Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Ironically, we're having several days of rain

Johnny Sain dies at 89

I was once at a pub quiz where one of the questions was, "Name one of the 'two days of rain' from the 1948 Boston Braves," and I had to rack my brain for a bit before I came up with Vern Bickford. 60 years later, "Spahn and Sain" is about all anyone remembers about that team, but most people still remember Johnny Sain as the coach who developed pitchers like Whitey Ford, Jim Kaat, and Denny McLain.

Sometimes I wonder whether coaches really make that big a difference on a team's pitching or hitting. But you take a guy like Sain, or current-day Mazzone, and know that there's something special there that sets him apart.

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