----- Original Message -----
From: "marika" <marika5000@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Newsgroups: alt.s****ts.baseball.sf-giants,alt.usenet.legends.lester-mosley
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: Small Ball
>
> "NFN Smith" <worldoff9908@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:oSuJj.2054$xd5.1507@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>> Something I thought of when I was writing, but didn't mention, was
>> wondering how many of Henderson's steals in the year he set the record
>> were "stealing just to steal", because for the whole season, he was
>> trying
>> to set a record.
>>
>
> Ladies, FYI. This hits so close to home that I feel obliged to share
this
> article with you.
>
>
> mk5000
>
> What streak? Sizemore just wants to play
> Posted by Paul Hoynes phoynes@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
April 04, 2008 21:45PM
>
> Oakland -- The streak is not Grady Sizemore's favorite subject. To
> Sizemore,
> it's about being healthy enough to help his team every day, not seeing
how
> many games he can play in a row.
> Yet the streak isn't going anywhere. It's sitting on Sizemore's
shoulder,
> flipping over nightly like a desktop calendar.
> Sizemore played in his 362nd straight game Friday night. He was in
center
> field and hitting leadoff, as usual, for the Indians at McAfee Coliseum.
> It's the longest active streak in the big leagues. Sizemore passed Juan
> Pierre on opening day after Pierre lost his job in the Dodgers outfield.
> "I don't think about the streak," said Sizemore. "If I'm healthy, I want
> to
> be in the lineup. I want to play as much as I can."
>
> It's the longest streak by an Indian since third baseman Toby Harrah
> played
> in 473 straight games from 1979 through 1983. Sizemore last missed a
game
> on
> Aug. 25, 2005.
> Manager Eric Wedge says he talks to Sizemore every year about the
streak.
> "Every year inevitably there are a couple of games he doesn't start,"
said
> Wedge, "but he ends up getting in there. There will be days this year
when
> we give him a day off. If we don't need him, he won't play. If we need
> him,
> he'll play."
> Wedge was asked what he'd do if Sizemore didn't start a game that the
> Indians were winning by a wide margin and wanted to go in. Wedge said
> Sizemore would stay on the bench.
> "A day off is just that," said Wedge. "If you can get him through a day
> off
> .¤.¤. he's going to be that much stronger down the road. It's not about
> the
> streak for Grady, it's about him wanting to play every day for his
> teammates. I understand that."
> Sizemore says he's a nervous wreck when he doesn't start.
> "You always have to stay prepared because you never know what's going to
> come up," he said. "That's almost harder than playing, watching for nine
> innings and trying to stay ready.
> "I pace in the dugout, drive people crazy and go through a lot of gum."
> Sizemore says he gets tired physically during the season, but the mental
> fatigue can be worse.
> "Mentally you're more exhausted than physically," he said. "Being out
> there
> every day for three or four hours every day. To stay mentally focused
for
> nine innings for six months is one of the toughest things to do."
> Sizemore went into Friday's game hitting .333 (4-for-12) with one
triple,
> one homer and four RBI in three games. His average dropped from .290 in
> 2006
> to .277 last year. It is something he wants to improve.
> "I'm never going to be satisfied," said Sizemore. "I never really got
hot
> like I wanted to last year. There were certain times when I swung well,
> but
> for the most part I was inconsistent."
> Sizemore had over 700 plate appearances in 2007. He'd love to have that
> many, if not more, this year.
> "It means I'm healthy and playing well," he said.
> Sizemore, 25, wants to improve defensively. It will require some doing
> since
> he won the Gold Glove last year. It was an award that Sizemore did not
> expect even though it seemed like he had a season-long series of great
> catches running daily on S****tsCenter.
> "There's tons of guys who have a lot of highlights," said Sizemore.
> "There's
> a handful of centerfielders in the AL who do that every day. I'm happy I
> got
> it, but I didn't expect it."
> As for improving, Sizemore said, "It's hard to judge if you're getting
> better or worse .¤.¤. The more I play, the more I understand."
> If that's the case, long live the streak.
>
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