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A Look at Baseball Batting Gloves
The first baseball gloves to hit the field were created sometime in the late 1800s. These gloves were simplistic compared to today's models. Early gloves were usually made of thin pieces of leather and were precursors to the advanced baseball gloves...
Baseball Bats for the Professional and Amateur
From the time small children are old enough to hold a baseball bat many have longed to be part of the great American pastime. Baseball bats have been around ever since the game was created and there are baseball museums that have collections of...
Mr Runs Batted In, Lou Gehrig
Mr Runs Batted In, Lou Gehrig
Whenever I think of Lou Gehrig, I think of power, consistency
and most of all runs batted in. Lou was in business. His
business was driving in runs. He had a thriving production
company. He had seven years where...
That's a home run!
Its a Hit!
Baseball is a favorite game of the Americans. No wonder it is the national sport of the United States of America. No one can say with much certainty when this game originated but according to some accounts it is said to have begun...
What A Great Night
What A Great Night The Time Machine brings me back to Chancellor Avenue, Newark, New Jersey, circa 1964. Vintage cars like the ’62 Oldsmobile Spitfire, 1957 and 1958 Chevy’s roamed up and down the street passing The Bunny Hop, The Burgerama and...
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Detroit Tigers: Pudge Proving Doubters Wrong
Ivan Rodriguez endured an onslaught of criticism this offseason when he opted to play for the Detroit Tigers rather than returning to the Florida Marlins or seeking a smaller contract with another contender.
Sports writers and reporters everywhere accused Rodriguez of selling out for the big money with no consideration of success on the field or the impact playing on a losing team would have on his legacy. Even his former manager, Jack McKeon, commented that the 32 year old catcher could be torpedoing his chance to pursue entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame by joining the lowly Tigers. As of now, it appears Rodriguez knew exactly what he was getting into.
A .370 batting average and Detroit's turnaround from last season's punchline to respectability have earned Pudge a selection as the American League starting catcher, his 11th appearance in the All-Star Game. After being tagged with a reputation for nursing nagging injuries and worrying more about base stealers than batters at the plate during the end of his tenure in Texas, Rodriguez is now recognized as a team leader and a pitcher's catcher. He contributed some key veteran leadership and a potent bat last year to a young Marlins team on their way to a World Championship. While that isn't a likely outcome for this year's Tigers, their new backstop has them headed in the right
direction.
As for Ivan Rodriguez's prospects for the Hall of Fame, they can't be hurt by leading his league in batting average. He's already earned an AL MVP in 1999, won a World Series, and was long recognized as the best defensive catcher in the majors. With a career batting average over .300 and over 240 home runs, three more productive seasons should put Pudge at 300 and earn him some serious consideration for enshrinement.
When examining the difference between the 2003 champion Marlins and this year's middle-of-the-pack team in Florida, the loss of Ivan Rodriguez is painfully apparent. The drastic improvement of the Detroit Tigers can also be attributed in a large part to the addition of the same player. The value of a Hall of Fame career cannot be better measured than by the effect a player's arrival to and departure from has on the teams he plays for.
About The Author
You may reprint this column onto your site only if the following information is attached at the bottom and the link to The Baseball Corner http://www.thebaseballcorner.com is active.
Author: Dustin Smiley, Owner of The Baseball Corner, your online site for everything baseball.
dustinsmiley@mchsi.com
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