I loved Scully...I just didn't watch the Saturday game of the week as much in those days...Garagiola does some color commentating for D-back games once a week or so...I like listening to his older stories...I'd have to say Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are doing a splendid job as Sunday night troubadours for baseball fans...I love nothing better than listening to those two guys,watching an otherwise meaningless game,kicking back on a carefree warm summer night....
Well since we have a little bit of a break,and for the benefit of our young viewers at home,I thought I'd print "Casey at the Bat" for your reading pleasure and my typing practice...My son and I were riding a bus last week and for some reason the poem came up,and I was amazed at how much I could still recite from memory...But,I'll copy this and then maybe follow it up with "Casey's Revenge" unless someone else here wants to do it....
*************
Casey At The Bat by Ernest L. Thayer 1888
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood for to two with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first,and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope that springs eternal in the human breast.
They thought if only Casey could get but a whack at that---
We'd put up even money now with Casey at the bat.
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu,and the latter was a cake;
So upon the stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single to the wonderment of all,
And Blake the much despised tore the cover off the ball:
And when the dust had lifted and the men saw what had occured,
There was Jimmy safe at second,and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rambled through the valley,it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain,and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey,mighty Casey,was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place:
There was pride in Casey's bearing,and a smile on Casey's face.
And when responding to the cheers,he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye,a sneer curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style" said Casey. "Strike one" the umpire said.
From the benches black with people there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone in the stand,
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult;he bade the game go on;
He signalled to the pitcher,and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it,and the umpire said "Strike two."
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands,and the echo answered "Fraud!"
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold,they saw his muscles strain;
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip;his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball,and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere,and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing,and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville--mighty Casey has struck out.
Wow. Reading here about Curt Gowdy and other announcers made me do a search on Tony Kubek. I just wondered what ever happened to him. Here's a sampling of what Wickipedia had to say about him...
quote:Kubek was the biggest cheerleader for the Big Red Machine, something Bosox fans were too blinded by their bean fartmist to see. Kubek, ever the blustery Pollack, had a love affair with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion, something that wasn't missed by fans of Philadelphia Phillies madman shortstop Larry Bowa. Not that Bowa was worthy of any praise from Kubek; it's just that Kubek never acknowledged the existence of anything good about him, despite Bowa's higher lifetime fielding percentage and better range. Studies indicate Kubek suffered from latent homosexual tendencies and preferred South American boys. His love for Concepcion has stood the test of time.
The team of Kubek and Bob Costas (backing up Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola) proved to be a formidable pair. A screaming queen, Costas believed that his humor lubricated Kubek's bunghole while Kubek's knowledge hardened Costas. There were even some who preferred the team of Kubek and Costas over the musings of Vin Scully and the asides of Joe Garagiola, as Viagra was yet to be tested and Garagiola knew as much about baseball as, well, a Today Show host.
Can you believe that?
My personal opinion of Kubek is that he knew his stuff but needed to lighten up a bit. Costas is OK although he can sometimes get a little preachy. Man, this is too weird.
That quote is so outrageous, that I'm curious what the source is( I mean, where did Wikepedia take that from. ). It's not even worth responding to.
I preferred Tony Kubek as a shortstop, rather than announcer. He was a good field no hit player who's career was severely sidetracked when he was hit in the thoat during the (I think) '62 World Series, by a hard hit ball, and was never really the same again.
Good thing the Yankees had Gene Michael waiting in the wings, he said sarcastically.
I guess they'll let anything go into wikipedia unchallenged and unsupported...
I found myself lacking interest in last night's HR derby until the last of the semi-final and then final round...
hey boys... that Ryan Howard has some power...
my candidate for player to be negatively effected by the HR derby this year: David Wright
...for some silly reason I do keep enjoying the "celebrity" / old timer softball game... although I do think they should've brought back Kenny Maine...
I just found out something about wikipedia... you can go in and delete krap like that (I just did!)...
There was a lot of other 'positive' stuff in there about Tony Kubek, why that particular extremely biased section was selected I don't know...
I liked Kubek as a player and as an announcer he wasn't so bad... I liked Garagiola as well... for the same reason I like Joe Morgan these days: lots of stories mixed with knowledge of the game...
well... I liked the game... I like 'pitchers duels'...
