Winners
Chapter One
The Slugger
(or, Why Power Rules)
In 1985 you couldn't hit in Dodger Stadium. Just couldn't be done.
Singles? Sure. Doubles, triples, homers? Forget it. The foul territory
was vast, which meant tepid pop-outs by the bushel. The hitting
visuals-the shadows, the hue of the outfield walls in the Los Angeles
sun-were brutal, and rumors had persisted since the days of Sandy
Koufax that the groundskeepers at Chavez Ravine would illegally
heighten the mound when an especially potent offense paid a visit. It
just wasn't the place for a hitter. Unless you were Pedro Guerrero.
That season, Guerrero spent time at first base, third base, and the
outfield corners, but despite being yanked about the diamond, he put
together the best season of what was to be a 15-year career. Guerrero,
although playing in one of the toughest environments for hitters in the
league, paced the National League in on-base (OBP) and slugging percentage
(SLG) and finished second to Willie McGee of the Cardinals
for the batting title. At one point during the season, Guerrero reached
base in fourteen consecutive plate appearances. He also tied a major
league record (held by Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Bob Johnson) by ... read full excerpt from Winners: How Good Baseball Teams Become Great Ones (And It's Not the Way You Think) ebook
