Stan McNeal, Sporting News
Outside of another slow April (.136 batting average), Teixeira’s career as a Yankee couldn’t be going much better. He has the huge contract and a World Series ring, and he is coming off a second-place finish in the A.L. MVP voting. Teixeira also is making his presence felt in the community. As part of his new role with Harlem RBI, a youth-development organization, Teixeira recently talked with Sporting News’ Stan McNeal.
‘The Yankees are built to win a lot of games,’ Mark Teixeira says.
Sporting News: How did you become involved with Harlem RBI?
Mark Teixeira: Major League Baseball and the RBI program have had contact with all major league players for a long time, so I knew about the program nationally. But it wasn’t until I got to New York and heard about what Harlem was doing with the Harlem RBI program. We had some meetings in spring training and I wanted to become involved when I learned about the education side of it, the DREAM Charter School and all the great things they’re doing getting kids going to college.
SN: How have the Yankees been able to overcome a lack of production from their top two sluggers, you and Alex Rodriguez, early in the season?
MT: The Yankees are built to win a lot of games, and built to have every hitter in the lineup and the entire pitching staff contribute. Baseball is not a game where one or two players can carry a team for a whole season. We’ve done a good job of building a great roster and because of that, everyone on our team contributes.
SN: How do you assess the hitting of Robinson Cano, the team’s best hitter so far?
MT: From a pure hitter’s standpoint, he’s one of the best I’ve ever played with. He has some of the best hands I’ve ever seen. He’s continuing to get better and better. Everyone knows his talent.
SN: You’re known for slow starts and, sure enough, as soon as the calendar turned to May, you suddenly heated up offensively. Coincidence?
MT: It just takes a while for me to get going. I don’t know when that will be. I just go out there and play one game at a time. If you try to worry about an entire season or what month it is, you’re not going to be able to do your job very well.
SN: Do the slow starts get frustrating?
Teixeira: We play 162 games. There’s going to be a lot of ups, there’s going to be a lot of downs. Stats don’t matter to me until the last game of the season. Hopefully, the stats say I had a good season and we’re in the playoffs. That’s all that matters.
SN: Do you think switch hitting is part of the problem?
MT: I’m sure that has something to do with it. I don’t make excuses, but at the same time, there’s twice as much work that I have to put in. A baseball swing is hard enough from one side of the plate. You add switch hitting and it complicate things. But it’s a challenge I have loved my entire career. I’ve had a great career so far having my work ethic. Every single day I’m out there working on both sides of the plate.
SN: When did you become a switch hitter?
MT: I started at a very young age messing around with it. If we were beating a team by a lot, I’d switch to the left side. Then at 13, my dad and I decided I was going to become a full-time switch hitter. By my sophomore or junior year of high school, I really kind of got it from the left side and knew it was something I could stick with and be a switch hitter full-time.
SN: Pretty good decision, huh?
MT: Yeah, my career numbers will tell you I have more power from the left side and a better average from the right side. It’s a good combination.
SN: The other night in Philadelphia, police used a Taser to subdue a fan who ran on the field. Was that a little too much force?
MT: It doesn’t really matter to me how the police or security do their job. They should do whatever they have to do to do their jobs. I can say as a ballplayer, I don’t feel unsafe on the field. I feel completely safe on the field.
Stan McNeal, Sporting News
Outside of another slow April (.136 batting average), Teixeira’s career as a Yankee couldn’t be going much better. He has the huge contract and a World Series ring, and he is coming off a second-place finish in the A.L. MVP voting. Teixeira also is making his presence felt in the community. As part of his new role with Harlem RBI, a youth-development organization, Teixeira recently talked with Sporting News’ Stan McNeal.
‘The Yankees are built to win a lot of games,’ Mark Teixeira says.
Sporting News: How did you become involved with Harlem RBI?
Mark Teixeira: Major League Baseball and the RBI program have had contact with all major league players for a long time, so I knew about the program nationally. But it wasn’t until I got to New York and heard about what Harlem was doing with the Harlem RBI program. We had some meetings in spring training and I wanted to become involved when I learned about the education side of it, the DREAM Charter School and all the great things they’re doing getting kids going to college.
SN: How have the Yankees been able to overcome a lack of production from their top two sluggers, you and Alex Rodriguez, early in the season?
MT: The Yankees are built to win a lot of games, and built to have every hitter in the lineup and the entire pitching staff contribute. Baseball is not a game where one or two players can carry a team for a whole season. We’ve done a good job of building a great roster and because of that, everyone on our team contributes.
SN: How do you assess the hitting of Robinson Cano, the team’s best hitter so far?
MT: From a pure hitter’s standpoint, he’s one of the best I’ve ever played with. He has some of the best hands I’ve ever seen. He’s continuing to get better and better. Everyone knows his talent.
SN: You’re known for slow starts and, sure enough, as soon as the calendar turned to May, you suddenly heated up offensively. Coincidence?
MT: It just takes a while for me to get going. I don’t know when that will be. I just go out there and play one game at a time. If you try to worry about an entire season or what month it is, you’re not going to be able to do your job very well.
SN: Do the slow starts get frustrating?
Teixeira: We play 162 games. There’s going to be a lot of ups, there’s going to be a lot of downs. Stats don’t matter to me until the last game of the season. Hopefully, the stats say I had a good season and we’re in the playoffs. That’s all that matters.
SN: Do you think switch hitting is part of the problem?
MT: I’m sure that has something to do with it. I don’t make excuses, but at the same time, there’s twice as much work that I have to put in. A baseball swing is hard enough from one side of the plate. You add switch hitting and it complicate things. But it’s a challenge I have loved my entire career. I’ve had a great career so far having my work ethic. Every single day I’m out there working on both sides of the plate.
SN: When did you become a switch hitter?
MT: I started at a very young age messing around with it. If we were beating a team by a lot, I’d switch to the left side. Then at 13, my dad and I decided I was going to become a full-time switch hitter. By my sophomore or junior year of high school, I really kind of got it from the left side and knew it was something I could stick with and be a switch hitter full-time.
SN: Pretty good decision, huh?
MT: Yeah, my career numbers will tell you I have more power from the left side and a better average from the right side. It’s a good combination.
SN: The other night in Philadelphia, police used a Taser to subdue a fan who ran on the field. Was that a little too much force?
MT: It doesn’t really matter to me how the police or security do their job. They should do whatever they have to do to do their jobs. I can say as a ballplayer, I don’t feel unsafe on the field. I feel completely safe on the field.
Below is the late Ernie Harwell’s famous essay on baseball, "The Game for All America," parts of which he read at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1981. Reprinted in its entirety, from the April 13, 1955, edition of The Sporting News:
Baseball is President Eisenhower tossing out the first ball of the season; and a pudgy schoolboy playing catch with his dad on a Mississippi farm.
It’s the big league pitcher who sings in night clubs. And the Hollywood singer who pitches to the Giants in spring training.
Babe Ruth, the man who launched those 714 home runs.
A tall, thin old man waving a scorecard from his dugout — that’s baseball. So is the big, fat guy with a bulbous nose running out one of his 714 home runs with mincing steps.
