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Fenway, once upon a time!
I went to see my old slo pitch softball team play the other night to watch my #3 son who plays for them, you know... how good could they be with out at least one harry.
He started about 7 years ago in right center at age 17. At that time I was the player coach and my #1 son roamed left center. I needed another guy to play outfield and although he was strictly baseball at the time he was willing to help out. He got hooked after he learned how to hit a ball lobed at 20 mph crossing the plate vertically. His assessment was, “this is like T Ball all over again, you start and end with T Ball!”
My older son moved had some knee issues and moved on to other things and I got just too old to play at a high enough level to enjoy it.
I was never a star but I had good lateral range and was a decent enough middle infielder in my day. Later I moved to third and then made the progression to left before finishing up at 1B.
One of the younger guys who now coaches the team, said’ “hey coach, you want to give me a couple of innings at first?”
I politely turned him down with thanks but… not tonight.
Silently I said,” I limped from the car to the field on my bursitic left knee and you really think I can be an asset at first?” I’d need slip on cleats and glove the size of a rowboat!
It got me thinking, I played ball from age 7 to age 57, I played every position on the field,
My Dad was my coach when I was a kid and I coached my four boys in various levels of the game. Slo pitch softball is not fast pitch hardball but the game is basically the same.
You have to throw the ball, hit the ball and catch the ball.
Sons 3 & 4 covered the left side of the infield together on their HS team
This game is a connector between fathers and sons, between friends and adversaries. I remember at age 14, striking out the kid that bullied me…twice in one game. The first on a swinging fast ball around his eyes and the second on a called third strike on a curve ball that broke over the heart of the plate. After the game he came over to me, punched me on my sore right arm and said, “you got me twice but never again, nice pitching kid” We were more or less friends after that.
And then there was a high school game in which I struck out four times without even a foul ball to my name while my teammates scored 14 runs on about 20 hits. My coach came over to me and said, “Dave, this is a team game and your team won so stop sulking and celebrate a TEAM win.”
That lesson has been repeated by me to kids and teammates a hundred times over the years.
I watched the softball game with some other “mature” former players,
our version of grumpy old men,
and we critiqued the plays as the game went on. All wishing we could still put on the cleats and drive one over the left fielders head or beat out that grounder to short or turn the blooper to shallow right into two bases or take that shot down the third base line with a slick backhand and fire off balance to first for the out…
But we are left with our geriatric conversation, “what team are we playing tonight? I can’t read the uniform from here. Blue hasn’t got one call right yet (sorry Lanz) or, where was he throwing that? Or when did you get the other knee done and how long is the rehab??
Or… how’s the ticker since the last ream job.
What’s closer, the port o john or the woods?”
Or what inning is this? The mosquitoes are viscous here tonight.
Are you guys up for beers and cigars at my house after the game?
We can bundle these memories for a big savings cause it’s a;; about bundles these days… the fresh cut grass, the sounds of bat on ball or ball on glove, the cheers for a good play and the handshakes after a hard-fought game. The sun in your eyes on a fly ball, the “look what I found” liner in your glove, the take out slide at second, the ace from left field to the plate for the out, the diving stab at a soft liner in left,,, that circus over the shoulder catch in center, It’s true that I’d rather watch football on TV but give me a live baseball game at any level anywhere anytime. Take me out to the ball game.
Yes it’s also true, oldharry has slowed up a bit, I still can strike out the youngsters with my arsenal of whiffle ball pitches but back yard rules don’t involve running the bases…it’s the equalizer, it makes me just as fast…
And what’s better, faster or slower?
Thanks for stopping by.
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Okay, we have one Baseball position in this series...Outfield...I've noticed, the biggest factor for the most part seems to be offensive numbers...well, except when 3B seemed to get the Glove talk going...To me, defense is always a consideration...
Since the game is played with 3 outfielders, this question will be slightly different...
Who do you think are the 3 best, all-time, MLB Outfielders?
And Why?
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Warning: This blog contains some middle school style humor.
If you are easily offended, see you next week...
I am not a racing fan. Sorry, but I just can’t get into it. I guess the only time I’ve ever made a point to watch racing is on Memorial Day weekend when they cart our Granny, the 144 year old wrinkle-ladened woman named Mary Almond Joy (or something like that), and she proclaims, “(Lady and) Gentlemen, start your engines.” That’s pretty cool to watch.
