough to describe game action and insightful enough to analyze what we were seeing, few ex-athletes or professional broadcasters could match Kubek’s versatile skills in the booth. All the while, Kubek established one of the best-known work ethics in the announcing game, exhaustively researching player backgrounds and tendencies prior to each game or series and always venturing into the clubhouse to find an elusive insider angle. Perhaps the best thing I can say about Tony Kubek is this: I learned something new about baseball almost every game that I heard him work, whether it was the importance of the bench and the bullpen to winning the pennant or a coherent definition of a secondary lead. As much as Tony was a broadcaster of the game, he was also a teacher, and that wasn’t easy with students like myself who thought they knew everything about the National Pastime. 

For those keeping score, others on the Frick Award ballot are Dizzy Dean (that first-class mangler of the English language), who could become the first Hall of Famer to win the Frick Award; longtime Royals voice Denny Matthews, always a favorite of Bill James; and Jacques Doucet. 

Another Bruce In Cooperstown

Speaking of Hall of Fame elections, there seemed to be one overriding theme on the internet in the days after the announcement of Bruce Sutter’s forthcoming induction. If the writers said “yes” to Sutter, then why in the world did they say “no” to Rich “Goose” Gossage? Gossage sustained his peak longer than Sutter—10 years for “The Goose” to nine years for Bruce—and also earned the advantage in durability, pitching over 1,800 innings to Sutter’s total of just over 1,000 innings. The writers do have some explaining to do. I’ve yet to hear a coherent argument as to what Sutter earned 76 per cent of the vote, while Gossage, who had the superior career, fell short at 64 per cent. Hopefully, the writers will rectify this in coming years, though it’s not likely to happen next year, when Tony Gwynn, Mark McGwire, and Cal Ripken, Jr. come onto the ballot for the first time and dominate the thinking of many of the voters. (By the way, McGwire won’t be coming close to the 75 per cent needed for election. He might be lucky to get 50 per cent.)

There’s also a myth circulating in the mainstream media about Sutter and his impact on the game. Several media outlets proclaimed that Sutter invented the split-fingered fastball, and that’s just not true. After hurting his elbow in 1972 while in the Chicago Cubs’ organization, Sutter decided to come up with another pitch to offset his 85 mile-per-hour fastball. He thought about trying to throw a curveball, but feared that it might aggravate his surgically repaired elbow. That’s when Cubs pitching coach Fred Martin, noticing Sutter’s unusually large hands and fingers, suggested he try throwing the split-fingered fastball. Martin taught him the splitter, setting the stage for a Hall of Fame career. (I’m not certain that Martin invented the splitter either; it’s quite possible that someone was throwing it prior to him.) Sutter did make some modifications with the way he gripped the splitter, but that’s a little different than saying he invented the pitch. Now it is accurate to say that Sutter popularized and revolutionized the split-fingered fastball because of the success that he had with it in the 1970s—at a time when no one else was throwing it--and because of the influence it had in convincing other pitchers to try this deceptive, “fall-off-the-table” pitch. By the 1980s, the split-fingered fastball had become the fashionable pitch of many starters and relievers, thanks in large part to Sutter’s late-inning dominance with the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. 

Another pitching coach in the Cubs’ organization, Mike Roarke, also deserves some credit here. Sutter has often acknowledged that it was Roarke who helped him refine and improve the pitch, which was virtually unhittable when thrown properly. 

So hats off to Martin, Roarke, and Sutter, all of whom played a part in changing the landscape of major league pitching throughout the 1970s and eighties.

Road To Glory

Forgive me for a momentary diversion from baseball. My wife and I saw a terrific movie earlier this month. Glory Road tells the riveting yet underpublicized story of the 1965-66 Texas Western Miners, who defied racist tendencies in the South by starting a multitude of black players on their way to an unlikely national championship over the University of Kentucky. Josh Lucas, whom I must admit I had never heard of before this film, is mesmerizing in his performance as Texas Western coach Don Haskins, a truly heroic figure who was more concerned with winning than he was the skin color of his players. 

Some naysayers have criticized the film for containing too many sports cliches (i.e. white coach guides black players, heart is more important than talent, the underdog can win at any time), but is that really a legitimate criticism when the film relives events that actually happened? From what I have read, the film is generally accurate, with the only major factual error being the presence of a Confederate flag at the championship game (witnesses to the game say that never happened). If real life is cliched, what’s wrong with presenting those cliches? Regardless of what some critics might say, I loved this film; it presents a great story, is well acted, and features a nice balance between the humor of college life in western Texas and the horrors of 1960s racism. 

Pastime Passings

Willie Smith (Died on January 16 in Anniston, Alabama; age 66; apparent heart attack): One of the last major leaguers to have played in the old Negro Leagues, Smith appeared as both a pitcher and outfielder during a well-traveled major league career. After making his major league debut for the Detroit Tigers in 1963, Smith started the 1964 season as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels. In mid-season, Angels manager Bill Rigney decided to shift the versatile Smith to the outfield; he responded to the radical move by hitting .301 with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs. Nicknamed “Wonderful Willie,” Smith became popular with teammates during a journeyman career that included stops with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds. Smith is believed to be the only black major leaguer to have both pitched in over 20 games and played the field (outfield and first base) in over 20 games. 

