Baseball lives in Paul's backyard

February spring break afforded me the opportunity to visit Paul Casanova's baseball academy which exists in literally his backyard. For a baseball diehard such as myself, the experience was gratifying, especially while there was a foot of snow back home.

The crack of the bat can be heard at hours when most people have relegated themselves to watching their favorite sitcoms and the evening news. On a February evening In Carol City, Florida, under the glow of bright lights that illuminate the outdoor batting cage, one would never know that it is after 10 o'clock and the hits are still coming.

Wrapping up sessions that started at 3 PM, former major league veterans Paul Casanova and Jackie Hernandez exude the same vibrance they exhibited when they made their major league debuts 45 years earlier. Affectionately entitled "Paul's Backyard", Casanova's professional baseball academy resides literally in his backyard. The enclave serves as part museum and part training center. Surrounding the hundreds of baseballs, batting cages, video cameras and soft-toss stations are photos that pay homage to the greats of both Latin and American baseball. Autographed and historical photos line the entire area, creating a virtual museum with a focus on the Cuban legends who represent Casanova and Hernandez's home country.

At ages 68 and 69, Casanova and Hernandez run around with the vigor of the players that they coach. Their constant chatter serves as a sweet accompaniment to the sound of baseball's being struck for hours. Their love for the game is quickly evident as they get into their routines with the players who
come there to hone their skills. The backyard entertains baseball players from all levels little league to professional. Part of the lure of the place is the family atmosphere. I had visited during the previous summer with Gonzalo "Cholly" Naranjo, a legendary pitcher for the Almendares club of Cuba and the Pittsburgh Pirates. After a six month absence, I was greeted by both men upon my return like I never left the place. Little did I know I would be in for a day full of surprises, laughs and baseball.

The day started with my arrival accompanied by Naranjo. About 30 minutes later, entered former Rookie of the Year and perennial All-Star Tony Oliva, who was in town for a clinic and stopped by to chop it up with his former countrymen. Oliva was later followed by Orlando Peña, a veteran of 14 major league seasons and a teammate of Naranjo with Almendares. An hour later, two active major leaguers came in to sharpen their bats before they went off to spring training. Marco Scutaro of the Boston Red Sox and Juan Rivera of the Los Angeles Angels hit under the watchful eyes of Casanova and Hernandez. The pros exhibited a degree of diligence and humility that goes overlooked in today's coverage of current players. Both were focused on getting their work in, but seemed to easily fit in with the others who were there, cracking jokes and making small talk in between turns in the cage.

What followed next was some top-notch batting instruction from the tag team of Casanova and Hernandez. Treated to some rounds of soft toss, fastballs, curveballs and live batting practice, both men began to shape my swing with their keen eyes from over 50 years of playing and coaching the game. Not only were they quick with their tips, they delivered the instruction in a manner that was relaxing and encouraging. I watched them work with the other dozen players that were there that evening and I saw their efforts manifest fast results over the course of the evening. All of the players training there spoke with the utmost praise for their instructors. They too cited the familial element that draws them to the backyard. I could only imagine if I had access to their talents while playing in college, that my batting average would have risen greatly above its .250 mark.

Upon leaving after 10 p.m., Hernandez - sweaty from throwing a few hundred batting practice pitches - and Casanova - tired from a full day of baseball - sent me off with a grand embrace, a few souvenirs and an invite to return anytime that I am in town. Best believe that when I return to South Florida, I will be there. While I am up north, I can rest soundly knowing that the future of baseball rests safely in the hands of Casanova and Hernandez in Paul's Backyard.

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Braves announce Jason Heyward as their starting right fielder

According to Espn.com, the Atlanta Braves have announced that 20 year-old rookie sensation Jason Heyward will be their starting right fielder come opening day. Manager Bobby Cox is ecstatic about his highly touted prospect, saying, "he makes us a lot better. He doesn't just hit, he can do it all. And his makeup is off the charts."
Heyward was the Braves first-round pick in 2007, and has risen quick through their minor league system. As with all rookies with that have displayed strong spring training performances, the season will reveal if he is the next Ruben Rivera or Ken Griffey Jr.

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Brooklynite Halama released by the Brewers

Last week, the Milwaukee Brewers released former Bishop Ford HS and St. Francis College standout John Halama. The 38 year-old Halama was signed to a minor league contract in the offseason and was a non-roster invitee to spring training. Halama spent nine seasons in the majors, posting a record of 56-48, appearing in the 2000 and 2001 playoffs with the Seattle Mariners. Halama is pictured left speaking at the GNYSAA Lou Demartino Baseball Clinic in December of 2009.

