Today’s water cooler chatter is all about the baseball Hall of Fame. The latest inductees will be announced in a few hours and word has it that Pedro, Smoltz, the Big Unit and Craig Biggio will all make it.

[Drawing by Larry Roibal]

Yes, yes: again.

Last week I reprinted this gem by Jennifer Briggs.

I have one of the few jobs where the first thing people ask about is penises. Well, Reggie Jackson was my first. And yes, I was scared. I was 22 years old and the first woman ever to cover sports for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Up until then, my assignments had been small-time: high school games and features on father-daughter doubles teams and Hacky Sack demonstrations. But now it was late September, and my editor wanted me to interview Mr. October about what it was like not to make the playoffs.

I’d heard the stories: the tales of women who felt forced to make a stand at the clubhouse door; of the way you’re supposed to never look down at your notepad, or a player might think you’re snagging a glimpse at his crotch; about how you’ve always got to be prepared with a one-liner, even if it means worrying more about snappy comebacks than snappy stories.

Dressed in a pair of virgin white flats, I trudged through the Arlington Stadium tunnel—a conglomeration of dirt and spit and sunflower seeds, caked to the walkway like 10,000-year-old bat guano at Carlsbad Caverns—dreading the task before me. It would be the last day ever for those white shoes—and my first of many covering professional sports.

And there I was at the big red clubhouse door, dented and bashed in anger so many times it conjured up an image of stone-washed hemoglobin. I pushed open the door and gazed into the visitors’ locker room, a big square chamber with locker cubicles lining its perimeter and tables and chairs scattered around the center. I walked over to the only Angel who didn’t yet have on some form of clothing. Mr. October, known to be Mr. Horse’s Heinie on occasion, was watching a college football game in a chair in the middle of it all—naked. I remember being scared because I hadn’t known how the locker room was going to look or smell or who or what I would have to wade through—literally and figuratively—to find this man.

It’s worth your time:

The Red Sox reboot.

The Big Bopper goes…

Cha-Ching.

And a little something something for Monsieur Martin aussi. 

[Photo Credit: Scott Cunningham]

Trout, Kershaw.

And, talk of the biggest contract ever. 

Plus, a rumor about a guy I’ve always liked: Howie Kendrick. 

[Photo Credit: Jeff Curry/AP]

Baseball’s awards season has begun.

Buck!

And…Chris Young. Try to remain calm…

[Photo Credit: The Baltimore Sun]

Illustrator and designer, Gary Cieradkowski runs a beautiful site, Infinite Baseball Card Set.

Top of that, he’s got a book out, The League of Outsider Baseball.

Put it on your holiday shopping list. Looks like a keeper.

Madison Bumgarner is the Giants’ latest–and greatest–Whirled Serious pitching hero and the Giants are the champs again.

The Royals hung in there but had no answer for Bummie G.

Drag.

[Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America, via It’s a Long Season]

Game 7 of the Whirled Serious.

This is it, guys.

Never mind the long winter ahead:

Let’s Go Base-ball!

Picture by Richard Diebenkorn.

Win or go home for the Royals.

C’mon Game 7…

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Painting by Evan Clayton Horback]

The Giants are one win away from their third championship in five years.

They won again behind their ace on an otherwise somber night in baseball. 

[Photo Credit: Elsa//Getty Images North America via It’s a Long Season]

The Giants thumped the Royals but good last night and now the Whirled Serious is tied, 2-2.

The Game 1 starters return for a critical Game 5, the final game by the Bay. Be interesting to see if James Shields can finally deliver the kind of start we’ve seen from him for years in the AL.

Root-root-rootin’ for the Royals.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: Tara Wray]

M’eh, could be.

[Photo Credit: Scott Iskowitz/AP]

A friend of mine sent me the following, his informal guide to baseball jersey numbers.

1. Tall, lanky, slick fielding outfielder ..left-handed hitting.. Good speed but a bad base stealer. Or, a light hitting shortstop. (not a second baseman).

2. Under 5 foot 10, middle infielder that plays third on occasion; switch-hitting. Plays successfully for multiple teams never eclipsing 90 games in one season.

3. Outfielder, good glove in the early part of their career. Most likely a Left-handed thrower, so an average arm at best.

4. Third baseman or shortstop, fairly light hitting. One or two gold gloves in the course of a double-digit year career.

5. Third baseman, not a shortstop. Hits over .275

6. Weak hitter.Second baseman. Over 6 foot but under 180 pounds. Right-handed hitter only.

7. Great swing, but an underachiever. Two or three disproportionately great years, then at 275 hitter with 70 or so RBIs per year.

