Hank Blalock, Grady Fuson, and Matt Vasgersian

by Geoff Young on Nov 06, 2001

  • The A’s are trying to get the Rangers to cough up Hank Blalock as compensation for signing Grady Fuson? Now that takes guts.
  • Great article on Game 7 over at ESPN.com: Rolling a seven
  • Closer to home, the Pads signed second baseman Damian Jackson to a 1-year, $625k contract. Not bad, in this day and age, for a guy who plays spectacular defense and doesn’t completely embarrass himself at the plate. One good sign is that Jackson appears to be well aware of his shortcomings and wants to do better:

    I know what I’m capable of, and I know what I didn’t do last year. I didn’t put up MVP-type numbers. I want to show this organization that I can have a .380 on-base percentage, steal 40 bases and score 100 runs.

    But I’ve got to make better contact. It’s ridiculous how many times I strike out.

    Read more about the signing at SD Union-Tribune.

  • Another article in the U-T talks about contraction. Still can’t believe it’s gonna happen but you never know. Anyway, the last line of the article reads, “the Diamondbacks don’t even know for sure if they’ll need to find a designated hitter next year.” Um, Erubiel Durazo?
  • One final item that I missed last week. The Padres have replaced TV play-by-play announcer Mel Proctor with Matt Vasgersian, formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers and, er, the XFL. I don’t know much about Vasgersian but almost anything has to be an improvement over Proctor, who seemed like a really good guy but not a very good announcer. Too often over the past several years his broadcasts would degenerate into talent-show comedy routines, with he and cohort Mark Grant sacrificing quality for cheap laughs (well, at least they were laughing). I’ve got nothing against humor in baseball, but not at the expense of calling the game. If it’s a blowout and you’re worried about people changing the station, by all means go for the funny bone (and for God’s sake, please make it funny!). But cracking silly jokes in a tie ballgame in the ninth inning… well, it’s just not for me. I’m looking forward to a new voice in the booth to join the affable Grant and the astute if sometimes grating Rick Sutcliffe. Stay tuned…

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