Opening Day Extravaganza

It’s Opening Day, simply one of the best days of the calendar year, and a time when baseball news is flowing in every direction. So let’s get to it…

The final weekend before the regular season produced a trade–and hardly an insignificant one at that. The Rangers traded David Dellucci, though it wasn’t to the Angels, as had been rumored. Instead, the Rangers sent the underrated outfielder-DH to the Phillies for a package headed up by Robinson Tejeda, who figures to join the back end of Texas’ rotation sometime in 2005. (Tejeda is an intriguing talent, but is that the best that the Rangers could do in trading Dellucci when his value seemed to be at its highest?) I love Dellucci’s game–he reached career highs in home runs (29) and walks (76) last season, can play all three outfield spots, and is a hard-nosed grinder whom Philly fans will appreciate–but it’s hard to see where he fits in Philadelphia’s outfield. With three excellent starters and Shane Victorino available to back them up, Dellucci could become a glorified pinch-hitter–unless the Phillies are planning to unload Bobby Abreu later this season… The Phillies’ sudden glut of outfielders may put them in better position to make a deal for a third baseman. Three teams might be suitable trading partners for the Phils: the Angels (Dallas McPherson), the Indians (Aaron Boone), and the Blue Jays (Shea Hillenbrand), all of whom could use an outfielder with some punch…

One of the feel-good stories of the Yankees’ camp was the sudden emergence of career minor leaguer Wil Nieves, who surprisingly made the team’s Opening Day roster. With Jorge Posada missing time due to a broken nose, Nieves seized the opportunity to play more and impressed Yankee officials with his defensive skills behind the plate. Originally, the Yankees had planned to sneak Nieves through waivers and send him to Triple-A Columbus, but they realized the Mariners would have claimed Nieves with the idea of making him their backup to Kenji Jojima. Not wanting to lose Nieves on waivers, the Yankees decided to keep him as their No. 3 catcher… The “feel-bad story” of the Yankee camp may have been the continued regression of $40 million man Carl Pavano. Pavano’s latest injury borders on the ridiculous; he has a bruised “backside,” which the Yankees say will keep him out definitely. Why do I get the feeling that Pavano has little interest in pitching in New York?…

Although it escaped the attention of most of the mainstream and internet media, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America recently announced the names of 200 players and 60 managers/executives who have made it to the preliminary round of next year’s Hall of Fame Veterans Committee election. (Perhaps the media has decided to ignore the story because of the two most recent Veterans elections, which have produced a total of zero Hall of Famers.) The two lists, which were put together by the Hall’s Historical Overview Committee, contain some intriguing choices. Among the 60 managers/executives are President George W. Bush, a selection that is sure to rile some of the political types that frequent Baseball Primer. (Bush was selected for his tenure as principal owner of the Texas Rangers.) The most surprising name on the managerial list is that of Don Zimmer, who has skippered the Rangers, Cubs, Red Sox, and Padres during a 55-year career in baseball, but whose work as a manager has never been associated with that of a Hall of Famer. And then there’s the players’ list, which features the likes of two-time felon Denny McLain, whose continued inclusion by the overview committee has rankled more than one Hall of Fame official…

I don’t recommend good baseball web sites as often as I should, so hopefully this will mark the start of a new trend. One site in particular has caught my attention in recent weeks. It’s “Steve’s Baseball Photography Pages,” which can be found at the URL www.geocities.com/dewing19. The site, which is run by a gentleman named Steve Dewing, features rarely seen, and in many cases, never-before-published photographs from the 1950s, sixties, and seventies. For those who enjoy baseball from that era and tire of seeing the same black-and-white photos over and over, Dewing’s site comes as a refreshing change. Constantly updated with newly found images, the site includes some new West Coast material–photos of Willie McCovey with the Padres, Bobby Murcer with the Giants, and Reggie Jackson with the A’s. For those who like action photos, there are some wonderful shots of Johnny Bench and Pete Rose with the Reds circa 1970. There’s an intriguing photograph of Hank Aaron (as a Brewer) chatting with Willie Davis (as a Ranger); making you wonder what they were talking about. In addition, Dewing features some rarely seen Rangers shots from the seventies, including photos of Texas-sized failures like Rico Carty and Alex Johnson. He also has posted several photographs for Rangers players he’s trying to identify, which may generate interest among fans of the franchise during the Ted Williams, Whitey Herzog, and Billy Martin years. So if you’re looking to spend some time at the internet on a new site, visit Steve’s Baseball Pages, send him an e-mail at dewing19@usfamily.net, and soak in some old-fashioned baseball photography…

To celebrate Opening Day–and to promote my latest book venture–we’ll be introducing a trivia contest on Mondays during the regular season. The book, The Team That Changed Baseball, is scheduled for release in May and examines the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, who overcame long odds to win the World Series against the seemingly invincible Baltimore Orioles. Each week, we’ll feature a trivia question about the ’71 Pirates. The first person to post the correct answer (and provide his or her e-mail address) will receive a 1972 Topps Pirates baseball card.

Without further delay, here’s the first trivia question of the new season:

Which member of the ’71 Pirates became a minor league coach with the Houston Astros and helped Jeff Bagwell make the transition from third base to first base?