Sergio Mitre Wins His First Game In Two Seasons For The Yankees

Newly minted Yankees starting pitcher Sergio Mitre gave Yankee fans a glimmer of hope for plugging the rotation by pitching 5 2/3 innings in a win over the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night. Recalled from Scranton-Wilkes Barre and making his first MLB start since 2007, Mitre scattered 8 hits and gave up 4 runs (3 earned). With a lifetime record of 10-23 with a 5.36 ERA and a 50 game suspension earlier this season for using performance enhancing drugs, Mitre appeared to be an unlikely candidate for the Yankees rotation. Injuries to the Yankees starters have paved the way for Mitre's redemption. Now that Mitre has put his first win for the Bronx Bombers behind him, the true test will be to see if he can continue to put the Yankees in a position to win as they attempt to keep a lock on first place in the American League East. While Mitre's history of mediocre performance may tell us otherwise, one of baseball's redeeming qualities is that there is that hope for at least this season that Mitre will defy the law of averages and help the Yankees push towards another pennant.

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Hubert "Bert" Simmons, 85, 1924-2009 - Former Negro League Pitcher / Outfielder

Former Negro League pitcher and outfielder Hubert "Bert" Simmons died on Wednesday July 8, 2009 at Seasons Hospice at Northwest Hospital Center in the Baltimore area at the age of 85. Simmons played in 1950 for the Baltimore Elite Giants. With Simmons' passing, the only four known living former Baltimore Elite Giants are James "Red" Moore, Andy Porter, Clyde Parris and Clinton "Butch" McCord.

I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Simmons during the past two Judy Johnson Foundation tributes at the Wilmington Blue Rocks stadium. He was an engaging individual, signing autographs for everyone and readily willing to share his experiences about playing professional baseball and serving in World War II with anyone who asked. We talked about the finer points of throwing a curve ball (his expertise), how he was recruited by Dick Powell to play for Baltimore, and some of his great teammates in Thomas "Pee Wee" Butts, Junior Gilliam, Joe Black and Henry Kimbro. He said that Butts and Gilliam were the best double play combination that he had ever seen. Simmons was also kind enough to pass along some advice on teaching high school students, which has helped me in my journey in education.

Last summer, Simmons was signed by the Baltimore Orioles in the June 2008 Major League Baseball "Negro Leagues Draft", which he said was his greatest honor in baseball. Simmons was held in high regard in the Baltimore area, where he made countless appearances promoting the memory of Negro League baseball. His generosity will be missed, and his memory will live on through the Negro League's Baseball Museum of Maryland where he was co-president. It is located in the Lochearn Presbyterian Church on Patterson Avenue in Baltimore County, and is set to open in September. Here is a video of Simmons and Ray Banks talking about the museum.

Below is an interview from 21st Century Radio with Dr. Bob Hieronimus


For more information on Bert Simmons, explore the following websites:

Baltimore Sun Obituary
Baltimore Afro-American Obituary
North Carolina A+T Baseball Alumni Association Article
Baseball in Wartime - Detailing Bert Simmons' WWII Experience

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Book Review: Eddie Neville of the Durham Bulls by Bill Kirkland

Although published in 1993, Bill Kirkland's, "Eddie Neville of the Durham Bulls," serves as a primer to all major league hopefuls in their quest to make it from the bushes to the big leagues.

Recommended to me by former Eddie Neville teammate Emil Restaino, Kirkland chronicles Neville's playing career from his days toiling in the sandlots of Baltimore, through the shores of the Canal Zone, to his jumping among the rungs of the Detroit Tigers minor league system. Along the way, Neville hangs on to the dream of donning the Tiger uniform, while enduring long bus rides, thrifty owners, and steady doses of winter ball in the off season.

You ride with Neville, as he makes steady progress under the watchful eye Al Kubski in Panama, leading you to believe that he is on the path to the Major Leagues. After posting 28 and 25 win seasons in Tarboro and Durham respectively, he ascends to the highest rank of the Tigers minor league organization, their AAA affiliate in Toledo. Neville struggles at AAA that season, posting a 6-15 record while battling a sore arm. It was as close as Neville would get to the Major Leagues.

