SIDEWAYS GLANCE AN ENLIGHTENED LOOK AT HOW DIERKER DID IT.Byline: - Tom Hoffarth Considering former Houston Astros “Astros” redirects here. For other uses, see Astros (disambiguation). The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The team is in the Central Division of the National League. manager Larry Dierker U.S. publishing company. It was founded in 1924 by Richard L. Simon (1899–1960) and M. Lincoln Schuster (1897–1970), whose initial project, the original crossword-puzzle book, was a best-seller. , $25, 289 pages), should be enough of an indication he doesn't take himself too seriously. But seriously, the former Taft High of Woodland Hills star pitcher learned a thing or two from his years of playing, broadcasting and then four successful seasons (out of five) skippering the Astros. Among the stuff that even Jim Tracy
--On building a team: ``My goal was to form a team that had nine captains on the field, all thinking together and playing a smart brand of baseball, and although it was somewhat comforting to see that the teams we played had the same problems, it was still frustrating. I learned that many players don't have the most important tool - focused intelligence - and that is impossible to teach.'' --On dealing with umpires: ``None of the umpires are as good as they think they are. As a rule, they are pretty bad. I can say this without hesitation now because I have watched them a lot on television where bad calls are almost always exposed.'' --On knowing the rules: ``I have the perfect cure for insomnia: Read the Official Baseball Rules Baseball Rules are the rules for baseball played under three major rules codes, which differ only slightly. The North American professional leagues and many amateur leagues use the Official Baseball Rules, which are published to the public by The Sporting News; U.S. . I tried three times and got nine short naps for my effort. God, is that stuff boring. ... The rulebook only costs $7. It's a lot cheaper than sleeping pills.'' --On cheating: ``We encouraged a few pitchers to throw spitballs or scuff-balls, but they wouldn't do it. They would practice it in the bullpen and get the intended result, but when they got into the game they were afraid to use the illegal pitches. ... Would I have tried it (as a player)? You bet. I certainly prefer chivalry chivalry (shĭv`əlrē), system of ethical ideals that arose from feudalism and had its highest development in the 12th and 13th cent. to deceit, but I favor supporting my family over chivalry.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: no caption (book: ``This Ain't Brain Surgery: How to Win the Pennant Without Losing Your Mind'') |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion