Like Rays, Aybar exceeds expectations
When the Angels came to Tropicana Field for a three-game series against the Rays earlier this week, Willy Aybar's mother, Francia, had a tough decision to make.
With Willy donning the Tampa Bay blue and brother Erick the Angels' starting shortstop, what was a mother to do?
"My mom just roots for whichever one plays the best," Willy said. "Let the best man win."
That judgment is becoming increasingly difficult as Willy -- the elder Aybar by 10 months -- has stepped up from part-time player to crucial starter. Since taking over third-base duties for injured Evan Longoria, Aybar is batting .333 (16-for-48), including a 5-for-12 series vs. the Angels. After matching a season-high three hits on Monday night, Aybar delivered a clutch two-run single with two outs to give the Rays the lead in Tuesday's series-clinching victory.
"I was happy to be in that situation," Aybar said through an interpreter, "to come up with the bases loaded and two outs, and be the guy."
The 25-year-old has been just the right guy to fill the void left by All-Star rookie Longoria, who is expected to be shelved with a right wrist fracture until the beginning of September.
"Willy's a baseball player," manager Joe Maddon said. "Every day he comes out, even when he's not playing, you see him sitting on the bench staring at the field. He doesn't walk around, he doesn't go in the clubhouse. He pays attention. When he goes out there, you will see he -- more than anybody on this team -- with a runner at second base and nobody out, gets him over consistently. He knows what to do and how to do it."
In the club's past 12 games, Aybar hasn't just moved runners; he's given the middle of the Rays' order a much-needed power lift. Missing big bats like Longoria and Carl Crawford, Aybar has given opposing pitchers another stick to fear, stroking three home runs and a triple and driving in nine runs over the not-quite two-week stretch. And while Aybar merely attests he is taking advantage of the playing time, others give him more credit.
"He's been huge," Cliff Floyd said. "He's a professional baseball player. He goes out there and does all the little things right."
Hard working and quiet, the older Aybar "doesn't say much", admits Eric Hinske. "He just goes about his business and goes out there and does his job."
Whatever job that may be. The Rays have had a wealth of injuries this season, not to mention five suspensions for their involvement in a June 6 fracas with the Red Sox. Aybar's versatility -- he has started at every infield position -- has been key to maintaining Tampa Bay's high level of play.
"I didn't know he was this good of a defender," praised Maddon.
Actually, Maddon admitted he didn't know much at all about Aybar prior to this season, and credits Andrew Friedman, the Rays' executive vice president of baseball operations, for acquiring Aybar from the Braves during this past offseason. Both Aybars were taught to switch-hit by their father, Chicho, a professional softball player in the Dominican who recognized how valuable the skill could be for his young sons. And although Willy's hitting came heavily advertised, the young infielder was a substantial risk after missing the entire 2007 season with the Braves.
"Last year was kind of a waste," Aybar said.
After sustaining a right wrist injury in Spring Training, he opened the season on the 15-day disabled list before being transferred to the 60-day DL. But physical ailments weren't all that kept Aybar from the diamond. He was suspended several times by the Braves and spent three months at a rehab facility for substance abuse. Getting out of Atlanta didn't help matters, as Aybar was jailed in the Dominican Republic and charged with domestic violence less than a month into his tenure as a Ray. The charges were later dropped by his wife. But sitting in the Rays' upbeat clubhouse on Wednesday afternoon, Aybar is a free man in every sense of the word.
"It's in the past," he said of his personal problems. "And thank God it's not something I have to focus on anymore."
He is stronger, mentally and physically. After missing 45 games with a left hamstring strain, Aybar says he is fully healthy and approaching the game with "no fear".
And maybe a little bit of fun. "I just think that when you're in a good environment around good guys, everything just tends to form in the right way," Floyd said. "He just seems comfortable. He seems relaxed. And when you have that combination, it makes you go out there and be yourself and play your game."
Aybar has succeeded despite the doubt, and -- not unlike the Rays -- he has turned naysayers into believers. "We've talked about it all year," Maddon said of the Rays' ability to win crucial games with reserves like Aybar. All of our guys have played, and they've been participating all year. When they're out there, they feel comfortable about it, they feel like they belong. They feel like they're part of something special, and that brings out the best in all of our guys."
