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Young has last laugh in opener
By Hal McCoy
Dayton Daily News
HOUSTON | When Dmitri Young played with the Cincinnati Reds, his all-out style, his hitting propensity and his sense of humor made him a favorite of manager Jack McKeon.
Then Young showed up for spring training in 2000 with his hair dyed wrist-watch gold. That went over with old-school McKeon like somebody gargling in church.
It wasn't until deep into the season that a writer told Young, "Lose the golden lock and McKeon might like you again," that Dmitri realized his sin and washed that disdain right out of his hair.
Now he plays for the Detroit Tigers — with no hair additives — and became only the third player in baseball history to hit three home runs on Opening Day, joining George Brett and Tuffy Rhodes.
Tuffy Rhodes? Born and raised in Cincinnati. He hit three homers in 1994 for the Chicago Cubs against Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets. For his major-league career, Rhodes hit 13 homers then went to Japan where he became a superstar.
Young, though, just wanted to make it past Game 2 this year. He broke his leg in the second game of the season last year ... and tried to do it again.
When he tripled in Game 2 this season, the very large Young belly-whompered into third base. Said third-base coach Juan Samuel, "The score kept me from laughing." The Tigers trailed Kansas City, 7-2.
It was Young who said, after playing his first game in Detroit's new (and dark) Comerica Park, "I feel like I'm Batman playing in Gotham City."
The money game
How times do change. The Cleveland Indians signed second-year catcher Victor Martinez to a five-year, $15.5 million contract.
It is the second longest contract in Tribe history, but it was the first one that set the industry abuzz. The Indians signed pitcher Wayne Garland to a 10-year, $2.3 million deal in 1976 ... and everybody said Cleveland was crazy to give a player that much money.
That was $230,000 a year. The major-league minimum this year is $316,000. A-Rod makes about $125,000 a game.
Hale and Hardy
As bad as Milwaukee has been for more than a decade, shortstop J.J. Hardy was the first rookie to make his major-league debut on Opening Day for the Brewers since some guy named Paul Molitor started at shortstop in 1974 because some guy named Robin Yount was injured.
Hardy, 22, contributed a two-run single during Milwaukee's 9-2 win over Pittsburgh and, of course, was given the ball. Now Milwaukee has only one baseball left.
Woe is Tampa Bay
As if Tampa Bay needs any more problems, new catcher Charles Johnson took a one-week leave of absence just before Opening Day for undisclosed personal reasons.
That came after outfielder/clean-up hitter Danny Bautista and second baseman Roberto Alomar retired during spring training on the same day and after Alex Sanchez became the first major-leaguer trapped in baseball's new performance-enhancing drugs policy.
Said Manager Lou Piniella, "If we have any more problems, I may take one of those (in-season) vacations Sparky Anderson took when he was with the Tigers."
Even the league makes it tough on the D-Rays. After conducting spring training two blocks from their TropDome home park for six weeks, the Rays were scheduled to open at home. Their opponent? Toronto, which holds spring training just up U.S. 19 a few miles from where the D-Rays train and a team they played about two dozen times during the exhibition season.
And they wonder why an announced crowd of only 26,018 showed up — smallest Opening Day crowd for any major-league team since 2001?
OK, the Rays are bad, too.
Lots of strangers
And speaking of bad teams over the past decade, at least the Pittsburgh Pirates keep trying.
Shortstop Jack Wilson started his fifth straight Opening Day and looked around to see that he was the only guy left from the team the Pirates started five years ago against Cincinnati in the inaugural game at PNC Park.
Gone are Kevin Young, Pat Meares, Derek Bell, Jason Kendall, Aramis Ramirez, Brian Giles, Adrian Brown and starting pitcher Todd Ritchie.
Lose with less
Speaking of cash, like A-Rod's, and isn't that what the game is all about, the Kansas City Royals cut payroll 30 percent this year, from a team-high last year of $47.6 million to $36.3 million, in baseball's Bottom Three.
Why not? They lost 105 games last year with their highest-ever payroll.
Dear John ... ouch
And they are wondering in Atlanta, too, after John Smoltz's first start in four years. He gave up five runs in the first inning on Opening Day in a 9-0 loss to Florida and Josh Beckett.
Before then, Smoltz was 10-3 with a 2.27 ERA and had converted 20-of-20 saves against the Marlins. Meanwhile, Beckett was 2-7 in 10 starts against Atlanta, including 0-3 with a 7.27 ERA last year in three starts.
"It was the worst feeling in the world, and I'm not going to hide that," said Smoltz.
His previous loss to Florida was May 22, 2001. Since then, he had made 29 relief appearances and didn't give up a run to the Marlins.
He was due, wasn't he?
Big shoes to fill
The St. Louis Cardinals lost free-agent bullpenner Steve Kline to Baltimore and traded Kiko Calero to Oakland.
The significance? Kline didn't give up an earned run all last season at Busch Stadium, and opposing hitters batted only .176 against Calero.
Well, in the first two games, the Cardinals bullpen faced 26 batters and 14 reached base. Panic? Not from closer Jason Isringhausen, the guy you hear whistling in the dark.
"Everything is going to be fine," he said. "Everybody is going to push the panic button. Writers are going to write something (who, me?). People are going to be all worried. Everything is going to be OK. We'll be OK."
OK, Jason, if you say so.
Too much sun
Most players, after seven weeks of spring training, are ready to pack their bags and play real ball. Not Philadelphia pitcher Randy Wolf.
Asked if he is glad spring training was over, Wolf said, "Yeah, it's about time we get out of this sunshine and into bad weather. That sun was getting tiring."
Well, he is left-handed.
Contact Hal McCoy at hmccoy@DaytonDailyNews
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the Aurilia signing.