...and I felt good for Michael Young, he seems so under rated nationally (at least that's our perception here)... but he does that kind of stuff all of the time for us, and he's such a selfless individual and player, an all around really good guy...
it's okay to like him... it's okay for you to admire him... he won't like it, but it's okay...
Hey... Penny looked awfully strong there... for that matter, so did all of the NL pitchers...
As you guys may or may not know, I subscribe to The Newberg Report, it's a daily email or two about what's going on with the stRangers minor league guys with a little extra about the major league roster and moves thrown in... it's just more baseball for me... you guys might even like it since it talks a lot about Minor League talent around the country, but it is mostly about the stRanger prospects...
Anyway... I found it interesting that back on JUNE 18th (after the Ozzie beanball fiasco here) Newberg wrote this:
For all the ill will that White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen harbors towards the Rangers, he said this to reporters about Michael Young on Thursday: “They’ve got one player over there that’s everyone’s wish, the shortstop. That’s everybody’s dream. A lot of people talk about Derek Jeter. A lot of people talk about Miguel Tejada. A lot of people talk about other players at that position, but he’s a manager’s dream. He’s the best. This kid can do anything in baseball that he wants to.”
Guillen added: “I’d take that kid everywhere with me.” Which I suspect will include the All-Star Game in three weeks in Pittsburgh.
It’s the most sensible thing Guillen has said in a long time.
anyway... I know I already said it, but I'm just really happy for Michael...
Ozzie sure was a nice guy last night wasn't he? starman, just for you, he didn't use Popoblam because he didn't want to risk hurting him...
Okay... I'll stop after this (I promise)... here's an example of today's Newberg Report (and of course, he's gushing about Michael):
THE NEWBERG REPORT
It no longer feels like validation. There were a couple years, after Texas had acquired Michael Young, that I felt like the lone guy in his corner. That wasn’t completely true, of course, but back when he was “Mike” Young and a guy who “wouldn’t hit enough” to play every day in the big leagues, I did come close to questioning what it was that I was missing, what mirage I must have been duped by when I saw a guy who was a multi-hit monster all the way back to Tulsa, a guy whose arm could take runs off the board, a guy whose approach at the plate -- whose bat control and ability to go the other way -- seemed ideal for a lineup that was thin on that type of hitter. Baseball people and baseball experts had reservations about how much upside was there. What was I thinking?
I came close to second-guessing myself, but I didn’t. There have been two players to come up through the Rangers system, in all nine seasons of my writing the Newberg Report and the 20-plus years before that, who I had an unwavering belief in, a complete confidence that they were going to fulfill every possible expectation and exceed them: Ruben Mateo and Michael Young.
I’m batting .500, which is what it seems like Young is hitting in clutch situations.
ESPN Radio’s Dan Shulman was on the local air yesterday morning, and among the things he said was that if Michael Young were a New York Yankee, he’d be bigger than Derek Jeter. I’ve made similar comments before, but then again I don’t completely agree with it.
Because I know one thing about Michael Young that Shulman doesn’t: Michael Young doesn’t want to be bigger than Derek Jeter. He’d be everything on the field that Jeter is. Off the field, even if he were a Yankee, he’d be more like Bernie Williams.
But I think he’s one of those rare guys that, regardless of the opportunity, would probably cross the Yanks off his list. What’s important to him is Cristina, Mateo, [his wife and child]and winning baseball games. Anything beyond that just gets in the way.
There are players whose legacy in baseball is marked by a moment in the All-Star Game. There might be some corners of the baseball world that consider last night to be the highlight of Young’s career. But it’s not (in the last 75 years, the only hitters with four straight 200-hit seasons are Wade Boggs, Kirby Puckett, and Ichiro Suzuki -- Young will join them in a couple months), and it will continue to be pushed down the list of the most important achievements of his career as time goes on.
He’s so good.
Young continues, almost absurdly, to get labeled as one of baseball’s most underrated players (ESPN’s Jayson Stark referred to him as a “buried treasure”), but that’s only because he doesn’t crave the spotlight, because he never makes news off the field, and admittedly because he hasn’t had the opportunities to make noise in many games that have league-wide significance.
