Player Images — Baseball Bench Coach

The good news is that the 2020 MLB 60-game schedule begins on July 23! The bad news is everything else that happened in baseball over the past several weeks. I feel like I need a break from thinking about how teams might be impacted in a shortened season and reviewing new rules to be put in place. It’s time to take a deep breath and just reflect on why baseball is so important. My focus this week returns to the memories I cherish about the game. I thought it would be fun to rank my top ten position players (no pitchers!) I’ve seen play at an MLB ballpark with an emphasis on special moments in my life. I’ll sprinkle in a little history as well. Here’s my Top Ten:

Willie Mays. In third grade I read a series of baseball stories. My favorite one was about Willie Mays. That summer I asked my Dad to take me to see the Giants play at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. My wish came true on a weekend afternoon in 1968. Mays batted third and played centerfield for San Francisco that day. During one of his at-bats, he fouled off ten straight pitches so I asked my Dad what was going on. Dad’s simple response was “he’s waiting for his pitch”. A couple pitches later Willie drove the ball into an outfield gap and glided into second base with a double. It’s like it was yesterday! Mays was the ultimate five-tool player – speed; power; batting average; fielding; and arm strength. Many will remember his 24 All-Star games, 12 Gold Gloves, 660 HRs, or certainly the amazing over the head catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series. For me though, it will be the image of that patient, 1968 double, forever etched in my mind. His incredible career is detailed in a recently released book by John Shea, “24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid”.

Pete Rose. Growing up in Cincinnati with the Big Red Machine, every kid could pick his baseball idol from the Reds All-Stars. Mine was Pete; and any visitor to my home now will see his shrine and agree. I saw Rose play many times in Cincinnati, but my favorite image was actually in May 1978 at Wrigley Field. Pete always played the villain as a visiting player. No one outside of Cincinnati liked his brashness, his sprinting to first base after a walk, and his running over catcher Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star Game. In 1978, he was leading off and playing third base for the Reds. I remember his reaching base in his first at-bat, and then sliding headfirst into third base after a single to the outfield. The crowd booed; I smiled. Later in the game with bases loaded and two outs, a Cubs hitter lined a ball headed down the left field line but Rose leaped and snagged it. He then spiked the ball onto the infield turf emphasizing the third out. In the restroom between innings, I never remember hearing so many interesting adjectives about my favorite player. Unfortunately, Pete will go down in history for his gambling in baseball. I like to think about his being the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256) and games played (3,562). Rose played the game with enthusiasm and grit, especially that May 1978 game in Chicago.

Roberto Clemente. In seventh grade I hit the jackpot, 3 Reds games that summer courtesy of “Straight A” tickets. One of my games was against the Pirates. Our seats were pretty good, in the green, second level down the right field line. The Pirates star player, Roberto Clemente, was in the lineup, batting third and playing right field. Sometime in the game Bobby Tolan, the Reds fastest player, hit a ball toward the right field corner. Clemente cut the ball off and threw out Tolan sliding into second. That’s my image of the great Clemente, similar to the one many have of him from the 1971 World Series when he pirouetted and threw a cannon shot to nail the Orioles’ Merv Rettenmund sliding into third base. Clemente was magnificent at the plate (3,000 career hits and a .317 batting average) and as a fielder (12 consecutive seasons as a Gold Glover). His contribution to the game though extended beyond the field, as we honor #21 each year by awarding an MLB player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and individual contributions to his team” with the Roberto Clemente Award. Sadly, he left us much too early.

Ken Griffey, Jr. For a Baseball Dad there is no better Father’s Day than spending it at an MLB ballpark with your kids. That was the setting on Sunday, June 20, 2004, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, as two of my daughters and I watched the Reds’ Ken Griffey, Jr. step to the plate in the sixth inning against Cardinals’ pitcher Matt Morris. Junior hit a home run over the right field wall for his 500th career HR. After he toured the bases, he found someone special to hug in the first row outside the Cincinnati dugout, his dad, Ken Griffey, Sr. I remember hugging my girls as well. Griffey’s career was outstanding, his early and best days with the Mariners, his time with the Reds, and then his return to Seattle to celebrate his historic numbers – 630 HRs, 10 Gold Gloves, and playing in four different decades. But the baseball image many of us will always have of Junior was his sweet swing, reminiscent of the Cubs’ Billy Williams, and of course the Kid’s big smile, especially the one on Father’s Day in 2004.