2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
PADRES: Hatcher's big league dream comes with a catch
On a daily basis, almost without fail, a Padres player will walk by bullpen catcher Justin Hatcher's clubhouse stall and wish him a happy birthday. Each time, Hatcher greets the well-wisher, grins and thanks him, even if it's the 100th time he has received the wishes.
The scene plays out again and again, but Hatcher, who turned 28 on May 12, understands its origin. One year removed from a floundering career as a minor league catcher, Hatcher dons a uniform daily in a major league clubhouse, making every day feel like his birthday. Six months into his new career, Hatcher has found that the transition from being a prospect with a limited future in baseball to living out his big league dreams, albeit as a member of the staff, is far more fun than he imagined.
"It doesn't seem like work to me," said Hatcher, who was a catcher for five minor league seasons with the Texas Rangers and Padres. "I wake up in the morning and I say, 'I'm going to Petco Park. That's my office. What cooler thing can you have to do than that?' "
Choosing to give up playing baseball, however, wasn't easy. Though he played in only 26 games last season for three Padres minor league affiliates, Hatcher had several opportunities in 2008. But they were backup positions in either Double-A or Triple-A, and none were with the Padres, which meant Hatcher would have to start over with a different organization. The Padres, though, did have a job to offer Hatcher, and it was in the big leagues. But it came with a caveat: He would no longer be a player.
"Not being able to compete any more," Hatcher said, "that was the most difficult part...It was real tough giving up your dream and aspirations of actually being a player in the major leagues...Your whole dream is getting to the big leagues, obviously, as a player, and I didn't know if that was going to happen. My career wasn't looking as if that was going to happen...I think this was the best thing."
It would be easy for a bullpen catcher to be down on himself, but Padres reliever Cla Meredith sees none of that in Hatcher. Instead, he sees a hard worker who enjoys throwing batting practice, playing long toss and catching pitchers in the bullpen.
"I still consider Hatch a baseball player," Meredith said. "He's less than a year removed from playing. To have to put (his career) down and have to say, 'This is an opportunity for me to be around the game and still do what I love to do and get to be at the highest level' ... I know it was probably tough for him. But he takes his job seriously and has a good time. He's definitely one of the boys."
That's the part Hatcher enjoys most. "I enjoy being out there with the guys as much as possible," Hatcher said. "That's what I love about baseball more than anything is the camaraderie with the guys, and I get that here. I feel like I'm one of them."
Bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds said the Padres targeted Hatcher because of his resilient arm, catching ability, work ethic and passion. He also has a good understanding of baseball, which Akerfelds has learned through frequent conversations with Hatcher in the bullpen during games.
"He has all the intangibles," Akerfelds said.
Now, he also knows what it's like to be a major league coach, having sat in on daily meetings and prep work. Though he never would have considered it before, Hatcher is far more agreeable to becoming a coach now that he understands what it entails.
"I never thought about coaching. I've always thought about playing, and that's why I definitely thought this might be a good thing," Hatcher said. "(The experience) is something I feel I wouldn't have received as a minor league coach."
For now, however, Hatcher is content with being one of the boys and celebrating his birthday 365 days a year. "I've had so much fun," Hatcher said. "I can't imagine if we were winning how much more fun I'd have, because I'm having a blast."
nctimes.com
PADRES: Hatcher's big league dream comes with a catch
On a daily basis, almost without fail, a Padres player will walk by bullpen catcher Justin Hatcher's clubhouse stall and wish him a happy birthday. Each time, Hatcher greets the well-wisher, grins and thanks him, even if it's the 100th time he has received the wishes.
The scene plays out again and again, but Hatcher, who turned 28 on May 12, understands its origin. One year removed from a floundering career as a minor league catcher, Hatcher dons a uniform daily in a major league clubhouse, making every day feel like his birthday. Six months into his new career, Hatcher has found that the transition from being a prospect with a limited future in baseball to living out his big league dreams, albeit as a member of the staff, is far more fun than he imagined.
