A: Your concept of the price of a baseball is as out of date as a brass spittoon. They cost $25. And every fan I know goes to a game dreaming of snagging a foul ball or a home run ball. Once obtained, they are priceless. The home run ball hit by Cleveland back-up catcher Hal Naragon that I grabbed in the lower right field stands in old Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1954 was a personal gold nugget. What you witnessed seems in the minority to me. Many times I’ve seen an adult get a souvenir ball and immediately turn and hand it to a kid two rows back.
Q: Which stadium press box was your favorite and which did you want to avoid? — ALAN, Sugarcreek Twp.
A: My all-time favorite was the original box in Houston’s Minute Maid Park. It was spacious and writers walked into the stadium and the press box was 10 steps away. We had our private elevator to and from the clubhouses. And the nachos were scrumptious. I despised the box in old Milwaukee County Stadium. It was small, very cramped. There was no room behind the seats. For somebody to get to a seat in the middle of a row everybody had to stand and move their chairs in. I stored my briefcase next to my chair one day and former (Milwaukee) Braves shortstop Johnny Logan, in his mid-70s, tripped over it and landed head-first. I though, “Good gosh, I’ve maimed a Braves legend.” He was OK and aimed some hefty swear words my way.
Q: What are your thoughts on the potential reinstatement of Pete Rose off the permanently ineligible list? — PHIL, Vandalia.
A: I’ve crossed every finger and every toe, hoping it happens. His attorney, Jeffrey Lenkov, filed a petition more than a month ago and commissioner Rob Manfred has it “under advisement.” Appeals for Rose have been made three other times, once with Manfred, and they were denied. If Rose’s banishment is lifted, that doesn’t mean he goes past go and directly into the Hall of Fame. He would have to be voted in by a Hall of Fame veterans committee. It would be a giant step forward, but the miserable part about it is that it would happen posthumously.
Q: With Ronald Acuna healthy and the year Elly De La Cruz had, who will win the stolen base title this season? — JASON, Beavercreek.
A: That’s a tough one because of so many invariables like injuries and times on base for opportunities. And will both have the green light to steal at will? I can see Reds manager Tito Francona throwing a lasso around his human cheetah. All things equal, my money is on De La Cruz Control.
Q: Who will win Rookie of the Year this season in both leagues? — Shaun, Vandalia.
A: If you tell me which rookies will be playing this year, I’ll make a wild guess. At this juncture of spring training, rookies are just trying to get noticed and make the roster. But I have found some possibilities. For the National League: Matt Shaw, 3B, Cubs; Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals; Rhett Lowder, P, Reds; Tyler Black, 1B, Brewers. For the American League: Kumar Rolken, P, Rangers; Jack Jobe, P, Tigers; Jasson Dominguez, OF, Yankees; Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics. Who knows? Will these guys even make their teams?
Q: After seeing guidelines for baseball’s newest test (ABS umpiring), what do you think? —RICHARD, Troy.
A: I have learned to appreciate replay/review to get calls right, although some reviews take too long. But a machine calling balls and strikes, or even ‘helping’ umpires, is three steps too far. More and more they are taking the human element out of the game. Let’s just get it over with and have robots play the game.
Q: Who is the funniest player ever to grace the Reds clubhouse? — Elvis, Englewood.
A: Oh, so many and some not on purpose like Kevin Mitchell and Clay Carroll. The funniest, though, was pitcher Pete Harnisch and it was on purpose. I cannot relate in a family publication some of the outrageously humorous stuff he did. But here’s one involving me. During spring training my wife, Nadine, called me at noon every day when I was standing on the field watching batting practice. Finally, one day Harnisch sauntered up to me after a call, grabbed my phone, put it to his ear and said loudly for all to hear, “Hal, just what I thought. You aren’t fooling anybody. Nobody important is calling you, you’re just dialing time and temperature.” But, Elvis, it did not leave me All Shook Up.
Q: New Reds manager Terry Francona seemingly has invigorated the Reds and can you recall another Reds manager who had that immediate impact? — LARRY, Washington Twp.
A: Quick Answer. No. In the past the Reds have brought in a who’s he manager. They hit the jackpot with Sparky “Who?” Anderson. But in Francona, they have a proven winner with shiny charisma. Davey Johnson was a winner, but he didn’t put the fans into a positive frenzy the way Francona has. And it’s the same with the players.
Q: What was the reason the Reds moved their spring training site from Florida to Arizona? — TIM, Xenia.
A: Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota was in disrepair, falling down, and $50 million was needed for refurbishing. Sarasota County government said no and the Reds had the offer from Goodyear, Ariz., and took it. Sarasota quickly realized what it had lost, came up with the $50 million, fixed up the place and the Baltimore Orioles moved in. It was a bad move by the Reds. Reds fans flocked to Sarasota. I stayed on Siesta Key and saw scads of Ohio license plates. Arizona? Many bridges too far and sparse attendance at Cincinnati’s home spring exhibitions shows it.
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