The Squibber

ISSUE # x THE DAVIDS CHAPTER E-NEWSLETTER

Spring 2006

This newsletter is produced by the Bob Davids Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), which serves SABR members in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Visit the chapter’s official website at www.sabrdc.org. For a current description of the chapter’s program of activities and volunteer needs, go to http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/Projects.htm

This quarterly newsletter is distributed electronically to members. It is posted, along with a wide range of cumulative material on baseball and baseball research in our geographical area, on The Squibber’s website at http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mccrayl/NewNL.htm The deadline for material for the next newsletter is July 1 . Submissions can be sent to Squibber editor Walt Cherniak at wcherniakjr@aol.com. Keep sending us those squibs, and those ideas for squibs!

CONTENTS – Spring 2006

1. Pitching Partners (Part I): Ramos and Pascual Were Nats’ Charismatic Cuban Aces, by Jeff Stuart

1. Fundraiser in Bowie: Meet Negro League Veterans

1. Research Help Sought: Collecting Memories of the Baltimore Black Sox

1. Central Pennsylvania Report: Attendance Soars; New Stadium for York; All-Star Managers, by Barry Sparks

1. Wanna Play (Vintage) Ball?: Baltimore-area League Envisioned

1. Remembering a Dual Tragedy: Two Active Players from Baltimore Died in the Same Year, by Cort Vitty

1. More Baseball Song Compilations Due in July: Ninth Volume of Diamond Cuts on the Way

1. Report From Bethesda: Big Train Will Host Davids Chapter in June, by Bill Hickman

1. Soriano’s Story: Why Alfonso REALLY Doesn’t Like Left Field, by Steve Walker

1. The 1968 Season of Del Unser: Rookie Took Washington by Storm, by Walt Cherniak

1. A Family Affair: Baseball’s a Gift We All Can Share, by Bob Schnebly

1. PITCHING PARTNERS (Part 1): Ramos and Pascual Were Nats’ Charismatic Cuban Aces, by Jeff Stuart

I once owned a 1959 Topps Baseball Card #291 labeled, “Pitching Partners Pedro Ramos-Camilo Pascual.” Somewhere along the way, I lost it. Even though it is only worth about $3.50 today, I would readily pay that for it. Certainly, it is worth more than that to an old Senators fan.

The two were my earliest baseball heroes. Though the team finished last for four of their six seasons together in Washington, the club’s attendance improved every year during the last six seasons of the Ramos and Pascual era. That increase in attendance was due in large part to the charismatic Cubans duo.

Joe Cambria

Owner Clark Griffith, and later, his adopted son Calvin, both embraced penny-pinching. In the 1930s, Clark hired “Uncle Joe” Cambria, an Italian-born laundry man from Baltimore, to scout cheap talent in Cuba. Over the next 26 years, he signed an estimated 400 Cubans for the Senators organization.

The cost to the Senators was ridiculously low by the standards of the day. Pascual was signed for $175. Ramos was originally brought in, at no cost, just to pitch batting practice. Carlos Paula, Connie Marrero, Jose Valdivielso, Julio Becquer, Zoilo Versalles, and Tony Oliva were other “Papa Joe” signups.

Cambria eventually acquired the minor-league Havana Cubans, a string of bars, and a restaurant called the “Triple A.” He lived at the restaurant, which was just beyond the center field scoreboard of Havana's Gran Stadium. From his little empire, Cambria eventually funneled Cuban talent to all major league teams.

“Joe Cambria wanted to sign me for $150 a month in Cuba in 1953,” Ramos told George Minot of the Washington Post. “But I told him I was used to living better than that and to show him, I invited him to my home 100 miles from Havana. He agreed and gave me a $125 raise.”

Camilo, “Little Potato,” was originally recommended to the Senators by his older brother, Carlos, "Big Potato” Pascual, who was also recruited by Cambria and pitched briefly for the Senators in 1950.

