Baseball Q & A with Scott Pitoniak
Join us for an exclusive Baseball Q&A session with best-selling author and columnist Scott Pitoniak.
ML: Your recent trip to Cooperstown looked amazing. A Negro League celebration, East-West Classic and more. How about some highlights and where people can find your work?
SP: It was indeed another magical trip to one of my favorite places on the planet. The recently unveiled Hank Aaron statue is fabulous. It truly captures the essence and dignity of a man who changed not only baseball, but America. The new interactive “Souls of the Game” exhibit is marvelous, too. It explores, in an honest and inspirational way, the evolution and impact of Black baseball. There’s an official scorebook from Jackie Robinson’s first game at Ebbets Field in 1947, along with his Montreal Royals and Brooklyn Dodgers jerseys. They also have Frank Robinson’s Cleveland Indians jersey when he became MLB’s first Black manager. So much evocative stuff. The highlight of the weekend for me was the tribute to the old Negro Leagues All-Star Game at historic Doubleday Field. A bunch of recently retired major-leaguers, clad in replica Negro League uniforms, put on an entertaining performance, and were coached by a dozen Hall-of-Famers, including Ken Griffey, Jr., Dave Winfield, and Joe Torre. It was cool to see Mo’ne Davis, who 10 years ago became the first girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series, also participate. She was representing the three women who played in the Negro Leagues. As far as where people can read my stuff, I write a weekly sports column for the Rochester Business Journal (www.rbj.net) and the Baseball Hall of Fame’s “Memories & Dreams” history magazine. People can contact me at spitoniak@aol.com if they want to receive my scribing for free.
ML: 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Class. What jumps out?
SP: Though it lacks the star power of say a Cal Ripken or a Derek Jeter, it’s a solid class; a most deserving class. Of the four inductees (players Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer, and manager Jim Leyland), Beltre might be the guy most overlooked. Here’s a player who finished with more than 3,000 hits, 1,700 RBI and 477 home runs, and also won five Gold Gloves. He clearly was one of the greatest third basemen of all-time.
ML: How good are the 2024 NY Yankees?
SP: I think they are one of the top three teams in baseball, and have the chance to win it all if – and it’s a big if – they can avoid the rash of injuries that have plagued them in recent years. The way their rotation has filled the void created by Gerrit Cole’s injury is astounding. Thanks to the bounce-back season by Carlos Rodon and the emergence of Luis Gil, they have more than weathered the storm. The addition of superstar Juan Soto and the reliable Alex Verdugo have made their lineup more balanced, giving them much-needed lefthanded bats to take advantage of that short right field porch in Yankee Stadium. Anthony Volpe keeps getting better at shortstop and at the plate, and has been a wonderful table-setter at leadoff. I love his moxie. The kid has a bright, bright future. And Aaron Judge has enjoyed a monstrous May and June. So far, so great.
ML: How does Juan Soto impact the Yankee lineup the most?
SP: Look, we all knew Soto was a great hitter, and he’s lived up to that reputation with the Yankees. I really love the guy’s batting eye. He draws a ton of walks, which has created more opportunities for Judge in the No. 3 spot. I also love the joy Soto brings to the game and the Yankee clubhouse, which had a tendency to be a little too tense in recent years. Soto’s child-like love for the game seems contagious. He genuinely loves playing in New York, which a lot of star players can’t handle. Soto’s embraced the Bronx and the Bronx has embraced him. He’s definitely had a huge impact on his teammates and the fans.
ML: 2000 Yankees are still the last team to repeat. Why don’t people understand that maybe baseball doesn’t need a salary cap because revenue sharing works and instead more of an investment from rich owners in particular cities?
SP: MLB seems to have more competitive balance when it comes to championships than the NFL, NBA and NHL. Yes, the affluent franchises, like the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox and Astros, have a revenue advantage over Kansas City, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Oakland and other small-market franchises, but the revenue tax has helped the little guys remain competitive for the most part. Steve Cohen is the richest owner in baseball, and broke the bank when he took over the Mets, but came to realize you can’t necessarily buy a World Series. You have to hire smart baseball people, assess talent correctly and know how to develop it, and spend wisely.
ML: Scott, you are the best. Thanks a million.
SP: Thanks, my friend. Always a pleasure!
Mike Lindsley has been in sports media for 25 years and is the host of the ML Sports Platter Podcast. Subscribe to his YouTube page @mlsportsplatter.
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