In a 154 or 162 game regular season, you build friendships with the heroes of your youth.
Here is the news release of the death of former Dodger CF Willie Davis.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Long-time-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-CF-Willie-Davis-found-dead-030910
Quote from: Ralph Turner on March 10, 2010, 02:45:35 PM
In a 154 or 162 game regular season, you build friendships with the heroes of your youth.
Here is the news release of the death of former Dodger CF Willie Davis.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Long-time-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-CF-Willie-Davis-found-dead-030910
Willie Davis, I remember his defense. The Dodgers were my grandmother's team, going back the days of the Ft Worth Cats, which was the Texas League (Double A) franchise in the Dodger farm system. We watched the Dodgers whenever they were on TV.
Mike Cuellar (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/sports/baseball/05cuellar.html?src=mv)
AL Cy Young co-winner in 1969, 4-time All-Star.
Ernie Harwell (http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=10560142) :'(
Let me quote Matthew May from
this essay (http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/the_sound_of_silence_in_tigert.html).
Quote...Ernie's final words on the air as the regular Tiger broadcaster were "I thank you very much and God bless you all." Well, we who grew up and grew old listening to Ernie Harwell thank God that He blessed us with Ernie Harwell.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on May 05, 2010, 06:59:50 PM
Ernie Harwell (http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=10560142) :'(
Let me quote Matthew May from this essay (http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/the_sound_of_silence_in_tigert.html).
Quote...Ernie's final words on the air as the regular Tiger broadcaster were "I thank you very much and God bless you all." Well, we who grew up and grew old listening to Ernie Harwell thank God that He blessed us with Ernie Harwell.
Ernie (no one in Michigan needed to say the last name) was arguably the most beloved man in the history of Michigan. (And only Rosa Parks, who spent her last 30+ years here, would rival him for most beloved person.)
Though 8 years retired, he still made occasional public appearances and wrote an occasional column in the Detroit papers - he is sorely missed. :(
Robin Roberts (http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/05/026248.php) Best known for his stint with the Phillies in the 1950's.
Adrian's Chad Meyer (1988-2010)
http://adrianbulldogs.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/050710aaa.html
While not a baseball man, perhaps the greatest coach ever in ANY sport, John Wooden, died this evening at the age of 99.
He set records that will never even be approached, much less beaten.
R.I.P, John Wooden. :(
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on June 04, 2010, 10:34:36 PM
While not a baseball man, perhaps the greatest coach ever in ANY sport, John Wooden, died this evening at the age of 99.
He set records that will never even be approached, much less beaten.
R.I.P, John Wooden. :(
Wooden story (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-mew-john-wooden,0,4909616.story) :(
Quote
During World War II, Wooden enlisted in the Navy to serve as a physical trainer for combat pilots. Upon his discharge in 1946, he took a job as athletic director and coach of the basketball and baseball teams at what is now Indiana State University.
I was trying to find the appropriate board on which to post the link.
Good choice...
Thanks, Ralph. I guess he was a baseball man after all!
And hats off to young Chad Meyer. I just read the post. Very sad, very moving.
And to John Wooden as well...
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on June 04, 2010, 10:53:40 PM
Thanks, Ralph. I guess he was a baseball man after all!
Rick Reilly (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5254960&categoryid=2459792) says that baseball was Coach Wooden's favorite sport.
Thanks to Gray Fox for the link.
Robert Leo Sheppard (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/sports/baseball/12sheppard.html) (1910-2010)
As Reggie Jackson called him, "The Voice of God".
Farewell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUS1QrTxB1o&feature=related) to fans.
Bob Sheppard announces the final lineup (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZf5EpEP7ds&feature=related).
'Boss' George Steinbrenner (1930 - 2010)
The greatest owner in sports history
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/07/13/VI2010071302109.html
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5375859
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 13, 2010, 11:36:19 AM
'Boss' George Steinbrenner (1930 - 2010)
The greatest owner in sports history
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/07/13/VI2010071302109.html
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5375859
No, the greatest owner in sports history was George Halas. He not only started a team, he started a league that has been the most popular professional sports league in the United States for the past two generations.
Steinbrenner was a phenomenally successful owner in terms of elevating the value of his franchise and winning on the field, but a very strong argument can be made that his buy-a-pennant strategy has damaged major league baseball overall.
Quote from: Gregory Sager on July 14, 2010, 01:55:15 PM
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 13, 2010, 11:36:19 AM
'Boss' George Steinbrenner (1930 - 2010)
The greatest owner in sports history
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/07/13/VI2010071302109.html
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5375859
No, the greatest owner in sports history was George Halas. He not only started a team, he started a league that has been the most popular professional sports league in the United States for the past two generations.
Steinbrenner was a phenomenally successful owner in terms of elevating the value of his franchise and winning on the field, but a very strong argument can be made that his buy-a-pennant strategy has damaged major league baseball overall.
Branch Rickey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branch_Rickey) has always been a favorite of mine. He was part owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, but his contributions were so much more impactful.
Mr Rickey has ties to D-III (as a student athlete at Ohio Wesleyan and as baseball and football coach at Allegheny).
IMHO, the D-III baseball championship series should be named the Branch Rickey Series, if the Rickey family approves.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 14, 2010, 02:14:10 PMBranch Rickey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branch_Rickey) has always been a favorite of mine. He was part owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, but his contributions were so much more impactful.
Mr Rickey has ties to D-III (as a student athlete at Ohio Wesleyan and as baseball and football coach at Allegheny).
IMHO, the D-III baseball championship series should be named the Branch Rickey Series, if the Rickey family approves.
I think that's a great idea, and I'd endorse it, FWIW.
Rickey integrated major-league baseball, and thus professional team sports, and that in and of itself puts him in the all-time top tier of sports executives. He's also more or less the inventor of the farm system, one of the most important cornerstones of professional baseball. But these and his other considerable achievements were accomplished as a general manager, rather than as a majority or controlling owner of a franchise (he was a minority owner of the Dodgers; his clashes with majority owner Walter O'Malley over the distribution of shares were instrumental in his leaving the Dodgers and becoming GM of the Pirates in 1950).
Rickey also came up with one of my all-time favorite quotes: "Luck is the residue of design."
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 13, 2010, 11:36:19 AM
'Boss' George Steinbrenner (1930 - 2010)
The greatest owner in sports history
I always like Charlie Finley.
Steinbrenner had the money to be successful. Look at the teams that compete today and you will see that money is a major factor. That withstanding, Steinbrenner did come through with more than his share of Championships.
Quote from: Jim Dixon on July 14, 2010, 08:03:17 PM
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 13, 2010, 11:36:19 AM
'Boss' George Steinbrenner (1930 - 2010)
The greatest owner in sports history
I always like Charlie Finley.
Steinbrenner had the money to be successful. Look at the teams that compete today and you will see that money is a major factor. That withstanding, Steinbrenner did come through with more than his share of Championships.
Steinbrenner 7 World Series Championships
1 American Basketball League Championship (Cleveland Pipers 1960)
Also Steinbrenner served as a graduate assistant coach to legendary Buckeye football coach Woody Hayes. The Buckeyes were undefeated national champions during that time.
George Halas6 NFL Championships
Branch Rickey 4 World Series Championships
Charlie Finley 3 World Series Championships
The A's were a mediocre draw during the 20 years of his ownership, in Kansas City and in Oakland, despite winning five divisional championships and three World Series. Average yearly attendance for Finley-owned teams was just under 743,000 per year :(
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 15, 2010, 01:36:39 AM
Quote from: Jim Dixon on July 14, 2010, 08:03:17 PM
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 13, 2010, 11:36:19 AM
'Boss' George Steinbrenner (1930 - 2010)
The greatest owner in sports history
I always like Charlie Finley.