The “Palm” and the “Calm”

At 6-0, Ramos was slightly taller than the 5-11 Pascual, and both weighed about 185 pounds. Pascual, born January 20, 1934, was slightly older and the son of an air conditioning engineer in Havana. Ramos, the son of a tobacco merchant in Pinar Del Rio, was born on April 28, 1935. To Washington fans, the two Cuban stars were always thought of as a package deal, and seemed almost interchangeable.

By most descriptions, the 1950s Cuban Senators were a loose and entertaining bunch. They included Connie Marrero, Carlos Paula, Julio Becquer, Jose Valdivielso, Zoilo Versalles, Pedro Ramos and Camilo Pascual. Roommates on the road, Pedro and Camilo were young, single and free until 1959. That was the year Pascual married Raquel Ferrero, and Ramos was engaged to Miriam Morales.

Ramos was often accused of throwing a spitball. He called it the Cuban Palm Ball. In a game in Cleveland in 1962, umpire Ed Runge, suspicious that Ramos was rubbing the ball on a tobacco stain on his pants, ordered him into the clubhouse to change pants. But it did not end there. A few pitches later, Runge had him leave the field again, this time to change shirts. Finally, the unusually patient umpire requested that he change his cap. When Ramos donned a batting helmet as a replacement, Runge felt that he was making a mockery of the situation and ejected him.

The outgoing and competitive Ramos often challenged opposing players to a foot race. He beat Philadelphia’s Richie Ashburn and Cincinnati’s Don Hoak, as well as Reds bonus baby Bobby Heinrich, a high school sprint champion. Not as daring, of course, was the time he challenged the speed-impaired catcher Clint Courtney to a race in 1956.

Courtney declined, as did Mickey Mantle to a number of Ramos challenges. But the speedy pitcher goaded Courtney with an advantage. Ramos would race home from the center field flagpole at Griffith Stadium, while the catcher was to race home from second. Always seeking a dare, Pete once bet a teammate he could throw a ball and hit the roof of the Astrodome. He tried, but did not succeed.

Camilo Pascual was as quiet off the field as Ramos was gregarious, hence his nickname, “The Calm.” He preferred conservative American fare like TV westerns, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. Ramos had a more romantic if caricature-like perception of American culture, and usually dressed flamboyantly, frequently sporting a western hat and cowboy boots. Yet, they enjoyed each other’s company, and their joint adventures were often humorous.

“Perhaps Camilo Pascual needs glasses,” wrote Post columnist Bob Addie. “His buddy, Pedro Ramos, was telling the story of both hunting in Cuba this winter. Camilo shot a duck, but it turned out to be a farmer's horse. Pascual had to pay damages.”

“Camilo is like my brother,” Ramos told Joe Durgan of the New York Times in 1965. “Ramos and Pascual worked together like a bicycle built for two,” wrote Addie. Their personalities carried over on to the field.

“Pascual was the type who would forget about the game with the last out,” wrote author David Gough in They’ve Stolen Our Team. “While Ramos was a brooder who would relive every pitch and agonize over his mistake, Pascual was a believer in the law of averages, that things had a way of balancing out over time. Ramos, on the other hand was very superstitious and always on the lookout for ‘good luck’ charms.”

Pascual was a meticulous, slow worker and nothing rattled him. He had a great fastball complemented with a spectacular curve. But Ramos was a fast worker. He had great control and a good fastball. With a gambler’s guile, he challenged hitters, and his best pitch was always his controversial “palm” ball. On the field, both were competitive in their own ways.

Washington owner Calvin Griffith was never one to loathe parting with players for an influx of ready cash, but he was protective of his talented Cuban pair. Told in May of 1960 that a struggling Ramos wanted to go to New York, where he could be with a winner, he emphatically told reporters, “The Yankees have no chance of getting him or Pascual.”

Pascual in Washington

Pascual first arrived in Washington in 1954 at the tender age of 20 years and three months, the youngest player in the league. Camilo debuted on April 15, 1954, in relief of Bob Porterfield as the team lost 6-1 to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. As a reliever, Camilo posted a 4-7 mark in 1954 with three saves and a 4.22 era. Still in the bullpen in 1955, he was 2-12 with a 6.14 ERA.

