Updated July 9
Belatedly (again!) catching up with the e-mail from the Tony Gwynn Jr. and Sr. Father's Day column to the look at Mike Scioscia's most difficult season in Anaheim. This week's Love Letters comes with a warning: You may get sugar overload, it's a lot sweeter than usual. My apologies that there aren't any notes ripping me. But good news: Those will come early next week when I catch up with the flood of letters concerning my All-Star picks and my ripping of anyone who is celebrating Manny Ramirez's return. ...
From: Randall B. Re.: Gwynn Sr. watching son follow in proud papa's footsteps
Hi Scott,
I want to thank you for writing this article. While it was enjoyable to read an article about a small-market team that usually flies under the radar, it was MOST enjoyable to read a positive story about the father-son relationship that affects every man and boy in America who loves baseball. Just reading your article made me think about ways that I can spend more time with my little boy. Thank you Scott, I hope I can encourage others the way you have encouraged me.
Wow, thanks for the touching note, Randall.
From: G. Holcombe
Nice to see Anthony doing well -- I'm happy for him. But as a Wisconsin resident, I can't help but smile at your charitable description of his tenure with the Brewers -- implying he simply lacked opportunity. A total of 130 games and 242 at-bats is plenty of opportunity. The problem was that he wasn't producing -- .247 average -- and others were. Best of luck to him in S.D. What an opportunity to play where you grew up and your father became a legend.
It's amazing how cool he is even in the face of his pop's legacy.
From: Gail M. Re.: Angels grateful to have Scioscia on their side
Scott,
I thoroughly enjoyed the article about my brother, Mike Scioscia. You have succinctly described what we see in him, and in his character. Just one thing -- I have a nephew named Matt Scioscia, and a NIECE named Taylor Scioscia. Otherwise, it was a great article.
Ah, geez, we got that fixed pretty quickly, but for a couple of hours on the site there, I had Mike with two sons instead of one son and one daughter. My bad. I've already spoken to Mike about it, and he swears he's never going to allow me into his office for an extended interview again. He was kidding -- I think.
From: Kenneth F.
Very good article, This is what sets you above the rest.
From: Rick A.
Scott,
Thank you for a wonderful story about a real person. I am an Angels fan, but I never knew this about Mike. Again, thank you for putting life into perspective about a real man, father, mentor and coach.
I love the game but, to me, what makes baseball are the personalities.
From: Dave A.
What a great article. I'm not a writer by any means, but I truly enjoyed this one about Mike Scioscia. I believe he is on his way to Manager of the Year. The way he has held this team together, the solid foundation he has poured into this franchise is second to none. My son, who is 5 and played his first season in T-ball wants to be a catcher. What better person could a father want to be a role model these days?
I can't think of any.
From: Joshua B.
Scott,
I just finished reading your article on Sciosia, and I felt compelled to tell you how much I enjoy your writing, from your articles like this one and the one about the Gwynns, to the article about all the failed drafted No. 1 overall pitchers, to your Weekend Buzzes. I really appreciate your good work and the consistent high quality of your articles. Keep up the good work!
Hey Joshua, can you come back next week when I dive into the mailbag from my All-Star picks and Manny Ramirez returns column? Some of those folks aren't nearly so nice.
From: Binx Re: Weekend Buzz: Injuries make NL Central wide-open race
Who are these guys (in the chat room below your columns)? You write a column about the NL Central and all the responses berate you for not mentioning every other division in baseball. Hell, after today's column on the Gwynns, I almost expect for someone to give you crap for not mentioning Luke and Bill Walton, or Calvin and Grant Hill, or Mario and Mike Andretti. ...
Tell me about it. If I write that the grass is green, there will be 35 people in the shark tank at the bottom of the column immediately hollering that it's purple, or blue, depending on the view.
