Author: Mike McClary
Upbeat guy.
Remembering Jim Northrup: My First Big-League Autograph
The first-ever autograph I scored was Jim Northrup’s.
I’m fairly confident the year was 1978 and it was at my baseball banquet at St. Isaac Jogues in St. Clair Shores. Word had spread that there would be a Tigers player at the banquet and I held out hope, despite my brother’s assurances I was nuts, that the Tiger would be Mark Fidrych.
Instead, it was Northrup and I remember thinking, “This guy?”
Of course I knew who he was. I listened over and over to the album (which is now available on CD!) my Dad bought for me, The Year of the Tiger ’68, that chronicled Mayo Smith’s amazing team.
Still, he was no Bird. Or my then-hero Jason Thompson or Steve Kemp.
Ultimately it didn’t matter a whit because I was standing next to a man who played for the Tigers.
My encounter with Northrup was memorable for another reason: I think I annoyed him. We were one of the first families to arrive at the banquet, which was held in the church basement that five days a week served as my school lunchroom. I remember my Mom encouraging me to take the banquet program and asking him for an autograph. So I made a beeline to the little stage area where he was standing by himself and got his impeccably written signature.
A while later a player from my team showed up and he ran over to a table and grabbed a banquet ticket. He asked Northrup to sign it. So enthralled was I about Northrup being there — and mind you, it could’ve been any former Tiger at this point — I took one of the same tickets from that same table and scurried up to the stage and asked him for another autograph.
He looked down at me and said, “How many autographs do you want, kid?”
I was more than a little embarrassed but he winked at me and I didn’t feel so stupid. (As it ends up, the ticket I used for the second autograph belonged to my teammate’s sister and I had to relinquish it to her. No one, it seemed, was pleased with autograph number two.)
[callout title=The Jim Northrup File]
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Height: 6′ 3″, Weight: 190 lb.
Born: November 24, 1939 in Breckenridge, Mich.
High School: St. Louis (Mich.) High
School: Alma College
Signed by the Tigers as an amateur free agent in 1960.
Debut: September 30, 1964
Numbers worn with Tigers: 30, 5
Teams (by games played): Tigers/Orioles/Expos 1964-1975
Final Game: September 27, 1975
Tigers Stats (11 seasons): 1,279 games; .267 avg., 145 HR, 570 RBI, .763 OPS
[/callout]
I don’t remember much about what Northrup said during his after-dinner remarks but I do recall lots of laughter and my parents enjoying his reminscing about the ’68 team.
A few years later I got to know and appreciate Jim Northrup when he was Larry Osterman‘s partner on the old PASS network broadcasts. I can’t verify this but I would be shocked to learn that Northrup did one nanosecond of preparation. What I can guarantee is that no other Tigers announcer in my lifetime was as appropriately critical of players and the plays they made or didn’t make as old number 5. He was, in many ways, the un–Jim Price and I thoroughly enjoyed every game he called.
More on this from Lynn Henning in his column today:
No question, Northrup was glib and acerbic. So much so, his tongue got him into trouble as much as it got him noticed.
Exhibit A there was his career as a Tigers television announcer. It ended in 1995, and no one had to explain why Northrup was unceremoniously yanked. He was blunt, unapologetically so. A new front-office regime wasn’t interested in subjecting owner Mike Ilitch to Northrup’s reviews, no matter how accurate or welcomed they might have been by a Tigers audience.
Back to the baseball banquet. The event was winding down and we all had our trophies – which we’d earned and not every kid got one. Imagine.
Anyway, my Dad suggested I get an autograph on the bottom of my trophy. I explained I already had asked for two from Northrup and he might get mad. Dad shrugged and said, “Go ask him.”
So I walked up and ever-so meekly asked him to sign the trophy and he just smiled, signed it and as he handed it back to me said, “Way to go.”
From that moment on I was a Jim Northrup fan, though I never saw him play a single game.