It’s America, this baseball. A re-issued newsreel of boyhood dreams. Dreams lost somewhere between boy and man. It’s the Bronx cheer and the Baltimore farewell. The left field screen in Boston, the right field dump at Nashville’s Sulphur Dell, the open stands in San Francisco, the dusty, wind-swept diamond at Albuquerque. And a rock home plate and a chicken wire backstop — anywhere.
There’s a man in Mobile who remembers a triple he saw Honus Wagner hit in Pittsburgh 46 years ago. That’s baseball. So is the scout reporting that a 16-year-old sandlot pitcher in Cheyenne is the new "Walter Johnson."
It’s a wizened little man shouting insults from the safety of his bleacher seat. And a big, smiling first baseman playfully tousling the hair of a youngster outside the players’ gate.
Baseball is a spirited race of man against man, reflex against reflex. A game of inches. Every skill is measured. Every heroic, every failing is seen and cheered — or booed. And then becomes a statistic.
In baseball, democracy shines its clearest. Here the only race that matters is the race to the bag. The creed is the rule book. Color is something to distinguish one team’s uniform from another.
Baseball is Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, asking his Brooklyn hosts to explain Dodger signals. It’s Player Moe Berg speaking seven languages and working crossword puzzles in Sansrkit. It’s a scramble in the box seats for a foul — and a $125 suit ruined. A man barking into a hot microphone about a cool beer, that’s baseball. So is the sports writer telling a .383 hitter how to stride, and a 20-victory pitcher trying to write his impressions of the World Series.
Baseball is ballet without music. Drama without words. A carnival without kewpie dolls.
A housewife in California couldn’t tell you the color of her husband’s eyes, but she knows that Yogi Berra is hitting .337, has brown eyes and used to love to eat bananas with mustard. That’s baseball. So is the bright sanctity of Cooperstown’s Hall of Fame. And the former big leaguer, who is playing out the string in a Class B loop.
Baseball is continuity. Pitch to pitch. Inning to inning. Game to game. Series to series. Season to season.
It’s rain, rain, rain splattering on a puddled tarpaulin as thousands sit in damp disappointment. And the click of typewriters and telegraph keys in the press box — like so many awakened crickets. Baseball is a cocky batboy. The old-timer, whose batting average increases every time he tells it. A lady celebrating a home team rally by mauling her husband with a rolled-up scorecard.
Baseball is the cool, clear eyes of Rogers Hornsby, the flashing spikes of Ty Cobb, an overaged pixie named Rabbit Maranville, and Jackie Robinson testifying before a Congressional hearing.
Baseball? It’s just a game — as simple as a ball and a bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. It’s a sport, business — and sometimes even religion.
Baseball is Tradition in flannel knickerbockers. And Chagrin in being picked off base. It is Dignity in the blue serge of an umpire running the game by rule of thumb. It is Humor, holding its sides when an errant puppy eludes two groundskeepers and the fastest outfielder. And Pathos, dragging itself off the field after being knocked from the box.
Nicknames are baseball. Names like Zeke and Pie and Kiki and Home Run and Cracker and Dizzy and Dazzy.
Baseball is a sweaty, steaming dressing room where hopes and feelings are as naked as the men themselves. It’s a dugout with spike-scarred flooring. And shadows across an empty ball park. It’s the endless list of names in box scores, abbreviated almost beyond recognition.
The holdout is baseball, too. He wants 55 grand or he won’t turn a muscle. But, it’s also the youngster who hitch-hikes from South Dakota to Florida just for a tryout.
Arguments, Casey at the Bat, old cigarette cards, photographs, Take Me Out to the Ball Game — all of them are baseball.
The Say Hey Kid’s catch in the ’54 Series.
Baseball is a rookie — his experience no bigger than the lump in his throat — trying to begin fulfillment of a dream. It’s a veteran, too — a tired old man of 35, hoping his aching muscles can drag him through another sweltering August and September.
For nine innings, baseball is the story of David and Goliath, of Samson, Cinderella, Paul Bunyan, Homer’s Iliad and the Count of Monte Cristo.
Willie Mays making a brilliant World’s Series catch. And then going home to Harlem to play stick-ball in the street with his teenage pals — that’s baseball. So is the husky voice of a doomed Lou Gehrig saying, "I’m the luckiest guy in the world."
Baseball is cigar smoke, hot-roasted peanuts, The Sporting News, winter trades, "Down in front," and the Seventh Inning Stretch. Sore arms, broken bats, a no-hitter, and the strains of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Baseball is a highly-paid Brooklyn catcher telling the nation’s business leaders: "You have to be a man to be a big leaguer, but you have to have a lot of little boy in you, too."
This is a game for all America, this baseball.
A game for boys and for men.
Below is the late Ernie Harwell’s famous essay on baseball, "The Game for All America," parts of which he read at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1981. Reprinted in its entirety, from the April 13, 1955, edition of The Sporting News:
Baseball is President Eisenhower tossing out the first ball of the season; and a pudgy schoolboy playing catch with his dad on a Mississippi farm.
It’s the big league pitcher who sings in night clubs. And the Hollywood singer who pitches to the Giants in spring training.
Babe Ruth, the man who launched those 714 home runs.
A tall, thin old man waving a scorecard from his dugout — that’s baseball. So is the big, fat guy with a bulbous nose running out one of his 714 home runs with mincing steps.
It’s America, this baseball. A re-issued newsreel of boyhood dreams. Dreams lost somewhere between boy and man. It’s the Bronx cheer and the Baltimore farewell. The left field screen in Boston, the right field dump at Nashville’s Sulphur Dell, the open stands in San Francisco, the dusty, wind-swept diamond at Albuquerque. And a rock home plate and a chicken wire backstop — anywhere.
There’s a man in Mobile who remembers a triple he saw Honus Wagner hit in Pittsburgh 46 years ago. That’s baseball. So is the scout reporting that a 16-year-old sandlot pitcher in Cheyenne is the new "Walter Johnson."
It’s a wizened little man shouting insults from the safety of his bleacher seat. And a big, smiling first baseman playfully tousling the hair of a youngster outside the players’ gate.
Baseball is a spirited race of man against man, reflex against reflex. A game of inches. Every skill is measured. Every heroic, every failing is seen and cheered — or booed. And then becomes a statistic.
In baseball, democracy shines its clearest. Here the only race that matters is the race to the bag. The creed is the rule book. Color is something to distinguish one team’s uniform from another.
Baseball is Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, asking his Brooklyn hosts to explain Dodger signals. It’s Player Moe Berg speaking seven languages and working crossword puzzles in Sansrkit. It’s a scramble in the box seats for a foul — and a $125 suit ruined. A man barking into a hot microphone about a cool beer, that’s baseball. So is the sports writer telling a .383 hitter how to stride, and a 20-victory pitcher trying to write his impressions of the World Series.
Baseball is ballet without music. Drama without words. A carnival without kewpie dolls.
