Think of all the possibilities for Barry Bonds if he had never chosen to take steroids following the 1998 season. I assume, of course, Game of Shadows correctly reported that Bonds began juicing following Mark McGwire’s record-setting 70-home-run year. Bonds was a lock for the Hall of Fame beforehand, his generation’s version of Willie Mays. [...]
Archive for February, 2010
Alternate history: If Barry Bonds hadn’t used steroids
Posted: 28th February 2010 by Graham Womack in Drugs in baseballTags: cause for debate, what if
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A new job and what that means for this site
Posted: 26th February 2010 by Graham Womack in UncategorizedTags: chronicles of the marginally employed
I signed a two-month Independent Consultant Agreement this morning to work for a start-up in San Carlos, California (for the Pirates fan.) Thus, four days a week, beginning March 8, I will be writing copy for the Web for this company and assisting in other SEO activities. The goal is that I become a full-time, [...]
Vlad Guerrero: The second coming of Juan Gonzalez (and I mean that in a good way)
Posted: 25th February 2010 by Graham Womack in MLBTags: Vladimir Guerrero
I just saw a story on ESPN about Vlad Guerrero looking good in workouts with Texas Rangers. I remain in the camp of people who think his signing will likely be a success. The idea of him in a Ranger lineup for an entire year intrigues me, and, in fact, I think it will be [...]
My strategy with this site is to generally try and stay a post or two ahead. It’s a byproduct of my days as a journalist; a competent writer is always thinking of the next story, particularly if they write freelance, and a good story will sometimes spin out two or three others. To that end, [...]
Belated post-mortem on my chance to interview Will Clark
Posted: 23rd February 2010 by Graham Womack in UncategorizedTags: Hitters Hall of Fame, ongoing projects, Ted Williams Museum, Will Clark
I have been remiss in posting the outcome of my opportunity to interview Will Clark at an awards dinner in Florida a couple of weeks ago. As some may have surmised, I did not attend the event or interview Clark, even by phone. I have not written about this until today partly due to my [...]
Baseball coma
Posted: 22nd February 2010 by Graham Womack in Historical topicsTags: Joe Marty, ongoing projects, Sacramento baseball players
I spent much of yesterday transcribing my interview from Saturday with the 96-year-old former big league teammate of Joe Marty, who I’m interested in writing a book on. While transcribing yesterday, between being held in some kind of spell — a baseball coma, if you will — I got further affirmation of what had already [...]
It’s like Christmas around here today
Posted: 20th February 2010 by Graham Womack in Historical topicsTags: Joe Marty, Sacramento baseball players
It’s been an amazing last couple of hours in my life. I had a visitor scheduled for noon today. At 11:57, though, I got a call from the son of the 96-year-old former baseball player I have been wanting to interview for a book on one of his teammates on the 1940 Phillies, Joe Marty. [...]
Classic book review: Summer of ’49
Posted: 20th February 2010 by Graham Womack in Book reviewsTags: book review, Summer of '49
Since reviewing The Boys of Summer here in November, I have been meaning to write about more classic baseball books that I have read. There are a few classics. Ball Four comes to mind, as does The Glory of Their Times, Ken Burns Baseball and a recent addition, Game of Shadows. But if The Boys [...]
Chicken on the Hill with Will
Posted: 19th February 2010 by Graham Womack in UncategorizedTags: chronicles of the marginally employed
I had an interview on Wednesday for an Internet marketing job in San Carlos, California, which meant another chance to talk baseball. My interviewer was a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, who looked to be about 40, give or take. He thought I might not be familiar with the teams of his era. No bother: I named [...]
Willy Taveras: What was that all about?
Posted: 17th February 2010 by Graham Womack in Free agency, trades, and other movesI wanted to offer more belated thoughts on a recent baseball transaction. The following took place over the last three months: December 3: The A’s acquire Aaron Miles in a trade with the Colorado Rockies for Jeff Gray and two other players. Seems alright at the time– Miles only hit .185 in limited action last [...]