An Older, Wiser Verlander Spins an Even More Impressive No-Hitter This Time
I got the first inkling of what was happening at Rogers Centre this afternoon courtesy of the Blue Jays’ radio crew via SiriusXM Radio. A short time later I was home in time for the sixth inning, watching as Mario and Rod tiptoed around the then-perfect game in progress.
As I watched Justin Verlander dominate the Jays en route to his second career no-hitter, I was struck by how different this one was compared to the gem he threw on June 12, 2007 against the Brewers.
Four years ago, Verlander was fresh off his Rookie of the Year season and had the cockiness of a young stud and was determined to blow away every Milwaukee hitter.
He threw 112 pitches, faced 30 hitters, fanned a dozen and walked four. This game was at home and he was clearly riding the adrenaline rush. He was throwing that night — and doing so with gusto.
Today was an exercise in pitching and, well, the only word that jumps to mind is “maturity.” Facing the minimum 27 batters, Verlander threw 108 pitches and struck out just four. But he seemed, I don’t know, focused and like he’s been there before.
Of course, this is the new brand of Verlander that we’ve heard about all season: more serious about his craft, more focused on game days, and so on.
I’ve been critical of Verlander in the past — specifically because of his desire to be the Tigers’ ace but not acting like it often enough.
After his crisp dismantling of the Blue Jays, he has taken a big step toward cementing himself in Tigers history as one of the franchises best of all time.
And, I think he did it by simply growing up.
Tigers’ 2011 X Factor: Phil Coke
In Phil Coke’s three-year major-league career, he’s finished 31 games and he’s started just one — the Tigers’ final game of the 2010 season. That outing could best be described as abbreviated; he threw 1.2 innings, allowing five hits, a walk and two runs.
What conclusions can we draw from this micro-sample size? Less than nothing.
That’s part of the reason Tigers fans are interested to see how Coke performs in 2011 now that he’s a member of the rotation, slotted neatly behind Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. That’s not to say Coke has no experience as a starter. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Coming up through the Yankees’ system in the mid-2000s, he worked predominately as a starter. From 2005-08, Coke started 77 games.
At Double-A Trenton in 2008, he started 20 games and posted a 2.51 ERA to go with his 9-4 record. That earned him a call-up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre where he was turned into a reliever.
Go figure.
| Year | Age | Team | Lg | Lev | W | L | G | GS | CG | IP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 22 | Charleston | SALL | A | 8 | 11 | .421 | 5.42 | 24 | 18 | 0 | 103.0 |
| 2006 | 23 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | A+-A | 5 | 8 | .385 | 3.19 | 27 | 20 | 1 | 127.0 |
| 2006 | 23 | Charleston | SALL | A | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0.53 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 17.0 |
| 2006 | 23 | Tampa | FLOR | A+ | 5 | 7 | .417 | 3.60 | 22 | 18 | 1 | 110.0 |
| 2007 | 24 | Tampa | FLOR | A+ | 7 | 3 | .700 | 3.09 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 99.0 |
| 2008 | 25 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | AA-AAA | 11 | 6 | .647 | 2.79 | 37 | 21 | 1 | 135.2 |
| 2008 | 25 | Trenton | EL | AA | 9 | 4 | .692 | 2.51 | 23 | 20 | 1 | 118.1 |
| 2008 | 25 | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre | IL | AAA | 2 | 2 | .500 | 4.67 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 17.1 |
| 6 Seasons | 31 | 29 | .517 | 3.61 | 125 | 77 | 3 | 496.0 | ||||
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table | Generated 3/28/2011.
With his return to the rotation this spring, Coke posted a 3-2 record with a 2.49 ERA in 21.2 innings. Not shabby, but how will it play out over the long season? Lynn Henning today provided this assessment of Coke:
He looked good for much of the spring, but took some knocks late. The switch to starting is still in progress. If things don’t work out, he goes back to the bullpen, Andy Oliver moves in, and the Tigers probably strengthen their seventh-inning options. But they’ll give this experiment a full and necessary opportunity to work.