A housewife in California couldn’t tell you the color of her husband’s eyes, but she knows that Yogi Berra is hitting .337, has brown eyes and used to love to eat bananas with mustard. That’s baseball. So is the bright sanctity of Cooperstown’s Hall of Fame. And the former big leaguer, who is playing out the string in a Class B loop.
Baseball is continuity. Pitch to pitch. Inning to inning. Game to game. Series to series. Season to season.
It’s rain, rain, rain splattering on a puddled tarpaulin as thousands sit in damp disappointment. And the click of typewriters and telegraph keys in the press box — like so many awakened crickets. Baseball is a cocky batboy. The old-timer, whose batting average increases every time he tells it. A lady celebrating a home team rally by mauling her husband with a rolled-up scorecard.
Baseball is the cool, clear eyes of Rogers Hornsby, the flashing spikes of Ty Cobb, an overaged pixie named Rabbit Maranville, and Jackie Robinson testifying before a Congressional hearing.
Baseball? It’s just a game — as simple as a ball and a bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. It’s a sport, business — and sometimes even religion.
Baseball is Tradition in flannel knickerbockers. And Chagrin in being picked off base. It is Dignity in the blue serge of an umpire running the game by rule of thumb. It is Humor, holding its sides when an errant puppy eludes two groundskeepers and the fastest outfielder. And Pathos, dragging itself off the field after being knocked from the box.
Nicknames are baseball. Names like Zeke and Pie and Kiki and Home Run and Cracker and Dizzy and Dazzy.
Baseball is a sweaty, steaming dressing room where hopes and feelings are as naked as the men themselves. It’s a dugout with spike-scarred flooring. And shadows across an empty ball park. It’s the endless list of names in box scores, abbreviated almost beyond recognition.
The holdout is baseball, too. He wants 55 grand or he won’t turn a muscle. But, it’s also the youngster who hitch-hikes from South Dakota to Florida just for a tryout.
Arguments, Casey at the Bat, old cigarette cards, photographs, Take Me Out to the Ball Game — all of them are baseball.
The Say Hey Kid’s catch in the ’54 Series.
Baseball is a rookie — his experience no bigger than the lump in his throat — trying to begin fulfillment of a dream. It’s a veteran, too — a tired old man of 35, hoping his aching muscles can drag him through another sweltering August and September.
For nine innings, baseball is the story of David and Goliath, of Samson, Cinderella, Paul Bunyan, Homer’s Iliad and the Count of Monte Cristo.
Willie Mays making a brilliant World’s Series catch. And then going home to Harlem to play stick-ball in the street with his teenage pals — that’s baseball. So is the husky voice of a doomed Lou Gehrig saying, "I’m the luckiest guy in the world."
Baseball is cigar smoke, hot-roasted peanuts, The Sporting News, winter trades, "Down in front," and the Seventh Inning Stretch. Sore arms, broken bats, a no-hitter, and the strains of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Baseball is a highly-paid Brooklyn catcher telling the nation’s business leaders: "You have to be a man to be a big leaguer, but you have to have a lot of little boy in you, too."
This is a game for all America, this baseball.
A game for boys and for men.
In the modern world, fans generally have no objection to patdowns and other security measures aimed at ensuring that no one entering a given venue is packing heat, or worse. (And to anyone who objects, we invite you to sit right next to the guy who’s keeping himself warm with a vest made of dynamite sticks.) But the notion that anyone is capable of being a terrorist or a violent criminal (my 6-year-old nephew was patted down at Sunday’s Canadiens-Penguins game) needs to yield to common sense when the contact being made involves not open palms but electric shocks.
Security draws a bead on this frolicking fan.
Monday night’s events in Philadelphia represent, unfortunately, an excellent example of common sense yielding to a badge. The logic had the kind of bright-line appeal that would make Dwight Schrute nod approvingly: 1. Suspect entered the field in violation of the law; 2. Suspect was therefore violating the law; 3. Suspect failed to heed a command from a uniformed officer to halt; 4. Officer halted suspect with Taser.
Many have glossed over the thorny question of whether a blast of electrified justice was truly necessary; they’ve launched a parade of potential horribles that simply doesn’t reflect the realities of the situation. Folks who "get it" can see when a kid running on the field intends to harm someone, and when the kid merely is acting like a goof for the sake of acting like a goof. (Or, like George Costanza faux streaking in a flesh-colored bodysuit, trying simply to get fired from his job.)
Video of the incident leaves no doubt. Apart from the blades of grass on which he was running, the only thing to which the boy posed a threat was the ego of the slow, out-of-shape police officer whose primary "protect and serve" activities apparently have been confined to the pastry case. (Hey, at least I tried to come up with a different spin on the "cops eat donuts" thing.)
Again, watch the video. The police officer has the Taser gun out at least 10 seconds before he gets off a shot. And the guy’s internal monologue likely was going a little something like this: "I finally get to use my Taser. I finally get to use my Taser. I finally get to use my Taser. And people are actually watching me do it."
After the kid had his face resting on some of the blades of grass on which he’d been running, the cop adopts a Dirty Harry demeanor, hovering over his fallen prey and shifting his weight from side to side. "Yeah, I Tased you, bro. I Tased you good. And people were actually watching me do it."
The damage control quickly began on Tuesday, lest the boy file a lawsuit for brutality and/or violation of his civil rights. A police spokesman claimed that "the officer had acted within the department’s guidelines, which allow officers to use Tasers to arrest fleeing suspects."
This rationale assumes that the kid was actually fleeing. But he was in a baseball stadium. He was on the field of play. Despite the Keystone Cops similarities between Monday’s incident and the 2002 Falcons-Vikings game during which Mike Vick riddled the Minnesota defense for a game-winning touchdown in overtime, the kid wasn’t going to get away. The only thing he was "fleeing" was his inevitable capture in the open spaces of the vast expanse of outfield.
Let’s not forget one very important fact here: Tasers aren’t exactly safe. Death, though remotely possible, is still possible. The police and the Phillies should consider themselves fortunate that no serious injury was inflicted, and they should immediately review the wisdom (or lack thereof) of using Tasers on paying customers who possibly have spent too much additional money buying beer.
Hopefully, every team will engage in a similar review. And, hopefully, they all will decide that Tasers should be used not on rowdy fans, but on actual criminals. If cops assigned to a given game can’t tell the difference, they shouldn’t be there.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
In the modern world, fans generally have no objection to patdowns and other security measures aimed at ensuring that no one entering a given venue is packing heat, or worse. (And to anyone who objects, we invite you to sit right next to the guy who’s keeping himself warm with a vest made of dynamite sticks.) But the notion that anyone is capable of being a terrorist or a violent criminal (my 6-year-old nephew was patted down at Sunday’s Canadiens-Penguins game) needs to yield to common sense when the contact being made involves not open palms but electric shocks.
Security draws a bead on this frolicking fan.
Monday night’s events in Philadelphia represent, unfortunately, an excellent example of common sense yielding to a badge. The logic had the kind of bright-line appeal that would make Dwight Schrute nod approvingly: 1. Suspect entered the field in violation of the law; 2. Suspect was therefore violating the law; 3. Suspect failed to heed a command from a uniformed officer to halt; 4. Officer halted suspect with Taser.
