The All-Nice Guy Team
I always try to stop in the visitors' clubhouse when covering a Yankees or Mets game, and this past Saturday, I entered the A's clubhouse and was pleasantly surprised to see Mike Sweeney. I confess, I had forgotten that Sweeney, who hasn't played since late May because of arthroscopic surgery on both knees, was on the A's.
Sweeney is, simply, one of the nicest guys I've met in covering baseball. Incredibly friendly, inquisitive, conversational. He reminds me of the "Happiest Man in Springfield" who is pictured here and is featured in this episode of "The Simpsons":
Ned: I don't know how I can possibly repay you! But if any of you ever need a favor, just look for the happiest man in Springfield!
[pan over to a spunky man with a perpetual smile on his face in suspenders and a red bowtie]
Guy: No no! Not me, friends. He's talking about himself. But thanks for looking!
Anyhoo, running into Sweeney inspired me to make an All-Nice Guy Team. We already did an All-Media Team, but believe it or not, some of those people have their own agendas for helping the media and might not actually be so nice. No, this is the team of people who come off as extraordinarily nice, even if they don't necessarily offer up pearls of wisdom _ or aren't as high-profile.
Catcher: Wil Nieves. I warned you that not everyone would be high-profile. I never saw this guy not smiling.
First base: Sweeney. As noted, an incredibly nice guy.
Second base: Homer Bush. His colorful name, his personality and the context of his time with the Yankees _ he backed up Chuck Knoblauch during Knoblauch's first year with the Yankees, when he didn't play very well offensively or defensively _ made him immensely popular in 1998.
Shortstop: David Eckstein. Sorry, fellow stats geeks, but he is unfailingly polite and pleasant.
Third base: Jim Thome. I don't consider this cheating. He was a regular third baseman until 1996. Known for being good to people beneath him on the food chain.
Leftfield: Alfonso Soriano. Oh, he has his issues, primarily when it comes to Richie G's pet peeve, but this is another guy who never seems to be in a bad mood. Also deserves major props for learning English by his second full year in the big leagues and thereafter conducting his interviews in English.
Centerfield: Rondell White. Okay, so we're not fielding a defensive powerhouse. During 2002, White's disappointing (and only) season with the Yankees, he never took out his anxiety on anyone. He always offered a smile and a "How are you feeling?" And yes, people named in the Mitchell Report are eligible for this. Shoot, even people who think Mitchell is a foof concede that the former Senator himself is a very nice guy.
Rightfield: Reggie Sanders. He played for seven teams from 1998 through 2004, but it wasn't his personality that kept his suitcase packed. He's good people.
Designated hitter: Sean Casey. They call him "The Mayor," and it's not one of those ironic nicknames. It's because he's a non-stop talker, and because everyone likes him.
Starting Pitcher: Jose Contreras. Part of his problem, when he was with the Yankees, appeared to be that he was too eager to please.
Relief Pitcher: Joe Nathan. Just last week, a Major League Baseball official was telling me what a nice guy Nathan, the SUNY-Stony Brook product, was at the All-Star Game. I agreed.
Manager: Charlie Manuel. Maybe a manager wouldn't want to be on this team, and certainly, Ole Charlie can get fired up. But Manuel is the type of guy who will sit on the bench hours before a game and shoot the you-know-what with whoever is standing in his vicinity.
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Comments (14)
What, no Sean Casey!?
Sean Casey is there.
And speaking of Casey -- I always believed the media that he was a great guy, and then I saw him take an incredible cheat shot at James Shields while he was on the ground during the Rays-Sox brawl and I no longer buy it.
What about owners, general managers or baseball executives ?
Are there any who would actually qualify?
Team broadcasters on TV and radio should have been list. I'm sure their are some that are nice guys.
Jon Sterling has to be at the bottom of the list. The guy comes across on the radio as if he has a major attitude problem.
Wagner's MRI was negative this morning. Just a muscle spasm. He's day to day. No DL.
No Mets made the list? I guess they all wanted to show Ken the Bronx like the bad old days.
I don't know what he is like now as a manager, but when I bumped into Dusty Baker at Shea Stadium (when he played for the Dodgers) he couldn't have been nicer.
Jerry Manuel could make this list eventually. Charley had a nice fight with Howard Eskin last year, although Eskin is a real jerk anyway. John Smoltz seems like a good guy too. A lot of these guys on the list probably realize they are lucky to be doing what they do and appreciate every minute of it.
For TV, the name on the microphone would often decide if a player was nice or not.
When I worked for a very small station, it was always hit or miss with the players. I once asked Jay Peyton if I could have a quick word. He replied, "Word." Then I said, can I get a quick interview? And he said, "Very quick." I wanted to say, why because you're afraid you'll injure your hammy talking to me?
Mike Piazza on the other hand always treated me well. Even if he couldn't give me an interview he was always polite. The same day Peyton was a jerk to me, Piazza gave me like five minutes.
Tino Martinez was always a class act as well. So was Knoblouch. After they beat the Indians in 98, he didn't want to do an interview (it was 40 minutes after the game was over). I kinda gave him a c'mon it will only be 1 question and his wife goaded him into doing it.
The biggest jerk I ever interviewed in any aspect was Wayne Chrebet. That guy is a jerk! Vinny from Elmont was the complete opposite.
I was able to watch the All Star parade out my office window and I saw Joe Nathan hop out the back of his truck so he could sign autographs. He then had to run up the block to catch up with his ride.
I wrote for a couple of cable sports shows in the late 90s/early 00s and met a lot of current and former athletes. The two nicest by far were Pat LaFontaine and Jason Garrett. Super nice. "No one can be that nice" nice.
As far as Mets players go, Glendon Rusch was extremely nice and I had a blast talking to Bobby Ojeda and hearing all the '86 stories.
As for broadcasters, I was eating dinner in the press cafeteria at Shea once and saw Bob Murphy. I just had to say hello even though we had never met. He replied just like it was mid-broadcast, "well hi, how are you?" I halfway expected him to give me the gametime temperature.
Getting autographs as a kid/young adult, Ron Darling and Adam Graves were the two nicest I've met. Graves especially. He's awesome.
I saw Darryl Strawberry once give autographs. Followed ty three camera crews!
Richie G:
Word from my friends at Hofstra totally back you up, Wayne Chrebet was a jerk.
Matt T. he literally went off on my for no reason. Had I not been in a professional setting, I would have responded in kind and probably got my ass kicked.
And Rich Cimini of the Daily News is the biggest kiss-ass jerk from media members btw.