Friday 5: Erika Monroe-Williams

Is it just me or are we at a point where the wives of some professional baseball players (past and present) are almost becoming as visible as their spouses out on the playing field?

When I saw Erika Monroe-Williams take center stage a couple of weeks ago on ABC's new cooking show "The Taste"...I got excited.  And why not?  Monroe-Williams on TV meant that every week, we were going to be able to see a little bit of what the one-time news anchor cooks for "The Carson Crusher".

But, unfortunately, her stint on the show was shorter lived than I had hoped.  Tuesday night, after lasting through four of the eight episodes...Monroe-Williams was dismissed from the cooking competition.

HOVG:  Your time on "The Taste" was relatively short lived, but I've got to think you took plenty from the opportunity.  What can you share from your journey on "The Taste"?

MONROE-WILLIAMS:  It was so incredibly amazing and, honestly, shocking that I was picked from more than 10,000 chefs and home cooks who tried out. I really wanted to be on Nigella Lawson's team. I have admired her for a long time and have all of her books. I loved all the mentors and made a lot of lifelong friends along the way. Anthony Bourdain was hilarious, smart and fun to be around...and TALL!  I am 5'10" and even with 4-inch heels, he towered over me. I learned so much about cooking from each and every chef/cook and mentor on the show...it made me a better home cook and gave me great ideas for my website and fans.

HOVG:  What did your husband, former Major Leaguer (and current coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks) Matt Williams think about his wife competing on "The Taste"?  And what is his favorite meal that you cook?

MONROE-WILLIAMS:  Matt is so supportive! He LOVES Anthony Bourdain so he thought this was really cool. Matt doesn't like the limelight, he likes to keep his nose to the grindstone and focus on the work (baseball) and not TV, but he supports me in what I do and that's one of the reasons I love him so much! I think his favorite thing I cook for him is my Lime and Coriander Crusted Tuna with a Coconut Lemongrass Cream Sauce and Spicy Watermelon and Mango Salad that I made on "The Taste. Although, he also loves my meatloaf. He is not a fancy guy and that's another reason why I love him so much.

HOVG:   You've spent a great deal of time in front of the camera over the years.  How did this latest foray compare to your previous experiences?

MONROE-WILLIAMS:  I had a terrible experience with a horrible embarrassment of a show (that I will leave nameless), and that made me gun shy for this project. I was so excited that this was all about cooking and included Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson and a primetime ABC time slot with a really reputable production company so I just went for it!  I started out in television doing national commercials before I got into news, then moved to Texas and Phoenix to anchor the news, and I also hosted "DBacks on Deck" with Matt, the Diamondbacks' pre-game show in addition to hosting morning show cooking segments...so I have spent a lot of time in front of the camera and I am very comfortable with it. The television part of it didn't make me nervous but cooking for these mentors with their incredible knowledge of food made me VERY nervous!

HOVG:  I've gotta know.  Who is easier to be around...your fellow cast member from that show that will remain nameless, the unpredictable Anna Benson, or culinary bad boy Anthony Bourdain?

MONROE-WILLIAMS:  Anthony Bourdain was really fun to be around.  He is so intelligent, well traveled and just a generally great guy. The kind of guy you want to sit and have a beer with.

HOVG:  What's next for you?  Where can we expect to see you pop up next?

MONROE-WILLIAMS:  I have some really exciting things happening! I can't talk about them at this time, but I will keep you updated. In the meantime, I have a cookbook that I am working on, my website where I cook, photograph and write everything you see (a huge undertaking!) and there's my new HD video series which has been so fun to do and we are getting an amazing response. Quick videos that show you how to make amazing recipes without a huge time commitment in watching the video. Stay tuned!

Former Slugger's Wife on Cooking Show

A year ago, former big leaguer Matt Williams' wife was part of the inaugural cast of VH1's "Baseball Wives".

This year, the five-time All-Star is again watching from the sidelines as Erika Monroe-Williams is busy showing off her skills in the kitchen as a contestant on ABC's "The Taste".

And in case you were wondering, this isn't Monroe-Williams' first foray into the kitchen.

The former news anchor has hosted countless cooking segments, has her own cooking website and is in the process of writing a cookbook.