Many have glossed over the thorny question of whether a blast of electrified justice was truly necessary; they’ve launched a parade of potential horribles that simply doesn’t reflect the realities of the situation. Folks who "get it" can see when a kid running on the field intends to harm someone, and when the kid merely is acting like a goof for the sake of acting like a goof. (Or, like George Costanza faux streaking in a flesh-colored bodysuit, trying simply to get fired from his job.)
Video of the incident leaves no doubt. Apart from the blades of grass on which he was running, the only thing to which the boy posed a threat was the ego of the slow, out-of-shape police officer whose primary "protect and serve" activities apparently have been confined to the pastry case. (Hey, at least I tried to come up with a different spin on the "cops eat donuts" thing.)
Again, watch the video. The police officer has the Taser gun out at least 10 seconds before he gets off a shot. And the guy’s internal monologue likely was going a little something like this: "I finally get to use my Taser. I finally get to use my Taser. I finally get to use my Taser. And people are actually watching me do it."
After the kid had his face resting on some of the blades of grass on which he’d been running, the cop adopts a Dirty Harry demeanor, hovering over his fallen prey and shifting his weight from side to side. "Yeah, I Tased you, bro. I Tased you good. And people were actually watching me do it."
The damage control quickly began on Tuesday, lest the boy file a lawsuit for brutality and/or violation of his civil rights. A police spokesman claimed that "the officer had acted within the department’s guidelines, which allow officers to use Tasers to arrest fleeing suspects."
This rationale assumes that the kid was actually fleeing. But he was in a baseball stadium. He was on the field of play. Despite the Keystone Cops similarities between Monday’s incident and the 2002 Falcons-Vikings game during which Mike Vick riddled the Minnesota defense for a game-winning touchdown in overtime, the kid wasn’t going to get away. The only thing he was "fleeing" was his inevitable capture in the open spaces of the vast expanse of outfield.
Let’s not forget one very important fact here: Tasers aren’t exactly safe. Death, though remotely possible, is still possible. The police and the Phillies should consider themselves fortunate that no serious injury was inflicted, and they should immediately review the wisdom (or lack thereof) of using Tasers on paying customers who possibly have spent too much additional money buying beer.
Hopefully, every team will engage in a similar review. And, hopefully, they all will decide that Tasers should be used not on rowdy fans, but on actual criminals. If cops assigned to a given game can’t tell the difference, they shouldn’t be there.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
DETROIT — From the sandy shores of Lake Michigan to the rugged streets in Flint, they listened to Ernie Harwell tell the Tigers’ tales for more than 40 years.
Beloved by generations of baseball fans who grew up enraptured by his rich voice, Southern cadence and quirky phrases on the radio, Harwell died Tuesday after a months-long battle with cancer. He was 92.
The longtime Detroit Tigers broadcaster died about 7:30 p.m. in his apartment at Fox Run Village and Retirement Center in the Detroit suburb of Novi, said his attorney and longtime friend, S. Gary Spicer.
His wife of 68 years, Lulu, and his two sons and two daughters were at his side, Spicer said.
For 55 years, the press box was Ernie Harwell’s office. In this 1993 photo, he takes a break from a Tigers-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium.
"We’ll miss you, Ernie Harwell. You’ll forever be the voice of summer," Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm tweeted.
A Hall of Fame announcer who was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers for a catcher in 1948, Harwell revealed in September that he’d been diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the bile duct. He took the news with characteristic poise, saying he planned to continue working on a book and other projects.
"Whatever happens, I’m ready to face it," Harwell told The Associated Press on Sept. 4, 2009.
Harwell’s body will lie in repose at Comerica Park on Thursday beginning at 7 a.m. and "until the last person who wishes to pay their respects" has done so, Spicer said.
"It might be an all-night vigil," he said.
There will be no public memorial service, and the family will hold a private funeral service at a location Spicer declined to disclose.
The Tigers were in Minnesota on Tuesday night. During the seventh-inning stretch, the Twins announced Harwell had died, and fans honored him with a standing ovation.
"All of Major League Baseball is in mourning tonight upon learning of the loss of a giant of our game," commissioner Bud Selig said. "This son of Georgia was the voice of the Detroit Tigers and one of the game’s iconic announcers to fans across America, always representing the best of our national pastime to his generations of listeners.
"Without question, Ernie was one of the finest and most distinguished gentlemen I have ever met."
Shortly after Harwell announced that he was ill, the Tigers honored him during a game against Kansas City, showing a video tribute and giving him a chance to address the crowd at Comerica Park.
"In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey," Harwell said at a microphone behind home plate. "The blessed part of that journey is that it’s going to end here in the great state of Michigan."
Harwell spent 42 of his 55 years in broadcasting with the Tigers, joining Mel Allen, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and others among the game’s most famous play-by-play voices.
He announced Detroit games on radio from 1960-1991, again in 1993 and from 1999-2002. He broadcast games on over-the-air and cable television from 1960-64 and 1994-98.
When he signed off following his final game in 2002, Harwell was as eloquent as ever.
Ernie Harwell says goodbye to Tigers fans last September at Comerica Park.
"It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure. I’m not leaving, folks. I’ll still be with you, living my life in Michigan — my home state — surrounded by family and friends," he said.
"And rather than goodbye, please allow me to say thank you. Thank you for letting me be part of your family. Thank you for taking me with you to that cottage up north, to the beach, the picnic, your work place and your back yard. Thank you for sneaking your transistor under the pillow as you grew up loving the Tigers. Now, I might have been a small part of your life. But you’ve been a very large part of mine. And it’s my privilege and honor to share with you the greatest game of all."
Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully began broadcasting Brooklyn Dodgers games in 1950, the season after Harwell left.
"Probably the best word, he was gentle. And it came across. He just cared for people and he loved baseball," Scully said. "You can understand how the people in Detroit just loved him. I followed him into Brooklyn, and then I followed him into the Hall. He was such a lovely man. However that word is defined, that was Ernie."
Harwell’s passing came one season after the death of another cherished baseball announcer, Philadelphia’s Harry Kalas.
"What a voice," said longtime Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell, the World Series MVP the last time the Tigers won it all in 1984. "He did it with class, he did it with dignity. We shed a tear tonight, that’s for sure."
The Tigers and their flagship radio station, WJR, allowed Harwell’s contract to expire after the 1991 season in what became a public relations nightmare. Then-Tigers president Bo Schembechler, the former Michigan football coach, took the blame. WJR general manager Jim Long later took responsibility for the unpopular move.
When Mike Ilitch bought the franchise from Tom Monaghan, he put Harwell back in the booth in 1993. Harwell chose to retire after the 2002 season.
"Ernie Harwell was the most popular sports figure in the state of Michigan," said Ilitch, who also owns the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
Harwell began his journalism career as a correspondent for The Sporting News when he was still in high school in Atlanta. Harwell had a long association with TSN, and his 1955 essay, The Game for All America, considered a baseball literature classic, was originally published in SN magazine.
