Cooperstown Confidential--Spring Training Edition--April 1, 2005

[Bruce Markusen]

The Rumor Mill
For several years, he’s been known for raw talent, unrefined skills, and an unusual name. This spring, he’s become one of the most sought-after commodities on the trade block, a player that several teams would desperately like to make a featured part of their 2005 outfields. Such is the latest development in the winding career path of Wily Mo Pena, who finds himself as the overqualified fourth outfielder on a Reds team that needs pitching more than the power-speed combination of a 23-year-old stud who also strikes out one-third of the time. With Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Austin Kearns healthy (at least for the moment) and with a rejuvenated and retooled Rob Stratton in reserve at Triple-A Louisville, the Reds are willing to listen to offers for the powerful-but-untrained Pena. The hottest suitors are the Washington Nationals, where former Reds general manager Jim Bowden remains Pena’s biggest fan, and is willing to forgive Wily Mo’s wild strikeout-to-walk ratio of 10-to-2. Unsatisfied with center-field incumbents Endy Chavez (who’s been demoted to Triple-A after a poor spring) and Terrmel Sledge, Bowden would love to make Pena the centerpiece of Washington’s outfield, surrounded by Brad Wilkerson in left and Jose Guillen in right. The Nationals have pitching to offer, with a choice of right-handers Tony Armas, Jr. (currently on the DL with a groin pull), Zach Day, and Tomo Ohka primed to headline any package for Pena. The Reds have supposedly asked about Livan Hernandez, but Bowden would rather not surrender his most durable starting pitcher… The Yankees, ever worried about the increasingly fragile Bernie Williams (whose upper back strain was his latest spring training nuisance), have quietly talked to the Reds about a trade for Pena. Although Pena has far more experience as a corner outfielder, he has enough speed and range to patrol center field, and a cannon arm that would play particularly well at Yankee Stadium. The Reds would like minor league right-hander Chien-Ming Wang as part of any deal, but the Yankees are reluctant to give up their lone Triple-A starting pitcher insurance policy. Brian Cashman could counter by offering a package of left-hander Alex Graman (who’s out of options but somehow cleared waivers in being sent down) and versatile infielder Andy Phillips (who’s frozen out of a roster spot by the Yankees’ inane infatuation with a 12-man pitching staff), but that tandem might not be enough to entice the Reds. That’s too bad, because Pena would be an ideal platoon partner for Williams, who would then be free to DH against left-handers… The Mets’ Omar Minaya also pines for Pena’s talent, but already has an overflow of outfielders, at least until he pulls the trigger on dealing either Mike Cameron or Cliff Floyd. Minaya is hoping that the Reds wait on trading for Pena now, perhaps making him available in mid-summer, by which time the trade value of Aaron Heilman and Tyler Yates might be a bit higher than it is now… In the meantime, Minaya continues to scour both leagues for available relievers. While most of the media attention has been paid to the Tigers’ Ugueth Urbina, Minaya has quietly opened up discussions with the Devil Rays about Danys Baez. The Cuban refugee pitched well for Tampa Bay in 2004, but there are few things more extraneous than quality closers on non-contending ballclubs. Urbina has world championship experience on his side, but Baez might be the better target for the Mets; at 27, he’s four years younger than the Tigers’ expendable closer, and might cost less on the trade market, given Detroit’s inflated asking price for Urbina. The Devil Rays have no interest in either Cameron or Floyd, but might accept a package that includes some combination of backup outfielder Eric Valent and pitchers Heilman, Heath Bell, Bartolome Fortunato, and Jay Seo. Besides, the Devil Rays probably have good feelings about trading with the Mets, having heisted away Scott Kazmir for the ever-erratic Victor Zambrano… Speaking of the Devil Rays, they’ve also been talking to the Pirates about infielder-outfielder Rob Mackowiak, who can play the infield corners along with all three outfield spots. Mackowiak could be useful to the D-Rays as a platoon third baseman while also giving them some outfield depth until Rocco Baldelli makes a mid-season return from a torn ACL… Nothing will happen until mid-season, but the Red Sox are so confident that super-prospect Hanley Ramirez’ athletic skills will enable him to make a fast and ready adjustment to the outfield that they might be willing to trade one of their starting outfielders in July or August. (Ramirez will start the minor league season playing at shortstop, but don’t be surprised if he receives some quick tutorials in the outfield while at Double-A Portland.) If David Wells’ back becomes bothersome and Wade Miller can’t pitch until 2006, the Red Sox could offer Trot Nixon or even Johnny Damon in exchange for some pitching help. (And then again, they could offer Hanley Ramirez himself.) A trade of Damon wouldn’t be popular in Beantown, but Theo Epstein has already shown a willingness to trade impending big name free agents, as he did with Nomar Garciaparra last summer. Damon, whose contract expires at season’s end, figures to stir up a frenzied free agent bidding war, especially in light of the lack of high-quality center fielders in today’s game. That could result in overpayment, which the Red Sox don’t like to do.



