Night Owl Cards

Twenty-five years ago today, the Dodgers won their most recent World Series title (yes, I will be continuing on the postseason theme for a couple more posts -- you expect me to open Topps Update or something?) I wish I could tell you exactly what I was doing on Oct. 20, 1988, but I can't even tell you if I was watching the game. (My records show that I had a story published in the Niagara Gazette on Oct. 21, 1988, so it's possible I was working that night -- although it was a high school football preview story so it could have been done in advance). But everyone knows what happened that game . It was the night that Orel Hershiser solidified his Bulldog reputation, pitching his second complete-game win of the World Series in Game 5 and clinching MVP honors. While reviewing this game, I couldn't help but think of last night's game between the Tigers and Red Sox. For the second time in the ALCS, Detroit starter Max Scherzer's magnificent performance melted awa...

Mark McGwire appears to be the next Dodgers hitting coach . That immediately causes my brain confusion because of McGwire's long history of bedeviling the Dodgers. Example #1 is right here, Game 3 of the 1988 World Series. But the Dodgers have employed past tormentors at the hitting coach position before -- George Hendrick, and specifically, Jack Clark. So I'll get used to McGwire in Dodger blue. Much like I got used to Don Mattingly in Dodger blue. After all, the days of "growing your own" are dead, dead, stomped on to make sure it's dead, and dead again. Especially with this ownership group. So I'm moving on with McGwire. McGwire, who was named Rookie of the Year 25 years ago today, is an easy guy to like. Even with the confessed use of performance-enhancing drugs, I can't stay mad. I'm not one of those people who says "steroids never mattered to me." It did matter. It does matter. But I can acknowledge and forgive people's m...