Johnny Bench. Wearing number 5, and most often batting 5th in the Reds lineup, is the greatest catcher ever, Johnny Bench. I started the blog this spring with my favorite moment in baseball, Bench’s ninth-inning home run in the 5th game of the 1972 NLCS. My image of Bench during the Big Red Machine years is more about his defense. I used to love going to Reds games early to take in fielding practice. It was downright crazy to see him throw to the bases in the warm-ups. I recall being at my family’s dinner table when we talked about Bench – my Mom called him “JB” and reported on his bachelor status; my Dad marveled at how Bench excelled whenever the camera was on, even in celebrity golf tournaments; and I would update everyone on his stats. No stats to offer now; just simply, best catcher ever!

Ozzie Smith. A dream summer night in St. Louis is a Cardinals’ baseball game and a frozen ice cream concrete at Ted Drewes afterwards. That was life for me in the 1980s. It also meant seeing the most acrobatic shortstop ever to play the game, the “Wizard of Oz”. Ozzie would turn your head every game with a backhand stop in the hole, an Astroturf skip throw, a behind the shoulder catch, or if you were really lucky, a backflip as he took the field. He won 13 consecutive Gold Gloves for his defensive mastery, and was clearly the leader of the Cardinal teams who won three NL pennants in the 1980s. My favorite image of Ozzie though was Game 5 of the 1985 NLCS when he hit a walk-off home run against the Dodgers. Little did I know then that the late Jack Buck’s call of the HR, “Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!” would become one of the legendary broadcasting moments of our time. I didn’t hear it; I was at the game going crazy!

Joe Morgan. What, my third member of the Big Red Machine in the Top Ten! I can’t help it. I just loved watching Little Joe! With the “chicken flap” of his left elbow while taking his batting stance, he did it offensively for power and average. Morgan was not blessed with a strong arm, but he more than made up for it as a second baseman with incredible range, a quick release, and flat out baseball smarts. I used to enjoy watching him sitting in the dugout next to manager Sparky Anderson and providing Sparky with a player’s insight. Morgan was also known for his base stealing, and that’s the strongest image I have of his playing days. Many infields during that time had all Astroturf with dirt cutouts around the bases. Riverfront Stadium was no exception. When Morgan would take a lead off first, you would always check to see if he had both feet on the Astroturf. And if so, he was likely to go! He made the Big Red Machine go!

Albert Pujols. There have been only a handful of MLB players who are pure hitters with flawless mechanics. Ted Williams, Tony Gwinn, and Kirby Puckett certainly come to mind. Add Pujols to that list! Early in his career with the Cardinals, he was the kind of hitter that you made sure you were in your seat for every at-bat. I attended games just to see Pujols hit. During Albert’s eleven years in St. Louis, he won three NL MVP awards. Since his trade to the Angels after the 2011 season, Pujols has had productive years but has been somewhat out of the limelight. Baseball’s 60-game season this year probably hurts him the most. With 656 career home runs going into this season, he had an outside chance at some point of reaching Bonds’ record of 762 (Aaron had 755) or, more probable, sneaking into third past Babe Ruth (714). Pujols might not have that opportunity anymore.

Javier Baez. Just when you think I’m living too much in past memories, here comes Javi, my favorite, current player, in the Top Ten. Baez does it all on an everyday basis. In his first six seasons in MLB, he has demonstrated power at the plate (2018 Silver Slugger Award and NL RBI champ) and exceptional defense as an infielder – range; arm strength; and game awareness. But what makes Baez an even more complete player is his base running. Baez puts pressure on the opposing team like no other. Last June the Braves were in Chicago for an afternoon game against the Cubs. Baez was clearly beaten by a throw to second base but Javi not once, but twice, eluded the tag of the Atlanta infielder. As Javi continues to rack up numbers and receive awards, he will move up this list for sure. Right now, I’ll proudly wear his jersey #9 and watch him play.

Nolan Arenado. Rounding out the Top Ten is the only infielder to win the Gold Glove in each of his first seven MLB seasons, another current star, third baseman Nolan Arenado. I’ve made a couple trips to Coors Field in Denver the last few years to see him play, and have been in attendance when the Rockies visited St. Louis and Chicago. On each occasion, I kept thinking that he is baseball’s hidden treasure. Since his rookie season in 2013, Arenado has the won the Silver Slugger Award four times and twice led the NL in both HRs and RBIs. Defensively, I haven’t seen anyone play the 3rd base position like him – range; arm strength; and quickness. During this long offseason, there have been rumors of Colorado trading Arenado. The other 29 MLB teams should be knocking down the Rockies’ door with offers. He’s that good; his rise in my rankings is imminent.

This has been a welcomed respite before the 2020 season finally begins. I know I’ve left off some great players during the past 50 years – Hank Aaron; Mike Schmidt; Frank Thomas; and today, Mike Trout. They weren’t included in my list because I couldn’t recall a special moment when I saw them play. I know you might have that image, and I look forward to reading your comments. Who is on your list?

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach