Andy Van Slyke was my favorite player growing up. Why, you may ask, was I saw enamored with the solid, but not superstar, Center Fielder of the Pittsburgh Pirates? Well, his name was Andy, just like mine. Hope I didn't give too much away right there.
He got the Player of the Day spot today because, this past Sunday, he signed the back of my Pirates Van Slyke jersey before the game. Generally, I wouldn't do such a thing - ask a player for an autograph of anything. Frankly, it doesn't do much for me. However, the 6-year old inside of me nudged me to do it, and in retrospect, the cursive "Andy Van Slyke" right above his name on the back of my jersey does look pretty good up on the wall. Plus, how else are you supposed to get something like that? It's not like you can get at your local sports memorabilia store.
Andyhow, Van Slyke was a great player, because he really, really knew how to play baseball. I'm not a Mets fan per-se (I do have an affinity for the team, because I had so many friends who loved the team growing up), but I love to watch David Wright play. Like Van Slyke, he's an excellent athlete. But what makes him an All-Star baseball player isn't his physical skill, as much as the fact that he never takes a play off, always has his head in the game, and just plain understands what can be a complicated and nuanced game.
A 5-time Gold Glover in Center Field, Van Slyke was often overlooked, as he was overshadowed by fellow outfielders Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla. However, Van Slyke finished in the top-5 in MVP voting twice. A strong hitter, he had the capability to play at the top of the lineup - posting league-leading triples numbers in 1988, and stealing 30+ bases three times in his career. He also had enough power to be slotted as a 3 or 5 hitter.
"The Sid Bream Play", as it is known around these parts, was Van Slyke's coup-de-grace. 1992 was arguably his best season ever, as "Slick" hit .324 (2d in the NL), with 14 Homers and 89 RBIs. He also scored 103 runs, and Double a league-best 45 times. The Pirates took the Braves to 7 in the NLCS, only to blow a 2-0 lead in the 9th inning, and falter in the playoffs for the third straight year.
The next season, Slick would break his collarbone trying to catch a ball over the center field wall. He would never be the same. He played in Pittsburgh in 1994, but did so unspectacularly. In 1995, he was a free agent, and signed with the Orioles, only to be traded mid-season to Philadelphia. 1995 would be Van Slyke's last year, at age 34.
Andy returned to Major League Baseball in 2006, as the first-base coach for the Tigers.
The Good: Apparently had 100 MPH fastball; awesome outfielder; class-act baseball player; clearly loved the game; awesome first name; last good Pittsburgh Pirates player.
The Bad: If you say anything bad about Andy, I will fight you.
No comments:
Post a Comment