Stop the Insanity

If only stories in the sports’ section could talk to one another, then MLB Commissioner Manfred and Sox manager Robin Ventura would be on the same page figuratively as well as literally.

The top story on page five of today’s Tribune sports mentions the commissioner’s concern over declining offense.  Then, in the story below, Robin Ventura says he might go north with 13 pitchers.  Manfred and Ventura are dots begging to be connected, if not erased.

For openers, the more pitchers on a roster, the less offense, unless Manfred has found a way to clone that hard-throwing lefty, Babe Ruth.  Thirteen pitchers means no room for the next Smoky Burgess or Lenny Harris to get a pinch hit, no room for the next Allan Lewis—or do you say “Panamanian Express”?—to steal a base pinch running, no room for the next Johnny Blanchard to be a platoon-player extraordinaire.  Instead of that, we get the late inning, lefty-lefty matchup.  Thank you, Tony LaRussa.  (And, yes, the ten-man staff also allowed for flexibility on defense as well.  Think Ray Oyler or Mark Belanger coming in at short in the ninth inning to steal a hit or two with their fielding.)

When I was a mere boy, the White Sox made do with a staff of ten pitchers.  In 1965, they had two relievers, knuckleballers Eddie Fisher and Hoyt Wilhelm, who amassed over 300 innings between them; sinker-baller Bob Locker added another 91 innings.  In addition, four of their starters, including a young Tommy John, made relief appearances.  I could see the virtues of the expanded staff if that meant saving arms, but pitchers appear to get hurt as much today as in 1965.  If the knuckleball and sinker (along with maybe the screwball) are more forgiving on the arm/elbow, then teams need to bring those pitches back.  (Oh my, girl knuckleballers.  That would never do, now would it?) 

I keep waiting for a team to show how everything old can be new again.  But it doesn’t look like that’ll happen this year.