"It doesn't seem like work to me," said Hatcher, who was a catcher for five minor league seasons with the Texas Rangers and Padres. "I wake up in the morning and I say, 'I'm going to Petco Park. That's my office. What cooler thing can you have to do than that?' "
Choosing to give up playing baseball, however, wasn't easy. Though he played in only 26 games last season for three Padres minor league affiliates, Hatcher had several opportunities in 2008. But they were backup positions in either Double-A or Triple-A, and none were with the Padres, which meant Hatcher would have to start over with a different organization. The Padres, though, did have a job to offer Hatcher, and it was in the big leagues. But it came with a caveat: He would no longer be a player.
"Not being able to compete any more," Hatcher said, "that was the most difficult part...It was real tough giving up your dream and aspirations of actually being a player in the major leagues...Your whole dream is getting to the big leagues, obviously, as a player, and I didn't know if that was going to happen. My career wasn't looking as if that was going to happen...I think this was the best thing."
It would be easy for a bullpen catcher to be down on himself, but Padres reliever Cla Meredith sees none of that in Hatcher. Instead, he sees a hard worker who enjoys throwing batting practice, playing long toss and catching pitchers in the bullpen.
"I still consider Hatch a baseball player," Meredith said. "He's less than a year removed from playing. To have to put (his career) down and have to say, 'This is an opportunity for me to be around the game and still do what I love to do and get to be at the highest level' ... I know it was probably tough for him. But he takes his job seriously and has a good time. He's definitely one of the boys."
That's the part Hatcher enjoys most. "I enjoy being out there with the guys as much as possible," Hatcher said. "That's what I love about baseball more than anything is the camaraderie with the guys, and I get that here. I feel like I'm one of them."
Bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds said the Padres targeted Hatcher because of his resilient arm, catching ability, work ethic and passion. He also has a good understanding of baseball, which Akerfelds has learned through frequent conversations with Hatcher in the bullpen during games.
"He has all the intangibles," Akerfelds said.
Now, he also knows what it's like to be a major league coach, having sat in on daily meetings and prep work. Though he never would have considered it before, Hatcher is far more agreeable to becoming a coach now that he understands what it entails.
"I never thought about coaching. I've always thought about playing, and that's why I definitely thought this might be a good thing," Hatcher said. "(The experience) is something I feel I wouldn't have received as a minor league coach."
For now, however, Hatcher is content with being one of the boys and celebrating his birthday 365 days a year. "I've had so much fun," Hatcher said. "I can't imagine if we were winning how much more fun I'd have, because I'm having a blast."
nctimes.com
TAKE 2: An additional look at the day in sports
St. Louis Cardinals fans are commonly considered among the best and most intelligent in baseball. They pack Busch Stadium year after year, and most wear red to every game. They cheer a good defensive play in the field, whether it's made by a Cardinal or an opposing player.
For gosh sakes, they even give former role players like So Taguchi ridiculously long standing ovations upon their return to St. Louis. But there was something I saw on the ESPN pregame show before the start of Sunday's Cardinals-Phillies game that made we wonder just how smart St. Louis fans really are. Beginning Sunday with the Cardinals, ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" is selecting the three greatest players in the history of each MLB franchise. A panel of three ESPN baseball experts picks their top three, and Internet voting allows fans to choose their favorites.
The ESPN crew chose Stan Musial as the greatest Cardinal of all time, followed by Bob Gibson and Lou Brock. It's a Hall of Fame trio that seems hard to argue with, unless you ask baseball's "most intelligent" fans. According to fan voting, Ozzie Smith landed the second spot behind Musial and just in front of Gibson. Don't get me wrong folks, I like the Wizard of Oz as much as the next guy. He saved my bacon a few years back when he granted me an interview after the opening ceremonies of the Show-Me State Games, and my mom even named her tiny terrier mix after her favorite back-flipping baseball player.
Smith was actually in Columbia yesterday to host the Rainbow House charity golf event at The Club at Old Hawthorne. But is he really the second-best player to wear the birds on the bat?
Considered the best defensive shortstop in baseball history, Smith did win 11 Gold Gloves and made 14 All-Star appearances as a Cardinal. But what about the offense? Except for that game-winning home run off Tom Niedenfuer in Game 5 of the NLCS in 1985, "Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!", the defensive wiz was a bit of an offensive dud.
