Tagged: Lou Piniella
Reaching Your Goal
Are you part of the nearly half of New Year’s Resolutioners that have given up? Or are you one of the less than 10% who will be successful? Life is hard, keep working towards your dreams. Ron Wright never gave up. He fought for what he wanted. All of his hard work eventually paid off.
Ron Wright was selected in the 7th Round of the 1994 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves from Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, Washington. He played two and a half seasons in the Braves minor league system. Wright spent 1994 with the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League Braves, 1995 with the Single A Macon Braves, and 1996 with the High A Durham Bulls and Double A Greenville Braves before an August trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wright now set his sights on the Steel City. He finished 1996 with the Double A Carolina Mudcats and spent 1997 with the Triple A Calgary Cannons. 1998 was a lost season as Wright appeared in only 20 Games, 17 with the Triple A Nashville Sounds and 3 with the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League Pirates. 1999 was equally frustrating, playing only 24 Games for the Double A Altoona Curve. In October, the Cincinnati Reds selected Wright off waivers. His aim moved further down the Ohio River. Wright spent 2000 with the Double A Chattanooga Lookouts and Triple A Louisville RiverBats. In November, Wright signed as a Minor League free agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He spent the season back with the Durham Bulls, now a Triple A team. Again a Minor League free agent, Wright signed with the Seattle Mariners for the 2002 season. He began the season with the Triple A Tacoma Rainiers. Ron Wright had played eight Minor League seasons with 12 different teams.
Heading into the 2002 season Wright had played in 666 Minor League games. He hit .261 with 121 Home Runs, 453 RBI, and 361 Runs scored in 2,729 Plate Appearances. Wright had played at every level, Rookie Ball to Triple A. He fought through injuries and the ups and downs of professional baseball. Wright remained one step away from the Majors. The trip from Cheney Stadium to Safeco Field is only 35 miles, but Wright kept fighting to make that drive.
The bad news in Seattle was future Hall of Fame Edgar Martinez was hurt running to First. Martinez’s injury put a damper on the Mariners early season success. Edgar’s injury was bad news for everyone except Minor League journeyman Ron Wright. He finally got the call to the Big Leagues. The years of toil had paid off. He was heading to the show.
It was a pleasant afternoon in Arlington, Texas. It was 76℉ and overcast. Ron Wright had made it to the Majors on Sunday, April 14, 2002. The Mariners were on the road, playing the Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington. 32,866 fans watched as Seattle’s John Halama faced off against Texas’ Kenny Rogers. Ron Wright was the DH, batting 7th for the Mariners. All was right in the world.
In the Top of the 2nd, Ron Wright strolled to the plate. This was the moment he had worked so hard for, his first Major League At Bat. Ruben Sierra was standing on Second after a lead off Single and a John Olerud Walk. Wright stepped in the Right Handed Batters Box looking to add to the Mariners 1-0 lead. Kenny Rogers rocked and fired. In the blink of an eye, Wright was walking back to the dugout. Striking out looking on three pitches was not how Wright envisioned his first At Bat in the Big Leagues, but he had stamped his name in the record books as playing in a Major League game. There would be more chances.
The next opportunity for Wright came in the Top of the 4th. Seattle still clung to its 1-0 lead, and Wright could extend the lead. He again came up with Sierra and Olerud on base. Sierra led off with a Double and moved to Third on Olerud’s Single. Wright worked the count to 2-2. On the fifth pitch he swung. The ball bounced to Rogers on the mound who fired to Alex Rodriguez coming over from Shortstop to cover Second for the first Out. Rodriguez then threw home to Catcher Bill Haselman who chased Sierra back towards Third. He tossed the ball to Third Baseman Hank Blalock who chased Sierra back towards Home. Blalock tossed the ball to Rogers who tagged Sierra for the second Out. During the rundown Wright reached First and was advancing towards Second. He was never known for his speed, just nine Stolen Bases in the Minors. After tagging Sierra, Rogers threw to Second Baseman Michael Young who tagged Wright coming into Second for the third Out. The 1-6-2-5-1-4 Triple Play killed the rally, and made Wright’s debut memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Baseball is about dealing with failure. There are few failures like hitting into a Triple Play. Baseball does not give you long to dwell on your failures. In the Top of the 6th, Wright came up for the third time. He was patient in his first two At Bats, but not this time. The Mariners were trailing 2-1. Again Ruben Sierra was on Second and John Olerud on First. On the first pitch from Rogers, Wright hit the ball to Shortstop Alex Rodriguez to start a Double Play. Sierra moved to Third, but the rally was dead. The frustrating day continued.
Ron Wright never got that fourth At Bat. Manager Lou Piniella sent up Pinch Hitter Mark McLemore in the 7th Inning. His Major League debut was complete. Wright had three At Bats against Kenny Rogers. He saw nine pitches. Made six Outs. The Mariners won 9-7. The game took 3 hours and 39 minutes. Before the Mariners returned to the field on Monday Ron Wright was back in the Minors. He never returned to the Majors. Wright’s Major League career took less time than it takes to watch Gone With The Wind.
