Barry Larkin as an All-Star for the last time

I suppose I'm a couple days late on the Barry Larkin post, but that's because I don't really have anything to add. I never had a strong feel either way for his candidacy, but I suppose I now see him as more a Hall of Famer than not. He was among the shortstops who "changed the position," as they like to say (not the shortstops themselves, saying that, but other people), and he was probably the National League equivalent of Cal Ripken Jr. -- only without the consecutive games played streak or the Q rating. Plus, now the 1990 Reds have a Hall of Famer.

But then I remembered I had this photo -- taken during his last season, when he was named to his last All-Star team. It's one of my favorite shots from that weekend, when I was in Houston to cover the celebrity softball game but got to stay for everything else -- and then fly back to Newark sitting next to one of Tom Gordon's sons before chatting with Harold Reynolds at baggage claim.

The other Larkin memory I have is how he rejected a trade to the Mets in 2000 because they wouldn't give him a three-year extension. I'm not sure Larkin would have been the difference in the 2000 World Series, so in hindsight it looks like a wise move by the Mets considering that Larkin only played more than 70 games once in those three seasons from 2001-03, and Jose Reyes debuted in June 2003.

Next year's stamps, all together

Don't these look beautiful? They'll be great to have -- one sheet to keep, others to use -- next summer*.

*Assuming the Post Office still exists.

Pops!

And here's the kick-ass Willie Stargell stamp that will be part of next summer's release. I love that they used both the yellow jersey and that intimidating stance (even if his face isn't so intimidating as depicted).

Finding Frank Grant

Every week I seem to come across another connection between New Jersey and baseball's past, sometimes a significant part of it or something that should be more well known than it is. The most recent find goes back to a Hall of Famer from the 19th Century -- and the game's segregated practices.

This spring, the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project installed a stone on the previously unmarked resting place of Ulysses Franklin Grant, better known as Frank Grant -- perhaps the greatest black player of the 1800s. Born in Massachusetts, Grant died in New York City in 1937, but when pallbearers Sol White, Smokey Joe Williams and Nux James laid him to rest, it was at East Ridgelawn Cemetery in Clifton, N.J. The cemetery is not even 10 minutes from my house, so I took a drive over there.

Why Grant was buried in New Jersey is a mystery. He was poor, and so there was no headstone, but despite the lack of a marker, the location was preserved in cemetery records: Section 14, Block B, Row E, Number 6. And though articles written about Grant in 2006, when he was part of the Hall of Fame's largest induction class to date, said his grave would never be marked, that changed this year when Jeremy Krock and his group delivered the headstone. I don't know if it was a change of heart or a change in policy, but it's a welcome change. A player of Grant's historical signifigance should be honored and remembered with a headstone, at the very least.

From 1886-91, Grant played in integrated professional leagues in the Northeast. From Meriden, Ct., to Buffalo to Trenton to Harrisburg to Ansonia, Ct., Grant played (occassionally with Sol White as a teammate) in the Eastern League, International League (and later International Association), Middle States League, Eastern Interstate League, Atlantic Association and Connecticut State League. He was one of a handful of black players suiting up for white teams before segregation was more strictly practiced. In researching Grant's life, I found it interesting that once the International League forced Buffalo to cut ties with Grant, segregation became the norm, and when Jackie Robinson re-integrated what is referred to as Organized Baseball in 1946, he did so in the International League. In fact there may be a direct connection between Grant and Robinson from 1890, when Grant's Harrisburg Ponies may have come to Newark and Jersey City in Atlantic Association play, to 1946, when Robinson's Montreal Royals opened the season at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. During the intervening 56 years, it may be that no black player suited up for an otherwise "white" team in a "white" or "Organized Baseball" league in New Jersey. (Grant, for one, did play in New Jersey often over the next two decades on all-black teams, either against other black clubs or in exhibition games against white teams.)

But that's just speculation. The full, detailed, day-by-day history of "outsider baseball," as writer and historian Scott Simkus refers to the players who weren't part of the Organized Baseball structure, may never be known because of the lack of records and contemporary coverage remaining today. But that doesn't mean we can't try, and Simkus and Gary Ashwell are among those doing noble work in digging up newspaper archives and other sources to put the pieces together. For a very detailed look at Grant's life, check out Brian McKenna's profile at SABR's Baseball Biography Project. Official MLB historian John Thorn also has two informative posts about Grant, one from 2006 and another from earlier this year. Each one goes into much more detail than I could hope to, at least not without several weeks of research or citing every sentence with a link back to their posts. (And for more on the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project, here is a recent Chicago Tribune story and a New York Times article from last year that take a closer look at what Krock and his colleagues have done.)

Grant now rests in a quiet corner at East Ridgelawn, an 80-acre cemetery bordered by busy roads and divided by lanes allowing visitors to drive through the grounds. A large oak tree towers over the east end of Section 14, not far from a fence running along Fenlon Blvd. I wondered if the neighbors across the street knew of the famous ballplayer here beneath the lawn. Based on the photo accompanying a local story, I set out looking for a flat marker decorated with American flags. It didn't take me long to spot them across the undulating grounds, waving in the breeze. Dried, yellow grass from a recent mowing covered half of the inscription, but otherwise the stone looked new, but not fresh -- like it had been there for a few years, not a few months. I brushed the crusty blades of grass from the surface and took some pictures.

Other plots in the vicinity have headstones, but nothing within a few feet of Grant's grave. Though he must have "next-door neighbors" there, they lie in still-unmarked graves. I stood there a while wondering what the area looked like in 1937 and how it came to be Grant's final resting place. What did Sol White -- who died in 1955 and is buried on Staten Island -- and Smokey Joe Williams think of bringing their former teammate (in White's case) and friend to the Garden State?