Smith batted .272 during his Cardinal career and only once topped the .300 mark. By comparison, Rogers Hornsby, arguably the Cardinals' first great player, batted .400 three times in his career and .359 during his 13 years with the Cardinals.
Musial is unquestionably the No. 1 Cardinal, and you could banter back and forth about whether Gibson, Brock or Hornsby would follow behind "The Man." I'd probably even put Albert Pujols ahead of Smith at this point. In only eight years, Pujols has put up some incredible offensive numbers for perennial playoff teams. Smith was obviously a fan favorite during his days as a Cardinal, but he wasn't the second-best baseball player in St. Louis history. Judging by the reaction of fans at Busch Stadium this weekend, it might have been Taguchi.
Copyright 2008 The Columbia Daily Tribune. All Rights Reserved.
Little interest in Manny
A Phillies official told ESPN.com Tuesday night persistent reports that Philadelphia is pursuing Manny Ramirez are "false" and said the Phillies have "nothing doing" with the Red Sox involving Ramirez or any other player.
Meanwhile, a baseball player who speaks regularly with the Dodgers' front office said that the team also has no interest in trading for Ramirez, despite reports to the contrary.
The two other teams linked to Ramirez, the Mets and Diamondbacks, had previously denied interest. So while the Red Sox continue to float Ramirez's name around baseball, there were no indications Tuesday that they're making any significant headway.
2008 ESPN Internet Ventures
Player-team relations not always happy
HOUSTON. Rob Dibble is used to this by now. Nearly every time a baseball player has an altercation with someone of authority, the former Major League pitcher's phone invariably rings. It's been nearly 16 years since his famous dust-up with former Reds manager Lou Piniella, but like it or not, it's one of the more entertaining ones and, it was caught on tape. The year was 1992, and Piniella was incensed after a reporter had given him a somewhat muddied account of what Dibble had said about the condition of his pitching shoulder. Piniella burst out of his office and tackled Dibble, wrestling-style, shouting, "You don't want to be treated like a man!"
To this day, Dibble maintains the reporter gave his skipper false information. He also said it took less than a day for the two to move on from the incident, maintaining that it didn't change their relationship. "We were family before and family after," Dibble, now a talk show host for XM radio, said via cell phone on Thursday. "We were both as competitive as you can be. The next day we met with (Reds owner) Marge Schott and hashed it out. That night, I got a save."
Piniella was like a "second father" to Dibble, and "playing for your father, there's enough love there that it's not going to affect the relationship."
That one had a happy ending, but as history shows, not all closed-door conflicts end so well. The Astros announced on Thursday that they released Shawn Chacon after the pitcher, unhappy with his demotion to the bullpen and unwilling to heed Ed Wade's request for a meeting, threw the general manager to the ground, twice. The incident, no matter how isolated, illustrates the ugliness that can eventually result in a not-so-amicable divorce between teams and players. History books aren't thorough enough to discern if this was the first time a player accosted a general manager, but informal research suggests the physical nature of the fracas is unprecedented. Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire can't recall a GM ever being in that line of fire, suggesting that face-to-face confrontations are more common.
Claire recalled a rather intense conversation he had with Kirk Gibson in 1989, the year after the outfielder's postseason heroics led to a Dodgers World Series title. Gibson had requested a trade, and he, Claire and then-manager Tommy Lasorda gathered in Lasorda's office to discuss the matter. The conversation turned heated and loud enough that "you could hear our voices in the clubhouse," Claire said. That was the Sunday before the All-Star break. During that week, before the season resumed, Claire called Gibson. "I said, 'It's a good thing you have a mild-mannered agent, because you have a heck of a temper, pal,'" Claire recalled. "He said, 'Fred, don't tell me about my temper. When you take your glasses off and put them on top of your head, don't tell me about temper."
Physical violence, however, never came into the picture. "That wasn't going to happen," Claire said. "But we did have a difference in viewpoint at that time, and we resolved it."
