posted on Thursday, April 03, 2008 11:30 AM
by
Jim
Swagger, taking a dose and other jargon
Reading Jerry Crasnick's column about Kansas City third baseman Alex Gordon in the latest issue of Baseball America, I couldn't help but notice this sentence:
Although painful, Gordon's rookie year shined a light on his character. He never snapped at reporters, stiffed clubhouse attendants, let his offensive problems affect his defense or asked for a "mental health break" to clear his head. As a stoic Cornhusker with no trace of swagger, Gordon seems like the perfect player to resurrect the old Royals tradition.
Two related notes:
No. 1: In the same issue, John Manuel wrote an interesting article titled "HBP spreads as offensive weapon." Two things I learned:
- Missouri racked up 16 HBPs in its first three games. Wooooooooooooo!
- Carlos Quentin holds the NCAA single-game record for HBPs with five, which he accomplished in 2002.
Evidently, taking one for the team became a big part of West Coast college baseball, and has spread eastward. Except out there, they call it "taking a dose."
No. 2: Over at Sox and the City, check out
SABRSox's piece on the new marketing slogan. It's a couple weeks old, but the 0-2 start bolsters his perspective.
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In other news:
*If you want to read a phenomenal piece of sportswriting, check out
Pat Jordan's saga of trying to track down Jose Canseco for an interview over at Deadspin. It's well worth the time, and gave me the impression that in a couple years, my road gray, No. 31 Canseco Sox jersey should be even more of a conversation piece.
*The minor league round-ups kick into gear tonight. The starters:
- Charlotte: Charlie Haeger
- Birmingham: Lucas Harrell
- Kannapolis: TBD
Winston-Salem's season begins Friday.