Random Ramblings
You know the back end of your starting rotation is smarting when a middling minor league veteran, one who hasn’t pitched in the major leagues the last two seasons, puts up poor numbers in the spring and still receives the reward of a coveted spot in the starting rotation. That’s the scenario with the Pirates, who announced in late March that left-hander Dave Williams had won the spring training “battle” for the No. 5 spot over punching-bag right-hander Ryan Vogelsong and top prospect southpaw Zach Duke. In five spring appearances through Easter weekend, Williams had posted an ERA of 5.50 and had been generally unimpressive against Grapefruit League batters. (Williams didn’t fare much better in his follow-up start, giving up 10 hits and five earned runs in six innings of work.) So what exactly has Williams, who underwent major shoulder surgery in 2002, done to merit becoming a part of Lloyd McClendon’s 2005 staff? Well, nothing really, except to show Pirates management that he’s not as vile as Vogelsong, who lost 13 of 19 decisions last year while going nearly four months without winning a start and giving up a hefty six and a half runs per nine innings. Williams also had the good fortune to be competing against Duke, who’s one of the Bucs’ top pitching prospects but also has little experience above Single-A ball and who stands to become eligible for arbitration in three years if he makes the Opening Day roster and avoids an in-season demotion. Once again, economics have played an unsightly role in determining who makes—and who doesn’t—the Pirates’ 25-man roster… In spite of their problems finding a reputable fifth starter (oh where have you gone, Bob Johnson and Jim Rooker?), the Pirates’ starting rotation actually has the makings of something decent in a slipsliding National League Central. Oliver Perez, who’s simply the best left-hander in the division (with apologies to Mark Mulder), ranks as a legitimate No. 1 starter, and fellow southpaw Mark Redman figures to be more Marlin-like than Athletic-looking now that he’s returned to face the lineups of the kinder, gentler National League. And from the right side, Kip Wells and Josh Fogg have enough talent to keep the Pirates close through the middle innings, giving their better-than-average bullpen a chance to finish more than a few games on the fruitful side… Royals fans can rest a little easier now knowing that rookie Mark Teahen will be their starting third baseman and that neither Joe McEwing nor Denny Hocking has made the Opening Day roster. Last week, there was some speculation that McEwing and Hocking might actually do some platooning at third base, leading me to ask what in the world of Paul Schaal was going on here? Teahen might not be George Brett, but he’s certainly better than “Super Joe” and “Dandy Denny,” and might even be an upgrade over his predecessor, Joe “The Joker” Randa… If it seems like the Braves’ Wilson Betemit has been talked about as a prospect for about a decade now, well you’re not really that far off. Betemit, who was first signed by the Braves’ organization in 1996, has finally made a Braves Opening Day roster. An impressive spring at the plate, coupled with the fact that Betemit is out of minor league options, helped seal the deal for the approximately 24-year-old Dominican (whose age has been disputed). Although scouts continue to complain that Betemit can’t hit breaking balls, he could become a fine backup for the Braves. He’s a switch-hitter with power, can play either third base or shortstop, and has just enough speed to be used as a pinch-runner. All in all, he’ll be an upgrade over Mark DeRosa.

[Bruce Markusen]

Card Corner
If you didn’t already know that Rico Carty was one of my favorite ballplayers, you’ll know it for sure when you hear this: I named our pet Collie-Huskie, who’s been with us for over five years, after him. That’s how much I liked Rico Carty.