Harwell’s big break came in unorthodox fashion.
Brooklyn Dodgers radio broadcaster Red Barber fell ill in 1948, and general manager Branch Rickey needed a replacement. After learning that the minor league Atlanta Crackers needed a catcher, Rickey sent Cliff Dapper to Atlanta and Harwell joined the Dodgers.
By his own count, Harwell called more than 8,300 major league games, starting with the Dodgers and continuing with the New York Giants and Baltimore Orioles before he joined the Tigers. He missed two games outside of the ’92 season: one for his brother’s funeral in 1968, the other when he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1989.
His easygoing manner and love of baseball endeared him to Tigers fans, enhancing the club’s finest moments and making its struggles more bearable.
Even casual rooters could tick off Harwell catch phrases: "Looooooong gone!" for a home run; "He stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by" for a batter taking a called third strike; and "Two for the price of one!" for a double play.
Foul balls into the stands were "Caught by a man from (whatever town in the area that came to his mind)."
"I started that after I got to Detroit in 1961 or ’62, and it just happened by accident," Harwell explained. "I said, ‘A guy from Grosse Pointe caught that foul ball,’ then the next ones were caught by a guy from Saginaw or a lady from Lansing."
The Baseball Hall of Fame honored Harwell in 1981 with the Ford C. Frick Award, given annually to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball.
A life-sized statue of Harwell stands at the entrance to Comerica Park and its press box is called "The Ernie Harwell Media Center."
Harwell was born Jan. 25, 1918, in Washington, Ga., with a speech defect that left him tongue-tied. Through therapy and forcing himself to participate in debates and classroom discussions, he had overcome the handicap by the time he graduated from Emory University.
Harwell’s survivors also include seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
DETROIT — From the sandy shores of Lake Michigan to the rugged streets in Flint, they listened to Ernie Harwell tell the Tigers’ tales for more than 40 years.
Beloved by generations of baseball fans who grew up enraptured by his rich voice, Southern cadence and quirky phrases on the radio, Harwell died Tuesday after a months-long battle with cancer. He was 92.
The longtime Detroit Tigers broadcaster died about 7:30 p.m. in his apartment at Fox Run Village and Retirement Center in the Detroit suburb of Novi, said his attorney and longtime friend, S. Gary Spicer.
His wife of 68 years, Lulu, and his two sons and two daughters were at his side, Spicer said.
For 55 years, the press box was Ernie Harwell’s office. In this 1993 photo, he takes a break from a Tigers-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium.
"We’ll miss you, Ernie Harwell. You’ll forever be the voice of summer," Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm tweeted.
A Hall of Fame announcer who was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers for a catcher in 1948, Harwell revealed in September that he’d been diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the bile duct. He took the news with characteristic poise, saying he planned to continue working on a book and other projects.
"Whatever happens, I’m ready to face it," Harwell told The Associated Press on Sept. 4, 2009.
Harwell’s body will lie in repose at Comerica Park on Thursday beginning at 7 a.m. and "until the last person who wishes to pay their respects" has done so, Spicer said.
"It might be an all-night vigil," he said.
There will be no public memorial service, and the family will hold a private funeral service at a location Spicer declined to disclose.
The Tigers were in Minnesota on Tuesday night. During the seventh-inning stretch, the Twins announced Harwell had died, and fans honored him with a standing ovation.
"All of Major League Baseball is in mourning tonight upon learning of the loss of a giant of our game," commissioner Bud Selig said. "This son of Georgia was the voice of the Detroit Tigers and one of the game’s iconic announcers to fans across America, always representing the best of our national pastime to his generations of listeners.
"Without question, Ernie was one of the finest and most distinguished gentlemen I have ever met."
Shortly after Harwell announced that he was ill, the Tigers honored him during a game against Kansas City, showing a video tribute and giving him a chance to address the crowd at Comerica Park.
"In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey," Harwell said at a microphone behind home plate. "The blessed part of that journey is that it’s going to end here in the great state of Michigan."
Harwell spent 42 of his 55 years in broadcasting with the Tigers, joining Mel Allen, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and others among the game’s most famous play-by-play voices.
He announced Detroit games on radio from 1960-1991, again in 1993 and from 1999-2002. He broadcast games on over-the-air and cable television from 1960-64 and 1994-98.
When he signed off following his final game in 2002, Harwell was as eloquent as ever.
Ernie Harwell says goodbye to Tigers fans last September at Comerica Park.
"It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure. I’m not leaving, folks. I’ll still be with you, living my life in Michigan — my home state — surrounded by family and friends," he said.
"And rather than goodbye, please allow me to say thank you. Thank you for letting me be part of your family. Thank you for taking me with you to that cottage up north, to the beach, the picnic, your work place and your back yard. Thank you for sneaking your transistor under the pillow as you grew up loving the Tigers. Now, I might have been a small part of your life. But you’ve been a very large part of mine. And it’s my privilege and honor to share with you the greatest game of all."
Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully began broadcasting Brooklyn Dodgers games in 1950, the season after Harwell left.
"Probably the best word, he was gentle. And it came across. He just cared for people and he loved baseball," Scully said. "You can understand how the people in Detroit just loved him. I followed him into Brooklyn, and then I followed him into the Hall. He was such a lovely man. However that word is defined, that was Ernie."
Harwell’s passing came one season after the death of another cherished baseball announcer, Philadelphia’s Harry Kalas.
"What a voice," said longtime Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell, the World Series MVP the last time the Tigers won it all in 1984. "He did it with class, he did it with dignity. We shed a tear tonight, that’s for sure."
The Tigers and their flagship radio station, WJR, allowed Harwell’s contract to expire after the 1991 season in what became a public relations nightmare. Then-Tigers president Bo Schembechler, the former Michigan football coach, took the blame. WJR general manager Jim Long later took responsibility for the unpopular move.
When Mike Ilitch bought the franchise from Tom Monaghan, he put Harwell back in the booth in 1993. Harwell chose to retire after the 2002 season.
"Ernie Harwell was the most popular sports figure in the state of Michigan," said Ilitch, who also owns the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
Harwell began his journalism career as a correspondent for The Sporting News when he was still in high school in Atlanta. Harwell had a long association with TSN, and his 1955 essay, The Game for All America, considered a baseball literature classic, was originally published in SN magazine.
Harwell’s big break came in unorthodox fashion.
Brooklyn Dodgers radio broadcaster Red Barber fell ill in 1948, and general manager Branch Rickey needed a replacement. After learning that the minor league Atlanta Crackers needed a catcher, Rickey sent Cliff Dapper to Atlanta and Harwell joined the Dodgers.
By his own count, Harwell called more than 8,300 major league games, starting with the Dodgers and continuing with the New York Giants and Baltimore Orioles before he joined the Tigers. He missed two games outside of the ’92 season: one for his brother’s funeral in 1968, the other when he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1989.
His easygoing manner and love of baseball endeared him to Tigers fans, enhancing the club’s finest moments and making its struggles more bearable.