We’ll have to see what “a full and necessary opportunity” means. If Coke lasts as a starter, what’s the impact on the bullpen? Or, does it mean he’s more valuable in relief compared to the young arms the Tigers can summon to the rotation, such as Andy Oliver and/or Jacob Turner?
And it all hinges on Phil Coke. What do you think?
L. A. Times Scorches Former Tigers Slugger Marcus Thames — But Why?
By any chance did you see this hatchet job on Marcus Thames by the Los Angeles Times‘ T.J. Simers? I’m not sure what Country Strong did to deserve this:
Marcus who?
According to Dodgers’ propaganda, this no-name thumper hits a home run every 15.58 at-bats — ranking him 27th in baseball history. Yowza!
Now you would think anyone ranked 27th in baseball history in anything would be a household name, but in his own clubhouse no one seems quite sure how to pronounce his name.
The Dodgers, while gushing about his stats, instructed everyone in their propaganda to call him “Tims,” while Tims tells everyone else his name is pronounced “Tems.”
I just know this: It’s hard to believe such a monster with the bat would be available as a free agent and so cheaply the Dodgers could afford to sign him.
And that’s about the nicest part. It’s not often you see something as vicious as this in a mainstream paper.
Dodgers camp must certainly be boring if Simers has to resort to trashing a guy.
Video: Scherzer Checks Out the Baseball Tonight Spring Training Bus
Today’s Tiger: Rich Monteleone
Rich Monteleone
- Born: March 22, 1963 in Tampa, Fla.
- Bats: Right Throws: Right
- Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 205 lb.
- Acquired: Drafted by the Tigers in the 1st round (20th pick) of the 1982 amateur draft.
- Seasons in Detroit: 0
Usually these installments have featured players that actually appeared in games for the Tigers, but we’re making an exception for today’s birthday boy, Rich Monteleone. This is a revised version of a post that first appeared in 2008.
Before the names of Kyle Sleeth, Kenny Baugh, Justin Thompson and even Scott Aldred and Steve Searcy evoked images of a star-studded starting rotation for the Tigers, there was one name that personified unfulfilled promise for Tiger fans: Rich Monteleone.
(Actually, Monteleone and 1981 first-rounder Ricky Barlow led this category in the early ’80s, but we’ll focus on Monteleone who celebrates his 48th birthday today. Ironically, Barlow’s 48th was yesterday.)
Anyone who’s followed the Tigers at least since the late 1970s likely remembers the name. Detroit’s first-round pick in the 1982 amateur draft (#20), Monteleone, we were told, would slide into the rotation behind Dan Petry and someday become the Tigers’ ace.
So we waited. And waited.
The Mysterious Enos Cabell
I love “where-are-they-now” pieces as much — and probably more — than the next guy.
So, when I saw Tom Gage’s piece about Enos Cabell over the weekend, I was interested to read why Cabell, who hit .311 for the 1983 Tigers, moved on after that season.
He wanted to stay a Tiger, and they weren’t averse to him staying.
“But they wouldn’t give me a raise,” Cabell said Saturday. “I hit .311, played with a knee brace the last two months of that year, and they wouldn’t give me a penny more.
“So I said bye-bye. I was pretty sure the Astros wanted me back, anyway.”
As Rob Neyer might say, well, maybe. I remember there was talk about Cabell having a drug problem and that Sparky Anderson wanted none of that in his clubhouse. Then, in 1986:
Commissioner Peter Ueberroth gives seven players who were admitted drug users a choice of a year’s suspension without pay or heavy fines and career-long drug testing, along with 100 hours of drug-related community service. Joaquin Andújar, Dale Berra, Enos Cabell, Keith Hernandez, Jeffrey Leonard, Dave Parker, and Lonnie Smith will be fined 10 percent of their annual salaries to drug abuse programs. The commissioner also doles out lesser penalties to 14 other players for their use of drugs.
Somewhere in the middle is the truth, right?