If not for a multitude of injuries and illnesses, Carty might today be a revered member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. That assessment even takes into account his ponderous footspeed and atrocious fielding. With his combined talents of making contact, hitting for power, and drawing more walks than strikeouts, Carty was that good a hitter at his peak. (Just look at his numbers in 1970, which might have brought him a few more votes for National League MVP if only the Braves had repeated as Western Division champs. Somehow Carty finished only 10th in the balloting.)

Even without recognition in Cooperstown, Carty remains one of the most fascinating athletes of the late 20th century. Prior to becoming a professional ballplayer, the well-built Carty starred as a boxer. Although the two sports require far different skills, Carty found common ground in one area: his ability to hit. He hit live pitching with the same ferocity that he hit live opponents in the ring. By the mid-1960s, his decision to turn to baseball seemed justified, as his minor league batting prowess earned him a promotion to the Milwaukee Braves. After moving with the franchise to Atlanta, Carty continued to build his reputation as one of the National League’s most feared hitters, combining the ability to bat for average and power, while rarely striking out. A number of scouts, coaches, and managers described Carty as the best two-strike hitter of his era.

Unfortunately, there were setbacks. One year (1965), Carty hurt his back, forcing him to miss half of the season. In another year (1968), Carty contracted tuberculosis, sapping him of much of his strength and rendering him unavailable for the entire regular season.

In 1970, a healthy Carty reached the peak of his playing career when he led the National League with a thunderous .366 batting average and a .456 on-base percentage. He also hit for power that summer, accumulating career highs with 25 home runs and 101 RBIs. Then, during the offseason, Carty’s career came to a crossroads. During a winter league game, he collided with fellow Dominican outfielder Matty Alou. The incident resulted in a crushed kneecap and broken left leg, which forced Carty to the sidelines for the entire 1971 season. He returned to the active roster the following season, but found himself strung up by a pulled muscle in his leg. So just when Carty should have been entering the prime of his career, he endured two seasons of lost causes

The injuries to Carty represented only part of the problem. Carty’s personality sometime put him in conflict with teammates and managers. During his years with the Braves, Carty brawled with six-foot, six-inch right-hander Ron Reed in one incident and with the team’s best player, Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, in another. Carty’s continuing problems with Aaron eventually influenced his trade to the Rangers after the 1972 season. While in Texas, Carty sparred with manager Whitey Herzog, which resulted in his mid-season departure. The Rangers traded him back to the National League, this time sending him to the Cubs. Carty proceeded to butt heads with another popular star player, Ron Santo, one of the Cubs’ senior veterans and most prominent clubhouse leaders. Within a few weeks, the Cubs Carty him back to the American League, where he landed with the world champion A’s. Upon his arrival in Oakland, Carty pointed the finger at Santo, labeling him a selfish player. Carty bitterly predicted the Cubs would never win a division title or league pennant until they ridded themselves of their longtime third baseman. Although Carty’s criticism likely had little to do with it, the Cubs traded Santo to the cross-town White Sox after the season.

Carty could make controversy with the best of them, but he was colorful in a good way, too. At 6’3” and 200 pounds, he proudly called himself the “Beeg Boy” or the “Beeg Mon,” using his heavy Spanish accent to change the pronunciation of the word “Big.” He also brandished a distinct style at the plate. Unlike many hitters who step out of the batter’s box and tug at their uniforms between pitches, Carty stood firmly planted in the box throughout each bat, making him the opposite of Mike Hargrove. Carty remained virtually motionless, all the while glaring at the opposing pitcher. Given his enormous hitting talents, Carty’s stance and stare only made him more intimidating to rival hurlers.

When healthy, Carty made pitchers very nervous. After struggling with several teams in 1972 and ’73 (which explains his absence from the 1974 Topps set) and playing a stint in the Mexican League, he revived his career with the Indians, making himself one of the American League’s most productive designated hitters. By the time his 1975 Topps card was issued, showing him in airbrushed Cleveland colors, Carty’s career enjoyed a second life. The DH rule allowed Carty, even with his chronic knee problems, to continue his career until 1980.