Tapped to start the 1956 opener, he lost to the Yankees and Don Larsen, 10-4. He led the American League in homers allowed that season with 33, and won only 8 while losing 18. The maturing Camilo won 17 games for the last-place 1959 Senators and posted a 2.64 ERA. He developed his wicked sidearm curve to complement his fastball, and he led the league with seven shutouts, and 17 complete games, while pitching 238 innings. Pascual, now an American League All-Star, became the first Washington starter to post a winning record since Dean Stone went 12-10 in 1954.

On April 18, 1960, Pascual started in the last American League opener for the old Senators before President Eisenhower. He struck out 15 Red Sox batters, tying Walter Johnson's club record as Washington won over Boston, 10–1. A Ted Williams homer that sailed far over the center field wall and into the clump of trees beyond, accounted for the only Boston run. In 1960, Pascual went 12-8 for the Senators in their last season in D.C., and was again named an All-Star.

Ramos

Ramos arrived in the 1955 season, debuting on April 11, 1955. Like Pascual, his debut came in relief of Porterfield. The team won this time, 12-5, defeating the Orioles at Griffith Stadium. Like Pascual, Ramos was used primarily as a reliever in his first year. Ramos posted a 5-11 mark with five saves and a 3.88 ERA. He had the dubious distinction of leading the league in hit batsmen with 11.

Ramos got a lot of starts with Washington from 1956 to 1960, winning 10 or more games each year, peaking at 14 wins in 1958 when he hurled four shutouts, third in the league. But his only winning season in Washington was 1956, when he finished 12-10 for a seventh- place team.

Ramos started in the 1958 opener, posting a 5-2 win over the Red Sox. He was tapped for the opener again in 1959, defeating Baltimore, 9-2. Ramos, as a substitute for Pascual, was named an American League All-Star in 1959. Neither pitched in either of the two All-Star games that season.

Winter Ball -- Cienfuegos

For the entire time Pascual and Ramos were together in Washington, they also pitched together during the winter months for Cienfuegos of the Cuban Professional League. Cienfuegos, which might have been a better team than the Senators, won championships in 1957, 1960 and 1961. Cienfuegos represented Cuba in the prestigious Caribbean Series in 1956 and 1960, beginning and ending a string of five straight Cuban victories.

Notable major league players who participated in the series during this period included Luis Aparicio, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, former Senator Conrado Marrero, Minnie Minoso and Don Zimmer. In February 1956, at the Caribbean Series in Panama City, Cienfuegos posted a 5-1 record. Pascual and Ramos each won two games.

In the1959 series, in Caracas, Venezuela, Almendares, representing Cuba, added Pascual to its roster. The overpowering Cuban pitching staff already featured Orlando Pena and Mike Cuellar. In February 1960 in Panama City, Cienfuegos finished a 6-0 sweep to give a Cuban team its fifth straight series championship. Pascual won two games, including the Series clincher, a 2-0 shutout of Puerto Rico. Ramos also won a game.

Ramos was twice the leading pitcher in the Cuban League, winning 13 and losing 5 in the 1955-56 season, and winning 16 and losing 7 in 1960-61. His teammate and partner, Pascual, was twice the leader in the intervening years, going 15-5 in 1956-57 and repeating the 15-5 performance in 1959-60. Each won the league’s Most Valuable Player award as well. Pascual won it for the1955-56 season, while Ramos closed out the era, taking the last MVP award in 1960-61.

An Autographed Ball and the end of the Cuban Connection

During the winter season of 1960, Ramos and Pascual obtained a ball signed by Fidel Castro for Washington owner Calvin Griffith. But after 1961, the effective Ramos/Pascual winter pitching partnership was abruptly dissolved by politics, when Castro declared Cuba's 83-year-old professional league defunct. Two dozen major-league players, including Becquer, Pascual, Tiant and Tony Perez, were blocked temporarily from returning to the U.S. and ended up in Mexico, scrambling after U.S. visas. Ramos had assumed ownership of his father’s cigar factory during these years. His picture was on the band of every “El Gladiator” cigar, but Castro expropriated the company and Ramos’ other business ventures in Cuba ended as well.

