Header - Baseball by the Letters

Year: 2010

Bart Giamatti’s Son Shares Hope For Fans

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I believed in Bart Giamatti. I don’t think the former commissioner batted 1.000. For example, he didn’t handle relations with umpires perfectly.

Nevertheless, his fandom radiated in every word. His writing made you proud to love baseball. His essays live on, far after his 1989 death.

I wrote to his son Marcus, then performing as Peter Gray on CBS’s Judging Amy. This is what he shared about his famous father back in 2002:

“Thomas — Thank you so much for your nice words about my father. Baseball truly lost its greatest advocate and voice when he passed away. We took in many a game at Fenway, some of the nicest times of my life with him. Thanks for the support you give by watching the show.

No matter what happens with baseball, always stay a loyal fan. The game is the thing. That’s the thing my father would all want us to cherish.

Best,
Marcus Giamatti”

 

Jim Colborn ‘Recounts’ Bullpen Hijinks

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“How many fans in Cleveland today?”

What’s better than hanging out at the ballpark with friends?

How about getting paid to hang out in a ballpark bullpen?

Jim Colborn confessed to some major league fun during his career. He wasn’t a starter all his life! He wrote:

“The BULLPEN is always fun — endless pranks and jokes to pass the time and deal with the stress.

  • Once counted every person in attendance in Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium.
  • Often traded balls for hot dogs, etc.
  • Built fires to stay warm.
  • Not as much fun now — too serious — higher standards and expectations for athletes. Good-natured fun too often misconstrued as evil, harmful, politically incorrect, etc. The days of innocence are gone.”

Thankfully, baseball still has colorful characters like Colborn to preserve its wacky, wonderful past.

Brewer Jim Colborn Wins 22-Inning Battle

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Do you remember everything you were doing 37 or 38 years ago?

Jim Colborn, an experienced pitching coach, kindly hinted that I had a typo in my letter. I asked him about winning an epic battle against the Twins on May 12, 1972. Not 1973. (http://www.retrosheet.org/ knew the right date, too!) He showed tact and humility, refusing to brag about hitting his team’s only triple in the waning days before the designated hitter.

Colborn wrote:

“Was this game in 1973 or 1972? I remember it well. Seems like Harmon Killebrew kept coming up…I was trying to be careful he didn’t hit one out. Biggest memory besides triple was that victory came the next day! Next day’s starter, Jim Lonborn, pitched bottom of the 21st for save after we scored in top half. We waited half hour or so and he started the next game — AND, as I remember it, that game went 14 INNINGS!”

Tomorrow: Shades of Bull Durham, Batman! Colborn reveals some of his favorite 1970s diversions while hanging out in bullpens.

Cubs Pitcher Jim Colborn Recalls Stormy Times With Manager Leo Durocher

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Pitcher Jim Colborn sent me an early Christmas present. I asked about three topics. He sent me true tales from the diamond. Remember the old CBS “You Are There” programs? He’s that good. Why don’t we see the likes of Jim on This Week in Baseball? Baseball broadcast teams, take note. This guy is a classic storyteller.

First, I asked about manager Leo Durocher.

“Leo had an ego problem. He needed strokes so badly he put people down and manipulated them to make himself feel UP. Sad kind of person.”


Tomorrow: Colborn recounts a never-ending game against the Minnesota Twins!

Pitcher Jim Barr Remembers Candlestick

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San Francisco pitcher Jim Barr knew Candlestick Park. Did he know AND love the ballpark? I quizzed him on three subjects. He replied:

“CANDLESTICK — yes, it was COLD and windy. My thought process was: this is my job, what I am expected to do, and it was the MAJOR LEAGUES. Yeah, it was nice to pitch on the road, in better weather and a lot more fans. But pitching at home, well, it was YOUR HOME PARK.”

Barr registered three near no-no’s in his career, a trio of two-hitters. Regrets?

“Honestly, I never thought of a NO-HITTER. All the games were reasonably close, so winning was the #1 priority.”


Barr was the pitcher who got away, being drafted six times before turning pro. I asked him if it was more than money that caused him to turn away major league chances.

“I signed with the Giants because I was graduating from college. I didn’t sign earlier because I had a very good college degree on the line and all the other offers couldn’t make up the difference of my college degree.”

If Barr’s praise of education sounds like he’d be a good college coach, the former Giant must agree. I found him profiled on the Sacramento State website as the school’s baseball coach.