As I walked back to my car, I figured I'll check in on Grant every so often, just to make sure he's not forgotten anymore and that Krock's efforts to have Grant's gravesite recognized are appreciated.

Yogi's the first

1969 Mets reunion

I've met Yogi Berra a couple of times but never had a chance to get his autograph. I remedied that today at a show in Secaucus, immersing myself in a sea of Yankee fans to do so.

But rather than go with a black-and-white 8x10 photo in the true Yankee Stadium or the ubiquitous Hall of Fame postcard, I had the idea to recognize his Mets tenure, hence this photo. My hope is to fill it in with the other five -- Nolan Ryan, Jerry Grote, Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Duffy Dyer. I've got Ryan and Seaver separately on other items, but I'd love to get them all together here.

And so the quest begins...

Winfield asks fans to help find a cure

When I began this blog several years ago as a means to continue to write about baseball after I left sportswriting, I had no plans to use it as a money-making venture. And I still don't; I simply do it for fun. But I'm not against using this space to promote a good cause, which I have a chance to do today with an advance look at a new initiative involving a Hall of Famer, a popular internet search site and the leading organization in the fight against breast cancer.

Next week, roughly midway between Major League Baseball's Mother's Day push to fight breast cancer and the Father's Day effort to raise awareness about prostate cancer, Hall of Famer Dave Winfield will join the lineup of ballplayers trying to raise awareness for a cure. Winfield has teamed with Ask.com to participate in the website's Answers for the Cure program, which benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure -- the same foundation that aligns with MLB on the second Sunday of each May as players wield pink bats and wristbands on the field that day.

Beginning next week, Winfield can be seen in a new public service announcement encouraging fans to join the fight. For each person who joins the Answers for the Cure program in 2010, Ask will contribute 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with a guaranteed minimum contribution of $100,000. It's a cause close to the big man's big heart.

“My mom passed away from breast cancer, so this is a really important cause for me,” Winfield said in a press release. “I know firsthand what it’s like to have questions about the disease and want to get involved in ending breast cancer. Ask is providing an easy solution for answers, education and awareness and I’m proud to be partnered with them in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.”

Personally, I've been lucky. The closest breast cancer has come to my family is a few close friends, all of whom have fought it off and are still with us today. My father survived prostate cancer -- along with Joe Torre, Rudy Giuliani and many others. It's unlikely that any of us have gotten this far in life without knowing someone close who has either fought off or succumbed to cancer in one form or another, and it's great to see Winfield aligning his Hall of Fame name with this cause.

Winfield is part of my earliest baseball memories. He played left field for the Yankees in the first Major League game I ever attended, at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 21, 1983. It was a 2-1 Yankees win on a Sunday afternoon, and for years -- nearly 20 of them, in fact -- I thought that one of the thrills of the day was seeing Reggie Jackson play for the Angels. Years after a certain anxious summer in New York and a burning fall, he could still cause a stir in New York, even for a 6-year-old who had no memories of '78.

But upon discovering Retrosheet, I learned that Reggie didn't play in that game. The "R. Jackson" in the box score was Ron Jackson, who played third base for California that day. Don Mattingly and Hall of Famer Rod Carew each pinch-hit that afternoon, but did not leave impressions on me. Reggie left one that was inaccurate. And even though he went 0-for-3, Winfield was the only other player who stood out in my mind decades later. (It turned out to be a star-filled game for my first one -- in addition to Carew and Winfield, Hall of Famer Goose Gossage got the win in relief of Dave Righetti. Also in that game were Willie Randolph, Ken Griffey, Don Baylor, and Fred Lynn.)

Now, 27 years after I first saw him play, Winfield is still leaving an impression on me by giving his time and notoriety to a good cause. So take a minute (literally) to see what he has to say and click through to help Ask.com contribute to help in the Susan G. Komen effort to find a cure.

Photo Friday: Cactus League action

Fontenot flop

The vacation got off to a glorious start. Our flight arrived in Phoenix half an hour early and we got our rental car and headed over to HoHoKam Park in Mesa (with a pit stop at In-n-Out Burger in Tempe).

Moments after Randy Wells made the first pitch of the spring for the Cubs, it hit me and I turned to Casey and said, "We're at a ballgame!" Baseball is back. Thank God.

It was a great day for the Cubs, which made for a wonderful afternoon. We spent the first four innings in our seats on the first-base side, then got up to grab a beer, roam the ballpark and take in the atmosphere.

Upon reaching the left-field corner, Casey's eyes lit up at a sign advertising a group of former players signing autographs. "Rollie Fingers!" she said. "I have to see that mustache in person!"

Rollie was there, sitting next to fellow Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins. Joining them beneath the tent were Bert Campaneris, George Foster, Lee Smith and Pete LaCock. For a $30 donation -- as it was called -- I bought an autographed postcard of Jenkins' Hall of Fame plaque and an 8x10 color glossy photo of Fingers delivering a pitch in Oakland's glorious yellow jerseys of the '70s.

Sadly, this game is the only baseball stop on our Arizona/Utah vacation. From here, it's north to higher elevations and colder climes, to the desert and the national parks. I may have another update or two over the next week, but if not, this will have to stand for the time being.