The End in Washington

Pedro, now often Americanized as “Pete,” led the league in starts again in 1960 with 36. Over a six-game stretch that season, Ramos yielded only 16 runs but lost all six starts. He went 11-18 with a respectable 3.45 era. Since Pascual opened that last season in Washington, it was fitting that his partner Ramos, closed it out. On October 2, 1960, Ramos took the loss as Washington dropped a 2–1 decision to Baltimore in the last game ever played by the original franchise Senators.

(Editor’s Note: Pascual and Ramos were the pitching mainstays of the Senators team that left for Minnesota in 1961. In the next Squibber, read about the second installments of their careers.)

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2. FUNDRAISER IN BOWIE: Meet Negro League Veterans

The Rotary Club of South Anne Arundel County, Md. Maryland is sponsoring a fundraiser for charity on Saturday evening, June 10, at the Bowie Baysox-Binghamton Mets game in Prince Georges County.  The game time is 7:05 p.m. and will be followed by a fireworks display.

The evening also will feature appearances by veteran players from the Negro Leagues.  SABR member Cort Vitty will be handling ticket sales for South County Rotary.  The cost is $15 per person for upgraded seating; parking is free.  Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit local charities.  Please email Cort at  cort@picturethisonline.com for ticket requests.

3. RESEARCH HELP SOUGHT: Collecting Memories of the Baltimore Black Sox

Skidmore College Professor and ABR member Dan Nathan is seeking information about the Baltimore Black Sox baseball team, especially from the 1920s. Nathan is interested in documenting personal memories of the team and its ballplayers (such as Laymon Yokely and Jud Wilson), as well as collecting relevant artifacts, such as photographs, programs and ticket stubs, etc. Contact: Prof. Daniel Nathan, Dept. of American Studies, Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; phone: (518) 580-5252; e-mail: dnathan@skidmore.edu

4. CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA REPORT: Attendance Soars; New Stadium for York; All-Star Managers, by Barry Sparks

South Central Pennsylvania Minor League Teams Had Impressive Attendance in 2005

Minor league baseball is thriving in the York, Pa. area. The Lancaster Barnstormers drew 378,310 fans in 2005, averaging 5,404 per game in their inaugural season in the independent Atlantic League. The Harrisburg Senators, an Eastern League Class AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals, attracted 264,728 fans. It was the third-highest total in the 19-year history of the franchise.

York Baseball Team Signs 20-year Lease for Proposed Stadium

York Professional Baseball Club Inc., an independent league baseball franchise, recently signed a 20-year lease with the York City Redevelopment Authority for a proposed 5,260-seat stadium that will be built in downtown York. The York City Redevelopment Authority recently purchased two properties, the first in a series of purchases needed to make way for the stadium site.

Former Major League All-Stars Managing Barnstormers and Senators

Tommy Herr, a veteran of 13 seasons in the major leagues with five teams, is back for a second year as manager of the Lancaster Barnstormers. Herr led the Barnstormers to a 64-76 record in 2005. His best year was in 1985, when he made the National League All-Star team and helped the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series.

John Stearns, a catcher with the New York Mets for 11 seasons, has replaced Keith Bodie as manager of the Harrisburg Senators. Stearns was a four-time All-Star with the Mets.

5. WANNA PLAY (VINTAGE) BALL? Baltimore-area League Envisioned

If you enjoy playing baseball/softball and are interested in learning and experiencing how baseball used to be played from the 1860s to turn of the century, please reply to Jeff Turner at: comm-145979751@craigslist.org

Ideally, Jeff would like to start a fun/competitive vintage baseball league in the Baltimore area with several clubs. To find out more about vintage baseball, check out these websites: vbba.org and vbbf.com

6. REMEMBERING A DUAL TRAGEDY: Two Active Players from Baltimore Died in the Same Year, by Cort Vitty

The 1929 season ended on a joyous note for the city of Philadelphia. The A’s were fresh from a World Series victory and the Phillies rose to a respectable fifth place in the standings.