"My husband always jokes that I create fabulous dinners, but not before a pot has over-boiled or something has burned along the way," Monroe-Williams said. "I think it’s important for people to know that it’s normal to make mistakes in the kitchen and not be deterred by it! I try not to take myself too seriously in the kitchen. I try to make it fun."

But back to "The Taste".

Monroe-Williams prepared a lime and coriander crusted tuna with coconut, lemongrass cream sauce for the judges.  Three of the judges, while the enjoyed the dish, passed.  Thr fourth, Nigella Lawson, welcomed the slugger's wife to her team.

I'm willing to guess that Lawson's kitchen will have far less drama than what went down week to week on "Baseball Wives".

 

Jays and Rockies Talking to Matt Williams

With former manager John Farrell shipping up, er, down to Boston, it appears the Toronto Blue Jays already have their sights set on a new skipper.

According to Fox Sports Arizona's Jack Magruder, the Jays are one of two teams (the Colorado Rockies are the other) that has expressed interest in the Arizona Diamondbacks' third base coach Matt Williams.  It's believed that Williams, who is currently managing in the Arizona Fall League, talked with the Rockies last week.

"You jump at the opportunity," Williams told Magruder. "(Managing) is what I want to do. There may be an opportunity one day. There are not many of them. You want to be prepared if it does happen."

The five-time All-Star put up solid numbers during his 17-year career, collecting 378 home runs and a career .268 batting average. "The Carson Crusher" won a World Series ring in 2001 while with the Diamondbacks.

HOVG Heroes: Matt Williams

FOR BASEBALL JUNKIES on MATT WILLIAMS

If you looked up "very good" in the dictionary (do they still have those?), you'd probably see a picture of Matt Williams.

The 17-year veteran compiled 1,878 hits and 378 home runs (respectable numbers, indeed) over the course of his career.  He rarely led the league in offensive categories but always seemed to find a way to earn an award for his all around play on the field.

All told, Williams was a five-time All Star, four-time Gold Glove winner at third base and a four-time Silver Slugger.  He was a tremendous fielder and a solid offensive player who was overshadowed by the big names of his era. 

Even though Williams deserves a lot of praise, he still falls short of Cooperstown enshrinement by most standards (he doesn't have 3,000 hits, 500 home runs or a career .300 batting average), but what's interesting and unique about Williams is that, by For Baseball Junkies (FBJ) standards, he's the only player to make two all-franchise teams and an all-decade team without being Hall of Fame worthy.

How do you pick an All-Time Team? 

The key to this whole thing is understanding how we pick and recognizing that numbers alone aren't everything.  We look for guys that best represent a franchise or decade.  When picking an all-time team, tenure probably holds more weight than prime length of time spent with that team is important.

All-Decade Teams are tough because you'll see more guys that broke onto the scene midway through a decade.  A player only makes more than one All-Decade team if he was among the elite all-time greats…guys like Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.

We did our best to pick the best decade and the best player in each situation with a focus on limiting repeats. 

Behind the scenes, our process starts with each contributor selecting his team.  Personally, I start by narrowing down the field to worthy candidates, focusing on things like All-Star appearances, major awards and the "eye" test.  From our three lists, we can start to see which positions need attention.  We typically have a back and forth discussion to iron out the wrinkles and sometimes, if the choice is really tough, it comes down to an internal vote. 

Given the diversity of the three contributors (ages ranging from 30 to 53), we often have very different opinions on key matters and agreements can get heated at times but we know that our style is unique because of our diversity.

What about Matt Williams...which teams did he make?

Williams was the choice at third base for our All-Time Giants, All-Time Diamondbacks and NL 1990's All-Decade Teams. 

The Giants nomination came down to two names with Matt Williams winning out.  Williams earned all of his personal awards with the Giants and was a great player, as mentioned.  He's fifth in Giants franchise history in home runs and was a great fielder. 

The other name that we considered was Hall of Famer Freddie Lindstrom.  Lindstrom of the New York Giants, by comparison has more hits (a couple of 200 hit seasons certainly aids his case) and a plaque in Cooperstown where he is generally regarded as one of the weakest Hall of Fame selections ever made by the Veterans Committee.  Lindstrom wasn't as good defensively as Williams - a switch to the outfield midway through Freddie's career validates that (along with historical accounts saying as much). 

Lindstrom was also the "goat" of the 1924 World Series, committing two errors in the deciding Game Seven that lead to the game tying and game winning runs (not a great way to be remembered). 

