A Lucky Bounce Off the Roof

Brewers' fans are proud of the retractable roof at Miller Park. They often wonder why newer parks are built without the feature.

This season, the roof has allowed to team to suffer fewer rainouts than many other teams. That means they don't have to contend with as many late-season doubleheaders.

And now the Brewers have another reason to like stadiums with roofs. Pennants are often won by the team that gets a lucky bounce or two. 

After being swept at home by the St. Louis Cardinals, the Brewers looked like they might be headed for a rough September, after all. Then, last night in Houston they looked lost at the plate until a bit of luck jumpstarted the offense.

With the Crew trailing 2-0 in the seventh inning, Corey Hart came to the plate with two out and a runner on first. A high pop foul looked like an easy play for the third baseman. Easy, that is, until the ball struck a support beam on the retractable roof. Instead of the third out, the ground rules mandated it was just a foul ball. Hart singled and the Brewers were on their way to an 8-2 victory.

Add to that the Cardinals' 11-8 loss at home to the Reds and the lead was back to 8.5 games with the magic number reduced to 16.

It's safe to say The Brewers are thankful that the Astros decided to include a roof on their stadium.

Dick Williams, RIP

When Dick Williams came calling, pitchers like
Goose Gossage often didn't want to see him.

Dick Williams, one of the top managers of the '60, '70 and '80s, and a Hall of Famer, died today. Williams was one of those old-school tough guys who didn't take guff from anyone, even his employer.

As a kid, I loved the Oakland A's. Williams was their manager when they won two of their three straight World Series. The team featured colorful figures like Reggie Jackson, Bert Campaneris and Rollie Fingers on the field and Charlie Finley in the owner's box.

Everything I've read about Williams since paints a portrait of a disciplinarian who insisted things be done his way. He used that to take charge of the circus that was the A's back then. It didn't seem to matter whether Reggie stirred controversy or Finley was the center of attention, Williams kept the team winning; they were the best team of the '70s. (Sorry Big Red Machine, you finish second in my rankings.)

Maybe only a strict manger could have run a team like that successfully. In the end, it was too much for Williams. He quit the A's after three division titles and two world championships. He'd had enough of Finley and his style. For those who are too young to remember, Finley was part carnival barker (that was the fun part) and part George Steinbrenner (think tyrant).

The Return of Davey Johnson

Davey Johnson's most recent managerial stop
was with Team USA.

Davey Johnson is back as a manager. The Washington National turned to him after Jim Riggleman walked out on his team in the midst of a hot streak.

Johnson has an interesting history as a skipper. During 14 years at the helm of the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers, his teams team finished lower than second place only twice. And one of those was a team he took over during the season.

Despite that, the former Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves second baseman is not always considered among the top rank of managers of his era. A lot of that stems from his days in New York. The Mets were the most talented team at the time. They broke through in '86 with their wild World Series win over the Boston Red Sox. On the field, I always thought they won despite sloppy play.

But from the title year it was down hill. The Mets continued to contend, but were dogged by undisciplined behavior. I always thought they were sloppy in the field (although Keith Hernandez was a superb first baseman). Off the field, the team caroused and made headlines for unruly escapades. Johnson's tenure ended with many saying the team should have won more championships.

After the Mets, Johnson was out of baseball for a couple years. Talk radio was awash with rumors that Johnson had been blackballed. But no evidence was found that it was true.

Johnson finally got another job Baltimore, but ended up in a feud with owner Peter Angelos (although he's not exactly the easiest man to get along with). Jobs in L.A. and Cincy produced typical Johnson records: fine teams but no titles.

Now Johnson is back in the dugout leading another young team. I expect the team will continue to progress, but how far he can take them this season will be interesting to watch.

Rose and the Hall of Fame

Pete Rose bared his soul today: He wants to be voted into the Hall of Fame while he can still enjoy it. Makes sense for him. But I don't believe he deserves the honor.

Rose in the 1970s was the living embodiment of baseball and competition. He earned the nickname "Charlie Hustle" through his never-say-die style. (As I wrote yesterday, his collision with Ray Fosse is an iconic play of the era.)

Rose was aware of the game's history and his 44-game hitting streak and march to overtake Ty Cobb's all-time hits record were riveting. Some may have found him arrogant, but nobody could deny that he was always exciting, doing anything to win.

Then came his fall from grace. While manager of the Cincinnati Reds he was accused of betting on his team's games. He may have always bet on his team to win, but the rule on this was always clear. It was even posted in clubhouses for all to see. No gambling on baseball. Period.

That's why it was such a shock. Pete Rose knew the history of the game. How could he have violated such a well-known rule? It's clear he needed the action. His lust (or addiction) for it got him in trouble.

It's a shame. But I would never vote him into the Hall. Rose broke baseball's cardinal rule. The story of the 1919 Black Sox has been told over and over as warning. Rose knew all about it.

Remember his greatness and a player. Don't forget his accomplishments. But don't enshrine him in the Hall of Fame.

Baseball's 'Greatest Game' And Some Left Off the List

The Mets and Braves played an iconic game in 1985.

Major League Baseball has unveiled its choice for greatest game of the last 50 years: Game 6 of the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds. The game produced the indelible image of catcher Carlton Fisk frantically trying to wave his game-winning home run fair as it sailed over Fenway's Green Monster.

I remember watching this game on TV as it stretched on toward four hours, an almost unheard of length at the time, even for a 12-inning game. I was pulling for the Sox (I always thought the Big Red Machine was more hype than substance) and was trying to will Fisk's ball fair from my bedroom in a Milwaukee suburb.

I have no quibble with this choice or most of the others on MLB's list of the top 20 games. I wonder, though, if there weren't games from before 1975 that deserved inclusion. It's also interesting that all but one of the games on the list are from the postseason (the 50-year cutoff left Bill Mazeroski's walk-off home run to give the Pittsburgh Pirates the title over the New York Yankees in 1960 out in the cold).

There are two regular season games that stick out in my mind. One was the Fourth of July 1985 contest between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. Thanks to TBS, which at the time beamed nearly every one of the team's games to a national audience I was able to watch it till the wee hours.

This game had everything: It lasted 19 innings, Keith Hernandez hit for the cycle, pitcher Rick Camp hit the only home run of his career to tie the game in the 18th inning, and that same pitcher was at the plate as the tying run when the game ended.

Scandals Barely Noticed

Has anyone noticed the number of arrests and general reports of bad behavior involving players and coaches that have been reported since the season started?

They have ranged from Atlanta Braves coach Roger McDowell getting into it with fans, Mike Leake of the Cincinnati Reds being picked up for shoplifting a few shirts, and, back to the Braves, the arrest of pitcher Derek Lowe on a DUI charge.

That's only part of the list. Former major leaguer Carl Everett was arrested on an assault charge that involved a weapon. Elijah Dukes, another former big leaguer, was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended license.

All of this off-the-field news can't make baseball happy. The amazing thing is that all of this police blotter activity has made barely a ripple on some sports media sites. It seems that it wasn't long ago that the arrest of a player would be big news. And the idea of a coach or player having a fracas with fans would have produced a huge reaction.