Since Paul O’Neill is included, for the first time, on the 2007 baseball writers’ Hall of Fame ballot (that was just released), I have decided to share an excerpt of my book, The Baseball Same Game, where O’Neill is highlighted. Those who are wondering about what player(s) in baseball history were like O’Neill may find this information helpful. If you like this excerpt, there are 64 additional ones that can be found in the book, if you want to pick up a copy for yourself.

There are many New York Yankees fans, born between the years 1960 and 1989, who strongly believe that their favorite team should retire Paul O’Neill’s uniform number (21) in his honor – and that someday O’Neill should receive consideration regarding a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I know this to be true because I have debated with many of these fans at various times in sundry places – taking the position that such consideration towards O’Neill is unwarranted. This does not mean that I am not an admirer of the effort and play that Paul O’Neill put forth in the pinstripes during his tour in the Bronx. Actually, as a Yankees fan, if I had to name my all-time five favorite Yankees, Paul O’Neill would rank somewhere in that group. My position with these aforementioned fans was based on the fact that I thought it was a reach to grant O’Neill the same stature of some of the all-time Yankee greats and the members of the Hall of Fame.

On the other hand, along came The Baseball Same Game, and now I have to wonder if I was correct to take the position that I initially chose in the O’Neill debate.

Paul O’Neill was a sure-handed and strong-armed outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees from 1985 through 2001. He was a member of an All-Star team five times during his career. His best season was 1994 when he won the American League batting title – albeit in a season shortened due to work stoppage. He joined the Yankees prior to the 1993 season – and is best known as a Yankee as his teams in New York made the post-season the last seven years of his career (in a row). In that stretch, the Yankees won four World Championships and just missed a fifth in 2001. (Some O’Neill trivia: He played on three World Champion teams – the 1990 Reds and the 1998-99 Yankees – that won the World Series in a sweep. Only Lou Gehrig has ever been on four “sweep” champs.)

Many members of those O’Neill Yankees teams have expressed that Paul O’Neill was the ‘heart and soul’ of those squads because of the intensity in which he played the game. The media has picked up on this many times as well. This is one of the reasons why O’Neill was such a fan favorite. (And, if you need to know “How big of a favorite?” just watch the highlights from Game Five of the 2001 World Series where the entire Stadium chanted Paul-Oh-Nee-Eel near the end of the game when they suspected that they would never see him play there again. It was an incredibly moving moment.)

And, who matches up just about perfectly to O’Neill in terms of career offensive performance data results? Entertainingly, it is Gil Hodges.

Hodges was a first baseman with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1943 through 1961. In 1962 he joined the New York Mets where he would play in just a few games over the course of two seasons. He was a member of an All-Star team eight times in his career. He was a very good fielding first baseman. And, he was absolutely beloved by many in Brooklyn when he played there (from 1943 through 1957). While with the Dodgers, his teams won five pennants and two World Series. After his playing days, he went on to manage – and, in 1969, he led the New York Mets to a much-unexpected World Series championship. Sadly, Gil Hodges died of heart attack just days before his 48th birthday. During the 1980’s and 1990’s there was strong sentiment among baseball fans and writers that Hodges should be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The push was never strong enough to get him elected. But, the debate was durable enough to remain on the radar of the baseball public for over twenty years.

Therefore, since it has been acceptable to consider whether or not Gil Hodges should be a member of the Hall of Fame, should anyone be shot down for considering Paul O’Neill for the Hall? Both were All-Stars several times and they were important players on teams that repeatedly won. Both players were cherished by the fans of their team. And, their performance data as batters is within points (here and there) of being equal.

Granted, Hodges appeared in a Dodgers uniform for 16 seasons and O’Neill split his time between Cincinnati (8 seasons) and New York (9 seasons). But, does that matter? It should not – at all. There is no reason why it should be acceptable to debate Hodges for the Hall of Fame and then unacceptable to debate O’Neill for there as well. (For the record, I must stress that I am not saying either should be in – just that it is reasonable to consider their worthiness rather than say “no” to either right off the bat.)