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Book Review: The Mandak League: Haven for former Negro League ballplayers 1950-1957

Mandak League: Haven for Former Negro League Ballplayers, 1950-1957
Barry Swanton -
McFarland Publishing, 2006.
222 pp.

In the early 1950's, with the demise of the Negro Leagues and the availability of better racial conditions, playing baseball in Canada became an increasingly viable option for younger and aging black baseball players. SABR member Barry Swanton chronicles the history of the ManDak League, which opened its doors to many fine talents including Hall of Famers Ray Dandridge, Leon Day, Satchel Paige and Willie Wells.

This work serves as a great reference for the fan that wants to know more about the history of the league and the players involved. Each season is chronicled with details on statistics, pennant races, stadiums, and franchises. The second half of the book is devoted to profiling all of the players of the ManDak League, with special attention given to the former Negro League players.

While the book itself lacks any particularly enthralling tales, it has its place as an excellent resource to connect the dots of the Negro League players that traveled north to continue their careers in relative obscurity.

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Willie Davis, 69, Los Angeles Dodgers Centerfielder, 1940-2010

Willie Davis, who was the successor to the legendary center fielder Duke Snider, was found dead at his home in Burbank, Calif. on Tuesday. He was 69.
Davis owns several Los Angeles Dodgers records, including the longest hitting streak (31 games), hits (2,091), extra-base hits (585), at-bats (7,495), runs (1,004), triples (110) and total bases (3,094).
In addition to his offensive prowess, Davis was an excellent center fielder, earning three Gold Glove awards. He was named to two All-Star teams in 1971 and 1973.
Davis spent 14 seasons with the Dodgers before being traded to Montreal in 1974 for Mike Marshall. He went on to play for the Texas Rangers, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres and the California Angels. He also spent time playing in the Japanese and Mexican leagues before retiring in the early 1980's.

More Information on Willie Davis -

New York Times Obituary - Willie Davis is dead at 69

ESPN.com - Los Angeles Dodgers greats remember Davis

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Tommy Lasorda inducted into Cuban Sports Hall of Fame

MLB Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda was inducted into the Cuban Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday in Miami. This makes for the 16th Hall of Fame of which Lasorda has been enshrined. To read the details on Lasorda's induction, click here.

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Jim Waugh, 76, Former Pirates Pitcher, 1933-2010

Jim Waugh, the youngest pitcher to win a game in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates, passed away February 16, 2010 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He was 76.

In a professional baseball career that spanned six seasons, Waugh spent parts of two of those seasons in the majors with the Pirates from 1952-53. Immortalized by Topps in their 1953 baseball card set, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Waugh in July of 2009 after he called me in reply to a letter that I sent to him asking him about his baseball career and for his autograph on the aforementioned card.

Waugh called on July 6, 2009 to tell me that my questions about playing with Puerto Rican center fielder Carlos Bernier had piqued his interest, as he was thinking about Bernier around the time he received my letter. 

"What happened to Carlos Bernier?" Waugh asked. "I've been thinking about Carlos Bernier, particularly with this story about 100 years of Forbes Field."

I had informed him that Bernier had met an early death, hanging himself 20 years prior. After lamenting the fact of Bernier's tragic death, he further described his experiences playing on the Pirates with Bernier.

"He was just there a short time," he said. "He played for Hollywood in '52 and had a real good year. He came to the Pirates in '53 and played quite a bit in the first [part] of the year. I was sent to the minor leagues for the month of June, when I came back, he was gone. ... He played quite a few years in the Coast League. He could play the outfield; he could really run."

As our conversation drifted to the Pirates youth movement when he was in the majors, he explained how he became the youngest pitcher in Pittsburgh history to win a game.

"I just tried to get the ball over the plate," he said. "I was only 18, 19 years old. In my first major league start, it got to a point in the game where I was having trouble with my control. Joe Garagiola [who] was catching came out and said, 'Just throw the ball right down the middle of the plate, don't worry, it won't go there!' I ended up winning the game against the Cubs 4-3 (August 9, 1952), and became the youngest Pittsburgh pitcher to ever win a major league game at 18. Towards the middle of the season in 1953, I did learn to move the ball around and really became a pretty good pitcher after awhile, and then I started having arm trouble, and everything went away."

