Righetti, Swindell, Brenly Have Made It a Memorable Season

For the next few weeks, we’ll be hearing a lot about quality. The best teams in baseball will be deciding the championship, and some of the best players will be doing the deciding.

In the interest of balanced portrayal, however, let’s remember that no one can excel all the time. Over 162 games, tragedy and comedy can occur--sometimes simultaneously.

Some of the 1986 lowlights stretched over a series of months. We’re not concerned with those. The record book will make its own indictments. Instead, let’s focus on a few miserable moments, knowing that the individuals involved recovered quite nicely.

For passion, no one can match Yankee reliever Dave Righetti. On June 20 in Toronto, Righetti entered a game in the ninth inning and allowed a game-tying grand slam to George Bell. The next ball Righetti threw was not a strike. That’s because, in anger, he fired it somewhere in the direction of Lake Ontario, over the right field fence. Some veteran observers said they had seen better displays of temper. But you’ve got to respect a good try.

Greg Swindell arrived in the majors, as so many youngsters do, with a fastball and a dream. On the night of Aug. 21, he brought his dream but probably left his fastball home. Swindell, in his debut for the Cleveland Indians, pitched a scoreless first inning. He also pitched a scoreless second. He did not pitch a scoreless third. Swindell left after 3 innings having allowed six runs on six hits. His successors were worse. The Red Sox won the game 24-5, a major league debut that Swindell will never forget. He has since won four games.

On Sept. 14, Giant third baseman Bob Brenly went 3 for 5 with four RBIs. He also showed up on the scoreboard in another way. He made four errors, all in the same inning, and they produced four runs.

“I never claimed to be a great third baseman and I proved it today,” Brenly said. He’s right. No major leaguer has ever made more errors in an inning.

You can’t knock the outcome. Brenly hit two homers, one in the ninth inning, for a 7-6 victory over the Braves.

Funny things seem to follow where the knuckleball goes. Texas starter Charlie Hough proved it on June 16. Hough took a 1-0 lead and a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the California Angels. With two out, left fielder George Wright dropped a flyball, leaving Jack Howell on second. Wally Joyner then singled home Howell, not only ruining the no-hitter but tying the score. Hough eventually lost 2-1 on a passed ball and failed to cover the plate as the winning run scored.

The Blue Jays did not set the league on fire this year, but second baseman Damaso Garcia did his bit. On May 14 in Oakland, with the Blue Jays in last place, Garcia went 0 for 4. Most players would take extra batting practice. Garcia tried his own remedy--he burned his uniform. Garcia wound up having quite a year. Early in August, he swapped punches with teammate Cliff Johnson during batting practice.