Come to think of it, there’s one more ditty worth watching. Does Jim Nabors still sing, Back Home Again in Indiana? Gahhhh-leeee, Sargeant Carter. Actually, Gomer will be singing at the Speedway this year after missing 2012’s event due to heart surgery.
So, that’s about it for me and racing. I get dizzy watching people drive in circles. However, those who are into it are REALLY into it. But not me. I liked King Richard Petty when he was winning all those races. (Me thinks it’s the aura of the cowboy hat.) And I like Jeff Gordon... but I never watch the races. I mean, they travel 500 miles and they still end up in the same place.
I went to a tractor pull once in Burley, Idaho. That was pretty fun. And talk about fun, during my days at KCR, our San Diego State campus radio station, I was invited to be a “celebrity” go-kart racer. That was a blast.
But when I think of racing, only one name comes to mind. And with a name like that, how could I resist? Dick Trickle... a name made for racing. That’s right. I mean, come on... “Slam dunk by Dick Trickle???” “Swung on and missed, Dick Trickle tosses a perfect game???” It just doesn’t sound right. Maybe as a hockey player... Maybe...
Wanna get a smile or a laugh??? Just say, “Dick Trickle” and it’s guaranteed. I actually did that two weeks ago in front of my all-boys Algebra class. One of my students couldn’t stop laughing. And then, I added that Dick was a short track legend. “Dick” and “short” go together perfectly, don’t they??? (Well, for some of you guys they do.) The kids loved it.
So when word came last week that Trickle took his life, I was truly sad. Apparently he couldn’t bear the pain and decided to end it. Trickle’s brother Chuck told Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Dick was suffering from unbearable pain under his left breast. It was so bad, he was seeing the doctor twice a day.
Most suicides seem to be from mental pain... kinda like Junior Seau. He just couldn’t cope with his internal demons. The pain must have been excruciating for Trickle. Former NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine called Trickle, “Fun... just plain fun.” Bodine also noted that Trickle kept a cigarette lighter in his car. He even cut a hole in his racing helmet to he could smoke that thing... the cigarette, not the lighter. Brother Chuck added that Dick “...could’ve run for president and won.” (http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/motor-sports/dick-trickle-was-constant-pain-apparent-suicide-brother-says)
The greatest name in the history of sports...
The greatest short track racer in the history of short track racing...
More than 1,200 documented short track wins...
And a big time personality who was...
More than just a funny name...
dvt
http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mEuGDFt8j8ls8Sb7oJ9yKjQ.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ3_2A5x53I
http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/P/Richard-Petty-9439013-1-402.jpg
http://www.indykarts.com.au/SEO/images/go-kart-racing-sydney.jpg
http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/614*425/M121489.JPG
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/05/18/1368928885000-Trickle-5-19-13-1305182218_4_3_rx404_c534x401.jpg?87cc7ae5b5e3d133be9f113f907a13faa9f8741e
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With the Original Six making such a strong showing in the 2013 season (note the absence of "2012-") I'm led to reflect a bit. All six teams made the playoffs. Just five had a shot at making the quarterfinals, what with Boston and Toronto facing each other, and four did. The way the quarters are aligned, the semifinals will also feature half Original Six teams.
For some reason all this made me think of the name "Milt Schmidt". I know who he is because he's been associated with the Bruins for so long, either in peripheral roles (he's 95) or in larger ones --- such as the GM who brought Esposito, Hodge and Stanfield from Chicago and drafted Bobby Orr, the coach who took his team to two finals, and the 2-time Cup winner. His Kraut Line from Kitchener and from my parents' generation was the cornerstone of a dynasty --- one which, like the Red Sox and the Bears of the time, was nipped in the bud by World War II, the draft, and in many cases the players' self-sacrificial priorities. The whole Kraut Line enlisted in the RCAF early in the war, returning to Boston only in 1946. Goalie Frankie (Mr. Zero) Brimsek, an American, enlisted in the Coast Guard.
