Friday 5: Matthew Silverman

Matthew Silverman is just like you and me...he eats, drinks and lives baseball.

The difference...he gets paid to write books about it.

Silverman has penned a number of books about the sport and his latest opus, Baseball Miscellany, is full of answers to 27 questions you didn't know you didn't know.

Why 27? Because that's the same number of outs necessary to get a win.

HOVG: Right out of the gate, I’ve gotta ask…what prompted you to pen Baseball Miscellany?

SILVERMAN: They asked me and it sounded like fun. I did the by the by the Numbers book series (histories of the Mets, Cubs, and Red Sox as told through the uniform numbers) for Skyhorse Publishing with different co-authors. Baseball Miscellany taught me, and I hope readers, a lot about the game. History and tradition are as much a draw to the game as anything else, which makes baseball unique among American sports.

HOVG: There are plenty of baseball books out there that claim to be everything one needs to know about the sport and you put that right on the cover. What makes your take on the subject different than some of the others out there?

SILVERMAN: I try to be thorough and authoritative without dulling down the subject. For instance, I wanted to explain how some of the not so obvious team names came about, such as the Mets, the Rays and the Astros. Then after I dug into it, I said, "Well, I just have to do all the teams." So I traced the history of the names of all 30 clubs, including some info on defunct names. It's actually like 30 questions in one. And you'll know that a Royal didn't come about from some Anglofiles in Kansas City.

HOVG: The New York Mets have had a colorful history and have put a number of characters (greats and otherwise) out on the field. Outside of two collaborations (Cubs by the Numbers and Red Sox by the Numbers), you’ve written mostly about the Mets, so, clearly, one could deduce that you’re a fan of the team. Let’s play Gutzon Borglum and put the hammer and chisel in your hands…who do you carve into your Mets Mt. Rushmore? And why?

SILVERMAN: I was just working on this very conundrum for an upcoming book. After much study, internal debate, number busting, and asking some former Mets their opinions, I came up with (Tom) Seaver, (Dwight) Gooden, (Darryl) Strawberry and (Jerry) Koosman for Mount Metmore. I would have thought (Mike) Piazza would be there, but after his first four years with the club, his bat slowed down. (David) Wright hasn't made the rock just yet, but keep the chisel ready. I think Kooz is probably the surprise, but his first two seasons are as good as the first two years of any Mets rookie this side of Gooden. Kooz won twice in the '69 World Series, never lost a postseason game, won 20 (and lost 20 the next year), and went five starts without allowing a run as the '73 Mets made their run. His problems with his tax returns are another matter, but he's got (Lenny) Dykstra beat by a mile when it comes to finance and honesty. Seaver is so far ahead of everyone else on the rock that it's scary.

HOVG: What are you reading now? What’s out there that you would recommend?

SILVERMAN: Recent baseball books I've read include Big Hair and Plastic Grass by Dan Epstein, Major League Bride by Kathleen Lockwood ('70s reliever Skip Lockwood's wife) and I'm just getting into the latest book by my old boss and new MLB historian John Thorn, Baseball in the Garden of Eden. Since man (and woman) does not live by baseball alone, I've just finished Sleepwalking in Daylight by an high school English classmate, Elizabeth Flock, and a book on audio version of Run by Anne Patchett that has guided me through a couple of long journeys to Citi Field and back.

HOVG: So what’s next? Do you have another project already lined up…or are you seeing how this latest book does?

SILVERMAN: There's Golf Miscellany coming out next year. It will follow a similar format but obviously deals with a different subject, though there is a chapter I've already worked on about athletes in other sports gravitating to golf. It can be fun getting out of your comfort zone, but you always find yourself back at the well... I'm working on a book on New York's most colorful and agonizing team next year: Best Mets. Out now is New York Mets: The Complete Illustrated History.

HOVG: Lastly, and this isn’t a question, but I read a review that blasts the use of a Tony Bernazard photo on page 107. Now, while it isn’t the best photo of the former infielder…it is Tony Bernazard AND he is donning the powder blue of the Montreal Expos. I guess what I’m trying to say is…thank you for that.

SILVERMAN: If you had an "in action" Tony Bernazard picture at your disposal, why wouldn't you use it? And if Tony Bernazard is going to be pictured with a shirt on, it really should be powder blue with the "elb" Expos logo. Merci.

Matthew Silverman's career as a writer began more than 20 years ago. He has authored, co-authored and edited numerous publications pertaining to Baseball, Football and sports in general. You can check out his website (and the always entertaining "Reflections of a Mets Life") over at MetSilverman.com.

