Baseball (the talkin' sport)

[mstar1]

7 in a row and looking good---The only thing that annoys me is all the different uniforms they are wearing this year--It makes them look like a $%#^%$ expansion team--BUT if thats the worst thing I have to complain about it cant be all bad----Im looking forward to a nice Yankee weekend -we're suppose to have our first real weekend of good weather on top of that.

Ortiz' batspeed has seemed real slow but I'll hold off thinking about that for now

[hiway29]

We haven't heard from Tom Strange, Rocky, or many others lately. I hope I'm wrong, but I wonder if this place doesn't begin to feel like a Sox fan site at times,since there is a small 'community' of fans, and it gets lonely being the sole Dback, Ranger, Yankee, Indian, etc fan.

I know no one is intending that, and I'm not suggesting any changes. Just wondering where everyone's at.

[mstar1]

----now paging Tom, Rocky.....and its about durn time for some insights from Simon as well....come out come out wherever you are....front and center....

I noticed yesterday Kinsler leads the league in hits-so he's picking up right where he left off..Im still slowly feeling my way around the rest of the leagues ---certainly something of note must be happening out there--SPEAK UP y'all

Im sure Geishagirl is pumped about this weekend

Too bad we dont have a Pirates fan in here..I never get to hear about them.....

Edited April 24, 2009 by mstar1

[Bolshevik]

We haven't heard from Tom Strange, Rocky, or many others lately. I hope I'm wrong, but I wonder if this place doesn't begin to feel like a Sox fan site at times,since there is a small 'community' of fans, and it gets lonely being the sole Dback, Ranger, Yankee, Indian, etc fan.

I know no one is intending that, and I'm not suggesting any changes. Just wondering where everyone's at.

I believe the Reds' pitching is better this year. Didn't they just beat the cubs?

[Bolshevik]

nevermind, forget the Reds . . .awesome game tonight at fenway. How can you not like Jason Bay?

I didn't know you could switch pitchers mid count. The batter was 0-1 when the closer was called in. Can you do that with the batter?

[excathedra]

mstar for you

[Bolshevik]

So have the Rangers made any adjustments to their pitching/fielding? I noticed a RS of 110 and a RA of 115 today.

[mstar1]

Thanks Excie--What a cutie--good for her---The yanks should sign her!.....

Ive been trying to be good holding my tongue all weekend during three very exciting games :)

a little bit of everything---tying a game with 2 outs in the ninth against Rivera, a walkoff, coming from 6 runs behind with lead changes all afternoon-- 2 epic 4 and 1/2 hour games --and finally a steal of home... Carumba what a great series--i dont know exactly why these two teams play the way they do against each other but its exciting to watch

Alltime record at Fenway since 1912 is now 447-446-4

Edited April 27, 2009 by mstar1

[Bolshevik]

It's just a matter of getting on base for ellsbury. He won't be on first long.

I remember he did screw up earlier this year between 2nd and 3rd, I think against the halos. I remember thinking, "ah, at least he's aggressive, he'll make up for it . . ."

he is fun to watch

[mstar1]

He is a blast to watch--

In the first game of the series he got on first, Chamberlain balked him to second on a pitchout, then he scored from second (!) on a wild pitch.

A completely manufactured run

He has his ups and downs at the plate. When he gets on base consistantly, like he is now, the whole offense roles really well. With his speed, which is blinding, I dont know why he doesnt bunt his way on more often--If he became a good bunter I dont think the defense would stand a chance at keeping him off base

[hiway29]

Mstar- I just received a ballot in the mail for the Shrine of the Eternals, so I do get to vote, after all. I can vote for up to 9 candidates, and I've decided to give you 3 votes.

We've already talked about Pete Gray. He doesn't count because he's my first choice also. So you have 3 more picks, and this time they count.

I want to mail this out by Sunday, so study the candidates at the Baseball Reliquary site , and vote !

[mstar1]

Wow Im honored--Thank you---give me a few days to think about this...( and contact people for bribes )

seriously this is cool-- :) but it will take a few days, some of the names on the list Im not familiar with and I would like to give everyone a fair shot

[hiway29]

You've got a few days-I need to mail it by early next week.

[mstar1]

OK Im on it--Im leaning toward Nuf Ced McGreevey off the bat.

There are alot of worthy candidates after that that require some genuine thought--I'll take my votes seriously

again--THANKS!

[mstar1]

This is hard but fun--Im taking my voting resposibilities to The Shrine Of Te Eternals seriously.

I just read some great links on Rube Waddell, who is high on my list..

HERE'S one.

George Edward "Rube" Waddell was baseball's most kaleidoscopic character. In 1903 he began the year sleeping in a firehouse at Camden, New Jersey, and ended it tending bar in Wheeling, West Virginia. “In between those events,” wrote Lee Allen, “he won twenty-two games for the Philadelphia Athletics, played left end for the Business Men's Rugby Football Club of Grand Rapids, Michigan, toured the nation in a melodrama called The Stain of Guilt, courted, married, and separated from May Wynne Skinner of Lynn, Massachusetts, saved a woman from drowning, accidentally shot a friend through the hand, and was bitten by a lion.”

