WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

A few weeks ago I wrote about pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training. The harbinger of spring and how that gives me and always has given me a great feeling. I really enjoy listening to the games even though I can only get the Dodgers and Angels games on radio here. In a regular season game, not counting pitchers, you may see or hear about ten or 12 players. Those are defensive late inning replacements, pinch hitters and pinch runners. But in a spring training game the box score can read like a shopping list for a family of ten.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. Who are these people? Scott Elbert, Javy Guerra, Blake Hawksworth, Jon Link, to name a few from the Dodgers. From the Angels: how about Alberto Collaspo, Loek Van Mil, Trayvon Robinson, Joel Pinero (wasn't he a jockey?).

It fun listening to the games where you can't see the uniforms but hear the names. When Ysmael Carmona comes to bat I have no idea of who he is playing for. If he flys out to Luis Vasquez I am doubly confused as I have no idea of who he plays for. A few years ago I was the guest PA announcer at Dodger Stadium and I practiced "Hiram Bocachica" for two days to make sure I got it right. By the time I knew who he was and could pronounce his name he was no longer around.

That is the allure of Spring Training. You never know who will be the next superstar. Listen for the names. However, I did notice that superstars have easy names to remember, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Warren Spahn, Sandy Kofax, Tony Gwinn, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron to name a few. Hasnori Takahishi may never make it to baseball immortality.(But Nomo did!)

These new people whose names are so foreign to us even thought they may not be foreign sounding names are the part of the next class of potential superstars - or as in the case of Hiram, may never hear of them again.

These people are the Alberts, the Andres, the Vladimirs of the baseball world.  However, I am not going to memorize any new names until the All Star break. If these strangers make it, it will be evident by then. So, I will listen to Vinny pronounce the names, get their biographies in thirty seconds or less and a wonderful anecdote that only Vinny can spin. This time next year I will know the names - but won't there be a new crop of names to learn?

OK, now who is on the Red Sox?