FoundSF - User contributions [en]

Shortstop Omar Vizquel belongs in the Hall of Fame

2026-02-20T20:28:07Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger, January 9, 2021''

On Jan. 26, the Baseball Writers of America Association will announce the results of its 2021 Hall of Fame live from Cooperstown on MLB Network. Electees will be inducted during Hall of Fame Weekend on Sunday, July 25, in Cooperstown.

In this writer’s opinion, former San Francisco Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel should be making his acceptance speech in July. But he probably won’t.

As writer Chris Bodig notes, “Vizquel is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the fourth year and is at the center of the debate between the community of sabermetricians and people who follow their instincts when evaluating a player’s Hall of Fame candidacy… He may run into a sabermetric wall of detractors that keep him under the magic number (75 percent of the votes) and thus force his case to be considered years later by the ‘Today’s Game’ Eras Committee, the modern version of the Veterans Committee.”

[[File:Omar Vizquel.jpg]]

'''Omar Vizquel of the San Francisco Giants gets ready at shortstop against the Chicago Cubs during a game on July 3, 2008, in San Francisco.''' (''Jed Jacobsohn — Getty Images)''

Vizquel played more games at shortstop than any other man in the history of baseball. His career spanned four decades and 24 seasons, over which he won 11 Gold Gloves (two with the Giants). His career fielding percentage of .9847 is the best ever for all Major League shortstops.

He had 2,877 career hits and a career batting average of .272, ten points better than the .262 of Ozzie Smith, who is in the Hall. Statistics guru Bill James came up with what he calls a “similarity score.” The players most similar to Vizquel in offensive production are Luis Aparicio, Rabbit Maranville, Smith, Bill Dahlen, Dave Concepcion, Luke Appling, Pee Wee Reese and Nellie Fox. Of those, only Concepcion and Dahlen are not in the Hall of Fame.

Sabermetricians who make the case against Vizquel claim that some of the defensive metrics don’t back up Vizquel’s reputation as an all-time premier defender. But, as Bodig points out, defense is more difficult to quantify than offense.

Vizquel’s detractors point to a statistic called range factor, which is computed this way: 9 times (putouts plus assists) divided by innings played. In his career, Vizquel’s range factor per 9 innings was 4.62. The league average over those 24 seasons was 4.61.

The idea behind range factor is that a player who is involved in a lot of plays must be able to cover a wider portion of the field. But, as an article on pennantchase.com points out, “Anyone who has watched a lot of baseball knows that a fielder involved in a lot of plays doesn’t necessarily have good range. Maybe he’s an infielder playing behind a lot of ground-ball pitchers. Maybe he’s an outfielder playing in a large ballpark. There are so many reasons why one player might accumulate more opportunities than his peers.”

Detractors make the case that Vizquel was not a big help to his teams offensively, primarily on the basis of his career wins above replacement (WAR) score. WAR is a difficult statistic to describe. It seeks to answer the question: “If this player got injured and their team had to replace him with a freely available minor leaguer, how much value would the team lose?”

But WAR is another controversial statistic, so much so that in 2016 the MLB Players association scheduled a meeting after the MVP and Cy Young winners were announced because they believed that WAR was weighted too heavily in the decision-making process.

A more meaningful statistic is OPS-plus, which combines on-base percentage with slugging percentage, adjusted for ballparks and seasons. Vizquel’s score of 82 equals that of Hall of Famers Aparicio and Maranville and is just below that of Smith.

Also, Vizquel was a master at handling the bat. With 256 sacrifice hits (bunts) and 94 sacrifice flies, he has the most combined sacrifices (350) since 1954, the first year Baseball-Reference measured sacrifice flies.

So, should Vizquel be in the Hall of Fame? As Bodig writes, “Essentially, it’s an eye test vs a WAR test.”

Let’s hear from some who actually saw Vizquel play:

Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic Bay Area: “Yes, my small Hall includes Vizquel. Go ahead and torch me for that, but I believe that longevity matters — especially at the most grueling position on the infield — and there aren’t metrics that can adequately assess the transcendent joy he brought to anyone who watched him play.”

Henry Schulman, San Francisco Chronicle: “Face it, Vizquel’s was his generation’s Ozzie Smith, or the closest facsimile… Stats are important, and newer metrics that better compare players through different eras are valuable. But they are the sum of a player’s career. If you use numbers alone to shunt Vizquel into that mythical Hall of the Very Good, it’s a fair bet you did not see him play. Sometimes a man is a Hall of Famer because, well, he just is.”

Bill Madden, New York Daily News: “I have two very simple Hall of Fame criteria: The first is the ‘see’ test. In watching a player for 10 or more years, did I say to myself: ‘I’m looking at a Hall of Famer?’ The four greatest fielding shortstops I ever saw were Vizquel, Ozzie, Luis Aparicio and Mark Belanger. Ozzie had the flair and the backflips, but Vizquel, for me, was the best. Made every play look easy.”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe: “A consummate fielder — I said consummate — fielder, and teamed with Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar to form the best DP combo I ever saw. Yes, I am partial to defensive whizzes, and I refuse to apologize for it.”

Those of us who had the pleasure of watching Vizquel play shortstop for the Giants for four years knew we were seeing greatness. Recent claims during divorce proceedings by his wife of domestic abuse (which Vizquel vehemently denies) could hurt his chances of Hall election.

But as far as his on-field performance, here’s hoping the baseball writers trust their eyes as much as their calculators when they cast their votes this time around.

'''Note: As of the most recent Hall of Fame vote in January 2025, Vizquel has still not been voted in.'''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter'', where this article first appeared. He is the author of'' [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]] [[category:2020s]]

Rob Andrews' Dramatic First Home Run

2025-12-04T20:15:01Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Andrews,R-006.jpg]]

'''Rob Andrews

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

Rob Andrews, the brother of Mike Andrews, also a major leaguer, played his first two seasons for the Houston Astros before they traded hm to the Giants during spring training of 1977. The Giants released him after the end of the 1979 season, which marked the end of his major league career.

While he had over four hundred at-bats in both 1976 and 1977, he was not an everyday starter at Houston and was utilized primarily as a utility infielder by the Giants in 1978 and 1979, logging only 177 and 154 at-bats, respectively, In August 1979, he told ''San Francisco'' Chronicle columnist Art Rosenbaum that he wanted to play every day or be traded to a team where he could do so. If that didn’t work out, he was preparing to become a minister.

In a July 1978 interview, Andrews talked about how his faith helped him handle his backup role on the Giants:

''I’ve been a starter all my career, and if I hadn’t become a Christian, I never would have been able to handle the situation. Now I can emulate Jesus and give 100 percent of myself if it means sitting on the bench or pitching batting practice. I used to be a hell-raiser. I’d go into bars and tear them apart, get into fights, hang out with all the cowboys and stuff like that before I realized there is a purpose in life. Society tells you all along that you're the cream of the crop, and everybody looks up to you, and suddenly you have a large pride and ego, and that old macho image—be a man and do it yourself. The Lord had to lower me down about twenty notches before he could even work in my life, and I’m thankful he did.''

Released by the Giants after the 1979 season, Andrews tried out with the Mets in the spring of 1980. It looked as if he had landed a spot as a utility infielder until he suffered injuries to his back and arm. The Mets wanted to send him to the minors until he recovered.

That’s when, at age twenty-seven, he decided to retire.

“I was just a little frustrated with sitting on the bench in San Francisco and not once having the chance to play regularly in my whole career,” Andrews told Alan Arakelian of the ''Santa Cruz Sentinel''. “I didn’t feel like sitting on the bench in Shea Stadium (in New York). I kind of made a covenant to the Lord, that if I had to go down to the minors, I would hang it up.”

After Andrews retired from baseball and was working as a youth pastor and teacher, George Vecsey of ''The New York Times'' interviewed him for a May 1981 article about religion in baseball. Andrews said, “I saw Gary Lavelle go through hard times that would have killed me. But he was always calm. He never preached to me but one day I asked him, ‘Gary, what is it?' He said it was Christ.”

Andrews was one of several Giants who Lavelle helped come to faith in Jesus. At least one person noticed the difference—Andrews’ manager in late 1979, Dave Bristol.

“I saw Rob Andrews turn his life around, and that was great,” said Bristol.

Andrews told the ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', “I was Rob Andrews, the baseball player. When I became a Christian (in 1978), I didn’t have any need for any artificial stimulation for my ego.”

Andrews showed he was not afraid to proclaim his new beliefs after a nationally televised game in St. Louis on July 17, 1978, when he beat the Cardinals with a ninth-inning home run. It was his first major-league home run in 1,228 at-bats and his second game-winning hit in three days. In the post-game television interview, he shared his faith in Jesus.

“The Lord is a great stagesetter,” he later told the ''San Francisco Examiner'' about that day. “It gave me the opportunity to share my testimony with millions of people. I think God is using the Giants this year, the way he used the Denver Broncos [football team] last year to bring glory to his name. I think he’s using athletics to bring faith out of the closet. There are twenty-four men on our roster, and we can reach millions.”

Being his first, the home run was a big deal for Andrews. He told the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'': “I was looking for a fastball and he threw me a slider. I didn’t think the ball would go out of the park. I saw it hooking and expected it to fall in somewhere. I thought I just might try for second. I was digging for second when I looked up to see where the ball was. It was a struggle to make all the bases. I was on Cloud Nine.”

Andrews said that after he arrived in the dugout he asked his teammates to verify whether he had touched all the bases.

“I think five or six guys passed out on the bench after I hit the homer,” Andrews said. “I was stunned. I thought, ‘What’s going on here?’ Then I saw the umpire motioning me around. When you haven’t hit a homer in 1,200 and some at-bats, you just don’t get much chance to practice trotting around the bases.”

Said Andrews with a big sigh, “It’s definitely the highlight of my career. I still can’t believe the ball went over the fence.”

The ball actually hit the top of the left-field fence and hopped over. Andrews said, “I honestly believe God picked that ball up and carried it over the fence.”

Teammate Darrell Evans wouldn’t go that far, but said, “I’m not going to say we’re a team of destiny. But we sure win games in the strangest ways.”

<hr>

[[Image:Front cover.jpg|240px]]

Excerpted from ''[https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Book Excerpts]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

File:Andrews,R-006.jpg

2025-12-04T20:13:05Z

MattSieger:

Rob Andrews was a utility infielder for the San Francisco Giants.

Rob Andrews' Dramatic First Home Run

2025-12-04T20:09:37Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

Rob Andrews, the brother of Mike Andrews, also a major leaguer, played his first two seasons for the Houston Astros before they traded hm to the Giants during spring training of 1977. The Giants released him after the end of the 1979 season, which marked the end of his major league career.

While he had over four hundred at-bats in both 1976 and 1977, he was not an everyday starter at Houston and was utilized primarily as a utility infielder by the Giants in 1978 and 1979, logging only 177 and 154 at-bats, respectively, In August 1979, he told ''San Francisco'' Chronicle columnist Art Rosenbaum that he wanted to play every day or be traded to a team where he could do so. If that didn’t work out, he was preparing to become a minister.

In a July 1978 interview, Andrews talked about how his faith helped him handle his backup role on the Giants:

''I’ve been a starter all my career, and if I hadn’t become a Christian, I never would have been able to handle the situation. Now I can emulate Jesus and give 100 percent of myself if it means sitting on the bench or pitching batting practice. I used to be a hell-raiser. I’d go into bars and tear them apart, get into fights, hang out with all the cowboys and stuff like that before I realized there is a purpose in life. Society tells you all along that you're the cream of the crop, and everybody looks up to you, and suddenly you have a large pride and ego, and that old macho image—be a man and do it yourself. The Lord had to lower me down about twenty notches before he could even work in my life, and I’m thankful he did.''

Released by the Giants after the 1979 season, Andrews tried out with the Mets in the spring of 1980. It looked as if he had landed a spot as a utility infielder until he suffered injuries to his back and arm. The Mets wanted to send him to the minors until he recovered.

That’s when, at age twenty-seven, he decided to retire.

“I was just a little frustrated with sitting on the bench in San Francisco and not once having the chance to play regularly in my whole career,” Andrews told Alan Arakelian of the ''Santa Cruz Sentinel''. “I didn’t feel like sitting on the bench in Shea Stadium (in New York). I kind of made a covenant to the Lord, that if I had to go down to the minors, I would hang it up.”

After Andrews retired from baseball and was working as a youth pastor and teacher, George Vecsey of ''The New York Times'' interviewed him for a May 1981 article about religion in baseball. Andrews said, “I saw Gary Lavelle go through hard times that would have killed me. But he was always calm. He never preached to me but one day I asked him, ‘Gary, what is it?' He said it was Christ.”

Andrews was one of several Giants who Lavelle helped come to faith in Jesus. At least one person noticed the difference—Andrews’ manager in late 1979, Dave Bristol.

“I saw Rob Andrews turn his life around, and that was great,” said Bristol.

Andrews told the ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', “I was Rob Andrews, the baseball player. When I became a Christian (in 1978), I didn’t have any need for any artificial stimulation for my ego.”

Andrews showed he was not afraid to proclaim his new beliefs after a nationally televised game in St. Louis on July 17, 1978, when he beat the Cardinals with a ninth-inning home run. It was his first major-league home run in 1,228 at-bats and his second game-winning hit in three days. In the post-game television interview, he shared his faith in Jesus.

“The Lord is a great stagesetter,” he later told the ''San Francisco Examiner'' about that day. “It gave me the opportunity to share my testimony with millions of people. I think God is using the Giants this year, the way he used the Denver Broncos [football team] last year to bring glory to his name. I think he’s using athletics to bring faith out of the closet. There are twenty-four men on our roster, and we can reach millions.”

Being his first, the home run was a big deal for Andrews. He told the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'': “I was looking for a fastball and he threw me a slider. I didn’t think the ball would go out of the park. I saw it hooking and expected it to fall in somewhere. I thought I just might try for second. I was digging for second when I looked up to see where the ball was. It was a struggle to make all the bases. I was on Cloud Nine.”

Andrews said that after he arrived in the dugout he asked his teammates to verify whether he had touched all the bases.

“I think five or six guys passed out on the bench after I hit the homer,” Andrews said. “I was stunned. I thought, ‘What’s going on here?’ Then I saw the umpire motioning me around. When you haven’t hit a homer in 1,200 and some at-bats, you just don’t get much chance to practice trotting around the bases.”

Said Andrews with a big sigh, “It’s definitely the highlight of my career. I still can’t believe the ball went over the fence.”

The ball actually hit the top of the left-field fence and hopped over. Andrews said, “I honestly believe God picked that ball up and carried it over the fence.”

Teammate Darrell Evans wouldn’t go that far, but said, “I’m not going to say we’re a team of destiny. But we sure win games in the strangest ways.”

<hr>

[[Image:Front cover.jpg|240px]]

Excerpted from ''[https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Book Excerpts]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

Rob Andrews' Dramatic First Home Run

2025-12-04T20:06:25Z

MattSieger: Rob Andrews' first major league home run was a dramatic one.

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

Rob Andrews, the brother of Mike Andrews, also a major leaguer, played his first two seasons for the Houston Astros before they traded hm to the Giants during spring training of 1977. The Giants released him after the end of the 1979 season, which marked the end of his major league career.

While he had over four hundred at-bats in both 1976 and 1977, he was not an everyday starter at Houston and was utilized primarily as a utility infielder by the Giants in 1978 and 1979, logging only 177 and 154 at-bats, respectively, In August 1979, he told ''San Francisco'' Chronicle columnist Art Rosenbaum that he wanted to play every day or be traded to a team where he could do so. If that didn’t work out, he was preparing to become a minister.

In a July 1978 interview, Andrews talked about how his faith helped him handle his backup role on the Giants:

''I’ve been a starter all my career, and if I hadn’t become a Christian, I never would have been able to handle the situation. Now I can emulate Jesus and give 100 percent of myself if it means sitting on the bench or pitching batting practice. I used to be a hell-raiser. I’d go into bars and tear them apart, get into fights, hang out with all the cowboys and stuff like that before I realized there is a purpose in life. Society tells you all along that you're the cream of the crop, and everybody looks up to you, and suddenly you have a large pride and ego, and that old macho image—be a man and do it yourself. The Lord had to lower me down about 20 notches before he could even work in my life, and I’m thankful he did.''

Released by the Giants after the 1979 season, Andrews tried out with the Mets in the spring of 1980. It looked as if he had landed a spot as a utility infielder until he suffered injuries to his back and arm. The Mets wanted to send him to the minors until he recovered.

That’s when, at age twenty-seven, he decided to retire.

“I was just a little frustrated with sitting on the bench in San Francisco and not once having the chance to play regularly in my whole career,” Andrews told Alan Arakelian of the ''Santa Cruz Sentinel''. “I didn’t feel like sitting on the bench in Shea Stadium (in New York). I kind of made a covenant to the Lord, that if I had to go down to the minors, I would hang it up.”

After Andrews retired from baseball and was working as a youth pastor and teacher, George Vecsey of ''The New York Times'' interviewed him for a May 1981 article about religion in baseball. Andrews said, “I saw Gary Lavelle go through hard times that would have killed me. But he was always calm. He never preached to me but one day I asked him, ‘Gary, what is it?' He said it was Christ.”

Andrews was one of several Giants who Lavelle helped come to faith in Jesus. At least one person noticed the difference—Andrews’ manager in late 1979, Dave Bristol.

“I saw Rob Andrews turn his life around, and that was great,” said Bristol.

Andrews told the ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', “I was Rob Andrews, the baseball player. When I became a Christian (in 1978), I didn’t have any need for any artificial stimulation for my ego.”

Andrews showed he was not afraid to proclaim his new beliefs after a nationally televised game in St. Louis on July 17, 1978, when he beat the Cardinals with a ninth-inning home run. It was his first major-league home run in 1,228 at-bats and his second game-winning hit in three days. In the post-game television interview, he shared his faith in Jesus.

“The Lord is a great stagesetter,” he later told the ''San Francisco Examiner'' about that day. “It gave me the opportunity to share my testimony with millions of people. I think God is using the Giants this year, the way he used the Denver Broncos [football team] last year to bring glory to his name. I think he’s using athletics to bring faith out of the closet. There are 24 men on our roster, and we can reach millions.”

Being his first, the home run was a big deal for Andrews. He told the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'': “I was looking for a fastball and he threw me a slider. I didn’t think the ball would go out of the park. I saw it hooking and expected it to fall in somewhere. I thought I just might try for second. I was digging for second when I looked up to see where the ball was. It was a struggle to make all the bases. I was on Cloud 9.”

Andrews said that after he arrived in the dugout he asked his teammates to verify whether he had touched all the bases.

“I think five or six guys passed out on the bench after I hit the homer,” Andrews said. “I was stunned. I thought, ‘What’s going on here?’ Then I saw the umpire motioning me around. When you haven’t hit a homer in 1,200 and some at-bats, you just don’t get much chance to practice trotting around the bases.”

Said Andrews with a big sigh, “It’s definitely the highlight of my career. I still can’t believe the ball went over the fence.”

The ball actually hit the top of the left-field fence and hopped over. Andrews said, “I honestly believe God picked that ball up and carried it over the fence.”

Teammate Darrell Evans wouldn’t go that far, but said, “I’m not going to say we’re a team of destiny. But we sure win games in the strangest ways.”

<hr>

[[Image:Front cover.jpg|240px]]

Excerpted from ''[https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Book Excerpts]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

Barry Zito and the Curveballs of Life

2025-09-30T18:51:55Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Barry Zito.jpg|Barry Zito.jpg]]''Barry Zito's big contract finally paid off in the 2012 World Series.''

If you ever doubted that your mental, emotional, and spiritual state affect the physical, you need to read Barry Zito’s autobiography, ''Curveball''. While that connection is played out on a big stage for all to see—the major league baseball diamond—the book sheds light on the inner demons that drive us all, and the remedy.

Zito had two strikes against him, so to speak. His father, Joseph, driven by a sense of shame at having been born via an incestuous relationship, needed to prove his value and worth to the outside world. Appearance was everything to Joseph, and Barry, who he invested countless hours in to perfect his baseball ability, became his trophy.

Barry’s mother, Roberta, was raised in a religious science cult with New Age underpinnings which taught that through positive affirmations you could achieve anything through your own power, becoming, it said, “a unique individual Christ after the example of Jesus.” In other words, becoming your own God.

Those parental influences brought him initial success as he quickly climbed the baseball ladder, winning the Cy Young Award with the Oakland A’s in 2002 at the age of 24 with a record of 23-5 and a 2.75 ERA.

But that success just produced pressure to win more Cy Young Awards. He wilted under the burden and struggled in succeeding seasons with the A’s. However, when he became a free agent prior to the 2007 season, his resume was good enough to attract many bidders, including the San Francisco Giants, with whom he signed a seven-year contract for $126 million, at that time the biggest deal ever offered a pitcher.

But, now with a new team to which he felt he had to prove himself, surrounded by teammates who were generally making far less, the pressure increased, and his performance suffered accordingly. He went 11-13 with a 4.53 ERA in 2007, but 2008 was even worse. By June 25, he was 2-11 with a 6.32 ERA. All the positive affirmations were not working. The hometown fans booed him even when he was standing in the outfield shagging batting practice. He ended the season 10-17 with a 5.15 ERA.

Zito improved slightly in 2009 but still had a losing record, 10-13, with an ERA over 4.

He reached the nadir in 2010. After pitching great the first six weeks, he began to focus again on trying to please everyone through his performance, which cratered. He only won three of his next 26 games, losing 13 of them, finishing the season with a 9-14 record and a 4.15 ERA.

The Giants made the playoffs, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy told Zito he was leaving him off the post-season roster. Bochy invited him to accompany the team, but only if he wanted to. Commendably, Zito decided to stick with the team. But he thought of quitting after the season. He called his dad and told him, “I’m thinking about quitting baseball. But first, I need to know: If I do, would you still love me, Dad?”

As Zito describes the moment, “With one simple question, I was forcing my father’s hand. Was my well-being really his greatest concern? Or was there some darker, selfish motive driving him to be my personal coach and fiercely dedicated career manager over the last 25 years?”

His dad responded, “Well, Barry, that would not be a wise business decision. But of course, I’d still love you.” As Barry wrote, “The fact that Dad had led his answer with baseball and business instead of his love for me as his son said it all.”

Zito makes a startling admission in the book. He was rooting for the Giants to lose in the post-season so that his teammates and the fans would realize they should have kept him on the roster. As he wrote, “I was beginning to get an unfiltered glimpse of my own heart for the first time—and I did not like what I saw.”

He quotes this verse from the Old Testament: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

That off-season, recognizing how much he needed the approval of others, he enrolled in a Codependency Anonymous group, which helped him to understand his need for a higher power. He was also impressed at how his girlfriend, Amber, prayed to God in a personal rather than ritualistic manner. In early 2011 he began to attend church with her and was impacted by the pastor’s messages. At one point, Amber walked into his home and saw Barry surrounded by self-help books, trying to glean knowledge from them all at once. She told him to lock all those books up and start reading just one—the Bible.

Barry took her advice and also attended his team’s Baseball Chapel meetings, where he confided in chaplain Jeff Iorg and asked many questions about Christianity. In August 2011 he prayed with Iorg and received Jesus into his heart and life.

This new relationship with God removed all the pressure to perform. He calls his new mindset his “bubble of control,” stating, “Once the ball left my hand, I had done all I could do and the rest was up to God.”

With that “bubble of control,” Zito saved the Giants in the 2012 post-season with a do-or-die eight-inning scoreless stint in a 5-0 win over the Cardinals, then defeated Justin Verlander and the Tigers in the first game of the World Series, which the Giants swept.

The fans, who had been so hostile, now showered him with love during the Giants’ celebratory parade. But what meant more to him were letters from fans expressing their appreciation for the character he displayed in handling his demotion prior to the 2010 playoffs. He and his dad also developed a warmer, loving relationship.

This is a heartfelt and fascinating inside look at how a great baseball player came to a place of peace in his life.

''This article first appeared in ''The Sports Column'' on September 29, 2025.
''
[[category:Baseball]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]]

My Lunch with Bob Knepper

2025-09-30T18:44:43Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Knepper,B-093.jpg|400px]]

'''Bob Knepper pitching for the Giants in 1980.'''

