Writing the Book (3 Nov 08)
Mon, Nov 3, 2008
by Geoff Young
Wanderlust strikes again. I’m plotting my 2009 baseball trip… something to do with Tucson, San Antonio, Austin, Albuquerque (I am determined to see a game there after missing twice on the way to Cooperstown and back in ‘07), and a return trip to the Grand Canyon. I’m thinking some time around Memorial Day, but we’ll see.
Meanwhile, I picked up some travel books the other day at my favorite book store. They have nothing to do with any of the places I intend to visit, and I’d only heard of one of the authors, but I figured at $1 a pop, my worst case had me down about a gallon of gas. Best case, I might find something reasonably palatable or even downright enjoyable.
As luck would have it, the first book I’ve started reading, Alvah Simon’s North to the Night
The book also contains my new favorite quote: “Death is only one of many ways to lose your life.” It’s a nice little slap in the face that helps remind me not to become too complacent or lose sight of whatever dreams I might have.
Speaking of which, the Ducksnorts 2009 Baseball Annual is coming along just fine. Progress is a little slow for my taste at times, but as they say, patience comes to those who wait.
The day job is affecting me in many ways, mostly positive. Beyond the obvious benefits of allowing me to feed my family and keep a roof over our heads, it’s having a couple of unintended side effects:
- It’s forcing me to think about things other than baseball for much of the day, which is probably a healthy thing.
- Somewhat related, it’s forcing me to focus when I do have time to think and write about baseball.
The downside is that I can’t immerse myself in as many conversations here and elsewhere as I otherwise might. Still, it seems a small price to pay for the privilege of being able to research and write with minimal distraction.
Also, speaking of unintended side effects, now that my legs are finally getting better, some upper body issues that have plagued me for years are disappearing. Turns out I’ve been in pain for a long time. I had no idea. I just thought that’s how I was supposed to feel.
And to those of you who expressed concern at my “re-learning how to walk” comment from last week, first off, thanks. Second, I think that may have come off as more melodramatic than intended. I’ve never been unable to walk, but to use a baseball analogy of sorts, the old knee injury knocked my mechanics way out of whack, which led to other problems.
Anyway, the point is that it’s physically easier for me to work during the week and write on the weekends than it ever has been. And the other point is that if you’re in pain, don’t be an idiot like me and wait several years to do something about it.
But enough of that; let’s talk about the 2009 Annual. This past week I put out some feelers for a foreword author. It’s too early to name names — I will neither confirm nor deny anything — but know that I’m actively working on this.
I also sent the Player Dashboards chapter out to a few folks for review and hope to receive feedback on that in the not-too-distant future. As for actual writing, I mostly worked on the 1969 Padres chapter, which I’m geeking out on in a big way, as you’ll see in a moment.
Research Notes
The Padres were shut out seven times in June 1969, once by Don Drysdale and once each by six mediocre pitchers:
| IP | W-L | ERA | ERA+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference. | ||||
| Alan Foster | 1025.1 | 48-63 | 3.74 | 96 |
| Jim Ray | 617.2 | 43-30 | 3.60 | 97 |
| Tom Griffin | 1494.2 | 77-94 | 4.07 | 86 |
| Denny Lemaster | 1787.2 | 90-105 | 3.58 | 96 |
| Jim Merritt | 1483 | 81-86 | 3.65 | 99 |
| George Culver | 789 | 48-49 | 3.62 | 96 |
| Don Drysdale | 3432 | 209-166 | 2.95 | 121 |
Beyond Drysdale, this is like getting dominated by, say, Steve Trachsel, Esteban Loaiza, Darren Oliver, Jason Marquis, and Brian Moehler, with a dash of Scott Elarton thrown in for good measure. That’s pretty hard to do in the space of one month.
And there you have it. I am nothing if not obscure…
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
November 3, 2008 at 12:21 pm
From Rob Neyer’s blog:
November 3, 2008 at 12:23 pm
From Jay Paris’ column in the North County Times:
The state of journalism today, just throwing stuff out there.
November 3, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Geoff, it looks like your secret is out.
http://seamheads.com/blog/2008.....supremacy/
November 3, 2008 at 5:21 pm
BA’s got the Type A and Type B FA list out …
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....67137.html
November 3, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Just read that Vasgersian is leaving the Padres. Great for Matty. Sad for us. I totally love the banter between Matt and Mud. I just pray it’s not Steve Quis that replaces him. He talks way too much.
Haven’t posted much this year. Hard year to root for the team, but believe me, I’ve seen them at their worst. My first Padres games were when I was 7 years old. My father took me. They were a Triple-A team. I think it was at Westgate Park, where Fashion Valley is now. Ah, the memories. Lynch Mob — congrats on finishing the 1/2 marathon! GY — keep up the great work on the 2009 Annual! Can’t wait to get my copy. Trust me, I read every page!
November 4, 2008 at 12:07 am
Matty is leaving.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com.....tv/?padres
This stinks, and it will affect whether I buy the DirecTV package next season.
November 4, 2008 at 3:32 am
#3@Pat: Geoff, I was wondering if you have any experience with Out of the Park Baseball? I’m a Diamond Mind guy, just curious if OotPB was worth looking into.
November 4, 2008 at 4:46 am
#7@Masticore317: No, I’ve not played either (though I’ve heard good things about both).