Presidential players

For Presidents Day, I thought I'd go into the Baseball-Reference database and put together a roster of players and managers throughout history who share names with former presidents. I'm sure I'm not the first to compile such a list (and I did think of putting together a 25-man roster, by position, but got lazy -- which is fine). They're listed below in order of the most popular surnames. Each one includes honorable mentions for players whose given names -- first and middle -- are those of chief executives. I did not include any players/managers whose first names are the same as presidential last names (sorry, Madison Bumgarner, et al).

A few notes: Players listed as active (through 2009) by B-R are in bold, asterisks denote All-Stars and italics are Hall of Famers. Players with presidential surnames are listed with their common, known names (Bo Jackson, instead of Edward Vincent Jackson, for instance), but those with first and middle names of presidents have their full, given names listed (so you might not recognize Jonathan Tyler Lester, but it's Jon Lester). Those who are or were known by the same name as a president (Zachary Taylor is one) are in all caps, but those who share a name with a president but go by something else (Mike Adams was born Jon -- close enough -- Michael Adams) just have the given name noted in parentheses.

JOHNSON (106)
Abbie Johnson
Abe Johnson
Adam Johnson
Alex Johnson*
Art Johnson (1927)
Art Johnson (1940-42)
Ban Johnson (founder and president of American League; in HOF as pioneer/executive in 1937)
Bart Johnson
Ben Johnson (1959-60)
Ben Johnson (2005-07)
Bill Johnson (1884-92)
Bill Johnson (1916-17)
Bill Johnson (1983-84)
Billy Johnson*
Bob Johnson* (1933-45)
Bob Johnson (1960-70)
Bob Johnson (1969-77)
Bob Johnson (1981-83)
Brian Johnson
Caleb Johnson
Charles Johnson*
Charlie Johnson
Chet Johnson
Chief Johnson
Chris Johnson
Cliff Johnson
Connie Johnson
Dan Johnson
Dane Johnson
Darrell Johnson
Dave Johnson (1974-78)
Dave Johnson (1987-93)
Davey Johnson*
Deron Johnson
Don Johnson* (1943-48)
Don Johnson (1947-58)
Earl Johnson
Ed Johnson
Elliot Johnson
Elmer Johnson
Erik Johnson
Ernie Johnson (1912-25)
Ernie Johnson (1950-59)
Footer Johnson
Frank Johnson
Fred Johnson
Gary Johnson
Hank Johnson
Howard Johnson*
Jason Johnson
Jeff Johnson
Jerry Johnson
Jim Johnson (1970)
Jim Johnson (2006-)
Jing Johnson
Joe Johnson
John Johnson
John Henry Johnson
Johnny Johnson
Jonathan Johnson
Josh Johnson*
Judy Johnson
Keith Johnson
Kelly Johnson (Kelly Andrew Johnson)
Ken Johnson (1947-52)
Ken Johnson (1958-70)
Lamar Johnson
Lance Johnson*
Larry Johnson
Lloyd Johnson
Lou Johnson
Mark Johnson
Mark J. Johnson (2000)
Mark L. Johnson (1998-2008)
Mike Johnson (1974)
Mike Johnson (1997-2001)
Nick Johnson
Otis Johnson
Paul Johnson
Randy Johnson (1980-82)
Randy Johnson (1982-84)
Randy Johnson* (1988-2009)
Rankin Johnson (1914-18)
Rankin Johnson (1941)
Reed Johnson
Rob Johnson
Ron Johnson
Rondin Johnson
Rontrez Johnson
Roy Johnson (1918)
Roy Johnson (1929-38)
Roy Johnson (1982-85)
Russ Johnson
Si Johnson
Spud Johnson
Stan Johnson
Syl Johnson
Tim Johnson
Tom Johnson
Tony Johnson
Tyler Johnson
Vic Johnson
Wallace Johnson
Walt Johnson
Walter Johnson
Youngy Johnson

WILSON (70)
Archie Wilson
Art Wilson
Artie Wilson
Bill Wilson (1890-98)
Bill Wilson (1950-55)
Bill Wilson (1969-73)
Bob Wilson
Bobby Wilson
Brian Wilson*
C.J. Wilson
Charlie Wilson (Charles Woodrow Wilson)
Chief Wilson
Craig Wilson (1989-93)
Craig Wilson (1998-2000)
Craig Wilson (2001-2007)
Dan Wilson*
Desi Wilson
Don Wilson*
Duane Wilson
Earl Wilson
Eddie Wilson
Enrique Wilson
Fin Wilson
Frank Wilson
Gary Wilson (1902)
Gary Wilson (1979)
Gary Wilson (1995)
George Wilson
Glenn Wilson*
Grady Wilson
Hack Wilson
Henry Wilson
Highball Wilson
Icehouse Wilson
Jack Wilson (1934-42)
Jack Wilson* (2001-)
Jim Wilson* (1945-58)
Jim Wilson (1985-89)
Jimmie Wilson*
John Wilson (1913)
John Wilson (1927-28)
Josh Wilson
Jud Wilson
Kris Wilson
Les Wilson
Max Wilson
Mike Wilson
Mookie Wilson
Mutt Wilson
Neil Wilson
Nigel Wilson
Parke Wilson
Paul Wilson
Pete Wilson
Preston Wilson*
Red Wilson
Roy Wilson
Squanto Wilson
Steve Wilson
Tack Wilson
Tex Wilson
Tom Wilson (1914-14)
Tom Wilson (2001-04)
Trevor Wilson
Tug Wilson
Vance Wilson
Walter Wilson
Willie Wilson*
Willy Wilson
Zeke Wilson

Honorable mention:
Woodrow Wilson (Woody) Davis
Woodrow Wilson (Woody) Williams (1938-45)