Bob Knepper pitched in the majors from 1976-1990 for the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros. His best year was 1978 for the Giants when he won 17 games and posted a 2.63 ERA. He might have had an even better year in 1981 for Houston, but the season was shortened because of the baseball strike. He went 9-5 with a 2.18 ERA.

1978 was significant for Knepper and the Giants in another way. Early in that season he became a born-again Christian. He and several other Jesus followers (there were as many as ten) on the team began to thank God in post-game interviews for the ability he had given them. The press raised no objection, as the team was winning, in first place as late as mid-August before a September swoon landed them in third place behind the Dodgers and Reds.

But in 1979, when the Giants’ fortunes faded on the field, the local media began to blame the Christians on the team, claiming their faith had made them passive. The press derisively referred to the born-again believers as the “God Squad.”

Knepper bore the brunt of the criticism, as he was famously accused of telling manager Dave Bristol it was “God’s will” after giving up a home run to lose a game. Knepper vehemently denied saying it, and Bristol also said it never happened. But that didn’t keep the false story from spreading nationally

Other myths also spread, such as the claim that the Giants had two buses to bring players to the ballpark – one for the God Squadders and another for the other players.

A couple of years ago, having retired from writing sports for the Vacaville (CA) Reporter, I had the urge to write a book. Back in the God Squad days, having also become a born-again believer in 1978 and living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I had read columns in the San Francisco Chronicle by Lowell Cohn and Glenn Dickey taking pot shots at the God Squadders.

In early 1983 I had interviewed Giants’ pitcher Gary Lavelle, who had led Knepper to faith in Jesus. I wrote an article about Lavelle for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes magazine, and then suggested that we collaborate on a book about the God Squad. He was interested, but we soon realized that neither of us had the time to devote to the project.

So, 40 years later, I wondered if Lavelle and Knepper and some of the God Squadder were still around and would help me in writing the book. Sure enough, Lavelle let me interview him. Knepper was gun shy after the bad press he had received about his faith. But he eventually came to trust me and answered my questions via email. Some of the other God Squadders were either difficult to contact or declined to be interviewed, perhaps for the same reason Knepper had been hesitant.

In any case, with the help of newspaper archives, I was able to complete the book, The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978, published in November 2023. After Knepper read my book, he wrote a review on Amazon which stated, in part, “Finally a writer who cared enough about the truth to do the research needed to disprove the many fallacies, lies, and unsubstantiated rumors.”

Knepper was so appreciative of how I had handled the God Squad story that he phoned to thank me and we talked at length.

Recently he let me know that he and his wife, Terri, would be visiting their hometown of Calistoga, California, a little over an hour away from where I live in Martinez, and invited me to lunch. So a few days ago I made the beautiful drive through the wine country and met them at a nice little restaurant, where we sat at the outdoor patio and talked – for five hours.

Bob is such a down-to-earth guy, one who never let fame go to his head. I found it fascinating when he talked about ballplayers, legends to me, as just people. For example, when he played with Nolan Ryan in Houston, Ryan, who raised cattle, sold some to Knepper when Bob decided to buy a ranch in Oregon.

He said his favorite team to pitch against was the Cincinnati Reds, the famed Big Red Machine, because he said all of those guys could not only hit, but just loved the game of baseball and their enthusiasm was palpable.

He told me that he never questioned any calls by an umpire his entire career, explaining that he had nine innings to win a game, and a couple of questionable ball or strike calls were never the reason he lost a game.

But one time he just missed throwing the ball on the outside corner of the plate, and chided himself on the mound. The umpire, wrongly thinking Bob was complaining about the call, stepped out in front of the plate and screamed at Bob. Bob never got to tell him that he was mad at himself, not the umpire. He is thinking of writing a letter to the ump to explain, all these years later.

Speaking of having nine innings to win a game, Bob bemoans the fact that today’s strategy is to have the pitcher throw as hard as he can for five innings and then replace him. Not only is that resulting in injuries to so many pitchers, but Bob is sad that they will never get to enjoy the thrill of pitching a complete game. He said in late August1989, the Giants pitching staff was in shambles. Knepper started a game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. As the game wore on, each inning manager Roger Craig asked Knepper, “Can you give me one more?” And Knepper did, completing a nine-inning shutout victory. As Knepper noted, today’s managers would never do that.

We probably could have talked for another five hours. A very memorable afternoon.

''This article first appeared in ''The Sports Column'' on September 24, 2025.
''
[[category:Baseball]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]][[category:2020s]]

Candlestick Park and the Great Grass or Turf Debate

2025-09-30T18:42:00Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Lemaster,J-021.jpg|thumb|Johnnie LeMaster]]

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

Like many major league teams in the 1970s and 1980s, the Giants experimented with AstroTurf from 1970-78. It wouldn’t have changed anything I wrote in my book, ''The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978''. I did quote Duane Kuiper, the second baseman who formed a double-play combination with shortstop Johnnie LeMaster from 1982-84 as saying, “We clearly played on the worst infield in baseball. We were never allowed to use that as an excuse, but the wind would tear up the infield and it would dry out.”

AstroTurf actually helped LeMaster in his first major league at bat with the Giants on September 2, 1975, at [[Candlestick Before and After Stadium Built|Candlestick]]. LeMaster recalled, “I got up there and Don Sutton was pitching. The first pitch he throws me was a big curve and I had no chance of hitting it. Some fan in the stands yells, ‘Hey kid, this is the big leagues!’ The next pitch was the same, and I swung and missed again. The same fan yells out the same thing, and I’m thinking to myself, no kidding, I’ve never seen a pitch like that. But, the next pitch was a fastball and I hit a line drive up the middle. It hit a seam on the field and the ball jumped over the center fielder’s head. I started running like crazy and I got a standup inside-the-park home run. I thought, man—this is easy!”

Houston’s Astrodome was the first stadium to use artificial turf in 1966. The stadium, which opened in 1965, first had grass. The building’s roof was made up of over 4,000 Lucite panels to let in the sun. But the panels caused so much glare during practices in the spring that players had trouble catching pop flies. So the Astros painted the outside of the dome off-white, which caused the grass to die. The Astros played the last few weeks of the 1965 season on spray-painted dirt.

Proponents of artificial turf touted these benefits: ease of maintenance, simpler conversion from baseball to football or vice-versa, better drainage, and fewer injuries.

Football was the main reason for the spread of artificial surfaces, as many of the new stadiums being built in the late 1960s and early 1970s were multipurpose. Baseball didn’t have much say in the matter.

The Chicago White Sox were the second major league team to switch from grass, installing a synthetic infield in 1969, hoping it would lead to higher-scoring games. In 1970, not only were all new parks being built with artificial surfaces, but existing parks were replacing their natural grass. The first outdoor National League game on turf was at Candlestick on April 7, 1970, the Astros defeating the Giants, 8-5.

Not everyone at Candlestick was a fan of the synthetic surface. One groundskeeper said, “This modern age, you know, everything seems to be going on the phony side, so I guess we gotta go along with the times. And not seeing grass grow out here anymore and not having to cut anything, I think I’m gonna be kind of lonesome.”

The artificial turf craze reached its peak in both 1977 and 1982, when ten of the twenty-six major league stadiums employed it.

The first World Series played exclusively on artificial turf was in 1980 between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Kansas City Royals. Not all players were synthetic fans.

Kansas City outfielder Amos Otis said, “On artificial turf the ball takes crazy high bounces. On natural grass it takes natural bounces.”

Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa observed, “You tend to get a little lazy on this stuff [artificial turf]. It’s so quick, you lay back and wait for the ball to come to you.”

As Ross Atkin wrote in the Christian Science Monitor, “The new fields have practically revolutionized the game, turning what might be routine grounders on grass into base hits.”

But the worm began to turn. As difficult it was to field on Candlestick’s wind-battered, dried-up natural infield, it wasn’t any picnic on the Giants’ AstroTurf either. The artificial surface at Candlestick, which hosted the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Giants, was considered the hardest surface to play on in the NFL. The under-padding deteriorated to the extent that there was zero resilience, and the playing surface became as hard as a rock. The surface became matted when the plastic “grass” blades broke down in sunlight. The seams split apart, causing a safety hazard. The wet, damp weather resulted in poor traction, causing players to slip.

In 1979, Candlestick’s 130,000 square feet of deteriorated synthetic turf was ripped up and replaced by natural grass at a cost of $868,000. The Giants wanted to keep the AstroTurf, but the 49ers won the day. By that time, the turfgrass industry, shocked by the inroads artificial turf had made, had developed new and better ways to construct good natural grass fields.

As Mark Armour wrote, “Within a few years, the new turfs (and the symmetrical concrete stadiums that housed them) were no longer looked upon as progress, but as a sign that the modern world had gone seriously awry. Dick Allen, future horse breeder, remarked, ‘If horses can't eat it, I don't want to play on it.’ Though his wit was typically unique, his sentiments were carrying the day.”

Like Candlestick, Chicago’s Comiskey Park (1976), Kansas City’s Kaufmann Stadium (1995), St. Louis’s Busch Stadium (1996), and Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field (2001) reverted to grass.

Artificial turf is best suited for domed stadiums. Five of those today use synthetic turf: Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays), Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays), Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), and loanDepot Park (Miami Marlins).

So what’s better: grass or turf? When asked his preference, former Mets and Phillies pitcher Tug McGraw replied, “I dunno. I never smoked any AstroTurf.”

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''. True confession: It’s been almost two years since I wrote my book, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079 ''The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978''], and I just found out that they played on artificial turf that season. This article first appeared in ''The Sports Column'' on September 7, 2025.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

Candlestick Park and the Great Grass or Turf Debate

2025-09-30T18:39:14Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Lemaster,J-021.jpg|thumb|Johnnie LeMaster]]

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

Like many major league teams in the 1970s and 1980s, the Giants experimented with AstroTurf from 1970-78. It wouldn’t have changed anything I wrote in my book, ''The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978''. I did quote Duane Kuiper, the second baseman who formed a double-play combination with shortstop Johnnie LeMaster from 1982-84 as saying, “We clearly played on the worst infield in baseball. We were never allowed to use that as an excuse, but the wind would tear up the infield and it would dry out.”

AstroTurf actually helped LeMaster in his first major league at bat with the Giants on September 2, 1975, at [[Candlestick Before and After Stadium Built|Candlestick]]. LeMaster recalled, “I got up there and Don Sutton was pitching. The first pitch he throws me was a big curve and I had no chance of hitting it. Some fan in the stands yells, ‘Hey kid, this is the big leagues!’ The next pitch was the same, and I swung and missed again. The same fan yells out the same thing, and I’m thinking to myself, no kidding, I’ve never seen a pitch like that. But, the next pitch was a fastball and I hit a line drive up the middle. It hit a seam on the field and the ball jumped over the center fielder’s head. I started running like crazy and I got a standup inside-the-park home run. I thought, man—this is easy!”

Houston’s Astrodome was the first stadium to use artificial turf in 1966. The stadium, which opened in 1965, first had grass. The building’s roof was made up of over 4,000 Lucite panels to let in the sun. But the panels caused so much glare during practices in the spring that players had trouble catching pop flies. So the Astros painted the outside of the dome off-white, which caused the grass to die. The Astros played the last few weeks of the 1965 season on spray-painted dirt.

Proponents of artificial turf touted these benefits: ease of maintenance, simpler conversion from baseball to football or vice-versa, better drainage, and fewer injuries.

Football was the main reason for the spread of artificial surfaces, as many of the new stadiums being built in the late 1960s and early 1970s were multipurpose. Baseball didn’t have much say in the matter.

The Chicago White Sox were the second major league team to switch from grass, installing a synthetic infield in 1969, hoping it would lead to higher-scoring games. In 1970, not only were all new parks being built with artificial surfaces, but existing parks were replacing their natural grass. The first outdoor National League game on turf was at Candlestick on April 7, 1970, the Astros defeating the Giants, 8-5.

Not everyone at Candlestick was a fan of the synthetic surface. One groundskeeper said, “This modern age, you know, everything seems to be going on the phony side, so I guess we gotta go along with the times. And not seeing grass grow out here anymore and not having to cut anything, I think I’m gonna be kind of lonesome.”

The artificial turf craze reached its peak in both 1977 and 1982, when ten of the twenty-six major league stadiums employed it.

The first World Series played exclusively on artificial turf was in 1980 between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Kansas City Royals. Not all players were synthetic fans.

Kansas City outfielder Amos Otis said, “On artificial turf the ball takes crazy high bounces. On natural grass it takes natural bounces.”

Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa observed, “You tend to get a little lazy on this stuff [artificial turf]. It’s so quick, you lay back and wait for the ball to come to you.”

As Ross Atkin wrote in the Christian Science Monitor, “The new fields have practically revolutionized the game, turning what might be routine grounders on grass into base hits.”

But the worm began to turn. As difficult it was to field on Candlestick’s wind-battered, dried-up natural infield, it wasn’t any picnic on the Giants’ AstroTurf either. The artificial surface at Candlestick, which hosted the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Giants, was considered the hardest surface to play on in the NFL. The under-padding deteriorated to the extent that there was zero resilience, and the playing surface became as hard as a rock. The surface became matted when the plastic “grass” blades broke down in sunlight. The seams split apart, causing a safety hazard. The wet, damp weather resulted in poor traction, causing players to slip.

In 1979, Candlestick’s 130,000 square feet of deteriorated synthetic turf was ripped up and replaced by natural grass at a cost of $868,000. The Giants wanted to keep the AstroTurf, but the 49ers won the day. By that time, the turfgrass industry, shocked by the inroads artificial turf had made, had developed new and better ways to construct good natural grass fields.

As Mark Armour wrote, “Within a few years, the new turfs (and the symmetrical concrete stadiums that housed them) were no longer looked upon as progress, but as a sign that the modern world had gone seriously awry. Dick Allen, future horse breeder, remarked, ‘If horses can't eat it, I don't want to play on it.’ Though his wit was typically unique, his sentiments were carrying the day.”

Like Candlestick, Chicago’s Comiskey Park (1976), Kansas City’s Kaufmann Stadium (1995), St. Louis’s Busch Stadium (1996), and Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field (2001) reverted to grass.

Artificial turf is best suited for domed stadiums. Five of those today use synthetic turf: Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays), Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays), Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), and loanDepot Park (Miami Marlins).

So what’s better: grass or turf? When asked his preference, former Mets and Phillies pitcher Tug McGraw replied, “I dunno. I never smoked any AstroTurf.”

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''. True confession: It’s been almost two years since I wrote my book, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079 ''The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978''], and I just found out that they played on artificial turf that season.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

Candlestick Park and the Great Grass or Turf Debate

2025-09-30T18:36:09Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Lemaster,J-021.jpg|thumb|Johnnie LeMaster]]

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

Like many major league teams in the 1970s and 1980s, the Giants experimented with AstroTurf from 1970-78. It wouldn’t have changed anything I wrote in my book, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079 The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978]. I did quote Duane Kuiper, the second baseman who formed a double-play combination with shortstop Johnnie LeMaster from 1982-84 as saying, “We clearly played on the worst infield in baseball. We were never allowed to use that as an excuse, but the wind would tear up the infield and it would dry out.”

AstroTurf actually helped LeMaster in his first major league at bat with the Giants on September 2, 1975, at [[Candlestick Before and After Stadium Built|Candlestick]]. LeMaster recalled, “I got up there and Don Sutton was pitching. The first pitch he throws me was a big curve and I had no chance of hitting it. Some fan in the stands yells, ‘Hey kid, this is the big leagues!’ The next pitch was the same, and I swung and missed again. The same fan yells out the same thing, and I’m thinking to myself, no kidding, I’ve never seen a pitch like that. But, the next pitch was a fastball and I hit a line drive up the middle. It hit a seam on the field and the ball jumped over the center fielder’s head. I started running like crazy and I got a standup inside-the-park home run. I thought, man—this is easy!”

Houston’s Astrodome was the first stadium to use artificial turf in 1966. The stadium, which opened in 1965, first had grass. The building’s roof was made up of over 4,000 Lucite panels to let in the sun. But the panels caused so much glare during practices in the spring that players had trouble catching pop flies. So the Astros painted the outside of the dome off-white, which caused the grass to die. The Astros played the last few weeks of the 1965 season on spray-painted dirt.

Proponents of artificial turf touted these benefits: ease of maintenance, simpler conversion from baseball to football or vice-versa, better drainage, and fewer injuries.

Football was the main reason for the spread of artificial surfaces, as many of the new stadiums being built in the late 1960s and early 1970s were multipurpose. Baseball didn’t have much say in the matter.

The Chicago White Sox were the second major league team to switch from grass, installing a synthetic infield in 1969, hoping it would lead to higher-scoring games. In 1970, not only were all new parks being built with artificial surfaces, but existing parks were replacing their natural grass. The first outdoor National League game on turf was at Candlestick on April 7, 1970, the Astros defeating the Giants, 8-5.

Not everyone at Candlestick was a fan of the synthetic surface. One groundskeeper said, “This modern age, you know, everything seems to be going on the phony side, so I guess we gotta go along with the times. And not seeing grass grow out here anymore and not having to cut anything, I think I’m gonna be kind of lonesome.”

The artificial turf craze reached its peak in both 1977 and 1982, when ten of the twenty-six major league stadiums employed it.

The first World Series played exclusively on artificial turf was in 1980 between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Kansas City Royals. Not all players were synthetic fans.

Kansas City outfielder Amos Otis said, “On artificial turf the ball takes crazy high bounces. On natural grass it takes natural bounces.”

Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa observed, “You tend to get a little lazy on this stuff [artificial turf]. It’s so quick, you lay back and wait for the ball to come to you.”

As Ross Atkin wrote in the Christian Science Monitor, “The new fields have practically revolutionized the game, turning what might be routine grounders on grass into base hits.”

But the worm began to turn. As difficult it was to field on Candlestick’s wind-battered, dried-up natural infield, it wasn’t any picnic on the Giants’ AstroTurf either. The artificial surface at Candlestick, which hosted the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Giants, was considered the hardest surface to play on in the NFL. The under-padding deteriorated to the extent that there was zero resilience, and the playing surface became as hard as a rock. The surface became matted when the plastic “grass” blades broke down in sunlight. The seams split apart, causing a safety hazard. The wet, damp weather resulted in poor traction, causing players to slip.

In 1979, Candlestick’s 130,000 square feet of deteriorated synthetic turf was ripped up and replaced by natural grass at a cost of $868,000. The Giants wanted to keep the AstroTurf, but the 49ers won the day. By that time, the turfgrass industry, shocked by the inroads artificial turf had made, had developed new and better ways to construct good natural grass fields.

As Mark Armour wrote, “Within a few years, the new turfs (and the symmetrical concrete stadiums that housed them) were no longer looked upon as progress, but as a sign that the modern world had gone seriously awry. Dick Allen, future horse breeder, remarked, ‘If horses can't eat it, I don't want to play on it.’ Though his wit was typically unique, his sentiments were carrying the day.”

Like Candlestick, Chicago’s Comiskey Park (1976), Kansas City’s Kaufmann Stadium (1995), St. Louis’s Busch Stadium (1996), and Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field (2001) reverted to grass.

Artificial turf is best suited for domed stadiums. Five of those today use synthetic turf: Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays), Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays), Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), and loanDepot Park (Miami Marlins).

So what’s better: grass or turf? When asked his preference, former Mets and Phillies pitcher Tug McGraw replied, “I dunno. I never smoked any AstroTurf.”

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''. True confession: It’s been almost two years since I wrote my book, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079 ''The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978''], and I just found out that they played on artificial turf that season.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

Lowell Cohn is Never Boring

2025-09-29T20:45:38Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger, February 27, 2021''

Bay Area sports fans either loved Lowell Cohn or hated him.

The now-retired sports columnist for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and the ''Santa Rosa Press Democrat'' had a way with words. Those words could inflame readers but always kept their attention. Whether or not you agreed with Cohn, you had to admire his style, wit, courage and ability to peel back the layers of his subject and get to the heart of the matter.

[[File:Gloves Off.jpg|thumb]]

In his appropriately titled, recently published memoir, ''Gloves Off: 40 Years of Unfiltered Sports Writing'', Cohn doesn’t just publish his previous columns. Instead, he gives us 64 short, highly readable chapters on the many Bay Area sports personalities he covered as well as insights into his craft.

He states, “Writing a column, writing anything, means the writer is not allowed to be boring. Not for a single paragraph or sentence or clause. Not even for a word. How a writer achieves this not is the writer’s primary business and challenge and joy. Writing lives on the not.”

No one would ever accuse Cohn of being boring. He riled up many an athlete and reader. But he always made his reasoning clear.

Cohn was also so effective because of his objectivity. He was not a fan of any team or athlete.

“When people understood that I didn’t care if a local team won,” he writes, “they would ask why I wrote sports. What was the point? And I said I liked to write about sports, understood that world, simple as that… and I loved bringing up a subject to start a discussion or an argument among readers.”

Cohn admits that his chief love, even above sports, is writing.

“When people ask what I like about my job, I say the writing,” he states. “They are always disappointed, want me to say I’m in love with sports. I am in love with sports, but I love writing more. I could write about a glass of water if it came to that.”

[[File:Lowell Cohn.jpg]]

'''Lowell Cohn '''

''Photo courtesy of KNBR''

Cohn will probably offend some more readers and athletes in this book. He is not a fan of Colin Kaepernick, for example. He writes: “Disclaimer: My view of Kaepernick may be skewed because I know him and don’t like him.”

Cohn goes on to say, “Simple question for Colin Kaepernick, a mere two-word sentence: Why then? He had been a mixed-race person all his life facing things a mixed-race person faces and, all of a sudden, six years into his NFL career it dawned on him that there are monstrous injustices in the American system.”

Cohn’s conclusion: “He dissed the anthem because he wanted attention. Strictly my interpretation. I freely admit that.”

Cohn was also no fan of Barry Bonds. He described a scene in the Giants clubhouse where reporters were crowded around Bonds’ locker and, without saying a word, Bonds used a bat to herd them away and make a path for himself.

“His meaning was clear,” writes Cohn. “We were cows or goats or pigs, four-legged subhuman, and we didn’t deserve the rudimentary politeness and consideration you would accord a human being.”

Cohn writes about Michael Jordan’s last game in Oakland during his final farewell tour and how Jordan refused to do an interview after the game in the interview room, instead forcing a horde of reporters to gather around his locker. Then Jordan proceeded to give the interview in practically a whisper, making it impossible for the majority of the reporters to capture his words.

Cohn writes, “And I looked at Jordan and thought so much of this man is image, packaged, made up. Sure, he may be a good person to those close to him. How would I know? But he isn’t acting like a good person now. He’s being mean for no reason. To exert power. To disappoint people who came to celebrate him. Why would anyone do that?”

Cohn mentions many local and national sports figures he did like: Bill Walsh, Steve Young, Vida Blue, Dusty Baker, Floyd Patterson, Jim Harbaugh.

At least in some cases, the feeling was mutual. Young wrote the foreword to the book, stating, “But in the end, we were better because of Lowell. There’s always a need for a voice like that. It’s important. Nothing is worse than internal marketing… It’s when we’re telling each other that we’re all great and everything is fine. That didn’t happen with Lowell. As a truth seeker, he wouldn’t allow it.”

Harbaugh wrote in the afterword, “You are a man I truly respect because of your principles and convictions. Your passion and work ethic are at the highest level, your sense of humor and dry wit were appreciated.”

All those characteristics are in full display in this book and, like him or hate him, readers will be fascinated as Cohn shares his insights into people like Reggie Jackson, Tim Lincecum, Baron Davis, Al Davis, Bruce Bochy, Billy Martin, Billy Beane, Randy Moss, Steve Mariucci and many others.

Cohn lives up to his own standard: NOT boring.

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter'', where this article first appeared. He is the author of'' [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Media]][[category:Newspapers]][[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]][[category:Famous characters]]

The God Squad

2025-09-29T20:43:48Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

Originally published as “Satan and the Giants,” excerpted from ''[https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

''San Francisco Chronicle'' sportswriter Lowell Cohn did not write many columns about the God Squadders. He was a columnist, not a beat writer, so he wasn’t in the Giants’ clubhouse every game. Besides, he had to also write about the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland Raiders, the Golden State Warriors, and the Oakland A’s.

