Taking a good hack at a landmark record

Posted Feb 4, 2012 by Bob D'Angelo

Updated Feb 4, 2012 at 10:46 PM

The 1930 major-league baseball season was the year of the hitter. And for sluggers in both leagues, it was absolutely nirvana.

Of course, baseball officials denied that the baseball had been juiced, but here are some statistics from that season: American League hitters had a .288 average, with 673 homers and 6,161 RBIs. In 1929, the A.L. had these numbers: a .284 average, 595 homers and 5,663 RBIs.

National League hitters combined for a .303 average, with 892 homers and 6,582 RBIs in 1930. The 1929 figures? A .294 average, 754 homers and 6,131 RBIs.

At the center of these inflated numbers, Hack Wilson still stands alone 82 years later.

At 5-foot-6, the barrel-chested and bandy-legged Wilson (every book I’ve read that mentions Hack refers to him as “bandy-legged,” so I will do the same) did not cut an imposing figure at the plate. He was short, with small hands and feet. But boy, could he hit for power.

Wilson is the focus of Tampa-based author Bill Chastain’s 11th book, “Hack’s 191: Hack Wilson and His Incredible 1930 Season” (Lyons Press, $24.95, hardback, 262 pages). Chastain, a former Tampa Tribune sportswriter who currently covers the Rays for mlb.com, brings the dusty, moldy records of the 1930 season to life as he documents one of the most incredible batting feats in baseball history.

The RBI was not a glamorous statistic during the 1920s and ’30s, and more attention was paid to home runs. Wilson responded by setting the National League record with 56 home runs. That was eye-popping, but the sheer amount of runs Wilson drove in was even more remarkable.

Chastain presents a balanced look at the Cubs during the late 1920s and early 1930s, using extensive research to highlight some of the behind-the-scenes drama in the clubhouse and front office. The team was managed by Joe McCarthy, who gained the players’ respect even though he had never played at the major-league level.

The tension between McCarthy and star acquisition Rogers Hornsby never boiled over into the public view, but Chastain shows how Hornsby skillfully steered owner William Wrigley Jr. away from McCarthy and closer to his way of thinking. That would culminate with the firing of McCarthy late in the 1930 season; Hornsby replaced him.

While Wilson was a prodigious hitter, he also was adept at hitting the speakeasies around Chicago and in other National League cities. And while he never played a game while drunk. Wilson certainly was hung over many times. But it didn’t seem to affect his game in 1930.
Chastain does a nice job recapping the 1930 season, breaking it down by months, with plenty of game details.

Wilson’s record of 191 RBIs seems untouchable. The closest any player has come to it was in 1999, when Manny Ramirez collected 165.

There were several glitches in the book. Chastain referred to the home of the A’s as “Shibe Field” rather than “Shibe Park,” but that could have been how it was referred to in newspaper reports. But he misuses the word flare (when he should have written “flair”) when he writes that William Wrigley Jr.’s California island used for spring training later became “a vacation destination with an exotic flare.”

The most unfortunate gaffe came near the end of the book, when Chastain was documenting the tail end of Hornsby’s playing career. He misidentifies Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez as Lefty Grove (who never played for a New York team), but he did get the incident right in an Aug. 17, 1933, game, as pinch-hitter Hornsby socked a home run after Gomez made a snarky comment toward the Hall of Fame second baseman.

It’s also not mentioned in the book that the homer tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, and that the St. Louis Browns would take a rare 7-6 victory against the defending World Series champion Yankees. But honestly, that last criticism is minor.

Chastain includes a chapter about the 191st RBI (for years, Wilson’s mark was set at 190 until some research uncovered an omission), and adds passages about his youth, his early career with the New York Giants (and run-ins with Hall of Fame manager John McGraw) and his steady decline after 1930, which ended when he died penniless at age 48 in 1948.

More stats from Chastain. Of Wilson’s 56 homers in 1930, 23 were solo shots. He did not hit a grand slam in 1930, and his homers produced 97 RBIs.

Overall, another solid effort. Chastain always has a knack for telling a story well, and he doesn’t disappoint in this venture into baseball history.

 

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Report: Fleck to coach Bucs wideouts

Posted Feb 4, 2012 by Roy Cummings

Updated Feb 4, 2012 at 06:08 PM

  BY ROY CUMMINGS
The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA – New Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano appears to be making good on his plan to bring some of his former Rutgers assistants to Tampa Bay.

