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The San Francisco Giants might win the 2010 National League pennant.

If they do, they could meet the New York Yankees in the World Series.

On the weekend of June 7, 2002, at Yankee Stadium, the Giants and Yankees played each other for the first time since Willie McCovey lined out to Bobby Richardson to end the 1962 World Series.

40 years later, many of the players involved vividly remember the final inning of that final game.

Felipe Alou, who was the Giants’ lead off hitter and right fielder in game seven, was still upset.

“That’s something that’s going to die with me. I didn’t do my job. That was the lowest point of my life. It was the kind of thing that’s engraved on your life, your mind and your heart,” he said.

The Giants trailed Ralph Terry and the Yankees, 1-0. Alvin Dark sent Matty Alou, Felipe’s younger brother, in to pinch-hit for pitcher Billy O’Dell.

Alou hit a foul pop fly near the Giants’ dugout. Catcher Elston Howard thought that he had it for the first out, but the ball popped out of his glove.

Howard was extremely upset, later saying, “Somebody bumped me on the shoulder.”

The dugouts at Candlestick Park were walk-in dugouts. Howard said that the Giants told him they were trying to make sure he didn’t fall. He thought either Bob Nieman or Alvin Dark was his “helper.”

Matty Alou had a second chance, which he didn’t waste. Matty beat out a drag bunt between the mound and first base, bringing up Felipe.

One of Casey Stengel’s strengths was that he never asked a player to do something the player couldn’t do. Alvin Dark was no Casey Stengel.

“I was asked to sacrifice him over. I don’t think I had been asked all year to sacrifice. The first one went foul. The wind was blowing so hard, it blew it foul.”

Dark then had Alou swing away. He struck out.

Harvey Kuenn also struck out. Alou was still on first, but now there were two outs. Willie was the Giants’ last hope.

In his first at bat during the regular season, Willie hit a home run. This was going to be his last at bat of the season.

40 years later, Ralph Terry described facing Willie.

“I was trying to pitch him inside. The way the wind was blowing, if he gets it up, it’s gone. But I threw ball one and ball two inside. I can’t keep pitching in there all day, so I went low and away. Willie threw his arms out and hit the ball to right field.”

Roger Maris cut the ball off before it reached the wall to hold Alou at third as Willie moved into second with the potential winning run.

Willie McCovey always said that Bobby Richardson was playing him out of position.

“I mostly blame Richardson for playing me out of position. No second baseman ever played me that close to second base because I was a dead pull hitter. When I hit a ball in that direction, I figure it’s a base hit.

I’m up in the spot I want to be in. I cherish being up in that spot. I dreamed about it as a kid. But the results were different from what I dreamed about.”

Ralph Terry, given a second chance after giving up Bill Mazeroski’s home run in 1960, was a winner.

Willie McCovey, never had a second chance, but he was as much a winner as Terry or anyone else who ever played the game.

Willie was never afraid.

Reference:

MURRAY CHASS. (2002, June 7). BASEBALL :A Final Out That Continued for 40 Years. New York Times (1923-Current file),p. D6. Retrieved August 14, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 – 2006). (Document ID: 727150152).

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Last night, Aug. 1, the San Francisco Giants completed a sweep of their arch-rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, which brought back memories of another Giants sweep of the Dodgers many years ago.

However, it was the next game, against the San Diego Padres, that lives on forever.

Giants manager Clyde King rested Willie Mays in the first game of a three-game series in San Diego on Sept. 22, 1969 following a successful home stand that ended with a sweep of the Dodgers.

At the end of six innings, the teams were tied with two runs each.

The Giants held a slim half-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the division that was referred to that season as the “Wild, Wild West.” King wanted the game.

Ron Hunt, the gutsy little second baseman, led off the Giants seventh with a slow roller to the left side. Padres shortstop Tommy Dean charged the ball and fired a strike to first, but Hunt beat it out.

King made his move. He sent the greatest of all Giants to the plate to bat for a young rookie outfielder named George Foster, who would have a 1977 season for the Cincinnati Reds in which he would hit 52 home runs.

Willie stepped into the batter’s box to face rookie right-hander Mike Corkins, whom the Giants had signed as an amateur free agent in 1965.

The Padres drafted Corkins in the expansion draft three years later, and now he was facing Willie Mays.

Everyone in the ballpark knew that Willie had 599 home runs. What might seem unbelievable is that there were only 4,779 paying customers in the ballpark.

Corkins went into the stretch, got the signal from his catcher, Chris Cannizzaro, checked Hunt at first, and delivered Willie Mays’ 600th home run, which won the game.

Don’t let the small crowd give the impression that there was a lack of excitement about Willie’s accomplishment.

Everyone connected with baseball marveled at Mays’ achievement..