Last night was a start. You can already tell by the media reaction that he gained a ton of mainstream repute last night, but his stature within the game didn’t change a bit. His peers already considered him as great a player, for all the right reasons, that locally we consider him to be. Every All-Star teammate, opponent, and coach confronted last night with the question responded by saying they knew Young would deliver.
Is there a greater compliment in baseball? Not to Young.
It almost seemed routine, that 0-2, two-out, opposite-field rifle that cleared the bases, ended up with Young making a quiet “celebratory” fist, and gave his teammates, a strike away from losing the game, a lead that would stand up. Routine to you and me and Ozzie and Derek and Vernon, and even to Trevor. Jerry Narron, too.
The baseball media should be caught up by now. This is the greatest Rangers baseball player of all time, something that will be solidified as his career goes on, and something that the national press will recognize once he helps earn some more hardware: not so much for his individual accomplishments, but for what he will help his team achieve.
Jason Botts was optioned to Oklahoma yesterday, having gotten only 15 at-bats in the last three weeks. No corresponding move was announced, though outfielder Freddy Guzman is expected to be recalled in time for Thursday’s series opener in Baltimore. The continued roll that Mark DeRosa is on (he hasn’t dipped below a .330 average since June 3), combined with the need to get Brad Wilkerson and Kevin Mench rolling, meant Botts wasn’t going to get any more frequent work coming out of the Break than he has lately, and he needs at-bats. On top of that, Guzman will give the bench more versatility.
Only two American League players with at least 200 at-bats this season haven’t had a hitless streak of at least 10 at-bats: DeRosa and Gary Matthews Jr.
Since May 1, Francisco Cordero has a 1.99 ERA, permitting 25 hits (.221 opponents’ average) and nine walks in 31.2 innings, setting 34 down on strikes.
Kevin Millwood should be good to go in Baltimore this weekend.
Kameron Loe starts for Frisco tonight.
Adam Eaton started for the RoughRiders on Monday, giving up one run on four hits, a hit batsman, and no walks in 2.1 innings, fanning two and throwing 31 of his 45 pitches (all fastballs and cutters, with the exception of four or five curves) for strikes.
Eaton should start again in Frisco on Saturday, with a pitch limit around 60 or 65, and then a week from tomorrow for Oklahoma. If everything goes well, he could then draw his first Rangers start on July 25, against the Yankees at home.
Josh Rupe has allowed one run on two hits and two walks in 4.2 frames since joining the RedHawks at the beginning of the month. He could be up soon.
Not so much for Frankie Francisco, whose arm didn’t respond well to a cortisone shot last week.
C.J. Wilson has given up one hit and two walks in three scoreless innings since returning to action in the Oklahoma bullpen a week ago. He has five strikeouts in that span.
Eric Hurley threw 15 pitches (only eight of which were strikes) in Sunday’s Futures Game, allowing a hit and a walk and getting two outs.
Joaquin Arias sat the game out due to his sprained ankle, though he did attend. The shortstop rolled his ankle on July 4 sliding back into second base on an attempted pickoff.
Hurley was placed on Bakersfield’s temporary inactive list while in Pittsburgh, and June draftee Danny Ray Herrera, a left-handed changeup specialist, was promoted from the Arizona League to take Hurley’s place on the Blaze staff. In his first two Bakersfield outings, the 45th-round pick threw four scoreless innings.
John Danks has hired Scott Boras. [the baseball anti-christ]
Danks’s brother Jordan is playing summer ball in the M.I.N.K (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas) League, hitting a three-run blast in his first at-bat for the Beatrice (Nebraska) Bruins.
Thomas Diamond fired a complete-game shutout for Frisco on Saturday, scattering five hits and one walk while fanning seven. He now leads the Texas League in punchouts by 13. Interestingly, it’s his second complete-game shutout as a pro -- both came right after Danks and Edinson Volquez were promoted ahead of him, the first coming last summer for Bakersfield.
