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Sign Our Guestbook TDA Bullpen - Our Writers' Blog Wednesday, April 07, 2004 While much will be made of tonight's confrontation between Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, there was another clash of veterans today that was quite a treat.
It was the top of the first today in Kansas City, and Chicago's Frank Thomas was batting against Darrell May with one out and one on. The name Darrell May might not jump out at you as the avatar of veteran wile, but you don't get to be a starter in the majors for your first full year at the age of 31 without some mental skills. I saw May pitch in the minors in 1994, and he sort of reminded me of Mike Boddicker all corner-painting and finesse, even at a young age. His minor league career stats show only reasonable command and quality, but not that overpowering fastball and strikeout numbers the scouts like. He spent four years in journeyman exile in Japan before hooking on with Kansas City in 2002, where he pitched poorly, but finally made a good showing last year with a respectable 10-win, 3.77 season. I suspect it's no coincidence that this happened under the watchful eye of Tony Pena. We once watched Pena throw off the mound in the bullpen in Fenway, instructing his young starter on how to do it the right way. Tony's fire and enthusiasm has always been a delight, but desire gets you nowhere by itself. It takes a baseball intellect like Pena's to make so much out of so little, as he did last year in Kansas City. | |
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