Bubba Morton (Died on January 14 in Seattle, Washington; age 74; long illness): A veteran of seven major league seasons, Morton played for the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Braves, and California Angels over a career that spanned from 1961 to 1969. Morton was the first black player ever signed by the Tigers, but didn’t make Detroit’s major league roster until after the arrival of other African-American players. Although Morton’s tenure in Milwaukee lasted only 15 games, it was a memorable stint for the journeyman outfielder; Morton ended up rooming with the game’s future home run king, Hank Aaron. Morton’s best season came in 1967, when he batted .313 for the Angels as a pinch-hitter and part-time player. After his playing days, which included one season in the Japanese Leagues, Morton made history by becoming the first African-American head coach at the University of Washington. 

Seth Morehead (Died on January 17 in Shreveport, Louisiana; age 71; heart attack): A veteran of five major league seasons, Morehead pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Braves. In 132 games, the left-hander posted a 4.81 ERA and a record of 5-19. Morehead was the last pitcher to face Roy Campanella before the Hall of Famer’s career-ending auto accident and also the last pitcher to face the Brooklyn Dodgers before the team’s move to the West Coast. 

Merv Connors (Died on January 8 in San Francisco, California; age 91): A longtime minor league slugger, Connors eventually reached the major leagues, playing in 52 games for the Chicago White Sox during the 1930s. In 165 at-bats, the first baseman-third baseman batted .279 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. During his minor league career, which spanned from the thirties through the fifties, Connors clubbed over 400 home runs. In 1944 and ’45, Connors served in the military as part of the World War II effort. 

Rod Dedeaux (Died on January 5 in Glendale, California; age 91; complications from a stroke): Dedeaux played in only two major league games as a shortstop, but forged a far more lasting legacy as one of the greatest and most enduring coaches in the history of college baseball. During a 45-year tenure as the head coach at the University of Southern California, Dedeaux won an NCAA record 11 national championships, 28 conference titles, and a total of 1,332 games against only 571 losses. After retiring as USC’s coach in 1986, he became the school’s director of baseball. Over 50 of Dedeaux’ players eventually made the major leagues, including Hall of Famer Tom Seaver and standouts like Randy Johnson, Fred Lynn, Mark McGwire, and Roy Smalley. 

Paul Lindblad (Died on January 1 in Arlington, Texas; age 64; Alzheimer’s disease): A member of three World Championship teams, Lindblad was a reliable left-handed reliever for much of the late 1960s and early seventies. During a 14-year career spent entirely in the American League, Lindblad posted a 3.29 ERA, 64 saves, and a record of 68-63. Originally a member of the Kansas City A’s, Lindblad moved with the franchise to Oakland and then spent time with the Washington Senators and Texas Rangers before returning to the A’s in a 1973 trade. Pitching primarily in middle relief as one of the primary set-up men to Rollie Fingers, Lindblad pitched for Oakland’s World Championship teams in 1973 and ’74. He pitched in the 1973 Fall Classic, hurling the ninth and tenth innings of a Game Three victory over the New York Mets. Lindblad later returned to World Series play, appearing for the New York Yankees in a 1978 matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

COMMENTARY: In today’s game, an effective and durable left-hander like Lindblad (who could pitch in almost any role in relief) would probably command a three-year deal in the $15 million range. “Bladder” was that good, a fine relief pitcher for a long time. He’s just not remembered that well because he usually played the role of second-fiddle in the bullpen, setting up such relief aces as Jim “Mudcat” Grant, Rollie Fingers, and Goose Gossage. 

Over at Baseball Toaster, A’s expert Ken Arneson posted a nice tribute to Lindblad, making an astute observation about Lindy’s 1974 Topps card. The card shows Lindblad at the finish of his motion, with his body oddly contorted and his legs falling to the ground, ala Mitch Williams. Unlike Williams, Lindblad didn’t throw particularly hard, but he did have much better control than “Wild Thing.”

During a lengthy career that featured a slew of memorable pennant races and postseason moments, Lindblad also became notable for playing parts in two milestone games.

*He was the last pitcher to face Hall of Famer Willie Mays in a game. Pitching the 11th inning of Game Three of the 1973 World Series, Lindblad retired Mays on a groundout to end the game. 

*At the end of the 1975 season, Lindblad achieved a piece of baseball history by combining with three other A’s pitchers to record a no-hitter. Along with starter Vida Blue and fellow relievers John “Blue Moon” Odom and Rollie Fingers, Lindblad shut down the California Angels, holding them hitless on the final day of the regular season. 

On a far less trivial note, Lindblad suffered with Alzheimer’s disease for 12 years, having been diagnosed in 1993, when he was only 52 years old. Although I’m hardly an expert on the disease, this strikes me as being a remarkably young age to become afflicted with Alzheimer’s. It’s an awful disease, one with which I feel an unfortunate connection because of how it affected my grandmother in the early 1980s. I saw first-hand the ways that Alzheimer’s causes deterioration of both the mind and the body, making the damage all the more encompassing. 

My condolences to Paul’s wife, Kathy, and the rest of his family.

Rest in peace, Bladder. You were awfully good—and underappreciated—coming out of that bullpen. 

Bruce Markusen is the author of the forthcoming book, The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, which is scheduled for release in May by Westholme Publishing. Markusen can be heard periodically on ESPNews’ Hot List with Brian Kenny and every Wednesday morning at 11:00 am on WHAM Radio (1180 AM) in Rochester, New York, discussing the latest issues in baseball.