Steinbrenner had the money to be successful. Look at the teams that compete today and you will see that money is a major factor. That withstanding, Steinbrenner did come through with more than his share of Championships.
Steinbrenner
7 World Series Championships
1 American Basketball League Championship (Cleveland Pipers 1960)
Also Steinbrenner served as a graduate assistant coach to legendary Buckeye football coach Woody Hayes. The Buckeyes were undefeated national champions during that time.
George Halas
6 NFL Championships
Wrong. The Bears won
eight NFL titles during Halas's tenure as owner: 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, and 1963. He was also the head coach for six of those eight titles, 1932 and 1943 excepted. As if that wasn't enough, he also played wide receiver and defensive end as player/coach/owner of the 1921 NFL champions. He even sold tickets that year as the team's ticket manager.
Halas also played outfield for the New York Yankees in 1919 and played football and basketball for the University of Illinois. He was, by all accounts, a very good football player; he was named MVP of the 1919 Rose Bowl, and during his playing days with the Bears he once returned a fumble 98 yards (after stripping the ball from Jim Thorpe!) for a touchdown, an NFL record that would stand for 49 years.
Papa Bear was the only person that ESPN named to the top ten in
two of its Sports Century lists: Top 100 Most Influential People in 20th Century Sports (Branch Rickey was #1, incidentally; Steinbrenner didn't make the top ten) and Top 100 Greatest Coaches of the 20th Century. Halas was named ninth and seventh, respectively.
To the best of my knowledge, Papa Bear is the only owner in the history of American professional sports whose name is permanently commemorated as part of the uniform of his team. The jerseys of the Bears have his initials, GSH, on the left sleeve.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is located on George Halas Drive. You can be damned sure that nobody in Cooperstown, New York is ever going to name a street after George Steinbrenner.
George Halas1 professional sports league founded
George Steinbrenner0 professional sports leagues founded
Sorry, Crash, but George S. Halas is the greatest owner in the history of American professional sports.
"There's only one man that I call 'Coach': George Halas."
--Vince Lombardi
I stand corrected. George Halas is the greatest Owner/Coach/League founder ever lived.
Steinbrenner is no doubt the greatest baseball owner...
It wont be the last time I am wrong on information but I did enjoy the information I learned about Halas, Rickey and Steinbrenner. All men who made a difference with what they did with their lives. Their sports were made better by what they did do their lives.
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 15, 2010, 06:28:49 PM
I stand corrected. George Halas is the greatest Owner/Coach/League founder ever lived.
Steinbrenner is no doubt the greatest baseball owner...
It wont be the last time I am wrong on information but I did enjoy the information I learned about Halas, Rickey and Steinbrenner. All men who made a difference with what they did with their lives. Their sports were made better by what they did do their lives.
I tend to think that Colonel Jacob Ruppert is the finest baseball owner in the history of the sport. In whole or part from 1915 until his death in 1939, he built the Yankee franchise. Babe Ruth, Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig.
Yankee ownership (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees_managers_and_ownership)
8 WS championships and 11 AL Championships
The greatest owner of a professional team of all time?
IMHO, Lamar Hunt. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamar_Hunt)
AFL, NASL, MLS, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, World Championship Tennis.
Pro Football Hall of Fame, National Soccer Hall of Fame, International Tennis Hall of Fame.
I believe it was Lamar Hunt who came up with the name Super Bowl. He got the inspiration from watching his grandson play with a super ball.
Quote from: badgerwarhawk on July 15, 2010, 09:54:35 PM
I believe it was Lamar Hunt who came up with the name Super Bowl. He got the inspiration from watching his grandson play with a super ball.
Yes, he renamed the NFL-AFL Championship Game. Super Bowl III was the first one.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 15, 2010, 07:22:51 PM
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 15, 2010, 06:28:49 PM
I stand corrected. George Halas is the greatest Owner/Coach/League founder ever lived.
Steinbrenner is no doubt the greatest baseball owner...
It wont be the last time I am wrong on information but I did enjoy the information I learned about Halas, Rickey and Steinbrenner. All men who made a difference with what they did with their lives. Their sports were made better by what they did do their lives.
I tend to think that Colonel Jacob Ruppert is the finest baseball owner in the history of the sport. In whole or part from 1915 until his death in 1939, he built the Yankee franchise. Babe Ruth, Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig.
Yankee ownership (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees_managers_and_ownership)
8 WS championships and 11 AL Championships
I guess I am no match for you guys. Ok let say Steinbrenner was the NOT best owner in sports or baseball as I have now learned. Thanks for educating me......I have learned alot and have a appreciation for others and their contributions
BUT
No doubt Steinbrenner was a major influence in baseball during his ownership. He shaped free agency as we know today. He increased the value of his team, the team won on the field with the best players money could buy, he took care of many of his ex players, coaches, and employees. He was generous to numerous causes and many times to complete strangers. He was man many loved to hate or love or both...Almost of all his ex players and coaches talk very highly of him. A complex personality that could be so different at different times. But he was a true personality unlike some owners who dont do what is best for their fans, and players.
He made baseball better for players, coaches and fans though many may disagree. He spend money to put the best on field for the NY fans.
I want to thank others for all the information they shared on this.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 15, 2010, 07:22:51 PM
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 15, 2010, 06:28:49 PM
I stand corrected. George Halas is the greatest Owner/Coach/League founder ever lived.
Steinbrenner is no doubt the greatest baseball owner...
It wont be the last time I am wrong on information but I did enjoy the information I learned about Halas, Rickey and Steinbrenner. All men who made a difference with what they did with their lives. Their sports were made better by what they did do their lives.
I tend to think that Colonel Jacob Ruppert is the finest baseball owner in the history of the sport. In whole or part from 1915 until his death in 1939, he built the Yankee franchise.
Quite true. The Yankees (ne Highlanders) were a perennial doormat before Ruppert bought them. Their biggest claim to fame was the fact that their star player, first baseman Hal Chase, was a notorious gambler who threw ballgames.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 15, 2010, 07:22:51 PM
Babe Ruth, Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig.
Don't forget Bill Dickey and Joe DiMaggio.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 15, 2010, 07:22:51 PM
Yankee ownership (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees_managers_and_ownership)
8 WS championships and 11 AL Championships
Plus, the 1927 Yankees are generally considered to be the greatest baseball team of all time.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 15, 2010, 07:32:43 PM
The greatest owner of a professional team of all time?
IMHO, Lamar Hunt. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamar_Hunt)
AFL, NASL, MLS, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, World Championship Tennis.
Pro Football Hall of Fame, National Soccer Hall of Fame, International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Lamar Hunt is a prime candidate as well. I'd throw Paul Brown in there on the short list, too. Like Halas and Rickey, he was an innovator who helped shape and modernize his sport.
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 15, 2010, 10:39:32 PM
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 15, 2010, 07:22:51 PM
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on July 15, 2010, 06:28:49 PM
I stand corrected. George Halas is the greatest Owner/Coach/League founder ever lived.
Steinbrenner is no doubt the greatest baseball owner...
It wont be the last time I am wrong on information but I did enjoy the information I learned about Halas, Rickey and Steinbrenner. All men who made a difference with what they did with their lives. Their sports were made better by what they did do their lives.
I tend to think that Colonel Jacob Ruppert is the finest baseball owner in the history of the sport. In whole or part from 1915 until his death in 1939, he built the Yankee franchise. Babe Ruth, Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig.