And the best thing about Silverman...his book Baseball Miscellany (you can read a review HERE) can be yours if you hit up The Hall's Facebook page. Just CLICK THIS LINK!

Bowie Baysox to Honor Mustached Americans

Much like Pamela Anderson and Hepatitis-C, since the 1970s the rich tradition of baseball and mustaches go hand-in-hand.

While the 1980s were a dark time for people of Mustached American heritage, it did not deter the Baltimore Orioles organization from strongly supporting those with lower nose accoutrements.

Lip-warming stalwarts like Eddie Murray, Rick Dempsey, Scott McGregor, Sammy Stewart and Mike Flanagan embodied a culture of acceptance in the Orioles landscape during a dark decade for the Mustached American community.

It is with this flavor-saving commitment that the Orioles Double-A affiliate, the Bowie Baysox, are collaborating with the American Mustache Institute to honor the Mustached American community on Wednesday night, May 4 at 7:00pm with the Baysox’s third annual “Mustache Mania” at Prince George’s Stadium.

The AMI’s Washington, D.C.-area Associate Steward Nathan Wilson will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and people wearing mustaches real and fake will receive half-price admission for Lower Reserve tickets.

The offer is available on game day only at the Baysox ticket office and is valid for one half-priced Lower Reserved Seat Ticket per person donning a mustache or Mustaches For Kids (M4K) business card to the game.

The team will honor participating fans with mustache competitions including “Best Mustache” and “Most Pathetic Mustache.”

It’s a hairy deal indeed, and for more info call (301) 805-6000 or visit Baysox.com.

Carry on.

***This post is on loan from Dr. Aaron Perlut of the American Mustache Institute.***

The Giants Win Again!

Is it just me or are the local TV spots for Major League teams getting better?

Earlier this year, the Seattle Mariners broke out this Ichiro gem and a couple of weeks ago, a Minnesota Twins spot with Jim Thome dressed as Paul Bunyan hit the interwebs.

And now this from the San Francisco Giants.

Now, to be fair, the World Champs have one of the game's most visable characters in Brian Wilson...but this spot almost makes the others look like a bad local car ad.

Enjoy!

Chipper Jones Surpasses Mickey Mantle

Yeah, go ahead and read that headline over and over, gang...with a first inning RBI off Mat Latos Wednesday, Chipper Jones now sits behind only Eddie Murray when it comes to runs knocked in by a switch hitter.

With his 1510th career RBI (and counting), the Atlanta Braves thirdbaseman surpassed Mickey Mantle on the all-time list.

"We grew up hearing about Mickey Mantle and now we're witnessing Chipper Jones getting those milestones," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said following Tuesday night's contest. "It really does give me goose bumps every time one of those milestones is reached."

While it's not likely the Jones will catch up with Murray's career total of 1917, the future Hall of Famer is knocking down milestone and milestone on his way to Cooperstown.

So if you're paying attention to the "Chipper Jones Milestone Watch"...dude is now at 2516 hits, 500 doubles, 439 home runs and 1512 RBI for his career.

Logan Morrison's Cast is on eBay

I'm not a big eBay guy.

Honestly, the most excited I've gotten about buying other people's trash was when I found (and bought!) that Rockwell LP for sale a few years ago or last year when Corey Haim's family decided to sell his junk to pay for his funeral.

But then, Florida Marlins leftfielder Logan Morrison went and did this.

Now, if you were too lazy to click on the link above, Morrison is selling his recently removed cast via the online auction site.  And here's part of what the official listing says!

Cast was worn by Logan Morrison, starting left fielder for the Florida Marlins, after injuring his foot last week. Item was signed by 24 members of the 2011 Florida Marlins Roster (not including Hanley Ramirez #2) and was "MLB Authenticated" at the time of signing.

All proceeds will be donated to the American Lung Association.

Why the American Lung Association?  Simple.  Morrison's father died from lung cancer this past December and what a creative way to help raise money for a great organization.

Now...more about that cast itself.

The 23-year-old is suffering from a Lisfranc strain (strained left arch) and was put on the disabled list April 21. Meaning...the earliest he could be activated would be May 5.  But, given the initial estimate on Morrison's injury was that he could be out up to a month...returning by Mother's Day might be a little optimistic.

"There are also hurdles I have to get over," Morrison told Marlins.com. "The doctor said, 'Go as far as the pain will let you go. If it hurts, shut it down.'"

