Conference 7.286::baseball

    
    	Yesterday was a pretty good day at the Gallagher household.
    First, but least important, I received the last of the cards needed
    to complete my Bowman '96 set...got my complete set b4 Shawn...
    I loved it!  Thanks for the suggestions to try the Sports_Memorabilia
    conference.  From there I search the net and got most of 'em from
    a guy in Puerto Rico.
    The real GREAT news came on a call from Shawn last night 'bout 11:30
    from Arlington.  They got onto the field yesterday for some infield
    and BP.  Shawn's first swing planted one in the grass at dead center.
    He followed that with 6 other dingers sprayed from just beyond the
    407 ft. mark in right center to right down the left field line to
    the deepest one which hit the white TARGET sign behind the bullpen
    in left field!  Shawn said Jesse Barfield was real pleased, and that
    Reid Nichols, Director of Player Development, took Shawn aside after
    BP and basically said, "See, Shawn, that's what you can do if you
    swing at pitches IN THE STRIKE ZONE!".  Shawn went on to say they've
    definately made their point 'bout getting his KO count down.  So
    that's going to be his main focus this year.
    
    More later,
    Ed

    
    >Shawn went on to say they've definately made their point 'bout 
    >getting his KO count down.  So that's going to be his main focus 
    >this year.
    
    Boy I sure hope so.  I've got a bragging rights bet that says he makes
    the parent teams roster by the end of '99  8^)
    
    Seriously, if he sees this as important and actually works on it, I
    think he'll make it eventually.
    
    Marc
    

    
    Marc,
    
    	Shawn was faced with this very same situation at a much lower
    level in his freshman year in high school.  He couldn't hit a breaking
    ball to save his life...some were saying he hit too many fastball
    pitches in his batting cage and couldn't recognize a curve before
    it was too late.  He corrected that and went on to hit .610 in his
    senior year w/ only 6 K's / just under 100 AB's.  So I have all
    the confindence in the world (as any father would) that he'll
    come around in due time...'99 sounds like a good year!!!!!!  And
    WHEN the Rangers play the Rockies in Coors stadium I'll be there
    with you for Shawn's home coming!  That is one of Shawn's major
    goals...to come home to the Rocky Mountains and play professional
    ball.  Actually, playing in SkySox stadium would probably be even
    more exciting for him, having been born right there at Penrose
    Hospital and raised in Woody Park!  But that's probably won't
    happen if he stays w/ the Rangers.
    
    Here's to the '99 season...see you there,
    Ed
    

    
    	Shawn got back from Arlington on sunday, packed up his car,
    and left yesterday for Early Spring Training at Port Charlotte, Fla.
    The report from Arlington was OUTSTANDING.  As I mentioned a few
    replies back he hit 7 out on tuesday.  They didn't get back onto
    the field until friday due to bad weather.  He hit another 6 out
    on friday and 5 more on saturday for a total of 18 dingers in three
    days of BP at the Ballpark.  Two of them hit the base of the wall
    at the far end of the visitors bullpen in left field...he estimated
    them to be somewhere in the 450' range.  As a reminder he and one
    other player (Kevin Brown, who made the 40 man roster) during "Prospect
    Week" last year hit 6 out apiece during the five days of BP.  Both
    Jesse Barfield, the Ranger's hitting instructor, and Reid Nichols,
    Director of player development, mentioned to Shawn several times how
    much they thought he had grown over the off-season.
    	One of the morning seminars they scheduled for the players this
    year was an etiquette class, and they were graded after a six course
    meal that night.  Shawn was selected as one of three who had a perfect
    score after the dinner.  His mother was more proud of him for that
    than the 18 dingers...go figure!!!!!!!!!!!  He even taught her about
    fork placement for a six course meal, which she didn't know...she was
    SO impressed!  Guess you could now say he can put 'em out w/ class!!!!
    
    'nough for now,
    Ed

    Wow!  Sounds like that kid had some good bringing up!
    
    Burns
    

I just got into the notes conference from the internet...way ahead of my
time, ay?  Anyway, I thought I'd try this thing out w/ an update from
spring training.
Shawn played in his first ever major league spring training games on friday
and saturday of last week against the Reds and White Sox respectively.
He went 0fer for both days but said he hit the ball hard all 3 times he
got to bat...no K's!  He even BBed once which resulted in a run...he actually
got 2 runs in the second game...the second came when he pinch ran for Will
Clark.  Said he got to talk to the likes of Barry Larkin, Frank Thomas, and
Albert Belle when they were at 1b after hits.  Dion Sanders got there too
but didn't talk...what a creep!  He made some great defensive plays...doubled
up Barry Larkin an a hit 'n run.  Also made the only error of the game against
the White Sox.  Said that the ball was hit hard to his backhand side and he
simple miss played it.  Overall though he was pretty happy 'bout the whole
thing.  He came back to the minor league side on sunday and went 2 for 4
w/ 2 2b's against the Korean National team and on monday went 3 for 5 w/
2 2b's and 1 HR against the Orioles.
Startin' off pretty good this spring...I'd say!

