Check out Williamsport's historic Bowman Field

Free advice: If you really love baseball and you especially love the charm of minor-league baseball, take a trip to Williamsport's historic Bowman Field. In addition to watching Phillies prospects in the embryonic stages of their development, you'll see the oldest ballpark in the minors. It opened in April 1926. The ballpark will take you back in time, and the city, best known for the Little League World Series, which begins this week, has some cool spots, too.

New York Yankees centerfielder Curtis Granderson told Fox's Ken Rosenthal recently that he is frustrated that baseball does not better publicize its players and that he wishes the game was perceived as being as cool as football and basketball. Rosenthal concluded that Granderson made some excellent points, and the story is interesting. Rosenthal, however, claims that baseball doesn't have a Michael Jordan. That would be incorrect. Barry Bonds had the same star power as Jordan and could have been just as marketable as a spokesman for baseball. Instead, he decided to be a cheat and a jerk.

Mighty nice of the Giants to say before their weekend series in Miami that they would not retaliate against the Florida Marlins for the home-plate crash between Scott Cousins and Buster Posey that ended the season for the San Francisco catcher in late May. It would be even nicer if Giants GM Brian Sabean apologized for his harsh comments about Cousins in the immediate aftermath of the incident and if Posey would gracefully accept the apology offered by Cousins.

Rick Wise was at Citizens Bank Park as part of alumni weekend. The former Phillies righthander is known for quite a few things. At the top of the list is the fact that he was traded to St. Louis for future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton before the 1972 season.

The year before, he pitched a no-hitter and hit two home runs in a game against Cincinnati at Riverfront Stadium. Some people still consider that to be the single greatest feat by a pitcher in one game, but it may not have even been Wise's greatest feat that season. In a Sept. 18 game against the Cubs at Veterans Stadium, he retired the final 32 batters he faced in a 12-inning game and knocked in the game-winning run. Only Pittsburgh's Harvey Haddix, in a 1959 game against the Milwaukee Braves, has ever retired more batters in a row, and he eventually lost that 13-inning imperfect game.

Wise later pitched for St. Louis, Boston, and San Diego and was the winning pitcher for the Red Sox in the classic Game 6 of the 1975 World Series against Cincinnati. Asked whom he'd cheer for if the Red Sox and Phillies met in the 2011 World Series, Wise did not hesitate.

"It could very well be Boston and Philly and, of course, I'd pick Philly," Wise said. "That's where I started my career, that's where I was the longest in my career, and I'm a National Leaguer all the way."

- Bob Brookover