Kuzul

Dear Jayson and Ruben,

As you well know, the past few years have been a very special time for the Philadelphia Phillies and their loyal fanbase.  

Four division titles, three trips to the NLCS, two National League Pennants, and a World Series ring is the type of remarkable success that has not been common place in this city.

Every game is a playoff atmosphere with standing room only crowds filling arguably the best venue in all of sports. 

Baseball pundits and fans have debated whether this is the best era in team history—or even in Philly sports altogether. The “dynasty” word was being tossed around pretty freely, but regrettably has been shelved for now with the Phillies premature postseason exit this year. 

I think you could both agree that the Phillies still have some unfinished business. 

Ruben, it surely won’t help the cause if Jayson is wearing a different uniform next season.

Some argue that top prospect Domonic Brown is waiting in the wings, and that this is part of baseball’s natural order.  Although he showed some flashes, Brown’s three-month tour with the big club highlighted that he’s probably not quite ready for prime time. 

And importantly, he swings from the left-side. After the way the Giants lined up lefties in the NLCS to shut down the Phillies left leaning lineup, tipping the scales further in that direction clearly wouldn’t improve the team’s championship aspirations. 

Left field in 2012 sounds just about right. 

A lineup with Brown replacing Jayson in 2011 would likely have Charlie Manuel asking for volunteers to move to the right-side to balance things out like a US Airways Express flight attendant.  

Besides providing an important right-handed threat amongst the left-handed sluggers, Jayson contributes to winning in so many other ways.  

His athleticism, instincts and rocket-launcher arm make him one of the best right-fielders in baseball. He gets on base a lot, and then possesses the speed, aggressiveness, and hustle to freely move around them.  

Did I mention that Jayson is the National League’s all-time postseason leader in home runs? For a team setting its annual goal to win it all, isn’t having proven big game performers critically important? 

He is a true gamer whose total contributions sometimes only show up on the stat sheets in the win column. Additionally, keying in on a non-Sabermetric stat, he ranks very high in “cool” factor 

Jayson had it right when he said a few weeks ago, “Why mess with a winning formula?”

And, Jayson, it is very doubtful that you can replicate the electric atmosphere of Citizen’s Bank Park, not to mention the tremendous camaraderie and chemistry with your teammates.  

Speaking of the baseball stadium, wouldn’t you agree that it is pretty much ideal for a player of your skills?

You are a perfect fit for this club and this city. And they are a perfect fit for you. 

Why would you want to mess with a winning formula? Why not choose to remain as a key component of something very special that will be recognized in this town for generations to come?

You will be financially set for life with your next contract— here or elsewhere. Why accept anything less than the ideal situation— namely Philadelphia. 

I suspect the past few years have been among, if not the best times in your life. Why walk away from more of the same for a little extra money?

Wouldn’t you miss all your close friends in The Bank’s right field bleachers? Why risk a case of writer’s cramp sending out postcards to stay in touch?

Let’s face it, Ruben and Jayson, you need each other. And, Phillies teammates and fans need you to need each other.

So, how can we work this out? 

Jayson, although it might not be in your agent’s DNA, perhaps you could whisper in his ear to negotiate nicely with the Phillies because they are like family. Tell him that RAJ didn’t really intend to make you look bad when he mentioned that RISP stuff. 

After all, didn’t the Phillies take a risk on you when others wouldn’t and then provide the perfect surroundings for you to flourish? That sounds like family to me.   

And, how about telling that agent you’re up for a hometown discount?  

Ruben, think about how difficult it would be to fill the gaping hole in the lineup and in right when it comes time to negotiate. 

Remember, too, there’s nothing wrong with being creative. A trade here, a future expiring contract there, a deferred payment here, an advertising rate bump there— and you might be able to sell it up the line.  

Consider also that Jayson had something to do with those 100-plus consecutive sellouts. Fans are willing to pay to see winning teams, especially those comprised of winning, likable players with a work ethic. 

He’s not going to come cheap, but isn’t he worth it? (Or, if you prefer, Werth it?) Proven five-tool players are hard to come by— lets not let him go the way of Cliff Lee.  

Surely, seeing the Giants players dancing on the field last week has to make both of you want to take another crack at getting it right next year. Heck, a few more rings could fit on those hands, so why stop there?

Can’t we do this together? Lets finish business the way it was intended. 