This just leaves the last loose-end regarding O’Neill’s number (21) in New York. The Yankees did not issue that number to any player in the first three years following O’Neill’s retirement. It is possible that the Yankees may consider retiring the number in Paul’s honor. If they do retire the number, it will be the sixteenth one that New York has taken out of circulation. There could be as many as four more Yankees (Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Mo Rivera and Joe Torre) worthy of that honor soon as well. At this rate, the Yankees will run out of numbers and have to start wearing letters on the backs of their uniforms. But, that will be Yankees owner George Steinbrenner’s problem, not mine.

The above is from ~~

Since the results of the latest Baseball Hall of Fame ballot will be announced in less than two weeks, and, related, the Hall of Fame debate for former Yankee Goose Gossage is in the news these days, I have decided to share an excerpt of my book, The Baseball Same Game, where Gossage is highlighted. Those who are wondering about what pitcher(s) in baseball history were like Gossage may find this information helpful. If you like this excerpt, there are 64 additional ones that can be found in the book, if you want to pick up a copy for yourself.

Usually, the strength of a case involving pitchers in The Baseball Same Game has its foundation drawn from the comparison of Innings Pitched and Runs Saved Above Average. In the case of Richard “Goose” Gossage and John Hiller, the driver is different. In this pairing, it is The Baseball Same Game metrics other than Innings Pitched and Runs Saved Above Average that facilitate the claim of sameness.

The marks for Gossage and Hiller in Earned Run Average versus the league average and Strikeouts Per 9 Innings Pitched versus the league average are nearly dead solid perfect matches. And, their totals for Strikeouts to Walks Ratio versus the league average and Base Runners Allowed Per 9 Innings Pitched versus the league average are fairly close as well. These four points of comparison lend towards making the case here.

Without question, Gossage pitched more often than Hiller – as noted by the difference of 500+ Innings Pitched between the two. And, Goose had more Runs Saved Above Average than John did in his career. Nonetheless, because of the closeness in the metrics here outside of Innings Pitched and Runs Saved Above Average and the fact that the ratios of Runs Saved Above Average to Innings Pitched for Gossage and Hiller (.09 and .11, respectively) are close as well, this case will be permitted to stand in The Baseball Same Game.

Goose Gossage was an extremely hard thrower. He first made the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox in 1972 as a relief pitcher and was nothing special during his first three seasons in the big leagues. Then, in 1975, he had a stellar season for the White Sox coming out of the pen. So, what did Chicago do? They moved Gossage to the starting rotation in 1976 and he bombed. On December 10, 1976, Goose was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and they decided to use him as their closer. Goose went on to be one of the ten best pitchers in the National League in this role with Pittsburgh in 1977. And, as a result of that effort, Gossage was awarded (what was then) a big Free Agent contract to come pitch for the New York Yankees.

Goose went on to have six consecutive solid seasons as the Yankees closer. Tiring of the pressure that came with playing in New York, Gossage left as a Free Agent in 1984 and signed with the San Diego Padres. Gossage was good in his first two years in San Diego, but he was not as good in his last two years there. And, in 1988, Goose was traded to the Chicago Cubs. From this point in his career, Gossage became a nomadic and average relief pitcher. From 1988 through 1994, Gossage would pitch for the Cubs, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees (again), Texas Rangers, Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners. Goose even pitched in Japan during the 1990 season.

Unlike Gossage the eventual traveler, Canadian born John Hiller played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. Hiller had cup of coffee short stays with the Tigers in 1965 and 1966. It was not until 1967 that he earned a full-time job in the big leagues. Through the 1970 season, John was an effective pitcher for Detroit (pitching mostly in relief but also starting some games).

On January 11, 1971, John Hiller’s career took an unexpected turn. On that day, Hiller suffered a massive heart attack (just a few months short of his 28th birthday). Subsequently, John would need to have seven feet of his intestine removed to alleviate a cholesterol problem. He missed the entire 1971 season. And, in 1972, Hiller’s action was limited to serving as a batting practice pitcher for the Tigers until a comeback to live play on July 8, 1972.

In 1973, John Hiller fully came back. Serving as the Tigers’ closer, he was one of the ten best pitchers in the American League that season. Moreover, from 1973 through 1978, Hiller was the best relief pitcher in the American League. John’s career began to end with a sub par season in 1979. And, while he pitched some in 1980, Hiller probably should have called it quits after 1979. No longer being an effective pitcher, John retired from the game.

