Just a few random items today. Hopefully, something will catch your attention and divert you away from COVID-19.
Dolph Camilli – Forgotten Star
Last week we had a brief discussion re Dolph Camilli/Gil Hodges. Shortly after that Ken Gurnick confirmed our thoughts that Gil Hodges ranked as the top Dodger first baseman and deserved a place in the HOF. My thoughts were that Dolph Camilla was better than most of us realized and had seasons worthy of Gil Hodges but played 581 fewer games than Hodges. Camilli’s 1941 campaign won him the NL MVP and helped the Dodgers reach the World Series for the first time since 1920. My thought is that Camilli may still be underrated. Gurnick ranked him fourth in Dodger history behind Gil Hodges, Steve Garvey and Jake Dauer who won back-to-back batting championships in 1913 and 1914.
For those of you who like WAR perhaps the most impressive way to look at his amazing seven-year stretch is by comparing him to some big-name contemporaries. During that same stretch (’36-’42), Joe DiMaggio and Jimmie Foxx both had similar numbers of Plate Appearances (all three players had between 4000-4500 PA). Camilli’s 153 wRC+ fell right between Foxx’s 147 and DiMaggio’s 155. And those were prime years for both Hall of Famers.
This by Duke Snider re Dolph Camilli
“Pee Wee Reese told me how good Dolph Camilli was. He said Camilli was an outstanding first baseman, the best the Dodgers had until Gil Hodges came along. I met Camilli after the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. His son, Doug, was a catcher who came up through the Dodgers’ farm system and was my teammate for a few seasons, and Dolph would come to the ballpark to see Doug. I was struck by the fact that Dolph had so much power for such a little guy – only 5’10” and about 185 pounds – but he was strong.”
Baseball’s Unwritten Rules
The Baseball Codes I have never been a big fan of the unwritten rules especially one that entails deliberately throwing at a batter. I do understand as in Kenny’s Coward of the County, “Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man.”
That is, sometimes even though rarely, a team does have to reply with a plunk. That does not include because a player doesn’t run the bases the way a pitcher wants or admires a home run for 3 seconds too long or says something or flips a bat or hits that home run. You made the pitch, you own the home run. Your second baseman didn’t. The home run hitter owns the bases.
The one that I do not understand even for a second is why it is not OK to bunt late in the game to break up a no-hitter. The sole purpose of standing at home plate is to get to first base. If it wasn’t, there would be no first base. A bunt is a legal, underused tool. If it is legitimate at other times in a game, then it is legit with two out in the ninth in a possible no-hitter. It is not the job of the batter to massage the pitcher’s ego. For heaven’s safe be prepared to field a bunt. Stop whining, you have the ball and can do whatever you want with it and you have eight players to back you up. The hitter is alone with a little round bat.
This little pet peeve surfaced when I came across an article from June 6, 2019, by Ken Reed in League of Fans in which he labeled the unwritten rules as “archaic and stupid”. I borrowed this from Ken and love the third paragraph.
“The latest example comes from a minor league game between the Hartford Yard Goats and the Trenton Thunder. Hartford had a combined no-hitter (between four pitchers) going in the ninth inning of a game in which the score was 3-0 in favor of Hartford. With one out in the ninth, Trenton’s Matt Lipka laid down a perfect bunt for a single. The no-hitter was broken up.”
“Hartford ended up winning the game 3-0 but they weren’t happy campers after the final out. Players and coaches were steamed that Lipka had the unmitigated audacity to try and get on base by bunting in that situation. They yelled and swore at Lipka, as well as other Trenton coaches and players. The benches cleared and players met in the center of the diamond. A near brawl broke out.”
“Here’s the deal: Expecting Lipka to give up one of his tools — bunting for a hit — in order to give the Trenton pitchers a better chance at completing a no-hitter is simply silly and not a fair ask of Lipka. If Hartford wanted to take away one of Lipka’s tools for attempting to get on base — a bunt — then the Trenton pitcher should’ve agreed to remove one of his tools for getting Lipka out — let’s say by not throwing a curveball to Lipka. No curveball, no bunt. Fair is fair. One thing that isn’t fair is to expect Lipka to remove the bunt as a tool while the pitcher gets to keep all his tools.”