TAYLOR (50)
Aaron Taylor
Arlas Taylor
Ben Taylor (1912)
Ben Taylor (1951-55)
Ben "Old Reliable" Taylor
Bill Taylor
Billy Taylor (1881-87)
Billy Taylor (1898)
Billy Taylor (1994-2001)
Bob Taylor
Bruce Taylor
Carl Taylor
Chink Taylor
Chuck Taylor
Danny Taylor
Dorn Taylor
Dummy Taylor
Dwight Taylor
Ed Taylor (1903)
Ed Taylor (1926)
Fred Taylor
Gary Taylor
George Taylor
Graham Taylor
Harry Taylor (1890-93)
Harry Taylor (1932)
Harry Taylor (1946-52)
Harry Taylor (1957)
Hawk Taylor
Jack Taylor (1891-99)
Jack Taylor (1898-1907)
Joe Taylor
Kerry Taylor
Leo Taylor
Live Oak Taylor
Pete Taylor
Reggie Taylor
Ron Taylor
Sammy Taylor
Sandy Taylor
Scott Taylor (1992-93)
Scott Taylor (1995)
Terry Taylor
Tommy Taylor
Tony Taylor*
Wade Taylor
Wiley Taylor
ZACHARY TAYLOR
Zack Taylor

Honorable mention:
Zachary Taylor Shafer

JACKSON (34)
Al Jackson
Bill Jackson
Bo Jackson*
Charlie Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Conor Jackson
Damian Jackson
Danny Jackson*
Darrell Jackson
Darrin Jackson
Edwin Jackson*
George Jackson
Grant Jackson*
Henry Jackson
Herbert Jackson
Jim Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson
John Jackson
Ken Jackson
Larry Jackson*
Lou Jackson
Mike Jackson (1970-73)
Mike Jackson (1986-2004
Randy Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Ron Jackson (1954-60)
Ron Jackson (1975-84)
Roy Lee Jackson
Ryan Jackson
Sam Jackson
Sonny Jackson
Steven Jackson
Travis Jackson
Zach Jackson

Honorable mention:
Andrew Jackson Bednar
Andrew Jackson Dunning
Andrew Jackson Knox
Andrew Jackson Leonard
Andrew Jackson Reese

ADAMS (28)
Ace Adams*
Babe Adams
Bert Adams
Bob Adams (1925)
Bob Adams (1931-1932)
Bob Adams (1977)
Bobby Adams
Buster Adams
Dan Adams
Dick Adams
Doug Adams
George Adams
Glenn Adams
Herb Adams
Jim Adams
Joe Adams
Karl Adams
Mike Adams (1972-78) (Jon Michael Adams)
Mike Adams (2004-)
Red Adams
Rick Adams
Ricky Adams
Russ Adams
Sparky Adams (Earl John Adams)
Spencer Adams
Terry Adams
Willie Adams (1912-1919)
Willie Adams (1996-1997)

Honorable mention for our sixth president:
John Quincy Adams Strick (1882)

KENNEDY (22)
Adam Kennedy
Bill Kennedy (1942-47)
Bill Kennedy (1948-57)
Bob Kennedy (1939-1957)
Brickyard Kennedy
Doc Kennedy
Ed Kennedy (1883-86)
Ed Kennedy (1884)
Ian Kennedy
Jim Kennedy (1970)
Jim Kennedy (manager, years unknown)
Joe Kennedy
JOHN KENNEDY (1957) (John Irvin Kennedy)
JOHN KENNEDY (1962-74) (John Edward Kennedy)
Junior Kennedy
Kevin Kennedy
Monte Kennedy
Ray Kennedy (Raymond Lincoln Kennedy; double presidents!)
Snapper Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Terry Kennedy*
Vern Kennedy*

FORD (16)
Ben Ford
Bill Ford
Curt Ford
Dan Ford
Dave Ford
Ed Ford
Gene Ford (1905)
Gene Ford (1936-38)
Hod Ford
Lew Ford
Matt Ford
Russ Ford
Ted Ford
Tom Ford
Wenty Ford
Whitey Ford

CARTER (14)
Andy Carter
Arnold Carter
Blackie Carter
Chris Carter
Gary Carter
Howie Carter
Jeff Carter
Joe Carter*
Lance Carter*
Larry Carter
Nick Carter
Paul Carter
Sol Carter
Steve Carter

HAYES (10)
Ben Hayes
Bill Hayes
Brett Hayes
Charlie Hayes
Frankie Hayes*
Jackie Hayes (1882-90)
Jackie Hayes (1927-40)
Jim Hayes
John Hayes
Von Hayes*

GRANT (8)
Eddie Grant
Frank Grant (Ulysses Franklin Grant)
George Grant
Jim Grant
Jimmy Grant
Mark Grant
Mudcat Grant*
Tom Grant

Honorable mention:
Ulysses Simpson Grant "Stoney" McGlynn
Ulysses Simpson Grant "Lil" Stoner
Grant Thatcher (Ulysses Grant Thatcher)

PIERCE (8)
Billy Pierce
Ed Pierce
Gracie Pierce
Jack Pierce
Jeff Pierce
Maury Pierce
Ray Pierce
Tony Pierce

Honorable mention:
Franklin Pierce Harter
Monty Franklin Pierce Stratton

WASHINGTON (7)
Claudell Washington*
George Washington (Sloan Vernon Washinton, but B-R lists him as George)
Herb Washington
La Rue Washington
Rico Washington
Ron Washington
U L Washington