One thing to consider as far as Blaze outfielder Ben Harrison (.299/.399/.538, 19 doubles, 18 homers, 73 RBI in 314 at-bats) is concerned: He’ll be Rule 5-eligible this winter. Seems like a longshot for him to be added to the 40-man roster in November, even if he moves up to Frisco soon and tears it up (he doesn’t profile as a typical Rule 5 pick), but tuck that away, especially since the Rangers are thin in position player prospects.
Seventeen-year-old Dominican wunderkind Johan Yan is hitting .345/.472/.690 in 29 Arizona League at-bats, having made starts at shortstop, third base, and second base. Sick.
The Rangers released righthander Shane Bazzell, who hadn’t pitched this year due to an elbow injury, and placed once-promising righthander Erik Thompson and 2006 15th-round shortstop Cody Himes on the restricted list.
Watching the All-Star Game got me thinking, and I’m going to turn this exercise on you. Take off your Rangers cap for a second, and ask yourself, objectively, what Texas players you would ask for if you were shopping a bigtime pitcher or hitter this month? Leave out names like Young and Mark Teixeira and Millwood -- just as you wouldn’t go ask the Mets for David Wright or the Red Sox for David Ortiz, we’re not talking about who the Rangers’ best players are. We’re talking about who teams are going to ask Jon Daniels for as the trade deadline approaches.
My guess, in no particular order: Ian Kinsler, Gerald Laird, Cordero, Danks, Volquez.
I don’t include Akinori Otsuka or Hank Blalock or Matthews because teams surely wouldn’t even ask for guys like that from a team in contention.
You don’t trade Kinsler. Or Laird. Or Cordero. It’s hard to imagine a deal that makes sense for Texas that has one of them going the other way.
Danks or Volquez? Better be for an impact player who would be under control beyond 2006.
Daniels has an incredibly tough job to do the next three weeks. You know, even though this is his first July as general manager, that he will want to deal, to add a key piece or two to this club, which sits tied for first with several veterans already here who should have better second halves than their firsts. But the Wild Card world means there are only a few teams who will be motivated sellers, and two to three times as many who will want to buy. It means Daniels, just like every other GM, will probably have to overpay to get a July deal done, and given how thin Texas is in blue-chip prospects, the last thing he’ll want to do is empty the cupboard (trading more than one of those guys) and see the team fall short of the post-season.
Yes, there are others who should have trade value. Arms like Wilson and Rupe and Diamond and Hurley and Nick Masset. Hitters like Botts and Arias and Johnny Whittleman and maybe Anthony Webster.
And if you think a guy like Omar Poveda is too young and too far away to have trade value, remember that there was an 18-year-old third baseman in Low A named Edwin Encarnacion that Texas traded to Cincinnati a year after drafting him, to close a deal that sent Mateo to the Reds for Rob Bell.
But Wilson and Diamond and Botts and Poveda and the others are the types that round out big trades. Laird and Danks are the ones that front deals.
This isn’t going to be easy. You don’t want to overpay with your best prospects in exchange for anything less than an impact player, and on the other end of the spectrum you have to be careful not to trade someone you consider excess inventory to get a player that has just as much chance of not helping your club as he does helping it get to October.
Texas would probably like to undo -- or at least try to redo -- the trades that sent Travis Hafner to Cleveland and Encarnacion to Cincinnati.
And Toronto would probably like to revisit its July 19, 2000 trade of AAA righthander Darwin Cubillan and AA infielder Mike Young to Texas for Esteban Loaiza.
This is the greatest Rangers baseball player of all time, something that will be solidified as his career goes on
I havent seen him as closely as you have, but I became at least somewhat of a believer in 04, and have been watching a little closer ( unfortunately only a few times a year) each time the Sox-Rangers get together.
After the previous shortstop ( whats his name??) left to be replaced by Michael Young was when the Rangers started to win and look good as a team. Its no accident, it made alot of people stand up and watch.
Sounds even more like a real gem to get to watch him everyday, after reading that article..treasure the moments while you can.......
Strange one I gots a curiosity question that came to me on a 7 hour drive yesterday, my mind was wandering as it often does and I was wondering what team you grew up with,
Simon, Hiway and me are pretty obvious but I dont think Ive ever heard you mention it-unless I spaced it, which I very well may have....anyway just curious, as the Rangers taint been around all that long---Everyone knows i was a Seattle Pilots fan (or something..) Howzabout you?