Even with a sore arm, Neville displayed tremendous guile that would be his calling card throughout his career. Neville would often will his way to victory, relying on his junk as he slowly began to lose his fastball due to prolonged arm problems. During the 1950 season against first-place Indianapolis, he pitched a 16-inning victory in 90 degree heat, scoring the winning run after hitting a triple at the top of the inning. Neville would add to his legend in Durham, pitching an 18 inning victory in 1952. Such performances are rarely ever seen or heard in modern baseball. His bulldog approach drew praise from fans and sportswriters alike. Neville's reputation would earn him multiple starting day honors for Durham as he rose to the top of the class of the Carolina League. Crowds would flock to Durham Athletic Park every fifth day to see him pitch.

While Neville's stats may recommend that he was due for a promotion, there were questions about his velocity and being difficult to manage. Neville was also passed over to replace his former Durham Bulls manager, NFL Hall of Famer Clarence "Ace" Parker, when Parker took the helm at Duke University. Ironically, Neville would go on to work for 20 years as a buyer in the purchasing department at Duke. He would suffer in his later years from multi-infarct dementia.

Much of the information gathered is courtesy of Neville's diary that he kept while he was playing, and from the vast collection of his wife Janet. Kirkland meticulously combed small-town newspaper articles and conducted interviews with Neville's former teammates to accurately depict the career of Neville. The rare photos of Neville and his teammates from the 1940's and 1950's, including a young Tommy Lasorda from the Canal Zone take you back to when baseball was a reflection of close knit atmosphere of minor league baseball before the era of expansion.

Neville's grandson, Kenneth Villines was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2008. Here is the News Observer article that mentions Neville's legacy as a Durham Bull in relation to his grandson being drafted.

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Prospect Garrett Broshuis Give Tips on Autograph Ettiquite

In his ongoing blog for Baseball America, Giants pitching prospect Garrett Broshuis gives autograph seekers a tutorial on how to respectfully go about obtaining signatures at the park. With fans, collectors and dealers becoming more aggressive in their quest to obtain autographs from the stars of tomorrow, Broshuis offers some common sense tips about patience and manners. Next time you are at a game, follow the advice offered by Broshuis and you should have some success in your quest to obtain an autograph from a player in uniform.

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2nd Annual Showdown in Chinatown Afterparty With Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna

Two worlds descended upon the Hudson Terrace Wednesday evening, as superstars from the NBA and Soccer joined forces to raise funds for both the Steve Nash Foundation and the Claudio Reyna Foundation . Both foundations support the development of urban and disadvantaged youth in sports and education. The official afterparty for the 2nd annual "Showdown in Chinatown" began with a delayed start as the exhibition game earlier in the day was delayed due to rainy conditions. Once nightfall came though, the stars appeared.
Making appearances at the party included professional soccer stars Reyna, Thierry Henry, Adrian Mutu and Javier Zanetti. The NBA was represented by Nash, Chris Bosh and draft prospects Hasheem Thabeet (UConn), Austin Daye (Gonzaga) and Daniel Green (North Carolina).
Nash, the two-time NBA MVP, stated that his, "love for soccer helped to bring both worlds together. I am very passionate about soccer and I have been playing since I was young. This gives me an opportunity to have alot of prominent athletes come together to support the foundations." Reyna also felt optimistic about the gathering and felt that, "anything that can bring awareness to our charities will help further our causes."
For some of those involved, playing soccer was anything but familiar territory. Spectators said that the 6'10" Bosh looked completely out of his element during the exhibition game. Bosh said that he, "never played soccer before, but it was an interesting experience. It was fun being out there." Below are photos of some of the superstar athletes in attendance.

Javier Zanetti

Thierry Henry

Mr.+ Mrs. Adrian Mutu

Hasheem Thabeet

Austin Daye

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TWO-TIME NBA MVP STEVE NASH AND SOCCER GREAT CLAUDIO REYNA HOST “SHOWDOWN IN CHINATOWN”

--The two return to headline a star-studded charity soccer game & after party--

June 17, 2009--New York, NY — Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and soccer great Claudio Reyna announced today that their Showdown in Chinatown is returning for a second year to New York City’s Lower East Side. The Showdown, a free 8-a-side soccer match between teams of NBA and professional soccer players, will kick-off at Sara D. Roosevelt Park at 6pm on June 24 to benefit the work of the Steve Nash Foundation (http://www.stevenash.org) and the Claudio Reyna Foundation (http://www.claudioreynafoundation.org).

“This event gets right at two of my passions — football (soccer) and helping improve conditions for kids,” said Nash. “The Showdown shows off what the world’s top athletes can do, what they’re willing to do to help, and I can’t wait to get on the field. We’ll be right in the middle of the Lower East Side, a phenomenal neighborhood in a beautiful city, just a couple of guys getting a match on.”