Thinking and reading about Schmidt made me wonder --- who, exactly, is the dominant figure of each old franchise for the span of its existence? To young fans, the latest are always the greatest. Of course, the view that athletes simply get better with time is as corrupt as the theory that humanity has 'gotten taller' throughout history. Depends on who and where you were. In Medieval Europe, the land of 5'3" suits of armor, poor weather and nutrition (along with smallpox and a plague or two) helped keep the surviving population's size down. But a cache of 24 sets of Spartan armor almost 2000 years older, unearthed a couple of decades ago, was found to fit individuals between 6'4" and 6'7". And as far as the athletes go, put the modern players in old rinks with old rules and old equipment and they'd be helpless. The old guys might not fare better in the modern game. It's an impossible argument. Players must be judged by their time. Some are so great they transcend debate.
I wonder what the popular consensus would be? For Boston, Chicago and Detroit it's easy to guess that Orr, Hull and Howe would be the quick choices today. Montreal? Could be any one of many, but I'm guessing the Rocket would still get the popular nod. Toronto? Their greatest days are long ago, and I've seen rankings with names across time like Syl Apps, Davey Keon, Darryl Sittler, Tim Horton and more. New York is a bit problematic, with most gravitating around Brian Leetch because of his Cup and his fine play over a long span, and of course the great Andy Bathgate.
It's the perfect topic for an endless series of blogs and columns by an endless stream of bloggers and writers. Here's what I think.
The Bruins? 99.9% of fans polled today would say "Bobby Orr" even if they never saw him. But Bobby Orr himself says the greatest living Bruin is Milt Schmidt, even over teammate Phil Esposito who won six (straight!) goal scoring titles with absurd totals. A look at the records substantiates his claim. Lost in history is the fact that Schmidt was considered the Bruins' #2 star while Eddie Shore still played. But he's 'Mr. Bruin'. And he may never have been brought up if Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer, his two linemates from junior hockey and lifelong friends, hadn't begged the Bruins to get him. Together they formed the legendary Kraut Line. But wait... the leader of Boston's greatest line and the assembler of Boston's Big Bad Bruins still isn't our man. It's not even Johnny Bucyk, the multigeneration star who scored 50 goals and won Lady Byngs even with those dreaded BBBs. So who? The honor falls to the late Dit Clapper. Why? Well, for starters he played 20 years, all for Boston. When his legs began to slow down Art Ross moved him to defense because he was indispensable. He remains the only NHLer to be named an All-Star at both forward and defense. He scored 41 goals in 1929-30 in 44 games (amazingly, losing the goal-scoring title to teammate Cooney Weiland who had 43). When he retired, he was instantly enshrined in the Hall of Fame as an Honoured Member. Not only was it the first waiting-period waiver, but he was at the time the only living player so honored, let alone the only fresh retiree. He went to seven Cup finals, winning three, more than any other Bruin. He was player-coach on his last trip there, He took Boston to the finals once when the Kraut Line were all in the RCAF. If Tom Brady is the greatest Patriot, how is Dit Clapper not the greatest Bruin?
How about the Chicago Black Hawks? One of the O6's less successful franchises along with the Rangers over the years, they've nevertheless seen a slew of greats come and go... Pierre Pilote. Stan Mikita. Jeremy Roenick. Glenn Hall. Chris Chelios. Add many greats like Ace Bailey of the long-lost prewar years (they won two Cups in the 1930s). But it's a moot point, because the face of the franchise is so clearly Bobby Hull. Always the gentleman player, the muscular speedster with the invisible shot had little trouble maintaining his gentlemanly stature on and off the rink. Once the Bruins' dreaded Ted Green was asked why he seemed hesitant to pick a fight with Hull to get him off the ice. He replied that he wasn't afraid but he wasn't crazy either.
