Right?

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DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Right?

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Wed Aug 18, 2021 9:47 am

We live in a time when everybody thinks they're more right than the next fella. I don't know what has caused this.
Maybe it's the internet.
Maybe it's politics.
Maybe it is just the way we have evolved.
I don't know.
It's just the way our world revolves.

I am in the midst of reading Jim Bouton. Not "Ball Four", Bouton's splendid book. This is his biography.
There is a story in the book that Bouton has made it to the Big Leagues.
It was April, 1962.
Not only had he made it to the Big Leagues. He had made it with the Yankees.
The Yankees who had been in many World Series. Including the last two.
They came into 1962, again, World Champions.

Bouton was treated as an afterthought. Just another Rookie. The Yankees didn't need him to win World Series. They showed they can do that with or without Bouton.
So Bouton sat on the bench waiting for his chance.
In the middle of April, he got to mop up in a game. He threw three scoreless innings, earning some trust.
12 days later, Ralph Houk, the Manager of the Yankees, told Bouton that he would be starting their next game.
Bouton threw a complete game shutout.

Now...I want you to think about that for a second.....
Bouton throws three innings.
And 12 days later...throws a Complete Game shutout.

There was no 'building up' of Bouton's arm to throw more pitches.
And they sure as Hell did not count pitches.
All they knew was that they needed a raw pitcher to start a game for them.
During the game, they liked how he was retiring the opposition, so they left him in.
Those were the days.

Now, we have the 'right' way of doing things.
Pitches are counted.
Starters are built up to throw those counted pitches.
And for some reason, it is preferable to build up those pitches in the Minor Leagues.
And with this 'system' that is 'right', we have far more pitching injuries now than during Bouton's era.
BUT, everybody is doing it....so it must be right.

In the 1960's, winning was more important than money.
Let me repeat that.
WINNING WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MONEY
Can you even imagine ANY pitcher not being used for 12 days today?
Heck no.
Players are not thought of as a better chance of winning or losing the way Bouton was perceived.
Instead, players now are viewed as a product.
A product that must be used.
It's the right thing to do.
Everybody does it.
So it must be right.
Right?
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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