Don Wakamatsu Fired

One of my favorite players (now manager) has been fired from his managerial job with the Seattle Mariners. I'm a little bummed. I've tried following his career since he was a third string catcher with the White Sox. It's just gotten slightly harder to follow now.

Good luck to Don Wakamatsu, wherever his next job may be. At least I got to see two Wakamatsu led games against the White Sox this year, in person. So, I've got that going for me.

Wakamatsu: Take Two

Since yesterday's game was rained out, I missed my chance to catch a glimpse of Wok. Luckily, there should be double the chance today.

If the weather cooperates, there will be at least 18 innings of baseball on the South Side today! Double the games means double the Wakamatsu! No offense to the Mariners great start, but I'm hoping that the White Sox sweep the doubleheader. Or, at worst, split.

Sure, I'd like to see Don do well, just not at the expense of my team. I may be a fan, but if it interferes with my team, I usually can't look the other way.

It's colder today. Hopefully, that means that the Sox and Mariners can get both games in. I can't wait!

Homecoming

Tonight will be a homecoming for more than one man. Ken Griffey Jr. is the obvious one, being that he was on the White Sox six months ago. The other one is not so obvious.

Don Wakamatsu played a handful of games in 1991 for the White Sox at the Major League level. It would be his only MLB experience as a player. I'm not sure what it was about him, but Don has stuck in my head ever since. That's pretty good for a third string catcher, behind Carlton Fisk and Ron Karkovice.

Maybe it was the fact that he caught Charlie Hough and his amazing knuckleball. Maybe it was his name. Whatever the initial attraction, I've tried to follow Don Wakamatsu throughout his career. It makes it more difficult when that player is mostly in the minors. It makes it extremely difficult when the player retires and starts coaching in the minors.

It's hard finding information on coaches in the minors. Before all these great sites started popping up with information up the wazoo, it was hit or miss finding this information. Sometimes, it's still difficult. Unless that person is in that position right this moment, you may not be able to find it.

I was excited when I heard that Don would be coaching for the Rangers. I followed him over to Oakland, where he was the bench coach in 2008. I thought that he would stay put for a few years, but I learned that the Mariners passed up Joey Cora and selected Don Wakamatsu as their new manager. Finally, I would see more Wakamatsu cards!

It was worth the wait. Don seems to be managing the Mariners off to a great start. Sure, Don has been back to Chicago as a coach. Coming back as a manager is a completely different experience. I'll be watching tonight to catch a glimpse of Wok.

I Wakamatsu, Do You?

1991 was an odd year for White Sox baseball. It was a year of hope, coming one year after a second place finish out of nowhere. Many players came and went during this season. One that will always stick in my mind is Don Wakamatsu.

Mind you, it wasn't for anything he really did in a baseball game. Third string backup catchers don't usually get a lot of playing time. From May 22 until October 5, 1991, Don played in a total of 18 games. He only had seven hits in 31 at bats, all singles. He had more major league baseball cards (2) than he had walks (1).

The reason he sticks out is his last name, Wakamatsu. It's just fun to say! You cannot say his name without cracking a smile. I had no idea he even had a card until earlier this year, when I found his name among the players on the 1992 Score White Sox team set. I was in shock! How did this card slip by me when it came out. 1992 was the last year of major card collecting in my youth. By 1993, it started to trail off. I never got a Wakamatsu card, my friends never got a Wakamatsu card. I never even saw one at a show.

Then, as I did a little research for this posting, I found a second Wakamatsu card! It was like I was 15 again! I only found evidence of these two cards, but that was two more than I ever knew existed before this year. I perked up a few years ago when I spotted a familiar name in the Rangers dugout at US Cellular Field. Don Wakamatsu was a coach. It's the little things like that, that will keep me happy the entire day.

Don only played that one year in the majors. I kept thinking about Don whenever the Sox needed another catcher, but the Sox were content on Matt Merullo and Nelson Santovenia. I've heard that now Don is a coach on the Athletics. Good for him! I'm still glad he's in baseball in some capacity. My friends and I still bring up the name Wakamatsu in conversation lulls. It's always good for a smile. So, thank you Don Wakamatsu! Your career didn't last too long, but you are still talked about on the South Side.