Best Regards,

Gary

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Fake bearded towel waving Giants fans watched as Matt Cain was able to deliver a crushing defeat to the heavy hitting Texas Rangers, and for many fans, the idea of capturing their first World Series since 1954 is but a stone’s throw away.

Cain kept his 0.00 postseason ERA intact going nearly eight as he dazzled and confounded the Rangers’ hitters, while postseason veteran Edgar Renteria did the rest, going 2-4 with a key home-run in the fifth inning that got things going.

And boy did they go.

Another game in which the Giants overwhelmed the Rangers with a monster inning—seven runs in the eighth inning this time—and they did it with no men on and two outs, leaving some very critical questions on the table as the Texas Rangers head back to Arlington.

This Rangers team was supposed to out hit the Giants, but instead have been out hit themselves.

This Rangers team was supposed to, at the very least, match arms with the Giants rotation, but have seen two of their best postseason pitchers literally man handled.

And that was inside a very pitcher friendly park.

Now the series moves back to an Arlington Park that is known for affording hitters with great success, and one has to wonder if this Rangers team can slow down the torture that cometh.

But it isn’t just about slowing the Giants down.

The old adage location, location, location has been the key to every team’s demise who has faced the Dirty Dozen, so every pitch simply has to be perfect. These Giants hitters are patient, crafty and have found a way to adjust to pretty much anything you throw at them.

But that’s not all.

Their defense is nearly impenetrable, their pitching is nearly unhittable, and 20 runs in two World Series games is unthinkable.

Right on par for Halloween.

So the question now is how will the Rangers reverse what has been done. It seems as if they have done all they can to win a ball game, but to no avail.

Well this is also a team that can’t be overlooked.

Much like the Phillies, the Rangers have extremely good bats in their lineup, and extremely good pitching left to be used, so the Texas Rangers’ bats will have to come alive in Game 3 if they are to believe they even have a shot at winning this thing.

The pitching is a no-brainer: stop pitching these guys inside and over the middle.

It’s almost as if everybody still wants to challenge this team’s legitimacy as a true hitting ball club. Well guess what, they are!

If you’re going to pitch to the dirty dozen, then you must dig deep for that nasty, dirty stuff.

Sloping curves to the corners, changeups and breaking balls that break to the outside and anything else you can whip up that doesn’t sail over the middle of the plate. And hang in the zone like a feather without any wind under it.

The series is quickly turning into a lopsided contest, something the Giants want. So if the Rangers want to show up, now would be a good time.

For the Giants, the only stigma left to be avoided is turning into the 1981 Yankees.

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Yankees and Red Sox.

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Getting an opportunity to play in Major League Baseball doesn’t come without sacrifice and hard work. Everyone that gets there goes a different route in realizing their dreams.

Some players have more obstacles in front of them than others, which make the success of San Francisco Giants’ second baseman Freddy Sanchez quite remarkable.

If Sanchez is to go on and become the most valuable player of the World Series, it would top an already incredible career that has included three All-Star appearances and a National League batting crown.

Born with a pigeon-toed left foot and a club right foot, Sanchez’s parents were faced with the fear that he might never walk. But surgery at a young age helped correct the problem.

Sanchez grew up across the street from the baseball field at Burbank High School, about 20 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles. Having covered many of Burbank’s games during Freddy’s four years there, the Bulldogs were definitely on tough times, even though they made a brief playoff appearance during Sanchez’s junior year.

In his four years, there were three varsity baseball coaches, the last of which passed away just a short time after Sanchez graduated from high school.

Success was not something Burbank was used to. It hadn’t produced a big leaguer since Ralph Botting, who briefly appeared for the California Angels in 1979 and 1980.

The talent around Sanchez was clearly the worst in the five and later six-team Foothill League, which included schools from the Santa Clarita Valley, a baseball hotbed.

But Sanchez, who played shortstop, managed to earn the Foothill League’s Most Valuable Player award his senior year. The honor was remarkable because Burbank did not finish amongst the league’s top three teams, and thus missed the playoffs.

It was even more remarkable because of the division of the six teams in the league. Four of the six were based in Santa Clarita, with Burbank and its crosstown rival, Burroughs, being the others. Some within the two programs in Burbank felt they were at a clear disadvantage when it came to voting amongst coaches in the all-league meeting since it was perceived that the schools in the two cities stuck together in the voting.

Sanchez was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 30^th round out of high school, but did not sign and decided to go to nearby Glendale Community College. This way he was able to stay close to his parents and his high school sweetheart Alissa, who was a grade behind him. They would later marry.