But when he did approach the topic, he did it with gusto.

He wrote a column, “Can Satan Save the Giants?” on May 7, 1980, and it made quite a splash.

[[Image:Cohn can-satan-save-the-giants may-1980.jpg|800px]]

On the day the ''Chronicle'' published the column, the Giants were in last place in their division with an 8–18 record. In his satirical piece, Cohn concluded that God must hate the Giants. He wrote:

<blockquote>But what does he have against our local heroes? He’s downright prejudiced against them. No question about it. He has them so befuddled they can’t even count the outs. The irony in all this is that the Giants are a God-fearing bunch if there ever was one. I’ll bet, prayer for prayer, they’re the most God-fearing team in major league baseball. It’s not for me to say why God has singled out the Giants—His ways are very mysterious to man. But as long as things are already shot to hell, I have a suggestion. Join the other team, fellas. Throw in with the Prince of Darkness—the Big D.</blockquote>

Cohn went on to recommend that at least one Giant sell his soul to the devil to turn the team’s season around, just as long-suffering Washington Senators fan Joe Boyd did in the novel, ''The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant'', the inspiration for the 1955 musical comedy, ''Damn Yankees'', which in turn generated the movie of the same name (Joe Boyd was renamed Joe Hardy for those productions).

“I was joking around,” Cohn told this author. “I wrote my satire on the soul because that’s what people were talking about. I wasn’t accusing them. I was just trying to have fun.”

Almost a year to the day after “Can Satan Save the Giants?” Cohn wrote a sequel, “Lavelle and the Fiend,” inspired by the piece by George Vecsey of ''The New York Times'' that appeared in the ''Chronicle'' on May 12, 1981, under the title, “How God Affects the Giants.” Vecsey quoted Lavelle as saying, “One columnist wrote we were not getting anywhere by praying to Jesus and that maybe we should try praying to Satan. I remember that column well. I was not really surprised. The Bay Area is the center of devil worship, radical groups and homosexuality in this country. It is a satanic region.”

[[Image:GaryLavellesignedGiantscard.jpg|left]]

The day after the Vecsey column appeared in the ''Chronicle'', Cohn published “Lavelle and the Fiend.” Recognizing that in the Vecsey article Lavelle was referring to Cohn’s “Can Satan Save the Giants?” column, the ever-satirical Cohn wrote, “Lavelle says he remembers my column well. Not true . . . I suggested they sell a soul to the devil, not just pray to him. I’m sure you’ll admit there’s a big difference.”

Cohn continued:

<blockquote>For a guy who preaches religious tolerance, [Lavelle] is guilty of intolerance. He’s intolerant of radicals, homosexuals and the Bay Area . . . There are tens of thousands of homosexuals in the Bay Area, especially in San Francisco, but I’ve talked to some of those homosexuals and they say they always thought Gary Lavelle was a good guy and that they rooted for him when he came into the ballgame. Now I’ll bet they’ll change their attitude.</blockquote>

In conclusion, composing his own tongue-in-cheek version of “Sympathy for the Devil,” Cohn wrote, “Lucifer also made appearances in ‘Damn Yankees,’ ‘The Devil and Daniel Webster,’ ‘Rosemary’s Baby,’ and ‘The Exorcist.’ In each case, I am told he went over real big. So I don’t know what Gary Lavelle’s problem is. Maybe I do. When it comes to religion, Gary Lavelle doesn’t have the least particle of a sense of humor.”

His column had repercussions with the Giants. He wrote about it nine days later in a column titled “Friendly Persuasion.” He had wandered into the Giants’ clubhouse when Johnnie LeMaster called him over. He was expecting LeMaster to rake him over the coals for his “Lavelle and the Fiend” column. Instead, Cohn wrote that LeMaster asked him, without a trace of anger, “What do you have against religion?’ Cohn wrote:

<blockquote>Like Lavelle, LeMaster is a born-again Christian. To them, Satan is no metaphor of evil, but a foul fiend who mingles with us and poisons our world. This never has been easy for me to take seriously . . . I thought LeMaster would drop to his knees and pray for me right there. He lapsed into silence. We had always gotten along well, and now I had turned out to be an alien being. The air was not tense, only sad. </blockquote>

After LeMaster informed Cohn that Lavelle had received some nasty letters in response to his column, Cohn walked over to Lavelle, who was dressing in front of his locker. Cohn asked if Vecsey had misquoted Lavelle. Lavelle replied:

<blockquote>No. But my answers sounded different when you didn’t hear the questions also. I saw where you wrote I don’t have a sense of humor about religion. It’s true. How can I joke about damnation? People go to hell, you know. God says they do. That’s very serious. And God says homosexuality is a sin. You have to understand this. I condemn the sin, not the sinner. I still have friends who are homosexuals. I’m their friend, but I tell them God says it’s a sin.</blockquote>

Cohn concluded by confessing his frustration that neither LeMaster nor Lavelle had gotten upset with him:

<blockquote>The theology of LeMaster and Lavelle seemed so primitive to me—this taking Satan and the Garden of Eden literally, and seeing sexual preference in terms of “sin.” . . . Even if I thought some of their beliefs were wacko, I had to admit LeMaster . . . and Lavelle were patient and kind, and had even turned the other cheek. If they had been conspirators, they couldn’t have made things more difficult for me.</blockquote>

Regarding turning the other cheek, Lavelle told this author, “I think God calls us to do that, and he’s [Cohn] going to do what he’s going to do, so I’m not going to feed more fuel to the fire by doing something God says I shouldn’t do. I do remember him coming up and we talked about that. I don’t remember the whole discussion."

How did Lavelle feel about Cohn’s contention that he was intolerant? He replied:

<blockquote>The way I would respond to that, and I believe this is what I said to him, [is] God loves the sinner, not the sin. And that’s how I feel. I don’t judge homosexuals. They’ve got to face God. But I go by what the Bible tells me, the Word of God. It doesn’t mean I’m intolerant. It just means I don’t believe the same way they do. And he took that and wrote that the way that it made me seem like I just hated the homosexuals and all that stuff, which wasn’t true . . . If the context of the question was, did I hate homosexuals, I would have answered no.

So I think when you make a statement like that to write an article to make you famous or whatever, that to me—I used to get death threats from that article—what he had said was totally taken out of context. And I also said the Church of Satan was started in San Francisco by Anton LeVay [Vecsey did not include that in the article]. That’s just fact. That’s not hearsay. And I said from a spiritual aspect, I think it’s [San Francisco] very oppressed spiritually—nothing else—spiritually. And I’ve never held any grudges against Glenn Dickey [another ''San Francisco Chronicle'' sports columnist who took pot shots at the God Squad] or Lowell Cohn. In fact I prayed for them. Everybody has to walk to the beat of their own drum and everybody is going to answer to God one day. And I’m not the judge.</blockquote>

[[San Francisco Giants (of the Faith)|Click here to read an essay by the author about the God Squad.]]

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter.
''
[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Media]][[category:Book Excerpts]][[category:Newspapers]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:Churches]]

Mike Ivie: The Miracle Man

2025-09-29T20:42:45Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:1-Ivie.jpg]]

'''Mike Ivie
'''

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants
''

''Former major league Mike Ivie passed away on July 21, 2023, in North Augusta, South Carolina, at age 70. A born-again Christian, Ivie was part of the notorious God Squad of the San Francisco Giants during the late 1970s. Here is an excerpt from a book by Matt Sieger, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].
''

San Francisco’s Candlestick Park had a record crowd of 56,103 on May 28, 1978, when the Giants erased a 5-0 Los Angeles Dodgers lead and won 6–5, fueled by a pinch-hit grand slam home run from Mike Ivie. The Giants had been trailing 3–0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. After the team scored once and loaded the bases, Ivie drilled a shot over the left-field wall to put them ahead 5–3.

The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' reported:

<blockquote>''The deafening Candlestick reception for Ivie’s home run was what Giants pitcher John Montefusco wanted to discuss. “I was talking to (trainer) Joe Liscio when Mike got up there and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be unbelievable if he hit one out?’ Joe then says, ‘He’s gonna do it on this pitch.’ And sure enough, he did. The ovation Mike got was something I’ll never forget. We’re going right down to the wire with the Dodgers in every game we play.”''

''Ivie, sent up to bat for left-handed Vic Harris in an against-the-percentage move [because the pitcher, Don Sutton, is right-handed], said he was “just looking for a fly ball” against Sutton with one out. “He gave me something I could pull, but I didn’t think it was going out. Then the crowd told me it was. The whole feeling is beyond words.”''</blockquote>

Giants fan Charles A. Fracchia Jr., who was thirteen and at the game that day, said, “He [Ivie] nails that pitch over the fence . . . The whole stadium rocks like it was an earthquake. The stadium shook. It was unreal. People hugging each other . . . such excitement.”

The ''San Francisco Examiner'' reported:

<blockquote>''“I tell ya, this team has so much confidence in each other,” said Ivie . . . “If we get behind we know we can come back. We believe so much that we can do it. It’s a feeling that no other club in the major leagues has got. We have a home-type unity-type of feeling. It’s super. I don’t want to be anyplace else but here. Now I don’t want you to misunderstand this but if we go on the road and win some games I really believe in my heart that we can win the whole thing.”</blockquote>
''

Ivie had a couple of other signature moments later that season.

On July 25 at Candlestick, Vida Blue took a shutout and a 1–0 lead into the ninth inning against the Cardinals, but the Redbirds struck for two runs to take the lead. Bob Stevens of the ''Chronicle'' described the action in the bottom of the frame:

<blockquote>''The Little Miracle of Candlestick Park, and the Miracle Man, struck again last night. With one out in the ninth and a deeply disappointed crowd of 39,289 shuffling quietly toward the exits, Larry Herndon singled, pinch hitter Mike Ivie did his thing—a home run—and the Giants climbed over the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2. The Giants are 7020 fans short of hitting the million mark in attendance.</blockquote>
''

Rom Fimrite of ''Sports Illustrated'' covered a four-game series between the Giants and Dodgers at Candlestick in early August, each team winning twice. Fimrite wrote:

<blockquote>''And as a team with more than the ordinary complement of born-again Christians—playing in a notoriously sinful city, at that—they appear convinced that the so-called Big Dodger in the Sky who watched so benignly over their opponents a year ago has come over to their side now. Only divine intervention, in the opinion of the devout Ivie, can account for the Giants’ penchant for turning adversity to advantage. “Too many things are happening our way,” he says, “too many good things. You just have to believe we’re being watched.”</blockquote>
''

Later that month, Ivie pinch-hit a two-out, two-run ninth inning home run off ace closer Tug McGraw to beat the Phillies, 6–5. The victory kept the Giants one game back of the Dodgers.

Unfortunately, the Giants, who were in sole possession of first place for much of the season, had a late-season swoon and finished in third place behind the Dodgers and Reds.
Ivie hit .308 for the Giants that season and belted four pinch-hit home runs, hitting .387 as a pinch hitter. Two of his pinch-hit home runs were grand slams, a single-season record he shares with four other major leaguers. He had an even better year in 1979, smashing twenty-seven home runs and driving in eighty-nine runs to go along with a .286 batting average.

But trials awaited him that would cause emotional turmoil that even his faith was not able to subdue . . .

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Book Excerpts]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]]

Jack Clark's Revenge on the Dodgers

2025-09-29T20:41:54Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:1-Jack.jpg]]

'''Jack Clark'''

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

''Before joining the Cardinals in 1985, Jack Clark, who Whitey Herzog called “the greatest fastball hitter of our era,” spent his first ten seasons in the majors with the San Francisco Giants. He became a born-again Christian in 1977, part of the notorious “God Squad” of the Giants. Here is an excerpt about Clark with the Cardinals from a book by Matt Sieger, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978]:
''

Clark may not have been able to propel the Giants to the postseason, but in two of his three seasons with the Cardinals, 1985 and 1987, the team reached the World Series.
“I don’t think there’s much doubt what he did for us,” Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog said in 1990, three years after Clark left the Cards. “We haven’t been back to the World Series since, have we?”

But if any felt that becoming a Jesus follower made players passive and gave them the option to excuse every failure as “God’s will,” Giants fans (bred to be eternal Dodger-haters) will be pleased to hear how Clark felt about hitting his most famous home run, a three-run shot off the Dodgers’ Tom Niedenfuer to clinch the National League pennant for the Cardinals in the top of the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 1985 National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium.

In the seventh inning, with the score tied and Ozzie Smith on third base, Clark struck out against Niedenfuer. Mike Marshall hit a home run in the eighth inning to give the Dodgers a 5–4 lead.

In the top of the ninth, the Cardinals were down to their last out when Clark came up with Willie McGee on third base and Ozzie Smith on second. Instead of issuing an intentional walk, Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda decided to pitch to Clark. The former Giant smashed Niedenfuer’s first pitch into the left field stands.

“It was a good pitch to hit—a fast ball, down—and I knew it was gone the minute I hit it,” Clark told UPI sportswriter Aurelio Rojas.

<blockquote>“I knew first base was open, but I thought they’d come after me because that’s what they always did when I was with the Giants because they never respected us,” Clark told blogger Jason Peake. “I was having a great series and I thought I could hit anything. I was on everything. And I didn’t like the Dodgers. I wanted them to go down. They came after me on the first pitch and I was ready for it. It was a pretty big moment for me, my teammates, Whitey Herzog and the Cardinal fans . . . and also for the Giants’ fans.”</blockquote>

As Rojas noted:

<blockquote>''The victory washed away unhappy memories both distant and recent for Clark.''

''“All the way around the bases, I thought about all the bad times,” said the Cardinals’ first baseman, who went through a number of losing seasons with the San Francisco Giants before being traded to St. Louis in the off-season.''

''“As I neared home plate and saw all my teammates there, it dawned on me, ‘We’re going to the World Series, we’re going to the World Series’''

''“I made the big out before, and gave Marshall the opportunity to put them ahead,” said Clark, a born-again Christian. “But I got a chance to redeem.” ''</blockquote>

Clark told Rick Hummel of the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', “There was a lot of payback for a lot of reasons. For all those years in Candlestick Park. Not only was it bad enough just having to play there, but the Dodgers kept whipping up on us every year. I had one mission. To seek and destroy everyone on that team, from Fernando Valenzuela to Orel Hershiser. I wanted it all.”

Hummel wrote, “The rage in Clark almost was uncontrollable when he faced the Dodgers.”
“I tried to hit it out of the stadium,” Clark told him. “I didn’t just want a home run. I wanted to have it be shot out of a cannon.”

If being born again put out Clark’s competitive fire, the Dodgers would sure like an explanation.

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Book Excerpts]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

BOO! The Giants' Johnnie LeMaster

2025-09-29T20:41:05Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Lemaster,J-018.jpg]]

'''Johnnie LeMaster'''

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

''Johnnie LeMaster played in the Major Leagues for 13 seasons, the first 10 with the San Francisco Giants. A born-again Christian, LeMaster was part of the notorious God Squad of the Giants in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Here is an excerpt about LeMaster from a book by Matt Sieger, ''[https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''
''

The boos began for Johnnie LeMaster in 1978—specifically, according to writer Sam Miller, on April 18.

Miller noted, “The Giants had ace John Montefusco on the mound, and he pitched beautifully, but his teammates managed only a single hit. LeMaster made a throwing error that led to a run, and the Giants lost 1–0. The fans booed the goat, LeMaster. And they just . . . never stopped. They developed a habit and never bothered to break it.”
On April 26, Glenn Schwarz of the ''San Francisco Examiner'' reported:

<blockquote>''The first chorus of boos drifted out from the Candlestick stands and reached Johnnie LeMaster’s ears a week ago. By the weekend, you didn’t need a scorecard to know who was coming to bat for the San Francisco Giants. As the catcalls increased, LeMaster bit his lower lip and told himself to ignore the noise.''

“It’s something I have to live with. The fans pay their money and can boo when they want,” the Giants shortstop said. “You just can’t let it get to you.”

It was no coincidence that it began after LeMaster made a throwing error behind John Montefusco, leading to an unearned run for Atlanta and a 1–0 defeat for the Count.
“I would say the error had a little to do with the boos. Maybe a lot,” LeMaster said, “But I haven’t hit yet either.” </blockquote>

The Giants had a great year in 1978, challenging the Dodgers and Reds for the division title until a September swoon. But when the Giants returned to their losing ways in 1979 (71–91 record), the fans, for some reason, directed their displeasure at LeMaster.

As Miller put it, “It would be too emotionally draining, too real, for Giants fans to hate all 25 players on their losing club, so they invented a myth that LeMaster alone was the scapegoat.”

<blockquote>“The only thing I could figure out is I would make an error at the wrong time of the game, or maybe not get a base hit at the right time of the game,” LeMaster said. “Our record wasn’t the greatest the whole time that I played there. Maybe they needed somebody to let their frustration out on, or their anger.” </blockquote>

His wife, Debbie, kiddingly suggested he change his name to Boo. LeMaster ran with the idea and asked equipment manager Eddie Logan to make a jersey with “BOO” on the back in place of his last name. After a couple of weeks, on July 23, 1979, at Candlestick Park, LeMaster got up the courage to wear it in a game. The only teammate who knew LeMaster was going to pull the stunt was Rob Andrews.

Manager Joe Altobelli, who didn’t have the best eyesight, asked Andrews why LeMaster had “Bob” on the back of his jersey. That broke up everybody in the dugout. The caper was short-lived. LeMaster only got to wear the jersey in the field in the top half of the first inning before General Manager Spec Richardson intervened, fired the equipment manager, and ordered LeMaster to put on his regular jersey.

“But, when the game was over,” LeMaster related, “where do you think every single newspaper reporter, every TV camera in the whole San Francisco Bay Area was at? And I mean I had mikes in front of my face like you wouldn’t believe. But here’s the thing about it. The fans loved it. The reporters loved it. They ate it up. My general manager fined me $500 for being out of uniform. But it was the best fine that I’d ever had. Eddie Logan got his job back and all ended up well.”

LeMaster had no regrets. Years later, he told the high school baseball players he coached, “Every once in a while, it’s not bad to do something a little bit crazy. Sometimes doing something a little bit crazy makes people realize you’re as human as they are.”

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Book Excerpts]][[category:Famous characters]][[category:1970s]]

Dave Dravecky's Miraculous Comeback

2025-09-29T20:40:18Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Dravecky,D-044.jpg]]

'''Dave Dravecky'''

''Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants''

''This is an excerpt from a book by Matt Sieger, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978]:''

The second version of the God Squad included five pitchers—Atlee Hammaker, a Giant from 1982 to 1990, Scott Garrelts (1982–1991), Dave Dravecky (1987–1989), Jeff Brantley (1988–1993), and Craig Lefferts (1987–1989). Outfielders Brett Butler (1988–1990), Kevin Bass (1990–92), and Candy Maldonado (1986–1989), catcher Gary Carter (1990), and utility men Dave Anderson (1990–91) and Greg Litton (1989–92) were also born-again Giants. And Houston traded Bob Knepper back to the Giants in 1989.

In September 1989, the ''Santa Rosa Press Democrat'' reported that as many as fifteen Giants out of the twenty-four-man base roster attended chapel services.

A year earlier, misunderstanding had grown between the God Squadders and some teammates, fed, in part, by the press. Dravecky described it:

''I and three other pitchers -- Scott Garrelts, Jeff Brantley, and Atlee Hammaker -- had been up front about being believers, and we did not hide our faith under a bushel. The beat writers, always looking for something to write about, coined a term for our quartet, the “God Squad.” They might as well have pinned bull’s-eyes on the back of our uniforms for all the good it did us. Anything and everything we said could be interpreted by our teammates as “holier than thou.” If we commented that we didn’t go to R-rated movies with tons of nudity and sex, then our teammates thought we were judging them. If we said that we preferred to have a Bible study in our hotel rooms after a road game, that was interpreted as being anti-social by our teammates.

''After a while, the “God Squad” term became a pejorative. It certainly made life difficult for us in the clubhouse as reporters constantly probed other ballplayers about their feelings regarding the “religious” pitchers on their team. Scott, Jeff, Atlee, and I read anonymous quotes from our teammates questioning whether we had what it took to be winners. Some felt that we were too “passive” or “weak” because we shrugged off defeat, thinking it must have been “God’s will.”

''That was a bunch of baloney because I know I fought with everything I had when I was on the mound . . . If the media has a weakness, it’s called writing from the “template.” The template for Christian ballplayers is that we are too nice to be winners, that we lack intensity and determination at crunch time, and that when we lose, we shrug our shoulders and mumble, “Praise the Lord.”''''''

Henry Schulman, the Giants’ beat writer for the ''Oakland Tribune'' at the time, strongly supports Dravecky’s view. He told this author:

''In dealing with the second wave of God Squadders, I never got the sense that they felt wins and losses had anything to do with God, Satan or anything else besides how they play. That was a bum rap. That said, I always felt among these players a surety that their faith in God was rewarded in kind by the health and strength to perform to their abilities. You often hear players in postgame interviews thank God for their physical abilities and health.

''There was nothing passive about any of the athletes I covered on the field, and I don’t think their teammates felt that way either. Dravecky, Garrelts, Carter and Brantley were among the most competitive I covered.''

Dravecky received support from his manager, Roger Craig. After the southpaw spun a two-hit complete game shutout against the Cardinals in Game 2 of the 1987 National League Championship Series, he was led to a media room next to the locker room, where Craig was answering questions. When the manager looked up and saw Dravecky, he said, “They say Christians don’t have any guts. Well, this guy’s a Christian and he’s not afraid of anything.”

Dravecky demonstrated that courage in a remarkable chain of events that began in 1988. He had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his pitching arm in October of that year. The operation involved removing half of the deltoid muscle and freezing the humerus bone in an attempt to eliminate all the cancerous cells. In what many called a miraculous return to baseball, Dravecky pitched eight-innings in a 4–3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on August 10, 1989, at Candlestick Park in front of 34,810 roaring fans.

Writing in 1999 for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', where he was the Giants’ beat writer from 1998 until his retirement in 2020, Schulman recalled that game played ten years earlier:

''Dravecky did not exactly fit the San Francisco mold. His politics were right of Ronald Reagan’s, and he was a born-again Christian. But . . . when Dravecky returned to the mound at Candlestick Park for the first time after battling cancer in his arm for more than a year, everyone—politics and religion not withstanding—felt a kinship with the man. On a beautiful afternoon, with not a wisp of wind in the air, the applause began as soon as Dravecky stepped out of the tunnel to begin his pregame warmups. The applause turned into an ovation, one of many he got that day as he not only pitched, but won, beating the Cincinnati Reds. There were lumps in tens of thousands of throats.''

Five days after his big win, while pitching in Montreal, Dravecky felt a tingling sensation in his arm in the fifth inning. Then, in the sixth inning, on his first pitch to Tim Raines, Dravecky’s humerus bone shattered, the sound heard throughout the stadium as Dravecky collapsed on the mound.

''San Francisco Chronicle'' sportswriter Bruce Jenkins was amazed at Dravecky’s equanimity when the pitcher met with the Bay Area press the morning after his injury. Jenkins wrote:

''He had the same calm, relaxed look on his face, the same glow in his eye, the same attitude that said, “My life is going just great.” That's the Dravecky we've always known, and it's the one we've got today. If you are put off by the open preachings of Christian athletes, then maybe his story is not for you. But Dravecky's beliefs are at the heart of his strength. That became abundantly clear in the wake of an injury that sent shock waves through the baseball world.''

Jenkins also noted how Dravecky’s born-again teammates rallied around him when the pitcher returned to his hotel room the night of his injury. Jenkins wrote, “Within minutes, his best friends on the team were there: Garrelts, Bob Knepper, Jeff Brantley and Greg Litton. The five of them, all of whom share a vigorous belief in Christianity, stayed in Dravecky's room from midnight until 5 a.m., talking things over.”

Dravecky’s faith and courage had an impact on his other Giants teammates. Although he had felt there was division between the Christians and non-Christians in 1988, he said that was not a problem on the 1989 team.

“I think there’s a camaraderie on this club,” he said near the close of the 1989 regular season. “I also think there’s a genuine respect from the players on the team that might not choose to attend (chapel), and that’s obviously important.”