Williams also had more pop... he was the right choice.

The Diamondbacks team, in general, gave us fits because of the lack of history.  There were guys on that All-Time team that probably wouldn't make the cut on their All-Time High School rosters but you've gotta play the hand that you're dealt.  Williams was up against Mark Reynolds with the Diamondbacks and Williams won out because he made an all-star team, he was part of a World Series winning team and because he was a better all-around player.

The 1990 NL third base nomination hinged Chipper Jones being the right guy for the 2000 NL squad (which he was).  Once we got that out of the way, it came down the Matt Williams or Vinny Castilla.  The Coors factor weighed heavily on our decision and it became clear that Williams was the better pick.

So there you have it.  Matt Williams - good enough to make three FBJ All-Time Teams but not good enough for Cooperstown.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For Baseball Junkies (FBJ) is a general baseball blog that focuses on the history of America's pastime.  The site is maintained by three contributors- The OCP, Mc and Hersh.  FBJ has a comprehensive All-Time Teams database which highlights the All-Time teams of all 32 current Major League franchises and every decade (both leagues) going back to 1920.  Periodically, we also run "Other" All-Time teams and lists (like best baseball movies, best nicknames and best baseball video games) and trivia. 

It's truly a great site for a baseball junkie to get his/her fix.

Breaking Down the "Baseball Wives" Husbands

Last year at this time, I had the pleasure to talk with Brad Mangin about his career as a San Francisco Bay area photographer.  A year later, I realized that Mangin and I have something more in common than baseball and me looking at his pictures of baseball.

Enter the newest VH1 guilty pleasure "Baseball Wives".

Over at Mangin's blog, the acclaimed photographer broke down, one by one, the better halves of the cast of "Baseball Wives".  And it turns out...he's snapped some pretty awesome pictures of the "Wives" husbands along the way.

Here's Mangin's breakdown, and yeah...you can click on the BOLD names to check out a photo gallery of that player.

KRIS BENSON
Benson is still married to Anna, his wife who became more famous than him during his days of toiling for the Pirates, Mets, Orioles and other squads. In 2004, Anna, the former stripper, posed for the cover and a spread in FHM magazine and was named “baseball’s hottest wife.” In an interview with Howard Stern later that year, she vowed that if her husband ever cheated on her she would take revenge by sleeping with the entire Mets organization. Awesome!

Needless to say Anna’s husband must be used to being married to his controversial wife, but I wonder what he thinks about the show?

MATT WILLIAMS
The former All-Star is on his third wife, and her name is Erika Monroe Williams. The good news for him is he has an insanely awesome 20,000 square foot house in the Scottsdale area and a nice job coaching with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The bad news? His wife is looking pretty ridiculous on “Baseball Wives.”

I covered Matt for his entire career and he was always a classy guy who will forever be beloved in San Francisco. He has been through a few troubled marriages, and I can’t see how this show will help his current one. Erika got off to a rocky start in the premier episode while hosting a cocktail party for the other “wives.” How cool it would have been to see Matt wander through the kitchen looking for a beer. No dice. What we got was the beginning of a verbal cat fight that spilled into episode two.

For Matt’s sake I hope that things slow down for Erika on the show and that Anna stops beating up on her. For the show’s sake it would be great if she keeps causing trouble!

JASON KENDALL
The recently retired catcher’s ex-wife Chantel Kendall has a checkered past and is a very polarizing character on “Wives.” Jason always seemed kinda goofy when I photographed him. He was a real hard-ass with the A’s and helped them to their great season in 2006. I never saw Chantel at any of the family softball games at the Oakland Coliseum. I can’t imagine how entertaining that would have been!

After two shows it seems that Chantel hates pretty much every other “wife” with the exception of a surprise guest we will learn about down below. Also, her skinny arms and tattoos scare me.

MARK GRACE
First of all I was surprised to hear that  Grace was ever married. He was always a great interview on the Jim Rome show during his playing days talking about “slump busters” and strip clubs. I learned that he USED to be married in the first episode of “Wives.” Tanya Grace is Mark’s ex-wife and one of the more outgoing stars of the show. The avid golfer met Mark when she was a golf cart girl.

Mark seems to have a good sense of humor and is a local TV broadcaster for the Diamondbacks. I wonder what he thinks of seeing Tanya on “Wives.” I bet he kinda gets a kick out of it!