Even casual rooters could tick off Harwell catch phrases: "Looooooong gone!" for a home run; "He stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by" for a batter taking a called third strike; and "Two for the price of one!" for a double play.
Foul balls into the stands were "Caught by a man from (whatever town in the area that came to his mind)."
"I started that after I got to Detroit in 1961 or ’62, and it just happened by accident," Harwell explained. "I said, ‘A guy from Grosse Pointe caught that foul ball,’ then the next ones were caught by a guy from Saginaw or a lady from Lansing."
The Baseball Hall of Fame honored Harwell in 1981 with the Ford C. Frick Award, given annually to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball.
A life-sized statue of Harwell stands at the entrance to Comerica Park and its press box is called "The Ernie Harwell Media Center."
Harwell was born Jan. 25, 1918, in Washington, Ga., with a speech defect that left him tongue-tied. Through therapy and forcing himself to participate in debates and classroom discussions, he had overcome the handicap by the time he graduated from Emory University.
Harwell’s survivors also include seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Darren Sharper re-signed with the Saints on Monday, but many veteran free agents are still in limbo. Here’s a closer look at some of their situations and which teams should consider signing them:
Flozell Adams, OT
Why he’s available: He turns 35 later this month. Believing Doug Free was ready to take over at left tackle, the Cowboys took a calculated risk and cut Adams.
Where he fits: Broncos. The recent knee injury to left tackle Ryan Clady, who may not be ready by Week 1, should put Adams on Denver’s radar.
Mark Brunell, QB
Why he’s available: He’s not good enough to start, but he can win games as a backup.
Where he fits: Jets. If Mark Sanchez is sidelined a few games, having a quality backup like Brunell could save the Jets’ playoff chances. Brunell may re-sign with the Saints, but the Jets are interested. As a Final Four team, the Jets can’t sign another free agent until July 22, unless another of their free agents signs elsewhere. Coach Rex Ryan told reporters last week that Brunell is his kind of player. "He’s smart," Ryan said. "If he came here, it’s not like he’s coming here to be our starting quarterback. I don’t know if he’s going back to New Orleans or not, but we’ll see what happens."
Marc Bulger, QB
Teams interested in Marc Bulger will wonder whether the QB can shake off his recent struggles in St. Louis.
Why he’s available: His performance declined the past three seasons as he took plenty of punishment behind the Rams’ offensive line.
Where he fits: Bears. Coach Lovie Smith is on the hot seat, and starting quarterback Jay Cutler is coming off a disappointing season. Having played for coordinator Mike Martz in St. Louis, Bulger is familiar with the Bears’ new system. Right now, the Bears’ backup quarterbacks are Brett Basanez, Caleb Hanie and rookie Dan LeFevour. Enough said. However, if Bulger still wants to be a starter, he may opt for a place like Arizona, where he may have a chance to beat out Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson.
John Henderson, DT
Why he’s available: The Jaguars used their first two draft picks on defensive tackles Tyson Alualu and D’Anthony Smith, making Henderson more expendable. Henderson, 31, could still be effective for a team looking for an established run-stuffer.
Where he fits: Chiefs. Kansas City is trying to build the talent base in its 3-4 and could use help for a run defense that ranked 31st last year.
Adam "Pacman" Jones, CB
Why he’s available: Numerous off-field troubles led to Jones’ suspension from the NFL. After a one-season comeback with the Cowboys, he was released following the 2008 season and didn’t play last year.
Where he fits: Bengals. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Jones worked out for the Bengals on Tuesday, and ProFootballTalk reports he will sign with them. Coach Marvin Lewis admitted last week that the Bengals and Jones have kept in touch. "His agent does call, and I have returned the calls," Lewis said. "We’ll see what happens." If Jones can get himself into NFL shape, it will be interesting to see whether he can resurrect his career at the still young age of 26.
Kevin Mawae, C
Why he’s available: Mawae turned 39 in January, and the Titans decided not to re-sign him after he became a free agent. Mawae still believes he can be an effective starter, but his phone has not been ringing with offers.
Where he fits: He could be a Plan B after a team suffers an injury at center.
Terrell Owens, WR
Why he’s available: After well-publicized breakups with the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys, Owens is a lightning rod for controversy and no longer in his prime at age 36. It may take an injury to a starting wide receiver for anybody to take a chance on Owens.
Where he fits: Seahawks. He’d be a veteran target for Matt Hasselbeck and take pressure off T.J. Houshmandzadeh. In his first year, Pete Carroll has the juice to jettison if Owens causes any trouble.
Adalius Thomas, LB
Why he’s available: After signing with the Patriots as a big-money free agent, he never seemed comfortable in their scheme and clashed with the coaching staff. The Patriots finally cut him last week.
Where he fits: Jets. Another player on their radar, Thomas had his best seasons playing for the Ravens when Ryan was defensive coordinator. "If you can use him all over the place as a defensive end, an inside ‘backer, an outside ‘backer, a safety, he’s special," Ryan said. However, Ryan made it clear the Jets were not desperate to get Thomas, 32. "We’re pretty good," Ryan said. "I think with him, we’ll end up first in the league in defense, and without him we’ll end up first in the league in defense."
Brian Westbrook, RB
Why he’s available: He suffered two concussions last season and has reached the age‹he turns 31 in September‹where many running backs begin to decline drastically. The Eagles have gone young and decided to let Westbrook go.
Where he fits: Rams. He has already passed a Rams physical and worked with coordinator Pat Shurmur in Philadelphia. Westbrook would have a role as Steven Jackson’s backup, but he may wait to see if an offseason injury somewhere opens an opportunity.
Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
Darren Sharper re-signed with the Saints on Monday, but many veteran free agents are still in limbo. Here’s a closer look at some of their situations and which teams should consider signing them:
Flozell Adams, OT
Why he’s available: He turns 35 later this month. Believing Doug Free was ready to take over at left tackle, the Cowboys took a calculated risk and cut Adams.
Where he fits: Broncos. The recent knee injury to left tackle Ryan Clady, who may not be ready by Week 1, should put Adams on Denver’s radar.
Mark Brunell, QB
Why he’s available: He’s not good enough to start, but he can win games as a backup.
Where he fits: Jets. If Mark Sanchez is sidelined a few games, having a quality backup like Brunell could save the Jets’ playoff chances. Brunell may re-sign with the Saints, but the Jets are interested. As a Final Four team, the Jets can’t sign another free agent until July 22, unless another of their free agents signs elsewhere. Coach Rex Ryan told reporters last week that Brunell is his kind of player. "He’s smart," Ryan said. "If he came here, it’s not like he’s coming here to be our starting quarterback. I don’t know if he’s going back to New Orleans or not, but we’ll see what happens."
Marc Bulger, QB
Teams interested in Marc Bulger will wonder whether the QB can shake off his recent struggles in St. Louis.
Why he’s available: His performance declined the past three seasons as he took plenty of punishment behind the Rams’ offensive line.