Dravecky’s cancer returned and his left arm and shoulder had to be amputated in June 1991. On July 16, the Associated Press reported on the first time Dravecky spoke publicly after the operation:

''Looking fit and rested, Dravecky said, “There’s adjustments that I have to make, but there’s nothing out there that I don’t want to do.” . . . Although his future won’t include baseball, Dravecky said he will swim, play golf and tennis, and engage in other sports he was unable to enjoy in the past because of his baseball contract. He also has a full schedule of speaking engagements.''

Appearing with his wife, Janice, at the Christian Booksellers Association annual convention in Orlando [Florida], Dravecky credited his religious faith for helping him overcome his cancer problems, which began in 1988. He said he is feeling extremely well despite “phantom pain” in his missing left hand and fingers—not an unusual occurrence in amputees.

Dravecky did have one regret about his time in the big leagues:

''Playing for the Padres and the Giants during the time I did when the “God Squad” was a big deal, the reality is that my teammates were extremely respectful of where we were at on our journey. I'm very grateful for the respect that my teammates showed us as we were attempting to lead out our lives as Christians, which we didn't do perfectly.''

''If I were to do anything different, I would have probably spent more time in bars. Often I got invited by guys who simply wanted to go out, grab a beer, get something to eat—usually that was at the bar—and just hang out. I said, “No, cant' go there.” And that's exactly where Jesus went and that’s exactly where I should have been because I didn't have an issue with whether or not I was going to drink too much. I knew when to say no. And quite frankly, here's a guy who wants to spend time with me and I'm saying I can't go into the bar. “Well, here we go the Holy Roller.”''

''If there's any regret it would have been engaging more with everybody in the clubhouse. That was just a period of time in my life where I was young and dumb. I didn't get it.''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''.''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Book Excerpts]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

Lowell Cohn is Never Boring

2025-09-29T18:50:14Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger, February 27, 2021''

Bay Area sports fans either loved Lowell Cohn or hated him.

The now-retired sports columnist for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and the ''Santa Rosa Press Democrat'' had a way with words. Those words could inflame readers but always kept their attention. Whether or not you agreed with Cohn, you had to admire his style, wit, courage and ability to peel back the layers of his subject and get to the heart of the matter.

[[File:Gloves Off.jpg|thumb]]

In his appropriately titled, recently published memoir, ''Gloves Off: 40 Years of Unfiltered Sports Writing'', Cohn doesn’t just publish his previous columns. Instead, he gives us 64 short, highly readable chapters on the many Bay Area sports personalities he covered as well as insights into his craft.

He states, “Writing a column, writing anything, means the writer is not allowed to be boring. Not for a single paragraph or sentence or clause. Not even for a word. How a writer achieves this not is the writer’s primary business and challenge and joy. Writing lives on the not.”

No one would ever accuse Cohn of being boring. He riled up many an athlete and reader. But he always made his reasoning clear.

Cohn was also so effective because of his objectivity. He was not a fan of any team or athlete.

“When people understood that I didn’t care if a local team won,” he writes, “they would ask why I wrote sports. What was the point? And I said I liked to write about sports, understood that world, simple as that… and I loved bringing up a subject to start a discussion or an argument among readers.”

Cohn admits that his chief love, even above sports, is writing.

“When people ask what I like about my job, I say the writing,” he states. “They are always disappointed, want me to say I’m in love with sports. I am in love with sports, but I love writing more. I could write about a glass of water if it came to that.”

[[File:Lowell Cohn.jpg]]

'''Lowell Cohn '''

''Photo courtesy of KNBR''

Cohn will probably offend some more readers and athletes in this book. He is not a fan of Colin Kaepernick, for example. He writes: “Disclaimer: My view of Kaepernick may be skewed because I know him and don’t like him.”

Cohn goes on to say, “Simple question for Colin Kaepernick, a mere two-word sentence: Why then? He had been a mixed-race person all his life facing things a mixed-race person faces and, all of a sudden, six years into his NFL career it dawned on him that there are monstrous injustices in the American system.”

Cohn’s conclusion: “He dissed the anthem because he wanted attention. Strictly my interpretation. I freely admit that.”

Cohn was also no fan of Barry Bonds. He described a scene in the Giants clubhouse where reporters were crowded around Bonds’ locker and, without saying a word, Bonds used a bat to herd them away and make a path for himself.

“His meaning was clear,” writes Cohn. “We were cows or goats or pigs, four-legged subhuman, and we didn’t deserve the rudimentary politeness and consideration you would accord a human being.”

Cohn writes about Michael Jordan’s last game in Oakland during his final farewell tour and how Jordan refused to do an interview after the game in the interview room, instead forcing a horde of reporters to gather around his locker. Then Jordan proceeded to give the interview in practically a whisper, making it impossible for the majority of the reporters to capture his words.

Cohn writes, “And I looked at Jordan and thought so much of this man is image, packaged, made up. Sure, he may be a good person to those close to him. How would I know? But he isn’t acting like a good person now. He’s being mean for no reason. To exert power. To disappoint people who came to celebrate him. Why would anyone do that?”

Cohn mentions many local and national sports figures he did like: Bill Walsh, Steve Young, Vida Blue, Dusty Baker, Floyd Patterson, Jim Harbaugh.

At least in some cases, the feeling was mutual. Young wrote the foreword to the book, stating, “But in the end, we were better because of Lowell. There’s always a need for a voice like that. It’s important. Nothing is worse than internal marketing… It’s when we’re telling each other that we’re all great and everything is fine. That didn’t happen with Lowell. As a truth seeker, he wouldn’t allow it.”

Harbaugh wrote in the afterword, “You are a man I truly respect because of your principles and convictions. Your passion and work ethic are at the highest level, your sense of humor and dry wit were appreciated.”

All those characteristics are in full display in this book and, like him or hate him, readers will be fascinated as Cohn shares his insights into people like Reggie Jackson, Tim Lincecum, Baron Davis, Al Davis, Bruce Bochy, Billy Martin, Billy Beane, Randy Moss, Steve Mariucci and many others.

Cohn lives up to his own standard: NOT boring.

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter'', where this article first appeared. He is the author of'' [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Newspapers]][[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]][[category:Famous characters]]

My Lunch with Bob Knepper

2025-09-29T18:47:47Z

MattSieger: I got to have lunch with San Francisco Giant pitcher Bob Knepper.

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Knepper,B-093.jpg]]''Bob Knepper pitching for the Giants in 1980''

Bob Knepper pitched in the majors from 1976-1990 for the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros. His best year was 1978 for the Giants when he won 17 games and posted a 2.63 ERA. He might have had an even better year in 1981 for Houston, but the season was shortened because of the baseball strike. He went 9-5 with a 2.18 ERA.

1978 was significant for Knepper and the Giants in another way. Early in that season he became a born-again Christian. He and several other Jesus followers (there were as many as ten) on the team began to thank God in post-game interviews for the ability he had given them. The press raised no objection, as the team was winning, in first place as late as mid-August before a September swoon landed them in third place behind the Dodgers and Reds.

But in 1979, when the Giants’ fortunes faded on the field, the local media began to blame the Christians on the team, claiming their faith had made them passive. The press derisively referred to the born-again believers as the “God Squad.”

Knepper bore the brunt of the criticism, as he was famously accused of telling manager Dave Bristol it was “God’s will” after giving up a home run to lose a game. Knepper vehemently denied saying it, and Bristol also said it never happened. But that didn’t keep the false story from spreading nationally

Other myths also spread, such as the claim that the Giants had two buses to bring players to the ballpark – one for the God Squadders and another for the other players.

A couple of years ago, having retired from writing sports for the Vacaville (CA) Reporter, I had the urge to write a book. Back in the God Squad days, having also become a born-again believer in 1978 and living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I had read columns in the San Francisco Chronicle by Lowell Cohn and Glenn Dickey taking pot shots at the God Squadders.

In early 1983 I had interviewed Giants’ pitcher Gary Lavelle, who had led Knepper to faith in Jesus. I wrote an article about Lavelle for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes magazine, and then suggested that we collaborate on a book about the God Squad. He was interested, but we soon realized that neither of us had the time to devote to the project.

So, 40 years later, I wondered if Lavelle and Knepper and some of the God Squadder were still around and would help me in writing the book. Sure enough, Lavelle let me interview him. Knepper was gun shy after the bad press he had received about his faith. But he eventually came to trust me and answered my questions via email. Some of the other God Squadders were either difficult to contact or declined to be interviewed, perhaps for the same reason Knepper had been hesitant.

In any case, with the help of newspaper archives, I was able to complete the book, The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978, published in November 2023. After Knepper read my book, he wrote a review on Amazon which stated, in part, “Finally a writer who cared enough about the truth to do the research needed to disprove the many fallacies, lies, and unsubstantiated rumors.”

Knepper was so appreciative of how I had handled the God Squad story that he phoned to thank me and we talked at length.

Recently he let me know that he and his wife, Terri, would be visiting their hometown of Calistoga, California, a little over an hour away from where I live in Martinez, and invited me to lunch. So a few days ago I made the beautiful drive through the wine country and met them at a nice little restaurant, where we sat at the outdoor patio and talked – for five hours.

Bob is such a down-to-earth guy, one who never let fame go to his head. I found it fascinating when he talked about ballplayers, legends to me, as just people. For example, when he played with Nolan Ryan in Houston, Ryan, who raised cattle, sold some to Knepper when Bob decided to buy a ranch in Oregon.

He said his favorite team to pitch against was the Cincinnati Reds, the famed Big Red Machine, because he said all of those guys could not only hit, but just loved the game of baseball and their enthusiasm was palpable.

He told me that he never questioned any calls by an umpire his entire career, explaining that he had nine innings to win a game, and a couple of questionable ball or strike calls were never the reason he lost a game.

But one time he just missed throwing the ball on the outside corner of the plate, and chided himself on the mound. The umpire, wrongly thinking Bob was complaining about the call, stepped out in front of the plate and screamed at Bob. Bob never got to tell him that he was mad at himself, not the umpire. He is thinking of writing a letter to the ump to explain, all these years later.

Speaking of having nine innings to win a game, Bob bemoans the fact that today’s strategy is to have the pitcher throw as hard as he can for five innings and then replace him. Not only is that resulting in injuries to so many pitchers, but Bob is sad that they will never get to enjoy the thrill of pitching a complete game. He said in late August1989, the Giants pitching staff was in shambles. Knepper started a game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. As the game wore on, each inning manager Roger Craig asked Knepper, “Can you give me one more?” And Knepper did, completing a nine-inning shutout victory. As Knepper noted, today’s managers would never do that.

We probably could have talked for another five hours. A very memorable afternoon.

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]][[category:2020s]]

Lowell Cohn is Never Boring

2025-09-29T18:36:43Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger, February 27, 2021''

Bay Area sports fans either loved Lowell Cohn or hated him.

The now-retired sports columnist for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and the ''Santa Rosa Press Democrat'' had a way with words. Those words could inflame readers but always kept their attention. Whether or not you agreed with Cohn, you had to admire his style, wit, courage and ability to peel back the layers of his subject and get to the heart of the matter.

[[File:Gloves Off.jpg|thumb]]

In his appropriately titled, recently published memoir, ''Gloves Off: 40 Years of Unfiltered Sports Writing'', Cohn doesn’t just publish his previous columns. Instead, he gives us 64 short, highly readable chapters on the many Bay Area sports personalities he covered as well as insights into his craft.

He states, “Writing a column, writing anything, means the writer is not allowed to be boring. Not for a single paragraph or sentence or clause. Not even for a word. How a writer achieves this not is the writer’s primary business and challenge and joy. Writing lives on the not.”

No one would ever accuse Cohn of being boring. He riled up many an athlete and reader. But he always made his reasoning clear.

Cohn was also so effective because of his objectivity. He was not a fan of any team or athlete.

“When people understood that I didn’t care if a local team won,” he writes, “they would ask why I wrote sports. What was the point? And I said I liked to write about sports, understood that world, simple as that… and I loved bringing up a subject to start a discussion or an argument among readers.”

Cohn admits that his chief love, even above sports, is writing.

“When people ask what I like about my job, I say the writing,” he states. “They are always disappointed, want me to say I’m in love with sports. I am in love with sports, but I love writing more. I could write about a glass of water if it came to that.”

[[File:Lowell Cohn.jpg]]

'''Lowell Cohn '''

''Photo courtesy of KNBR''

Cohn will probably offend some more readers and athletes in this book. He is not a fan of Colin Kaepernick, for example. He writes: “Disclaimer: My view of Kaepernick may be skewed because I know him and don’t like him.”

Cohn goes on to say, “Simple question for Colin Kaepernick, a mere two-word sentence: Why then? He had been a mixed-race person all his life facing things a mixed-race person faces and, all of a sudden, six years into his NFL career it dawned on him that there are monstrous injustices in the American system.”

Cohn’s conclusion: “He dissed the anthem because he wanted attention. Strictly my interpretation. I freely admit that.”

Cohn was also no fan of Barry Bonds. He described a scene in the Giants clubhouse where reporters were crowded around Bonds’ locker and, without saying a word, Bonds used a bat to herd them away and make a path for himself.

“His meaning was clear,” writes Cohn. “We were cows or goats or pigs, four-legged subhuman, and we didn’t deserve the rudimentary politeness and consideration you would accord a human being.”

Cohn writes about Michael Jordan’s last game in Oakland during his final farewell tour and how Jordan refused to do an interview after the game in the interview room, instead forcing a horde of reporters to gather around his locker. Then Jordan proceeded to give the interview in practically a whisper, making it impossible for the majority of the reporters to capture his words.

Cohn writes, “And I looked at Jordan and thought so much of this man is image, packaged, made up. Sure, he may be a good person to those close to him. How would I know? But he isn’t acting like a good person now. He’s being mean for no reason. To exert power. To disappoint people who came to celebrate him. Why would anyone do that?”

Cohn mentions many local and national sports figures he did like: Bill Walsh, Steve Young, Vida Blue, Dusty Baker, Floyd Patterson, Jim Harbaugh.

At least in some cases, the feeling was mutual. Young wrote the foreword to the book, stating, “But in the end, we were better because of Lowell. There’s always a need for a voice like that. It’s important. Nothing is worse than internal marketing… It’s when we’re telling each other that we’re all great and everything is fine. That didn’t happen with Lowell. As a truth seeker, he wouldn’t allow it.”

Harbaugh wrote in the afterword, “You are a man I truly respect because of your principles and convictions. Your passion and work ethic are at the highest level, your sense of humor and dry wit were appreciated.”

All those characteristics are in full display in this book and, like him or hate him, readers will be fascinated as Cohn shares his insights into people like Reggie Jackson, Tim Lincecum, Baron Davis, Al Davis, Bruce Bochy, Billy Martin, Billy Beane, Randy Moss, Steve Mariucci and many others.

Cohn lives up to his own standard: NOT boring.

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter'', where this article first appeared. He is the author of'' [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]][[category:Famous characters]]

Lowell Cohn is Never Boring

2025-09-29T18:36:07Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger, February 27, 2021''

Bay Area sports fans either loved Lowell Cohn or hated him.

The now-retired sports columnist for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and the ''Santa Rosa Press Democrat'' had a way with words. Those words could inflame readers but always kept their attention. Whether or not you agreed with Cohn, you had to admire his style, wit, courage and ability to peel back the layers of his subject and get to the heart of the matter.

[[File:Gloves Off.jpg|thumb]]

In his appropriately titled, recently published memoir, ''Gloves Off: 40 Years of Unfiltered Sports Writing'', Cohn doesn’t just publish his previous columns. Instead, he gives us 64 short, highly readable chapters on the many Bay Area sports personalities he covered as well as insights into his craft.

He states, “Writing a column, writing anything, means the writer is not allowed to be boring. Not for a single paragraph or sentence or clause. Not even for a word. How a writer achieves this not is the writer’s primary business and challenge and joy. Writing lives on the not.”

No one would ever accuse Cohn of being boring. He riled up many an athlete and reader. But he always made his reasoning clear.

Cohn was also so effective because of his objectivity. He was not a fan of any team or athlete.

“When people understood that I didn’t care if a local team won,” he writes, “they would ask why I wrote sports. What was the point? And I said I liked to write about sports, understood that world, simple as that… and I loved bringing up a subject to start a discussion or an argument among readers.”

Cohn admits that his chief love, even above sports, is writing.

“When people ask what I like about my job, I say the writing,” he states. “They are always disappointed, want me to say I’m in love with sports. I am in love with sports, but I love writing more. I could write about a glass of water if it came to that.”

[[File:Lowell Cohn.jpg]]

'''Lowell Cohn '''

''Photo courtesy of KNBR''

Cohn will probably offend some more readers and athletes in this book. He is not a fan of Colin Kaepernick, for example. He writes: “Disclaimer: My view of Kaepernick may be skewed because I know him and don’t like him.”

Cohn goes on to say, “Simple question for Colin Kaepernick, a mere two-word sentence: Why then? He had been a mixed-race person all his life facing things a mixed-race person faces and, all of a sudden, six years into his NFL career it dawned on him that there are monstrous injustices in the American system.”

Cohn’s conclusion: “He dissed the anthem because he wanted attention. Strictly my interpretation. I freely admit that.”

Cohn was also no fan of Barry Bonds. He described a scene in the Giants clubhouse where reporters were crowded around Bonds’ locker and, without saying a word, Bonds used a bat to herd them away and make a path for himself.

“His meaning was clear,” writes Cohn. “We were cows or goats or pigs, four-legged subhuman, and we didn’t deserve the rudimentary politeness and consideration you would accord a human being.”

Cohn writes about Michael Jordan’s last game in Oakland during his final farewell tour and how Jordan refused to do an interview after the game in the interview room, instead forcing a horde of reporters to gather around his locker. Then Jordan proceeded to give the interview in practically a whisper, making it impossible for the majority of the reporters to capture his words.

Cohn writes, “And I looked at Jordan and thought so much of this man is image, packaged, made up. Sure, he may be a good person to those close to him. How would I know? But he isn’t acting like a good person now. He’s being mean for no reason. To exert power. To disappoint people who came to celebrate him. Why would anyone do that?”

Cohn mentions many local and national sports figures he did like: Bill Walsh, Steve Young, Vida Blue, Dusty Baker, Floyd Patterson, Jim Harbaugh.

At least in some cases, the feeling was mutual. Young wrote the foreword to the book, stating, “But in the end, we were better because of Lowell. There’s always a need for a voice like that. It’s important. Nothing is worse than internal marketing… It’s when we’re telling each other that we’re all great and everything is fine. That didn’t happen with Lowell. As a truth seeker, he wouldn’t allow it.”

Harbaugh wrote in the afterword, “You are a man I truly respect because of your principles and convictions. Your passion and work ethic are at the highest level, your sense of humor and dry wit were appreciated.”

All those characteristics are in full display in this book and, like him or hate him, readers will be fascinated as Cohn shares his insights into people like Reggie Jackson, Tim Lincecum, Baron Davis, Al Davis, Bruce Bochy, Billy Martin, Billy Beane, Randy Moss, Steve Mariucci and many others.

Cohn lives up to his own standard: NOT boring.

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter'', where this article first appeared. He is the author of'' [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]][[category:Famous characters]]

Barry Zito and the Curveballs of Life

2025-09-29T18:27:10Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Barry Zito.jpg|Barry Zito.jpg]]''Barry Zito's big contract finally paid off in the 2012 World Series.''

If you ever doubted that your mental, emotional, and spiritual state affect the physical, you need to read Barry Zito’s autobiography, Curveball. While that connection is played out on a big stage for all to see—the major league baseball diamond—the book sheds light on the inner demons that drive us all, and the remedy.

Zito had two strikes against him, so to speak. His father, Joseph, driven by a sense of shame at having been born via an incestuous relationship, needed to prove his value and worth to the outside world. Appearance was everything to Joseph, and Barry, who he invested countless hours in to perfect his baseball ability, became his trophy.

Barry’s mother, Roberta, was raised in a religious science cult with New Age underpinnings which taught that through positive affirmations you could achieve anything through your own power, becoming, it said, “a unique individual Christ after the example of Jesus.” In other words, becoming your own God.

Those parental influences brought him initial success as he quickly climbed the baseball ladder, winning the Cy Young Award with the Oakland A’s in 2002 at the age of 24 with a record of 23-5 and a 2.75 ERA.

But that success just produced pressure to win more Cy Young Awards. He wilted under the burden and struggled in succeeding seasons with the A’s. However, when he became a free agent prior to the 2007 season, his resume was good enough to attract many bidders, including the San Francisco Giants, with whom he signed a seven-year contract for $126 million, at that time the biggest deal ever offered a pitcher.

But, now with a new team to which he felt he had to prove himself, surrounded by teammates who were generally making far less, the pressure increased, and his performance suffered accordingly. He went 11-13 with a 4.53 ERA in 2007, but 2008 was even worse. By June 25, he was 2-11 with a 6.32 ERA. All the positive affirmations were not working. The hometown fans booed him even when he was standing in the outfield shagging batting practice. He ended the season 10-17 with a 5.15 ERA.

Zito improved slightly in 2009 but still had a losing record, 10-13, with an ERA over 4.

He reached the nadir in 2010. After pitching great the first six weeks, he began to focus again on trying to please everyone through his performance, which cratered. He only won three of his next 26 games, losing 13 of them, finishing the season with a 9-14 record and a 4.15 ERA.

The Giants made the playoffs, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy told Zito he was leaving him off the post-season roster. Bochy invited him to accompany the team, but only if he wanted to. Commendably, Zito decided to stick with the team. But he thought of quitting after the season. He called his dad and told him, “I’m thinking about quitting baseball. But first, I need to know: If I do, would you still love me, Dad.”

As Zito describes the moment, “With one simple question, I was forcing my father’s hand. Was my well-being really his greatest concern? Or was there some darker, selfish motive driving him to be my personal coach and fiercely dedicated career manager over the last 25 years?”

His dad responded, “Well, Barry, that would not be a wise business decision. But of course, I’d still love you.” As Barry wrote, “The fact that Dad had led his answer with baseball and business instead of his love for me as his son said it all.”

Zito makes a startling admission in the book. He was rooting for the Giants to lose in the post-season so that his teammates and the fans would realize they should have kept him on the roster. As he wrote, “I was beginning to get an unfiltered glimpse of my own heart for the first time—and I did not like what I saw.”

He quotes this verse from the Old Testament: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

That off-season, recognizing how much he needed the approval of others, he enrolled in a Codependency Anonymous group, which helped him to understand his need for a higher power. He was also impressed at how his girlfriend, Amber, prayed to God in a personal rather than ritualistic manner. In early 2011 he began to attend church with her and was impacted by the pastor’s messages. At one point, Amber walked into his home and saw Barry surrounded by self-help books, trying to glean knowledge from them all at once. She told him to lock all those books up and start reading just one—the Bible.

Barry took her advice and also attended his team’s Baseball Chapel meetings, where he confided in chaplain Jeff Iorg and asked many questions about Christianity. In August 2011 he prayed with Iorg and received Jesus into his heart and life.

This new relationship with God removed all the pressure to perform. He calls his new mindset his “bubble of control,” stating, “Once the ball left my hand, I had done all I could do and the rest was up to God.”

With that “bubble of control,” Zito saved the Giants in the 2012 post-season with a do-or-die eight-inning scoreless stint in a 5-0 win over the Cardinals, then defeated Justin Verlander and the Tigers in the first game of the World Series, which the Giants swept.

The fans, who had been so hostile, now showered him with love during the Giants’ celebratory parade. But what meant more to him were letters from fans expressing their appreciation for the character he displayed in handling his demotion prior to the 2010 playoffs. He and his dad also developed a warmer, loving relationship.

This is a heartfelt and fascinating inside look at how a great baseball player came to a place of peace in his life.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]]

Barry Zito and the Curveballs of Life

2025-09-29T18:23:24Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Barry Zito.jpg|thumb|Barry Zito's big contract finally paid off in the 2012 World Series.]]

If you ever doubted that your mental, emotional, and spiritual state affect the physical, you need to read Barry Zito’s autobiography, Curveball. While that connection is played out on a big stage for all to see—the major league baseball diamond—the book sheds light on the inner demons that drive us all, and the remedy.