........Anyways----trade deadline is comin up--anyone got a wishlist? I know I do, a starting pitcher that can keep the game close and go 7 is all I ask--doesnt have to be a big name -, 2 of them would be nice, with a small dose of middle relief if the deal is good.....and dont mortgage the future
Who's gonna be buying and who's gonna be dumpin?
PS That Newburg report looks like a great read everyday
.......Anyways----trade deadline is comin up--anyone got a wishlist? I know I do, a starting pitcher that can keep the game close and go 7 is all I ask--doesnt have to be a big name -, 2 of them would be nice, with a small dose of middle relief if the deal is good.....and dont mortgage the future
Who's gonna be buying and who's gonna be dumpin?
PS That Newburg report looks like a great read everyday
They're talking about this year being one in which not a lot of trades will happen before the deadline since something like 20 teams are still within striking distance of their division or the wild card....I'd like to see the Cubs move Maddux to a more deserving contender and start re-tooling....Kerry Wood's days as a Cub pitcher are more than likely over,and I can't imagine they would bring Dusty Baker back....Time for the Cubs to start a new koinoneia,or whatever the Greek word is for dispensation---er-I mean administration...
yeah.. there won't be much movin' I don't think... although that Devil Ray pitcher the other night looked pretty good and they're out of it and look to be dealing since they just gave up Huff...
I'd love for us to get Dontrell Willis... but that ain't happening I don't think... sadly, I think that Kerry's days as a starter are numbered (as if they weren't already)... he has so much trouble staying healthy, I don't know if it's the "Texas Curse" or not.
Have you all heard of that theory? How the Texas High School pitchers are 'cursed'? Seems that almost every year they've got the strongest, best stuff but they're overused in High School which leads to a short or no career... there's no inning limit in Texas HS baseball or in Pony, Colt, American Legion, etc... (I know it killed my brother's arm)
Starman, I grew up in DFW, so I just followed whoever was on the game of the week and naturally was a big fan of the Dodgers and the Yanks since they were on most of the time... and then from 72 on it's the stRangers... maybe that's why I'm such a fan of minor league ball...
PS That Newburg report looks like a great read everyday
go ahead and subscribe... you can always unsubscribe later...
Have you all heard of that theory? How the Texas High School pitchers are 'cursed'? Seems that almost every year they've got the strongest, best stuff but they're overused in High School which leads to a short or no career...
Clemens, Ryan?
Ive never heard of the curse, all I can see from my vantage point is abunch of tough fireballers comng out of Texas pretty regularly--Josh Beckett is another off the top of my head but its a big state Im sure they lose alot along the way that Im missing.
I dont know exactly how they use their HS pitchers down there-here there is max inning something that is a start in the right direction, but its still not enough imo. I had a really good arm but I burned it out early throwing way too much junk at an early age which of course every kid does as soon as he figures it out because it is new and cool, and the coaches did nothing strong at the time to discourage it.
I'd like to see coaches of kids that age have alittle longer range view to developing real prospects instead of using them all to death.
Its a shame about Wood....
oikonomia I sink ess de vurd,
koinoneo ees greek for new coin, and all the fellows who will be on your ship and want to be full sharers and partakers with you when you have some new coin on you
You're right,mstar--and I thought I knew my ALPF....
I wonder if playing year round baseball has something to do with it as well...Arizona hasn't been cranking out these corn-fed fireballers like Texas has,but I've often wondered,since we do play year round baseball here and lots of ex-major leaguers retire here,why we don't develop a lot more ball players...So many parents and coaches want their kids to get noticed,or to have an edge,that they often overwork them....After my son's frosh year,he did very little off-season pitching,and I noticed a lot of of other pitchers doing the same....If they played on a fall or winter team,then they would more play a field position....Especially the way these lugs grow at that age....My son grew about 9 inches between his freshman and sophomore year....I don't know if their muscle mass and tendons keep up with their bone growth...