Where he fits: Bears. Coach Lovie Smith is on the hot seat, and starting quarterback Jay Cutler is coming off a disappointing season. Having played for coordinator Mike Martz in St. Louis, Bulger is familiar with the Bears’ new system. Right now, the Bears’ backup quarterbacks are Brett Basanez, Caleb Hanie and rookie Dan LeFevour. Enough said. However, if Bulger still wants to be a starter, he may opt for a place like Arizona, where he may have a chance to beat out Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson.
John Henderson, DT
Why he’s available: The Jaguars used their first two draft picks on defensive tackles Tyson Alualu and D’Anthony Smith, making Henderson more expendable. Henderson, 31, could still be effective for a team looking for an established run-stuffer.
Where he fits: Chiefs. Kansas City is trying to build the talent base in its 3-4 and could use help for a run defense that ranked 31st last year.
Adam "Pacman" Jones, CB
Why he’s available: Numerous off-field troubles led to Jones’ suspension from the NFL. After a one-season comeback with the Cowboys, he was released following the 2008 season and didn’t play last year.
Where he fits: Bengals. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Jones worked out for the Bengals on Tuesday, and ProFootballTalk reports he will sign with them. Coach Marvin Lewis admitted last week that the Bengals and Jones have kept in touch. "His agent does call, and I have returned the calls," Lewis said. "We’ll see what happens." If Jones can get himself into NFL shape, it will be interesting to see whether he can resurrect his career at the still young age of 26.
Kevin Mawae, C
Why he’s available: Mawae turned 39 in January, and the Titans decided not to re-sign him after he became a free agent. Mawae still believes he can be an effective starter, but his phone has not been ringing with offers.
Where he fits: He could be a Plan B after a team suffers an injury at center.
Terrell Owens, WR
Why he’s available: After well-publicized breakups with the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys, Owens is a lightning rod for controversy and no longer in his prime at age 36. It may take an injury to a starting wide receiver for anybody to take a chance on Owens.
Where he fits: Seahawks. He’d be a veteran target for Matt Hasselbeck and take pressure off T.J. Houshmandzadeh. In his first year, Pete Carroll has the juice to jettison if Owens causes any trouble.
Adalius Thomas, LB
Why he’s available: After signing with the Patriots as a big-money free agent, he never seemed comfortable in their scheme and clashed with the coaching staff. The Patriots finally cut him last week.
Where he fits: Jets. Another player on their radar, Thomas had his best seasons playing for the Ravens when Ryan was defensive coordinator. "If you can use him all over the place as a defensive end, an inside ‘backer, an outside ‘backer, a safety, he’s special," Ryan said. However, Ryan made it clear the Jets were not desperate to get Thomas, 32. "We’re pretty good," Ryan said. "I think with him, we’ll end up first in the league in defense, and without him we’ll end up first in the league in defense."
Brian Westbrook, RB
Why he’s available: He suffered two concussions last season and has reached the age‹he turns 31 in September‹where many running backs begin to decline drastically. The Eagles have gone young and decided to let Westbrook go.
Where he fits: Rams. He has already passed a Rams physical and worked with coordinator Pat Shurmur in Philadelphia. Westbrook would have a role as Steven Jackson’s backup, but he may wait to see if an offseason injury somewhere opens an opportunity.
Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
‘It’s a personal thing. My mom passed away because of breast cancer,’ Dave Winfield says.
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield is lending his voice to the fight against breast cancer. His mother, Arline, died from the disease in 1988. Winfield, a spokesman for Ask.com’s baseball-themed "Answer for the Cure," campaign, recently spoke with Sporting News’ Matt Crossman about the Ask.com campaign and a handful of baseball topics.
Sporting News: Why are you involved with this Ask.com project?
Dave Winfield: I was honored Ask.com would ask me to a spokesperson this year for their campaign. It’s just to encourage people to join in the fight against breast cancer. You just have to go to ask.com/forthecure. It’s a personal thing. My mom passed away because of breast cancer. When I was playing ball for the Yankees in ’87 and ’88, it was a difficult time for me. Here it is 20 years later, and they haven’t solved this.
SN: Was your mom a big sports fan?
DW: Yeah, she was a big fan of her kids. My brother and I played sports all the time. It kind of all dovetails together, using the platform of ask.com and baseball. You’re going to see a baseball theme at ask.com. It’ll help a lot of people through this. It was a difficult time in my life, but I’m trying to make a positive out of it. We’re kicking this off on May 3, my mother’s birthday was May 4, and Mother’s Day is this weekend.
SN: You grew up in the Twin Cities as a star athlete in three sports. Do you feel a kinship with Joe Mauer?
DW: Yeah, absolutely. My brother was a referee and baseball coach and teacher for many years. He used to tell me, "This kid Joe Mauer, he’s young and he does it all." Without saying, "Like you did." He played football, he played basketball and he played baseball. He wasn’t afraid, he just played. Now I’m seeing him on the big stage. The Mauer family in Minnesota has meant a lot to that community, done a lot. Joe is a great representative.
SN: Are your Padres for real? We’ve been through a month of the season, and they’re still in first place.
DW: Five out of the last seven months from last season to this season, they’ve had (at least a .500 record). Perhaps it’s not a fluke. You don’t know a lot of people on the team. Most people around the country have not heard of Chase Headley or Will Venable or Luke Gregerson or Tim Stauffer. It’s, "Who? What?" They’ve put together some pretty feisty young guys, along with David Eckstein and, of course, Adrian Gonzalez. It’s a good team. Let’s just say that and let it unfold.
SN: Do major league games take too long?
DW: Even when I played with the Yankees, the games would be long — longer than everybody else’s. It’s just the way it’s been for the last, I don’t know, 20 years. The commissioner is doing all he can to speed them up, with the umpires. But games are just taking a long time. TV is involved in there, too. They could move the games along.
Winfield went straight from college to the Padres.
SN: You were drafted and went right to the big leagues as a position player. Conversely, the Nationals are taking their time with Stephen Strasburg. Did you see him pitch much at San Diego State? What’s your take on that issue?
DW: I saw him pitch down there in San Diego. He’s got tremendous velocity. He’s a kid that became dedicated later in his teenage life. He just wasn’t in real good shape, didn’t have a real good attitude or approach toward saying, "I’m going to reach my goals." But he turned that around, got in better shape. His velocity increased dramatically. Working for Tony Gwynn, I guess he got some insight into professional life.
He’ll do well in the big leagues. But you can’t rush it, particularly with a pitcher. Throwing 100 miles per hour without understanding how to travel, and the rigors of the sport, and developing your other pitches, and getting used to the professional life, it could work against you. You want a kid to be building his confidence. You don’t want to be set back. That could mess with your mind. I think the Nationals are doing the right thing.
Matt Crossman is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at mcrossman@sportingnews.com.
‘It’s a personal thing. My mom passed away because of breast cancer,’ Dave Winfield says.
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield is lending his voice to the fight against breast cancer. His mother, Arline, died from the disease in 1988. Winfield, a spokesman for Ask.com’s baseball-themed "Answer for the Cure," campaign, recently spoke with Sporting News’ Matt Crossman about the Ask.com campaign and a handful of baseball topics.