The stories go on and on about this wild and crazy guy and, remarkably, most of them are true. Playing marbles under the stands at game time while his teammates searched for their starting pitcher; being paid his year's salary of $2,200 in one-dollar bills because he was so impulsive a spender; hurling both ends of a doubleheader just so that he could get a few days off to go fishing; calling his outfielders to the sidelines, then striking out the batter.

:biglaugh: Gotta love this guy . Waddell makes Manny look like Mr Cleancut and straightlaced--Rube was known to leave the mound to chase after fire engines, married a fan he had never met (she proposed to him in aletter), would routinely cartwheel on and off the field and would rush into burning buildings to save people and in the middle of a game slung a teammate over his shoulder that had been hit by a pitch and ran to the hospital saving his life------Opponents would bring kittens and puppies into the dugouts and hold them up while he was pitching to distract him....But he was not just some crazy guy --he was the greatest lefthander pitcher of his time, abig kid who never grew up and set a strikeout record that would last for over 50 years.........not ony that but like me he was born on Friday the 13th---so one of my votes definitely goes to Rube....

Who is on your ballot so far??

Edited April 30, 2009 by mstar1

[hiway29]

Great choice ! I knew you'd be giving this serious thought, and Rube Waddell has to be there.

So far, I've only settled on Pete Gray and Casey Stengal. I was surprised that Casey wasn't in yet, and that's like the Hall of Fame without Babe Ruth, so he gets a vote.

I'm not decided on the rest yet. I'd like to see at least one living person get in, with the hope that they'd speak at the induction ceremony. I really enjoyed hearing Jim Bouton speak a few years ago.

I still need to give it thought. The qualifications for the Shrine are unique, and I want to get it right.

[mstar1]

i want to get it right too and honestly there is a few people on that list that Im not familiar with--Im going to hunt down my friend Derek who wrote the book I told you about a few pages back. He's a good historian and knows mountains of baseball nuances and tales...and maybe go over some of the folks with him...

I figured that you may go for Casey, I still remmeber the interviews i saw with him as a kid...Where nobody -the announcers, the audience, nobody knew what on earth he was talking about I loved it......As far as living people Imay be voting for Luis Tiant. I know its a hometown choice BUT being a living person I know that you'll enjoy it if they ever give him the chance to speak...There is still only on Luis----Im still undecided though

[mstar1]

Well I had agood conversation with my friend Derek yesterday and we talked about several people on the list. The one that is most fascinating to me is Steve Dalkowski, thought by many to be by far the fastest pitcher of alltime. He pitched in the Baltimore system in the 50's, before the advent of radar guns but was believed to be able to throw from 105-115MPH. He was know as "White Lightening" and batters literally feared him as he was as wild as he was fast, sometime going so far as to unleash a pitch directly into the stands

During a game at Kingsport on August 31, 1957, Dalkowski struck out 24 Bluefield hitters in a minor league game, but lost 8–4. gave up 18 walks, hit four batters, and threw six wild pitches.

He struck out 121 in just 62 innings in 1957, (averaging 18 strikeouts per game), but won only once because he walked 129 (8 more than he struck out) and threw 39 wild pitches.

In 1960 He struck out 262 batters in 170 innings problem was he also issued 262 walks

Nuke Laloosh in the film Bull Durham is based on Dalkowski...

HERE is his wikipedia page, and

HERE is another good article

Here a just a few examples of how Dalkowski gained legendary status:

# One night at Kingsport, Dalkowski threw a pitch that tore off part of a batter's ear. "It made me so scared, I didn't even want to look at it," said Dalkowski. Many people believe after this incident Dalkowski feared one of errant pitches would kill someone and that only contributed more to his wildness.

# Dalkowski won a $5 bet with teammate Herman Starrette, who said Dalkowski couldn't throw a baseball through a wall. Dalkowski warmed up and then moved 15 feet away from the wooden outfield fence. His first pitch went right through the boards.

# In one minor league game, Dalkowski threw three pitches that penetrated the backstop and sent fans scattering.

# In a high school game, Dalkowski threw a no-hit, no-run game with 18 strikeouts and 18 walks.

# In an Eastern League game, Dalkowski struck out 27 and walked 16 while throwing 283 pitches. In another game, he was pulled in the second inning after throwing 120 pitches.

# At Aberdeen in the Northern League, Dalkowski threw a one-hitter and lost 9-8.

# In 1960 at Class A Stockton, Dalkowski threw a pitch that broke an umpire's mask in three places, knocking him 18 feet back and sending him to a hospital for three days with a concussion.

# In 1959, Dalkowski set a Northern League record with 21 strikeouts in a game.

# In 1960 at Stockton on the California League, Dalkowski struck out 19 and limited Reno to four hits but walked nine and lost 8-3.

and Another good article HERE from the Hardball Times.