Andre Ethier...Mr. April?

With a first inning double Tuesday night...Andre Ethier set a Major League record by hitting in 23 straight April games.

The Los Angeles Dodgers rightfielder broke the 40-year-old record set by his former manager, Joe Torre, who hit in 22 straight April games in 1971.  And while he's a long way away from surpassing Joe DiMaggio's record 56 game hit streak...he's not that far from catching up to Dodgers hit king Willie Davis.

Wait...Willie Davis?!?

Sure, Willie Davis might not be the first name you think of when someone mentions "hit king"...but dude does have two of the longest hit streaks (31 in 1969 and 25 in 1971) in team history.

But what kind of road bumps stand in the way of the 2010 All-Star from eclipsing Davis?  Let's break it down...and figure out exactly where Ethier ranks in Dodgers history since the team packed up and went west in 1958.

If Ethier's streak ends Wednesday against the Florida Marlins...he'll be tied with Brett Butler's 1991 hitting streak. But should the rightfielder get a hit off of pitcher Anibal Sanchez (he's 0-for-6 all-time against the righty) he match John Shelby and his 1988 feat of hitting in 24 straight.

Now, should Ethier get his first hit off Sanchez, he'll get a day off before he squares off against San Diego starter Clayton Richard Friday night.

And as luck would have it...Richard will be the toughest foe the Dodger will face on his march to match Davis. Head-to-head...Ethier is 1-for-13 against the Padres hurler.

But, should Ethier get the best of the Padres Friday night, he'll be the fourth Dodger to get a hit in 25 straight games.

The others?  Davis, second baseman Steve Sax in 1986 and catcher Paul Lo Duca in 2003.

The road from 25 to 31 might be the easiest stretch of the season thus far for the slugger. Against the six probable starters he'll face...he is hitting a combined 22-for-53 (good for a .415 batting average).

Let's put the cart before the horse for a minute and look ahead to Saturday, May 7...Ethier and his Dodgers take on the New York Mets and (more than likely) Chris Young.

Thankfully, this cat OWNS the 6'10" righty.  In 29 at bats...Ethier has 12 hits against Young (a .414 batting average) and six home runs.

So, just how far can "Mr. April" go? If you can grant me the cliche for a moment...only time will tell.

Book Review: Baseball Miscellany by Matthew Silverman

A few weeks ago, I got an email from someone with Skyhorse Publishing asking if I was interested in doing a book review.  At first, I thought it was spam...so, naturally, I responded saying I'd need two copies. 

One for me and one for you...but more on that later.

Now, I'm not much of a reader (feel free to insert your hackneyed "some would suggest I'm not much of a writer" jokes here)...but, thankfully, Hall of Very Good contributor E is. 

Here is his take on Baseball Miscellany:  Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Baseball by Matthew Silverman:

 

Years and years ago, some long-defunct magazine like Sport or Inside Sports used to put out a year-end almanac magazine. 

The main purpose of this magazine was to publish the results and box scores of all the year's sporting event, like who won the World Series or that year's America's Cup (spoiler alert: it was America).

The bulk of the magazine, however, was devoted to facts, figures, and trivia, like Otis Nixon stealing six bases in one game or Wade Boggs throwing out his back putting on his cowboy boots.

I loved this magazine. 

I used to buy it every year because I wanted to know all the wild and wacky things that had happened in sports that year. Nonsensical trivia is one of the few reasons to follow sports. And it’s one of the reasons I read Baseball Miscellany by Matthew Silverman, because, with a name like Baseball Miscellany, it was bound to be full of the completely useless information I love.

Turns out, I was wrong.

Baseball Miscellany does, as the name might infer, have some degree of baseball miscellany, like the fact that Pete Rose went 1,000 at bats without a home run twice in his career, or that, at one time, there were two players in baseball with the nickname “Dummy” (and they were both deaf, which makes it even funnier).

There are even definitions of olde timey terms like “pepper” and “can of corn” that are only used by the oldest of old school broadcasters and are lost on the modern fan.

But, instead of just being full of useless trivia, Baseball Miscellany is mainly devoted to explaining and giving historical background information on why things are the way they are in baseball. The chapter titles ask questions about some aspect of baseball that is then answered in the chapter.

Some of the chapters are devoted to information that not even the most hardcore of fans would care about, like “What is a sandlot,” “Why do pitchers throw overhand in baseball and underhand in softball,” or “Why do some stadiums have the same names as old ones.”

