In his playing days, Mike Hargrove was known as "The Human Rain Delay". The former Rangers, Padres, and Indians first baseman drove pitchers to distraction by stepping in and out of the batter's box during his at-bats. Between each pitch, he would first adjust his helmet, then fiddle with his batting gloves, then hitch his jersey sleeves up ever so slightly, and finally wipe each hand on his uniform pants. Only then would he retake his place at the plate. Sure, this extended and particular routine was enough to wreak havoc with the rhythm of scores of pitchers, as his impressive .396 career on-base percentage indicates. Amazingly, this number is higher than his career slugging percentage (.391). But the grim and exact machinations of "Grover" are a telling window to his soul. It's called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Mike. Look it up. You don't have to suffer alone...and neither does Nomar.Fun fact: Mike Hargrove was the 1974 American League Rookie of the Year, sandwiched between two former Orioles outfielders - Al Bumbry (1973) and Fred Lynn (1975, then with the Red Sox).
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