Yankee ownership (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees_managers_and_ownership)
8 WS championships and 11 AL Championships
I guess I am no match for you guys. Ok let say Steinbrenner was the NOT best owner in sports or baseball as I have now learned. Thanks for educating me......I have learned alot and have a appreciation for others and their contributions
BUT
No doubt Steinbrenner was a major influence in baseball during his ownership. He shaped free agency as we know today. He increased the value of his team, the team won on the field with the best players money could buy, he took care of many of his ex players, coaches, and employees. He was generous to numerous causes and many times to complete strangers. He was man many loved to hate or love or both...Almost of all his ex players and coaches talk very highly of him. A complex personality that could be so different at different times. But he was a true personality unlike some owners who dont do what is best for their fans, and players.
He made baseball better for players, coaches and fans though many may disagree. He spend money to put the best on field for the NY fans.
I want to thank others for all the information they shared on this.
I didn't like Steinbrenner, and I think that his philosophy of spending two or three times as much on payroll as any other team in baseball damaged the game, but there's no disagreeing with the fact that he was the most important baseball owner of his era. The greatest? That's more of a judgment call, and the judgment usually seems to hinge upon whether a person is a Yankees fan or not.
Ralph Houk.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/07/21/obit.houk.ap/index.html?eref=sihp
He was either Steinbrenner's first casualty, or the first to say NO to the Boss, as he quit after one year of Steinbrenner ownership.
He'll probably be best remembered as manager of the 1961 Yankees (his first season), one of the teams always in the discussion of 'best ever'.
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on July 22, 2010, 02:11:22 AM
Ralph Houk.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/07/21/obit.houk.ap/index.html?eref=sihp
He was either Steinbrenner's first casualty, or the first to say NO to the Boss, as he quit after one year of Steinbrenner ownership.
He'll probably be best remembered as manager of the 1961 Yankees (his first season), one of the teams always in the discussion of 'best ever'.
Another great Yankee now joins the others....
Bobby Thomson.
While a three-time all-star, he was no where near a Hall of Famer, and peaked well before my time. Virtually all I (or probably most people) remember about him is arguably the most famous home run in baseball history. About the only serious other contenders I can think of would be Mazeroski's walk-off homer to beat the mighty Yankees in 1960 (in run differential, the most total domination by a losing team in Series history), or Babe Ruth's 'called-shot' (which is still debated as to whether it even happened). (Of course, there is always the home run that Roy Hobbs hit in the climactic scene of The Natural or that "Mighty Casey" did NOT hit! ;))
Nice to replay this again even if they beat my Dodgers. ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrI7dVj90zs&feature=related
Left field at the Polo Grounds also had an upper deck ("the short porch") which extended out over the field reducing the distance from 279 feet to about 250 feet . That meant it was technically rather easy to hit a home run into the lower deck of the left field stands, unless it was a line drive such as Bobby Thomson's famous home run – "the Shot Heard 'Round the World" – in 1951
Thanks, Crash. +k
I'd never seen video - I assumed only audio had survived.
NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/sports/baseball/18thomson.html?emc=eta1) obit for Bobby Thomson
FTA
Quote"Now it is done," Red Smith wrote in The New York Herald Tribune. "Now the story ends. And there is no way to tell it. The art of fiction is dead. Reality has strangled invention. Only the utterly impossible, the inexpressibly fantastic, can ever be plausible again."
We don't read prose that colorful or expressive in our sports stories these days.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on August 17, 2010, 11:04:26 PM
NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/sports/baseball/18thomson.html?emc=eta1) obit for Bobby Thomson
FTA
Quote"Now it is done," Red Smith wrote in The New York Herald Tribune. "Now the story ends. And there is no way to tell it. The art of fiction is dead. Reality has strangled invention. Only the utterly impossible, the inexpressibly fantastic, can ever be plausible again."
We don't read prose that colorful or expressive in our sports stories these days.
Red Smith was the man. An interviewer asked about my favorite sports writer. I said, "Of all time it's Red Smith, but I also like many current writers like John Feinstein, Jayson Stark, Jim Caple, Greg Bedard, Peter Schmuck, Paul Bodi, etc."
He said, "Who's Red Smith?"
I said to myself, "This place may not be a good fit."
Former Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson has been placed in hospice care at his Thousand Oaks, Calif. home for complications resulting from dementia.
I know this is premature but Hospice is a step in that direction. See: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5759008
Here is the D-III connection - Cal Lutheran named their field in his honor:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/baseball/20060128-1535-bbo-sparkyanderson.html
Thank you for posting this. My son and his team mates have had the privilage of spending countless hours over the past 3+ years around Mr. Anderson while playing at Cal Lu. I'm sure practices and games will not be the same without Sparky in the dugout. My son will never meet another person like him.
Quote from: Jim Dixon on November 03, 2010, 06:07:20 PM
Former Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson has been placed in hospice care at his Thousand Oaks, Calif. home for complications resulting from dementia.
I know this is premature but Hospice is a step in that direction. See: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5759008
Here is the D-III connection - Cal Lutheran named their field in his honor:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/baseball/20060128-1535-bbo-sparkyanderson.html
The first time I saw Sparky at a Cal Lu baseball game sitting in the dugout back in 2007 as I saw his name on the Cal Lu stadium. Sparkly seemed to take naps during the long double header that day. He used to do a great job as a broadcaster for
the Anaheim Angels at the time. Sparky made the baseball world a better place along with the many lives he touched.
Just heard on ESPN that Sparky Anderson has passed away. ESPN gave no further details.
"Problem with [John] Wockenfuss getting on base is that it takes three doubles to score him." - Sparky Anderson ;)
RIP, Skipper...
Sparky's players adored him (well, most of them, at least :P). Kirk Gibson has already been quoted saying that Sparky will live on as long as he does, because he is TOTALLY a product of Sparky as a manager.
By far my favorite Anderson quote came when he was discussing players sitting out due to nagging injuries: "Pain don't hurt." ::)
Sparky was Yogi, though a better manager and a lesser ballplayer. He was also reminiscent of Casey Stengel, and roughly the equal as both player and manager.
I'll stand by my earlier comment that Ernie (Harwell, for you foreigners ;)) was the most beloved man in Michigan, but Sparky certainly ranked up there, and was another for whom a last name was completely unnecessary.
Bulk, just saw your post as I was about to post - that would probably be my second favorite quote, but there are SO many to choose among! :D
:'( :'( :'( :'(
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Freds.enquirer.com%2Fimg%2Fphotos%2F2000%2F07%2F071700sparky.jpg&hash=4901b8164ad9530bb58663416b59dfb93e53493b)
"I can't believe they pay us to play baseball - something we did for free as kids." - Sparky Anderson
Farewell to a classy, great baseball man.
1951 AL Rookie of the Year Gil McDougald (http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5864700)
Quote from: Ralph Turner on December 01, 2010, 12:03:25 PM
1951 AL Rookie of the Year Gil McDougald (http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5864700)
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baseball-almanac.com%2Fplayers%2Fpics%2Fgil_mcdougald_autograph.jpg&hash=763ac21ede3dd082b1a28c9ce2b73fd51d2fb40d)
Ron Santo (http://mail.aol.com/32992-111/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.33866448&folder=NewMail&partId=2&saveAs=Ron_Santo%2c_Chicago_Cubsannouncer%2c_dies_at_70_-_ESPN_Chicago.htm).
I think the Veterans' Committee will eventually do the right thing and give Santo his deserved place in the Hall of Fame...
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baseball-almanac.com%2Fplayers%2Fpics%2Fbob_feller_autograph.jpg&hash=19e97b7fc9fbe22fe8351b958dee79cb070047c6)
Bob Feller, the Iowa farm boy whose powerful right arm earned him the nickname "Rapid Robert" and made him one of baseball's greatest pitchers during a Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Indians, has died. He was 92.