There is still great debate as to whether or not Goose Gossage should be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. As this is being penned, it is not known if Gossage will make it to the Hall. However, if Goose does get in, as a result of this case in The Baseball Same Game, it is hoped that some will think about John Hiller on that day (as well as reflecting on the career of Rich “Goose” Gossage). In terms of qualitative career pitching results, the two were the same.

The above is from ~~

One of the interesting things that I experienced, in doing my book, The Baseball Same Game, is the number of people (who read the book and) who have complimented me on the Prologue. Really, how many times have you heard someone say about a book “Great Prologue. I really enjoyed it!” – - I would bet not many times. Yet, I have heard that from readers. Basically, the Prologue is “my story” and how I got to the point where I was ready to do the book. From what I’ve been told, folks seemed to enjoy reading about my passion for the game. So, I thought I would share the Prologue here, today, at WasWatching.com. And, if you read it, and like it, hopefully you’ll consider picking up a copy of the book yourself – to read more. Here’s how the Prologue appears in The Baseball Same Game:

I have been a baseball fan for over thirty years. I am not absolutely certain as to the exact point in time when this passion began. But, I do have a particular memory of a moment in my life where I like to believe it all started.

My mother once shared with me years ago that my father tried to introduce the game to me at an early age. However, I was not very interested. Watching cartoons such as Speed Racer or Gigantor were more important to me at that specific time. Dad, being a smart man, probably figured that you can lead a horse to water, etc., and decided to allow nature to take its course, in due time – rather than force baseball upon me.

And, during grammar school, it happened. They (as in the famous “they” that people refer to when not exactly sure who to credit) say that when you pick up a baseball for the first time and hold it, in reality, it is the baseball that establishes a hold on you.

It was something like that for me. Honestly, my earliest “baseball memory” is of a game (where I was a player) in the playground of my grammar school (P.S. 21) during lunchtime recess. If I had to guess, since I am not certain of the precise time, I would say it was the spring of 1972. Exactly why I was in the game is not clear. I can only assume that I was “playing” because all the other kids were as well; or, perhaps they were short a player and they twisted my arm to participate and fill out the team.

“Mrs. Davis” (a mature woman who lived across the street from the school) was the attendant for all of us youngsters in the yard. She also served as the “official pitcher” in this contest that I recall. (Since tots around the age of nine have problems throwing strikes on a consistent basis, you need an “official pitcher” dealing hittable servings to both sides in a game like this one.)

Now, here is the hazy part. I want to say that “Mrs. Davis” was the aunt of Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. Now, whether this is fact, some form of public fiction mistaken as truth, or just a flat out figment of my personal imagination, I am not sure. But, at this junction of my life, I have decided to run with it as fact. The more I think of it, someone must have told me this information. As a young kid in grammar school, I did not know enough about baseball to even know that “Nolan Ryan” was a baseball player. Therefore, it is doubtful that I, over thirty years ago, made this up myself back at that time. This leaves only “fact” and “public fiction mistaken as truth.” With two options, there is a 50-50 chance that fact may be the case. With odds like these, it seems silly not to run with it being a fact. Besides, it makes for a better story.

Specifically, from this game mention shared here, I only have one clear memory. In one At Bat, I lined one of Mrs. Davis’ offerings into right-center field for a stand up double. As I slowed to touch up at second base, Mrs. Davis shouted out an encouraging cry, along the lines of “Nice hitting!” to me. I was sky high at that moment. It was my first great feeling associated to baseball – again, as far as I can recall.

This is where I like to believe it started. Hey, if Cooperstown can have their “Doubleday Myth,” why can’t I have this? The day I lined a double off of Nolan Ryan’s aunt, I became hooked on baseball as a child – and never looked back. How many others can make that claim?

My fervor for baseball from there gained momentum every step of the way. My father took me to my first professional game on August 8, 1973 at the “old” Yankee Stadium. It was such an indelible experience that I can still recall images from that game today, as if it just happened yesterday.

In our home, my mother once offered the observation that “Before you kids were born” – as in my older sister and I – “your Dad used to watch baseball games on TV. Then, he never got to watch the games because you two wanted to watch cartoons. Now, your father can’t watch anything on TV because all you want to do is watch baseball.”