Waugh cited the help of two veteran pitchers, Murry Dickson and Howie Pollett, in being instrumental in his development. They helped him how to refine his offspeed pitches.

"Murry Dickson, who was our best pitcher, thrived on fly balls to center field," Waugh recalled. "He had pinpoint control. They called him “Heinz” because he had 57 varieties of pitches, which he did! He was something to watch. It really was something. He helped me a lot, always gave me a lot of encouragement. Howie Pollett helped me with my curveball to throw my curveball harder with a sharper break. I had that old high school roundhouse curveball, and he showed me how to throw a good curveball It used to be all in the breaking of your wrist, the wrist snap. Now it is more the fingers, the slider, the cut fastball. You get that spin with your fingers. You get a sharper spin and less break."

Waugh was part of an overhaul at the time when Branch Rickey started to replace higher priced veterans with fresh faces from the farm system. He explained Rickey's reasoning behind the widespread change in personnel.

"I was only 18," he said. "Bobby Del Greco, Tony Bartirome, Ronnie Kline, Lee Walls [were all under 21]. I roomed with Walls in a hotel in Pittsburgh for awhile. Bill Bell and I signed the same day for the Pirates. I was 17 and he was just out of high school; he was 18. This was all Mr. Rickey's idea. The Pirates didn't have much. They had veterans but they were finishing in last place.

"I think he saw what the Phillies did in 1951, with young pitchers Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons and the "Whiz Kids" as they called them. He thought he could do that with Pittsburgh, but I don't know, the pitching just never developed. He relied on me a lot and I had arm trouble. Ronnie Neccai who struck out 27 batters in the minor leagues, he could throw really hard. He had ulcers, he didn't last very long. Bill Bell never came through, he had arm problems. Neccai has a good story on Wikipedia about his career; I believe he wrote a book about it."

As he continued to reminisce about his career in Pittsburgh, we discussed his recollections of facing Jackie Robinson. This question sparked Waugh's memory about one of the better games he pitched and how it was reported by a young Roger Kahn.

"I pitched one of my best games against the Dodgers in 1952," he said. "I started and was leading in the game 2-1, only giving up three hits through the seventh inning. In the sixth [inning], Jackie Robinson came up with a couple guys on, I struck him out. In the eighth, he came up again with a couple of guys on, and I had just struck him out with a really good curveball. I thought, 'Well, I'll just start him off with a curveball, just throw him a curveball for a strike.' Well, he was looking for that curve ball (laughs) and he ripped it past my head, a line drive! It really cost me the game, I ended up losing 3-2. That was my most memorable time against him."

The Dodgers were the perennial front runners in the National League, and with their Hall of Fame lineup, the cellar dwelling Pirates just couldn't measure up to them. In 1953, the Pirates won less than ten percent of their games against the Dodgers.

"[Brooklyn] were mostly right handed hitters, so it was a little easier for a right hander to pitch to them," he said. "In 1953, we only won one game against them, they won 23, we won one! (While still relatively futile, records for that season show it was two wins and 20 losses). I don't know if you ever read Roger Kahn's book Boys of Summer, he talked about Casey Stengel that year in the World Series, talking about the “Brooklyn Pirates.” 'We're playing the Brooklyn Pirates, don't worry about it, they're no better than the Pittsburgh Pirates.' He used that for a motivating speech. Roger Kahn wrote a good story about that. I'll send you a story that Roger Kahn wrote about the game I pitched against the Dodgers. He was only 24, [his] first year following the National League." 

Towards the end of the interview, we discussed his Topps rookie card and how he handled his autograph requests. He put most of his fan mail aside for five years while attending to his wife who was suffering from lung cancer.

"I went about five years when I didn't and wasn't able to answer or reply to a lot of the fan mail," he said. "My wife got lung cancer and we were going through a lot. I just kind of gave up on it. I always enjoy getting the mail. I've caught all of those up. I have a lady who helps me with it so, I enjoy the letters. I enjoyed yours, it was interesting."

Waugh appreciated the support of his fans, who continued to recognize him even after 50 years past him hanging up his cleats. He spoke proudly of a speaking engagement that he had at a SABR meeting.

"I spoke recently to the SABR in Pittsburgh, and a reporter wrote a story about my talk," he said. "It's pretty interesting too. I really enjoyed that. Those guys are really knowledgeable."

Roger Kahn's Herald Tribune Article On Waugh's Game Against Brooklyn

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