P.J. Fleck, who coached Rutgers wide receivers each of the last two years under Schiano, has agreed to join the Bucs in the same capacity, according to an ESPN report.

Fleck left Rutgers earlier in the week to take a job as the offensive coordinator at Northern Illinois, his alama mater, but resigned a day later to join forces with Schiano, the report said.

Schiano was named the ninth head coach in Bucs history on Jan. 26. He is in the process of hiring his staff, but no official announcements regarding staff hires have been made.

Fleck was a receiver for the Huskies from 1999-2003 and with the San Francisco 49ers from 2004 to 2006. Following his playing career, he returned to NIU as a receivers coach in 2007 and stayed until 2009.
 
Several reports have also suggested that Rutgers offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and Rutgers defensive coordinator Bob Fraser will eventually join the Bucs staff under Schiano.

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Crest loses Diggs and Hamilton, Freedom without Patchan, as districts begin

Posted Feb 4, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 4, 2012 at 05:40 PM

Strawberry Crest boys basketball coach Andre Lewis says playing the remainder of the season without two of his top players will be a challenge, but he is confident he has the type of reserves who can “step up” as the Chargers enter this week’s district tournament.

Lewis confirmed starting guards Devin Diggs and Karel Hamilton were issued six-week suspensions by the Florida High School Athletics Association for their role in a Jan. 27 scuffle that occurred in the second half of the Chargers’ game against visiting Freedom. That effectively ends the season for Diggs, who was their second-leading scorer at 12.3 points per game, and Hamilton, their No. 3 scorer at 8.5 ppg.

The suspension also means Diggs will miss the start of the track season. He was a state finalist last year in Class 2A for the 200- and 400-meter dashes.

“A team isn’t just one or two guys and I think we have the players who can step up for us,” said Lewis. “But there’s no doubt we’re going to miss those two guys. Those two are as athletic as they come and probably our two best players defensively.”

Two other players from the Crest received two-game bans as a result of the incident, but they have already served that ban, Lewis said.

Players from Freedom were also hit with suspensions from the FHSAA. According to Lewis, the Patriots’ 6-foot-7 junior center, Brandon Patchan, little brother of University of Florida offensive lineman Matt Patchan, was the Freedom player involved in the scuffle with Diggs in the Jan. 27 game.

Patchan, Freedom’s leading scorer at 10.7 ppg and also its top rebounder (6.3 rbg), also received a season-ending suspension from the FHSAA while three other Patriots players received two-game bans.

Lewis said Diggs and Patchan were going up for a rebound and came down with the ball together. As both tried to gain possession, the ball went out of bounds. Lewis said the two players soon “lost their cool” and that’s when things got physical, including some punches thrown but not landed.

“Coaches are always stressing it but it’s a hard lesson to learn—kids need to learn to keep their cool,” Lewis said.

Strawberry Crest begins play in the Class 6A-District 11 tournament Wednesday. The Chargers are the No. 2 seed while host Sickles is No. 1. Freedom will compete in the 7A-9 tournament, which starts Tuesday at Chamberlain.

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Winter trout season is under way

Posted Feb 4, 2012 by The Tampa Tribune

Updated Feb 4, 2012 at 04:31 PM

BY BILL MILLER

The winter trout season is well under way, with good catches coming in up and down the Suncoast.

Captain Billy Miller is catching lots of slot-sized and oversized speckled trout in Boca Ciega Bay and the Fort DeSoto area. Silver trout, the cousin of the speckled trout, are solid along the Gulf beaches, with catches of 100 to 150 during a half-day not uncommon. Tandem soft plastics are the hot lure for specks and silvers.

The spoil islands of St. Joseph Sound are holding lots of monster trout, according to captain Brian Caudill. Caudill likes free-lined select shrimp as his go-to setup. Also included in the catch have been bluefish and pompano.

Redfish are still around Tarpon Key at Fort DeSoto. Walt and Brian Rector caught nice slot-sized reds there using live shrimp and watermelon-colored Lil Johns.

The redfish bag limit is one per person south of Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs. The bag limit is two per person north of Tarpon Springs.

Bait has moved around the Skyway fishing piers, and anglers are taking advantage of it. Lots of little tunny are being caught off of the deep ends of the pier by anglers tossing silver spoons. On the outgoing tide, big Spanish mackerel up to 24 inches are being caught.

Kris Stein caught and released a 150-pound dusky shark off the Redington Pier using a big hunk of kingfish for bait.