When VCRs first became household items, I took it to another extreme. I would tape games (as I watched them) and then watch them over and over again. Mom would walk into a room, at any given point in the day, see a game on the TV and would ask “Is this a new game or an old game?” That question became an entering the living room staple query for my mother over the years when I lived at home.

I would also read anything “baseball” that I could get into my hands. While I have never kept count, in my lifetime, to date, I must have read nearly 150 books on baseball. To this date, my wife will rib me with the question of “What was the last book that you read that was not about baseball?” Candidly, it was probably something that I read about 18 years ago. The desire or occasion for me to read an “other than baseball” book has always been remote.

Playing “ball” was an important part of my life too. I played Little League during grammar and middle school – although my “game” then left a lot to be desired. Then, I was a much better “fan” of the game than a “player.”

After Little League, there were summers full of pick-up games with friends. This lasted all through high school. After graduation from the 12th grade, during college and past graduation there, softball replaced baseball on my playing resume. In fact, at age 17, I founded and managed a team in a men’s medium pitch league. It was around this time that I became a better player. It is true that repetition is the mother of skill. For some of us, like me, it just takes a lot of repetition. I lived in the local indoor batting cages. A trip to “the cage” was almost an automatic after-dinner event, all year round. I played a lot of softball – some seasons, I played on as many as three teams during a summer – up until I was about age 27.

I hung up my spikes at that age to have more time to do the silly things that most 27-year-old single men do with their time. But, despite my “playing days” being over, I continued to follow baseball in every way possible (as time allowed). I sporadically dabbled in baseball research for slightly more than a decade. It was strictly on a pleasure basis. I also ran a fantasy baseball league, the Bogus American Baseball Association, during this time and that task satisfied the majority of my baseball fixation.

Around the year 2000, the fantasy baseball game had become somewhat of a bore for me. I closed up shop on that front and used the free time to become more resolute in my quest to learn as much about baseball’s past as possible. I started a baseball history website, NetShrine.com, which provided a point of focus for me in this ever continuing search for baseball knowledge. And, while working on that website, a baseball related epiphany occurred for me. The more I studied baseball history, the more I began to yield to the unequivocal conclusion that there is infinitely more still unknown that can yet be learned. Even what I thought I knew was either incomplete or not entirely correct. I began to sense that everything there is to the history of baseball, and I use “everything” in the purest definition of the word, had a quicksand nature to it. Just when you believed that you had made some progress digging into it, along came the realization that there is just as much still out there as when you first started.

Arriving at a premise such as this, I determined there were two options available for me: One, run like heck from the potential of being submerged beyond hope in this knowledge quagmire; or, two, take a deep breath and jump in cannonball style and start to have fun. I chose the latter. In doing this, I began to learn more about individual baseball player’s careers than I knew before – correcting erroneous preconceived notions on players and also discovering players from the past for the first time. As I learned more, I began to notice batting and pitching careers that resembled each other closely.

Sharing some of these “matching player” discoveries with old friend baseball fans and other fellow baseball enthusiasts (who I had met through my baseball website) would often yield an implied approving response of “Where did you come up with these?” After repeated feedback that these match-ups were enjoyable, the light bulb went on over my head. The notion that perhaps these findings, en masse, were a good idea for a baseball book began to glow. And, The Baseball Same Game was born.

Who should read The Baseball Same Game? If you are a fan of baseball, albeit novice or erudite, the hope is that this book has something inside for you. The goal here is to make this the type of read that you can pick up at anytime and begin reading at any page – and there will be no understanding penalty if you allow for extended gaps between readings. However, it is also anticipated that this book will hold your attention, provide some enlightenment, and provoke some thought and/or emotion within you.

In summary, this is how I got here and why I wrote The Baseball Same Game. Maybe things would have been different if Mrs. Davis had not “cookied” (as the players say today) a nice fat “BP” pitch right into the “inside-out” wheelhouse of a small boy back in the early ‘70s? But, she did. It’s “in the books” – at least it is in this one – and “you can look it up.” That’s part of the beauty of baseball. There are many things to “look up.” You can start now for yourself by turning to the next printed page in this book. Enjoy.