Ed
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]

It looks like Texas plays the Red Sox a couple times during the season.  We New
Englanders might get conceivable get another chance to see Shawn!

Burns

That was not very clear...I mean during spring training season, and since a number
of the Sox's games are televised, we might see them.

Burns

    Burns,
    
    	Well yesterday may have been one of your chances!  Shawn was
    asked to play with the BIG BOYS again yesterday, and as chance may
    have it the game was against the BoSox.  He wasn't sure which of
    the SS teams he was going to play on, and to be vary honest he
    thought it would be the B squad.  But to his delight he played
    with the BIG BIG BOYS.  And also as chance would have it so did
    Trot Nixon.  Shawn and Trot apparently got into the game 'bout the
    same time (i.e. they both had 2 AB's).  I'm very happy to report
    that Shawn went 2 fer 2...both of 'em 1B's...one off Mike Maddox
    and the other off Mark Mimbs.  To add to that he made a run in the
    bottom of the 10th, and more impressively he knocked down a line
    drive which would have scored the winning run in the top of the 9th.
    Because of that they went into extra innings, but the Sox got 3
    more runs to only 1 Ranger run (Shawn's) in the 10th.
    	Shawn wanted me to ask if any of you BoSox fans know if the
    game was televised, and if so, would you know where to get a copy
    of the game (i.e. TV station or maybe one of you)?  I know one
    very excited young man who would be delighted to get his mits on
    a copy!!!!!!!
    
    More later,
    Ed
    
    Xposted in the Red Sox notes conference

    
    
       I know it was on the Radio. I was listening to it on the way home.
    Was very excited when Shawn got that line drive Hit in the 10th off
    Mimbs. :-)
    
    
    
    Chap

Darn!  I missed it!

If it were on, it would have been on NESN, most likely.  I'll try to look in
the paper tonight to see if it was.

Burns

I was driving back from a Customer site to a hotel last night, and KLIF radio 
in Dallas talked about the "big hitting prospect SG, who got two hits today". 
I thought the whole thing was pretty cool. There wasn't a reference in the 
Dallas Morning News today. ;*(

Dennis Faust

    
    Ya know, Dennis, I thought the whole thing was WAY COOL myself!!!
    
    8^{)}
    
    Ed

    
    Well, my phone bill is gonna be astronomical this month.  My wife
    just called three different places in Boston, a couple in Dallas,
    and even the Ranger's office in Pt. Charlotte lookin' for a tape
    of that game.  The closest she got was NESN...they had the tape
    but would NOT sell it at any cost...something to do with a stupid
    broadcasting copyright restriction.
    Anyway, if any of you come across the tape of that game, Shawn and
    the rest of us at the Gallagher household would GREATLY appreciate
    a copy.
    
    Thanks,
    Ed

Well, you probably did figure out that the whole thing *was* on NESN, but I
guess it is not very hopeful to get a tape from them.  Here is a thought,
though...do you have a local station that you could get to do a "local boy
makes good" story?  NESN et al will usually share highlights with other
stations, so you might be able to get a bunch of tape of Shawn and Trot that
way...

Burns

    
    Heading for the sunshine state to take in opening day of the Florida
    State League Port Charlotte Rangers.
    
    Shawn finished spring training with a bang.  In one of this last games
    he went 3 for 5 w/ 2 2B's and a dinger.  He said that he was feelin'
    pretty good during BP prior to the game...said he hit 3 out dead
    center...one of 'em hit the top of the center field tarp.  Center
    field marker is 405', so they were estimating the shot was 'bout
    450'.  He ended up w/ 5 HR's, a bunch of doubles, and a BA somewhere
    around 400...he didn't keep close track.  The one thing that he was
    most pleased w/ though was his lack of K's.
    
    I have to share one other thing w/ all of you.  As you all know I'm
    a very proud papa, but one thing happened yesterday, which made me
    even more proud of Shawn than all the dingers in the world.  We called
    him last night to wish him a Happy Easter, and to let him know we were
    coming, and he wasn't in his room.  His roommate said he went to church.
    A 20 yr. old boy took the time out of a very busy schedule to thank the
    Man who is most responsible for his success!  That did my heart GOOD!!!!!
    
    So, on to the '97 season.  Here's hopin' his performance will continue
    on through all of '97!
    
    More later,
    Ed

    Ed,
    	Did I hear over the weekend that Will Clark broke a bone in his 
        hand????? If so, will this allow Shawn to make any moves up in the 
        Rangers ranks????
    
        Shawn (not Ed's son.....) 
    