Was it worth it? Despite one of the worst possible debuts, Ron Wright can proudly say he was a Major League Baseball player. Only 18,039 players before him earned that title. While his career was not what he hoped, Wright made it to the top. He kept grinding. He kept going. The baseball gods rewarded his lifetime of work with one of the strangest days ever on a baseball field. Keep working towards your goals.
DJ
Worth The Wait
Cooperstown is the desired destination for players. Most will not openly discuss their desire to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, however human nature all but dictates that highly driven people strive to become the best at their chosen profession. The process to reach Cooperstown for a player is typically through the BBWAA (Baseball Writers’ Association of America) election process, which announces its results each January. However, there is another way into the Hall of Fame.
Previously known as the Veterans Committee, the Era Committees were formed to reexamine players who are no longer eligible for the BBWAA voting. The committees also examine the contributions of managers, umpires, and executives to determine if they warrant enshrinement. Currently, there are four committees: Early Baseball (pre 1950), Golden Days (1950-1969), Modern Baseball (1970-1987), and Today’s Game (1988-2016). Each committee considers 10 candidates, with each committee member allowed to vote for a maximum of four candidates. A candidate needs at least 75% of the votes to be elected.
The Today’s Game Committee has 16 voting members. The members include members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, executives, and veteran media members. This year the committee considered the candidacy of Lee Smith, Harold Baines, Lou Piniella, Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel, and George Steinbrenner.
Harold Baines and Lee Smith, the newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. (John Locker/ AP)
After much examination by the Today’s Game Committee, Cooperstown will welcome two new members to the Hall of Fame this summer. Lee Smith and Harold Baines will forever be enshrined along side the greatest players, managers, umpires, and executives in baseball history. Smith appeared on all 16 ballots, while Baines appeared on 12 ballots. Lou Piniella missed his place in Cooperstown by a single vote, appearing on 11 ballots. The remaining seven candidates each received fewer than five votes.
The journey to Cooperstown was longer than Smith or Baines preferred. However, receiving the highest honor in baseball was worth the wait. The Today’s Game Committee, as well as the other committees, are vital to the thorough examination of baseball. The committees give those deserving of enshrinement in the Hall of Fame the recognition they deserve, no matter how long the wait.
DJ
Master of Disguise
15 years ago, Bobby Valentine, then the manager of the New York Mets was ejected for arguing with an umpire. While this is not necessarily historic, what will always be remembered is what Valentine did after he was ejected. He did not have a meltdown which would make Lou Piniella, Lloyd McClendon, or Phillip Wellman proud. Oh no, he took it a step further. Valentine returned to the dugout in a disguise which would have made Hollywood proud.
Definitely not Bobby Valentine (theclassical.org)
This disguise by Valentine will forever be how I think of him. Not his winning 1,186 games during his managerial career. Not of his impact upon the Japanese Pacific League. Not the baseball analysis with various broadcasting stations. For me Bobby Valentine will always be the man in disguise. The mustache and glasses standing in the dugout during an extra innings game against the Toronto Blue Jays. It reminds a moment in which I cannot help but smile.
Every parent tells their kids that they are responsible for their actions. Valentine was held accountable for his actions. He was fined and suspended for his antics. Everyone is remembered for something. Willie Mays is remembered for “The Catch”, Carlton Fisk is remembered for his home run in the 1975 World Series, and Bobby Valentine is remembered for the night he went undercover. Baseball is a game. Too often the game is taken too serious. On a summer night, Bobby Valentine could not stay away from the game he had been ejected from and he left an indelible image for us all to remember and laugh at.
D
Best Seat in the House
For 13 of Jim Leyland‘s 22 years as a Major League manager, he had the best seat in the house. His career has been book ended by watching two hitters, Barry Bonds and Miguel Cabrera, who both worked their magic with ash and maple respectively.
The first seven seasons Leyland had a front row view for the beginning of Barry Bonds’ career. Nevermind the talk of steroids, the cream and the clear, BALCO, and asterisks, Bonds was one of the best pure hitters of the modern era. The last six seasons Leyland managed Miguel Cabrera, one of the finest right handed hitters of this era, and debates are beginning to emerge concerning where he belongs on the all time list. Cabrera has never had the foot speed which Bonds had in his early years, thus his career .321 BA is all the more impressive as he is not going to leg out many infield hits. While having this sort of talent definitely does not hurt, Leyland was a master of knowing when to pat a player on the back and when to kick him in the pants.
A three time Manager of the Year, twice in the NL and once in the AL, Leyland was a competitor who expected the best out of his players, and would not stand for his players being made targets in the media for errors or mistakes. As he said in his press conference when he resigned as the Tigers manager, “the team just came up short, no single player was to blame, they just came up short as a team.”
Leyland finished his career with 1769 wins, good for 15th all time. This is even more impressive when you remember he took over as manager of the Pirates a year after they lost over 100 games and the 1998 Florida Marlins after their fire sale following the 1997 World Series. Leyland is one of the final members of the old guard. Managers like Lou Piniella, Bobby Cox, Tommy Lasorda, and Joe Torre are becoming extremely rare. He was never seeking headlines for himself, his mission everyday was to make his team better and win. He did not care if you were Barry Bonds or Jay Sborz, he expected your best every time out on the field. Jim Leyland gets to go out on his own terms, which is how it should be, and I would not be completely surprised to find him in Cooperstown some day.
D
The Winning Run 