Honorable mention:
George Washington Baumgardner
George Washington Bradley (1875-88)
George Washington Bradley (1946)
George Washington Case*
George Washington Crosby
George Washington Davies
George Washington Harper
George Washington Henry
George Washington Keefe
George Washington "Jumbo" McGinnis
George Washington Merritt
George Washington Noftsker
George Washington Payne
George Washington Paynter
George Washington "Hack" Simmons
George Washington "Buck" Stanton
George Washington Wilson
George Washington "Zip" Zabel

HARRISON (7)
Ben Harrison
Bob Harrison
Chuck Harrison
Matt Harrison
Rit Harrison
Roric Harrison
Tom Harrison

Honorable mention:
William Henry Harrison Geer
Benjamin Harrison Taylor (1912)
Benjamin Harrison "Old Reliable" Taylor (dates unknown; Negro leagues player and Hall of Famer)
Benjamin Harrison Van Dyke

MONROE (6)
Craig Monroe
Ed Monroe
Frank Monroe
John Monroe
Larry Monroe
Zach Monroe

NIXON (6)
Al Nixon (Albert Richard Nixon, yet he played from 1915-28. Nickname was Humpty Dumpty)
Donell Nixon
Otis Nixon
Russ Nixon
Trot Nixon
Willard Nixon

BUSH (6)
David Bush
Donie Bush
Guy Bush
Homer Bush
Joe Bush
Randy Bush

JEFFERSON (3)
Jesse Jefferson
Reggie Jefferson
Stan Jefferson

Honorable mention:
Thomas Jefferson Davis Bridges* (Double-historical naming!)
Thomas Jefferson Dowd
Thomas Jefferson Gulley
Joseph Jefferson "Shoeless Joe" Jackson
Thomas Jefferson Jordan
Thomas Jefferson Pratt
Thomas Jefferson Raub
Thomas Jefferson Sullivan
Thomas Jefferson York

MADISON (3)
Art Madison
Dave Madison
Scotti Madison

Honorable mention:
James Madison Holloway
James Emmett Madison Holt
James Madison Pearce
James Madison Toy

TYLER (3)
Fred Tyler
Johnnie Tyler (John Anthony Tyler)
Lefty Tyler

Honorable mention:
Jonathan Tyler Lester

BUCHANON (3)
Bob Buchanan
Brian Buchanan
Jim Buchanan (James Forrest Buchanan)

VAN BUREN (2)
Deacon Van Buren
Jermaine Van Buren

Honorable mention:
Martin Van Buren (Marty) Walker

LINCOLN (2)
Ezra Lincoln
Mike Lincoln

Honorable mention:
Abraham Lincoln "Sweetbreads" Bailey (best nickname ever?)
Abraham Lincoln Wade
Abraham Lincoln Wolstenholme

CLEVELAND (2)
Elmer Cleveland
Reggie Cleveland

Honorable mention:
Grover Cleveland Alexander

CLINTON (2)
Jim Clinton
Lou Clinton

Honorable mention:
Williams Clinton (Bill) Zepp

GARFIELD (1)
Bill Garfield

Honorable mention:
James Garfield (John) Durham

HARDING (1)
Charlie Harding

POLK (0)

Only Wes Chamberlain comes close to an honorable mention; his given name is Wesley Polk Chamberlain.

FILLMORE (0)
Though there is one minor league record for a player in 1909 whose first name is not known.

ARTHUR (0)
Honorable mentions:
Chester Arthur Crist
Chester Arthur Emerson

McKINLEY (0)
Honorable mention:
William McKinley "Pinky" Hargrave
William McKinley "Max" Venable

ROOSEVELT (0)
Honorable mention:
Roosevelt Brown
Theodore Roosevelt (Ted) Lilly*
Jack Roosevelt (Jackie) Robinson
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Ted) Wieand

TAFT (0)
Honorable mention:
Taft Shedron "Taffy" Wright

COOLIDGE (0)
Honorable mention:
Calvin Coolidge (Cal) Ermer
Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma (Cal) McLish*

TRUMAN (0)
Honorable mention:
Truman Eugene "Tex" Clevenger
John Truman Wasdin

EISENHOWER (0)
Honorable mention:
A Charlie Eisenhower played for the Laredo Broncos of the independent United League in 2006.

REAGAN (0)
Honorable mention:
Douglas Reagan Ault

Art Wilson and Gary Carter deserve mention as being active in the Majors for the entire term of the presidents who share their surnames. Others active for a portion of "their" presidents' tenures include: Chief Wilson, Fin Wilson, John Wilson, Mutt Wilson, Squanto Wilson, 1914 Tom Wilson, John Edward Kennedy, Dan Ford, David and Homer Bush (George W. Bush) and Randy Bush (George H.W. Bush).

Acing Opening Day

After losing their first eight Opening Days from 1962 to 1969, the Mets finally got their first W on the season's first day in 1970, when they beat the Pirates, 5-3, in 11 innings. From that day forward, they're 31-9 on Opening Day following today's game in Cincinnati, and that .775 winning percentage is baseball's best in that span. Add in those eight losses for a 31-17 mark, and the .646 winning percentage still leads MLB.

Unlike some won-loss records in baseball, this one has some weight to it. Whereas some team-vs.-team records (or pitcher-vs.-team records) are a bit hollow -- because the players on both sides change, rendering the numbers little more than uniform-vs.-uniform -- the Mets' Opening Day mark is an indication of just how strong the front of their rotation has been over the past four decades. If the franchise has come to be known for developing a certain type of player over its nearly 50-year existence, starting pitching is it.