Players scheduled to appear include:
Basketball:
Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns) Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Grant Hill (Phoenix Suns), Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), Raja Bell (Charlotte Bobcats)

Soccer:
Claudio Reyna (US/Former NY Red Bull), Thierry Henry (France/FC Barcelona), Javier Zanetti (Argentina/Inter Milan), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast/Chelsea), Ryan Babel (The Netherlands/Liverpool), Giovanni van Bronckhurst (The Netherlands/Feyenoord), Mathieu Flamini (France/AC Milan), Ivan Cordoba (Columbia/Inter Milan), Adrian Mutu (Romania/ACF Fiorentina)

"I’m very excited to be part of bringing soccer to New York City sports fans in a fun, friendly, and unique way. We hope that we can at least match the excitement that was created last year when we had players from the world of soccer and basketball come together to provide great entertainment,” said Reyna.

“It’s a tough time for non-profits across the country,” said Nash, “and we’re so grateful to our partners for supporting our efforts. They all love the game -- ICAP, Medco, Metro PCS, GREY GOOSE Vodka, vitaminwater and Calle.” The players will be wearing Calle Soccer uniforms, inspired by the street play that rises up in neighborhoods all over the world.

The Showdown comes to New York City thanks to the help of Nash’s latest soccer innovation, Football-For- Good.com (http://www.football-for-good.com).

Taking a cue from his love for soccer and also for helping children, Nash is forming Football for Good to create opportunities for elite-level development among children in war-affected regions of Africa. With academies and attending assistance to introduce players to the global stage, Football for Good will put profits back into capital projects in African communities that need them most. The first such project will be the Gulu Youth Centre for Sport, Culture and Reconciliation, driven by Nash’s Foundation and partner agencies, and funded by this new social business venture. A viral short, created by Nash’s film enterprise, Meathawk, leaked onto the internet last week. Starring international greats Alessandro Del Piero, Kaka, Joe Cole and Henry, the film is a comedic jab at Nash’s attempt to infiltrate the beautiful game. “The Player” is on-line at http://www.stevenash.org/showdown.

The Showdown in Chinatown will be followed by an After Party held at the Hudson Terrace at 9pm featuring GREY GOOSE Vodka. A limited number of tickets will be available for sale at http://www.stevenash.org on Friday, June 19. Ticket sales are eligible for a tax receipt from the Foundation.

For more information, please contact:
ILANA NUNN, BDA Sports Management, inunn@bdasports.com, 203-545-3855
KRISTINA ANDERSEN, BDA Sports Management, kandersen@bdasports.com, 916-221-0007

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Jim Dusty Rhodes, 82, 1954 World Series MVP 1927-2009

When the current generation hears the name "Dusty" Rhodes they may think of wrestling, but baseball fans recall the colorful outfielder who was the hero of the 1954 World Series. James Lamar Rhodes, affectionately known in baseball circles as "Dusty", helped lead the Giants to the 1954 World Series crown with his dramatic pinch hit homerun to win Game 1 off of future Hall of Famer Bob Lemon at the Polo Grounds. Rhodes passed away Wednesday June 17, 2009 in Las Vegas after a long battle with diabetes and emphysema.

Rhodes accepted his role as one of the "scrubbini", platooning in the outfield and serving as a feared pinch-hitter for 7 seasons with the Giants. Rhodes was never known for his defensive play, as Leo Durocher stated in his autobiography "Nice Guys Finish Last," Rhodes was, "the worst fielder who ever played in a big league game who made training rules forgotten."

In a recent interview that I conducted with Rhodes, I had asked Rhodes about his Hall of Fame teammates, Willie Mays and Monte Irvin. He said he knew Mays was, "a Hall of Famer the first time I met him." He referred to Irvin as a "buddy," and "the greatest in my book!" Irvin, when interviewed by the New York Daily News regarding Rhodes' death, called Rhodes a "good friend," and "a brother to all black players." When Mays was interviewed for the same piece, he said Rhodes was, "a fabulous hitter and a great friend." The high praise Rhodes received from two of the best players in baseball's history displays that his reach extended far beyond his heroics in the 1954 World Series.

To read an in-depth interview with "Dusty" Rhodes, check out Bill Madden's article from the December 20th, 2008 edition of the New York Daily News.

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