Captain Bill Miller hosts “Hooked on Fishing” on Bright House Sports Network, Channel 47. To book a charter with captain Bill or his son captain Billy, call (813) 363-9927.

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Upper Deck inserts depict presidential candidates

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Bob D'Angelo

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 11:46 PM

The Florida primary is history and the candidates for president are becoming clearer. As we wait for the Republican National Convention this summer in Tampa, it’s not a bad time to reflect on those men and women seeking to occupy the White House in January.

Upper Deck has taken that step, with a nine-card World of Politics insert set that will be part of the World of Sports product that will be released Feb. 21.

The inserts will be seeded one in every 40 packs on the average and will include President Barack Obama and the chief Republican challengers: front-runner Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum (throwing a baseball). Others who campaigned who will get a card are Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain and Rick Perry. There’s even a Sarah Palin card thrown in for good measure.

Upper Deck has gone political before. During the 2008 campaign, UD produced Presidential Predictor cards that were inserted into Series 1 baseball. Those were caricatures of the candidates, with each tied to a baseball play or event. I thought those were very well thought out and lots of fun to collect — I mean, George W. Bush putting a phantom tag on Al Gore and getting the call was priceless, and so was John McCain with a home run swing that looked suspiciously like Ted Williams’.

There also was a Hillary Clinton card that was pulled from production, a parody that portrayed the former first lady (and current Secretary of State) as Morganna, the Kissing Bandit. Probably a good move.

This year’s cards are more sedate, or presidential-looking, if you will. The photographs are sharp and crisp and completing a set will be a nice goal for collectors.

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Trout bite still on fire

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by The Tampa Tribune

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 04:47 PM

BY BILLY NOBLES

Thank God for a lying ground hog. Our buddy Phil saw his shadow, and that means a few more weeks of winter. Here in Florida, with water temperatures approaching 70 degrees in February, the bite is on.

Captain Mike ran a trip this week in Clearwater, and he reports that they couldn’t find a spot that wasn’t holding trout. The average size was around 18 inches. Don’t tell anyone, but he caught them on the DOA CAL Shad tail, with a white body and a chartreuse head. Go figure, I think that’s the only color he owns, but it works.

Captain Stephen Markovich reports that on Tampa Bay the large trout are back, along with large schools of redfish and — wait for it — huge black drum. The bait is still plentiful at the Skyway piers, but be careful, as the demolition is still going on. You don’t want to skewer your vessel on a submerged piling.

Offshore is absolutely on fire with the grouper bite. It’s a shame we can’t bring any home, because the red and gag seasons are closed. There are still plenty of other species you can bring home for dinner, though.

The amberjack bite is unreal, and they are a blast on light tackle. At around the 100-foot range, look for rock piles, as these hot spots are holding mangrove snapper. That’s if you can get past the red snapper. What a problem to have.

Catch Billy Nobles and Mike Anderson on the “Reel Animals Fishing Show” on Saturdays from 6:30-7 a.m. on WFLA, Ch. 8, and from 6-9 a.m. on 970 AM, and on Sundays from 7-9 a.m. on 620 AM. To book a charter, call 1-866-GAMEFISH or visit http://www.reelanimalsfishingshow.com.

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Rays win arbitration case with Niemann

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 04:18 PM

ROGER MOONEY

The Rays remain the only major league team undefeated in the arbitration process after a panel of three arbitrators ruled in their favor today in the case with Jeff Niemann.

Niemann sought a $3.2 million contract for 2012, while the Rays offered $2.75 million.

“We are officially at the end of the arbitration process for the year,” executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “We had a number of eligible players this year and we’re happy to have this process behind us so we can focus all of our attention on getting ready for the season.”

Niemann was the last of the Rays six arbitration-eligible players to come to an agreement.

Joel Peralta agreed to a one-year, $2.175 deal in December, and the Rays reached one-year deals with David Price ($4.35 million), B.J. Upton ($7 million), J.P. Howell ($1.355 million) and Burke Badenhop ($1.075 million) before last month’s deadline to exchange figures.

In all, the Rays paid $18.705 million to the six players.

The Rays are now 6-0 in arbitration, 5-0 under Friedman.

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Jesuit’s Chacon commits to North Carolina

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Adam Adkins

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 03:34 PM

Jesuit junior baseball player Adrian Chacon has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina, Tigers coach Richie Warren said Friday.