Zito had two strikes against him, so to speak. His father, Joseph, driven by a sense of shame at having been born via an incestuous relationship, needed to prove his value and worth to the outside world. Appearance was everything to Joseph, and Barry, who he invested countless hours in to perfect his baseball ability, became his trophy.

Barry’s mother, Roberta, was raised in a religious science cult with New Age underpinnings which taught that through positive affirmations you could achieve anything through your own power, becoming, it said, “a unique individual Christ after the example of Jesus.” In other words, becoming your own God.

Those parental influences brought him initial success as he quickly climbed the baseball ladder, winning the Cy Young Award with the Oakland A’s in 2002 at the age of 24 with a record of 23-5 and a 2.75 ERA.

But that success just produced pressure to win more Cy Young Awards. He wilted under the burden and struggled in succeeding seasons with the A’s. However, when he became a free agent prior to the 2007 season, his resume was good enough to attract many bidders, including the San Francisco Giants, with whom he signed a seven-year contract for $126 million, at that time the biggest deal ever offered a pitcher.

But, now with a new team to which he felt he had to prove himself, surrounded by teammates who were generally making far less, the pressure increased, and his performance suffered accordingly. He went 11-13 with a 4.53 ERA in 2007, but 2008 was even worse. By June 25, he was 2-11 with a 6.32 ERA. All the positive affirmations were not working. The hometown fans booed him even when he was standing in the outfield shagging batting practice. He ended the season 10-17 with a 5.15 ERA.

Zito improved slightly in 2009 but still had a losing record, 10-13, with an ERA over 4.

He reached the nadir in 2010. After pitching great the first six weeks, he began to focus again on trying to please everyone through his performance, which cratered. He only won three of his next 26 games, losing 13 of them, finishing the season with a 9-14 record and a 4.15 ERA.

The Giants made the playoffs, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy told Zito he was leaving him off the post-season roster. Bochy invited him to accompany the team, but only if he wanted to. Commendably, Zito decided to stick with the team. But he thought of quitting after the season. He called his dad and told him, “I’m thinking about quitting baseball. But first, I need to know: If I do, would you still love me, Dad.”

As Zito describes the moment, “With one simple question, I was forcing my father’s hand. Was my well-being really his greatest concern? Or was there some darker, selfish motive driving him to be my personal coach and fiercely dedicated career manager over the last 25 years?”

His dad responded, “Well, Barry, that would not be a wise business decision. But of course, I’d still love you.” As Barry wrote, “The fact that Dad had led his answer with baseball and business instead of his love for me as his son said it all.”

Zito makes a startling admission in the book. He was rooting for the Giants to lose in the post-season so that his teammates and the fans would realize they should have kept him on the roster. As he wrote, “I was beginning to get an unfiltered glimpse of my own heart for the first time—and I did not like what I saw.”

He quotes this verse from the Old Testament: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

That off-season, recognizing how much he needed the approval of others, he enrolled in a Codependency Anonymous group, which helped him to understand his need for a higher power. He was also impressed at how his girlfriend, Amber, prayed to God in a personal rather than ritualistic manner. In early 2011 he began to attend church with her and was impacted by the pastor’s messages. At one point, Amber walked into his home and saw Barry surrounded by self-help books, trying to glean knowledge from them all at once. She told him to lock all those books up and start reading just one—the Bible.

Barry took her advice and also attended his team’s Baseball Chapel meetings, where he confided in chaplain Jeff Iorg and asked many questions about Christianity. In August 2011 he prayed with Iorg and received Jesus into his heart and life.

This new relationship with God removed all the pressure to perform. He calls his new mindset his “bubble of control,” stating, “Once the ball left my hand, I had done all I could do and the rest was up to God.”

With that “bubble of control,” Zito saved the Giants in the 2012 post-season with a do-or-die eight-inning scoreless stint in a 5-0 win over the Cardinals, then defeated Justin Verlander and the Tigers in the first game of the World Series, which the Giants swept.

The fans, who had been so hostile, now showered him with love during the Giants’ celebratory parade. But what meant more to him were letters from fans expressing their appreciation for the character he displayed in handling his demotion prior to the 2010 playoffs. He and his dad also developed a warmer, loving relationship.

This is a heartfelt and fascinating inside look at how a great baseball player came to a place of peace in his life.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]]

Barry Zito and the Curveballs of Life

2025-09-29T18:22:50Z

MattSieger: Barry Zito learned to control his emotions as effectively as his curveball

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Barry Zito.jpg|thumb|Barry Zito's big contract finally paid off in the 2012 World Series]]

If you ever doubted that your mental, emotional, and spiritual state affect the physical, you need to read Barry Zito’s autobiography, Curveball. While that connection is played out on a big stage for all to see—the major league baseball diamond—the book sheds light on the inner demons that drive us all, and the remedy.

Zito had two strikes against him, so to speak. His father, Joseph, driven by a sense of shame at having been born via an incestuous relationship, needed to prove his value and worth to the outside world. Appearance was everything to Joseph, and Barry, who he invested countless hours in to perfect his baseball ability, became his trophy.

Barry’s mother, Roberta, was raised in a religious science cult with New Age underpinnings which taught that through positive affirmations you could achieve anything through your own power, becoming, it said, “a unique individual Christ after the example of Jesus.” In other words, becoming your own God.

Those parental influences brought him initial success as he quickly climbed the baseball ladder, winning the Cy Young Award with the Oakland A’s in 2002 at the age of 24 with a record of 23-5 and a 2.75 ERA.

But that success just produced pressure to win more Cy Young Awards. He wilted under the burden and struggled in succeeding seasons with the A’s. However, when he became a free agent prior to the 2007 season, his resume was good enough to attract many bidders, including the San Francisco Giants, with whom he signed a seven-year contract for $126 million, at that time the biggest deal ever offered a pitcher.

But, now with a new team to which he felt he had to prove himself, surrounded by teammates who were generally making far less, the pressure increased, and his performance suffered accordingly. He went 11-13 with a 4.53 ERA in 2007, but 2008 was even worse. By June 25, he was 2-11 with a 6.32 ERA. All the positive affirmations were not working. The hometown fans booed him even when he was standing in the outfield shagging batting practice. He ended the season 10-17 with a 5.15 ERA.

Zito improved slightly in 2009 but still had a losing record, 10-13, with an ERA over 4.

He reached the nadir in 2010. After pitching great the first six weeks, he began to focus again on trying to please everyone through his performance, which cratered. He only won three of his next 26 games, losing 13 of them, finishing the season with a 9-14 record and a 4.15 ERA.

The Giants made the playoffs, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy told Zito he was leaving him off the post-season roster. Bochy invited him to accompany the team, but only if he wanted to. Commendably, Zito decided to stick with the team. But he thought of quitting after the season. He called his dad and told him, “I’m thinking about quitting baseball. But first, I need to know: If I do, would you still love me, Dad.”

As Zito describes the moment, “With one simple question, I was forcing my father’s hand. Was my well-being really his greatest concern? Or was there some darker, selfish motive driving him to be my personal coach and fiercely dedicated career manager over the last 25 years?”

His dad responded, “Well, Barry, that would not be a wise business decision. But of course, I’d still love you.” As Barry wrote, “The fact that Dad had led his answer with baseball and business instead of his love for me as his son said it all.”

Zito makes a startling admission in the book. He was rooting for the Giants to lose in the post-season so that his teammates and the fans would realize they should have kept him on the roster. As he wrote, “I was beginning to get an unfiltered glimpse of my own heart for the first time—and I did not like what I saw.”

He quotes this verse from the Old Testament: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

That off-season, recognizing how much he needed the approval of others, he enrolled in a Codependency Anonymous group, which helped him to understand his need for a higher power. He was also impressed at how his girlfriend, Amber, prayed to God in a personal rather than ritualistic manner. In early 2011 he began to attend church with her and was impacted by the pastor’s messages. At one point, Amber walked into his home and saw Barry surrounded by self-help books, trying to glean knowledge from them all at once. She told him to lock all those books up and start reading just one—the Bible.

Barry took her advice and also attended his team’s Baseball Chapel meetings, where he confided in chaplain Jeff Iorg and asked many questions about Christianity. In August 2011 he prayed with Iorg and received Jesus into his heart and life.

This new relationship with God removed all the pressure to perform. He calls his new mindset his “bubble of control,” stating, “Once the ball left my hand, I had done all I could do and the rest was up to God.”

With that “bubble of control,” Zito saved the Giants in the 2012 post-season with a do-or-die eight-inning scoreless stint in a 5-0 win over the Cardinals, then defeated Justin Verlander and the Tigers in the first game of the World Series, which the Giants swept.

The fans, who had been so hostile, now showered him with love during the Giants’ celebratory parade. But what meant more to him were letters from fans expressing their appreciation for the character he displayed in handling his demotion prior to the 2010 playoffs. He and his dad also developed a warmer, loving relationship.

This is a heartfelt and fascinating inside look at how a great baseball player came to a place of peace in his life.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:2000s]] [[category:2010s]]

File:Barry Zito.jpg

2025-09-29T18:18:42Z

MattSieger:

Barry Zito pitching for the San Francisco Giants

Candlestick Park and the Great Grass or Turf Debate

2025-09-05T19:26:17Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Lemaster,J-021.jpg|thumb|Johnnie LeMaster]]

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

True confession: It’s been almost two years since I wrote my book, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079 The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978], and I just found out that they played on artificial turf that season.

Like many major league teams in the 1970s and 1980s, the Giants experimented with AstroTurf from 1970-78. It wouldn’t have changed anything I wrote in the book. I did quote Duane Kuiper, the second baseman who formed a double-play combination with shortstop Johnnie LeMaster from 1982-84 as saying, “We clearly played on the worst infield in baseball. We were never allowed to use that as an excuse, but the wind would tear up the infield and it would dry out.”

AstroTurf actually helped LeMaster in his first major league at bat with the Giants on September 2, 1975, at Candlestick. LeMaster recalled, “I got up there and Don Sutton was pitching. The first pitch he throws me was a big curve and I had no chance of hitting it. Some fan in the stands yells, ‘Hey kid, this is the big leagues!’ The next pitch was the same, and I swung and missed again. The same fan yells out the same thing, and I’m thinking to myself, no kidding, I’ve never seen a pitch like that. But, the next pitch was a fastball and I hit a line drive up the middle. It hit a seam on the field and the ball jumped over the center fielder’s head. I started running like crazy and I got a standup inside-the-park home run. I thought, man—this is easy!”

Houston’s Astrodome was the first stadium to use artificial turf in 1966. The stadium, which opened in 1965, first had grass. The building’s roof was made up of over 4,000 Lucite panels to let in the sun. But the panels caused so much glare during practices in the spring that players had trouble catching pop flies. So the Astros painted the outside of the dome off-white, which caused the grass to die. The Astros played the last few weeks of the 1965 season on spray-painted dirt.

Proponents of artificial turf touted these benefits: ease of maintenance, simpler conversion from baseball to football or vice-versa, better drainage, and fewer injuries.

Football was the main reason for the spread of artificial surfaces, as many of the new stadiums being built in the late 1960s and early 1970s were multipurpose. Baseball didn’t have much say in the matter.

The Chicago White Sox were the second major league team to switch from grass, installing a synthetic infield in 1969, hoping it would lead to higher-scoring games. In 1970, not only were all new parks being built with artificial surfaces, but existing parks were replacing their natural grass. The first outdoor National League game on turf was at Candlestick on April 7, 1970, the Astros defeating the Giants, 8-5.

Not everyone at Candlestick was a fan of the synthetic surface. One groundskeeper said, “This modern age, you know, everything seems to be going on the phony side, so I guess we gotta go along with the times. And not seeing grass grow out here anymore and not having to cut anything, I think I’m gonna be kind of lonesome.”

The artificial turf craze reached its peak in both 1977 and 1982, when ten of the twenty-six major league stadiums employed it.

The first World Series played exclusively on artificial turf was in 1980 between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Kansas City Royals. Not all players were synthetic fans.

Kansas City outfielder Amos Otis said, “On artificial turf the ball takes crazy high bounces. On natural grass it takes natural bounces.”

Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa observed, “You tend to get a little lazy on this stuff [artificial turf]. It’s so quick, you lay back and wait for the ball to come to you.”

As Ross Atkin wrote in the Christian Science Monitor, “The new fields have practically revolutionized the game, turning what might be routine grounders on grass into base hits.”

But the worm began to turn. As difficult it was to field on Candlestick’s wind-battered, dried-up natural infield, it wasn’t any picnic on the Giants’ AstroTurf either. The artificial surface at Candlestick, which hosted the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Giants, was considered the hardest surface to play on in the NFL. The under-padding deteriorated to the extent that there was zero resilience, and the playing surface became as hard as a rock. The surface became matted when the plastic “grass” blades broke down in sunlight. The seams split apart, causing a safety hazard. The wet, damp weather resulted in poor traction, causing players to slip.

In 1979, Candlestick’s 130,000 square feet of deteriorated synthetic turf was ripped up and replaced by natural grass at a cost of $868,000. The Giants wanted to keep the AstroTurf, but the 49ers won the day. By that time, the turfgrass industry, shocked by the inroads artificial turf had made, had developed new and better ways to construct good natural grass fields.

As Mark Armour wrote, “Within a few years, the new turfs (and the symmetrical concrete stadiums that housed them) were no longer looked upon as progress, but as a sign that the modern world had gone seriously awry. Dick Allen, future horse breeder, remarked, ‘If horses can't eat it, I don't want to play on it.’ Though his wit was typically unique, his sentiments were carrying the day.”

Like Candlestick, Chicago’s Comiskey Park (1976), Kansas City’s Kaufmann Stadium (1995), St. Louis’s Busch Stadium (1996), and Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field (2001) reverted to grass.

Artificial turf is best suited for domed stadiums. Five of those today use synthetic turf: Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays), Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays), Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), and loanDepot Park (Miami Marlins).

So what’s better: grass or turf? When asked his preference, former Mets and Phillies pitcher Tug McGraw replied, “I dunno. I never smoked any AstroTurf.”

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''.

[[category:Baseball]][[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

Candlestick Park and the Great Grass or Turf Debate

2025-09-05T19:24:22Z

MattSieger: Candlestick Park dallied with AstroTurf in the 1970s before reverting to grass

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Lemaster,J-021.jpg|thumb|Johnnie LeMaster]]

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

True confession: It’s been almost two years since I wrote my book, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079 The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978], and I just found out that they played on artificial turf that season.

Like many major league teams in the 1970s and 1980s, the Giants experimented with AstroTurf from 1970-78. It wouldn’t have changed anything I wrote in the book. I did quote Duane Kuiper, the second baseman who formed a double-play combination with shortstop Johnnie LeMaster from 1982-84 as saying, “We clearly played on the worst infield in baseball. We were never allowed to use that as an excuse, but the wind would tear up the infield and it would dry out.”

AstroTurf actually helped LeMaster in his first major league at bat with the Giants on September 2, 1975, at Candlestick. LeMaster recalled, “I got up there and Don Sutton was pitching. The first pitch he throws me was a big curve and I had no chance of hitting it. Some fan in the stands yells, ‘Hey kid, this is the big leagues!’ The next pitch was the same, and I swung and missed again. The same fan yells out the same thing, and I’m thinking to myself, no kidding, I’ve never seen a pitch like that. But, the next pitch was a fastball and I hit a line drive up the middle. It hit a seam on the field and the ball jumped over the center fielder’s head. I started running like crazy and I got a standup inside-the-park home run. I thought, man—this is easy!”

Houston’s Astrodome was the first stadium to use artificial turf in 1966. The stadium, which opened in 1965, first had grass. The building’s roof was made up of over 4,000 Lucite panels to let in the sun. But the panels caused so much glare during practices in the spring that players had trouble catching pop flies. So the Astros painted the outside of the dome off-white, which caused the grass to die. The Astros played the last few weeks of the 1965 season on spray-painted dirt.

Proponents of artificial turf touted these benefits: ease of maintenance, simpler conversion from baseball to football or vice-versa, better drainage, and fewer injuries.

Football was the main reason for the spread of artificial surfaces, as many of the new stadiums being built in the late 1960s and early 1970s were multipurpose. Baseball didn’t have much say in the matter.

The Chicago White Sox were the second major league team to switch from grass, installing a synthetic infield in 1969, hoping it would lead to higher-scoring games. In 1970, not only were all new parks being built with artificial surfaces, but existing parks were replacing their natural grass. The first outdoor National League game on turf was at Candlestick on April 7, 1970, the Astros defeating the Giants, 8-5.

Not everyone at Candlestick was a fan of the synthetic surface. One groundskeeper said, “This modern age, you know, everything seems to be going on the phony side, so I guess we gotta go along with the times. And not seeing grass grow out here anymore and not having to cut anything, I think I’m gonna be kind of lonesome.”

The artificial turf craze reached its peak in both 1977 and 1982, when ten of the twenty-six major league stadiums employed it.

The first World Series played exclusively on artificial turf was in 1980 between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Kansas City Royals. Not all players were synthetic fans.

Kansas City outfielder Amos Otis said, “On artificial turf the ball takes crazy high bounces. On natural grass it takes natural bounces.”

Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa observed, “You tend to get a little lazy on this stuff [artificial turf]. It’s so quick, you lay back and wait for the ball to come to you.”

As Ross Atkin wrote in the Christian Science Monitor, “The new fields have practically revolutionized the game, turning what might be routine grounders on grass into base hits.”

But the worm began to turn. As difficult it was to field on Candlestick’s wind-battered, dried-up natural infield, it wasn’t any picnic on the Giants’ AstroTurf either. The artificial surface at Candlestick, which hosted the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Giants, was considered the hardest surface to play on in the NFL. The under-padding deteriorated to the extent that there was zero resilience, and the playing surface became as hard as a rock. The surface became matted when the plastic “grass” blades broke down in sunlight. The seams split apart, causing a safety hazard. The wet, damp weather resulted in poor traction, causing players to slip.

In 1979, Candlestick’s 130,000 square feet of deteriorated synthetic turf was ripped up and replaced by natural grass at a cost of $868,000. The Giants wanted to keep the AstroTurf, but the 49ers won the day. By that time, the turfgrass industry, shocked by the inroads artificial turf had made, had developed new and better ways to construct good natural grass fields.

As Mark Armour wrote, “Within a few years, the new turfs (and the symmetrical concrete stadiums that housed them) were no longer looked upon as progress, but as a sign that the modern world had gone seriously awry. Dick Allen, future horse breeder, remarked, ‘If horses can't eat it, I don't want to play on it.’ Though his wit was typically unique, his sentiments were carrying the day.”

Like Candlestick, Chicago’s Comiskey Park (1976), Kansas City’s Kaufmann Stadium (1995), St. Louis’s Busch Stadium (1996), and Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field (2001) reverted to grass.

Artificial turf is best suited for domed stadiums. Five of those today use synthetic turf: Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays), Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays), Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), and loanDepot Park (Miami Marlins).

So what’s better: grass or turf? When asked his preference, former Mets and Phillies pitcher Tug McGraw replied, “I dunno. I never smoked any AstroTurf.”

File:Lemaster,J-021.jpg

2025-09-05T19:22:45Z

MattSieger:

LeMaster batting

File:Front cover.jpg

2025-07-11T01:45:57Z

MattSieger:

My book about the God Squad was 40 years in the making.

File:God Squad cover.jpg

2025-07-11T01:41:41Z

MattSieger:

My book about the God Squad was 40 years in the making.

Brett Butler: Leadoff Hitter Extraordinaire

2025-04-08T17:16:23Z

MattSieger: Brett Butler was an exceptional leadoff hitter for the San Francisco Giants.

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

''Brett Butler, who had a career .290 batting average, 2375 hits, and 558 stolen bases, is considered one of the best leadoff hitters of the 1980s and early 1990s. This is his story, as told to me at Candlestick Park in 1989 when he was a San Francisco Giant.
''

[[File:Butler.jpg]]

'''Brett Butler'''

''Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants''

I had just completed one of the best seasons of my baseball career. I scored over 100 runs, batted .311, stole 47 bases, and led all American League outfielders in fielding percentage.

So that winter at my home in Atlanta, I was relishing the off-season and looking forward to the year ahead. But on January 16, 1986, my baseball future almost came to a sudden end.

While I was playing racquetball, the ball smashed into my right eye, breaking my protective goggles. My eye hemorrhaged and my vision was impaired. For five days, I lay on my back in the hospital with patches over both eyes.

I knew my career might be over. But, being a Christian, I put everything in God’s hands. I told Him, “If it’s Your will for me to do something else, I’ll accept that.”

When the doctors removed the bandages, they were amazed. My injured eye had cleared up. God had healed me! It was a miracle.

I hadn’t always been so submissive to the will of God. Although I grew up attending a Christian church, it wasn’t until I was a sophomore in high school that I understood I needed to accept Jesus into my heart in order to go to heaven. That year, at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes conference, I received Christ as my personal Savior. But total dedication didn’t come until later.

After graduating high school, I played junior varsity baseball at Arizona State University. Then I transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where I was an All-American in my junior and senior years. In 1979, I was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and began my climb through their minor league organization.

I saw how God was directing my steps and turned to Him for help in various matters. I even cut out drinking and tried to stop swearing. But there was one area of my life that hadn't changed -- my relationship with women.

I enjoyed wining and dining, and if it led to anything, I figured that was all right. But then I'd feel bad. I'd feel guilty because the Lord was convicting me of the fact that I was wrong.

As I struggled with this weakness, I asked God to put a Christian woman in my life. So in 1982, in Richmond, Virginia, I met Eveline Balac, who had become a Christian just a few months earlier. Three days after we met, we knew we were getting married.

We were married that same year and the Lord solidified that aspect of my life. He dealt with the one weakness I couldn't give up by putting a Christian woman in my life. It's made my entire walk with God stronger.

The Lord has blessed us with four healthy children, and they're all gifts. For me it is essential to be with your family. The constant travel in baseball makes this tougher, but we try to keep the family as close together as possible.

In life we are faced with many tests and trials, and believe me, baseball players are not exempt. If you look at athletics as a whole, there's a lot of pressure. Some people turn to drugs, to drinking, to women, or whatever it may be.

Some people have a misconception about ballplayers who are Christians. They talk about us being passive. But if Jesus Christ was a ballplayer, He'd have been the best there is. Look at Orel Hershiser or other Christian athletes who play very, very hard. You can't tell me that these are passive individuals!

I've always tried to give it my very best in baseball. But, as I've discovered, even your best is no guarantee of job security. In 1983, my first full season with the Braves, I was the starting centerfielder and the lead-off man. I set an Atlanta single-season record with 39 stolen bases, led the Major Leagues with 13 triples, and got five hits in one game against Montreal.

But late that season I was traded to the Cleveland Indians. It was a tremendous shock to me, as I'd been with the Atlanta organization since 1979.

With God's help, I was able to let the past go and gave it my all for the Indians. In 1984, I became the first player in Cleveland history to steal more than 50 bases and score more than 100 runs in the same season. I had four solid years with the Indians, averaging 41 stolen bases a season and leading the Majors in triples again in 1986. But after the 1987 season, we couldn't agree on a contract. So I decided to become a free agent.

I try to let God direct my steps, so I just said, "Okay, Lord, wherever You want me to be." I never expected San Francisco.

But I really enjoy It with the Giants. I grew up across the Bay in Fremont, so it's almost like coming home. In my first season with the new club, I led the league in runs scored and the team in stolen bases.

So, even through the unexpected changes in my career, the Lord has blessed me unbelievably.

My career didn't end the day I was playing racquetball, but it might have. Being blind for five days is a very humbling experience, but it helped me to put life in perspective.

As it Is, I'm not going to be in baseball very much longer -- five or six years, maybe. And I don’t know what the future holds. All I can do it take it one day at a time and live the way God wants me to live. When the game is over, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

''This article first appeared in Full Gospel Business Men’s Voice, July 1989.''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

File:Butler.jpg

2025-04-08T17:09:04Z

MattSieger:

Brett Butler

Hall of Famer Gary Carter was once a San Francisco Giant

2025-04-04T23:54:30Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

''Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter passed away in 2012 at age 57 from brain cancer. My interview with him for this article took place in 1990 at Candlestick Park when he was a San Francisco Giant.''

