The Non-Sequiturs: Trick or Treat Edition

Each October, I’m astounded to learn that Halloween is the second-largest retail holiday of the year. I’m not a fan of Halloween, though I do like the occasional, or frequent, Kit Kat.

It’s a treat to be able to watch the World Series on Halloween, though the Aubrey Huff and Edgar Renteria sightings are undoubtedly the “trick” part of the equation.

• In our highest vote-gettin’ poll of the season, Fungo readers were emphatic on what the Tigers’ next offseason move should be: target Nationals’ slugger and free-agent-to-be Adam Dunn.

  Twenty-four percent (148 voters) of the 628 readers casting votes selected Dunn as their top choice. Here are the runners up:

  • Sign Jason Werth (16%, 103 Votes)
  • Sign Victor Martinez (15%, 97 Votes)
  • Trade for a starting pitcher (14%, 88 Votes)
  • Pickup Jhonny Peralta’s option (14%, 88 Votes)
  • Sign Magglio Ordonez (12%, 73 Votes)
  • Other (5%, 31 Votes)

  Thanks to everyone who voted and a special thanks for those that left comments. It was a great discussion. Keep those comments rolling in.

• As we noted earlier this week, Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson named Alan Trammell as his bench coach. It didn’t take a genius to see this as a possibility once Gibby was given the job full time.

  On Thursday the Dbacks made it official – along with the hiring of Don Baylor as hitting coach and Charles Nagy as pitching coach – and here’s what new GM Kevin Towers had to say about Tram (courtesy of Nick Piecoro’s blog):

I go back to ‘Tram’ in the late ‘80s. At the end of my playing career, I was a free agent and I had four or five different options to go to different ballclubs and that offseason there was a workout and conditioning program that they always held in San Diego. It was mainly young minor league players and the only big league player was Alan Trammell. He was the first one there, the last one to leave. When it came to running, he led the running every time. When it came to make my choice, I said, If this is what the Detroit Tigers are all about – here’s a guy who has been an All-Star, is one of the premier players in the game. If he puts this type of time and effort into his game in the off-season, if they breed those kind of players, that’s the type of organization I want to be with.”

And Gibby on his new bench coach:

“I probably talk more baseball with Alan Trammell than anybody. I think we share similar beliefs and philosophies. We have the same foundation. We were taught the same way in the Detroit organization with Sparky (Anderson). He’s a very trusted friend of mine, a great baseball man, a great competitor and he has high standards. I wasn’t sure that was going to work out and I think many took it for granted that he would be on my staff, but I know KT can attest that was one of the things I didn’t want to do. I wanted to make sure I hired Alan or anybody on my staff for the right reasons. Interviewed several other guys for that position and in the end felt that Alan was the right pick.”

• On this date in 1984, Willie Hernandez won the American League Cy Young Award, edging fellow reliever Dan Quisenberry of the Royals. Hernandez posted a 9-3 record with 32 saves and a 1.92 ERA. Hernandez becomes only the third reliever — and only the second Tiger — to win the award

Finally, Happy Birthday to the Fonz. Henry Winkler turns 65 today.

Author: Mike McClary

Upbeat guy. View all posts by Mike McClary