Claire has a signed book from Gibson as proof. "It says, 'Fred, I'll always appreciate the opportunity you gave me to play for the Dodgers,'" Claire said. GM-player relations may be relatively harmonious, but such isn't always the case with players and managers. Those relationships are sometimes more volatile, even if most fights take place out of the glare of cameras and scandal-thirsty reporters. Where would baseball be without Billy Martin? Brawls seemingly were part of his everyday routine. Pitcher Ed Whitson could attest to that, after becoming involved in one memorable off-the-field incident with the Yankees skipper. As legend goes, the feisty Martin had a bit less giddy-up in his later years and paid for it one September night in 1985. The fight between Martin and Whitson started in the hotel bar and proceeded to the lobby and then to the third floor, where Whitson broke one of Martin's arms and two of his ribs. Later, an unnamed Yankees source told The New York Times that an investigation revealed that "Billy pursued Whitson to the lobby, then to the front door and then in the hall on the third floor. And then Billy tried to get Willie Horton to beat up on Whitson."
Other Martin dust-ups were less intense. Martin's shoving match with Reggie Jackson during a game against the Red Sox in 1977 ended without any punches thrown, but the altercation gained legendary status after millions of fans watched on television. Violence, extreme and mild, wasn't limited to Martin and the Yankees. One of the scarier incidents in the modern baseball era occurred during Spring Training of 1977, when Rangers infielder/outfielder Len Randle, upset that he had lost his starting job, punched manager Frank Lucchesi in the face several times until Lucchesi fell to the ground. Before teammates could reach the two, Randle had broken Lucchesi's cheekbone in three places. The skipper endured a week-long hospital stay, needed plastic surgery to repair his cheekbone and had bruises on his kidney and back. He rejoined the team just before the regular-season opener.
Randle, on the other hand, was suspended for 30 days without pay and fined USD 10,000. He never played for the Rangers again, before his suspension ended, he was traded to the Mets for the proverbial player to be named later. In August 2006, no one was entirely sure what exactly happened to Toronto manager John Gibbons after he and Ted Lilly shoved and scuffled their way out of view in the tunnel near the Blue Jays' dugout. When the skipper reappeared, he and his bloody nose were tended to by the team's athletic trainer. Both sides denied exchanging blows. Lilly said simply, "I embarrassed the organization."
Messy incidents are embarrassing to any team, as the Astros found out Thursday. Before a packed room of reporters, Wade stood firm with his account of the clubhouse incident with Chacon while admitting he regretted the events that led to Chacon's release. For Dibble, the situation is black and white. Players simply have to respect authority. "Your boss is always your boss, and at the end of the day, they have the last word," Dibble said. "You might think it stinks. But take it like a man."
Claire understands the emotional side of the game, but encourages management and players to work through that in an amicable manner. "You have to get through that," he said. "In this case, I'm sure everyone involved would say, it was just unfortunate."
2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Oldest Living Major Leaguer Has Stories to Tell
He was born in Berwyn, Md., in 1908, when Theodore Roosevelt was the president of the United States. He was a teammate of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and others on the legendary Murderers' Row Yankees. He shared a dugout with Connie Mack, the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. He batted against the Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Feller, Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell and Lefty Gomez.
On Friday, Bill Werber, the oldest living former major leaguer, is celebrating his 100th birthday. He played in the big leagues in 1930, and then from 1933 to 1942. His anniversary day is being commemorated at a retirement home in Charlotte, N.C., where, though afflicted with diabetes that caused the amputation of a leg, he is still alert and articulate. Although his baseball career did not make him a household name, Werber has considerably more to recommend him than his longevity. When he was spotted by the Yankees scout Paul Krichell, Werber was an incubating Phi Beta Kappa at Duke, where he became the university's first all-American basketball player. Krichell declared that Werber had "better baseball legs than Ty Cobb" and Werber indeed turned out to be a superb base stealer, leading the American League twice in the 1930s and tying for the lead in a third year.
His name also became the answer to an intriguing trivia question: Who was the first player to bat in a televised big-league contest? Werber was the leadoff man for the Cincinnati Reds in that game against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field on Aug. 26, 1939. In the storied history of the Yankees, Werber remains little more than a footnote. In 1930, he played in four games, batting 14 times and getting 4 hits. Up again with the club in 1933, he played in three games and batted twice, without a hit. He was soon sold to Boston. Werber had scant opportunity to showcase his talent in New York, but having been around Ruth, Gehrig and others in the supporting cast, he had a chance to observe them and their idiosyncrasies.
