The Forster Anomoly

After I’d recently posted a recap for a game where LA closer Terry Forster had pitched seven long innings, and was allowed to bat late in the game in a critical situation, a discussion began among SP78 fans on whether or not it was a smart managerial move to allow even a good-hitting pitcher to bat under those conditions. Or if it’s reasonable to have a pitcher pinch-hit instead of a regular bench player, especially when that pitcher holds the highest all-time batting average for any player with 50 or more at-bats, or 15 seasons in the major leagues.

With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to let Forster pinch-hit in the next Dodgers game—if a situation logically allows for it—and see what happens…is he really as good a hitter as people think he is? Will it finally prove that my brother, who managed that long-ago game and allowed Forster to hit, was right all along? Tell me what you think by voting below; results will not be final until the first FAC card of the next Dodgers game is turned, which could be anytime between next week and next September.

 

Jays Catcher Whitt Recalled From Syracuse

Due to an undisclosed family emergency, Blue Jays backstop Rick Cerone has been placed on the temporary inactive list by the team, effective yesterday, August 22nd. He departed for his residence in Newark late last night, and will miss this evening’s doubleheader against the Tigers in Detroit. It hasn’t been determined how many games Cerone will be absent, but manager Roy Hartsfield does not expect him back before the 25th.

To fill Cerone’s spot on the roster, and serve as backup to starting catcher Alan Ashby, the Jays have recalled Ernie Whitt from the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League. Whitt went 0-for-6 with two walks and two strikeouts in three games during his short stint with the parent club earlier this season, and will be available to start in either of the two games of tonight’s twinbill.

Happy 73rd Birthday, Johnny!

The Oscillating Fan of Learning

Many years ago, when I was not so knowledgeable about baseball’s past, I was looking through a book and found a picture of old Forbes Field, where the Pittsburgh Pirates played their home games before moving into Three Rivers Stadium in 1970. The black-and-white photo showed a game in-progress as seen from the right field seats; what caught my attention was the obviously phony image of a skyscraper in the background, poorly crammed into the existing photo by some overzealous artist who didn’t care at all about realism.

I mean, c’mon! Was I supposed to think the ballpark was located in some empty section of downtown, where only one skyscraper had been built? It reminded me of those postcards I’d find in gas stations during vacation drives across the Midwest, showing a rabbit with antlers or a man standing next to a strawberry the size of a semi truck. I mean, pretty ridiculous, right?