Sometimes,I think the majors puts too much emphasis on the "stuff" a pitcher has rather than things like control,smarts,etc. ...It seemed like every time Wood did pitch,his pitch count was up there around a 100 by the 5th inning...While he's famous for his fastball,he had one of the nastiest curves around....But after a while,the scouting report tells batters to lay off it,and if they're not swinging--he ends up walking alot of guys....Wood may be more suited as a reliever-in the later innings,batters are a little more tense and bail the pitchers out by swinging at balls in the dirt...
One of the things Dusty Baker was accused of doing is overusing his pitchers...I still find that laughable when you compare the inning eaters of today with the guys from our youth....Now,they're using the term"quality starts" to describe the kind of year a pitcher is having...I guarantee there won't be a pitcher this year who will have as many quality starts as a Koufax,or a Jenkins or a Gibson had complete games in one season during their heyday...
yeah... "quality start"... six innings and 3 runs or less... that means we're supposed to be overjoyed if they pitch to a 4.5 era??? we'll never see pitchers like we had in the "old days"...
which reminds me, did you guys see that Costas show on HBO about steroids with a panel of Tim McCarver, Bob Gibson and (I think) Joe Morgan? He also interviewed Willie Mays about steroids and Mays said that 1) he hadn't asked his godson about whether or not he used them and 2) that he probably would've tried them if they'd been around... I think Gibson said he would have as well...
when Costas asked Gibson how he'd pitch to Bonds he and McCarver both just kind of laughed to themselves (what a relationship they must've had) and Gibson said he'd go inside on him to move him off of the plate. Costas mentioned the body armor that BB wears and again Gibson kind of laughed to himself and said "I think I could break it" and he and McCarver had another chuckle...
About the Texas HS pitchers... there was a story here recently, I'll try to find it... but for every Beckett or Woods there are about 3 or 4 others that were blowing them away at the same age but now have rag arms... no pitch limits here, that's what the whole point of the story was... I'll look around for it...
WE'RE all happy tonight... we've been waiting for Teixeira to break out and get back to "normal"... 3 big flies and one Sac fly is a pretty good start... we've got a pretty hard road trip here to come out of the break... GMJ made another highlight reel catch tonight...
35--at 4am--I did better on the old time stuff than the Middle years.
One of the things Dusty Baker was accused of doing is overusing his pitchers...I still find that laughable when you compare the inning eaters of today with the guys from our youth.
Well yea, in a way, it is a much different game though with different expectations now than it was then. Im not saying that is good or bad-its just the way that it is. I dont know why pitchers dont have the stamina that they used to--but they just dont. Maybe its the roids era-there seem to be alot less guys hitting in lineups that are hitting .210 or .240 than there used to be and alot more 30-40HR guys that have to be faced.
During Pedro's golden years with the Sox, they were very careful about not overworking him because he had a tedency for a few years to go on the disabled list every year around Memorial Day, and his effectiveness changed on a dime after about 105 pitches anyway-so they made adjustments to accomodate him, and fit what he really could do into the works.
Francona took a lot of heat earlier this year when he left in Schilling for 137 pitches , which was great to watch at the time, but then was ineffective for his next 3 or 4 starts.
I'd love to see some bulldog who would throw a complete game every fourth day but Im surprised that a pretty smart guy like Dusty, or the Cubs organization would take Wood, who always seemed to be on the DL, and not try to taylor a role for him that would keep him healthy and more beneficial to the team in the long run.............
we've got a pretty hard road trip here to come out of the break
It looks like alot of teams have a tough schedule coming out of the break, I wonder if it is by design, before the trading deadline, to let the GM's know where their teams really are as far as contention. I know as an example The BJ's are 5 out but could conceivably be 10 out in a week or 2 with their schedule . Then if you are GM how do you play your cards ?
Do you more or less concede, acquire prospects while you can and dump some payroll, or stick it out, strengthen and push for the improbable?
..and just because alot of teams are still close doesnt necessarily mean that they wont shift guys around. 2 years ago the Twins, Cubs and Red Sox were all in it and did that weird 3 way deal that involved Nomar, that strengthened them all.
Who knows? Its baseball ---anything can happen.
