Thursday. April 27. 1S72
The Da'Y Tar He-?!
Da vi (I Zu cell ino
The ace encounters the phenom
DeVensio:
7
aters
plays an ego game
by David Zucchino
A suit ant Sports Editor
'.-: spring about this time at least
relatively obscure major league
, :r!jcr begins to play out of his head,
j-mg the fourth estate out of its
. ".r.-iary spring doldrums.
J:-:i Bouton, in ''Ball Four," called
"young phenoms." Curt Gowdy
:-.-!ers the less descriptive i,-,rm
-pressive young kids." Regardless, they
: .--td year after year to bloom
j -.-stically in the spring, only to wiJt
trably by the end of summer. Almost
hout exception, they fail to show for
jncore.
Now these guys never have names like
' Wilson, Frank Block, Bill James or
-.thing that doesn't at least approach
. .cntricity. Names like Dean Chance,
; fresh and Brant Alyea make much
rter copy.
N'or has an impressive young kid ever
,:.ie Irorn well-known places like
i i.Jadclphia, St. Louis or even Cicero, 111.
u always someplace like Spainview,
f)jk., Flats, Iowa or McFherson.
K jns. - places that make you say, "Oh
. ah, that's where whatzizname is from."
Of course, having an exciting name and
mediocre yet charming hometown can
have its drawbacks. Especially -hen ore
of the huge metropolitan dailies sends cut
its ace sports reporter for an exclusive
interview. Here's how it usually goes:
Ace Reporter goes Jo ballpark, where
Impressive Young Kid just finished
batting practice. He walks over to the
edge of the batting cage and politely
introduces himself.
The Kid gazes at the sky for a second
and then makes a half-hearted try at
shaking Ace's hand. '-Pieasedtameeuha,"
he says.
"Looks like you're really burmn' up
the league," Ace starts off, pulling out his
notepad. This is known as the "opener.""
It's supposed to loosen up the guy and
make him want to talk.
"What?"
"I said, you're doin' pretty good so tar
this year."
"I guess so." The Kid tries to spit out
some tobacco juice, but the whole wad
falls out in the dirt. "Hard to get used to
this crap," he mumbles.
Ace sees that the opener's not working,
so he changes tactics and gets right to the
point. "How long were you in the farm
system?" he asks.
"Ya mean the minors'?"
Ace nods his head. He still hasn't
written anything.
vears.
the Kid says. Ace
13
x. a i. i
Kid
:z with his cap. rcJUr.s the
the AP and LTI even
So S
Dick DeVer.zic. D.
down and tucking his hair behind his ears.
"'What did you hit down there1"
-Where1"
"The minors. You said ou pyeJ
down there for three years.""
" I know,"' the Kid says. "But I p':aei
for three different teams. Which do ya
want?" Ace thinks for a second. He's no:
used to answering questions.
"Gimme all three," he says.
"Wichita, .326. Charlotte, .2-5.
Portland. .309." Ace scribbles three cities
and three numbers in his notebook.
"Not bad," Ace mumbles. He may
need another story from this kid
someday, God forbid. "How come not
too many people in baseball had heard of
you before you made the majors?"
"I don't know about that," the Kid
says. Ace waits for an explanation, but
th wind has kicked up. The Kid catches
a beaver in the fifth row and grins.
"What do you mean." Ace finally asks.
He grins, too.
"Well," the Kid says. "Most of the
folks back home heard of me all my life. I
. i3.Z'-i CTT.
AC:
T;
rea. rr w .i-
he thinks.
"Ho
"Three-oh-five airt so soo-d." :he Kid
ain't Droved r.c-thi"7 vet " ce :s
overwhelmed by the Kid's modesty. He
has his lead.
a: the Ccncerned S:uder.: :
Basketball ranc-e: Tueav ni.
an audience c: ar:--t '.30- :h.
B-ck Witer was p.a ""an ec
"The d::r cc-d have rcn;
Richie O'Ccnncr bac'j, at D-ke
u-i: this vear." DeVenz;.- a.d "
-reu rec;
. . .-, . n .-, ,
OeV-r.::
v ca.
and Rich e
"Keen tai;;in2."
"That's it." the Kid says. "Excert for
my eight homers. 26 RBI's and my six
stolen bases. I also ain't struck out but
nine times.""
Ace doses hi:
O'Ccnncr was the sixth D-ke r.aer to
Duke finished i--12 this, year i:h cr.-
...
O'C;:.:::. a ".;::?: :c r
Vcnn;c:' 3.:: rV.cr.v.
de::r.. Or s:c larr.
T
Kid a chppin-2 with the leasue leaders.
know."" he says as he turns to leave.
The Kid's mouth is hanging open. "Ya
curfew and hair lenct
"But he doesn't p
DeVenzio said. "Yic
rlaved
c e c
I so
would discuss
He
mean they
Mil
Dattir.2 averages m the
Huh?" Ace makes like he hasn't hi
a thins.
er than !ump dow n our ....vj.
"Richie and I were made examples of
immaturity when we were there. The
coaches always pointed to Jeff Dawson
and Dave Elmer as examples of
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