RON VILLONE
Villone's current wife Brooke has come out of the first two episodes pretty unscathed. Brooke is a model with a really long neck and seems to stay out of everyone’s business as she hangs out with some of the looser women on the show.

NYJER MORGAN
The nutty Morgan has the unfortunate task of being the former boyfriend of the youngest star of “Wives” Jordana Lenz. Lenz is a young and trashy stalker who went to the Milwaukee Brewers team hotel during the 2011 NLDS whole Morgan and the Brewers were in town to play the Diamondbacks. She practically chased him into the elevator! She complains that once Morgan got to a good team he dumped her.

The thinking here is that T. Plush can do much better than Lenz.

CHUCK KNOBLAUCH
The best part of Wednesday night’s episode was the arrival at Scottsdale Airport of Cheri Knoblauch, the current wife of Chuck. Cheri was picked up by her good friend Chantel Kendall and they instantly plotted how there were gonna harass nemesis Anna Benson. Anna has been a bitch to Chantel and Cheri has come to town to save the day. It seems that Cheri and Anna know each other from the 1990′s when Kris Benson pitched for the Pirates and Cheri was dating his teammate Brian Giles. You just know that sparks will fly when they get together, and I was not disappointed.

In a future episode Anna will supposedly attack Cheri with 12-inch dildo!

Knoblauch was a good ballplayer and a former World Champion with the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. I can’t imagine that he is too thrilled to have his wife on this show, but who knows? Maybe they need the cash!

BRIAN GILES
Giles won a big court decision against his ex-girlfriend Cheri Olvera (Knoblauch), who had sued him for more than $10 million in 2008. Giles allegedly abused Olvera and the jury also awarded Giles the return of the $107,000 engagement ring he purchased for their canceled 2007 wedding. During the trial Giles testified that he didn’t strike his girlfriend at a bar in Phoenix in 2006, testimony that contradicted witness statements to Phoenix police.

But wait...it gets better.

Giles suggested in his testimony that the 2006 incident was a case of Olvera being drunk. He said Olvera “often falls when she’s intoxicated” and wearing high heels. Giles’ attorneys tried to portray the case as part of a pattern by Olvera to pursue rich men for money to satisfy her lavish lifestyle. Olvera testified she was currently engaged to Chuck Knoblauch. Olvera also testified that while living with Giles, she had someone to help her shop, an occasional driver, housekeepers and a woman to blow-dry her hair for $100 each time.

Awesome!

Well, there you have it. The men behind the women. I hope you enjoyed this rundown of the active and in-active roster players who have laced’ em up with the “Baseball Wives".

Wednesday nights on VH1. Don’t miss it!

The Great Emancipator, the Carson Crusher and Chipper

Over the last month, I’ve come to grips with the fact that the story I am about to re-tell is more than likely (“more than likely” equating to about 100%) not true.

That being said…I’m going to share it anyway.

Last month, I took my family on a pilgrimage to Springfield, IL to celebrate the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. We hit all the sites; the Lincoln Museum, his family home and of course…the tomb. But it wasn’t amid those tourist attractions where I had my brief brush with celebrity.

A famous person in Springfield this side of Lincoln’s funeral in 1865? Sure…why not!

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth (looking eerily like Australia’s resident “party kid” Corey Delaney) is from the state’s capital, downtown is typically crawling with government officials and on this weekend…I had breakfast with former power hitting third baseman Matt Williams.

I know what you’re thinking…the Matt Williams who was part of the 2001 Arizona Diamondback championship team?

Yes. THAT Matt Williams.

It was Sunday morning and my family (and presumably his given the kid at the table) were taking advantage of the Baymont’s complimentary continental breakfast. As is customary when I travel, I had Raisin Bran (I would never PAY for Raisin Bran mind you) and I believe Williams had some toast.

Maybe it was yogurt…I’m not certain but that’s not the point.

The rest of the morning and afternoon I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind that at one point Williams appeared to be heading toward “legend” status. This guy terrorized opposing pitchers. The team surrounding him his one year in Cleveland was fantastic. His 1999 100-win Arizona team gave opponents nightmares.

The dude had ten straight years with 20 or more home runs (he ended his career with 378), four Gold Gloves and appeared in five All-Star games.