[[File:Carter,G-011.jpg]]

'''Gary Carter'''

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

It was the 1986 World Series-the New York Mets versus the Boston Red Sox-and Gary Carter, catcher for the Mets, played a key role. In game four, he hit two home runs to tie the Series at two games each. But his biggest contribution came in the tenth inning of game six in one of the most exciting comebacks in World Series history.

The Mets trailed in the Series, three games to two. They were losing 5-3 as they batted in the last of the tenth. With two outs and nobody on base, Carter came to the plate. The Red Sox were one out away from winning the World Series.

"I felt that God was going to bat with me," Carter said of that moment "I felt so confident."

He lined a base hit into left field. The next two Mets also got hits. Then, after a passed ball allowed the tying run to score, Mookie Wilson hit a ground ball that went through the legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, giving the Mets a 6-5 victory. New York went on to win game seven and become the World Series champions.

During the post-game celebration in the Mets clubhouse, Bob Costas of NBC called Carter to the microphone for an interview.

"They had me up on the platform," Carter remembers, "and he ICostas] said, 'Well, Gary, what do you think about all this?' And I said, 'Well, first of all, I want to give all the glory and praise to Jesus.' "

Carter's remark caught Costas off guard and probably surprised many in the national television audience as well.

But this 11-time All-Star catcher has never held back; he is quick to give the credit for his success on the ball field and in life to his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

From 1990-2021, Carter held the National League for most games caught. Twice named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star game, he also won the Gold Glove award three times.
Nicknamed "The Kid" for his enthusiasm for the game of baseball, Carter is seldom at a loss for words. He is also rarely too busy to sign an autograph or to talk with a young fan.

Carter lost his mother to leukemia when he was 12 years old and said he will always have a place in his heart for any child who has lost a parent His faith in God actually arose out of the doubts that he experienced after his mother's death.

"We were a church-going family," Carter said, "and we had known the Lord as a loving God. I didn't understand why the Lord would take someone away as dear as Mom at age 37, who was loved by her family. Why would this tragedy happen?”

With these questions in the back of his mind, Carter immersed himself in sports during his teenage years. He was captain of the baseball, basketball 'and football teams as a junior and senior at Sunny Hills High in Fullerton, California. He also excelled as a student, graduating in the top 50 of a class of 550.

A high school All American quarterback as a sophomore and junior, Carter signed a letter of intent to play football at UCLA. But when he tore the ligaments in his right knee while playing football his senior year, he decided instead to sign a professional baseball contract with the Montreal Expos.

In 1973 Carter went to his first major league spring training camp, where he was assigned to room with another catcher, John Boccabella.

"He was twice my age," Carter said. "And I figured I could learn a lot from him. He taught me a ton about baseball. But what really stood out to me was how he lived his life."

They became good friends, and Carter talked with him about losing his mother. BoccabeJla gave him Bible verses to read and shared with him that the secret of the peace he experienced was a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Soon after getting to know Boccabella, Carter asked Christ into his life and finally came to terms with his mother's death.

"Since that day," Carter said, "everything in my life has taken on new meaning. I have learned I don't have to run away from my problems, because God gives me the power to face up to them. The best decision I ever made was asking Christ into my life."

After ten highly productive seasons with the Montreal Expos, Carter was traded to the New York Mets in 1985. He drove in 100 or more runs his first two seasons with the Mets, and his inspired play helped lead the Mets into the World Series against the Red Sox in 1986.
Carter said that it's not unusual for him to feel that God is with him as he goes to bat In fact, he enjoys the pressure situations.

"I just pray in my heart about it," he says, "then I go up there, and I feel like He gives me something extra."

The San Francisco Giants signed him prior to the 1990 season, and he shared the catching duties most of the season with Terry Kennedy. He hit a respectable .254 and also belted nine home runs in less than 250 at-bats.

Carter believes that a ballplayer's faith should make a difference in his on-the-field performance.

"As athletes, we're blessed with the ability to play the game," he said. "If you're able to look in the mirror and say, 'Hey, I gave it my very best,' it's between you and God. And if you're shortchanging yourself, you're the one to blame. So I've always taken that out on the field every day, and it's made me a better ballplayer. Because I don't ever try to underachieve. I always try to overachieve."

''This article, parts of which have been contemporized, first appeared in ''Teen Quest'', November 1991.''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]][[category:1990s]]

San Francisco Giants All-Star Scott Garrelts

2025-04-04T19:15:25Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Garrelts,S-051.jpg|Garrelts,S-051.jpg]]

'''Scott Garrelts'''

''Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants''

''Scott Garrelts pitched for the San Francisco Giants from 1982-1991, compiling a 69-52 won-loss record with a very respectable 3.29 earned run average. He was a key starting pitcher in 1989 when the Giants made it to the World Series. This article is based on my interview with him at Candlestick Park in 1990.''

As a boy growing up in Illinois and a Chicago Cubs fan, Scott Garrelts never dreamed he would be standing on the mound at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, ready to pitch against the Cubs in the first game of the 1989 National League Championship Series.

The 28-year-old San Francisco Giants pitcher beat the Cubs in that game, helping to propel his team into the World Series. Though the Giants fell to the Oakland Athletics four games to none in the earthquake-interrupted Series, 1989 was the best year of Garrelts’ career.

The 6-4 righthander compiled a 14-5 won-lost record and led all National League starting pitchers with a 2.28 earned run average (the average number of runs scored against a pitcher in a nine-inning game).

But things haven’t always gone so smoothly for Garrelts. Between an All-Star season as a reliever in 1985 and 1989’s heroics, life in the big leagues has been a roller coaster ride for the hard-throwing pitcher.

In 1988 he had a season that most pitchers would like to forget.

“I had a 6.21 ERA the first half,” Garrelts says of his efforts as a relief pitcher that year. “I was blowing saves and struggling."

When the local media and fans started to criticize his performance, the situation went from bad to worse.

“I kept trying to prove to the Giants, to prove to everybody, what I could do,” Garrelts recalls. “And I kept spinning my wheels, kept getting deeper and deeper.”

As the frustration grew, Garrelts took a step back and talked with two of his closest friends on the Giants, pitchers Dave Dravecky and Atlee Hammaker.

Like Garrelts, Dravecky and Hammaker are born-again Christians. They had also struggled with trying to please everybody when they pitched.

“We talked about what am I really playing for,” says Garrelts. “I stopped trying to pitch for everybody, and when I did that, I could accept myself and just do my best. I realized that my main audience was God. And it made all the difference in the world. I knew whatever I did, as long as I did the best I could, that was good enough.”

It was soon obvious that the talks with Dravecky and Hammaker had helped. In his last 20 games of 1988, Garrelts allowed just four earned runs in over 32 innings (a 1.20 ERA), recording four saves and two wins, salvaging a season that had almost become a nightmare.

Even as a boy growing up Buckley, Illinois, a town of 600 people, Garrelts didn’t attain instant success in baseball. But he always loved the game, and his father helped him develop his pitching skills.

“He always got me out in the backyard,” Garrelts recalls, “and he used to get down on his knees and catch me. Even in the wintertime, he’d come home from a hard day’s work and go out and play catch.”

Garrelts says he was average in size and in ability as a young boy.

“I was nothing spectacular,” he says. “My first two years in high school were not that big of a deal. My sophomore year I actually pitched terrible. I got beat up all over the place.”

But in his junior year, he began to improve.

In one memorable game for Buckley-Loda High, he struck out 22 batters in the seven-inning contest. If you know a little baseball and a little math, you realize those numbers don’t compute – unless the catcher dropped a third strike, allowing the batter to advance to first base.

“Actually, he dropped two,” Garrelts explains. “There was one guy who put the ball into play. He bunted it back to me in the air.”

After that eye-opening no-hitter, the scouts started showing up. When Garrelts graduated from high school in 1979, the Giants made him their number one selection in the free-agent draft.

After six seasons of minor league ball (including three short stints with San Francisco), he burst onto the Giants’ scene in 1985 with an outstanding season.

Used as a reliever, he posted a 9-6 mark with a 2.30 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 105 innings. He was the only Giant selected to the National League All-Star Team.

Garrelts was promoted to a starting role in 1986. But he didn’t win consistently and was moved back to the bullpen by July. He did better as a reliever, and the following year he led all National League relievers with 127 strikeouts.

Then came the nearly disastrous 1988 season.

“Without Jesus in my life,” says Garrelts of that year, “I don’t know if I could have made it. I was struggling, the people around me knew I was struggling, yet there was still that comfort that I had. I was still at ease.”

Although Garrelts attended church with his family throughout his youth, it wasn’t until his years in the minor leagues that God became real for him. The pivotal time was during a trip to the Dominican Republic to play winter baseball.

“The year before,” Garrelts recalls, “a guy that used to play in the Giants organization, Mark Calvert, had met a Christian woman and she had led him to the Lord. I saw the change that he had, so I started asking questions.

“In 1984, we were down in the Dominican, and we had no TV, no telephone, no radio, no anything, and I had taken my Bible down there. I was reading one night in the book of John, and I knelt down beside the bed and prayed to receive Christ.”

Garrelts says that although he grew in his faith, progress was slow until 1987, when Dravecky arrived in a trade with the San Diego Padres. The following year, center fielder Brett Butler came to the Giants from the Atlanta Braves, and the three of them plus Hammaker formed an accountability group. The teammates began to meet weekly to study the Bible, share needs, and pray. In 1989, another Christian, Bob Knepper, was traded to the Giants from the Houston Astros and also joined the group.

“It really helped me to get into good habits like reading and praying daily,” says Garrelts. “When you have Christian brothers, it’s easy to be encouraged and to be loved. Getting into the Word, having fellowship – it’s been tremendous.”

When the season ends and the players go their separate ways, Garrelts stays in touch with the other men in the group by telephone.

In 1989 the Giants decided to try Garrelts as a starting pitcher again. He got off to a good start and secured a spot in the rotation.

After a minor injury caused him to miss a few pitching turns, he came back in mid-July and won eight games in succession, the last of them a crucial victory over the second-place San Diego padres in mid-September. He had become the Giants’ most consistent starting pitcher.

Garrelts credits his study of the Bible for the change in his performance.

“Throughout my minor league career, I always felt like I was a .500 pitcher. I’d win a game, lose a game, win two, lose two – because I always had that feeling that I’m going to lose. It wasn’t until I got into the major leagues that I realized that God doesn’t want you to lose. He wants you to be successful. And it wasn’t until I realized that, that I was able to overcome the fear of being a .500 pitcher and to excel and to be more than that. It helped me not to think on the negative things. It helped me concentrate on what I had to do.”

Garrelts says Living on the Ragged Edge, a bock by Charles Swindoll, has also influenced his view of life.

“Reading that book opened my eyes quite a bit,” he says of the study in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, “just realizing what Solomon had, and still he was not happy. You can go on in life, you’ll keep struggling, you’ll keep fighting, you’ll keep searching for things, and you won’t find it unless you find Jesus.”

Monetary success hasn’t seemed to spoil Garrelts. He credits his upbringing for his attitude toward money.

“I always really respected my mother and father and the hard work that they did,” he says. “A lot of times we had to do without. But it really taught me some good lessons, and one is, if you want something, you have to work for it. I remember working on a farm as a kid, making a couple of bucks an hour. I really respect the American farmer.”

In fact, he and his wife have bought a 160-acre farm in his home state of Illinois. Although he’s not sure what he’ll do after baseball, he enjoys farming and is considering that possibility.

“I’ve been really trying to keep baseball in perspective,” he says. “I’ve tried not to get caught up in it too much.”

Even in the midst of success.

''This article first appeared in ''Teen Quest'' in March 1991.
''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

Mike Matheny, Gold Glove Catcher

2025-04-04T02:16:17Z

MattSieger: Mike Matheny was a Gold Glove catcher for the Giants.

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Mike Matheny.jpg]]

'''Mike Matheny'''

''Photo courtesy SF Gate''

''Mike Matheny caught in the major leagues for 13 seasons, earning four Gold Gloves. He owns the catching record of 1,565 consecutive fielding chances without an error (does not include passed balls). With the Giants in 2005, he won his fourth Gold Glove and set a Giants single-season team record for catcher's fielding percentage at .999. He went on to manage the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals. This article is based on my interview with him in 2005 when he was a San Francisco Giant.''

The dangerous Ryan Klesko was at the plate for the San Diego Padres in the top of the eighth inning with men on first and second, two outs, and the Padres leading the San Francisco Giants 5-3. A hit by Klesko could break the game wide open. The count went to 3-1, and then Klesko fouled off a pitch. Giants’ catcher Mike Matheny took the opportunity to visit relief pitcher Scott Eyre on the mound. When Matheny went back behind the plate, he never gave a signal for the next pitch. Eyre busted a 3-2 curveball, Klesko swung and missed, and the Padres threat was over.

Matheny had gone to the mound to tell Eyre to throw a curveball on the next pitch. He did not want to give the runner on second base the chance to steal the signal and relay it to Klesko.

"My true joy comes from working behind the plate, working with the pitcher," Matheny says. He calls the pitcher and catcher's duel with the batter "the game within the game."

The catcher is not as well known for his offense. But he is a clutch hitter and a tough out. In a game against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this year, with the Giants trailing in the ninth and in desperate need of a base runner, Matheny fouled off half a dozen consecutive pitches before being hit by a pitch to get on base. In a game at Pittsburgh a week later, he hit a solo home run to beat the Pirates 3-2.

"I want to get the big hits," Matheny says. “I want to contribute in the small ways -- get the guy over, get the bunt down, get that big RBI."

Matheny spent the last five years with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he took a trip to the 2004 World Series. The Cards fell to the Red Sox in four straight games.

“It was disappointing that we didn't play the kind of baseball that we knew we could play," Matheny says of the World Series. But he was glad to make it to the Fall Classic. "I know a lot of people that have had much better careers than I've had and have never had that opportunity, so it's something I feel very grateful for."

Matheny left a legacy as a leader in St. Louis. He quickly gained the same reputation in 2005 with his new team, the Giants, In spring training pitchers were regularly stopping by his locker to talk baseball.

"He called a couple of 3-2 curveballs that I hadn't thrown in a while," Scott Eyre told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I was thinking, 'Are you serious? Okay, here goes.' You throw with confidence because he puts his finger down and pulls it away before you have a chance to say no."

The only person who does not see Matheny as a leader is Matheny.

"I don't necessarily claim to be a leader," he says. "I think a lot of times the people that do are the people who aren't. I just see myself as a servant, as a helper to these guys, seeing how I can give them the best chance to be successful."

His humble attitude stems from his Christian faith, which he says he puts “in the center of everything." He grew up in a Christian home, but learned that he had to enter into his own relationship with God.

"A lot of times you grow up in a Christian home, the whole process becomes a religion instead of a personal faith. It did for me, even at an early age. I realized that I was missing something, something wasn't quite right. I explain to kids that just because you're born in a garage, it doesn't make you a car. The same thing goes for your faith.

"I got challenged one night in a revival in a church in Columbus, Ohio. The pastor was telling each of us, regardless of our position in the church, where do we stand with Jesus. Who is He to us individually? And I realized that it was just a name and a ritual, going to church, standing up, singing the songs.

“I was eight years old, but old enough to know that God was talking right to me. I went home, asked a bunch of questions, and I remember my parents leading me to Christ, kneeling in front of our couch."

He was the team captain for both the baseball and football teams at Reynoldsburg High in Ohio. But his faith lay dormant. Matheny says he was a "closet Christian" during that time.

"There was a period in high school and college when I went on under the radar," he says. "It wasn't until minor league baseball that I was challenged to really step out and be bold in my faith." He came to see baseball as a mission field, where he could be a witness "not necessarily to the masses, but more importantly to the guys in the clubhouse." Matheny does not preach at his teammates, but says he tries to "keep it real" by building friendships so that they can "find out who Christ is and that He can change lives, and there is a better way out there than what this world offers."

Matheny's former manager at St. Louis, Tony La Russa, is certain that Matheny would make a great manager. Matheny is not sure what he wants to do after his playing career ends, but you can be sure that whatever he does, he will follow the Scripture that is inscribed on the stand that holds a baseball in his locker: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1990s]]

File:Mike Matheny.jpg

2025-04-04T02:08:51Z

MattSieger:

Mike Mathen was a Gold Glove catcher for the Giants.

Dave Dravecky's Miraculous Comeback

2025-04-04T00:29:02Z

MattSieger: Dave Dravecky came back from cancer and pitched a memorable victory for the Giants in 1989

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Dravecky,D-044.jpg]]

'''Dave Dravecky'''

''Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants''

''This is an excerpt from a book by Matt Sieger, [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978]:''

The second version of the God Squad included five pitchers—Atlee Hammaker, a Giant from 1982 to 1990, Scott Garrelts (1982–1991), Dave Dravecky (1987–1989), Jeff Brantley (1988–1993), and Craig Lefferts (1987–1989). Outfielders Brett Butler (1988–1990), Kevin Bass (1990–92), and Candy Maldonado (1986–1989), catcher Gary Carter (1990), and utility men Dave Anderson (1990–91) and Greg Litton (1989–92) were also born-again Giants. And Houston traded Bob Knepper back to the Giants in 1989.

In September 1989, the ''Santa Rosa Press Democrat'' reported that as many as fifteen Giants out of the twenty-four-man base roster attended chapel services.

A year earlier, misunderstanding had grown between the God Squadders and some teammates, fed, in part, by the press. Dravecky described it:

''I and three other pitchers -- Scott Garrelts, Jeff Brantley, and Atlee Hammaker -- had been up front about being believers, and we did not hide our faith under a bushel. The beat writers, always looking for something to write about, coined a term for our quartet, the “God Squad.” They might as well have pinned bull’s-eyes on the back of our uniforms for all the good it did us. Anything and everything we said could be interpreted by our teammates as “holier than thou.” If we commented that we didn’t go to R-rated movies with tons of nudity and sex, then our teammates thought we were judging them. If we said that we preferred to have a Bible study in our hotel rooms after a road game, that was interpreted as being anti-social by our teammates.

''After a while, the “God Squad” term became a pejorative. It certainly made life difficult for us in the clubhouse as reporters constantly probed other ballplayers about their feelings regarding the “religious” pitchers on their team. Scott, Jeff, Atlee, and I read anonymous quotes from our teammates questioning whether we had what it took to be winners. Some felt that we were too “passive” or “weak” because we shrugged off defeat, thinking it must have been “God’s will.”

''That was a bunch of baloney because I know I fought with everything I had when I was on the mound . . . If the media has a weakness, it’s called writing from the “template.” The template for Christian ballplayers is that we are too nice to be winners, that we lack intensity and determination at crunch time, and that when we lose, we shrug our shoulders and mumble, “Praise the Lord.”''''''

Henry Schulman, the Giants’ beat writer for the ''Oakland Tribune'' at the time, strongly supports Dravecky’s view. He told this author:

''In dealing with the second wave of God Squadders, I never got the sense that they felt wins and losses had anything to do with God, Satan or anything else besides how they play. That was a bum rap. That said, I always felt among these players a surety that their faith in God was rewarded in kind by the health and strength to perform to their abilities. You often hear players in postgame interviews thank God for their physical abilities and health.

''There was nothing passive about any of the athletes I covered on the field, and I don’t think their teammates felt that way either. Dravecky, Garrelts, Carter and Brantley were among the most competitive I covered.''

Dravecky received support from his manager, Roger Craig. After the southpaw spun a two-hit complete game shutout against the Cardinals in Game 2 of the 1987 National League Championship Series, he was led to a media room next to the locker room, where Craig was answering questions. When the manager looked up and saw Dravecky, he said, “They say Christians don’t have any guts. Well, this guy’s a Christian and he’s not afraid of anything.”

Dravecky demonstrated that courage in a remarkable chain of events that began in 1988. He had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his pitching arm in October of that year. The operation involved removing half of the deltoid muscle and freezing the humerus bone in an attempt to eliminate all the cancerous cells. In what many called a miraculous return to baseball, Dravecky pitched eight-innings in a 4–3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on August 10, 1989, at Candlestick Park in front of 34,810 roaring fans.

Writing in 1999 for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', where he was the Giants’ beat writer from 1998 until his retirement in 2020, Schulman recalled that game played ten years earlier:

''Dravecky did not exactly fit the San Francisco mold. His politics were right of Ronald Reagan’s, and he was a born-again Christian. But . . . when Dravecky returned to the mound at Candlestick Park for the first time after battling cancer in his arm for more than a year, everyone—politics and religion not withstanding—felt a kinship with the man. On a beautiful afternoon, with not a wisp of wind in the air, the applause began as soon as Dravecky stepped out of the tunnel to begin his pregame warmups. The applause turned into an ovation, one of many he got that day as he not only pitched, but won, beating the Cincinnati Reds. There were lumps in tens of thousands of throats.''

Five days after his big win, while pitching in Montreal, Dravecky felt a tingling sensation in his arm in the fifth inning. Then, in the sixth inning, on his first pitch to Tim Raines, Dravecky’s humerus bone shattered, the sound heard throughout the stadium as Dravecky collapsed on the mound.

''San Francisco Chronicle'' sportswriter Bruce Jenkins was amazed at Dravecky’s equanimity when the pitcher met with the Bay Area press the morning after his injury. Jenkins wrote:

''He had the same calm, relaxed look on his face, the same glow in his eye, the same attitude that said, “My life is going just great.” That's the Dravecky we've always known, and it's the one we've got today. If you are put off by the open preachings of Christian athletes, then maybe his story is not for you. But Dravecky's beliefs are at the heart of his strength. That became abundantly clear in the wake of an injury that sent shock waves through the baseball world.''

Jenkins also noted how Dravecky’s born-again teammates rallied around him when the pitcher returned to his hotel room the night of his injury. Jenkins wrote, “Within minutes, his best friends on the team were there: Garrelts, Bob Knepper, Jeff Brantley and Greg Litton. The five of them, all of whom share a vigorous belief in Christianity, stayed in Dravecky's room from midnight until 5 a.m., talking things over.”

Dravecky’s faith and courage had an impact on his other Giants teammates. Although he had felt there was division between the Christians and non-Christians in 1988, he said that was not a problem on the 1989 team.

“I think there’s a camaraderie on this club,” he said near the close of the 1989 regular season. “I also think there’s a genuine respect from the players on the team that might not choose to attend (chapel), and that’s obviously important.”

Dravecky’s cancer returned and his left arm and shoulder had to be amputated in June 1991. On July 16, the Associated Press reported on the first time Dravecky spoke publicly after the operation:

''Looking fit and rested, Dravecky said, “There’s adjustments that I have to make, but there’s nothing out there that I don’t want to do.” . . . Although his future won’t include baseball, Dravecky said he will swim, play golf and tennis, and engage in other sports he was unable to enjoy in the past because of his baseball contract. He also has a full schedule of speaking engagements.''

Appearing with his wife, Janice, at the Christian Booksellers Association annual convention in Orlando [Florida], Dravecky credited his religious faith for helping him overcome his cancer problems, which began in 1988. He said he is feeling extremely well despite “phantom pain” in his missing left hand and fingers—not an unusual occurrence in amputees.

Dravecky did have one regret about his time in the big leagues:

''Playing for the Padres and the Giants during the time I did when the “God Squad” was a big deal, the reality is that my teammates were extremely respectful of where we were at on our journey. I'm very grateful for the respect that my teammates showed us as we were attempting to lead out our lives as Christians, which we didn't do perfectly.''

''If I were to do anything different, I would have probably spent more time in bars. Often I got invited by guys who simply wanted to go out, grab a beer, get something to eat—usually that was at the bar—and just hang out. I said, “No, cant' go there.” And that's exactly where Jesus went and that’s exactly where I should have been because I didn't have an issue with whether or not I was going to drink too much. I knew when to say no. And quite frankly, here's a guy who wants to spend time with me and I'm saying I can't go into the bar. “Well, here we go the Holy Roller.”''