Shades of Ben Davis’ bunting against Schilling way back in 2001 to break up his perfect game in the 8th inning. Bob Brenley called it ”chicken”. In my opinion, the chicken is the batter that simply gives in to pitcher without exercising every option to get to first base, especially with the opponent only leading 2-0.
First MLB Female Scout – Edith Houghton
This one is for DBM
While watching the sporting news a number of years ago something on the ticker caught my attention. I just can’t help reading ticker information. The brief clip read: “First female baseball scout dies”. The date was February 2, 2013. Not giving it much thought when I first saw it, I became more interested when the clip rolled around again. I naturally thought that a female in major league baseball as a scout must have occurred within the last thirty or so years. I decided to Google it and learned that the first female scout in major league baseball was Edith Houghton, who had died a few days before turning 101. I learned she was a scout for the Phillies, beginning 74 years ago, from 1946-1952. She signed fifteen players while scouting for the Phillies, although none of them became well-known names.
I was satisfied with that information although I also learned about her playing career in women’s baseball, in which she excelled, and that she was a decorated member of the military in the United States.
Her baseball uniform is displayed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Advanced Scouting
Since I am on a roll re: scouting, I will throw this in too. I read a couple of years ago that the Phillies had given up advanced scouting indicating that there is no longer a need in light of all the data now available on players. They could implement the shift simply by calling on all of the sabermetrics and analytical data available. It caused me to wonder what the Dodgers did suspecting they are not that naïve. I found
that advanced scouting is alive and well. Gus Lobel still lives. For the first time I was introduced to Patrick O’Shea. He is the Dodgers Advanced Scouting Analyst. Below is the Q&A with Patrick during the last week of March.
The song of the day is for peterj. “One Day at a Time” by Christy Lane.
R.I.P. John Prine
I loved John Prine’s storytelling music. He will be missed. —Mark Timmons
Who is that handsome man beside that chubby little Italian? 😉
Can you believe that was back in 1985 at Vero Beach? Son Jamie – 8 years old – took the picture. You can’t see it but Tommy has placed a ball in my hand. How did you come up with that picture?
I burglarized your house and got it along with all the jewelry and TV.
😉
Actually, Google your name and you will find it!
I was there that year.
I didn’t see you.
Thank you DC. This was a great article and touched on so many things I agree with. My eye doctor would love what you wrote about the Camilli’s. Nice picture, by the way. My morning fog is not clear yet so that is my excuse for not recognizing the NY player on the right , but he reminds me a lot of Christian Yelich in appearance.
I am on 100% with you on the bunting, a weapon, in my opinion, not used enough in today’s game. At least it puts the ball in play, much better than a strikeout does. I loved the clip on Edith Houghton. Thank you. And last, but not least, the photo of you and Tommy Lasorda was great and must have brought back a lot of nice memories for you. Mark is a wizard.
Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio?
Of course, Joe DiMaggio. Thanks Mark. Forgive me for not recognizing a Yankee, lol, even a great one.
Never thought about it, but DiMaggio does remind one of Yelich. Sort of hits like him too.
Thanks DBM.
I look like I am much taller than Tommy. I am not. He was standing on a lower step.
In my entire baseball playing days from Little League thru Semi-pro I was a lead off hitter. It was my job to get on base. It did not matter how I did it. We did not keep OBP, but mine would have been very good. Many times with 2 strikes and first base open I would swing at a wild third strike and take off for first. My job was to get on base, not worry about batting average. I as also good at hitting the catchers mitt. Since I was fast, bunting was a way to get on. That was my job.
I was half-fast…
U should not leave your self open like that….someone will take a pot shot at you……LOL
I gave them the opportunity…
😉
I think if it is a one run game late in the game then a hitter uses his best tool to start a rally and if it is a bunt then that is what he should do regardless of a no hitter. Bellinger can bunt well but I don’t think he should lay one down in the 8th or 9th even if it is a one run game.
All tactics should be to win a game and not break up a no hitter.
I reread a baseball book last night that I got at Christmas. It was called Extra Innings by David Whitford. Has anyone here read it?
When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading!
Hope this won’t be the case as baseball this year could be I trouble:
A panel convened by the National Academies of Sciences reported to the White House on Tuesday that the novel coronavirus is unlikely to wane with the arrival of summer, though there are many uncertainties remaining.