Sporting News: Why are you involved with this Ask.com project?
Dave Winfield: I was honored Ask.com would ask me to a spokesperson this year for their campaign. It’s just to encourage people to join in the fight against breast cancer. You just have to go to ask.com/forthecure. It’s a personal thing. My mom passed away because of breast cancer. When I was playing ball for the Yankees in ’87 and ’88, it was a difficult time for me. Here it is 20 years later, and they haven’t solved this.
SN: Was your mom a big sports fan?
DW: Yeah, she was a big fan of her kids. My brother and I played sports all the time. It kind of all dovetails together, using the platform of ask.com and baseball. You’re going to see a baseball theme at ask.com. It’ll help a lot of people through this. It was a difficult time in my life, but I’m trying to make a positive out of it. We’re kicking this off on May 3, my mother’s birthday was May 4, and Mother’s Day is this weekend.
SN: You grew up in the Twin Cities as a star athlete in three sports. Do you feel a kinship with Joe Mauer?
DW: Yeah, absolutely. My brother was a referee and baseball coach and teacher for many years. He used to tell me, "This kid Joe Mauer, he’s young and he does it all." Without saying, "Like you did." He played football, he played basketball and he played baseball. He wasn’t afraid, he just played. Now I’m seeing him on the big stage. The Mauer family in Minnesota has meant a lot to that community, done a lot. Joe is a great representative.
SN: Are your Padres for real? We’ve been through a month of the season, and they’re still in first place.
DW: Five out of the last seven months from last season to this season, they’ve had (at least a .500 record). Perhaps it’s not a fluke. You don’t know a lot of people on the team. Most people around the country have not heard of Chase Headley or Will Venable or Luke Gregerson or Tim Stauffer. It’s, "Who? What?" They’ve put together some pretty feisty young guys, along with David Eckstein and, of course, Adrian Gonzalez. It’s a good team. Let’s just say that and let it unfold.
SN: Do major league games take too long?
DW: Even when I played with the Yankees, the games would be long — longer than everybody else’s. It’s just the way it’s been for the last, I don’t know, 20 years. The commissioner is doing all he can to speed them up, with the umpires. But games are just taking a long time. TV is involved in there, too. They could move the games along.
Winfield went straight from college to the Padres.
SN: You were drafted and went right to the big leagues as a position player. Conversely, the Nationals are taking their time with Stephen Strasburg. Did you see him pitch much at San Diego State? What’s your take on that issue?
DW: I saw him pitch down there in San Diego. He’s got tremendous velocity. He’s a kid that became dedicated later in his teenage life. He just wasn’t in real good shape, didn’t have a real good attitude or approach toward saying, "I’m going to reach my goals." But he turned that around, got in better shape. His velocity increased dramatically. Working for Tony Gwynn, I guess he got some insight into professional life.
He’ll do well in the big leagues. But you can’t rush it, particularly with a pitcher. Throwing 100 miles per hour without understanding how to travel, and the rigors of the sport, and developing your other pitches, and getting used to the professional life, it could work against you. You want a kid to be building his confidence. You don’t want to be set back. That could mess with your mind. I think the Nationals are doing the right thing.
Matt Crossman is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at mcrossman@sportingnews.com.
NHL: Fly’s been paying attention to Mike Modano since he denied rumors last month that he was involved with a group led by Wayne Gretzky bidding for the Stars. He later said he was looking at a possibility with another ownership group, led by former team president Jim Lites. One issue standing in his way: the NHL won’t let Modano be a player/owner, and the 39-year-old (who will be 40 June 7) hasn’t decided if he wants to hang up his skates. Modano tells the Dallas Morning News he will stay in shape and intends to return as a player, until an ownership decision is made, at least. "There’s no hurry right now," he said.
NBA: In another story behind the story … turns out George Shinn got motivated to sell the Hornets because his prostate cancer scare this past fall and winter was a life-changing experience, sources tell the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Shinn now wants to focus his time, energy and wealth on increasing awareness of prostate cancer and early detection — along with spending more time on his other charitable interests. Shinn has been cancer free since January after being diagnosed in November.
MLB/NFL: Interesting results in a Philadelphia Inquirer survey of local sports fans: "You love the Eagles. But you have eloped with the Phillies." The newspaper reports 54 percent of those surveyed picked the Phillies as their favorite team; the Eagles came in second at 30 percent. Oh, and 74 percent of those who picked the Phillies as their favorite team say they’re "very satisfied" with the job Charlie Manuel has done. And Philly fans love Kate Smith singing "God Bless America."
NFL: The folks over at TMZ checked in on how Plaxico Burress is doing in jail and found out he has an issue. Plax lost his recreational time privileges for a month after telling a guard he had permission to make a phone call when he did not, according to the gossip site.
Tennis: What happens when Serena Williams’ boyfriend has to kiss Queen Latifah and Paula Patton in a film role? Common answers that question: "You know i’m an actor man, I gotta do what I gotta do. Any woman that I am with is going to respect what I do. Meaning the work that I do and if i do something to disrespect them they will pull me to the side." Common goes on to add Serena "might be after Latifah with a tennis racket sooner or later."
Sponsored link: Pittsburgh Penguins tickets available
NHL: Fly’s been paying attention to Mike Modano since he denied rumors last month that he was involved with a group led by Wayne Gretzky bidding for the Stars. He later said he was looking at a possibility with another ownership group, led by former team president Jim Lites. One issue standing in his way: the NHL won’t let Modano be a player/owner, and the 39-year-old (who will be 40 June 7) hasn’t decided if he wants to hang up his skates. Modano tells the Dallas Morning News he will stay in shape and intends to return as a player, until an ownership decision is made, at least. "There’s no hurry right now," he said.
NBA: In another story behind the story … turns out George Shinn got motivated to sell the Hornets because his prostate cancer scare this past fall and winter was a life-changing experience, sources tell the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Shinn now wants to focus his time, energy and wealth on increasing awareness of prostate cancer and early detection — along with spending more time on his other charitable interests. Shinn has been cancer free since January after being diagnosed in November.
MLB/NFL: Interesting results in a Philadelphia Inquirer survey of local sports fans: "You love the Eagles. But you have eloped with the Phillies." The newspaper reports 54 percent of those surveyed picked the Phillies as their favorite team; the Eagles came in second at 30 percent. Oh, and 74 percent of those who picked the Phillies as their favorite team say they’re "very satisfied" with the job Charlie Manuel has done. And Philly fans love Kate Smith singing "God Bless America."
NFL: The folks over at TMZ checked in on how Plaxico Burress is doing in jail and found out he has an issue. Plax lost his recreational time privileges for a month after telling a guard he had permission to make a phone call when he did not, according to the gossip site.
Tennis: What happens when Serena Williams’ boyfriend has to kiss Queen Latifah and Paula Patton in a film role? Common answers that question: "You know i’m an actor man, I gotta do what I gotta do. Any woman that I am with is going to respect what I do. Meaning the work that I do and if i do something to disrespect them they will pull me to the side." Common goes on to add Serena "might be after Latifah with a tennis racket sooner or later."
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