Sox just called up a kid from Yale, a molecular biophysicist who was doing research on Ebola in Gambia, but would rather be a left handed reliever for the Boston Red Sox :)
31!!! good job... like I said, I didn't trust my "first thought"! (must be out of fellowship)...
c'mon Starman! what's with the BoSox? We're counting on them taking a few from the A's so's we can get ahead... I'm thinking that on this strange road trip the stRangers fly in there for one game as a makeup and then fly right out...
...and 35! good job as well... it was on a lot of the older stuff that I changed my answers...
One other thing that Gibson "complained" about... when they lowered the mound... he was not too happy about that! ..said it changed a lot then...
Looks like mid season doldrums to me. last night they played as if walking around in three feet of mud, --slow and lumbering----19 innings on Sunday then 3 days off and they really didnt have much zip last night. I imagine its tough day after day after day to stay up all season long but yesterday they looked like they were still on vacation or wishing that they were---hopefully they'll snap to tonight----
One other thing that Gibson "complained" about... when they lowered the mound... he was not too happy about that! ..said it changed a lot then...
Yea I imagined that mustve sukked for pitchers..Wasnt that after the year that Gibson had about 12 shutouts and an ERA of near absolute zero, and McLain won 31?
Maybe they shouldnt have changed it or put in the DH...I wonder what the game would look like now if they hadnt changed things....would it have been an era of pitching instead of hitting? What would Clemens and Martinez have done off a mound (how many?) six inches higher....How many no-no's would Ryan have had about 20?
I imagine its tough day after day after day to stay up all season long but....
yeah.. well, I don't feel sorry for them! they get paid handsomely, but you know that... and there's not a kid in the stands that wouldn't trade places with them... that's what they have to remember... sometimes teams just play like krap... remember the stRanger roadtrip last year? about the only time all season they sucked for a period of time... and that's all it took...
Yeah I imagined that mustve sukked for pitchers..Wasnt that after the year that Gibson had about 12 shutouts and an ERA of near absolute zero, and McLain won 31?
I think you're right on that... and for some reason I thought it was eight inches, but that seems like an awful lot so I'll check...
I don't know what it would've looked like, but Maris' record would still be standing... maybe Babe's as well...
In 1968,the year Yaz won the AL batting title with a whopping .301 average,Tom Tresh,playing mostly shortstop and some outfield for the Yanks,had 99 hits in 507 at bats for a staggering .195 batting average....,But then,George Scott of the Bosox only managed to punch out 60 hits in 350 at bats for a forgettable .171 average....I think something needed to be done to bring in some offense....
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kimberly
I missed the LLWS. The boy had baseball practice 4-7. Playing in a USSSA tournament this coming weekend. The new season has just started. Can ya'll believe we are in September of the ML baseball s
mstar1
Dont scare me like that Bolsh--the way you posted I wasnt sure if it was a done deal--I had to go check....Im on the fence whether to go for Halliday or not---I'd love to have him but I'd hate to give
hiway29
I love those fan trades where players you don't care about, plus a 'prospect', are offered up for a major player. Yeah, the Jays will jump at that deal.
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simonzelotes
I loved Scully...I just didn't watch the Saturday game of the week as much in those days...Garagiola does some color commentating for D-back games once a week or so...I like listening to his older stories...I'd have to say Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are doing a splendid job as Sunday night troubadours for baseball fans...I love nothing better than listening to those two guys,watching an otherwise meaningless game,kicking back on a carefree warm summer night....
Well since we have a little bit of a break,and for the benefit of our young viewers at home,I thought I'd print "Casey at the Bat" for your reading pleasure and my typing practice...My son and I were riding a bus last week and for some reason the poem came up,and I was amazed at how much I could still recite from memory...But,I'll copy this and then maybe follow it up with "Casey's Revenge" unless someone else here wants to do it....
*************
Casey At The Bat by Ernest L. Thayer 1888
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood for to two with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first,and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope that springs eternal in the human breast.
They thought if only Casey could get but a whack at that---
We'd put up even money now with Casey at the bat.
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu,and the latter was a cake;
So upon the stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single to the wonderment of all,
And Blake the much despised tore the cover off the ball:
And when the dust had lifted and the men saw what had occured,
There was Jimmy safe at second,and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rambled through the valley,it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain,and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey,mighty Casey,was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place:
There was pride in Casey's bearing,and a smile on Casey's face.