After two years at Glendale, Sanchez transferred. But he didn’t make the jump a Division I program. Instead he ended up at Dallas Baptist University, an NAIA school for his junior year. He stayed just one year and spent his senior year at Oklahoma City University, where he was named an NAIA All-Star in 2000.

From there Sanchez was drafted in the 11^th round by the Boston Red Sox, an organization that generally spends money on high-priced free agents and is generally not prospect friendly.

Sure enough, Sanchez was eventually shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates, a club that was very similar to his high school team.

But it was in Pittsburgh where Sanchez thrived, winning the 2006 batting title and earning three All-Star appearances.

However in 2009 the club had continued to struggle and with doubts over whether Sanchez wanted to sign a long-term contract, it decided to rebuild again by trading him to the Giants.

More than a year later, Sanchez became the first player in Major League history to collect doubles in his first three World Series at-bats.

Miracles are no longer linked with Freddy Sanchez, so it would not be a surprise to see him win his sport’s ultimate prize.

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Not repeating and no longer reigning as champions was not the game plan the New York Yankees had at the start of the 2010 season.

Losing the ALCS to the Texas Rangers was heartbreaking. The Bombers elimination seemed almost unreal, as the Yankees were the stronger ball-club all season long.

The blame-game is in full swing in New York, pointing fingers at Skipper Joe Girardi for his managerial calls and GM Brian Cashman not facing a team of over-the-hill players in time.

Yankees Universe is spoiled and winning it all is the only mark of achievement. Any outcome otherwise is considered a failed season, but this rigid motto is what players sign up for the moment they put on the pinstripes. Call it whatever you want, but it has led the franchise to the most elite status in sports.

What needs to happen in the offseason to get the Yankees back on top in 2011?

Here are the five I want to see happen:

1) Go get Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee is sure be on the top of Cashman’s list.

Lee just bombed his first World Series start and if he repeats a piss poor, performance maybe he could come cheaper. Not by that much, but Lee is 33 and has had back problems in the past. Regardless, Lee went from a want to a necessity today after hearing some startling news from the Yankees.

First, ace CC Sabathia has to have knee surgery later this week for a small meniscus tear in his right knee; while not serious, it is not comforting news at all. CC is physically enormous standing at 6’7″, weighing 309 lbs and at 30-years-old, which is implementing some serious stress on his body. CC threw 3,903 pitches in 2010, not including spring training. This was a concern when the Yankees signed Sabathia, as the odds were all stacked against him being able to avoid injuries like this one down the road. Finally, Yankees fans got a concrete clarification behind Sabathia’s why postseason struggles just came out of left field. Sabathia waved his option to remain for the rest of his five years in pinstripes.

Secondly, Girardi came clean as to the reason he switched Hughes and Pettitte in the rotation for the ALCS. Everyone was quick to blame the Yankees skipper for another horrible stat-based decision. Then today, the news broke that Pettitte felt off during his final start against the Twins in the ALDS. Smartly, Girardi played it extra cautious by switching him and Hughes to give Pettitte and extra two days off.

Add the above to AJ Burnett’s mental state and Phil Hughes inexperience making the rotation too risky. Get Cliff Lee and all will be ideal again.

2) Renegotiate reliever Kerry Wood’s contract and sign him on for two more years. Wood was a huge reason the Yankees won games in the second half of the season. Wood still throws heat form the mound, has a dominating presence and his experience eludes his confidence. I believe Wood is an inspiration and mentor for Joba Chamberlain, who significantly improved once Wood arrives. Also, god forbid Mariano Rivera becomes mortal, but at 41-years-old, it is going to happen. Wood can help the transition go smoothly from the baseball side during this unthinkable time.

3) Grab a position player that has proven his merit already, but do not spend the money on Tampa Bay Rays Carl Crawford. Crawford will be a fortune to acquire and with all the money going out to resign Jeter, Rivera, Girardi and hopefully Lee the Yankees can go cheaper. Crawford’s personality is something of concern because he can be quite immature at times and not always a team player. Crawford’s hard work after the 2009 season was not for the Rays, but for his pending free agency contract. Obviously any player wants to do his best to get the most money, but you can still be a team player at the same time. New York City will swallow Crawford with the instant celebrity status, which Rays players do not receive in Tampa Bay.