- Steve Lombardi
April 2005

This is just a reminder that, if you’re looking for the unique holiday gift for the diehard baseball fan in your life – or, for yourself, if you’re the one who loves the game – you should consider “The Baseball Same Game.”

To see how others have enjoyed the book, just check the reviews to date by clicking here.

Order it soon via Amazon.com to ensure delivery in time for the holidays!

There’s a story about me, and the book, in the current edition of The Monmouth Journal.

Click here to see the story.

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at All-Baseball.com.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to John Shiffert (the author of the “19 to 21″ features) for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at BookIdeas.com.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to John Hoh Jr. for taking the time to check out the book!

Click here for some news on the book.

This is after it being on Amazon for about 16 weeks.

I just recieved this note, via e-mail, today regarding The Baseball Same Game -

I purchased a copy of your book for myself and for a gift for my father (who is 80 years old).
As a poor kid growing up in Brooklyn, he couldn’t afford to go to baseball games but was able to follow baseball through the radio and the newspaper.
He was a math whiz and had an incredible memory of baseball statistics.
Going to games with him when I was young was an experience.
So many facts and records were mentioned during a nine-inning game that my head would spin.
My mother has dealt with this obsession for over 50 years.
Things were pretty quiet for them in Florida following the Marlins and the New York teams until I mailed him your book.
It seems that his baseball juices starting flowing again and he hasn’t put the book down since he started reading it.
I called him the other day to see if he liked the book and he mentioned a few of the chapters that he really liked – Pierce vs. Drysdale, Hornsby vs. Mantle.
He told me the height of each pitcher and their records and the memories of baseball he had growing up in New York with the Dodgers, Giants and the Yankees.
He loves your book and based on your references to other statistical works, he’s off to the library to see what else he can read.
There’s good and bad new to end my e-mail.
My father has shared his love of your book with other senior citizens in his Florida community and they all sit around and discuss the comparisons.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that they are all reading the copy of the book I sent my father.
At least there are people reading and enjoying your book.
A baseball fan.
Jeff

Stuff like this just makes my day!

This just in:

Books sales of The Baseball Same Game in June 2005 were nearly 300% of what they were in May 2005. (It was released on 4/28/05.)

My sincere thanks to all who have purchased the book!
And, if you haven’t picked it up yet, what are you waiting for?

There’s a story about me, and the book, in the current edition of the Middletown Independent.

Click here to see the story.

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at Baseball Musings.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to David Pinto of Baseball Musings for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at The Futility Infielder.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to Jay Jaffe for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at Brian Kamenetzky’s Full Count.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to Brian for taking the time to check out the book!

And, if you get a chance, check out Brian’s book – Fishing on the Edge.

Click here for some news on the book.

This is after it being on Amazon for about seven weeks.

FYI, later this week, some members of ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, WFAN in NYC, and the YES Network will be receiving copies of my book. If you should hear/see anyone at these outlets mentioning it, please drop me a line at author@baseballsamegame.com

Thanks in advance!

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at Dan Agonistes.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to Dan Fox of Dan Agonistes for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at Pearly Gates.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to Richard Ceccarelli at Pearly Gates for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, the book was mentioned today at Bruce Markusen’s Cooperstown Confidential.

Click here for the story.

Many thanks to Bruce for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at Kauffman Confidential.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to Kevin Agee at Kauffman Confidential for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at The Hardball Times.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to Aaron Gleeman at The Hardball Times for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, a review of the book is now available over at TigerBlog.net.

Click here for the review.

Many thanks to Brian Borawski at TigerBlog for taking the time to check out the book!

FYI, my book can now be purchased at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com.

To see it at Amazon, follow THIS LINK.

To see it at Barnes & Noble, follow THIS LINK.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the book!

My first baseball book has just been released. Anyone who enjoys baseball statistics and/or the history of the game should enjoy the book.

The title of the book is: The Baseball Same Game: Finding Comparable Players From The National Pastime

More on the book can be found at BaseballSameGame.com

The book can be purchased directly from the publisher – or, you can get it at Amazon.com

If you know someone who may be interested in the book, please do pass along this news to them. Thanks in advance!