''If there's any regret it would have been engaging more with everybody in the clubhouse. That was just a period of time in my life where I was young and dumb. I didn't get it.''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''.''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

File:Dravecky,D-044.jpg

2025-04-04T00:16:33Z

MattSieger:

Dave Dravecky came back from cancer to pitch for the Giants

San Francisco Giants All-Star Gary Lavelle

2025-04-03T23:42:08Z

MattSieger: Gary Lavelle was an All-Star pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Lavelle,G-099.jpg]]

'''Gary Lavelle'''

''Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants''

''Left-handed reliever Gary Lavelle pitched 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, the first 11 with the San Francisco Giants, from 1974-1984. He has pitched in more games (647) than anyone in the history of the Giants, including Christy Mathewson. He is also first for the franchise in games finished (369) and fourth in saves, with 126. He was selected to the National League All-Star team in 1977 and 1983. After retiring from MLB, he became a highly successful high school and college baseball coach in Virginia. This article is based on my interview with him in 1983.''

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes gathering had ended and a young woman stopped to chat with guest speaker Gary Lavelle.

"For the first 20 minutes I thought you were a pastor, but when you kept talking about baseball I realized you were a player!" she exclaimed.

At 6-1, 200 pounds it's easy to see why the big lefthander has been mowing them down for nine major league seasons. But the San Francisco Giants ace reliever knows the Bible as well as he does the league's opposing hitters. As the charter member of the Giant's "God Squad" teams of the late 1970s, Gary's helped lead several of his teammates to a personal relationship with Christ.

The youngest of five boys, he was raised on a diet of baseball, football and basketball in Bethlehem, Pa., "but baseball was always my first love."
As a high school sophomore Gary tossed his first no-hitter. His senior year he hurled another no-hitter, a bunch of one- and two-hitters, and got a phone call from the Giants. Assigned to their Salt Lake City farm club, Gary began a long climb to the majors. In September 1974, after eight seasons in the minors, he was called up to the parent club.
Gary had married in 1972and he and wife Regina had their first child, daughter Jana, in 1975.

"I'd fulfilled a dream. I had success, money, a beautiful wife, our first child . . . but there was something missing," he said.

At the end of the '75 season Lavelle went to Venezuela to play winter ball and met former Minnesota Twins pitcher Tom Johnson, who shared about knowing God in a personal way and "answered a lot of questions I had." Gary gave his life to the Lord soon after.

"The hardest thing was coming home,” he said. “I didn't want to go into bars anymore." Reporters found the new Lavelle even harder to figure. They were accustomed to the old Lavelle who'd angrily vent his frustration after a poor performance.

"I asked the Lord for strength in both the good times and bad and before long the press began to report on my new-found composure," he said.

His teammates also saw the change and when opportunities surfaced Gary witnessed to them. "I don't preach. I just share what the Bible has to say about life," he stated.

By 1978 the press had dubbed the Giants the "God Squad" because of the number of professing Christians on the team.

Gary's performance speaks as loudly as his words. Last season his 10-7 mark and 2.67 ERA helped keep the Giants in the pennant race until the next-to-last day of the season.
Coming out of the bullpen in the late innings of a tight game is Gary's specialty, but his biggest challenge came in 1980.

"I'd gotten off to a terrible start and lost my job as the number one reliever. I kept asking the Lord, 'Is this the end of my career?' he recalled. "He gave me the desire to work harder, to go the extra mile."

Gary began a weight training program the next year and by 1982 his arm had returned to form.

"I learned to persevere when the odds are against you but it also made me realize base ball will end someday and I'll need to go on," he said.

A family man, Gary looks forward to playing ball with his young son Timothy. He relishes family picnics and outings and has recently revived his interest in hunting. When his playing days are over he may go back to school to prepare for a career in business.

"The Lord will guide my path after baseball. I have peace about that."

So do a lot of other players who've met Gary.

''This article first appeared in ''Sharing the Victory'', Fellowship of Christian Athletes, July-August 1983.''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:1980s]]

File:Lavelle,G-099.jpg

2025-04-03T23:32:42Z

MattSieger:

Gary Lavelle twice made the All-Star team as a Giant.

San Francisco Giants All-Star Scott Garrelts

2025-04-03T23:18:21Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Garrelts,S-051.jpg|Garrelts,S-051.jpg]]

'''Scott Garrelts'''

''Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants''

''Scott Garrelts pitched for the San Francisco Giants from 1982-1991, compiling a 69-52 won-loss record with a very respectable 3.29 earned run average. He was a key starting pitcher in 1989 when the Giants made it to the World Series. This article is based on my interview with him at Candlestick Park in 1990.''

As a boy growing up in Illinois and a Chicago Cubs fan, Scott Garrelts never dreamed he would be standing on the mound at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, ready to pitch against the Cubs in the first game of the 1989 National League Championship Series.

The 28-year-old San Francisco Giants pitcher beat the Cubs in that game, helping to propel his team into the World Series. Though the Giants fell to the Oakland Athletics four games to none in the earthquake-interrupted Series, 1989 was the best year of Garrelts’ career.

The 6-4 righthander compiled a 14-5 won-lost record and lead all National League starting pitchers with a 2.28 earned run average (the average number of runs scored against a pitcher in a nine-inning game).

But things haven’t always gone so smoothly for Garrelts. Between an All-Star season as a reliever in 1985 and 1989’s heroics, life in the big leagues has been a roller coaster ride for the hard-throwing pitcher.

In 1988 he had a season that most pitchers would like to forget.

“I had a 6.21 ERA the first half,” Garrelts says of his efforts as a relief pitcher that year. “I was blowing saves and struggling.

When the local media and fans started to criticize his performance, the situation went from bad to worse.

“I kept trying to prove to the Giants, to prove to everybody, what I could do,” Garrelts recalls. “And I kept spinning my wheels, kept getting deeper and deeper.”

As the frustration grew, Garrelts took a step back and talked with two of his closest friends on the Giants, pitchers Dave Dravecky and Atlee Hammaker.

Like Garrelts, Dravecky and Hammaker are born-again Christians. They had also struggled with trying to please everybody when they pitcher.

“We talked about what am I really playing for,” says Garrelts. “I stopped trying to pitch for everybody, and when I did that, I could accept myself and just do my best. I realized that my main audience was God. And it made all the difference in the world. I knew whatever I did, as long as I did the best I could, that was good enough.”

It was soon obvious that the talks with Dravecky and Hammaker had helped. In his last 20 games of 1988, Garrelts allowed just four earned runs in over 32 innings (a 1.20 ERA), recording four saves and two wins, salvaging a season that had almost become a nightmare.

Even as a boy growing up Buckley, Illinois, a town of 600 people, Garrelts didn’t attain instant success in baseball. But he always loved the game, and his father helped him to develop his pitching skills.

“He always got me out in the backyard,” Garrelts recalls, “and he used to get down on his knees and catch me. Even in the wintertime, he’d come home from a hard day’s work and go out and play catch.”

Garrelts says he was average in size and in ability as a young boy.

“I was nothing spectacular,” he says. “My first two years in high school were not that big of a deal. My sophomore year I actually pitched terrible. I got beat up all over the place.”

But in his junior year, he began to improve.

In one memorable game for Buckley-Loda High, he struck out 22 batters in the seven-inning contest. If you know a little baseball and a little math, you realize those numbers don’t compute – unless the catcher dropped a third strike, allowing the batter to advance to first base.

“Actually, he dropped two,” Garrelts explains. “There was one guy who put the ball into play. He bunted it back to me in the air.”

After that eye-opening no-hitter, the scouts started showing up. When Garrelts graduated from high school in 1979, the Giants made him their number one selection in the free-agent draft.

After six seasons of minor league ball (including three short stints with San Francisco), he burst onto the Giants’ scene in 1985 with an outstanding season.

Used as a reliever, he posted a 9-6 mark with a 2.30 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 105 innings. He was the only Giant selected to the National League All-Star Team.

Garrelts was promoted to a starting role in 1986. But he didn’t win consistently and was moved back to the bullpen by July. He did better as a reliever, and the following year he led all National League relievers with 127 strikeouts.

Then came the nearly disastrous 1988 season.

“Without Jesus in my life,” says Garrelts of that year, “I don’t know if I could have made it. I was struggling, the people around me knew I was struggling, yet there was still that comfort that I had. I was still at ease.”

Although Garrelts attended church with his family throughout his youth, it wasn’t until his years in the minor leagues that God became real for him. The pivotal time was during a trip to the Dominican Republic to play winter baseball.

“The year before,” Garrelts recalls, “a guy that used to play in the Giants organization, Mark Calvert, had met a Christian woman and she had led him to the Lord. I saw the change that he had, so I started asking questions.

“In 1984, we were down in the Dominican, and we had no TV, no telephone, no radio, no anything, and I had taken my Bible down there. I was reading one night in the book of John, and I knelt down beside the bed and prayed to receive Christ.”

Garrelts says that although he grew in his faith, progress was slow until 1987, when Dravecky arrived in a trade with the San Diego Padres. The following year, center fielder Brett Butler came to the Giants from the Atlanta Braves, and the three of them plus Hammaker formed an accountability group. The teammates began to meet weekly to study the Bible, share needs, and pray. In 1989, another Christian, Bob Knepper, was traded to the Giants from the Houston Astros and also joined the group.

“It really helped me to get into good habits like reading and praying daily,” says Garrelts. “When you have Christian brothers, it’s easy to be encouraged and to be loved. Getting into the Word, having fellowship – it’s been tremendous.”

When the season ends and the players go their separate ways, Garrelts stays in touch with the other men in the group by telephone.

In 1989 the Giants decided to try Garrelts as a starting pitcher again. He got off to a good start and secured a spot in the rotation.

After a minor injury caused him to miss a few pitching turns, he came back in mid-July and won eight games in succession, the last of them a crucial victory over the second-place San Diego padres in mid-September. He had become the Giants’ most consistent starting pitcher.

Garrelts credits his study of the Bible for the change in his performance.

“Throughout my minor league career, I always felt like I was a .500 pitcher. I’d win a game, lose a game, win two, lose two – because I always had that feeling that I’m going to lose. It wasn’t until I got into the major leagues that I realized that God doesn’t want you to lose. He wants you to be successful. And it wasn’t until I realized that, that I was able to overcome the fear of being a .500 pitcher and to excel and to be more than that. It helped me not to think on the negative things. It helped me concentrate on what I had to do.”

Garrelts says Living on the Ragged Edge, a bock by Charles Swindoll, has also influenced his view of life.

“Reading that book opened my eyes quite a bit,” he says of the study in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, “just realizing what Solomon had, and still he was not happy. You can go on in life, you’ll keep struggling, you’ll keep fighting, you’ll keep searching for things, and you won’t find it unless you find Jesus.”

Monetary success hasn’t seemed to spoil Garrelts. He credits his upbringing for his attitude toward money.

“I always really respected my mother and father and the hard work that they did,” he says. “A lot of times we had to do without. But it really taught me some good lessons, and one is, if you want something, you have to work for it. I remember working on a farm as a kid, making a couple of bucks an hour. I really respect the American farmer.”

In fact, he and his wife have bought a 160-acre farm in his home state of Illinois. Although he’s not sure what he’ll do after baseball, he enjoys farming and is considering that possibility.

“I’ve been really trying to keep baseball in perspective,” he says. “I’ve tried not to get caught up in it too much.”

Even in the midst of success.

''This article first appeared in ''Teen Quest'' in March 1991.
''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

San Francisco Giants All-Star Scott Garrelts

2025-04-03T23:16:37Z

MattSieger: Scott Garrelts helped propel the San Francisco Giants to the World Series.

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Garrelts,S-051.jpg|Garrelts,S-051.jpg]]

'''Scott Garrelts'''

''Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants''

''Scott Garrelts pitched for the San Francisco Giants from 1982-1991, compiling a 69-52 won-loss record with a very respectable 3.29 earned run average. He was a key starting pitcher in 1989 when the Giants made it to the World Series. This article is based on my interview with him at Candlestick Park in 1990.''

As a boy growing up in Illinois and a Chicago Cubs fan, Scott Garrelts never dreamed he would be standing on the mound at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, ready to pitch against the Cubs in the first game of the 1989 National League Championship Series.

The 28-year-old San Francisco Giants pitcher beat the Cubs in that game, helping to propel his team into the World Series. Though the Giants fell to the Oakland Athletics four games to none in the earthquake-interrupted Series, 1989 was the best year of Garrelts’ career.

The 6-4 righthander compiled a 14-5 won-lost record and lead all National League starting pitchers with a 2.28 earned run average (the average number of runs scored against a pitcher in a nine-inning game).

But things haven’t always gone so smoothly for Garrelts. Between an All-Star season as a reliever in 1985 and 1989’s heroics, life in the big leagues has been a roller coaster ride for the hard-throwing pitcher.

In 1988 he had a season that most pitchers would like to forget.

“I had a 6.21 ERA the first half,” Garrelts says of his efforts as a relief pitcher that year. “I was blowing saves and struggling.

When the local media and fans started to criticize his performance, the situation went from bad to worse.

“I kept trying to prove to the Giants, to prove to everybody, what I could do,” Garrelts recalls. “And I kept spinning my wheels, kept getting deeper and deeper.”

As the frustration grew, Garrelts took a step back and talked with two of his closest friends on the Giants, pitchers Dave Dravecky and Atlee Hammaker.

Like Garrelts, Dravecky and Hammaker are born-again Christians. They had also struggled with trying to please everybody when they pitcher.

“We talked about what am I really playing for,” says Garrelts. “I stopped trying to pitch for everybody, and when I did that, I could accept myself and just do my best. I realized that my main audience was God. And it made all the difference in the world. I knew whatever I did, as long as I did the best I could, that was good enough.”

It was soon obvious that the talks with Dravecky and Hammaker had helped. In his last 20 games of 1988, Garrelts allowed just four earned runs in over 32 innings (a 1.20 ERA), recording four saves and two wins, salvaging a season that had almost become a nightmare.

Even as a boy growing up Buckley, Illinois, a town of 600 people, Garrelts didn’t attain instant success in baseball. But he always loved the game, and his father helped him to develop his pitching skills.

“He always got me out in the backyard,” Garrelts recalls, “and he used to get down on his knees and catch me. Even in the wintertime, he’d come home from a hard day’s work and go out and play catch.”

Garrelts says he was average in size and in ability as a young boy.

“I was nothing spectacular,” he says. “My first two years in high school were not that big of a deal. My sophomore year I actually pitched terrible. I got beat up all over the place.”

But in his junior year, he began to improve.

In one memorable game for Buckley-Loda High, he struck out 22 batters in the seven-inning contest. If you know a little baseball and a little math, you realize those numbers don’t compute – unless the catcher dropped a third strike, allowing the batter to advance to first base.

“Actually, he dropped two,” Garrelts explains. “There was one guy who put the ball into play. He bunted it back to me in the air.”

After that eye-opening no-hitter, the scouts started showing up. When Garrelts graduated from high school in 1979, the Giants made him their number one selection in the free-agent draft.

After six seasons of minor league ball (including three short stints with San Francisco), he burst onto the Giants’ scene in 1985 with an outstanding season.

Used as a reliever, he posted a 9-6 mark with a 2.30 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 105 innings. He was the only Giant selected to the National League All-Star Team.

Garrelts was promoted to a starting role in 1986. But he didn’t win consistently and was moved back to the bullpen by July. He did better as a reliever, and the following year he led all National League relievers with 127 strikeouts.

Then came the nearly disastrous 1988 season.

“Without Jesus in my life,” says Garrelts of that year, “I don’t know if I could have made it. I was struggling, the people around me knew I was struggling, yet there was still that comfort that I had. I was still at ease.”

Although Garrelts attended church with his family throughout his youth, it wasn’t until his years in the minor leagues that God became real for him. The pivotal time was during a trip to the Dominican Republic to play winter baseball.

“The year before,” Garrelts recalls, “a guy that used to play in the Giants organization, Mark Calvert, had met a Christian woman and she had led him to the Lord. I saw the change that he had, so I started asking questions.

“In 1984, we were down in the Dominican, and we had no TV, no telephone, no radio, no anything, and I had taken my Bible down there. I was reading one night in the book of John, and I knelt down beside the bed and prayed to receive Christ.”

Garrelts says that although he grew in his faith, progress was slow until 1987, when Dravecky arrived in a trade with the San Diego Padres. The following year, center fielder Brett Butler came to the Giants from the Atlanta Braves, and the three of them plus Hammaker formed an accountability group. The teammates began to meet weekly to study the Bible, share needs, and pray. In 1989, another Christian, Bob Knepper, was traded to the Giants from the Houston Astros and also joined the group.

“It really helped me to get into good habits like reading and praying daily,” says Garrelts. “When you have Christian brothers, it’s easy to be encouraged and to be loved. Getting into the Word, having fellowship – it’s been tremendous.”

When the season ends and the players go their separate ways, Garrelts stays in touch with the other men in the group by telephone.

In 1989 the Giants decided to try Garrelts as a starting pitcher again. He got off to a good start and secured a spot in the rotation.

After a minor injury caused him to miss a few pitching turns, he came back in mid-July and won eight games in succession, the last of them a crucial victory over the second-place San Diego padres in mid-September. He had become the Giants’ most consistent starting pitcher.

Garrelts credits his study of the Bible for the change in his performance.

“Throughout my minor league career, I always felt like I was a .500 pitcher. I’d win a game, lose a game, win two, lose two – because I always had that feeling that I’m going to lose. It wasn’t until I got into the major leagues that I realized that God doesn’t want you to lose. He wants you to be successful. And it wasn’t until I realized that, that I was able to overcome the fear of being a .500 pitcher and to excel and to be more than that. It helped me not to think on the negative things. It helped me concentrate on what I had to do.”

Garrelts says Living on the Ragged Edge, a bock by Charles Swindoll, has also influenced his view of life.

“Reading that book opened my eyes quite a bit,” he says of the study in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, “just realizing what Solomon had, and still he was not happy. You can go on in life, you’ll keep struggling, you’ll keep fighting, you’ll keep searching for things, and you won’t find it unless you find Jesus.”

Monetary success hasn’t seemed to spoil Garrelts. He credits his upbringing for his attitude toward money.

“I always really respected my mother and father and the hard work that they did,” he says. “A lot of times we had to do without. But it really taught me some good lessons, and one is, if you want something, you have to work for it. I remember working on a farm as a kid, making a couple of bucks an hour. I really respect the American farmer.”

In fact, he and his wife have bought a 160-acre farm in his home state of Illinois. Although he’s not sure what he’ll do after baseball, he enjoys farming and is considering that possibility.

“I’ve been really trying to keep baseball in perspective,” he says. “I’ve tried not to get caught up in it too much.”

Even in the midst of success.

''This article first appeared in ''Teen Quest'' in March 1991.
''
''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

File:Garrelts,S-051.jpg

2025-04-03T23:11:00Z

MattSieger:

Scott Garrelts helped Giants get to the World Series

Brent Jones: 49ers Legendary Tight End

2025-04-03T21:28:18Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Brent Jones.jpg||Brent Jones]]

'''Brent Jones'''

''Photo courtesy of Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame''

''Brent Jones played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1987-1997 and was on three Super Bowl championship teams. One of the top players in franchise history, Jones helped revolutionize the concept of the pass-catching tight end. This article is based on my interview with him in 1992.''

San Francisco 49er tight end, Brent Jones, caught a pass and headed up field. The 49ers were playing the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the NFL play-offs on a fateful January afternoon in 1988. San Francisco was heavily favored to win the game, and many, including Jones, expected the 49ers to go on to capture their third Super Bowl Championship.

As Jones looked for room to run, a Minnesota defender crashed into his left knee, snapping it back, and Jones went down. He would not play again that season. The Vikings went on to beat the 49ers 36-24, eliminating San Francisco from post-season play.

Jones's knee was so badly injured that it required reconstructive surgery.

"I thought I was going to the Super Bowl. I couldn't believe it," said Jones of the injury. "I think for the most part, people thought I'd never play again."

Remarkably, his knee healed in five months. But at training camp he injured his other knee. This one required arthroscopic surgery
.
As Jones waited for his knee to heal, Bill Walsh, the 49ers' coach at the time, brought an unwelcome message.

"He said they were just going to keep two tight ends on the roster," Jones recalled, "and it was going to be these other two guys. I wasn't going to be around."

But, for some strange reason, the 49ers put Jones on the injured reserve list instead of cutting him from the squad. Then some even stranger things began to happen. One of the other tight ends suffered an injury, and Jones got some playing time. He did so well that he moved from third-string to second-string. After the end of the season, John Frank, the 49ers' starting tight end, announced his retirement.

Suddenly, the first-string tight end job was up for grabs. Jones grabbed it. The 29-year-old San Jose native has now been the 49ers' starting tight end for three seasons and has collected two Super Bowl rings in the process. In 1990, Jones set single-season team records for reception and yardage by a tight end.

Ironically, Walsh, who turned to broadcasting after retiring as 49ers head coach in 1990, emphasized Jones's importance to the team during; a telecast of a 49ers game last season,
Jones was out with still another knee injury, and Walsh explained that, although most fans know about 49er receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor, it is Jones, the third weapon in the team's pass-catching arsenal, who keeps defenders honest. Because of Jones's great pass-catching ability, defensive backs can't just key on Rice and Taylor
.
As if to make a prophet of Walsh, the 49ers, who had been struggling with a four-and-five record, went on to finish the season a respectable ten-and-six, after Jones returned to the line-up.

His biggest thrill was catching a pass for the second touchdown of the game in San Francisco's 55-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV in 1990. But his best game as a 49er was in a 19-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons the following season: He caught five passes for a career-best 125 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown pass.

Besides success, the one thing that has characterized Jones's career is adversity-and his uncanny ability to come back from it.

In the second game of the 1991 sea son against the San Diego Chargers, Jones tore a ligament in his left knee. The doctors said it would be eight to ten weeks before he could play again, yet after five weeks the knee had healed, and he was cleared to play. Although Coach George Seifert decided to rest his star tight end for two additional weeks to play it safe, Jones had come back from his fourth major injury in professional football.

What stands out is his attitude during those times of recovery.

"A lot of people say, 'How can you handle that? How can you be so up about having a knee injury? How come you're not down and frustrated?' “Jones related.

The answer, he said, is his faith in God.

"I can't even begin to take credit for what I've done or what I've been through," he said. "There's just no way-I would have never been able to handle it."

He said his faith has sustained him in adversity, especially in recovering from injuries.
"Going through it, there's times of frustrations," he said. "But Christ has really brought me through the tough times."

Jones feels that his success as a football player is also directly related to his faith.

"I think that God had a plan for my life," Jones explained. "There's no way I could have become a professional football player had it not been for that commitment (to Christ). There were so many events in my life-having them move me to tight end in college, getting in the car accident putting me back here in San Francisco and finally getting my chance. I was a good athlete, but you could talk to any one of my friends from high school -- I was the farthest thing from a pro football player."

Jones felt that many athletes turn to God because of the emptiness they experience in the midst of success.

"A lot of times athletes have every thing," he explained. "They have the fast cars, the big money, all the women, if they wanted that. And I think so many guys climb that mountain and see that there's really nothing there. They realize that money and the world's view of success can't buy true happiness."

For Jones, true success is to honor God in everything he does. So his faith pervades every aspect of his life, including his actions on the football field.

"I play as hard as anybody out there," he said. "That's how Christ wants me to play. But I'll help guys up on other teams."

''This article first appeared in ''Teen Quest'', September 1992.''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for The Vacaville Reporter. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Football]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

Brent Jones: 49ers Legendary Tight End

2025-04-03T21:20:45Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Brent Jones.jpg||Brent Jones]]

'''Brent Jones'''

Brent Jones played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1987-1997 and was on three Super Bowl championship teams. One of the top players in franchise history, Jones helped revolutionize the concept of the pass-catching tight end. This article is based on my interview with him in 1992.

San Francisco 49er tight end, Brent Jones, caught a pass and headed up field. The 49ers were playing the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the NFL play-offs on a fateful January afternoon in 1988. San Francisco was heavily favored to win the game, and many, including Jones, expected the 49ers to go on to capture their third Super Bowl Championship.

As Jones looked for room to run, a Minnesota defender crashed into his left knee, snapping it back, and Jones went down. He would not play again that season. The Vikings went on to beat the 49ers 36-24, eliminating San Francisco from post-season play.

Jones's knee was so badly injured that it required reconstructive surgery.