Philadelphia Phillies Jayson Werth would be perfect in pinstripes, but beware of his recent hiring of agent Scott Boras who might shop Werth with too big a price tag. Werth is older, so he will come cheaper than Crawford without a doubt, plus Phillies players are icons at home so he is used to all the craziness. Boras will go right to Cashman and Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, as he knows how to drive up the price. Still, even if money wasn’t an object, I truly believe that Werth is a better fit for the Yankees.

4) What about keeping Marcus Thames? Thames could mainly be a DH because Jorge Posada will catch some games next season, despite all the hype that he is finished. Posada hits better when he catches, and Thames has been a productive DH right off the bench. Also, Thames can play in the outfield to give guys some more days off to help avoid pre-postseason injuries. For the 2010 regular season, Thames hit 12 home runs (nine as a DH) and 33 RBIs (24 as a DH) in 212 at-bats. In the postseason, Thames hit in clutch situations, hitting .364 in his first 12 at-bats, with one home run, three RBIs and striking out just once. Thames is great in the clubhouse, has the right attitude and works so hard just to help anyway he is asked. Thames should stay in pinstripes for 2011.

5) Hopefully Cashman won’t trade away catching prospect Jesus Montero for some over-the-hill all-star, whose name is big, but skills are good for maybe a half-a-season. Yankees fans have been drooling over Montero for two seasons, just waiting to see if the budding star is the real deal.

The same excitement swirled around outfielder Austin Jackson for even longer, but before he made it to the Bronx, Jackson was the main player in the trade for now Yankees Curtis Granderson. Granderson has been excellent in the second half and overall a solid person, so things worked out in the end. Still, the Tigers had a phenomenal, young outfielder whose athletics expand beyond the baseball field. Jackson was offered scholarships to play Division 1 basketball at Top 10 colleges. Jackson is in contention for the AL Rookie of the Year so stay tuned to see if he wins it.

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NOTE: PLAY THE  BELOW MUSIC WHILE YOU READ THIS ARTICLE

The San Francisco Union-Giants marched onto the fields at AT&T Gettysburg under an orange and black sky on this day of 27 October 2010.

General Lee (Cliff) looked to continue his invasion northward after successful campaigns against Fort Tampa and the Yankee outpost in the Bronx.

In the opening rounds of battle, General Lee attempted to flank the Union-Giants with cut fastballs and outlandishly wild curves.

But Calvary Captain Freddy Sanchez and Colonel Aubrey Huff were prepared for this tactic and managed several counter maneuvers, firing doubles to right field.

Lee’s face revealed his thoughts, “this is not going to be like previous battles.”

Furthermore, the doubles were the beginning of an onslaught to the right flank that left Confederate grunt Vladimir Guerrero bloody, limbless and concussed.

With the Confederate Rangers rolling through the countryside of late and Lee evoking the ghost of Julius Caesar, winning this critical battle would be a huge turning point in this World Series War.

Both Generals Lee and Lincecum seemed a little spooked by the magnitude of the battle in the early rounds.

After the first two rounds of battle General Lincecum was in mid-retreat and losing 2-0, but several of his mates,  Cannoneer Juan Uribe and Major Edgar Renteria, made dazzling saves in the field to prevent an even greater deficit.

Meanwhile, General Lincecum took several buck shots to the leg, but bravely fought on.

In the third round of battle, the tide began to change for the Union-Giants.

They spotted Lee with grunt Michael Young, and witnessed Young abandon his General with a costly error. With Lee alone, Scout Andres Torres cornered him and took one for the team in close combat.

That set the stage for Captain Sanchez, who took aim and blasted Lee with a double shot to left center field.

Private First Class Gerald “Buster” Posey, a Southerner by birth but fighting for the North, got his opportunity. He pounded Lee with a golden bullet from his revolver and the score was tied at 2.

Lee’s Confederate mates finally dragged him off his mound bloody and bruised, but not beaten.

The night was still young and the battle would rage on.

General Lincecum kept the pressure on by breezing through the next two rounds of battle.

Then in the bottom of the fifth round of battle, the entire Union-Giant Cavalry arrived with the sound of blaring horns and pounding hooves. Scout Torres fired and landed a double round, followed by a Captain Sanchez double bayonet cut to Lee’s left shoulder.

The tide had turned with the Union-Giants taking a 3-2 lead. Smelling and seeing Lee’s blood, the Union soldiers fought with extra vigor and spirit.

Major Pat Burrell managed a freebie, then Colonel Cody Ross whipped his hatchet into Lee’s left shoulder. The battle score now rested at 4-2 Union-Giants.