The foreboding of good things to come came to an abrupt end on Oct. 22, when the baseball world was stunned by the news of the tragic death of Walter (Peck) Lerian, the Phillies’ promising young backstop.

The horrific circumstances of the accident claiming his life are almost beyond comprehension. On the afternoon of Oct. 21, Lerian was awaiting a trolley on the corner of Fayette and Mount streets in his hometown of Baltimore.. A truck traveling east on Fayette swerved to avoid hitting a car, which was traveling south on Mount Street; the car apparently failed to stop at the intersection.

The out-of-control truck jumped the curb and proceeded on to the sidewalk. Lerian was struck and literally crushed on impact. The truck crashed into a building, ripping a huge hole in the facade. Falling bricks and mortar littered the street, along with the bloodied body of the badly injured catcher.

A Good Samaritan rushed to the aid of the injured ballplayer. Placing him in his car, he drove Lerian to Franklin Square Hospital, where a call went out for blood. More than 50 friends volunteered to donate in an effort to save the player’s life.

Around midnight on the evening of the 21^st, doctors felt Lerian was strong enough for a transfusion, but efforts to save the catcher’s life were futile and he passed away early in the morning of the 22^nd.

Over 1,000 mourners attended a funeral mass held at St. Martin’s Catholic Church. Teammates from the Phillies, along with members of other organizations, in which he was active, were on hand.

Ironically, Lerian played his last game the day before the tragic accident. With the season over, Walt caught for the Baltimore All-Stars in a charity game versus the Black Sox.

Lerian caught 105 games for the 1929 Phillies and posted a batting average of .223. His first season in the majors was 1928, when he hit .272 in 96 games. A good defensive catcher, he was considered to be a future star by Phillies manager Burt Shotton and slated to be the regular catcher in 1930.

A native of Baltimore, Lerian was born on March 3^, 1903 and resided on North Bentalon Street in the city. The middle son of Jacob and Josephine Lerian, Walt played sandlot ball for the St. Martin’s Catholic Club. Walt was impressive enough as a player to be signed by Jack Dunn of the International League Orioles in 1920.

In the spring of 1921, he traveled south with the Orioles to spring training However, he failed to make the grade and drifted to the Blue Ridge League. Subsequently, Lerian was sold to the York club of the New York-Penn League. After a stint with Birmingham, he was sold to New Haven in 1925. The 5-11, 170-pound catcher played three seasons in Connecticut before the Phillies acquired him in 1928.

Frank (Dutch) Ulrich was also a product of St. Martin’s and a battery mate of Peck Lerian. The 6-2, 195-pound righthander made his major league debt with the Phillies in 1925, posting a 3-3 record for the cellar-dwelling club.

Records of 8-13 in 1926 and 8-11 in 1927 showed continued promise for the Baltimore native, who was born in 1899. Starting as a local sandlot player, Dutch was signed by Jack Dunn of the Orioles. After being shuffled to the Blue Ridge League, Ulrich was signed by the Phils, after a successful stint in that loop.

In February of 1928, on the day before starting out for spring training, Dutch fell ill with a case of pneumonia and ultimately missed the entire campaign while recuperating. Early in 1929, Dutch stated he was feeling better and willing to join the team if given a clean bill of health by his physician. But the pitcher’s condition deteriorated, and on February 12^,, 1929, he succumbed to the disease he’d been fighting. His untimely passing shocked teammates and baseball fans alike.

7. MORE BASEBALL SONG COMPILATIONS DUE IN JULY: Ninth Volume of Diamond Cuts on the Way

The ninth volume of the Diamond Cuts baseball song compilations series will be released in July.

