Looking back at one monster of a sports day
All at once Tuesday, you had Tom Glavine gunning for 300, Barry Bonds seeking 755, and Alex Rodriguez looking at No. 500.
The Cubs aiming at first place, the 2005 White Sox possibly breaking up for good, and the Bears defending the NFC title.
The MLB trade deadline, Kevin Garnett to the Celts -- not the Bulls -- and the great Bill Walsh passing.
I awoke Tuesday morning thinking of a day 22 years ago Saturday, when seemingly everything happened at once.
It was Sunday, Aug. 4, 1985.
Tom Seaver, pitching for the White Sox, won his 300th game in New York against the Yankees.
Rod Carew got his 3,000th hit.
Scott Verplank, a 21-year-old senior at Oklahoma State, won the Western Open at Butler National in Oak Brook.
Major League Baseball owners rejected a players' plan to avoid an in-season strike, which would occur two days later and last 24 hours.
Arlington Park was about to announce that the Miracle Million would run a few weeks later, even though the track had burned down only a few days before.
The Bears, practicing in Platteville, were about to sign No. 1 pick William Perry.
I was a part-time copy editor/writer in the sports department of the Daily Herald, and since the only thing I could remember is that we were quite busy, I went back and looked at the sports pages from that day and the next few.
If you can guess off the top of your head what the Sox' starting lineup was the Sunday when Seaver made history, you ought to play the lottery, too.
(We'll offer you a minute to think and give you that 1-9 a little lower down.)
Dwight Gooden (17-3) beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field to lower his ERA to 1.57 as he cruised toward the Cy Young while becoming the youngest 20-game winner (age 20). It was his 11th straight victory, breaking Seaver's Mets record; Ray Fontenot took the loss.
Lee MacPhail, Andy's father and head of the owners negotiating committee, broke off talks with the players, while Commissioner Peter Ueberroth -- who would have the job less than five years -- scolded both sides.
"The problem,'' my colleague Mike Imrem wrote that day, "is we keep expecting romance from baseball.''
It's a point that remains no less valid today.
Pete Rose was 25 hits away from Ty Cobb's all-time record.
Free agent Steve McMichael re-signed, but the Bears reported no progress on Al Harris and Todd Bell.
Rick Sutcliffe ($1.8 million), Steve Trout ($900,000) and Ron Cey ($850,000) were the highest-paid Cubs, while pitchers Dave Gumpert and Ron Meridith were lowest at $40,000.
Reigning MVP Ryne Sandberg was 15th on the club at $490,000, behind such notables as Larry Gura, Dick Ruthven and George Frazier.
I covered my first Cubs game that week, and got my first scoop as Larry Bowa said he would retire if the strike lasted the rest of the season. When GM Dallas Green found out, he released Bowa, who signed with the Mets, and then retired at the end of the season.
The highest-paid Sox were Rich Dotson ($1 million), Floyd Bannister ($925,000) and Seaver ($800,000), while the lowest were pitchers Al Jones and Dave Wehrmeister at $40,000.
Steve Young was about to sue the USFL for his release, and NBA No. 1 pick Pat Ewing returned to Jamaica a hero.
It doesn't quite compare to Glavine, Bonds and Rodriguez, if they all did it in the same day, but it was, nonetheless, a time to remember.
The answer
The White Sox' starting lineup on Aug. 4, 1985:
1. Rudy Law (LF). 2. Bryan Little (2B). 3. Harold Baines (RF). 4. Greg Walker (1B). 5. Carlton Fisk (C). 6. Oscar Gamble (DH). 7. Tim Hulett (3B). 8. Ozzie Guillen (SS). 9. Luis Salazar (CF).
In case you're interested, the Yankees' lineup that day featured Rickey Henderson (CF), Ken Griffey Sr. (DH), Don Mattingly (1B), Dave Winfield (RF), Dan Pasqua (LF), Ron Hassey (C), Willie Randolph (2B), Mike Pagliarulo (3B) and Bobby Meacham (SS). Joe Cowley (9-5) took the loss.
Seaver (12-8) allowed a run on 6 hits with a walk and 7 strikeouts, tossing a complete game. Incredibly, at the age of 40 in 1985, and we assume without the benefit of any age-defying enhancement, Seaver went 16-11 with 238 innings pitched, a 3.17 ERA, and 6 complete games for the Sox.
I don't remember him being that good that year, but that sounds pretty darn good, doesn't it?
Bearing down
Huge move by Bears GM Jerry Angelo to pick up veteran defensive tackle Darwin Walker for a late pick in the draft.
Whatever mistake Angelo made in regards to Tank Johnson, Angelo admitted that error and more than made up for it by getting a player with extensive postseason experience who can step in and play well immediately.
The rest of the NFC has to be really excited about that.
Deadline dealing
If there was a better acquisition than the Red Sox picking up Eric Gagne to make a very good bullpen even better, I didn't see it.
The Braves had a good couple of days, but the Red Sox already had the best bullpen ERA in the majors (2.74), the fewest blown saves (4) and an all-star closer (Jon Papelbon), and now they've shortened the game to the point of being very intimidating.
Wow.
Gone quiet
It was no shock at all that the Cubs did nothing, but pretty shocking that the White Sox did very little.
Just asking
How many people can you name who had as wide-reaching an impact on the NFL as Bill Walsh? It's a short list, isn't it?
And finally ...
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle: "If steroids don't help you hit a baseball better, or pitch a baseball better, they must be awfully tasty, because a lot of guys risked their dignity, health and careers to take 'em."
brozner@dailyherald.com