Chacon, who plays third base, catcher and pitcher for the Tigers, also was being recruited by Florida, Central Florida and Vanderbilt, among others. He is the second Jesuit junior to give a verbal pledge to the Tar Heels, joining pitcher Spencer Trayner.

Chacon hit .292 with 19 runs scored last season for Jesuit’s Class 4A state runner-up squad. He also posted a 0.78 ERA over 18 innings on the mound, with 19 strikeouts and just two walks.

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Freedom’s Schaller signs with Stetson

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 03:00 PM

Freedom offensive lineman Kurt Schaller, a three year starter for the Patriots and a team captain last fall, has signed a letter of intent with Stetson University in DeLand, Fla.

The 5-foot-10, 285-pound Schaller is one of several area players who will be part of a Stetson football program that is returning to action in 2013 after a 57-year hiatus.

The Hatters’ football program will be competing in the Pioneer Football League, where most of the schools are private. The league, however, will be played at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) as a non-scholarship program.

The Pioneer Football League consists of teams in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. Member schools range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The league includes Butler, Campbell, Davidson, Dayton, Jacksonville, Drake, Marist, Morehead State, the University of San Diego and Valparaiso University. Stetson and Mercer join in 2013. All incoming players at Stetson and Mercer will earn redshirt status this fall.

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Update on Rays Fan Fest, set for Feb. 18

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 02:48 PM

The 2012 Rays Fan Fest presented by MetroPCS, scheduled for Saturday, February 18 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Tropicana Field, will feature an unprecedented number of activities for kids.  Proceeds from select events benefit the Rays Baseball Foundation and the ALS Association Florida Chapter. 

Youth stations include clinics by Rays coaches, “Reading with the Rays,” running the bases, Sweetbay Supermarket High Five Station, interactive activities for all ages and photo opportunities with Rays mascot Raymond and DJ Kitty. The event is also sponsored by Chevrolet, Sweetbay Supermarket and Tradewinds Island Resorts.  Admission and parking are free. 

Hitting and pitching clinics sponsored by Sagicor will be held throughout the day allowing kids to receive free instruction from the Rays major league coaching staff.
 
To promote “Reading with the Rays,” the club’s summer reading program, Rays players will read select stories to kids.

Fan Fest will feature numerous interactive activities for children and families. The MOR Kids Interactive Zone allows fans to interact with players while they swing away in a big league batting cage, try out their fastball in the speed pitch booth and hit a home run in the Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby. Other interactive activities include the MLB 2K11 station, Rock Band stage, Pop-A-Shot booth and newly added Family Feud.
 
“This year’s Fan Fest will feature even more activities for baseball fans, especially children,” Rays president Matt Silverman said. “In addition, the event has become a major fundraiser for the community. By the time the day is over, we expect to have raised over $100,000 for great local causes.”

Tickets to Rays Manager Joe Maddon’s traditional Thanksmas meal during Fan Fest are sold out. All proceeds benefit the Rays Baseball Foundation.

In addition, fans are encouraged to stop by the MetroPCS Call-A-Friend station to have the opportunity for Rays players Reid Brignac, Sam Fuld, David Price or Sean Rodriguez to call a friend or family member. Rays broadcasters and special guests will hold panel discussions. Clubhouse tours will be offered throughout the day.

New to the event in this year is an MLB Alumni Wiffle Ball game including former Rays players.

The Rays Charity Yard Sale returns for a second year giving fans the opportunity to purchase unique game-used and autographed memorabilia dating back to the inaugural season.  All proceeds benefit the Rays Baseball Foundation.  In 2011, the Rays Yard Sale raised $80,000.  Proceeds were split among Rays community partners, the ALS Association, Suncoast Law Enforcement Charities and the Rays Baseball Foundation. 

Fans have the option to purchase a $50 wristband which grants the opportunity to get autographs from Rays players.  All proceeds benefit the ALS Association.

Rays TV and radio broadcasters and more than 25 former major league players will also sign autographs for free throughout the day.

New to Fan Fest is the Exclusive Signing Opportunity that will guarantee an autograph from a specific Rays player. With the purchase of this exclusive offer, fans also receive a wristband for the general autograph line. For more information or to purchase an Exclusive Signing Opportunity, please visit raysbaseball.com.  Proceeds benefit the Rays Baseball Foundation.

Rays ticket sales personnel will be available to assist fans throughout the day in the purchase of season tickets, group tickets and a special Fan Fest pack offer.

Fans can call 888-FAN-RAYS or log on to raysbaseball.com for more information about 2012 Rays Fan Fest.

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