So I have until tomorrow ( is that right?) to make my final decisions. Dalkowski is definitely high high up on the list...He suffered an injury was never able to make a major league career and had a very tough life after baseball becoming a migrant worker and alcoholic. The plus side is that he is still alive. Id like to see him there at his induction to the Hall of the Eternals.

I'll ruminate on it a bit more before I cast my official vote tomorrow but it Looks Like its gonna be McGreevey, Waddell, and Dalkowski so far

Steve "White Lightning" Dalkowski

Edited May 1, 2009 by mstar1

[hiway29]

Funny, I was leaning towards Steve Dalkowski myself-so much so , that if you want, you can take an extra pick if you'd like. With that much research, he would deserve to be 'your' pick-if that made any difference-which it doesn't.

You have until Monday morning. I'm mailing it out on my way to work that day.

Another player I'm leaning toward is JR Richard. Good Lord, the man was living in an underpass a few miles from the Astrodome, after his career ending heart attack. The accusations of him being 'lazy' seemed to stem from ugly racial stereotypes that should have been long gone by then.

Edited May 1, 2009 by hiway29

[mstar1]

i had never heard of Dalkowski until yesterday so its been quite a find for an amateur like me..I hadnt heard that JR Richards story either...

Its odd-- I just ran into a guy probably in his 60's yesterday in the middle of nowhere collecting cans and bottles so I engaged with him for abit while I gave him some bottles and I was surprised to find out He was an old ballplayer in the Pirates system, A pitcher, he made it to triple A, went to a few spring trainings, pitched against Clemente, Stargell, could remember details of games 45 years ago like it was last inning. He had a rotator cuff injury then hit the bottle pretty hard for several years similar to Dalkowski and (apparently) Richards. It was good talking to him but at the same time sad that a one time promising future was now relegated to forraging through dumpsters

[mstar1]

Ok its sunday and time for my official votes..

Officially its gonna be Rube Waddell, Steve Dalkowski, and Michael "Nuf Ced" McGreevey.

McGreevey is probably a homeboy choice being a spiritual father of the current Red Sox nation but he is worthy for his contributions to the game. He founded the first sports bar in America The Third Base Saloon ,( The last stop before home) where the Royal Rooters met before heading to the game where they arrived enmasse with bands, organized cheers signs which had never happened before and of course a huge amount ofgeneral rowdyism.

In the early 1900's They traveled to away games amusing and annoying locals.

In the late 20's. Honus Wagner was asked about the 1903 World Series and his first recollection of the entire series was "I just wanted them to stop singing that damn song". The song was "Tessie" which was sung over and over. The Red Sox revived the song in 2004 for its 100th anniversary and it worked its world series magic again

McGreevey was the leader--He was an extremely interesting character. In photos of Boston baseball from the 1890's to about 1918 or so he is almost always in them, not only with "The Rooters" but in dugouts, team photos, ....almost everywhere

If you ever find yourself in Boston the McGreevey collection of his memorabilia is an amazing look into that period of time in baseball. It is worth checking in to...

some of it is HERE

McGreevey at Spring Training Hot Springs, Arkansas 1907

Ok those are all my official votes--who are you voting for?

[hiway29]

The votes are on the official ballot, and I'll be dropping them at the PO on the way to work.

My votes are Pete Gray, Casey Stengal, Roger Maris, and Luis Tiant.

I had 2 more votes coming, but I thought these were enough to go with. There are still names that have to go in eventually. Dizzy Dean isn't in the Shrine yet, for Pete's sake ! Or Fred Merkle.

I didn't want to overload the ballot though, and there will be other years. I picked Tiant with the hope that he'll show up and talk if he gets in. Casey Stengal lived in Glendale just down the road. If he had only lived to 120 he could have appeared this year.

Thanks for the contributions. All excellent choices. It will be interesting to see who finally gets in.

[mstar1]

I was thinking of Merkle and Dean--They are definitely worthy but I see what you mean about overloading things

One of my favorite headlines of all time has to be after Dean was hit in the head with a baseball and the next days headline read.

"XRays of Deans head show nothing"

Recently Luis, got to go home to Havana for the first in 46 years. The farrelly brothers made it into a documentary. I havent seen the whole thing yet but

is a little snippet. It looks good to me..Hopefully you'll get to see him speak at the induction.

Keep me posted how the voting turns out

[hiway29]

I want to see the rest of that Tiant documentary. The excerpt was moving and thought provoking. I knew he moved to a few teams, but I forgot that he was on the Angels. Back then the Angels would sign aged stars past their prime as a matter of course. They're run better now.

[mstar1]

It does look like a good documentary. Im going to have to watch for it on Netflix.

Ive been a little busy playing alot of music and working late so havent been keeping up on alot of things. So when I got a moment to look up imagine my surprise seeing Toronto, KC, and Seattle in first in the AL at the same time...never mind the Marlins

...and....I guess the big question is whether the Dodgers will go 81-0 at home --it must be exciting over there in Dodgerville