Ranking great Montreal Canadiens is kind of like ranking great New York Yankees. So many outlandishly successful teams to pick from, with so many great players. The Yanks did it with money, the Habs with territorial rights (that assertion has been 'debunked' recently by Montreal sources, but Pat Burns himself referenced it when he was fired). The greatest of those dynasties was headed up by Toe Blake, both as a player and as a coach. Blake had almost an all-Hall team, featuring among others the two dirtiest defensemen in hockey according to Andy Bathgate, those being Doug Harvey and Tom Johnson. But his brightest star and the brightest in Montreal's all-time galaxy is generally considered to be the Rocket himself, Maurice Richard. I'll go with that. Opposing teams had fits of angst every time the line of Richard, Beliveau and Geoffrion hit the ice. Fifty goals in fifty games? In 1945? First to 500? All that and much, much more.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have produced as many greats as anyone. Overshadowed in Canada for much of their existence by the juggernaut in Quebec, they nevertheless have produced many cups (still #2 to Montreal) and many stars despite a long drought of late. Jack Adams? Lanny McDonald? Bob Pulford? King Clancy? Turk Broda? The teams of the postwar NHL coached by Hap Day (the "Little Major"... Conn Smythe was "The Major") were among the most loved and most successful, even more so than Punch Imlach's '60s squads. But the face of the franchise comes from Imlach's era, and despite his tragic passing in 1974 his name is still strewn all over Toronto. Of course, it's Tim Horton. Bobby Hull said that despite being a gentleman he was intimidating due to his sheer strength, and compared him favorably to the "vicious" Eddie Shore.
The Detroit Red Wings have always been among the more successful franchises, and recent times have only embellished their high rank. But there's no point in going down the enormous list of great names, because in this case, as with Chicago, it's too easy. There's only one real candidate, and that's Gordie Howe. Certainly the only player ever to deck both Bobby Orr and Rocket Richard in a fight, he nevertheless had the eternal respect of both. Richard once said that he considered himself one of the best, but that Howe truly "had it all." Orr was asked once whether he thought the best player of all time was Wayne Gretzky or himself. Without pausing for a breath he said "Gordie Howe". He meant it. I'll take their word for it.
The New York Rangers have had infrequent dominant teams, but their roster has always included greats like Andy Bathgate, Vic Hadfield, Rod Gilbert, Brad Park, Ed Giacomin, and Harry Howell. A lot of folks today will give the nod to either Mike Richter or Brian Leetch, the latter making considerable sense. But to me Bathgate, who was considered at the level of Howe and Richard in his day, clearly outranks them all --- except for one. The Rangers' most memorable player was cast away (rather like Ted Lindsay in Detroit) after a decade for advocating a players' union, and then proceeded to win four Cups and two Vezinas in five years in his native Montreal, showing what he could do with a great team in front of him. While facing 40+ shots a night in New York, he was asked which NHL team gave him the most trouble. He replied "The New York Rangers." Accused by his coach of having a beer belly, he replied that he only drank Johnny Walker. He was the last goalie to shun the mask except for late NHL short-timer Andy Brown. He was --- who else? --- Gump Worsley.
So there they are. Have at it.
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Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. What happened to global warming? It is mid May and normally, Austin is well on the way to summer. Not this year…pleasant and comfortable is what we have had of late. Of course, that means that others are still waiting for the warm up. I always find it interesting that “experts” talk of trends in weather in the past 100 years. Hell…that is not a trend; that is just a blip. Perspective is an interesting thing. Would you find advice from an 80 year old guy more valuable than a 20 year old? How about a weatherman that was 2000 years old? Now that is a guy that I would tune into listen to. Beezer and BOB touched on something that has been bothering me for awhile. As BOB mentioned yesterday, Tim Tebow cannot find a team willing to put up with the circus that comes with Tebow the football player. Beezer brought out the fact that the “hero” in Cleveland is perhaps not such a great guy after all. Many will say that Tebow is a victim of his popularity that he willingly fed. I guess that is fair, but is really true? From everything that I have heard, Tebow is a very hard working kid that loves to play the game. I am not a fan, but I can see that he has talent to play the game. What is it about Tebow that the media loves? Is it that he was a personality in college and has failed to find success in the NFL? Fans expect, no that is not the right word…we demand players to be available to the media. Usually, players adopt a mask for the camera and use clichés to avoid offering any real depth to who they really are. With Tebow, we get a player that appears to offer us something more than clichés. In doing so, Tim Tebow now understands the dark side of overexposure.
I read this week that Vinny Testerverde and Chris Weinke spent time in the off season working with Tim Tebow. They quickly learned that it was not his throwing motion that caused Tebow’s inaccuracy, but his horrible footwork. After correcting his footwork, his passes had sizzle and repeatedly were true. I also read that the Jets ruined Tebow’s chances of playing in the NFL. I would really like for this kid to get a chance to play. As of now, the only team interested is Jaworski’s AFL team. Tebow has not expressed any interest in arena football at this time.