8. A catcher, absolutely no foot speed. right-handed hitter. Calls a good game.

9. hard-hitting hard driving red ass.

10. A versatile number… could be a shortstop or a first baseman, either way a non-power hitter. This should’ve been Derek Jeter’s number.

11. Tall, thin, switch hitter, 227 lifetime hitter with less than 20 home runs lifetime.

12. Another versatile number..most likely an overweight back up first baseman who has multiple years of double-digit home runs but never hits above 264.

13. Third baseman, rocket arm, multiple teams. Right hand hitter. Hits in the clutch.

14. Right-handed hitter and Batter.. Left fielder, possibly a first baseman. Slow footed. Most likely a red ass.. Low on home runs relative to high RBI total

15. Catcher, right-handed hitter. Multiple gold gloves.

16 Right-handed pitcher. Ace of the staff.

17, left-handed outfielder. Decent speed. Hits long home runs but not many of them. Good arm, most likely a platoon player.

18. Tall thin utility player either infield or outfield, definitely a right-handed hitter. Multiple teams.

19. Versatile; could be a left-handed hitting outfielder that hits in the 290s or a left-handed pitcher who hides the ball well.

20. First base, solid Fielder, 90 RBIs per. 25 home runs plus over multiple seasons.

21. Outfielder, Throws right with a cannon.. bats right. Or, outfielder, hits left, 104 games per year in the outfield 41 as a pinch hitter 19 home runs 58 RBIs.

22. Leadoff hitter or, center fielder, switch hitter. Fast, base stealer. Weak arm but excellent glove .

23. Team leader, left-handed hitter, right field or first base.

24. Right-handed hitter, outfielder, strikes out a lot. Big career numbers. Good glove good arm low batting average.

25. Divergent–either a left-handed pitcher that throws soft or right-handed DH.

26. Left-handed relief. great breaking stuff, maybe a left hand specialist. Does not break 88 on the gun.

27. Platoon outfielder, right-handed hitter. 271 average 69 RBI 18 home runs.

28. Right-handed hitting right-handed throwing first baseman. Overweight. Long solid career.

29. Left-handed starting pitcher, throws hard in the early part of his career, reemerges as a more complete pitcher. 15 years in the league.

30. Hard one to pin down position wise. Definitely a position player however. Most likely a right-handed hitter and thrower.

31. Outfielder, big arm, right-handed. Above-average home run hitter with big RBI numbers..

32. Power hitter, left-hand hitting right-hand throwing. Plays first base because there’s no other place for him. Two all-star teams. Good clubhouse guy.

33. Power hitter. Outfielder. Possibly a right-handed pitcher.

34. Someone who throws “country hardball”; right-hander. Either starter or reliever.

35. Backup catcher. Defensive replacement type. 226 batting average 14 year career.

36. Overweight right-handed pitcher.

37. Tall lanky fire-balling left-handed pitcher.

38. Right-handed middle relief pitcher.

39. Side arming right-handed closer over 6 foot four.

40. Right-handed starting pitcher who wears a mustache.

41. Hard-nosed player, outfielder or right-handed pitcher.

42. Jackie Robinson.

43. Ed Whitson.

44. I think you know the answer.

45. Bob Gibson.

46. Lumbering pitcher. Hard Thrower. Closer.

47. Lanky left-handed reliever. Throws over-the-top. 8th inning guy.

48. Similar to 36 but older and more overweight.

49. Left-handed fireball, ace of the staff. However, if he’s a righty, he’s a knuckleballer.

50. Big tall right-handed really pitcher from the south. Wears glasses. Bad attitude.

Feels more than sorta necessary for the Royals to win tonight if they stand a chance in the Serious.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: James Reick via This Isn’t Happiness]

Pulling for the Royals though I think the Giants will win it all.

Hope I’m wrong. And hope it goes 7.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: Charlie Riedel/AP via It’s a Long Season]

Wow.

[Photo Credit: David J. Phillip/Associated Press]

Giants look to close out the Cards and head to the Whirled Serious.

But maybe the Cards’ll prove to be a tough out and take this series back to St. Louis.

Either way, we’ll be watching.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: Francois Cavelier via MPD]

Can the Royals winning streak continue? Will the Cards tie up the NLCS?

Which one of these?

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: Ed Zurga/Getty Images via It’s a Long Season]