Lee’s entire left side was now bleeding profusely. Yet Confederate Senator Ron Washington foolishly believed that Lee could still fight on.

The inspirational leader of the Union-Giants, Colonel Huff, then approached General Lee surreptitiously.

Lee could barely muster a response as Huff grabbed his throat. Lee fired off a harmless shot, which Huff batted right back at him and down his throat.

In close combat, Huff removed his U.S. Union-Giant issued hunting knife from its sheath and cut deeply through and across Lee’s throat, severing his jugular veins and leaving him to gargle and choke to death in his own blood, urine, and feces.

Lee was defeated. His legacy would never be the same. The Union-Giants shouted, “he is not a God!” just as the natives once said after drowning a Spanish Governor.

General Cliff Lee came to Gettysburg an immoral marauder, and left a bloody corpse.

He came to know the meanings of team, divinity, and faith through the acts of the heroes that slayed him.

The world was at peace.

But the Confederate army refused to wave the white flag. So President Bruce Bochy brought out the canons and Cannoneer Juan Uribe.

Uribe fired one massive blast into the heart of the Confederate Army. It was final.

The Union-Giants defeated the Confederate Rangers on 27 October 2010 by a battle score of 11-7.

AT&T Gettysburg would not give way to the invaders.

President Bochy rose to the podium and addressed the gathered:

Two score and twelve years ago our fathers brought forth to this coast a new team, conceived in wood and leather, and dedicated to the proposition that Giants are created superior.

Now we are engaged in a great baseball war, testing whether the Giants, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that World Series War.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those Giants who here gave their lives that the team might live: Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Bonds Sr and Jr, Clark, Krukow, Mitchell, Williams, Kent, Nenn, Aurilia, and more than can be listed.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave Giants, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what the Giants did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which the Giants who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead Giants we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead Giants shall not have died in vain—that this Giant-nation, under God, shall have a new championship—and that their Superiority, of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Battle Commendations

Freddy Sanchez: Silver Star

Juan Uribe: Congressional Medal of Valor

Aubrey Huff: Silver Bullet

Tim Lincecum: Purple Heart

Message delivered via Pigeon Post…. from Union-Giant Scribe Ray Brennan…

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Quick.  When was the last time a Texas team won the World Series?

If almost never was your answer, then you are wrong, baseball breath. Since the World Series started in 1902, teams from Texas have won zip, zero, or zilch.

One WS appearance in 107 years by the state of Texas is listed. Phil Garner’s Astros lost to Ozzie Guillen’s South Siders in 2005. 

Think fast.  When was the last time an African-American manager won the World Series?

Ron Washington hopes to join both lists, and he has a monster of a hitting team to help. 

Back in July, I predicted the Rangers would upset the Yankees.  My Yankees friends laughed.

They ain’t laughing now.  I told them Texas had too much hitting.

The pitching ain’t too bad, either. Cliff Lee’s cut fastball speaks for itself in three different languages: Strikes one, two, and three.

The Giants get home field advantage because the NL All-Stars won the game this year, the first time since Arizona had it in 2001.

Thank manager Joe Girardi for keeping A-Rod on the bench in the All-Star Game. 

Will the first African-American manager in Rangers history deliver their first World Series title?

He will have to go through chilly California to do it.

Christened for the 2000 season, AT&T Park sits on San Francisco Bay at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. China Basin, aka McCovey Cove, is part of the Bay just beyond right field. The ballpark was once one of the largest 802.11b wireless hotspots in the world.

Playing there over the years, Texas is colder than a Frisco Fourth of July; they have yet to win a game in nine tries. They are 0-11 anywhere in Frisco going back to Candlestick Park.

The pitcher-friendly ballpark on the waterfront is prime Frisco real estate, and home runs may be minimalized.

The general description of this matchup is that Texas has plenty pop, while Frisco has plenty pitching.

Which team closes the deal before foreclosure kicks in?

Seven Rangers batted over .300 in the ALCS against the Yankees. That is more than the legendary Gas House Gang, the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals, who had five hitters batting at least .300 for the regular season.

Baseball stingers Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero and Nelson Cruz have their eyes on the ball.

The Giants had four batters over .300 in the NLCS against Philly, including pitcher Jonathan Sanchez, who was one-for-three.

San Francisco’s starters posted a 2.92 earned-run average against the vaunted Phillies. Texas’ starters were at 5.36 against the Yankees.