Sheff Checks Out
So Gary Sheffield is calling it quits.
Had he not played for the Tigers, I wouldn’t give this much thought, but he did, so I do.
That’s because there’s been no other Tigers player in my lifetime that has left me wanting more than Sheff.
Sure it would’ve been nice to see something, anything from the likes of Edgar Renteria, Juan Gonzalez or Fernando Vina, but Gary Sheffield was a superstar at just about every stop in his career — and he was bringing his act to Detroit. This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
But a collision with Placido Polanco in July 2007 essentially ended what was shaping up to be a Sheff-like season: .265, 25 home runs and 75 RBI over 133 games. His OPS that season was a hefty (Shefty?) .819.
Alas, we were robbed of what could’ve been three of the most quote-rich years in club history.
In ’08, he appeared in 114 games and hit just .225 but still smacked 19 homers.
Sheffield finishes his career with 509 home runs, 1,676 RBIs and a .292 career batting average. He is 24th on the all-time home run list and 25th on the career RBIs list.
(snip)
Sheffield will be eligible to be elected to the Hall of Fame after the 2014 season.
“I am sure it will be mentioned and debated but from my standpoint I know who is in the Hall of Fame,” Sheffield told the newspaper. “A lot of them don’t belong in the Hall of Fame. If someone wants to debate me, check the stats.”
If Sheff had three full, healthy seasons in Detroit, the stats would’ve been more impressive than they already are.
As it was, this quote from him after the ’07 injury pretty much sums up his Tigers career:
“I can’t be myself,” Sheffield said. “Guys throwing 88 miles per hour, and I can’t do nothing with it.”
Even though he was always one perceived slight from becoming a team’s bad seed, he
was an exceptional player — even though we only saw glimpses in Detroit.
I think Gary Sheffield’s a Hall of Famer. Do you?
Meet the Kinder, Gentler Kirk Gibson
The next best thing to Kirk Gibson being the Tigers’ manager is watching him lead my local team, the Diamondbacks. He’s getting lots of attention as the Dbacks arrive in camp as 2011 marks his first full season as the club’s skipper.
The focus seems to be on how he and his staff, which includes bench coach Alan Trammell, will shape this relatively young team — Melvin Mora notwithstanding — and emphasize the positive.
In his blog today, the Arizona Republic‘s Nick Piecoro writes about how Gibby is falling in line with the organization’s new fan friendly mindset — specifically, autographs. As one whose autograph requests of Gibson as recently as three years ago (actually it was a photo request at Spring Training; I was wearing a Fungo t-shirt for crying out loud) have been spurned, this interested me:
The Diamondbacks’ daily schedule is posted on video boards in and around the clubhouse, and right there, before the day’s work is complete, is a required task for every player: sign autographs.
Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall loves to call his organization the most fan-friendly in baseball, but it isn’t just the front office that’s on board with the autograph policy.
There’s agreement coming from the manager’s office.
“They’ll sign every day,” Gibson said. “When the catchers are done, they’ll sign. That’s something that’s important.”
Gibson admitted to being “terrible” at signing when he was a young player but said Detroit manager Sparky Anderson convinced him of the importance of treating fans well.
“Sometimes, when we’re young, we think we’re the most important thing about the game,” Gibson said. “The reality of it is, when you leave the game, it just keeps right on going.”
Anderson’s point to Gibson: What happens if the fans leave?
“None of us would be around,” Anderson told him.
“It really is important,” Gibson said. “As good as times are right now, I went through five work stoppages. The last one was 1994 and I remember how the game was after that. We don’t want to destroy that. They’re very important. They’re great human beings and support our game of baseball. They deserve to be treated with respect as well.”
I’m heading over to the Dbacks’ new Spring Training site on Monday to watch some workouts. Do you think Gibby or Tram will agree to a photo for one of their fanboys?
What about you? Do you have any experiences with Gibson or any other big leaguer brushing off your autograph requests?
dailyfungo.com 