We live in what has been described as an information age. It is impossible to ignore the many wonderful advances that technology has provided. With the good, comes the bad. With regards to the media and the manner that information is dispersed, I am done…kaput; sick and tired. Emails, twitter, TV, radio…each day such a giant tidal wave of information pours out that I find myself pulling back. Now, of course information is a good thing. It is just the way that the message is being delivered that I have such a problem with. Dig, dig and dig some more is what many media sources do. Why is it that each story must contain drama? Is it because that we want to find the bad stuff that surely must be hidden? I don’t know the Ramsey guy in Cleveland from Jack Shit and really don’t understand why his past is an issue. Except that it gives the media something to dig up and hold up as a trophy of sorts. See, this Good Samaritan is really not such a good guy at all. Look what we found…in the end, we forget that the guy did a really good thing in saving the three women from a horrible existence. Ramsey obviously has had issues in his past. He was punished for his bad behavior and it is not for me to judge his worth as a person, now. Obviously there is a need for this type of coverage because the media finds a large willing market. Maybe it is just me?
I suppose it is rather Pollyanna of me to wish for a simpler time. A time when we accepted things at face value without searching for the bad.. Naive, perhaps…but so much easier in so many ways.
Baseball fans are really big on maintaining the integrity of the game. When a player is “tainted” with real or alleged use of peds, he is completely written off by many fans. I constantly hear it said that players cheating are cheating the game. Why do these same fans not see that horrible umpiring also presents the same threat to the integrity of baseball? Frequently, I hear…”let’s not mess with the “human” element that umpires bring to the game.” I am sorry folks; you can’t take one without the other. A threat is a threat nonetheless. Why should we allow umpires to miss a home run that could have changed the outcome of a game? How can an umpire have access to replays that clearly indicated home run and still get it wrong? How can an umpire not know the rules required for a pitching change? Why allow a manager to protest a game without ever changing the outcome? I can recall one game that was replayed because of a protest…the pine tar game. If ever a game should have been redone it was the game that Oakland lost to Cleveland. Rule the ball a home run and finish the game from that point. I was listening to an interesting story with regards to the pine tar game that I had forgotten. When the Yankees and Royals met to replay the end of the game that allowed George Brett’s home run… Billy Martin appealed that Brett missed first base, then second and third base. The umpiring crew ruled that he was safe in touching all of the bases. Martin screamed, how can you say he touched the bases, you were not even here! Well, Billy we talked to the other crew and they said he touched the bases. Talk about covering all of your bases!! I have to admit that I had my mind changed this week. I work with a guy that is an umpire for high school games locally. I was asking the question why umpires get a pass from the media. Players and coaches alike have to endure the grilling after a game…why don’t umpires? My friend pointed out that umps are not supposed to be a personality. The problem that he sees is that many of these guys have too much personality and ego. By putting them in front of the camera or having their name put in print, we remove the anonymity that an umpire is supposed to have. An impartial judge is the job and I have to agree that he is right. Let’s give the umpires better tools to do their job and get rid of the few tools that wear blue and threaten the integrity of the game.
For all the complaining about baseball, there are also many great things about the game. Here is something that is an example of something that is wonderful about baseball. Think Ryu is now a favorite of this kid? Awesome...
I have not followed the NBA much this year, but do know that everyone was singing the praises of Seth Curry. Golden State was going to knock the Spurs out. Spurs were too old…yadda yadda. Looks like the Spurs had a different idea on Tuesday night. Curry had touted that they were the greatest backcourt in history…Curry had 9 points Tuesday night. Reminds me of the great quote by Samuel Clemens…”reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.” Somehow the Spurs get it done…when Pop is done coaching, we will look back and realize what a great coach he was. What a great defensive team coached by a tough minded coach.
That’s all I have today, but I will leave you with a bit of Jack Handey…
“If I had a nickname, I would want it to be” Prince of Weasels”, because then I could go up and bite people and they would turn around and go…”What the…?”And then they would recognize me and say, ‘Oh, it’s you, the Prince of Weasels”. “
“I hope when they die that cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.”
That’s all I have for today, but feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own.
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