What about team defense, you ask?

Vlad the Baseball Impaler started 16 regular season outfield games.  Right fielder for Game 1, Guerrero once owned baseball’s most feared field gun. Now is he a liability next to one of the best center fielders in the game?

Defensive insurance was Wash’s forté as Oakland’s third base and infield coach.

Young was a shortstop who made way for Elvis Andrus—a Wash favorite.  Rangers broadcasters questioned Andrus’ ability last season.  No more.  He catalyzes high-scoring Texas on offense and defense.

One could say he eats bases, and base-hits, like Lassie being fed at first.

Wash came to dinner in the ALCS and left with a doggy bag of gourmet wins.

A pennant and an American League championship trophy later, Sidney Poitier should throw out the first WS pitch. Poitier started in the classic Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner? with Katharine Hepburn. Google it.

The Giants defense is suspect, especially behind the plate.  The Rangers should be able to run at will on Lincecum/Posey. But they have to get on base, first, second and last.

Cito Gaston was the last African-American manager to the win the World Series, in 1993.  Ron Washington knows that because I told him in a previous article.

This will be the Bay Area’s first World Series article since Barry Bonds’ squad lost to Anaheim in 2002. San Francisco has gone from a hitting team to a pitching team since he retired.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy starts quirky ace Tim Lincecum tonight in Game 1. Few Ranger have faced Lincecum, whose stuff is filthy.  If someone thinks there is a better fantasy baseball pitcher over the last two seasons, then I say he is delusional.

Lincecum may be the best in real baseball, too.  Fireballer Matt Cain will ably toe the rubber on Thursday night.

Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner are set to start in Arlington.  I would have started Sanchez in Game 2. He pitched a no-hitter at AT&T Park in July 2009. 

Texas owns the road this postseason, and they also shined at home after the first game of the ALCS.

Lee, CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis are the probable starters for the Rangers.

Will Lee humiliate Giants hitters?

I have been a hit with my bold predictions, and this one is no different.

Prediction: Hamilton will help Wash attain managerial glory by hammering Frisco’s right field wall.  Arlington, near Dallas, experienced flooding this year.  McCovey Cove will flood with baseballs fired off the Rangers bats.  Texas wins 4-2.

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On Wednesday, the San Francisco Giants will be taking the field against the Texas Rangers in the 106th edition of baseball’s World Series. The players will be trotting out to their respective positions, digging into the batter’s box and toeing the pitcher’s mound with only one thing on their minds: winning.

Yet 33 years ago, the starting center-fielder for the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers had a lot on his mind. Granted, it was Game 1 of the 1977 World Series. He was technically still a rookie, and was being touted as the Dodgers’ version of Willie Mays.

He was facing one of the most experienced World Series pitchers of all time in Don Gullet, and he was playing his first game ever in historic Yankee Stadium. 

Oh, and he was gay. 

Glenn Burke, still accepted around sports as the first and only player in the big four sports (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA) to come out to his teammates while he was still playing, was in the majors for only four years before his lifestyle seemingly drove him out of the game. Three decades after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, Glenn Burke attempted to break the gay barrier, but sadly their paths were not parallel.

Burke, an Oakland native and Berkeley High two-sport star, was one of the best Bay Area athletes to come out of high school in the 1970s. Remember, this is a region and decade that also produced Rickey Henderson and Claudell Washington, who have played a combined 42 Major League seasons to Burke’s four. And according to them, Burke was still the best talent out of all three.

Burke may have had the talent and the star power personality to match, but when he began to reveal glimpses of his sexuality to his teammates and management, it started him down a slippery slope that was simply to steep to climb back up.

Out. The Glenn Burke Story is an exclusive Comcast SportsNet documentary that chronicles his descent from the World Series to being traded to the Athletics to a voluntary retirement and down into the abyss of drug abuse, homelessness, and AIDS that eventually took his life, and shows how much his story affected many people who have until now been silent. 

Featuring interviews with Dodger teammates Dusty Baker, Davey Lopes and Rick Monday, among others, as well as A’s teammates Claudell Washington, Mike Norris, and Shooty Babitt, Out gets into the nitty-gritty of Burke’s athletic and post-athletic career.

According to almost everyone interviewed, Burke was run out of baseball because he was gay. The Dodgers apparently offered to pay for his wedding and honeymoon if he got married, and when he refused, he was promptly traded to the Athletics. The situation was no better there with manager Billy Martin, and Burke took a leave of absence from the team to clear his head. 