"I thought I was going to the Super Bowl. I couldn't believe it," said Jones of the injury. "I think for the most part, people thought I'd never play again."

Remarkably, his knee healed in five months. But at training camp he injured his other knee. This one required arthroscopic surgery
.
As Jones waited for his knee to heal, Bill Walsh, the 49ers' coach at the time, brought an unwelcome message.

"He said they were just going to keep two tight ends on the roster," Jones recalled, "and it was going to be these other two guys. I wasn't going to be around."

But, for some strange reason, the 49ers put Jones on the injured reserve list instead of cutting him from the squad. Then some even stranger things began to happen. One of the other tight ends suffered an injury, and Jones got some playing time. He did so well that he moved from third-string to second-string. After the end of the season, John Frank, the 49ers' starting tight end, announced his retirement.

Suddenly, the first-string tight end job was up for grabs. Jones grabbed it. The 29-year-old San Jose native has now been the 49ers' starting tight end for three seasons and has collected two Super Bowl rings in the process. In 1990, Jones set single-season team records for reception and yardage by a tight end.

Ironically, Walsh, who turned to broadcasting after retiring as 49ers head coach in 1990, emphasized Jones's importance to the team during; a telecast of a 49ers game last season,
Jones was out with still another knee injury, and Walsh explained that, although most fans know about 49er receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor, it is Jones, the third weapon in the team's pass-catching arsenal, who keeps defenders honest. Because of Jones's great pass-catching ability, defensive backs can't just key on Rice and Taylor
.
As if to make a prophet of Walsh, the 49ers, who had been struggling with a four-and-five record, went on to finish the season a respectable ten-and-six, after Jones returned to the line-up.

His biggest thrill was catching a pass for the second touchdown of the game in San Francisco's 55-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV in 1990. But his best game as a 49er was in a 19-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons the following season: He caught five passes for a career-best 125 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown pass.

Besides success, the one thing that has characterized Jones's career is adversity-and his uncanny ability to come back from it.

In the second game of the 1991 sea son against the San Diego Chargers, Jones tore a ligament in his left knee. The doctors said it would be eight to ten weeks before he could play again, yet after five weeks the knee had healed, and he was cleared to play. Although Coach George Seifert decided to rest his star tight end for two additional weeks to play it safe, Jones had come back from his fourth major injury in professional football.

What stands out is his attitude during those times of recovery.

"A lot of people say, 'How can you handle that? How can you be so up about having a knee injury? How come you're not down and frustrated?' “Jones related.

The answer, he said, is his faith in God.

"I can't even begin to take credit for what I've done or what I've been through," he said. "There's just no way-I would have never been able to handle it."

He said his faith has sustained him in adversity, especially in recovering from injuries.
"Going through it, there's times of frustrations," he said. "But Christ has really brought me through the tough times."

Jones feels that his success as a football player is also directly related to his faith.

"I think that God had a plan for my life," Jones explained. "There's no way I could have become a professional football player had it not been for that commitment (to Christ). There were so many events in my life-having them move me to tight end in college, getting in the car accident putting me back here in San Francisco and finally getting my chance. I was a good athlete, but you could talk to any one of my friends from high school -- I was the farthest thing from a pro football player."

Jones felt that many athletes turn to God because of the emptiness they experience in the midst of success.

"A lot of times athletes have every thing," he explained. "They have the fast cars, the big money, all the women, if they wanted that. And I think so many guys climb that mountain and see that there's really nothing there. They realize that money and the world's view of success can't buy true happiness."

For Jones, true success is to honor God in everything he does. So his faith pervades every aspect of his life, including his actions on the football field.

"I play as hard as anybody out there," he said. "That's how Christ wants me to play. But I'll help guys up on other teams."

[[category:Football]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

Brent Jones: 49ers Legendary Tight End

2025-04-03T21:17:20Z

MattSieger: 49er Brent Jones helped revolutionize the concept of the pass-catching tight end.

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Brent Jones.jpg||Brent Jones]]

Brent Jones

Brent Jones played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1987-1997 and was on three Super Bowl championship teams. One of the top players in franchise history, Jones helped revolutionize the concept of the pass-catching tight end. This article is based on my interview with him in 1992.

San Francisco 49er tight end, Brent Jones, caught a pass and headed up field. The 49ers were playing the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the NFL play-offs on a fateful January afternoon in 1988. San Francisco was heavily favored to win the game, and many, including Jones, expected the 49ers to go on to capture their third Super Bowl Championship.

As Jones looked for room to run, a Minnesota defender crashed into his left knee, snapping it back, and Jones went down. He would not play again that season. The Vikings went on to beat the 49ers 36-24, eliminating San Francisco from post-season play.

Jones's knee was so badly injured that it required reconstructive surgery.

"I thought I was going to the Super Bowl. I couldn't believe it," said Jones of the injury. "I think for the most part, people thought I'd never play again."

Remarkably, his knee healed in five months. But at training camp he injured his other knee. This one required arthroscopic surgery
.
As Jones waited for his knee to heal, Bill Walsh, the 49ers' coach at the time, brought an unwelcome message.

"He said they were just going to keep two tight ends on the roster," Jones recalled, "and it was going to be these other two guys. I wasn't going to be around."

But, for some strange reason, the 49ers put Jones on the injured reserve list instead of cutting him from the squad. Then some even stranger things began to happen. One of the other tight ends suffered an injury, and Jones got some playing time. He did so well that he moved from third-string to second-string. After the end of the season, John Frank, the 49ers' starting tight end, announced his retirement.

Suddenly, the first-string tight end job was up for grabs. Jones grabbed it. The 29-year-old San Jose native has now been the 49ers' starting tight end for three seasons and has collected two Super Bowl rings in the process. In 1990, Jones set single-season team records for reception and yardage by a tight end.

Ironically, Walsh, who turned to broadcasting after retiring as 49ers head coach in 1990, emphasized Jones's importance to the team during; a telecast of a 49ers game last season,
Jones was out with still another knee injury, and Walsh explained that, although most fans know about 49er receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor, it is Jones, the third weapon in the team's pass-catching arsenal, who keeps defenders honest. Because of Jones's great pass-catching ability, defensive backs can't just key on Rice and Taylor
.
As if to make a prophet of Walsh, the 49ers, who had been struggling with a four-and-five record, went on to finish the season a respectable ten-and-six, after Jones returned to the line-up.

His biggest thrill was catching a pass for the second touchdown of the game in San Francisco's 55-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV in 1990. But his best game as a 49er was in a 19-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons the following season: He caught five passes for a career-best 125 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown pass.

Besides success, the one thing that has characterized Jones's career is adversity-and his uncanny ability to come back from it.

In the second game of the 1991 sea son against the San Diego Chargers, Jones tore a ligament in his left knee. The doctors said it would be eight to ten weeks before he could play again, yet after five weeks the knee had healed, and he was cleared to play. Although Coach George Seifert decided to rest his star tight end for two additional weeks to play it safe, Jones had come back from his fourth major injury in professional football.

What stands out is his attitude during those times of recovery.

"A lot of people say, 'How can you handle that? How can you be so up about having a knee injury? How come you're not down and frustrated?' “Jones related.

The answer, he said, is his faith in God.

"I can't even begin to take credit for what I've done or what I've been through," he said. "There's just no way-I would have never been able to handle it."

He said his faith has sustained him in adversity, especially in recovering from injuries.
"Going through it, there's times of frustrations," he said. "But Christ has really brought me through the tough times."

Jones feels that his success as a football player is also directly related to his faith.

"I think that God had a plan for my life," Jones explained. "There's no way I could have become a professional football player had it not been for that commitment (to Christ). There were so many events in my life-having them move me to tight end in college, getting in the car accident putting me back here in San Francisco and finally getting my chance. I was a good athlete, but you could talk to any one of my friends from high school-I was the farthest thing from a pro football player."

Jones felt that many athletes turn to God because of the emptiness they experience in the midst of success.

"A lot of times athletes have every thing," he explained. "They have the fast cars, the big money, all the women, if they wanted that. And I think so many guys climb that mountain and see that there's really nothing there. They realize that money and the world's view of success can't buy true happiness."

For Jones, true success is to honor God in everything he does. So his faith pervades every aspect of his life, including his actions on the football field.

"I play as hard as anybody out there," he said. "That's how Christ wants me to play. But I'll help guys up on other teams."

[[category:Football]] [[category:Famous characters]] [[category:1980s]] [[category:1990s]]

File:Brent Jones.jpg

2025-04-03T21:14:01Z

MattSieger:

49er tight end Brent Jones

Hall of Famer Gary Carter was once a San Francisco Giant

2025-04-03T15:53:16Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

''Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter passed away in 2012 at age 57 from brain cancer. My interview with him for this article took place in 1990 at Candlestick Park when he was s San Francisco Giant.''

[[File:Carter,G-011.jpg]]

'''Gary Carter'''

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

It was the 1986 World Series-the New York Mets versus the Boston Red Sox-and Gary Carter, catcher for the Mets, played a key role. In game four, he hit two home runs to tie the Series at two games each. But his biggest contribution came in the tenth inning of game six in one of the most exciting comebacks in World Series history.

The Mets trailed in the Series, three games to two. They were losing 5-3 as they batted in the last of the tenth. With two outs and nobody on base, Carter came to the plate. The Red Sox were one out away from winning the World Series.

"I felt that God was going to bat with me," Carter said of that moment "I felt so confident."

He lined a base hit into left field. The next two Mets also got hits. Then, after a passed ball allowed the tying run to score, Mookie Wilson hit a ground ball that went through the legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, giving the Mets a 6-5 victory. New York went on to win game seven and become the World Series champions.

During the post-game celebration in the Mets clubhouse, Bob Costas of NBC called Carter to the microphone for an interview.

"They had me up on the platform," Carter remembers, "and he ICostas] said, 'Well, Gary, what do you think about all this?' And I said, 'Well, first of all, I want to give all the glory and praise to Jesus.' "

Carter's remark caught Costas off guard and probably surprised many in the national television audience as well.

But this 11-time All-Star catcher has never held back; he is quick to give the credit for his success on the ball field and in life to his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

From 1990-2021, Carter held the National League for most games caught. Twice named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star game, he also won the Gold Glove award three times.
Nicknamed "The Kid" for his enthusiasm for the game of baseball, Carter is seldom at a loss for words. He is also rarely too busy to sign an autograph or to talk with a young fan.

Carter lost his mother to leukemia when he was 12 years old and said he will always have a place in his heart for any child who has lost a parent His faith in God actually arose out of the doubts that he experienced after his mother's death.

"We were a church-going family," Carter said, "and we had known the Lord as a loving God. I didn't understand why the Lord would take someone away as dear as Mom at age 37, who was loved by her family. Why would this tragedy happen?”

With these questions in the back of his mind, Carter immersed himself in sports during his teenage years. He was captain of the baseball, basketball 'and football teams as a junior and senior at Sunny Hills High in Fullerton, California. He also excelled as a student, graduating in the top 50 of a class of 550.

A high school All American quarterback as a sophomore and junior, Carter signed a letter of intent to play football at UCLA. But when he tore the ligaments in his right knee while playing football his senior year, he decided instead to sign a professional baseball contract with the Montreal Expos.

In 1973 Carter went to his first major league spring training camp, where he was assigned to room with another catcher, John Boccabella.

"He was twice my age," Carter said. "And I figured I could learn a lot from him. He taught me a ton about baseball. But what really stood out to me was how he lived his life."

They became good friends, and Carter talked with him about losing his mother. BoccabeJla gave him Bible verses to read and shared with him that the secret of the peace he experienced was a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Soon after getting to know Boccabella, Carter asked Christ into his life and finally came to terms with his mother's death.

"Since that day," Carter said, "everything in my life has taken on new meaning. I have learned I don't have to run away from my problems, because God gives me the power to face up to them. The best decision I ever made was asking Christ into my life."

After ten highly productive seasons with the Montreal Expos, Carter was traded to the New York Mets in 1985. He drove in 100 or more runs his first two seasons with the Mets, and his inspired play helped lead the Mets into the World Series against the Red Sox in 1986.
Carter said that it's not unusual for him to feel that God is with him as he goes to bat In fact, he enjoys the pressure situations.

"I just pray in my heart about it," he says, "then I go up there, and I feel like He gives me something extra."

The San Francisco Giants signed him prior to the 1990 season, and he shared the catching duties most of the season with Terry Kennedy. He hit a respectable .254 and also belted nine home runs in less than 250 at-bats.

Carter believes that a ballplayer's faith should make a difference in his on-the-field performance.

"As athletes, we're blessed with the ability to play the game," he said. "If you're able to look in the mirror and say, 'Hey, I gave it my very best,' it's between you and God. And if you're shortchanging yourself, you're the one to blame. So I've always taken that out on the field every day, and it's made me a better ballplayer. Because I don't ever try to underachieve. I always try to overachieve."

''This article, parts of which have been contemporized, first appeared in ''Teen Quest'', November 1991.''

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter''. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]][[category:1990s]]

Hall of Famer Gary Carter was once a San Francisco Giant

2025-04-03T15:49:23Z

MattSieger: Gary Carter, the Hall of Fame catcher, played for the San Francisco Giants in 1990. when I interviewed him

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

''Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter passed away in 2012 at age 57 from brain cancer. My interview with him for this article took place in 1990 at Candlestick Park when he was s San Francisco Giant.''

[[File:Carter,G-011.jpg]]

'''Gary Carter'''

''photo courtesy of @S.F. Giants''

It was the 1986 World Series-the New York Mets versus the Boston Red Sox-and Gary Carter, catcher for the Mets, played a key role. In game four, he hit two home runs to tie the Series at two games each. But his biggest contribution came in the tenth inning of game six in one of the most exciting comebacks in World Series history.

The Mets trailed in the Series, three games to two. They were losing 5-3 as they batted in the last of the tenth. With two outs and nobody on base, Carter came to the plate. The Red Sox were one out away from winning the World Series.

"I felt that God was going to bat with me," Carter said of that moment "I felt so confident."

He lined a base hit into left field. The next two Mets also got hits. Then, after a passed ball allowed the tying run to score, Mookie Wilson hit a ground ball that went through the legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, giving the Mets a 6-5 victory. New York went on to win game seven and become the World Series champions.

During the post-game celebration in the Mets clubhouse, Bob Costas of NBC called Carter to the microphone for an interview.

"They had me up on the platform," Carter remembers, "and he ICostas] said, 'Well, Gary, what do you think about all this?' And I said, 'Well, first of all, I want to give all the glory and praise to Jesus.' "

Carter's remark caught Costas off guard and probably surprised many in the national television audience as well.

But this 11-time All-Star catcher has never held back; he is quick to give the credit for his success on the ball field and in life to his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

From 1990-2021, Carter held the National League for most games caught. Twice named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star game, he also won the Gold Glove award three times.
Nicknamed "The Kid" for his enthusiasm for the game of baseball, Carter is seldom at a loss for words. He is also rarely too busy to sign an autograph or to talk with a young fan.

Carter lost his mother to leukemia when he was 12 years old and said he will always have a place in his heart for any child who has lost a parent His faith in God actually arose out of the doubts that he experienced after his mother's death.

"We were a church-going family," Carter said, "and we had known the Lord as a loving God. I didn't understand why the Lord would take someone away as dear as Mom at age 37, who was loved by her family. Why would this tragedy happen?”

With these questions in the back of his mind, Carter immersed himself in sports during his teenage years. He was captain of the baseball, basketball 'and football teams as a junior and senior at Sunny Hills High in Fullerton, California. He also excelled as a student, graduating in the top 50 of a class of 550.

A high school All American quarterback as a sophomore and junior, Carter signed a letter of intent to play football at UCLA. But when he tore the ligaments in his right knee while playing football his senior year, he decided instead to sign a professional baseball contract with the Montreal Expos.

In 1973 Carter went to his first major league spring training camp, where he was assigned to room with another catcher, John Boccabella.

"He was twice my age," Carter said. "And I figured I could learn a lot from him. He taught me a ton about baseball. But what really stood out to me was how he lived his life."

They became good friends, and Carter talked with him about losing his mother. BoccabeJla gave him Bible verses to read and shared with him that the secret of the peace he experienced was a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Soon after getting to know Boccabella, Carter asked Christ into his life and finally came to terms with his mother's death.

"Since that day," Carter said, "everything in my life has taken on new meaning. I have learned I don't have to run away from my problems, because God gives me the power to face up to them. The best decision I ever made was asking Christ into my life."

After ten highly productive seasons with the Montreal Expos, Carter was traded to the New York Mets in 1985. He drove in 100 or more runs his first two seasons with the Mets, and his inspired play helped lead the Mets into the World Series against the Red Sox in 1986.
Carter said that it's not unusual for him to feel that God is with him as he goes to bat In fact, he enjoys the pressure situations.

"I just pray in my heart about it," he says, "then I go up there, and I feel like He gives me something extra."

The San Francisco Giants signed him prior to the 1990 season, and he shared the catching duties most of the season with Terry Kennedy. He hit a respectable .254 and also belted nine home runs in less than 250 at-bats.

Carter believes that a ballplayer's faith should make a difference in his on-the-field performance.

"As athletes, we're blessed with the ability to play the game," he said. "If you're able to look in the mirror and say, 'Hey, I gave it my very best,' it's between you and God. And if you're shortchanging yourself, you're the one to blame. So I've always taken that out on the field every day, and it's made me a better ballplayer. Because I don't ever try to underachieve. I always try to overachieve."

''This article, parts of which have been contemporized, first appeared in ''Teen Quest'', November 1991.''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:Famous characters]][[category:1990s]]

File:Carter,G-011.jpg

2025-04-03T15:35:21Z

MattSieger:

Gary Carter as a San Francisco Giant

Bay Area Lost Ballparks

2025-03-24T19:24:20Z

MattSieger:

''' Historical Essay '''

''by Matt Sieger''

[[File:Lost Ballparks.jpg]]

'''This coffee table book by Dennis Evanosky and Eric J. Kos is a treasury of beautiful old photographs and compelling history of 58 ballparks that are no longer standing.
'''

Dennis Evanosky and Eric J. Kos put together a marvelous coffee table book called “Lost Ballparks,” with stunning photographs of 58 ballparks that are no longer standing.

The stories recounted here are from their book:

'''Ewing Field, San Francisco, demolished 1938'''

Off of Masonic Street in San Francisco between Turk and Anza streets is a small street called Ewing Terrace, which swings off Masonic to form a neat circle. This circular terrace stands where baseball fans gathered in 1914 to cheer for the San Francisco Seals in Ewing Field, abandoned by the Seals after one season.

From 1907 to 1930, with the exception of that one season, the Seals of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) played their home games at Recreation Park. James Calvin “Cal” Ewing had become a major owner of the team and listened to the fans’ objections to the short fences and overcrowded bleachers at Recreation Park. So Ewing invested $100,000 in a new ballpark to open in 1914.

But Ewing sold his interest in the team before the season began to the Berry brothers, who questioned the wisdom of playing at Ewing Field because of the weather. It turned out they were right, as San Francisco’s fog frequently settled over the field at game time. The wind could be treacherous as well. Not only that, but fans could watch the game for free by climbing up to the top of nearby Lone Mountain.

Ewing Field went on to host local amateur games, a circus, an opera and other events. But in 1926 the supposedly fireproof stadium caught fire. It sat vacant until 1938 when a local construction company purchased the land and demolished the ballpark later that year.

'''Oaks Park, Emeryville, flattened 1957'''

No relation to the modern-day Oakland Athletics, the Oaks of the PCL broke ground on a new ballpark in Emeryville in 1913. It was located near the intersection of Park and San Pablo avenues and could accommodate 10,000 fans.

The Oaks won the pennant in 1927 and won two more, in 1948 under legendary coach Casey Stengel and in 1950, when Billy Martin played 29 games with the Oaks after the Yankees sent him down to the AAA club.

Crowds were falling off in the deteriorating park in the 1950s and in 1955 they moved to Vancouver, Canada and became the Vancouver Mounties. Today they are the Albuquerque Isotopes of the PCL.

Oaks Park was demolished in 1957. In 2000, animation studio Pixar built its campus on the location of the park. It is now a parking lot for the filmmaker.

'''Seals Stadium, San Francisco, demolished 1959'''

Home to the San Francisco Seals, the stadium opened on April 7, 1931. It held 16,000 fans.

In 1948, the Seals set a season record for attendance for a minor league team that stood for 40 years with 670,000 fans. That success inspired struggling big league East Coast teams to move west. In 1953 the Boston Braves relocated to Milwaukee. The Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics two years later. The Brooklyn Dodgers became the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958, and the New York Giants moved to San Francisco that same year.

Ironically, the rivalry between the West Coast Giants and Dodgers overshadowed the rivalry between the Seals and the Oakland Oaks. The Giants opened the 1958 season at Seals Stadium and the Seals departed for Phoenix that same year.

The Giants played two seasons at the stadium before moving to Candlestick Park in 1960. Seals Stadium was demolished in November 1959. The site is now the Potrero Center shopping mall. A plaque on the sidewalk at 16th and Bryant streets commemorates this lost ballpark.

'''Candlestick Park, San Francisco, erased 2015'''

Although the Giants played two seasons in Seals Stadium, it was never intended to be their permanent home field. Part of the deal with the Giants moving west from New York was that the city would build the team a new stadium.

The city bought 65 acres at Candlestick Point and settled on the name Candlestick Park on March 3, 1959, after a name-the-park contest.

Architect John Bolles designed the park like a horseshoe, open in the outfield, which turned the stadium into a virtual wind tunnel. The place was so cold and windy that some fans returned their season tickets for refunds.

Candlestick was the first modern baseball stadium built entirely of reinforced concrete, which served it well on October 17, 1989, when the Loma Prieta Earthquake struck during Game 3 of the “Bay Bridge” World Series.

The outfield area was fully enclosed when the 49ers moved from Kezar Stadium to Candlestick Park in 1971. But the enclosure did not tame the wind, as it still swirled around the stadium’s interior.

The Giants played their last game at Candlestick on September 30, 1999, before moving to AT&T Park (now Oracle Park). The 49ers played at Candlestick until December 23, 2013. With no more tenants, the stadium would face the wrecking ball, but not before Paul McCartney played a concert there on August 14, 2014, some 48 years after he had sung at Candlestick as a member of the Beatles.

Let's toss in one more vanished baseball field for good measure -- the stadium in New York City where the Giants played before moving to San Francisco:

'''Polo Grounds, New York, razed 1964
'''

The New York Giants originally played in a polo grounds and the name of their adopted ballpark stuck. They moved into a second version of the park in 1889 and a third in 1891, situated below Coogan’s Bluff in Harlem. This site served as the team’s home until 1957.

When the stadium was full, those fans without tickets gathered atop Coogan’s Bluff to watch the game for free. It was at the Polo Grounds that Harry M. Stevens single-handedly revolutionized ballpark concessions by popularizing scorecards and inventing the hot dog.

The third Polo Grounds, made entirely of wood, burned to the ground on April 14, 1911. Construction began immediately on a new, ornate one with a horseshoe-shaped, steel and concrete grandstand and 34,000 seats. The Polo Grounds had the deepest center field in baseball, but the right-field foul pole was just 257 feet from home plate.

From 1913 through 1922 the Giants shared the Polo Ground with the Yankees. Babe Ruth slugged .796 from 1920 to 1922.

In 1956, with Giants’ attendance figures suffering badly, Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley talked Giants owner Horace Stoneham into moving to San Francisco. The New York Mets, an expansion team intended to replace the Giants and Dodgers, played (badly) in the Polo Grounds under manager Casey Stengel in 1962 and 1963. The stadium fell to the wrecking ball in 1964. An enormous housing project now sits below Coogan’s Bluff where the ballpark once stood.

''Matt Sieger, now retired, is a former sports reporter and columnist for ''The Vacaville Reporter'', where a version of this article first appeared. He is the author of [https://www.amazon.com/God-Squad-Born-Again-Francisco-Giants/dp/1631322079/ The God Squad: The Born-Again San Francisco Giants of 1978].''

[[category:Baseball]] [[category:1910s]][[category:1920s]] [[category:1930s]] [[category:1940s]][[category:1950s]][[category:1960s]]