Complete Game will feature more than 20 cuts, including new songs by Chuck Brodsky, Dan Bern and George Winston, who have contributed songs to each of the previous eight Diamond Cuts. The compilation is produced by Bob Davids Chapter member Jeff Campbell and benefits his organization, Hungry for Music. www.hungryformusic.org

8. REPORT FROM BETHESDA: Big Train Will Host Davids Chapter in June, by Bill Hickman

On Saturday June 17, the Bethesda Big Train baseball organization will host the Bob Davids Chapter at Shirley Povich Field in Cabin John Park in Bethesda. The event will begin at 3:30 p.m.  The price is $20, and the payment may be made to John Munns at P.O. Box 1187, Frederick, Md. 21702-0187.

For that price, members will receive an afternoon presentation regarding college baseball, a dinner in the picnic pavilion, and admission to the 7:30 p.m. game between Big Train and the Silver Spring-Tacoma Thunderbolts.

The afternoon presentation is still in the planning stages, but at the minimum, Big Train expects to have Big Train manager Sal Colangelo (brother of former major leaguer Mike Colangelo) and some of the Big Train players available to meet with the group.

The last time Big Train hosted SABR, some umpires were there as well, and we hope to provide additional speakers along that line again this time.

There were five former Big Train players in this year's major league spring training camps.  John Maine and Steve Schmoll were on the Mets’ spring roster.  Bobby Livingston was on the Mariners spring roster.  Charlton Jimerson, who hit a grand slam in one of the spring games, was on the Astros roster.  Jake Wald was a non-roster invitee who joined the Giants in their camp.  All five are expected to start the season in the minors, but they remain good prospects.  Maine, Schmoll, and Jimerson gained major league playing experience during the 2005 regular season.

Many of the 2006 Big Train players are enjoying outstanding seasons with their college teams.  We look forward to their arrival with Big Train and to the start of our season on Saturday, June 3 when our first exhibition game is played.  Check out the Big Train website, http://www.bigtrain.org for the full schedule and directions to Shirley Povich Field.

9. SORIANO’S STORY: Why Alfonso REALLY Doesn’t Like Left Field, by Steve Walker

"Yes, Dear" or How Alfonso Soriano Ended Up in Left

Field for the Washington Nationals

Never underestimate the power of a baseball wife.

It was something that the New York Yankees decided not to do. What the Texas Rangers could never do. What the Dominican national team failed to accomplish during the World Baseball Classic. What agent Diego Bentz, never achieved.

What even Frank "I Am the Intimidator" Robinson could not persuade Alfonso Soriano to do, his wife has done. She’s convinced him to play left field for his new team, the Washington Nationals. It’s amazing how persuasive a wife can be.

Washington fans should be glad she did. Soriano is an exciting, electric player, especially at bat, and it appears he’s a great teammate. Yet, what made him change his mind? One can only imagine the recent conversation at the Soriano household:

(Arriving home after a Spring Training game where he left early, refusing to play, Soriano bursts through the door.)

Alfonso: "Sweetheart, I'm home. What's for dinner?"

Mrs. Soriano: "Buenas tardes, Alfonso. Home so early?"

Alfonso: "Yeah. They wanted me to play left field today, but I said no way! I just walked out, got in my car, and drove home."

Mrs. Soriano: "Won't Mr. Robinson and Mr. Bowden be angry, dear?"

Alfonso: "Let 'em be angry. I don't care. I'm a second baseman. Period. I'm not playing no stinkin' left field! They say if I don't, they'll put me on the disqualified list. Hah! Let ‘em try.”

(Suddenly the phone rings. Mrs. Soriano answers.)

Mrs. Soriano: “Honey, it's for you. It's Diego."

(Soriano answers)

Alfonso: "Yeah. So, I told them -- second base or nothing. Tell them to trade Vidro. Yeah, I know what the disqualified list means. So what? Tell 'em to go for it if it makes them happy. I'm not setting one foot in left field. I gotta go. Bye!"

Mrs. Soriano: "Honey, what's this disqualified list?"

Alfonso: "Oh. that. Well, if I don't play where they tell me to, I'll get placed on that list. I don't

earn any service time and I don't get paid. Well, I don't care."

Mrs. Soriano: "Alfie…what do you mean you won't get paid? You promised me you'd get the landscaping redone this spring."

Alfonso: "It'll have to wait."