A look at their Opening Day starters shows a few Hall of Famers or potential Hall of Famers (and one who was believed ticketed for Cooperstown before derailing his career with substance abuse): Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Tom Glavine and Johan Santana among them. Seaver started 11 openers, including 10 straight from 1968-77; Gooden had eight scattered from 1985-94; Glavine took the ball for four of the five from 2003-07, with Pedro Martinez getting the other one; and Santana has had the last two.

Those five hurlers account for 26 of the 48 openers including today, and with this afternoon's win, the Mets' record in those 26 games is 19-8. Also scattered in there are starts by Bobby Ojeda (a win in 1987), David Cone (a win in 1992), Al Leiter (a loss in 1999, wins in 2001 and '02) and Mike Hampton (a loss in 2000). Those arms don't belong to journeymen, at least not at that stage of their careers (particularly in Hampton's case, who was an ace when he arrived via trade but quickly fell to journeyman status when he signed with Colorado). They were all considered solid No. 1 starters, if not traditional aces, and their Opening Day starts led to a 4-2 mark, bringing the team's record in this selection of games to 23-10.

With that kind of pedigree on the arms the Mets have sent to the hill for the first pitch of the season, it's no wonder they've won more than 75 percent of their season openers since 1970 and 64 percent overall.

Stories of Seaver and Ryan on the Network

I've been watching MLB Network here and there, both at work and at home, and I really should start keeping it on in the background or as my default channel for idle loafing. ("Idle loafing" -- not oxymoronic, just hyper-loaf-like.)

First, there was the second part of an interview with Tom Seaver on "MLB Tonight" in which he talks about the Hall of Fame's Induction Weekend. The best part -- his favorite part, he said -- is the Sunday night dinner. There are only three types of people allowed into the room: Hall of Famers, the Commissioner of baseball and the president of the Hall of Fame (and, presumably, the catering staff, so I guess that's four types).

If I could have access to any room anywhere in the world -- perhaps at any time in history -- that room would be in the top five. Off the top of my head, I'd add: Independence Hall when they were hashing out the Declaration of Independence; the Oval Office at some seminal moment in history, perhaps when FDR learned about Pearl Harbor (or when, if the legend is true, he learned of a possible attack ahead of time and decided to let it happen to justify entering the U.S. into World War II); a pop-culture moment or two, like when Bruce Springsteen met Clarence Clemons or played "Thunder Road" for the first time, or when Jack Kerouac met Allen Ginsberg or Neal Cassady; and the ballroom or wherever Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "Mountaintop" speech the night before he was killed.

But back to the Hall of Famers dinner. Can you imagine that room? Seaver, Bob Gibson, Stan Musial, Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, Ralph Kiner, Hank Aaron. And so many more. But maybe I wouldn't want to be in that room some day -- because it would mean I'd have to leave.

Later on the Network -- now, actually, as I wrap up at the office -- is a re-airing of Nolan Ryan's seventh no-hitter, from May 1, 1991. I remember reading about it the next morning. In New Jersey, of course, we didn't get the game on TV, and there was no MLB.TV or Extra Innings package on cable (not that my family had cable in 1991). It doesn't even appear that it aired locally in Texas. I've only been half-listening, but I got the impression that this was the Blue Jays broadcast. Part of what led me to that conclusion was one announcer -- the color commentator, so presumably a former player (he sounds young, and not like a veteran TV/radio man) -- noted how Ryan grunted when he threw his fastball. "Nolan only grunts on the fastball. As a hitter, if you can pick up on that, you know it's a fastball. He doesn't grunt when he throws a curveball."

But then there's the matter of physics -- light travels faster than sound, so by the time the batter hears the grunt, it's too late to catch up to the fastball.

Piazza retires

So if Roger Clemens never throws another pitch in the Majors, he and Mike Piazza will be on the same Hall of Fame ballot in five years. That, of course, begs the question:

Will Roger throw a bat at the TV as he watches Mike give his speech in Cooperstown?

Surely some not-so-free agents

If money were no object, some team in baseball could potentially add nine future Hall of Famers to its roster this offseason, including what is obviously a baseball first: available sluggers who have reached the 700, 600, 500, 400 and 300 home-run plateaus.

First, the possible -- not all probable -- Hall of Famers: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Andruw Jones, Mike Piazza, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa. I'm not going to go into here the debate about whether Jones and Schilling are Hall of Famers, just like I'm not bothering with the technicality that Clemens hasn't filed (and could very well retire) and that Sosa's election to the Hall is very much in doubt.

And the homers:

Bonds, 762
Sosa, 609
A-Rod, 518
Piazza, 427
Jones, 368

Even in such a weak free-agent class, some video-game roster finagling could still produce a pretty competitive team. Obviously age is a factor in the real world, but not on the Xbox -- particularly if you turn off the injuries. A rotation consisting of Clemens, Glavine, Schilling, Kenny Rogers and Livan Hernandez would pile up some wins. Todd Jones or Eric Gagne could close. First base would be a problem -- Doug Mientkiewicz and Ryan Klesko seem to be the only options, unless you count Julio Franco -- but Kaz Matsui is there at second, David Eckstein at shortstop and A-Rod, obviously, at third. Or go with A-Rod at short and Pedro Feliz at third. The outfield has options from Bonds, Jones, Sosa (left to right) to an all-center lineup of Jones, Torii Hunter and Aaron Rowand, or some other grouping. Mike Piazza, Paul Lo Duca and Jorge Posada are there to catch.

But the team would probably have a payroll of $300 million, a tenth of that spent on A-Rod alone.

Mostly linkage

Did you know that you can just call up Bob Watson, the man in MLB's offices who hands out the suspensions? Very interesting.