Legendary baseball journalist Arthur Daley wrote: “When Willie stepped up to bat as a pinch-hitter…and smote a home run, he advanced to a new and spectacular plateau in baseball history.”

Willie Mays achieved what only Babe Ruth had achieved, and it cemented Willie as one of the great sluggers of all time.

There was excitement everywhere, especially in San Francisco, where for the first few years in his new home, Willie was viewed as New York’s, but that was no longer the case.

Willie told the media that the pressure was building up: “I was trying too hard to hit home runs.”

Since Willie became the second player to hit at least 600 home runs, Henry Aaron (755), Barry Bonds (762), Sammy Sosa (609), and Ken Griffey Jr. (630) have joined the club.

Presently, Alex Rodriguez is stuck at 599 home runs.

The contrast between the indifference to Rodriguez’ pursuit of his 600th home run and the excitement, respect, and love with respect to Willie’s quest for his 600th home run is striking.

Teammates, Giants fans, and most baseball fans loved Willie Mays. Opponents respected and feared him. All marveled his great skills, and all appreciated his great accomplishments.

The same cannot be said with respect to Alex Rodriguez. As a wise woman once said, “No one can hurt you as much as you can hurt yourself.”

References

Willie Mays’ 600th Home Run at Retrosheet

No. 600 Is One Ruthian Home Run for Willie Mays: Giants’ Star, at 38, Is 2d on List and Richer, Wiser. (1969, September 24). New York Times (1923-Current file), 39. Retrieved August 2, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2006). (Document ID: 88865325).

By ARTHUR DALEY. (1969, October 1). Sports of Times: An Epic Home Run. New York Times (1923-Current file), 50. Retrieved August 2, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2006). (Document ID: 81992636).

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In the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier will be starting in his first ever All-Star Game. For Ethier, just being selected is, no doubt, a thrill, and being chosen as a starter probably doubles his excitement.

Perhaps Andre Ethier will one day be on this list of the players who have the most All-Star Game starts, by position, in National League history.

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With six of the contestants in this year’s Home Run Derby recently announced, this seemed like a good time to reflect back on some of the best sluggers to ever play the game.

What would your dream Home Run Derby field look like if you could include any player, past or present?

I will admit, I cheated a bit, making a list of 10 when the field is generally set at eight participants. However, my two extra additions are a bit outside the box, and I think the field could be expanded to accommodate them.

With only ten, there is sure to be someone I left off that you feel belongs, so let the debate begin.

Let me know who I left out that you would include in your fantasy Home Run Derby.

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I don’t know how this is going to turn out, but it is going to be interesting to find out.

When Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were active, the majority of fans rated Mays ahead of Mantle, often with the disclaimer that if Mickey had Mays’ health, it might have been different.

Now that we have “experts” such as Bill James and his ilk, a bevy of measurements exist that have led to the conclusion that Mickey was better than we thought.  The primary reason is that his peak years were better than Willie’s.

Mickey Mantle’s best season was 1956, when he won the Triple Crown, leading the majors with a .353 batting average, 52 home runs, and 130 RBIs.

His next best season was 1957, when he batted .365, hit 34 home runs, and had 94 RBIs. 

Following the 1957 season, New York Yankees’ general manager “Lonesome” George Weiss wanted to cut Mickey’s salary, claiming that with the exception of batting average, Mickey had fallen well short of his 1956 numbers.

Bill James and his sabermetricians have changed all that.

It is difficult to conclude that any one of a number of seasons was Willie’s best.  His highest batting average of .347 was achieved in 1958, but he hit “only” 29 home runs in Candlestick Park.

In 1955 Willie hit 51 home runs, and in 1965 he hit 52.  His best RBI season was 1962, when he drove home 141 San Francisco Giants.

Let’s select 1954, when he won the batting title, as one of Willie’s best two seasons, and 1955 as the other.

Mickey Mantle                            
Year   2B    3B    HR    RBI    BA    OBA    SA
1956    22    5    52    130    .353    .464    .705
1957    28    6    34    94     .365     .512    .665
                           
Willie Mays                            
Year    2B    3B    HR    RBI    BA    OBA    SA
1954    33    13    41    110    .345    .411    .667
1955    18    13    51    127    .319    .400    .659

It is closer than one might think, but Mantle gets a slight edge.  While Mickey’s walks bolstered his on base average, Willie hit many more triples.

Another factor is that Willie’s role with the 1955 New York Giants was to drive in runs, because he was the primary, and with the possible exception of Henry Thompson, the only real RBI threat on the team.

Mickey had Yogi Berra, Moose Skowron, Hank Bauer, and a young Ellie Howard, which meant there was more of a chance that a Mickey Mantle walk would lead to a Yankees’ rally, than a Willie Mays walk would lead to a Giants’ rally.