There are also plenty of folks out there that believe that Williams would’ve topped Roger Maris’ 61 home runs had the strike not occurred. Minus some injuries and the 1994 strike robbing him of immortality, who knows how Williams’ career would’ve played out?

As it is…378 round trippers is nothing to sniff at. Looking at those already enshrined in Cooperstown, they would place Williams third all-time at his position behind Eddie Mathews and Mike Schmidt. But as we know…a slew of home runs do not necessarily get you a plaque on the walls.

The reason this tale is of worth is not because I eventually was able to convince myself that the “Carson Crusher” was NOT in Springfield that morning. I mean, while he LOOKED like Williams, he was far too short and, frankly, why would he stay at a Baymont given the other options?

I tell it because sometimes I need to be reminded that since baseball came back from the strike thanks to Cal Ripken, Jr. and his remarkable, well publicized streak, we’ve had the honor of watching one of this generation’s best third basemen.

And no, Yankees fans…I am not talking about Alex Rodriguez.

I’m talking about Larry Wayne Jones, Jr. or “Chipper” as we’ve come to know him.

Initially a shortstop and occasionally a left fielder…Chipper has anchored the hot corner for the Atlanta Braves for 80% of the games he’s played. But why doesn’t he get mentioned in the same breath as baseball’s elite?

Here’s a guy who isn’t stuck in a smaller market. Atlanta is on the East coast and TBS (or the Turner Broadcast System to you high brow muckety-mucks) carried “America’s Team” from 1972 until 2007 so obviously Jones got his fair share of exposure.

He hasn’t bounced around from team to team every year a la Matt Stairs or Royce Clayton (both played for 11 teams)…he’s been with ONE team since he was selected with the first overall pick in the 1990 amateur draft. There is absolutely no need to look at the transaction wire to see where Number 10 is suiting up next.

And arguably, while he is currently one of baseball’s best hitters going into this upcoming season…he is possibly the greatest switch hitter the game has ever seen. With all apologies to Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray…it’s Jones who holds the distinction of being the ONLY switch hitter to have a career batting average of .300 (currently .310) and 400 or more home runs.

Add to that the fact that Jones’ 2008 league leading batting average of .364 is only one tick off of Mantle’s season best .365 for a switch hitter and you’ve got more than just a great hitter from both sides of the dish…you’ve got one heck of a ball player.

12 out of the last 13 seasons, Jones has hit .295 or higher. He has 14 straight seasons with 20 or more home runs and eight straight seasons (nine total) of 100 or more RBI.

And speaking of streaks, Jones also played in a startling ELEVEN straight post seasons from 1995 to 2005.

Incidentally (perhaps coincidentally), the Braves brought Atlanta their lone World Series championship in Jones’ rookie year, 1995. That post-season, he hit .364 and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Hideo Nomo. As a sidenote, Nomo lost his only start that post-season as the Dodgers were swept by the Reds.

Four seasons later, in 1999, Jones brought home the MVP trophy when he hit .319 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI. He also swiped 25 of 28 bases! And not to sound like a broken record, but in 12 of his 14 seasons…he’s nabbed some MVP votes.

For his career, Jones has belted 408 home runs…third most for a switch hitter behind Mantle (536) and Murray (504). And as an attempt to bring this train back around to the Matt Williams opener, Chipper has 330 as a third baseman.

By the end of 2010, he’ll have easily surpassed 1500 RBI and 2500 hits. His career OPS of .956 is 22nd all-time and the only player ahead of him that is Hall eligible and NOT enshrined is Mark McGwire.

The six-time All-Star holds most of the ATLANTA Braves team records and is situated alongside Hank Aaron and Mathews atop many of their franchise records. In a season or two…he’ll have eclipsed most of Mathews’ numbers except home runs. It’s safe to say he’ll never touch what “Hammerin’ Hank” did.

That being said…the dude is a lock for Cooperstown. He could retire today and waltz in without any more icing needed for the top of the proverbial Hall of Fame cake.


Chipper Jones is, without a doubt, the best third baseman since that other converted shortstop-turned-third baseman saved baseball.

And to the fella in Springfield, if you were Matt Williams…I’m sorry my daughter spilled orange juice on your shoe. If you weren’t…well, please let Kellogg’s know that I apologize for only partaking in their “two scoops of raisins” when I can get it for free.