I had the chance to meet Werber two times. When I was 12, I got his autograph in a Manhattan hotel lobby. He was happy to point out other Red Sox teammates, as well as encouraging them to sign for me. Many years later, while researching a biography of Gehrig, I interviewed Werber and included some of his observations in my book. Werber noted the drastically different backgrounds of Ruth and Gehrig.
"Lou never mixed too well," Werber said. "I got to know him better than some others, since I played bridge with him and Babe, Bill Dickey and some of the writers. Lou was aloof and introverted and didn't like to be ribbed, something like DiMaggio. But he was the ultimate team player and stayed in the game through pain and broken bones. I never heard him complain. Woe to the man who didn’t give his best for the team."
In Werber's memoirs, "Memories of a Ballplayer," published in 2000 and written with C. Paul Rogers III, he said that Ruth was "good-natured, amoral, loving, loud, rough, vulgar, but kind and considerate, especially with the kids." Ruth often drank heavily, Werber remembered, but he never allowed his name to endorse alcohol. In one game in 1930, Werber was on second base when Ruth hit a towering shot to right field. Not certain the ball would go for a home run, Werber raced around the bases. On the bench afterward, Werber said Ruth chided him by saying, "Kid, when I hit 'em, you don't have to run all that hard."
Werber flourished with the Red Sox in 1934, batting .321 and leading the American League with 40 stolen bases. Yankees General Manager Ed Barrow, who had sold Werber, pronounced him "the best player in the league." But Werber possessed a hair-trigger temper and one day that season, after popping up with the bases loaded, he challenged a water bucket with his right foot. The encounter caused him to fracture a big toe. An operation failed to diminish the pain, and he played with a considerable handicap for the rest of his career. Often, Werber said, he could not sit still, play bridge or go to a movie. Werber's short fuse contributed to several artless battles. He had tiffs with Washington's tough little second baseman Buddy Myer, and with Babe Dahlgren, who succeeded Gehrig at first base with the Yankees. "I remained friends with all these fellows afterward," Werber wrote in his memoirs. Werber's oddest embroilment, however, was with Red Smith, the sports columnist. As recounted in Ira Berkow's biography of Smith, "Red," Werber had been angered by some things Smith had written about him. "He's a troublemaker," Smith wrote in one column. In another, Smith criticized Werber for making "a leaping slide, spikes high, on a steal attempt," adding: "The shortstop who had the ball was a quiet youngster just recovered from a serious injury. He was helped off the field, bleeding from long spike gashes on both arms and legs."
When Werber was sold to Cincinnati from Mack's Athletics after the 1938 season, Smith wrote a "good riddance" column about him. Cincinnati wound up in the 1939 World Series against the Yankees, and there was Smith in the Reds dugout, chatting with pitcher Paul Derringer. Werber, still smoldering from Smith's words, yelled at Smith to get out of the dugout, punctuating it with an expletive. Derringer intervened, although Smith said, "I could no more whip an athlete than I could whip Jack Dempsey, so I restrained myself."
Later, when asked if he would make a protest about the incident, Smith rejected the idea. "This player doesn't like me," he said. "I'll let it go."
The Reds made it to the World Series in 1939 and 1940. They were swept by the Yankees in 1939, but the next year they beat Detroit in seven games and Werber batted a team-leading .370 with 10 hits. Werber played one more year with Cincinnati, then finished with the New York Giants in 1942, when his batting average sank to .205. He finished with a .271 career batting average, 215 stolen bases and a National League-leading 115 runs in 1939. In his post-baseball life Werber put his keen mind and competitiveness to work for the Werber Insurance Agency in Washington. His father had founded the business in 1904, but there is no doubt the son substantially improved the operation. In his first year out of baseball, Werber earned more than USD 100,000, much more than the USD 13,000 he had once made in baseball. Werber is proudest of his marriage to Kathryn, he always called her Tat, that lasted 70 years, until she died at age 91 in 2000. His three children graduated from Duke, and the insurance business is now headed by Werber's son, Bill, who was an all-American baseball player at Duke in 1952 and 1953.
"Bill Werber would have made an excellent baseball magnate," the writer Lee Allen said. "It is the game's loss, perhaps, that he chose to pursue another pathway."
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
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