But most of the chapters are devoted to interesting subjects that most fans have pondered about, like “Why is Fenway’s Green Monster so tall,” “Why is the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY,” and “Why is the spitball illegal” (which contains the nice bit of trivia that baseball once had 17 legal designated spitballers, three of whom made the Hall of Fame…not including Gaylord Perry, who spitballed on the downlow).

There’s even a chapter devoted to the worst stadium promotions of all time, which includes local favorite Disco Demolition Night, cooked up by shock jock Steve Dahl and executed by baseball agent provocateur Bill Veeck.

Baseball Miscellany is a thoroughly-researched and interesting read. Its strong point is that it deals with baseball minutiae that hasn’t already been covered to death and tends to be more interesting than just telling me how many players have hit for the cycle twice (the answer is three; how boring is that).

And for those of you that don’t feel like taking on a major reading project, no worries: I read this in a couple of hours. It may not be as in-depth as Men at Work or Moneyball, but it’s an entertaining read, nonetheless.

Check it out.

Alright...so now to the "win this book" portion of this book review.

I mentioned up top that I asked Skyhorse for two copies...and they delivered.  And since Baseball Miscellany is chock full of interesting tidbits ("miscellany" if you will), I want to know...what is your favorite barstool fact to drop on your friends?

Meaning...what is one piece of baseball trivia that you like to unleash on whoever (whomever?) will listen?

Leave it in the comments below, drop me an email or post it over at the Facebook page and if I dig it...you're getting a book.

Oh...and the Tony Bernazard picture above?  You'll have to wait to see what that is all about when Matthew Silverman answers the "Friday 5".

Friday 5: Josh Caray

Baseball is known as a game that fathers pass down to their sons and, in turn, they’ll pass down to their sons.  And with that in mind…there have been a number of famous father-son tandems that have taken their acts to the Majors.

In some cases, that same tradition has even manifested itself in the broadcast booth thanks to the Bucks, the Brennamans and, most recently, the Suttons.

But no family has had more success than the Carays…Harry, Skip and Chip.

And now…a fourth Caray is trying his hand at broadcasting.

Josh.

HOVG: Are there pressures sitting behind the mic with the last name “Caray”? I’ve gotta think that everyone is going to want to tune in and hear the next Harry, Skip or Chip.

CARAY: There are certainly pressures, but they are only as big as I make them to be. The people who "expect" me to be another Harry/Skip/Chip are generally people who don't know this industry and all the politics that go into it. My grandfather and father could get away with a lot of things that I cannot. There is a lot that I don't control. So I simply focus on what I can control, which is my broadcasting, and let the rest take care of itself.

HOVG: What is Josh Caray’s style…and are you working on a catchphrase yet?

CARAY: No catchphrases. My dad didn't have one and niether does my borther and both have been very successful. My grandfather had one, but he would have been just as popular without one. I would say that my style is very similar to my father's. I try to keep the game relaxed and simple. I get excited when a big play happens, but overall I try to keep the game pastoral.

HOVG: You grew up in the ATL hanging around with your dad Skip and the Braves. Would calling games for Atlanta be the dream job for you? If not…what would be?

CARAY: Atlanta would certainly be one of them, but when you consider that there are only about 60-80 play-by-play men calling games each year, you become grateful for being one of those chosen few. I would go wherever the job is. Of course, places like Chicago and St. Louis would be great because of my family's history there.

HOVG: Did you ever have a chance to join your father in the broadcast booth? If so…how was it?

CARAY: He actually allowed me to call a half-inning of one game when the Braves were getting blown out by the Expos when I was still in high school. It was memorable because I did the inning with Joe Simpson (who is one of the best analysts in the game, by the way, and a good friend) while my dad stood behind me and listened. It was a cool moment just because he got to hear me do a Major League game before he died and I know that meant a lot to him.

HOVG: Lastly, I grew up outside Chicago and spent a majority of my life hearing your grandfather both on the radio and TV. That said, I’ve also been subjected to hearing countless Harry Caray impersonations. In your estimation, who does the best? And do you do one yourself?

CARAY: I do have one and its decent, but its not as good as Will Ferrell's. I think he has very good one as does comedian John Campanera. The worst is from Michael Wilbon and Jay Mariotti. Both should stick to writing.

Josh Caray begins his stint in the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs broadcast booth later this month. He has also called games alongside Brian Jordan for the Gwinnett Braves of the International League, the Rome Braves of the South Atlantic League and the San Angelo Colts of United League Baseball.