RMJ 162 July 27
SUNDAY, JULY 27 ● Houston, vs Montreal
Proceeding apace often involves sleep deprivation. I was so excited, I didn’t turn out the bedside lamp on Body and Soul until 3:15. Cubby was at the door at 10:00, ready to go. I barely had time to eat a bowl of cereal and read the paper.
Oftentimes, we don’t take batting practice on Sunday. The hitters practice on their own in the cages, and we take infield practice, just to get our arms and legs loosened up.
Today, we had another problem in this regard.
Just before game time, I was having a cup of coffee in the lunchroom, which is adjacent to the locker room. Russ Springer came by, smiling, and said, “You better get in there.”
I thought it was going to be a practical joke, but it was quite the opposite:
Derek and Bill were face-to-face, and Biggio, Bagwell, and Gonzalez had rushed between them.
Bill is as forthright as a drill sergeant. This doesn’t play too well with some of the modern players.
In the aftermath, I learned that it was about infield again. Bill asked Derek why he didn’t participate; Derek said he was hitting in the cage.
Bill said, “You should have done that earlier.” Derek took offense.
Bill is as forthright as a drill sergeant. This doesn’t play too well with some of the modern players. Most of them get to like him when they realize how much he knows, how hard he works, and how much he likes to see them succeed.
With Derek, it is different. He thinks Bill has been on his case all year, unnecessarily. He thinks Bill is picking on him. This time, Bill’s inquiry resulted in a shouting match — and could have erupted into a fistfight. It was pretty bad.
The guys on the team know that Derek is a slacker; they just shrug and accept it. If he returns to form, he can help us — and he is showing some signs of improvement.
The question is: Will he continue to improve his hitting, and get in shape for running the bases and playing the outfield?
I have my doubts.
I decided not to do anything like take him out of the lineup. But I also called Gerry and asked him to come down after the game.
The game was another beauty. Mike Hampton went all the way, and Sean Berry was a force, going 2-3 with a home run, a triple, and three RBI. We won our ninth in a row, 7-2.
| Tm | W | L | W-L% | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | 57 | 48 | .543 | — |
| PIT | 52 | 53 | .495 | 5.0 |
| STL | 50 | 53 | .485 | 6.0 |
During this skein, we have had contributions by just about everyone on the team. One thing that has been lost in the shuffle is a minislump by Bagwell; his average has dropped from .320 to .300 during the last two weeks. He has continued to draw walks and score runs, and he has hit several home runs. But to think that we can play this well while Jeff is struggling is really inspiring.
I have been waiting all year for this team to catch a spark and start a blaze; well, we’re on fire now, but we have to face the Cardinals tomorrow, and their most tenacious pitcher, Todd Stottlemyre, will be on the mound against Chris Holt. If we can win two-of-three against the Redbirds, we will really be in good shape. Even one-of-three would leave us in a good position, because we do not play them again this year.
After the game, Gerry came down to discuss the Bell situation. He exhorted us to keep working with him, and to try to get the best out of him. He said that Tal is of the opinion that coaches and managers tend to underrate guys who are hard to handle.
“I don’t underrate his ability,” I said. “He could be a great player. But will he be? Let’s rate him on what he is actually doing, not on what he could do.”
Several of the coaches said they saw signs of him coming out of his funk. I have seen those signs too. But I am not sure he will come out and stay out.
Gerry doesn’t disagree with me, but the reality is that we are stuck with him, and we can’t stop trying to help him improve.
Just about all of the players attended a pre-party after the game to announce the Astros Wives Gala for the Women’s Center. I guess Tank and Derek shouldn’t be expected to attend, since they are single. Still, several other single players attended. Derek and Tank were conspicuous in their absence.
The party featured drinks and exotic hors d’oeuvres. Judy and I enjoyed the snacks, but most of the players avoided the odd-looking food. They generally like fast food: burgers and chicken sandwiches and the like. They like pasta and steak. Like our son, Ryan, they don’t eat food that isn’t the “right” color.
Ashley attended the function, and she presented us with wedding pictures. Then we went to dinner at a Thai restaurant. I smiled when they brought out the food, thinking what our players would do if they were served a plate of Pad Thai Korat.