Feller died at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday night of acute leukemia at a hospice, said Bob DiBiasio, the Indians vice president of public relations.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sns-ap-bba-obit-feller,0,2756027.story
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on December 15, 2010, 11:00:34 PM
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baseball-almanac.com%2Fplayers%2Fpics%2Fbob_feller_autograph.jpg&hash=19e97b7fc9fbe22fe8351b958dee79cb070047c6)
Bob Feller, the Iowa farm boy whose powerful right arm earned him the nickname "Rapid Robert" and made him one of baseball's greatest pitchers during a Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Indians, has died. He was 92.
Feller died at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday night of acute leukemia at a hospice, said Bob DiBiasio, the Indians vice president of public relations.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sns-ap-bba-obit-feller,0,2756027.story
Quote
His numbers would no doubt have been even greater had his career not been interrupted by World War II.
The first pitcher to win 20 games before he was 21, Feller was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1962, his first year of eligibility.
...
Stirred by Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy the following day — the first major league player to do so. He served as a gun captain on the USS Alabama, earning several battle commendations and medals.
He missed the 1942-1944 seasons, when he was age 23-25..
Perhaps his arm was not incurring repetitive stress during those years as his skeleton matured and he was able to have the success that he did.
The original phenom. at the age Strasburg threw his first major league pitch, Feller already had led the AL in strikeouts.
I need to check my files but a relative of Bob Feller is playing in D-III baseball. I think it it a Mid-Atlantic team in Penn.
Bob Feller Career Numbers
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/F/bob-feller.shtml
Phil Cavarretta, the 1945 National League MVP who led the Chicago Cubs to their last World Series appearance, died Saturday. He was 94.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Cavarretta
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.bleedcubbieblue.com%2Fimages%2Fadmin%2Fcavarretta.jpg&hash=adba4816a474781088283cd49d3ebf7065ce82b6)
http://news.yahoo.com/s//ap/20101219/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_obit_cavarretta
Walt Dropo passed away this morning... former AL Rookie of the Year
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5934459
This thread is getting way too much activity.... :'(
Quote from: Piobark on December 19, 2010, 10:05:22 AM
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baseball-almanac.com%2Fplayers%2Fpics%2Fwalt_dropo_autograph.jpg&hash=05cf6281535f096e806bb14b2c6648013fbd87e8)
Walt Dropo passed away this morning... former AL Rookie of the Year
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5934459
This thread is getting way too much activity.... :'(
Never saw him play, but did hear him speak... Ryne Duren, 1-6-11...
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/07/2005462/former-major-league-reliever-ryne.html
Quote from: bulk19 on January 07, 2011, 11:50:08 PM
Never saw him play, but did hear him speak... Ryne Duren, 1-6-11...
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/07/2005462/former-major-league-reliever-ryne.html
While I would have no hope of getting a hit against ANY major league pitcher, you could not pay me enough to be in the batter's box against Ryne Duren! :o
Nolan Ryan may have been even more wild in his early days, but Ryne NEVER got control. ;) Worked pretty well for him, though - I think many batters were as intimidated as I would have been!
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on January 08, 2011, 12:14:28 AM
Quote from: bulk19 on January 07, 2011, 11:50:08 PM
Never saw him play, but did hear him speak... Ryne Duren, 1-6-11...
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/07/2005462/former-major-league-reliever-ryne.html
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mallardsbaseball.com%2Fimages%2Fstories%2Fsite_images%2Fnews%2FMaynard%2F1959_Ryne_Duren_F.jpg&hash=7c11729b6983f0f53fef5caf8922e728c5ef62d8)
While I would have no hope of getting a hit against ANY major league pitcher, you could not pay me enough to be in the batter's box against Ryne Duren! :o
Nolan Ryan may have been even more wild in his early days, but Ryne NEVER got control. ;) Worked pretty well for him, though - I think many batters were as intimidated as I would have been!
We almost never got NY Yankees in the packages of bubble gum in Texas. Six cards for a nickel pack of gum. 16 teams in MLB in 1959. I should have gotten a NYY card in every 3rd pack. No such luck!!!!
I think that that is 1959 baseball card for Duren. (Any other fans know definitely? This blogger says it is the 1959 card (http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/ryne-duren-yankees.jpg?w=195).)
I think that the only Yankees' cards that I got were Duren, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek and Cletus Boyer
Quote from: Ralph Turner on January 09, 2011, 03:27:05 PM
We almost never got NY Yankees in the packages of bubble gum in Texas. Six cards for a nickel pack of gum. 16 teams in MLB in 1959. I should have gotten a NYY card in every 3rd pack. No such luck!!!!
I think that that is 1959 baseball card for Duren. (Any other fans know definitely? This blogger says it is the 1959 card (http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/ryne-duren-yankees.jpg?w=195).)
I think that the only Yankees' cards that I got were Duren, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek and Cletus Boyer
I had a pretty full set of Yankees cards (including TWO Mickey Mantle rookie cards), but I was quite the nerd as a kid (before nerds were cool! ;)) and had a fairly complete set for most teams.
I probably could have nearly financed my two sons' education selling those cards - but while I was at college,
my mother threw them out!! If she wasn't 93 years old and (otherwise) a saint, I would probably have to kill her! :o :D
Ralph - Go to the head of the class, or take a seat in the front row! ;)
That is, indeed, a 1959 Topps Ryne Duren card...
Quote from: bulk19 on January 09, 2011, 10:43:12 PM
Ralph - Go to the head of the class, or take a seat in the front row! ;)
That is, indeed, a 1959 Topps Ryne Duren card...
I used to be able to recognize the Topps cards by years and their respective yearly formats.
My allowance was 25 cents per week ($1.82 in 2009 dollars), which allowed me to buy either a Dreamsicle or a package of ball cards each day as I walked the 0.6 mi home. ;)
Quote from: Ralph Turner on January 09, 2011, 11:15:17 PM
Quote from: bulk19 on January 09, 2011, 10:43:12 PM
Ralph - Go to the head of the class, or take a seat in the front row! ;)
That is, indeed, a 1959 Topps Ryne Duren card...
I used to be able to recognize the Topps cards by years and their respective yearly formats.
My allowance was 25 cents per week ($1.82 in 2009 dollars), which allowed me to buy either a Dreamsicle or a package of ball cards each day as I walked the 0.6 mi home. ;)
Oh the memories of hopping on the Schwinn and heading to the drug store for a pack, OK, several ;), of baseball cards. And I actually liked the bubble gum... I remember paying a dime per pack; 25 centers were extra special when they debuted, because they had cellophane wrappers, and you could see the top and bottom cards. ;) My favorite sets, since I'm a bit younger than you, are the 1970 and 1971 Topps sets, but the 1959 set is awesome, too...
I, too, used to be able to recognize and ID Topps cards from their debut year until about the 1990s, when they, and the other card companies, started making way too many cards/sets/subsets. And inserts that sparkled, and glowed in the dark, and burst like fireworks when you opened the pack, and shoot, even made you a cup of coffee in the morning... Ha.
We have playoff Fever in the Badger state; the Packers just beat Philly today. But nothing like a little hot stove league on a cold winter night, eh? Our Brew Crew is putting together a pitching staff that might give fans in Wisconsin the first real team we can root for since 1982's Harvey's Wallbangers...
Gus Zernial (http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/20/2240708/former-major-leaguer-gus-zernial.html#) Age 87
Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics, Detroit Tigers from 1949-59.
Leader of the "Family" from 1979 - Chuck Tanner...
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-chuck-tanner-20110212,0,3923054.story
Quote from: bulk19 on February 12, 2011, 02:43:17 PM
Leader of the "Family" from 1979 - Chuck Tanner...
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-chuck-tanner-20110212,0,3923054.story
Yeah, I just saw it, too.
Here is the report from SI.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/02/11/chuck.tanner.obituary.ap/index.html
The Steelers' losing was not fun for Pittsburgh's sporting faithfuls, but this one must have a real "sting" to it.
I still remember the dancing on the dugout roof!