In many ways, Carty’s splendid hitting skills and off-the-field histrionics overshadowed his intelligence. After his playing days, he became a political figure in his native Dominican Republic. As a favor to the president of the Dominican Republic, a personal friend of his, Carty decided to run for political office. In May of 1994, the popular Carty was elected mayor of his hometown, San Pedro de Macoris (birthplace to George Bell, Julio Franco, and Tony Fernandez, among others), and was scheduled to be sworn into office in mid-August. Political machinations then wreaked havoc on Carty’s career. On August 2, a controversial recount gave the mayoral job to Carty’s principal opponent

If Carty had won election, he planned to repair many of the city’s streets and step up efforts to fight pollution in San Pedro de Macoris. He also wanted to ask the United States for help in bringing equipment—specifically bats and baseballs—to the Dominican Republic for youth baseball players. Although Carty’s political desires were grounded through the recount, he still managed to earn the honorary rank of General in the Dominican army—another sign of his enormous popularity throughout the Latin American country.

Now how many guys have won a batting championship, brawled with Hank Aaron, won and then lost the same political election, and then become a general? As far as I know, the only one is the one-of-a-kind Rico Carty.


Pastime Passings
Bob Casey (Died on March 27 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; age 79; complications from liver cancer and pneumonia): Known as one of the game’s most colorful and energetic public address announcers, Casey developed a rabid following in the Twin Cities. A PA man for 44 years in the major leagues, Casey began his broadcasting career in 1951 with the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. He also did PA work for the Minnesota Vikings for three seasons. In 1961, Casey became a major league PA announcer when the Washington Senators relocated to the Twin Cities and became the Minnesota Twins. Working first at Metropolitan Stadium and then at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Casey became well known for his high-pitched, exaggerated introductions of Twins players, especially stars like Kirby Puckett and Chuck Knoblauch. He also developed a reputation for mispronouncing or misstating players’ names. He once introduced Twins star Paul Molitor as “Paul Monitor,” and later referred to Twins outfielder Dustan Mohr as “Dustin Hoffman.”

Prior to each game, Casey frenetically reminded fans of an important ballpark rule by crying out, “There is nooooo smoking in the Metrodome!” As the first PA announcer in the history of the Twins’ franchise, Casey worked an estimated 4,000 games during his legendary career, including more than 3,300 with the Twins. The Twins have announced plans to dedicate the 2005 season in memory of Casey.

Commentary: I generally prefer the Bob Sheppard approach to public address announcing—dignified, reserved, and well-articulated—but when done right, the more frenetic approaches of broadcasters like Bob Casey can be just as appealing. In many ways, Casey was the Dave Zinkoff of baseball, using the exaggerated pronunciations and wildly varied tempos that made the late voice of the Philadelphia 76ers one of the most beloved announcers in all of sports. The bottom line is this—when a PA announcer like Casey can provide the basic information that the patron needs while also enhancing the entertainment level of a live sporting event, he’s doing his job. And Casey did it very well, making even the Metrodome a memorable place to experience a game.

Bob Mavis (Died on March 1 in Little Rock, Ark; age 86): Mavis played in one major league game, appearing as a pinch-runner for the Detroit Tigers on September 17, 1949. Mavis soon returned to the minor leagues, playing for Toledo and Buffalo before embarking on a career as a minor league manager. The Milwaukee native also scouted for the Brewers and Braves in later years.


Bruce Markusen is the author of the brand new release, Tales From The Mets Dugout, issued by Sports Publishing. Markusen will be available to sign copies of Tales From The Mets Dugout at Barnes and Noble in Utica, New York on Tuesday, April 12. For more information on other signings during the book tour, send an e-mail to bmark@telenet.net.

[Crash Course]

Card posting coming soon.........

BTW, Carty made my book. Look for it when it's out. You might like what it says about him.

[Bruce Markusen]

Steve, I'll definitely be interested in reading your comments about Carty. Is it an entire article about Carty, or is he mentioned more briefly?

Gotta love the "Beeg Mon."

[Crash Course]

Just a tease: He gets as much of a mention as every other player in the book.

[Crash Course]

Card posting coming soon.........as promised