Playboy's 1996 Baseball Preview

May, 1996

I knew baseball was back one day last spring. The air smelled of leather and clay and cut grass. The Giants were taking batting practice, that serious ritual that unfolds before mostly empty seats.The players hooted at Wendell Kim, the San Francisco coach who pitches BP. The 5'5" Kim looked like a cartoon as he hopped up and down, getting loose. Chatter subsided as he picked up a ball and went to work.The starting lineup bats first, and starters get their ups in strict batting order. Darren...