And it was, whenever Bob Uecker was involved
Bob Uecker’s death last week at the age of 90 was not just a reminder of what a great guy (and bad ballplayer) he was, but also a reminder of a very important fact — baseball is supposed to be fun. That’s something that’s easy to forget if you have any involvement with the Chicago White Sox.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation says more than 65 million people worldwide play one of the two games, and that’s just on some sort of set team or league, not counting neighborhood pickup games, More than 99.9% of them play it because it’s a fun thing to do. The rest play for the White Sox.
OK, that’s unfair. Not inaccurate, but unfair.
After all, it’s pretty darn hard to enjoy a sport when you lose three-quarters of the time, with the whole baseball world eyeballing your futility. It’s not easy when you lose a mere 101 games, either. And decidedly difficult before that, when your boss was an acerbic geriatric has-been with two DUIs on the record (and how many others you bragged your way out of, TLR?) who was so full of himself he told opposing pitchers to throw at one of his own players because he was in a snit about the player enjoying a game moment.
That’s all too bad, because enjoying watching games is a lot easier when the players you’re watching are enjoying it as well.
I remember one time I’m batting against the Dodgers in Milwaukee. They lead, 2–1, it’s the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, two out and the pitcher has a full count on me. I look over to the Dodger dugout and they’re all in street clothes.” — Bob Uecker
While Uecker may have been the most fun of any player, or at least ex-player, there are and have been plenty of players whose love of the game shows — and that love of the game makes them lovable in return. Many are or were stars, Ernie Banks being the most obvious example on a Chicago team. These days Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor among those getting such raves from fans and even opposing players.
And it’s not like the White Sox have been devoid of players whose love for the game shone through, including one at the top of any list over the past decade.
Billy Hamilton may not have hit a lick, but he has topped the majors in defense, baserunning, and enthusiasm ever since he came on the scene, and he made every game he played in more exciting to watch. José Abreu’s sprints off of the field, boyish grins rounding third, and even his ill-conceived slides on the concrete floor of the dugout provided extra spice.
Of course, it’s easier to show love of baseball on defense or on the bases than while batting or pitching, which require a whole lot of stern-faced concentration. Hence the obvious love of the game of players like Alexei Ramírez, who always seemed amazed at himself when he made a great play, and Mark Buehrle, who was as adept with a glove as with a curveball and who enjoyed a nifty play as much as a nifty pitch.
One not-so-great defender (though not bad, despite how it often looked) was Melky Cabrera, who shared Alexei’s wonder at defensive feats.
Of course, a lot of the time after seeing Melky make a nice diving or sliding catch you’d realize that he made the play right where he’d started out before heading off in the wrong direction for a while. But that was part of the fun, and he knew it.
These days, Nicky Lopez — who was one of those players whose love of the game shined through — and Jake Amaya are gone. Unless one of the bargain bin, dumpster-diving pickups of the offseason turns out to field well, or a minor-leaguer who’s not an embarrassment in the field is called up, love of the game may not be obvious — especially given the likelihood of more miserable outcomes for years to come.
(Luis Robert Jr. is obviously a tremendous fielder and great fun to watch most of the time, but he’s a quiet sort of guy, though he has a reputation as something of a jokester.)
At the plate, of course, the main show of great enthusiasm for the game tends to come from bat flips. But that calls for another Ueckerism:
I make fun of situations and try and find the humor in things, but it’s never at the expense of the other guy.
Therein the limitations of the big bat flip. Many are in fact the result of sheer exuberance, and lots of tun to see. Many more are posturing for a moment about the hitter’s own greatness, a la all that strutting stuff in pro football … still, no harm done. And some, unfortunately, are an in-your-face to the opposing pitcher, which has nothing to do with the love of the game. Uecker showed the way, guys — roll with him.
And what’s with the inability to show happiness at getting a hit? There are exceptions when a slugger tops a single 30 feet down the third-base line and knows it was sheer luck (one helped Andrew Vaughn end a big 0-fer, as I recall), but mostly it’s that bizarre ritual of giving a hand signal back to the dugout. No fun, that.
But, yes, White Sox players, we understand it’s hard to show your love of baseball when you’re constantly being blown out of games. It’s hard for us fans, too. But give it a try. Remember, struggle as you may, Bob Uecker was there before you.,
Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues. But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat. — Bob Uecker
And as for the lousy recent performances and records and those likely to be come for the next few years:
I set records that will never be equaled. In fact, I hope 90% of them don’t even get printed.