Hers the link
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/04/08/coronavirus-unlikely-diminish-with-warm-weather-national-academies-sciences-panel-finds/?itid=hp_rhp-banner-main_virusweather-1215p%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans
Well, it’s not the flu, but the good news is that it mutates much slower than the flu, theoretically making a vaccine simpler to develop… if I can use the word simple (it’s not).
This night a sack of flour fell from the sky at Dodger Stadium.
A great, if occasionally surreal, read @TheAthletic.
https://theathletic.com/1723837/2020/04/07/the-night-a-sack-of-flour-fell-from-the-sky-at-dodger-stadium/
I read that this AM. It was awesome. I had never heard that.
Apparently a Colombian airliner had been passing overhead that night.
Snifff…
Great article DC. Just a little note, the guy you were referring to is not Jake Dauer, but Jake Daubert. Won 2 batting titles back in the day. We lost John Prine and James Drury the same day. Was a star in The Virginian. Believe it or not, he was also in Forbidden Planet. Daubert won the batting title in back to back years, just like Davis did. Avg’s were pretty close too. Daubert hit .350 in 1913, and .329 in 14. Davis hit .346 in 62, and .326 in 63. Daubert spent 9 years with Brooklyn and 6 with the Reds, was a career . 303 hitter with 2326 hits. Never drove in more than 66 runs in any season, finished with 250 doubles, 165 triples, and 56 homers. His OBP was .360. Another player who walked more than he struck out. Wish guys today would do that. Was re-watching a game from last year when they played the Rays. And one of the discussions was about striking out. Nomar thinks they are way to acceptable in today’s game and lamented the lack of using the bunt as an offensive weapon. Kike was at the plate, with runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs in a game they were trailing in the 5th, 1-0. And he made no attempt to bunt. He ended up hitting a check swing grounder to the first baseman who had no other play but to throw to first, so he got the job done, but it was pure chance. I agree, I like seeing the bunt used, especially by players who are slow and prone to hitting into DP’s or striking out.
Bear- my typo. Thanks. Ken Gurnick was correct.
No problem DC. The only player I remember with the name Dauer, was Rich Dauer who was an infielder with the O’s I think. This day in Dodger history, 4-8-94. Kent Mercker no hits the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium becoming the 5th pitcher to throw a no hitter against the Dodgers since they moved to LA, and only the second to do so at Dodger Stadium. Dodger rookie, Chan Ho Park becomes the first Korean born player to play in the majors as he pitches the 9th inning. 4-8-15, Adrian Gonzalez becomes the first player in MLB history to hit 5 HR’s in his teams first 3 games.
What ever happens with baseball this year, we have no control over it, and pretty much, neither does anyone else. Until the danger is minimal, they are not going to let crowds gather. That makes a lot of sense. The public health is the main concern, and should be. We will all be better when this is all over, and look back and wonder what we could have done sooner.
Well said.
There’s always someone who “predicted it” and will say I told you so, but they may have also predicted that turkeys would fly out our butts. The WSJ said this today:
But from the bottom of my heart, let me point out how genuinely worthless some journalists are as thinkers and critics when they venture beyond their job of getting quotes and facts right. The media is staffed with people for whom the hindsight fallacy is not a fallacy; it’s their métier. (You can see the same after every stock market crash; whoever was predicting a crash at the time—and somebody always was—is accorded seer status.)
… and frequently after they get that status, we find out how illogical they really are.
It’s a worthy read: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-is-not-the-coronavirus-11586300015
Is the author saying that journalists aren’t entitled to an opinion but are only allowed to report the news?
If this particular article is voicing an opinion, should we consider the fact that the WSJ is owned by Rupert Murdoch?
The one thing I’ve learned from COVID-19 is that although it will hopefully lead to some true medical breakthroughs and better ways to prepare for future outbreaks, it will not bring this country together. When it’s over, both sides will still be in their corners, each insisting that they are correct about everything and the other side doesn’t have a clue.
Ironic that on the first night of Passover the world is once again dealing with a plague. The Passover story talks of ten plagues. I pray we don’t have another nine to go.
Me too. We…can’t withstand 9 more plagues. No locusts or blood
To me, it should not be political, but you have a point. It is controlled by Murdoch. I think it is pretty bi-partisan – a lot more than CNN or Fox News, but it is a thing.
Journalism has changed, however – it all seems to be agenda-driven.