Quote from: Ralph Turner on January 26, 2011, 12:35:49 PM
Gus Zernial (http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/20/2240708/former-major-leaguer-gus-zernial.html#) Age 87
Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics, Detroit Tigers from 1949-59.
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.1952toppsbaseballcards.com%2F31.jpg&hash=e5a95c98bec84f6db12bbe625ae055f659960421)
Quote from: bulk19 on February 12, 2011, 02:43:17 PM
Leader of the "Family" from 1979 - Chuck Tanner...
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-chuck-tanner-20110212,0,3923054.story
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsblink.com%2Fproduct_images%2Fchuck-tanner-pittsburgh-pirates-autographed-photograph-3358302.jpg&hash=7bb00ce78c8e8195243d61a7bdb76395a2f8928a)
Duke Snider Age 84
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmyautographs.pbworks.com%2Ff%2F1234055913%2Fduke%2520snider%2520card%2520front.JPG&hash=9f44de47582f6fa0b51e84ca24c16b9cc3489e12)
Duke, one of the all-time good guys, and a terrific guest - one of the best - on the autograph circuit...
http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110227&content_id=16753150&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
Definitely a very gracious man - I met him probably a decade ago at a restaurant near my home. I was having dinner with a family friend who knew Mr. Snyder and introduced us when he came over to say hi to my friend.
He will be missed...
Here's an interesting one that came across the wires yesterday, a good trivia question, and with a bit of a twist on his playing career... He was a two-sporter!
Wally Yonamine, the first American-born player to play Japanese ball after WW2... And an NFL player, to boot.
http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2011/3/2/2024564/wally-yonamine-pioneer-in-two-sports-who-died-at-age-85
One of the all-time greats from St. Louis, the "Octopus," Marty Marion...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iaBJpKpiwgEUgRFUjCUQa--QQO3g?docId=a56917c386dc4cebb7ed64f758faddf4
Quote from: bulk19 on March 16, 2011, 07:59:38 PM
One of the all-time greats from St. Louis, the "Octopus," Marty Marion...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iaBJpKpiwgEUgRFUjCUQa--QQO3g?docId=a56917c386dc4cebb7ed64f758faddf4
Oh, man - my baseball glove growing up was a Marty Marion! :o (Alas, my mom threw it out many, many years ago. :() I pretty well wore that sucker out. ::)
Sorry to hear of his passing, but a good long life. I confess I assumed he had died decades ago.
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on March 16, 2011, 08:51:21 PM
Quote from: bulk19 on March 16, 2011, 07:59:38 PM
One of the all-time greats from St. Louis, the "Octopus," Marty Marion...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iaBJpKpiwgEUgRFUjCUQa--QQO3g?docId=a56917c386dc4cebb7ed64f758faddf4
Oh, man - my baseball glove growing up was a Marty Marion! :o (Alas, my mom threw it out many, many years ago. :() I pretty well wore that sucker out. ::)
Sorry to hear of his passing, but a good long life. I confess I assumed he had died decades ago.
I'm a bit younger than thoust, but my first Rawlings glove was also well-worn, and a model from another infielder who could pick it at short - Baltimore's Mark Belanger...
One of my good buddies is a Cardinals fan - "Stan the Man" and Marty are his two favorites... He uses "mrshortstop1944" as his managerial name for his fantasy baseball teams... I once traded him a Joe Morgan autographed 8x10, because I had doubles, and a Marty Marion 1952 Bowman baseball card, for a Lou Brock autographed baseball, since he had two of them. Ha...
T-minus 15 days to Opening Day!
Marty Marion 1952 Bowman baseball card
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1952toppsbaseballcards.com%2FMartyMarionCard.jpg&hash=082720c3b54f0039b08e592db0a02b6c7bd95d0e)
This is slightly premature (thankfully), but in case you missed it Harmon Killebrew has ended his battle against esophagal cancer and entered hospice care.
'Killer' is still in the top ten home run hitters of all time if you leave out the juiced guys (officially he has fallen to eleventh).
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on May 16, 2011, 01:06:35 AM
This is slightly premature (thankfully), but in case you missed it Harmon Killebrew has ended his battle against esophagal cancer and entered hospice care.
'Killer' is still in the top ten home run hitters of all time if you leave out the juiced guys (officially he has fallen to eleventh).
Yep. Saw that... Bummer. Class act...
Hank Aaron and Roger Maris are the all-time and single season HR champs, as far as I am concerned...
Agreed on Aaron and Maris (AND on 'class act' for the Killer).
(Amazing how much we have in common when we stay off politics! ;) JT and I both revere (should be HoFer) Thurman Munson! :o ;D)
Killer has passed...
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S2115414.shtml?cat=1
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsusansternberg.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fharmon_killebrew.jpg&hash=e24e9f9473eb338858784336b2f62f2bd1c41f36)
Harmon was the first player ever to hit one out of Tiger stadium to left field - 54 feet high and probably at least 450 feet from home. Since Tiger Stadium no longer exists ( :'(), that MAY be the longest ball EVER hit there. The only competition might be a ball that Cecil Fielder hit c. 15 years later.
While eulogies can sometimes get rather sappy, it seems to be the unanimous take that as great a ballplayer as 'Killer' was, he was an even better man.
RIP Killer...
He was the first true superstar ballplayer I got to see, at the old Metropolitan Stadium, as a kid... And I will echo all the positive sentiments that friends, family and players will surely share during his eulogy...
Thanks for the memories... Here's a link to the AP obit:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-obit-killebrew
(The MLB logo is modeled after his fierce swing!)
Here are some comments from others about about Killebrew:
http://lacrossetribune.com/sports/baseball/article_a9e55fa4-446f-5256-b7af-ae91553dd9ed.html
Quote from: bulk19 on May 17, 2011, 09:49:39 PM
(The MLB logo is modeled after his fierce swing!)
Debatable...
QuoteKillebrew's stroke was so powerful that many -- including Harmon -- believed it was the basis for major league baseball's logo, though the designer said that isn't the case.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=6549955
Tough crowd, tough crowd...
My last four posts have been: two about Killebrew, one about a former UWEC football player who is speaking out about the seriousness of injuries, and a positive post in the political forums about Military Appreciation Day at Miller Park this past weekend...
And my karma goes down. Ha.
Quote from: bulk19 on May 18, 2011, 03:44:01 PM
Tough crowd, tough crowd...
My last four posts have been: two about Killebrew, one about a former UWEC football player who is speaking out about the seriousness of injuries, and a positive post in the political forums about Military Appreciation Day at Miller Park this past weekend...
And my karma goes down. Ha.
I got ya bulk...
+1
Quote from: bulk19 on May 18, 2011, 03:44:01 PM
Tough crowd, tough crowd...
My last four posts have been: two about Killebrew, one about a former UWEC football player who is speaking out about the seriousness of injuries, and a positive post in the political forums about Military Appreciation Day at Miller Park this past weekend...
And my karma goes down. Ha.
You also have 784 other previous posts which also could have raised or lowered your karma. There's no way to know who is reading what and when.
Paul Splittorff (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2011/05/royals-paul-splittorff-dies/1?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4ddd4745e077c976,0), Kansas City Royals.
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baseball-almanac.com%2Fplayers%2Fpics%2Fpaul_splittorff_autograph.jpg&hash=23af88379efe7ca00f3e27f6eec57e5e8532de38)
Jim Northrup, a product of d3 Alma and 1968 Tigers hero in the World Series (his triple drove in the winning runs in game seven). He was 71 and had been in failing health (including Alzheimers).
Having now seen more on Jim Northrup, I'm even more impressed. At Alma, he earned 15 varsity letters in a total of 5 different sports. (This was before d3 existed, but I'd imagine that Alma was following at least basically the same rules as today - they were never a 'big time' school that became a d3 school.)
