Is it possible to regard Joe DiMaggio — who lost three seasons, prime achievement years, ages 28-30, to World War II states-side service — as vastly underrated?
You tell me.
MLB Network’s Brian Kenny has a book out next week, “Ahead of the Curve” (Simon & Schuster). Though I would debate the importance of some of its comparisons and stats based on period context, it nonetheless is loaded with thought-provoking info.
Here’s one that got me thinking and researching:
Perhaps no great player’s offensive totals were minimized by his home park more than DiMaggio’s — a right-handed batter sentenced to bat in old Yankee Stadium’s “Death Valley” — 457 feet to left-center, 461 to dead center.
DiMaggio, unlike most batting stars, produced better across-the-board numbers on the road. Home runs: home 148, road 213.
Kenny adds that the deepest left-center in the majors today is Houston’s 404 feet.
And here’s one I found: Among DiMaggio’s eight World Series home runs, not one was hit in Yankee Stadium. He hit three at Ebbets Field, two at the Polo Grounds and one each at Wrigley Field, Cincinnati’s Crosley Field and Philadelphia’s Shibe Park.
Among his three inside-the-park homers, only one was hit in Yankee Stadium. I would have figured all three.
Perhaps the only “break” Yankee Stadium cut him could be found in triples. In his 13 years, DiMaggio hit 131 triples, an average of 10 a year.
And that brings us to Rickey Henderson — for what I saw, among baseball’s most vastly overrated superstars.
Often confused as “baseball’s greatest base runner” — he was a terrible, minimalist base runner, which allowed him to become a great base stealer — in 25 seasons, Henderson had just 66 triples.
And Henderson played half his career for the A’s, whose home park had lots of field, foul and fair, for fairly batted balls to roam. But triples don’t add to stolen-base totals.
Henderson never had more than seven triples in a season, and after age 27, never more than three. More than once I saw him stop at second when he could’ve and should’ve made third.
And though Henderson broke Lou Brock’s career stolen-base record, Brock, in 19 seasons, had 141 triples, including four at age 40. Henderson, having arrived in the majors at 20, had 39 of his 66 triples in his first eight seasons.
In 1950, at 35, DiMaggio had 10 triples. He had 49 triples after age 31.
Joe DiMaggio, vastly underrated? All things considered, but especially old Yankee Stadium, I think so.
If the empty seats aren’t available, what are?
Brian Fishman, Monroe Township, N.J., and friends went to a recent Twins-Yankees game. They asked to purchase the cheapest grandstand seats, which cost $23 apiece.
But they were told that none are available. They could, however, purchase the next-cheapest, at $33 per, which they did.
After the game began, they inspected the $23 seats areas. “They were,” writes Fishman, “85 percent empty. Please let your readers know this.”
Sorry, Brian, I can’t. Not after the recent, condescending scold of the media by Yankees team president Randy Levine — who said that, unlike us, he knows what he’s doing; he knows how to run a business.
Incidentally, the Yankees announced Thursday afternoon’s attendance as 40,000, which means about 15,000 were jammed into that restaurant, watching the game on TV.
How important is it for the taxpayer-funded University of Maine’s women’s basketball team to win games?
Apparently it is extremely important, one of the school’s top priorities.
This coming season’s roster includes three recruits from Spain, two from Croatia, one from Italy, one from Austria, one from Sweden, one from Quebec and, believe it or not, even two kids from Maine.
Last season’s roster included recruits from England, Serbia, Greece, Austria, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Germany — and two from Maine.
More local recruits have arrived from Utah and California.
According to the Bangor Daily News, the college asked the state legislature for additional taxpayer funding, totaling $182 million for this year and $189 million next year, up from its pre-existing $176 million public stipend.
But there always is plenty of higher education money for basketball!
Arizona reliever Daniel Hudson pitched one-third of an inning Wednesday against the Phillies. He allowed four hits and two earned runs before he was yanked — and before his 15th “hold” of the season became a blown save and a loss.
In other words, he received credit — a statistical “attaboy” — for an appearance that produced an ERA of 54.00.
And because everything game-ending has to be attached to a “walk-off” stat, and Jacoby Ellsbury was batting when the winning run scored on a passed ball Thursday, several readers have demanded he receive statistical credit. But what?
How about “a walk-off just stand there, Ellsbury’s first of the season”?
Reader Steve Boxer: “Next time I win the pool on the Golden Eagle in Belmar, I’m going to say I had the ‘walk-off fish’ and see how that plays.”
Great, Steve, just avoid the walk-off pier.
ESPN’s Golden Rule: Do dumb to others
How would ESPN execs feel if they were seated at a tennis match between two folks who didn’t shut up, who exchanged opinions, thoughts and statements of the obvious after every point? Then why must we again suffer such from ESPN during Wimbledon?
WWE “superstar” — a faux sport headliner — John Cena will host this year’s ESPY awards. Then again, ESPN, from the start, passed on making the ESPYs legit. Last year, ESPN bestowed its Arthur Ashe Courage Award to Caitlyn Jenner, who arrived just before the presentation, then bolted.
Marlins-Braves on Sunday night on ESPN, a Fourth of July weekend special from Fort Bragg’s new 12,500-seat ball park. Of course, it’s not so special that it could start before 8:10 p.m.
Is it too late to tell John Sterling, voice of the New York Yankees since 1989, that “After one, no score,” doesn’t cut it? That before the commercial break he might want to toss in the names of the teams?
If the Knicks don’t land that rebounding center they need, perhaps 7-foot-3 shooting guard Kristaps Porzingis can help out a little.
From reader John Demarchi: “ESPN is reporting that a guy who knows a guy who knew a guy who knew a girl who knew another girl who once saw Kevin Durant in an airport says that Durant may stay with OKC. Or may not.”
Finally, reader Bill Chase notes that Papa John’s is the “official pizza of the New York Yankees” while Dominos is the “official pizza of the New York Yankees Radio Network.” What gives? Well, Bill, it’s all about the dough.