Mrs. Soriano: "And the new tile for the in-ground pool?"

Alfonso: "Oh, that. Well, um, it's supposed to be cold and rainy this summer. We'll do it next year."

Mrs. Soriano: "And the new Mercedes for my birthday?"

Alfonso: “Next year. I'll get it next year."

Mrs. Soriano: "Alfonso Guilleard Soriano! Don't tell me you're not getting me that adorable diamond and ruby tennis bracelet with the matching earrings for our anniversary! It's simply too divine to wait for!"

Alfonso: "Forget it this year, sweetheart. I'd rather starve than give in to those guys. They can't make me play out there and nothing's going to change my mind!"

Mrs. Soriano: (Lightly running her finger down her husband's cheek) "Alfie, you know how tough it is being a baseball wife. I feel a headache coming on. I think it might last the entire season, especially if we starve while you sit on that silly disqualified list. Alfie, I think you know what I mean."

Alfonso: "But, but. . . I have my pride to consider. I can't back down now!"

Mrs. Soriano: "And neither can I, Alfie. Mr. Robinson seems like such a nice man. He really seems to know what's best for you. I think it's time to move forward and try to do the best you can in left field. Don't you agree, dear?"

Alfonso: “Have you seen my outfielder's glove? I've got a game this afternoon and I'm already late!"

10. THE 1968 SEASON OF DEL UNSER: Rookie Took Washington by Storm, by Walt Cherniak

Fans of the 1960s-era Washington Senators rarely had much to cheer about. Before leaving for Texas in 1972, the second-generation Nats enjoyed just one winning season in 11 years, lost 100 or more games four times and had three last-place finishes in the American League.

But if winning the pennant was an unrealistic goal, Washington fans still found things that excited them. They marveled at Frank Howard’s size, strength and parabolic home runs. They rose to applaud the smooth defensive plays of shortstop Ed Brinkman, even as they winced in pain when he stepped to the plate.

And in the pitcher-dominated season of 1968, they fell in love with a 23-year-old rookie center fielder named Del Unser, who thrilled fans with his batting and fielding exploits.

Unser, a left-handed hitter with excellent speed and little power, made his big-league debut as Washington’s center fielder and leadoff man on Opening Day 1968, beginning a career that would eventually reach 15 seasons and nearly 1,800 games.

Born in Decatur, Ill. In 1944, Unser was the son of Al Unser, a catcher who played 120 games for the Tigers and Reds during World War II. In 1965, Del was a standout outfielder and first baseman at Mississippi. He was a second-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in the first-ever amateur draft, but didn’t sign a contract. The Pittsburgh Pirates took him in the fourth round of the secondary phase draft in January 1966, but again, he didn’t come to terms on a contract.

The third time was a charm for Unser in June 1966, when the Senators selected him with their first-round pick (No. 18 overall). Unser signed and reported to York, Pa. of the Eastern League, hitting .220 in 39 games. He returned to York for the 1967 season, batting .231 in 138 games.

This wasn’t exactly the resume of a player on the brink of the major leagues, but Unser impressed new Senators Manager Jim Lemon in spring training, and when the 1968 season dawned on April 10, there he stood in center field in D.C. (not yet RFK) Stadium.

Leading off the bottom of the first inning against Twins starter Dean Chance, Unser bounced out to shortstop Jackie Hernandez in his first big-league plate appearance. In the fourth, he pushed a bunt toward third baseman Cesar Tovar and legged it out for his first hit. It was one of just four harmless singles allowed by Chance, who blanked the Nats, 2-0.

Despite having played just 177 games of Double A ball, Unser seemed unfazed by the major leagues. He collected three singles the next day against the Twins’ Jim Merritt, and had two singles and a triple in his next game against Oakland. All told, he hit safely in his first seven games, and at the end of April, Unser was batting .316. Washington fans were smitten.

Meanwhile, Unser was playing center field brilliantly, running down line drives in the gaps and gunning down baserunners foolish enough to challenge him. Unser wound up with 22 outfield assists, more than any other outfielder in the major leagues. His 388 putouts trailed only the 390 recorded by Boston Gold Glover Reggie Smith.