Now let’s examine their third and fourth best two seasons.  

For Mickey, let’s take 1961, which some claim was his second best season, and 1958.

For Willie, let’s use 1965, when he hit 52 home runs, and 1957, when he had at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs playing on a terrible New York Giants’ team.

Mickey Mantle                            
Year    2B    3B    HR    RBI    BA    OBA    SA
1961    16    6    54    128    .317    .448    .687
1958    21    1    42    97     .304    .443     .592
                           
Willie Mays                           
Year   2B    3B    HR    RBI    BA    OBA    SA
1965    31    3    52    112    .317    .398    .645
1957    26    50    35    97    .333    .407    .626

It is impossible to decide which player had the best four top offensive seasons, especially since Willie played on Giants’ teams that often were out of contention and Mickey didn’t, at least until 1965.

All that the above does is confirm the greatness of both players, but let’s conclude by examining the top four offensive seasons of the best player in the game today.

Albert Pujols                           
Year   2B    3B    HR    RBI    BA    OBA    SA
2006    33    1    49    137    .331    .431    .671
2004    51    2    46    123    .331    .415    .657
2009    45    1    47    135    .327    .443    .658
2003    51    1    43    124    .359    .439    .667

Any comments?

References:

Mickey Mantle at Baseball Reference

Willie Mays at Baseball Reference

Albert Pujols at Baseball Reference

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A five game skid will do wonders for local bars and corner stores. Just today, before the Giants got healthy on the Nationals 4-2, I wandered into the convenience store and they were clear out of alcohol, not a single drop… not even an O’Douls or Vanilla or Nyquil!

The bandaged and bruised grocer explained, “Giants fans have raided. It’s crazy, I haven’t seen this much chaos since prohibition!” Yes, he’s old enough to remember the 1920s.

If you fell off the wagon or suffered a heart attack during the losing streak, you might want to keep the following facts in mind to avoid future pathofanaticism:

In a 162 game season the statistical probability of avoiding a respectable losing streak is extremely low, as low as say the Cubs winning the World Series or Gary Radnich staying on topic.

In 2008, the Giants lost 6 games in a row yet stayed competitive all year and managed their first winning season since 2004.

In 2003, the Giants dominated their division winning 100 games, but still found time to lose 6 games in a row.

In 2002, the Giants went to the World Series after posting a 95-66 record. One bad pitching change away from being world champions, yet they lost 4 games in a row—twice.

In 2000, the Giants won their division with a 97-65 mark. Yet somehow they managed to lose 8 games in a row. Many fans were flattened by the sky.

In 1962, the Giants went 103-62, lost to the Yankees in the World Series, and came within three feet of being world champions. Strangely enough, they lost 6 games in a row during the regular season.

In 1954, the NY Giants won the World Series after posting a 97-57 record. They dropped 6 in a row during the regular season.

And so on and so on…

More extreme?

In 2009, the Colorado Rockies fired manager Clint Hurdle on May 29th and replaced him with Jim Tracy. They won 2 games, then lost the next 4. At that point, they were 15.5 games behind.

Every one wrote them off. Then they won 17 of 18, played solid the rest of the way, and made the playoffs.

Actually, there were probably a handful of Rockies fans who still believed after being 15.5 down. They all turn nine this year.

Bottom line: baseball is very hard to predict and the sky seems to fall down every year.

Don’t confuse the last example with me advocating Bochy’s firing. I’m not. His overall progression in SF is good.

This may be a make or break year for him, however, so I hope he starts cracking the whip a little more.

Along these lines, I would like to petition Giants fans to start a fund dedicated to paying the fines Bochy should get for abusing umpires when the Giants are getting the short end. With no fear of a fine and the fans behind him, he’ll have no excuses.

In exchange for the fans paying the fine, they would be guaranteed at least one chest bump and one shoe spitting before the All Star break.

* pathofanaticism – mental or physical sickness caused by one’s favorite sports team losing.

Answer to Poll: 8, 2006 St. Louis Cardinals

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Getting off to a good start is important in almost every facet of life.

In baseball, starting off the season on the right foot can set a team up for a nice run deep into the season.

The ability to collect a surplus of wins in April does wonders for losing streaks that a team may experience further down the long road that is the Major League Baseball season.

Like any team in the MLB, the San Francisco Giants have had their own ups and downs during the first month of baseball. Since the Giants moved over from New York after the 1957 season, San Francisco has posted a respectable 583-519 in the month of April.

Of course, some seasons have started off better than others for the Orange and Black after relocating to the Bay Area.

While many fans will remember these seasons like they just happened yesterday, younger fans might not remember the awesome starts that their Giants jumped out to in the past.

Here is a list of the Top Five Aprils in the History of the San Francisco Giants:

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