When he decided to come back, it was starkly clear to him that, while he still loved baseball and obviously had the physical tools to play the game, there was no place for a gay man in professional baseball. Burke then took the celebrity that he did have and played it up, spending a majority of his time in San Francisco’s famed Castro District.

Yet his fame ran out, and his party lifestyle turned into one of drug abuse. The tragedy was compounded when Burke contracted AIDS in 1994. But in the last years of his life, the same game of baseball that abandoned him came back to support him in his greatest time of need. 

Out. is being premiered for a public screening at the Castro Theater on Wednesday, November 10, and will be replayed exclusively on Comcast SportsNet on Tuesday, November 16. Tickets for the screening are $5, with all proceeds benefitting Marty’s Place, which once provided a homeless Burke with shelter and care as he coped with the effects of AIDS/HIV. 

For more information, and for ticket sales, please visit Comcast SportsNet’s exclusive information page.

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After the Rangers advanced to the World Series Friday night, Rangers manager Ron Washington celebrated like a proud father. He ran around the field and hugged his players and his coaches. He enjoyed being soaked in champagne/ginger ale.

There was no doubt he enjoyed the moment because he knows how fortunate he is to be in this situation. He could have been out of a job in March or at the end of April.

Sports Illustrated reported that the Rangers manager tested positive for cocaine last year in March. This resulted in him doing a press conference where he apologized to players and management for his actions, and he volunteered to resign.

Fortunately for him, Rangers president of baseball Nolan Ryan rejected Washington’s resignation. He decided to let his beleaguered manager manage until such time that the players gave up on him.

After a mediocre April, there’s no question Washington was up at night worrying about his job. The Rangers played better in May and from there, the team took off. The Rangers were good enough to the point they took a chance in Cliff Lee, and the rest is history.

Washington not only led his team to the playoffs, but he is now four wins away from winning a championship.

This is a good story. This is why we watch sports. We like seeing characters out of people. We like to see if a coach or athlete bounces back from adversity.

His ability to lead through distractions shouldn’t be surprising. He gained experience from it going back to his first year as the Rangers manager.

In 2007, the Rangers were off to a rough start. Washington and Mark Teixeira bickered about the Rangers hitting philosophy. The Rangers manager wanted his petulant player to take better at-bats and go play small ball.

Teixeira took exception when the Rangers manager questioned his approach, and he started pouting. He decided to have his teammates rebel against Washington, and Washington got himself into a mess.

It was either going to be Washington or Teixeira staying. There was no way Teixeira was going to coexist with Washington, and it’s hard to believe Washington would survive if Teixeira stayed on.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels traded Teixeira to the Braves. This gave Washington a chance to get his players back, and the guys played for him that year, despite a losing record.

The Rangers hired Nolan Ryan in 2008 to run the baseball operations. That means Daniels and Washington would have to do well in the 2008 season to have future employment.

Rangers got off to a rough start in April of 2008, and they were ready to fire Washington. If then-Rangers owner Tom Hicks was not out of the country to approve the firing, Washington would be looking for work now.

Washington bought himself some time when the Rangers won against the Twins the night he was supposed to be fired and from there, the team started to play better.

He received a short-term extension. There was no security. The message was Washington had to do it again in 2009.

He did just that when the Rangers had a winning record last year. Now, he will be getting a long-term extension from the Rangers after what he accomplished this year.

What helped Washington survive? His work ethic as a manager stood out. He taught his players how to play good baseball, and he molded the young players into stars.

Nelson Cruz, Elvis Andrus, Josh Hamilton and David Murphy are a good example of what Washington has done.

He never complained about how he was getting a bad deal from fans and several writers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He did his job, and he never worried about it.

He’s old enough to know managers and coaches come and go. Managers never have a happy ending when it’s their time to go. Joe Torre found out the hard way with the Yankees.

He did his job and players respected him for it by playing for him.

Now, everything worked out: The Rangers feel good for sticking with Washington, Washington feels good his work has paid off and the players love playing for Washington.

Is he a good strategist? Probably not. Which manager is today? All Washington can do is put his players in a position to succeed, and it has shown in the last few years.

Will he ever win over his critics? Probably not. There are always fans who love to play the role of manager after every loss. It makes them feel so important.

But no one can take away what he has accomplished as the Rangers manager. Whether he stays for a long time, who knows? If he wins a championship, this would be a great story.

