DK’s Daily Shot of Pirates: Mr. Swing Vote

2 comments

1. 😶

2. Dear DK?!
   Hey, great episode I know it’s probably rather boring in the off-season trying to find topics to do a show four nights a week ?
   I watched a video on the late great San Diego Padres Tony Gwynn. And it was showing how in the very early 1980s when VHS video was the norm and our society in those times if you remember for the first time was able to record our favorite television shows!
   Well, in this documentary about Tony, he had his wife record his games and especially all of his at bats . And then his wife and him would break down and replay the videos and replay them over and over again, and he would see what his strength and his weaknesses were in every bat against any major league pitcher. By him doing the studies and being very analytical. He won eight batting crowns in the National League in his career. Something like Roberto Clemente of our own!

   It seems so obvious to use some type of video recording for these big-time hitter like our own Brian Reynolds or O’Neill Cruz? But do you think they actually use video technology which nowadays is gotta be 1000 times better than the old VHS days? Why are they not using this or finding out their weaknesses and strengths like what you said with Cruz- he watches a fat meatball right down heart of the plate on the three two count called strike three and doesn’t even make an attempt to swing it!

   I myself saw that in his at bats all throughout 2025 and it was so frustrating !

   So my question to you is do these people subscribe to the Tony Gwynn analytical side of things watching videos of themselves and trying to get better?!

   I wanted to tell you a true story as I live in Arizona and in those days to see the Pittsburgh Pirates play baseball I went to San Diego!

   Tony Gwynn , although mostly a single hitter, who later learned to hit for power is one of my favorite baseball players of all time!

   In 1992 May , two of my buddies and I after the spring 1992 semester ended at Arizona State University and me being a diehard Pittsburgh Pirates fan for all of my life?! It was during the 1992 season our last great season that we’ve ever known for the last 30 years since things have never been at that same victory level.

   We took in the series at San Diego, the old “Jack Murphy Stadium! “
   The 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates at San Diego Padres in late May ! it feature Tony Gwynn against our own Barry Bonds!
   Bobby Bonilla had already vacated for free agency to the New York Mets. Also Sid Bream had vacated the same way for the Atlanta Braves. That Bastard- who we have always looked upon as the biggest heartbreak in our franchise history with his slide ! I actually thought Lavalier tossed him out ?!
   It was the last year 1992, that we had Cy Young winner Doug Drabek and NL MVP Barry Bonds! But we still had an ace in our sleeve: Manager Jim Leyland!

   And in the season finale, it was a day game. I got to see Andy Van.Slyke playing catch with Barry Bonds in the outfield in between innings. Although our
   Pittsburgh Pirates lost that game, both Tony Gwynn and Barry Bonds each traded home runs in that game! And it was San Diego beach weather people throwing beach balls up in the stands that we were batting around and I remember because we were sitting in the outfield seats. There were like 100 Catholic Nuns in attendance, enjoying the game from somewhere?! And they were wearing their black and white uniforms enjoying the game from somewhere ! Big Beach balls being tossed around at all times batting them around even all those nuns got a kick out of it ! It was a very memorable game!