[Sorry, got interrupted by the end of Dallas over Miami. :)]
For an all-around athlete, I would imagine that Northrup must have been in the top 10 or 15 of 'd3' athletes ever, even if he was 'only' an above average MLBer.
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsmemorabilia.com%2Ffiles%2Fcache%2F8fb%2Ftigers-jim-northrup-auto-signed-1967-topps-408-jsa-q_8fb2088e70b4a7204efabfd8511d0cdd.jpg&hash=f02d56c6f8439a0f93c88dda6012419280cc2ad1)
Dick Williams, age 82. Hall of Fame manager.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/sports/baseball/dick-williams-hall-of-fame-manager-dies-at-82.html?_r=1
Quote
...
Born in St. Louis on May 7, 1929, Williams moved with his family to the Los Angeles area as a youngster and was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization out of high school in 1947.
He was schooled in baseball fundamentals at Dodgertown, the innovative training base in Vero Beach, Fla., where Branch Rickey, the Dodgers' general manager, assembled a corps of instructors teaching every minor leaguer in the organization the fine points of the game.
Branch Rickey has a strong D-III background, with and Ohio Wesleyan and Allegheny.
I can think of no other D-III alumnus who has had a big of an impact on baseball as he did.
IMHO, just as the D-III football championship is the Stagg Bowl, I believe that D-III Baseball Championship should be named the Branch Rickey Series.
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_E6-U4BRHjvo%2FR1Q-MtBuA1I%2FAAAAAAAAAmo%2Fzq-bhL_WmOw%2Fs1600-R%2FWilliamsDick4.jpg&hash=2dfface044f3f404d4f8b1a7df2ac98bef969d7c)
Via my next door neighbors (daughter and son-in-law) I was fortunate to have known Dick for around 20 years. I enjoyed his company and hearing tales from the past. I found him to be very excited, but humble, after his election to the "Hall of Fame", on his last year of eligibility. There were those in and affiliated with MLB that apparently did not like his style. I always knew when Dick and Norma were in town (SoCal), they lived near Vegas, because he would always clean my neighbors garage,
waiting for me to give him my copy of the sports page.
Rest in peace, Dick. You are gone, but not forgotten, by me!
RIP, Skipper...
He got to wear arguably some of the ugliest uniforms ever - Padres, Seattle, Expos and, although I liked them, some would say A's...
Quote from: Ralph Turner on July 08, 2011, 12:26:46 PM
Dick Williams, age 82. Hall of Fame manager.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/sports/baseball/dick-williams-hall-of-fame-manager-dies-at-82.html?_r=1
Quote
...
Born in St. Louis on May 7, 1929, Williams moved with his family to the Los Angeles area as a youngster and was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization out of high school in 1947.
He was schooled in baseball fundamentals at Dodgertown, the innovative training base in Vero Beach, Fla., where Branch Rickey, the Dodgers' general manager, assembled a corps of instructors teaching every minor leaguer in the organization the fine points of the game.
Branch Rickey has a strong D-III background, with and Ohio Wesleyan and Allegheny.
I can think of no other D-III alumnus who has had a big of an impact on baseball as he did.
IMHO, just as the D-III football championship is the Stagg Bowl, I believe that D-III Baseball Championship should be named the Branch Rickey Series.
I could not agree more.. I think that would be a nice tribute to the Rickey family for all he gave the game.
RIP 1979 Cy Young Award Winner Mike Flanagan...
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2011/08/25/2011-08-25_mike_flanagans_suicide_leaves_former_baltimore_orioles_teammates_friends_searchi.html?r=topnews
I lost a friendly wager back in 1979; I thought he and Orioles had too much pitching for the "We Are Family Pirates..."
Quote from: bulk19 on August 25, 2011, 05:57:00 PM
RIP 1979 Cy Young Award Winner Mike Flanagan...
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2011/08/25/2011-08-25_mike_flanagans_suicide_leaves_former_baltimore_orioles_teammates_friends_searchi.html?r=topnews
I lost a friendly wager back in 1979; I thought he and Orioles had too much pitching for the "We Are Family Pirates..."
How tragically ironic that Joe Posnacki just yesterday had a column on si.com extolling Flanagan as the very definition of the 'crafty lefty'. :(
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on August 25, 2011, 08:13:49 PM
Quote from: bulk19 on August 25, 2011, 05:57:00 PM
RIP 1979 Cy Young Award Winner Mike Flanagan...
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2011/08/25/2011-08-25_mike_flanagans_suicide_leaves_former_baltimore_orioles_teammates_friends_searchi.html?r=topnews
I lost a friendly wager back in 1979; I thought he and Orioles had too much pitching for the "We Are Family Pirates..."
How tragically ironic that Joe Posnacki just yesterday had a column on si.com extolling Flanagan as the very definition of the 'crafty lefty'. :(
Mr. Ypsi - I think Posnanski wrote the blog after finding out about the death, because he has some links to other stories about Flanagan's death...
Nevertheless, as an aside, I just finished reading, for the second time, Posnanski's book called "The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America." I highly recommend it to baseball fans of all ages; it is a great book about the Negro Leagues, which are soon to be forgotten, I fear, and Buck O'Neil, who, if you cast your vote for Thurman as a HOFer, I give mine to O'Neil...
Quote from: bulk19 on August 25, 2011, 10:23:51 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on August 25, 2011, 08:13:49 PM
Quote from: bulk19 on August 25, 2011, 05:57:00 PM
RIP 1979 Cy Young Award Winner Mike Flanagan...
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2011/08/25/2011-08-25_mike_flanagans_suicide_leaves_former_baltimore_orioles_teammates_friends_searchi.html?r=topnews
I lost a friendly wager back in 1979; I thought he and Orioles had too much pitching for the "We Are Family Pirates..."
How tragically ironic that Joe Posnacki just yesterday had a column on si.com extolling Flanagan as the very definition of the 'crafty lefty'. :(
Mr. Ypsi - I think Posnanski wrote the blog after finding out about the death, because he has some links to other stories about Flanagan's death...
Nevertheless, as an aside, I just finished reading, for the second time, Posnanski's book called "The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America." I highly recommend it to baseball fans of all ages; it is a great book about the Negro Leagues, which are soon to be forgotten, I fear, and Buck O'Neil, who, if you cast your vote for Thurman as a HOFer, I give mine to O'Neil...
Buck received so many honors (belatedly) late in life that I forgot he wasn't already in the HoF. I will add him to my list of a half dozen or so that I believe should go in LONG before Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, etc. ;)
BTW, just re-read Joe's piece - you are right both on the spelling of his name and that the post was a tribute to Flanagan after news of his suicide.
Cardinals pitcher Bob Forsch, who threw out the first pitch last Friday for Game #7...
Author of two no hitters, and member of the Redbird pitching staff that defeated my Brew Crew in '82...
http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111104&content_id=25898320&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
Quote from: bulk19 on November 04, 2011, 10:34:43 PM
Cardinals pitcher Bob Forsch, who threw out the first pitch last Friday for Game #7...
Author of two no hitters, and member of the Redbird pitching staff that defeated my Brew Crew in '82...
http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111104&content_id=25898320&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51RjNSpD7qL._SL500_AA300_.jpg&hash=f67e8c0933e9021adc7f3f1a52378e8fd1059310)
Don Mueller (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/sports/baseball/don-mueller-giants-outfielder-is-dead-at-84.html?_r=1), whose single in the hole, beyond 1B Gil Hodges' glove, extended the inning for Bobby Thomson's shot in the 1951 Giant-Dodger classic. Mueller was called a great singles hitter who rarely struck out and was a 2-time All-Star.
The NYT shows a 1954 photo with Mueller, Willie Mays and Duke Snider.