Yogi Berra is 80 years old today. I got to meet him, briefly, yesterday. It was nearly 5 p.m. and he'd had a long day. Otherwise, it might've been a more in-depth interview. Which is to say, it would've been an interview.

I don't think John Rocker will ever make it back to the majors, mainly because he continues to open his mouth. If he'd just shut up and play baseball, he might be able to throw strikes again, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. After comparing himself to Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson, people are done giving him a fourth, fifth or sixth chance. Among the more interesting columns and responses are those from Buck O'Neil, USA Today, Newsday and the Daily News.

While watching some of yesterday afternoon's Red Sox-Athletics game, I saw an ad for a Sox travel package. A Boston travel agent has put together airfare, hotel and tickets to the Red Sox-Orioles series in Baltimore from July 7-10. The first game of that series overlaps with a Nationals-Mets game, and I'd imagine that the O's will win that head-to-head attendance battle. The Red Sox have also put together what may be the best baseball giveaway ever: They're raffling off three authentic World Championship rings, with proceeds going to charity. Massachusetts residents only, though.

Hit It Here: All-Star Monday

All-Star Monday, July 12, 2004, Houston

They called it "Workout Day" on the schedule, the day when the players take batting practice at the ballpark and their children run around in miniature replicas of their fathers' jerseys. If I'd been so inclined, I could have taken the shuttle over to the Four Seasons for the managers' press conference where the announced the lineups, and then I could've stayed for the player availability in the ballroom. I could've walked up to any all-star sitting beneath his name and asked him questions -- provided I could get through the crowds of reporters who undoubtedly surrounded the bigger names like Bonds and Clemens.

But I didn't. What did I need quotes from the players for? I was there for the celebrity softball game, and I woke up Sunday morning, transcribed my interview tape and notes and e-mailed the file off to the magazine. After calling to check that it was in, I was free, off the hook unless they called with a question. No one did. This was my time.

I got myself some lunch and watched ESPN, read a little of The Teammates and boarded the bus, getting off at the Hilton and walking across the skybridge to the convention center to check out the FanFest. Like Bill Simmons, I could've spent a day there. I could've spent thousands, yet I managed to restrain myself. The minor-league cap section was alluring enough on its own, but I browsed through the retro jerseys and the all-star ones with the players' names and numbers. I managed to resist them all, and kept the chili dogs off my back too.

Although the convention center is probably half a mile long, I was forced to exit near the middle, rather than at the end which was much closer to the ballpark. The five-minute walk was probably my longest stretch in the midday heat, which reached 100 degrees on Monday. I was back inside the comfortable juicy coolness of Minute Maid Park at 3:30. My plan was to grab a snack and then hit the field for batting practice, but as I passed through the main press box to head upstairs, I glanced at the daily game notes and noticed a 4 p.m. press conference with Bud Selig and the 14 living members of the 500 home run club. It was in the room just behind the auxiliary press box in the mezzanine, so it wasn't far for me at all.

I took a seat in the next-to-last row on the right side, which had a view of the podium and the seats where the players would sit that was from the side. I didn't want to take a good seat from someone who needed to be there. Soon, I notice Willie Mays walks in behind me to the stairway off to the right from where all the players will emerge. Then comes Eddie Murray and Hank Aaron, who stops to talk with a woman sitting behind me. Reggie Jackson walks through, then Harmon Killebrew and Mike Schmidt before Willie McCovey is wheeled through. He has trouble walking these days. Ernie Banks heads the other way to see someone or get something.

Then the players come up from the clubhouses: Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr., Rafael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds. Only Bonds comes alone; the others have at least some of their sons in tow, dressed in either dad's team uniform or his all-star jersey. Palmeiro seems small compared to the other three, who also seem to be much bigger than the retired members of the club. We'll attribute that to better nutrition and conditioning for today's players, won't we?


More than 7,500 home runs in those chairs.

After ESPN's Karl Ravech and Commissioner Bud said some words at the podium, the players went to their assigned seats for interviews. I sat in for a bit on Mike Schmidt's session, figuring I'd throw out a question to him, but then decided I'd rather have pictures of this group than sound bites. So then I worked the room, squeezing between the crowds at the legends' tables for headshots.

I couldn't get anywhere near Barry Bonds' area, but I knew I'd have a chance to shoot him on the field. I spotted Phillies president Dave Montgomery, whom I've met before in Lakewood, and reintroduced myself because he's a nice, approachable team owner. I wouldn't have done the same with a George Steinbrenner type.

When the active players left for BP, I got the last of the legends and made my way back down to the field. There it was a madhouse. Reporters and cameramen everywhere. Peter Gammons and Kenny Mayne. Paul White from USA Today's Sports Weekly, Jayson Stark and Tim Kurkjian from ESPN. I shot like a photographer who had to sell dozens of photos in order to pay the rent this month.


Jim Thome makes sure he's heard.


Sammy's always smiling.


Jeff Kent's sons enjoyed the workout day.


Thome and Todd Helton watch a big fly.


Piazza goes deep.

Soon, the American League players emerged.


New York, New York.


Curt Schilling and his four kids settled in along the third-base line. Randy Johnson's son is on the left.


The Schilling clan.

So the Big Unit ambled over to chat with his former teammate and World Series co-MVP.


Even kneeling, he's tall.

Mariano Rivera gave an interview seated among his All-Star teammates and his own kids in foul territory behind third base.


Mariano Rivera speaks in Spanish.

