#12 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday April 29)
Good morning!
THE HAPLESS METS
A while back I noted that the Angels have made among the worst trades—at the greatest expense—in the history of the game. One included the signing of the over-rated (and overweight) Mo Vaughan. Mo was a first baseman. First base is reserved for good hitters with limited fielding skills (there is an excellent riff about this inMoneyball. First basemen often have the inability to move laterally (which, when looking at “big” Mo Vaughan is not difficult to understand).
In challenging the Angels for bad signings and trades, Mark DiMaria maintains the Mets have them beaten handily. He notes two times the Angels bested the Mets:
The Mets signed Mo Vaughan to a big contract after he left the Angels (where he was a bust), and, of course, he again was a bust;
The Mets traded Nolan Ryan to the Angels for Jim Fregosi during the winter before Ryan's breakout season. This same season saw the retirement of the ineffectual and injured Fregosi. This is one of many examples of Branch Rickey’s maxim, “I’d rather trade a player a year too early than a year too late…” Fregosi was traded mere months too early. Ryan was acquired a little early but played for another 20+ years.
When Fregosi, our “franchise player” was traded, the teenaged Glenn was aghast! When I attended the first (or one of the first) of Ryan’s games for the Angels, he threw a couple of wild fastballs to the backstop. It had to have been terrifying to the opposing batters. That said, I remarked to my father that, if this guy could ever get some control, he would be pretty good. He did and he was.
Mark also cites Bobby Bonilla twice signing big contracts with the Mets. Both were busts and he is still collecting $1.2MM per year through 2035.
As Mark noted, “I have to concede that in these contests of ineptitude and trauma, being a Mets fan is an unfair advantage.”
THE QUIET MAN CIRCLING THE MOON
Yesterday, Michael Collins, the “third man” on the Apollo 11 mission, died at age 90.
As those old enough will remember, the Apollo program sent 21 men to the moon in seven missions. Apollo 13 never made to landing for reasons made clear by Ron Howard’s movie. Of the six missions that made it, only 12 men walked on the moon, while six men were relegated to keeping the Command Module circling the Moon, ready to receive the moon walkers back and fly them home. Collins was the first to play that role—keeping things going while Armstrong and Aldrin were walking on the moon.
Many of us know of the jockeying between Armstrong and Aldrin about who would take the first step in the surface of the moon. Similarly. we all know stories of famous people who spend much of their retirement burnishing their legacy. But there also are those less heralded, who simply did their jobs and went to a quiet retirement. Collins strikes me as one of those folks that, upon hearing that he would not be walking on the moon, shrugged his shoulders and took the job he was assigned. We need more people like him.
ERRATA
Most people got the meaning, notwithstanding the misstatement on Wednesday. Tuesday was the first time apitcherstarted a game while leading the Major Leagues in home runs. Tuesday it was Shohei Otani. Nearly 100 years ago, it was Babe Ruth.
Also, Roger Clemons “earned” his way on to the shameful “steroids” list. Stay tuned in a week or so when I disclose some of the votes, and cases made, for the greatest players.
Have a great day,
Glenn