Everyone is happy for him, and rightfully so. The man is a class act.

He is the type of person that anyone would love to be friends with. He is an inspiring figure when he talks.

Know what’s neat about him? He has fun at his job. Just watch his reaction throughout the postseason in the dugout. He’s intense in a fun manner. He hugs his player for every good play out there. He shows genuine reaction.

One can’t help but smile, especially after this writer watches Yankees manager Joe Girardi act smug in the dugout as if he invented the game of baseball.

Often times in sports, the bad guys come out victorious. When teams featured talented punks, they often win in sports. It’s no wonder why Leo Durocher says nice guys finish last.

In this postseason, nice guys can finish first, and Washington showed that.

This article originally appeared on The NY Sports Digest. If its off-beat and it’s about the Mets, Yankees, Knicks, Giants, Jets, Islanders, or Rangers, than The Digest is the spot to get it. Stop with the mega-sites and get a feel for the true pulse of New York at www.NYSportsDigest.com

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Whereas the Texas Rangers are set to go where no Texas Rangers team has gone before; whereas legendary Rangers’ minority owner and president Nolan Ryan is a bona fide baseball man, while Dallas Cowboys owner/president/general manager/attention harlot Jerry Jones is a frustrated-but-overmatched head football coach; whereas, the 1-5 Cowboys still delusionally believe they are “a good team”; whereas Ron Washington, grammatically-challenged and homeless-looking though he may be, is a leader of men while Wade Phillips is a leaner on excuses; and whereas this is my blog and I will dadgum well do as I please, I hereby declare the SilverandBlueblood website the Red-Shoed Rangers site for a day.

So, forget football. Let’s talk World Series. More specifically, let’s talk Dallas (I know the Rangers are in Arlington, but you know the drill: This is Dallas) versus San Francisco, DFW versus the Bay Area. A generation ago, that would mean Cowboys versus the 49ers.

My, how the times have changed.

Which city boasts the best baseball team, or, as Ron Washington likes to say, “The team that played the best on that day,” will be decided over the next few days. But which city is best? Well, I will decide that, thank you very much.

Why? Because I can, and because I am highly qualified to do so.

I am a native Texan, born in Abilene, raised in Mineral Wells, married in Arlington, living in Grand Prairie. However, I lived an hour from San Francisco in the ’80s. I spent many a happy and carefree summer day freezing my butt off by the bay.

Frisco is a world-class city. There is no denying that. It is one-of-a-kind. It has mystique, beauty and charm. Dallas, conversely, is a town of true grit, a go-getter’s paradise. Dallas rises out of the north Texas prairie like a silver-and-chrome debutante emerging from a covered wagon.

The people in San Francisco have that weird, eclectic vibe that says “We’re cool, and we don’t even have to mention it. You know it.” Dallas people are busy adding that third-car garage to their suburban mansion that they may have to abandon soon if Obama isn’t stopped.

The girls in Dallas are definitely more attractive than the drag queens in SF, but the hippies down in the Haight-Ashbury district are more laid back than the gangsters in South Dallas or the uptight yuppies in North Dallas.

San Francisco has Pier 39; Dallas has the Trinity River. San Francisco has Lombard Street; Dallas recently got Cesar Chavez Drive (or Street or Way or whatever), after much wrangling. San Francisco has Ghirardelli Chocolate; Dallas has Frito-Lay.

San Francisco is wine country; Dallas is Dr. Pepper Nation.

San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge; Dallas has the George Bush Turnpike. San Francisco is the heart of the Silicon Valley; Dallas is the heart of the most recession-proof economy in the nation.

San Francisco is the bastion of liberalism; Dallas is the adopted home of President George W. Bush for a reason.

San Francisco has Joe Montana; Dallas has Roger Staubach. Each city’s NFL team has won five Super Bowls, but the 49ers still suck. Right, Cowboys fans?

If you want beauty and charm, go to San Francisco. If you need a job, come to Dallas.

Maybe the deciding factor is sister cities: San Francisco has the misfortune of being just a bay bridge away from that toilet known as Oakland, while Dallas has the western charm and artsy grace of beautiful Fort Worth for its prairie mate. Oakland has Al Davis; Fort Worth has “Hell’s Half-Acre.” The former appears to have spent a few years in the latter.

In the end, give me a piece of San Francisco sourdough bread to go with my Texas barbecue, and I am happy. (Well, that and the knowledge that we have the better baseball team here in Texas.)

Go Rangers.

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