But 1968 was the “Year of the Pitcher,” and A.L. hurlers soon figured out Unser, who batted just .208 in May and .210 in June. Following his red-hot April, Unser batted only .218 the rest of the way. Playing in 156 games, he finished at .230, a modest figure that nonetheless was only five points below the American League average in 1968.

The batting highlight of Unser’s season came in Oakland on Aug. 20, when he went 5 for 5, with four singles and his only home run of the year, a leadoff blast against the A’s Jim Nash. Unser scored 66 runs, stole 11 bases and legged out seven triples. He finished second to Yankees pitcher Stan Bahnsen in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.

The Senators finished last at 65-96, and Unser’s high-energy play, along with Howard’s home run heroics, were more memorable to fans than another lackluster finish.

Baseball expanded by four teams, lowered the pitcher’s mound and shrunk the strike zone following the 1968 season. This development had the desired effect of increasing offense, and Unser, like most hitters, saw his numbers improve. He batted .286 for the Senators in 1969, and then hit .258 and .255 in his final two seasons in Washington.

When the Senators moved the Texas, Unser headed instead to Cleveland, as part of an eight-player trade. He later played for the Phillies, Mets, Expos and Phillies. In his later years, he became known for his pinch-hitting heroics, especially in the 1980 post-season, when he helped the Phillies to their only World Series championship.

Unser retired in 1982 at age 37, batting .258 with 87 homers and 481 RBI over 15 seasons. But to Senator fans who remember 1968, Unser will always be a 23-year-old speedster, chasing down fly balls and racing around the bases like a man on fire.

11. A FAMILY AFFAIR: Baseball’s a Gift We All Can Share, by Bob Schnebly

Sometimes we don't know when opportunity not taken becomes opportunity lost forever. The simplest things in our lives, going to the store, stopping by to see friends or family, watching a game, all these things we do often, and much of the time we take for granted that the next time is just around the corner. Some things seem to start and end a circle and make things complete just by the mere fact that they occurred.

One of these events happened in May, 1998. The Mason-Dixon Tournament run by Jim Bard in the Western Maryland-Pennsylvania area was a top flight semi-pro baseball tournament that bonded much of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania for nearly 15 seasons over the Memorial Day weekend.

The championship game of this tournament was held Memorial Day 1998 in Fayetteville, Pa., at the Memorial Field. Three of those in attendance were my wife, my dad and me. We set out from Virginia on Monday at about 9 a.m. to watch the semifinal and championship games. Fayetteville is about a 90-minute drive from the D.C. area. My wife Dorotha had been to many games with me in our short few years together. My dad, John, getting up in years, went to less and less baseball since the Senators were stolen from us so many years before.

Dad and Dorotha were sharing a first game together as father-in-law and daughter-in-law. This was a real treat for me, as I was able to get us all together for a fun family day in the sun. Unlike major league baseball, this wasn't going to cost an arm and a leg to attend. The entire affair, including gas, food and the game, was less than $25 total. Try taking three people to RFK or Camden Yards for that money.

Several players on each team were about to turn professional or had played professional baseball just a few short seasons prior, so the baseball quality was quite good, and it's a very entertaining way to spend a day.

The day was perfect! I don't remember the score and don't care in the slightest either. My dad and my wife had the time of their lives. We all did. And on the drive home, we topped it all off with a stop at a Dairy Queen on Route 30 near Chambersburg, Pa.

While at Dairy Queen, my dad told us some things about his job in the 1950s and early 1960s that he had never shared before. The only thing left was the drive home. I dozed in the back seat while my dad rode shotgun and reminded my wife about landmarks and structures and things long ago gone from the landscape

My dad was born and raised in Hagerstown, Md., so this was a homecoming of sorts. It would be his last. My dad suffered from multiple sclerosis and had fought the disease for nearly half his life.

What was my wife Dorotha's first game with my father proved to be our last game as a family. He died that December at 78 years old.