Nightengale’s Notebook: Bobby Witt Jr. ‘soaking it all in’ as Team USA’s youngest player for WBC
USA’s Saturday win over Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic.
Witt looks around, having collected baseball cards from just about everyone in the clubhouse, and still has trouble believing that he’s one of them.
“It’s a blast, these are the things you dream of,’’ Witt told USA TODAY Sports before Saturday’s game. “It’s like a two-way All-Star game. It’s incredible just getting around these guys, seeing all of the All-Stars, and the work they put in. You’re just talking about baseball, or whatever, every single day, which is awesome.
“You kind of emulate what those guys are doing, and learning what I need to do to get ready. Believe me, I’m soaking it all in.’’
Witt, of course, is a future star himself for the Kansas City Royals. He finished fourth in the American League rookie of the year balloting leading all rookies with 30 stolen bases, 80 RBI, and 57 extra-base hits. He was just the fifth player 22 years or younger to hit 20 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season
dugout espresso machine was creating such a buzz.
“We are kind of shocked, actually, because this is something in Italian culture that’s sort of like water,’’ Piazza said. “I mean, coffee would be right after water. That was something collectively that we just said, you know, who is going to get the espresso machine? There wasn’t a lot of debate there.
reliever Tyler Rogers told the San Jose Mercury, “or else my reputation wouldn’t live up to my standards.”
– Count Diamondbacks veteran pitcher Madison Bumgarner among those loving the pitch clock.
“Everyone is playing by the same rules, whatever they are,” Bumgarner said. “I would still rather go back to baseball 30 years ago, but we’re not doing that. Out of all the rules changes, I probably like this one the most.”
The only adjustment he’d make is take the communication with the catcher one step further than the PitchCom device.
“I wish we could have a microphone and we could just talk to each other,’’ Bumgarner said. “That would be perfect, I think. But we’re going in the right direction.’’
– There was not a single team predicted to win 100 games by the USA TODAY Sports staff.
The last season without a 100-game winner?
Would you believe 2014?
There were only six 90-victory teams that season, all who won their division.
– Did you know that Barry Bonds never played with a Hall of Famer his entire career?
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