No rockin' chair for Nationals' Robinson

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

SALISBURY, N.C. | Washington manager Frank Robinson is 69 and says he wants to continue working in baseball until he is 73 or 74. And he might change his mind about retirement when he hits 74.

That's what he told a Senate Select Committee on Aging, speaking 20 minutes without notes on the value of employing people beyond the age of 65.

Robinson said he doesn't want to end up the way a former teammate, Vada Pinson, finished life. Robby was asked if he had any friends who faded quickly after they quit working. He mentioned Pinson, who after playing in the majors 18 seasons, mostly with the Reds, coached for a short time and retired at 57.

"He went home and got into his La-Z-Boy chair and that's where they found him, three days later," said Robinson. "I'll don't know if I'll ever retire. They're probably going to have to come and get me and put me in that pine box and say, 'Goodbye, Frank, it's time to go.' "

The senators should talk with 74-year-old Florida manager Jack McKeon, who said last week, "I ain't thinking about quitting any time soon."

Santana singing

When Minnesota's Johan Santana pitches today, he takes a 17-0 record into the game over his last 20 starts, the longest unbeaten streak since Carl Hubbell was 24-0 in 1936-37.

The last time Santana lost was July 11 — 2-0 to Detroit and pitcher Jason Johnson.

Since then, Santana's earned-run average is 1.77 and he has not given up more than four earned runs in any of the 20 starts.

And the guy can sing, too. Oh, he's not that Santana?

One worth reading

Stacked one on top of the other, books written about the Chicago Cubs would be taller than the Sears Tower. And some are even worth reading.

One, for certain, is Cubs Nation by talented wordsmith Gene Wojciechowski, whose ancestors cornered the market on vowels.

Basically, it is about the 2004 season, but it is much more. Stuffed between the covers are vignettes about everything Cubs — fans, support staff, front office types, journalists, umpires — all written in entertaining and informative style.

It is better than the Cubs 2004 season, by far.

The Valdez Curse

Look up abyss, or black hole, in a dictionary and there's a picture of a San Diego pitcher with a stunned look. In San Diego, they call it The Curse of Valdez ... and it has nothing to do with oil spills, just spilled victories.

Since Ismael Valdez, the Padres' No. 5 starter, was traded to Florida last July, the guys pitching in the No. 5 spot in the Padres rotation are 0-13 with an 8.16 ERA.

Tim Redding has been the guy this year, and he is 0-4 with an 8.10 ERA.

They're looking for another No. 5 starter and the candidates on the team are both former Reds, Dennys Reyes and Chris Hammond. Both can be found hiding in a clubhouse closet.

Houston has a problem

How bad have the Houston Astros been? They were shut out two games in a row by the Pittsburgh Pirates, which is like the Southern California getting shut out by the Coast Guard Academy.

After pitcher Roger Clemens beat the Reds on April 8, providing the winning runs with a two-run single, the Astros went 35 straight innings without giving him a run. They lost three straight 1-0 games in extra innings in games he started.

Maybe Clemens needs to go on those road trips he skips when he isn't pitching and buy the guys some steak dinners.

In their first 20 games, the Astros were shut out five times. That would be 40 shutouts over 162 games. The club record is 23 in 1963, the second year the club existed and when it was known as the Houston Colt .45s, the team with no bullets.

Tribe signs them up

There were times the past four years when Cleveland Indians fan wondered if owner Larry Dolan and his family were not interested in winning or didn't have the cash flow.

Well ... in the last three months, the Dolans have approved the signing to long-term contracts of five of their players for $53 million.

One was pitcher Jake Westbrook, who needs to stay away from the Detroit Tigers. So far this year, Westbrook is 0-2 with a 33.23 ERA against the Tigers. Against the rest of the world he is 0-3 with a 1.50 ERA. No matter the ERAs, he is 0-5.

A year ago, Westbrook pitched 16 innings against the Tigers and allowed no runs and two hits.

This year?

"They are a good fastball-hitting team and I'm a fastball pitcher," said Westbrook. "Things collided."

And they weren't immovable objects.

Oh (for 24), dear!

A's outfielder Charles Thomas began the season 0-for-24, second-worst start in Oakland history. Then he got a hit.

That had to make A's general manager Billy Beane feel a little better, just a little bit. Thomas and two other guys came to the A's over the winter in a trade with Atlanta for pitcher Tim Hudson.

In Lamb's wool

Mike Lamb, meet Mike Lamb. They haven't met, but Houston's Mike Lamb and Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Mike Lamb were both in the Steel City last week.

"We could get together and compare Lamb jokes," said the ballplayer. "I'm sure he's never been to Wrigley Field and have the organist play Mary Had a Little Lamb."

When The Big Red Machine played in Philadelphia, the organist always played Second Hand Rose for Pete Rose and Catch a Falling Star for Johnny Bench.

The Wrigley organist this years plays saxophonist Chuck Mangione's Feels So Good for Cincinnati's Ryan Freel, who says, "I hate that, why does he do that?"

Just for that reason, Ryan, to get your goat ... or your lamb.

Contact Hal McCoy at hmccoy@DaytonDailyNews.com