My bias is that baseball is a most conducive sport to historical "story-telling" as there is.
The article is an enjoyable "read".
HoFer Gary Carter, brain cancer, at the all-too-young age of 57.
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-2xJyuWRXyeQ%2FTx7QffggIPI%2FAAAAAAAAA_8%2Fnhd3xwas11w%2Fs1600%2FCarter%25252C%2BGary%2B77%2BTopps.jpeg&hash=d6cb4a510f580034ee6f1a593b1cb186321293f7)
Shannon Stone, Ranger fan, R.I.P.
Most of us don't recognize the name, but we remember the horror.
The Texas Rangers unveiled the statue entitled:
Ranger Fans
Shannon and Cooper Stone
at the Ball Park in Arlington.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/rangers-unveil-shannon-cooper-stone-statue-021459642.html
Quote from: Ralph Turner on April 06, 2012, 10:00:09 PM
Shannon Stone, Ranger fan, R.I.P.
Most of us don't recognize the name, but we remember the horror.
The Texas Rangers unveiled the statue entitled:
Ranger Fans
Shannon and Cooper Stone
at the Ball Park in Arlington.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/rangers-unveil-shannon-cooper-stone-statue-021459642.html
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dallasnews.com%2Fincoming%2F20110708-fan01.jpg.ece%2FBINARY%2Fw620x413%2Ffan01.jpg&hash=3f751df0ca79279e1d88b5930d9e2967062b08c2)
Quote from: Ralph Turner on April 06, 2012, 10:00:09 PM
Shannon Stone, Ranger fan, R.I.P.
Most of us don't recognize the name, but we remember the horror.
The Texas Rangers unveiled the statue entitled:
Ranger Fans
Shannon and Cooper Stone
at the Ball Park in Arlington.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/rangers-unveil-shannon-cooper-stone-statue-021459642.html
+K for posting that.
I just saw a different link to the story, and agree with the Rangers for creating a statue on behalf of him, and his son, and basically all of us fans who love the game...
Bill "Moose" Skowron (http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/longtime_yankee_bill_moose_skowron_UPVgH9ISyb9WbvGrL6K27N) Yankee 1B.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on April 27, 2012, 08:34:45 PM
Bill "Moose" Skowron (http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/longtime_yankee_bill_moose_skowron_UPVgH9ISyb9WbvGrL6K27N) Yankee 1B.
One of my favorites as a kid in the 50s. Thank God his nickname of 'Mussolini' got shortened to 'Moose' - a highly appropriate moniker for a first baseman! ;D 'Mussolini', not so much! :P
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.1960sbaseballprofilesal.info%2Fattachments%2FImage%2Fskowroncard%281%29.jpg&hash=8184ce16fc1c12cebd5f4195fabb21b401d6765a)
Quote from: CrashDavisD3 on April 28, 2012, 01:58:44 AM
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.1960sbaseballprofilesal.info%2Fattachments%2FImage%2Fskowroncard%281%29.jpg&hash=8184ce16fc1c12cebd5f4195fabb21b401d6765a)
Yes! That is the Bill Skowron baseball card that I had.
Let's be honest. He was not photogenic like a Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Bobby Richardson or even Cletus Boyer..
I almost hesitate to say this and mean no disrespect to Moose, but after watching all the coverage of Bryce Harper this week, I have to say he is the spitting image of Moose. Anyone else notice the resemblence?
Reds' relief pitcher Pedro Borbon (http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120604&content_id=32754714&vkey=news_cin&c_id=cin).
Jerry Adler (http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-0623-richard-adler-20120623,0,919734.story), composer of "Damn Yankees". "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets". ;)
The Year that the Yankees Lost the Pennant was the first "grown-up" book that I ever read. I was 9 years old. My grandmother let me read her Reader's Digest Spring 1955 edition. She must have considered that the "G" rated version suitable for my innocence.
Can you imagine "Damn Yankees" re-done in 2012? Is it "politically correct" to smoke a cigarette in Hollywood? I guess, if Mr Applegate can light it with a snap of his fingers.
Who would play Joe Boyd/Joe Hardy? Is Kevin Costner too old? You can't fake looking like a baseball player. It would take a real athlete.
Lola?
Mr Applegate? Who besides Alan Rickman?
Marvin Miller (http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8682184/marvin-miller-mlbpa-first-leader-dies-95)
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffirst-draft-blog.typepad.com%2F.a%2F6a00d8341c5ced53ef017c340aa323970b-500wi&hash=801f5650401c22566b605ac0c9a41736e1117164)
Marvin Miller and Curt Flood
Ruth Ann Steinhagen (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-14/news/ct-spt-0315-steinhagen-eddie-waitkus-20130315_1_chicago-woman-ruth-ann-steinhagen-eddie-waitkus), the woman who shot Eddie Waitkus, the former Cubs first baseman. You will recognize this as the plot line for "The Natural".
Virgil (Fire) Trucks, oldest living ex-Tiger and 8th oldest living MLBer, dead at 96. In 1952 he went 5-19, but among his five wins was a one-hitter and TWO no-hitters! He won all three games 1-0, which suggests why he lost 19 games for the 104-loss Tigers! :P
Jerry Coleman (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/sports/baseball/jerry-coleman-yankees-infielder-and-padres-broadcaster-dies-at-89.html?_r=0)
Quote from: Ralph Turner on January 07, 2014, 09:34:00 PM
Jerry Coleman (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/sports/baseball/jerry-coleman-yankees-infielder-and-padres-broadcaster-dies-at-89.html?_r=0)
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.geofffox.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F01%2Fjerry-coleman-baseball-card.jpg&hash=938d13c8cf7a0684ee0a5c58c651175ddf115189)
Ralph Kiner, most frequently associated with the Pirates and the Mets. Age 91.
Quote from: Ralph Turner on February 06, 2014, 05:53:32 PM
Ralph Kiner, most frequently associated with the Pirates and the Mets. Age 91.
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.beckett.com%2Fnews%2Fnews-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F02%2FKiner1953Topps.jpg&hash=258af2bcaa91bd2fdae8abba853d627e74b3dece)
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shermanreport.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F05%2FJim-Fregosi2.jpg&hash=74e810b3fae485cc508b39c9822e03ad242c352c)
Jim Fregosi RIP
Tony Gwynn RIP
Quote from: Whatagame on June 16, 2014, 12:14:13 PM
Tony Gwynn RIP
Far too young.
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/06/16/mlb-hall-famer-tony-gwynn-dies-cancer-at-age-54/
Jerry Lumpe (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/sports/jerry-lumpe-who-played-in-two-world-series-with-yankees-dies-at-81.html?_r=1)
FTA
QuoteAlthough he played solely in the American League, Lumpe grew up a St. Louis Cardinals fan, and his father, W. J. Lumpe, gave him his middle name to honor the star Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean. Father and son listened to Cardinals games on the network of the team's flagship radio station, KMOX, in St. Louis. But it took some initiative to find a spot where the signal would come in clearly.
"We got the station in Sedalia, but it didn't go very far," Lumpe told The Springfield News-Leader in 2011. "But there was a hill about five miles north of town, and we'd sit up there in the car listening to the game, my dad and I. You tell the kids that now, and they think you're crazy."
True that! I used to do the same type of thing with my dad!
Ernie Banks (http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/12226499/ernie-banks-died-suffering-heart-attack-family-says)
Let's play two!
Yogi Berra. Truly a sad day for generations of baseball fans, Yankee fan or Yankee hater alike.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/sports/baseball/yogi-berra-dies-at-90-yankees-baseball-catcher.html?_r=0
Frank Malzone, Boston Red Sox. 3-time Gold Glove Winner
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14460694/frank-malzone-former-boston-red-sox-all-star-third-baseman-dies
http://bill37mccurdy.com/2016/01/13/rest-in-peace-monte-irvin/
Monte Irvin.
