The fans speak out

Baseball Digest, March-April, 2005 by Eric Husby-Gerry, Patrick Kielty, Sam Aviles, Keith Castelluccio, Al Valentine, Tom Putnam, David Lynch, John Rowehl, Stephen Tarbell, Shawn Casey, Norman L. Macht, Jim Schier, Drew Masterman, Bill Frangis, John Hogan, Steve Luftig, Lewis J. Snyder, Bob Reigh, Fred Jimenez, Robert Bouret, Donald S. Buss, Robert A. Wolfe, Bob Diehl, Jerry Sills, Michael P. Pippin, Eric Sever

This occurred at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh in the summer of 1962, when Minnie spent one season with the Cardinals. My father had taken my two brothers and me to see the Cardinals. We wanted to see Stan Musial. Prior to the game, we went down behind the visitors' dugout to try and get Stan Musial's autograph. Well, the Man wasn't signing that evening--too busy.

However, Minnie Minoso was waiting to do a radio interview. His head was all bandaged up. He had run into the wall the night or a couple of nights before, trying to make a catch. Anyway, myself and several other kids started on Minnie. He made gestures and facial expressions, indicating that he had to do the interview and it was getting close to the time for it. But even with the interview imminent, Minnie came over and signed an autograph for everyone waiting before doing the interview! Very nice, and a gesture that I have never forgotten. I still have and treasure that autograph.

Minnie was and is a great ambassador for the game of baseball.

Lewis J. Snyder

Jamestown, NY

Jim Bottomley had a great career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1922 through 1932. He led the league in RBI three years in a row. In 1928, Bottomley was the MVP and won the Triple Crown.

At age 30 in 1930, it seems that something happened. He did have average seasons later, but he never again scored or batted in 100 runs in a year. What happened?

Bob Reigh

Lebanon, Pa.

Bottomley had a successful career that led to his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1974. He played 16 years in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals (1922-1932), Cincinnati Reds (1933-1935) and St. Louis Browns (1936-1937).

His decline in power numbers (HR and RBI) really began in 1931 when age and minor injuries began to take a toll on him, although in 1936 at age 36, he drove in 95 runs for the Browns.

Ichiro Suzuki broke an 84-year record for most hits in a season, doing it the old fashioned way. He earned it. Shame on all the players who have discredited the game by using steroids.

Fred Jimenez

La Verne, Calif.

We're with you one hundred percent. Ball players who use muscle-enhancing steroids can best be described as either uncommonly greedy or stupid or both.

Randy Johnson's 2004 record brings to mind Bob Gibson's stellar season of 1968, in that in each case, the pitchers' won-lost record could have been considerably improved with just a little more run support from their teams.

Last season, the Diamondbacks scored two runs or less in 17 of the Big Unit's 35 starts. Had his teammates backed him up with only a dozen or so more runs, his record could have been a sparkling 23-7 instead of a so-so 16-14.

In Gibby's memorable '68 Cy Young season, considered by many to be a benchmark for pitching excellence, he had a 1.12 ERA and 13 shutouts, while winning 22 games and losing nine. Not too bad, but it could have been much better had he not been on the losing side of several 1-0 games. Can you tell me how many 1-0 games Gibson lost in 1968 and how many Johnson lost in 2004 by the same score?