It's nice to see the players with their children. You see a more human side to them than just the multi-millionaires who can play a game better than any of us can. These guys started out much like we did, playing in youth leagues in town and then in high school. Only they were gifted enough to be able to do it in college, in the minors, and now in the majors. They're the best in the world, yet I'm sure there's not one of them who wouldn't give it up to be a father. At least I'm sure that's what they'd say. But to see the little Riveras and Gordons walking around, you think of these guys as fathers and you don't hate the Yankees as much. At least not today.

I've been on fields before for batting practice. I've stood beside the cage when Piazza, Jeter and Nomar have taken their cuts. I've seen a home run from the vantage point of the hitter. To see that on a major-league level is something I'll never forget, and it never gets old. To stand near enough to feel the breeze from a Barry Bonds swing is sensational. At times it seems like virtual reality. As I was standing on the first-base side of the field, right near the line across which we reporters were not to step, I turned around at one point to see George Brett standing next to me. Todd Helton came up to say hello, then looked back to someone I took to be his brother. "Did you see who that was?" Todd asked him. "George Brett!"


It's a different game when you're this close.

When I spotted Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca, I asked about his nephew Daniel, who was with Lakewood when I covered the team. Dan's now in the Diamondbacks system with a second child and I told Carlos to say hello for me. As I left, he introduced me to his son, who looked as excited as I was to be there. Walking back over to the NL side, Mark Loretta stopped at the top of the dugout steps to sign some autographs, indicating to the fans in the stands that they could toss their baseballs to him. Two people went at the same time, but not even an all-star infielder can handle both of those throws. He grabbed the higher one, near his chest, but the other was too low and bounced through his legs and back to me. I tossed it back to Loretta, who appreciated not having to run after some fan's errant toss.

I took pictures of Ichiro, of Kent's kids, one of whom posed and smiled for me. I spotted Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi talking on the other side of the cage and got a picture of them through the netting that just begs for a joke caption that includes the acronym BALCO, or at least alludes to it. "Hey, Barry, your head's looking smaller!" "Thanks, Jason! How's that 'parasite' treating you!"


Insert BALCO joke here.

The media was only allowed an hour on the field for BP on Monday, so I trudged back up to the mezzanine seating for the lesser press to watch the home-run derby batting practice. David Ortiz of the Red Sox hit the rafters of the roof a couple of times, then nailed it again during the derby and lobbied -- unsuccessfully -- for a home run, but it wasn't, according to the ground rules. I watched the derby from just above the ESPN porch set that overlooked the outfield. Below me, I noticed Bill Simmons in his Manny Ramirez t-shirt watching from John Kruk's seat on the set.


Opening the roof.

They introduced the 500 home run club to the theme from The Natural, a composition that never gets old when used for the best in baseball. Barry Bonds was the first to hit in the derby, and before the first pitch, the catcher stood up and called for a ball outside, as if to issue an intentional walk. I so called that. I thought about that on the flight down, and at that moment I regretted not mentioning it to Laura or someone, anyone who could corroborate my claim that such a move would be hilarious.


Moments after Tejada's winning blast.

The derby was a spectacular show, and after the first round, Milo Hamilton, who played M.C. down on the field, said, "You thought the first round was something, let's see how the balls fly out of here when we take the roof off this place!" I looked up and noticed that, indeed, the roof was rolling back, so quietly and effortlessly. The windows to my right out in faraway dead-center field were sliding back and the deep, deep blue night sky was coming through. When Miguel Tejada won it with his final blast that set off fireworks out in left field, I immediately turned to the door and headed for the shuttle bus back to the hotel. I wanted to drop off my camera bag before the gala at the aquarium.

At the gala, I became skeptical that the likes of Roger Clemens or Alex Rodriguez would really show up because it wasn't like the other, smaller parties I'd been to so far. This one was open to more people, and lots of fans and kids strolled through the backlit displays of marine life and up the stairs to the second- and third-floor balconies and bars. The whole thing was catered, with food at several locations, alcohol at more, and tables out on the balconies and inside what was either a ballroom or conference room. Out at a table on the second-floor balcony, I spotted George F. Will and realized he was talking to actor Robert Wuhl. Across the table sat Bud Selig. What a group. It is only later, as I stood at the wall of the third-floor balcony and looked down over the main entrance to the building, that I realized that maybe the biggest stars would show up: there, dressed in black and talking on his cell phone, was Roger Clemens, his wife and two cops by his side. They waited for the train to pass -- a tiny, amusement park train that carries visitors around the aquarium -- and then walked inside. I ran into him later as I walked back down to the second floor just as he was leaving, saying, "See you guys tomorrow." Matthew Modine continued to stalk me, and I later saw another familiar face eating at one of the standing tables in the main buffet room. I stole a glance as I passed, but he caught my eye and returned my inquisitive look with a trademark glare. "Yep," I thought to myself, "That's Will Clark."

The aquarium has an actual bar down on the first floor, and again I spotted the Sports Guy as well as ESPN's Dave Campbell. As midnight passed, the bar TV on ESPN, Baseball Tonight began its live broadcast from outside. Later I found where they were, but I've stood beside ESPN broadcasts before, so I turned around and made one last pass along the grounds. The crowd surrounding a tall blond athlete led me to Curt Schilling, and when I returned to the main entrance, he followed. Then I saw, sitting at a table, Joe Morgan holding court with a couple of friends. Simmons was there again too, and he took note of Schilling, mentioning it in his column.

Unlike the night before, I didn't have to go back to bed. I wasn't as tired or exhausted. I got on the elevator with Peter Gammons, who looked ready to curl up and fall asleep right on the carpeted floor of the elevator. I stayed up a little longer and had a snack, watching the ESPN highlights of the home run derby. Then I got a good night's sleep. Tomorrow was All-Star day.