    Hi Shawn (not Ed's son.....),
    
    	No, not yet.  The way seems to be clearing for Shawn though.
    Lee Stevens, Will current replacement, is also 'bout Will's age...
    maybe a li'l younger...I think he's 'bout 31 or so.  Anyway, he's
    been in the major's (up and down between the Show and AAA) for several
    years.  He's hittin' pretty well, but I don't think they have a
    whole lot of hope for him being there for a long stretch.
    
    	A Shawn (Ed's son) update...
    
    	Just got back from the sunshine state, and as in the past two
    years Shawn is starting off slowly again (offensively anyway).
    He hit well in the first three games (BA 'bout .330) w/ some real
    good contact hitting.  Then in the final game we got to watch before
    leaving, he went 0fer5 w/ 3 K's.  He was VERY disappointed after that
    game.  Last night after we got back home he called w/ the report that
    he went 1fer4 w/ a ground-rule 2B to the 410' fence in center field.
    But that wasn't enough to cheer him up, 'cause he K'ed 2 more times.
    Sez he's just not seein' the spin on the ball very well.  I hope
    things get better soon or he'll end up in the same boat he was in
    last year. He thinks it might be the night game adjustment.  His
    spring training went so well, but all the games were during the day.
    Anyway, on a positive note, his defense has been impressive. Has
    already turned several DP's...even on the front end of a difficult
    short grounder DP down the first base line.  And one last note,
    he prevented an obvious DP by takin' out not only the second baseman
    but the SS on a slide at second.  That was pretty to watch.
    
    More later,
    Ed
    

Hi all who still read this conference,

It's been over a month since I updated this note, and the
news is good and bad.  A week ago saturday Shawn was moved
from the Florida State League to Extended Spring Training.
He was leading the league in KO's and had a .141 BA.  He
almost expected the move but was very depressed nonetheless.
I drove down to Fla. on weds. (11 hour drive...I'm gettin' too
old for this) just to see him and talk.  By weds night he had
accepted the move and was starting to work out his problems.
He was actually on a high after weds. game.  He was 0-3 going into
his last two at bats when he changed his attitude and said for
the first time in ages he felt like he did back in high school.
The last two AB's were both dingers!!!  For a 20 yr old he's been
forced into alot of growing up in a short period of time. After
watching 3 games while I was there and talking over each one
afterwards, Shawn has accepted the fact that his confidence level
is way down, and he's now working on getting it back to that
killer mode he used to have...and working on patience at the plate.

The last thing he said before I left on saturday was that he was
confindent that he WILL work this out. He has also accepted the
fact that he may be assigned to the Ranger's Advanced Rookie
League team (which is the only team between Rookie and High A).

Ed

Thanks for the update, Ed.  We're all pulling for Shawn!

Burns

    Hi Ed,
    
    I got the following quote from an article on Jose Cruz jr.
    
    "Baseball's kind of funny that way," Cruz said. "You can do
     everything perfectly right and have nothing to show for it.
     That's baseball. There's nothing I can do but stay positive
     and keep working."
    
    Shawn got to work on building that confidence.  The moment a hitter 
    lose his confidence he become a ground rule out.  Just have patience
    and take one at bat a time.
    
    Good luck,
    Jose

Thanks Burns, Jose, et.al.

	You're right Jose, and Shawn is learning the reality
of all that the hard way.  As my dad used to tell me...doing
it that way builds character.  And I'm living proof of that...
I'm ONE CHARATER now!!!!  But as all you other dads out there
know, it's hard to sit back and watch 'em painfully gain that
experience.  But he's doing better.  His confidence is coming
back.  He called last night with news that his BA for the week
that he's been in Extended Spring is .353 w/ 3 HR's and his
KO's ratio has dropped to half what it was.  And the best news
of all is that he's not as upset when he does strike out!  It's
definately a different level of pitching in Extended Spring, but
I think he needed the change.

Thanks again for your support,
Ed 

	Just talked with Shawn last night.  Looks like he's 
heading for the Appy League in June, even though he's hitting
.341 for the 2 weeks in Extended Spring and his replacement
in the Fla. State League is struggling as much there as he
did.  He's a li'l disappointed with that but is handling it
well.  One upbeat part of the conversation was that he said
yesterday's game will go down in the record books...he
WALKED THREE TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!  He went 1-2 w/ a 2B and
2 RBI and 3 (count 'em) 1-2-3 BB's.

More later,
Ed

    
    RE:  Walked three times
    
    8^)
    
    Marc
    

    I'm looking forward to seeing Shawn when Pulaski comes to Kingsport
    August 12,13, and 14 and Elizabethton August 15,16, and 17.  Too bad
    I'll be out of the area for his frist trip to East Tennessee July 15-17
    at Johnson City and July 18-20 at Bristol (OK, so the Bristol ball park
    is in Virginia, but it's close enough).
    
    Dwight