I like this quote from Bill McCurdy's blog about Fidel Castro's failed tryout.
"If we had known he wanted to be a dictator, we would have kept him around and made him an umpire."
~ Monte Irvin on Fidel Castro's failed tryout with the former's Cuban ball club.
December 9, 2009
Joe Garagiola
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/24/sports/baseball/joe-garagiola-broadcasting-catcher-dies-at-90.html?_r=0
Former Reds All-Star and later Yankee pitching coach Sammy Ellis
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/sports/baseball/sammy-ellis-all-star-starter-who-later-made-dave-righetti-a-reliever-dies-at-75.html?_r=0
WP Kinsella
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/wp-kinsella-shoeless-joe-who-inspired-field-of-dreams-dies-at-81/2016/09/17/92ebf6a8-7cdc-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html
Let's hold a moment of silence for Mr. Kinsella and for that person in each of our lives with whom we would love to stand in a field, just one more time, and "have a catch".
Another guy whose baseball card I had, Solly Hemus
https://bill37mccurdy.com/2017/10/04/rip-solly-hemus-died-today/
The Yankee Killer, Frank Lary
http://tucson.com/news/national/obituaries/correction-obit-frank-lary-story/article_c2852979-7609-50db-b104-8fa59aa2d38c.html
From the article ...
Lary got his nickname by going 27-10 against the Yankees from 1955-61, a span when they won six pennants.
Cleveland Indian star, Tito Francona.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/obituaries/tito-francona-a-former-baseball-all-star-dies-at-84.html
Ed Charles from the Miracle Mets died last week.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/15/obituaries/ed-charles-a-mainstay-of-the-miracle-mets-dies-at-84.html
Davey Nelson from the Texas Rangers. Enjoy the tale that Tom Grieve remembers from 1974.
From the article
Quote
[Ranger broadcaster and former outfielder Tom] Grieve also warmly remembered an incident in 1974 in which he said Nelson tricked Milwaukee's Bob Coluccio into an out.
"Coluccio slid into second and there was dirt on the big," Grieve said. "Davey said, hey, let me clean the bag off and Coluccio took his hand off. Davey tagged him out. They nearly got into a fight right there."
https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/texas-rangers/rangers/2018/04/23/original-ranger-dave-nelson-star-1973-passes-away
St Louis Cardinal HOF'er Red Schoendienst
https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2018-06-06/schoendienst-dies-at-95-was-oldest-living-hall-of-famer
Pittsburgh Pirate Bruce Kison, age 68.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/obituaries/bruce-kison-winning-pitcher-in-71-series-is-dead-at-68.html
Doc Edwards
Former Indians, A's Yankees and Phillies player and manager of the Indians.
https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/sports/2018/08/20/longtime-san-angelo-colts-manager-doc-edwards-dies/1043332002/
Dean Stone, winning pitcher, of the 1954 All-Star Game
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/ct-spt-dean-stone-dies-white-sox-20180822-story.html
Willie McCovey #44.
Friend and fellow HOF'er Joe Morgan noted the time of death at 4 minutes past 4 o'clock. ;)
https://www.sfchronicle.com/giants/article/Willie-McCovey-Giants-legend-dead-at-80-13352886.php
Sometimes I wonder if today's stars are really as good as the ones that I grew up watching... :(
Quote from: Ralph Turner on November 01, 2018, 04:40:24 PM
Willie McCovey #44.
Friend and fellow HOF'er Joe Morgan noted the time of death at 4 minutes past 4 o'clock. ;)
https://www.sfchronicle.com/giants/article/Willie-McCovey-Giants-legend-dead-at-80-13352886.php
Sometimes I wonder if today's stars are really as good as the ones that I grew up watching... :(
My favorite line was Casey Stengel asking Roger Craig on a mound visit: "Where do you want to pitch him - upper deck or lower deck?" ;D
As to your question, odds are, they are better now, just like in pretty much all other sports. On the other hand, baseball was pretty much the only game in town back then (NFL and NBA were downright minor league); so they weren't losing potential superstars to other sports. On the other other hand, baseball draws from the entire world now, not just the US and Caribbean. Bottom line: I have no clue how to answer your question! :P
Mel Stottlemyre
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/mel-stottlemyre-new-york-baseball-legend-dead-at-77/ar-BBSf4EY?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=LENOVODHP17
Eli Grba, the original Angel.
https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-sp-angels-eli-grba-obit-20190115-story.html
Bob Friend, the ace of the Pirates' staff in the late 1950's and early 1960's.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/04/obituaries/bob-friend-dead.html
Frank Robinson... another of my favorites... a sad day
https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/02/07/oriole-hall-of-famer-frank-robinson-dies-at-83/
Back in the day, like the 1966 World Series, the Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday games of the World Series were played in the afternoon.
Some of our teachers would let us listen to the games during class on our transistor radios, if you had an earbud.
Chuck Harmon, Cincy Reds
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2019/03/20/chuck-harmon-first-aftican-american-cincinnati-reds-dead-94/3222687002/
Jim Bouton, author of Ball Four.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/sports/baseball/jim-bouton-dead-ball-four.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage
Pumpsie Green, brother of Dallas Cowboy Safety Cornell Green and former Red Sox and NY Met
https://www.boston.com/sports/obituaries/2019/07/17/pumpsie-green-first-black-red-sox-player-dies
Former Cubbie, Ernie Broglio.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cubs/ct-cubs-ernie-broglio-dies-20190717-22p3wahjojakzgzreixv6cxafi-story.html
Rest in Peace Kevin Schindler.
Kevin was an upperclassman when my son went to Ohio Wesleyan as a freshman. Ie was a wonderful mentor and friend.
http://www.jeffmonrealfuneralhome.com/obituaries/kevin-s-schindler/
Original NY Mets LHP Al Jackson
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/sports/baseball/al-jackson-dead.html
Roger Kahn, author of Boys of Summer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/obituaries/roger-kahn-who-lifted-sportswriting-with-boys-of-summer-dies-at-92.html
Jimmy Wynn, the toy cannon. Astros, Dodgers and Yankees
https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-03-27/jimmy-the-toy-cannon-wynn-dodgers-world-series-dies
Sadness in Detroit. Al Kaline...
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2020/04/06/al-kaline-dies-detroit-tigers/505371001/
When I think of the Tigers, I think of Hank Greenberg, Mickey Cochrane, and Al Kaline...
Allegheny College graduate, 4-time NL All-Star and Gold Glove winning Chicago Cubbie, Glenn Beckert at age 79.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cubs/ct-chicago-cubs-glenn-beckert-dies-20200412-76inw23gmnghjgtdfdc45initi-story.html
Claudell Washington age 65. Hit the bigs for the Oakland A's at age 19. Played for 7 teams across 17 seasons.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/sports/baseball/claudell-washington-dead.html
Lou Brock, who earned an academic scholarship to Southern University
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/06/sports/baseball/lou-brock-dead.html
QuoteFor all his natural speed, Brock was also a student of baseball and an innovator in pursuing the art of stealing bases, using technology to "synchronize your movement with the pitcher's movement." Late in the '64 season, he obtained a movie camera and began filming pitchers as they took their set position, threw to first base and threw to the plate, hoping to discover tendencies that might give him an edge.
Brock's ingenuity wasn't appreciated by at least one pitcher, as David Halberstam related in his book "October 1964":
"One day he was filming Don Drysdale, as tough a pitcher as existed in the league.
"'What the hell are you doing with that camera, Brock?'
"'Just taking home movies,' said Brock.
"'I don't want to be in your goddamn movies, Brock,' Drysdale said, and threw at him the next time he was up."
With Tom Seaver's passing, The cornfield is getting a few more quality players.