The fans speak out

Baseball Digest, August, 2008 by Fred Refling, Norman L. macht, Dave DePasquale, Oren M. Spiegler, Paul Preston, Brandon Martin, Steven Redman, Luis Humberto Vega, Alex Luddy, Ron Rigsby, William Daly, C.J. Corcoran, Alan J. Greenhalgh, Sam Brown

In the June issue, there was a listing in the letters section of pitching teammates with the most combined victories in one season (the combined wins ranged from a high of 68 to a low of 50).

It made me think of the 1968 Tigers and Denny McLain. That year, McLain won 31 games. With that, I believe Mickey Lolich also had a good year. Didn't they both combine for 50 victories?

Fred Refling

Appleton, Wis.

Not quite. In that pennant year for the Tigers, Lolich won 17 games.

In the 1911-1914 Philadelphia A's infield photo in the June issue, the fifth man pictured is Danny (not Johnny) Murphy, the second baseman who was moved to the outfield to make way for Eddie Collins in what became known as the "$100,000 Infield."

Norman L Macht

San Marcos, Tex.

Being a Yankee fan for close to 50 years, I wonder how you could possibly omit any Yankee infield from your list of all-time best infields (published in the June Baseball Digest)?

The 2008 Yankees alone have two future Hall of Famers in A-Rod at third and Derek Jeter at short, and maybe Jason Giambi at first and if Robinson Cano continues the way he has at second, he could be, too.

Also, are you forgetting the 1961 team with Moose Skowron at first, Bobby Richardson at second, Tony Kubek at short and Clete Boyer at third?

Dave DePasquale

Canton, Ohio

I believe Major League Baseball generally does a respectable job of keeping the sport wholesome and family-friendly.

There is, however, one glaring exception.

And, that is the use of highly breakable maple bats which have caused numerous injuries, one of the most recent being a severe cut to the cheek of Pirates hitting coach Don Long. Had the piece of the flying bat struck a fraction of an inch higher, Long might today have but one functioning eye.

Is it going to take as player or fan being killed, blinded or brain damaged before action is taken to eliminate these wooden weapons before the game returns to the era in which a broken bat was rare?

I understand these (thin-handled) bats are liked by the players, but they remain an untenable menace. Why isn't disaster headed off by doing the right thing now?

Oren M. Spiegler

Upper Saint Clair, Pa.

We're with you on this one. It will take a serious accident caused by a splintered bat which injures a player, umpire or fan before Major League Baseball does something to prevent it from happening again.

In 1981, I was 14 years old and turned on the television to watch a baseball game. I saw Fernando Valenzuela take the mound, and that was the day I became a true Dodgers fan.

At the end of the 2007 season, one of my life-long dreams came true. I traveled three-quarters of the way across the country to see the Dodgers play at Dodger Stadium.

Before the game, I actually saw Fernando Valenzuela on the field, taking pictures with some children. As luck would have it, he spotted the group I was standing with, and he came over and signed autographs for everyone.

I felt like a kid again, and his autograph is something I will cherish until my dying day.

I would just like to thank Fernando and all professional athletes, retired and active, who take a few minutes of their time to give a fan, young or old, a memory that will last forever.

Paul Preston

Owensboro, Ky.

In the article about Alan Trammell in the June issue, it was stated that he had 2,365 hits in 2,293 games played.

Since he averaged just over one hit per game played, it made me wonder who has the highest hits per games played in their career?

Brandon Martin

Rigby, Idaho

Among players with 2,000 or more career hits, Ed Delahanty holds the major league mark with 1.4 hits per game. See the accompanying chart.

In 1959, I was 12 and my dad took me to the first game of the World Series between the White Sex and Dodgers at Comiskey Park.

My dad was a White Sox fan and me, a Dodger fan. The White Sox won the game, 11-0.

I think "Big Klu" (Ted Kluszewski) hit two home runs near where we were sitting and that Early Wynn pitched for the Sox. Could you print a box score of that game?

Steven Redman

Palm Springs, Calif.

In the first game of the 1959 World Series, Kluszewski hit both his homers to right field, the second one in the upper deck. Wynn was the winner, with Roger Craig taking the loss. See the accompanying box score

Regarding the article on "strange injuries" to players in the May issue of Baseball Digest:

In his autobiography, Babe Ruth tells how he was the victim of a prankster teammate during the first train ride of his life after signing his first professional contract.

The teammate tricked him into using a little cloth hammock beside the train berth to "rest" his pitching arm "because all professional pitchers do so."

Convinced to "act like a pro," Ruth hung his arm overnight in such an awkward position that when he reported to his team the following day, he was sleepless and with a cramped, sore arm which disabled him during his first days as a professional baseball player.

Luis Humberto Vega