And when responding to the cheers,he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye,a sneer curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style" said Casey. "Strike one" the umpire said.
From the benches black with people there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone in the stand,
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult;he bade the game go on;
He signalled to the pitcher,and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it,and the umpire said "Strike two."
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands,and the echo answered "Fraud!"
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold,they saw his muscles strain;
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip;his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball,and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere,and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing,and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville--mighty Casey has struck out.
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johniam
Wow. Reading here about Curt Gowdy and other announcers made me do a search on Tony Kubek. I just wondered what ever happened to him. Here's a sampling of what Wickipedia had to say about him...
quote:Kubek was the biggest cheerleader for the Big Red Machine, something Bosox fans were too blinded by their bean fartmist to see. Kubek, ever the blustery Pollack, had a love affair with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion, something that wasn't missed by fans of Philadelphia Phillies madman shortstop Larry Bowa. Not that Bowa was worthy of any praise from Kubek; it's just that Kubek never acknowledged the existence of anything good about him, despite Bowa's higher lifetime fielding percentage and better range. Studies indicate Kubek suffered from latent homosexual tendencies and preferred South American boys. His love for Concepcion has stood the test of time.
The team of Kubek and Bob Costas (backing up Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola) proved to be a formidable pair. A screaming queen, Costas believed that his humor lubricated Kubek's bunghole while Kubek's knowledge hardened Costas. There were even some who preferred the team of Kubek and Costas over the musings of Vin Scully and the asides of Joe Garagiola, as Viagra was yet to be tested and Garagiola knew as much about baseball as, well, a Today Show host.
Can you believe that?
My personal opinion of Kubek is that he knew his stuff but needed to lighten up a bit. Costas is OK although he can sometimes get a little preachy. Man, this is too weird.
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hiway29
That quote is so outrageous, that I'm curious what the source is( I mean, where did Wikepedia take that from. ). It's not even worth responding to.
I preferred Tony Kubek as a shortstop, rather than announcer. He was a good field no hit player who's career was severely sidetracked when he was hit in the thoat during the (I think) '62 World Series, by a hard hit ball, and was never really the same again.
Good thing the Yankees had Gene Michael waiting in the wings, he said sarcastically.
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Tom Strange
I guess they'll let anything go into wikipedia unchallenged and unsupported...
I found myself lacking interest in last night's HR derby until the last of the semi-final and then final round...
hey boys... that Ryan Howard has some power...
my candidate for player to be negatively effected by the HR derby this year: David Wright
...for some silly reason I do keep enjoying the "celebrity" / old timer softball game... although I do think they should've brought back Kenny Maine...
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Tom Strange
I just found out something about wikipedia... you can go in and delete krap like that (I just did!)...
There was a lot of other 'positive' stuff in there about Tony Kubek, why that particular extremely biased section was selected I don't know...
I liked Kubek as a player and as an announcer he wasn't so bad... I liked Garagiola as well... for the same reason I like Joe Morgan these days: lots of stories mixed with knowledge of the game...
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johniam
I've read Wikipedia before on people but never saw anything like that. Reminds me of some of the X rated comix I used to read as a hippie.
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simonzelotes
Goin' to watch the all-stars...I still get the warm fuzzies whenever they sing the national anthem before the game....
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Tom Strange
well... I liked the game... I like 'pitchers duels'...
...and I felt good for Michael Young, he seems so under rated nationally (at least that's our perception here)... but he does that kind of stuff all of the time for us, and he's such a selfless individual and player, an all around really good guy...
it's okay to like him... it's okay for you to admire him... he won't like it, but it's okay...
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hiway29
Michael Young has been lost in the mix nationally.
I like to think that won't be the case anymore. If nothing else, the All-Star game can elevate player awareness.
Nice win by the AL, pulling it out after being down to the last strike. That's what the NL used to do 'back in the day'.
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Tom Strange
Hey... Penny looked awfully strong there... for that matter, so did all of the NL pitchers...
As you guys may or may not know, I subscribe to The Newberg Report, it's a daily email or two about what's going on with the stRangers minor league guys with a little extra about the major league roster and moves thrown in... it's just more baseball for me... you guys might even like it since it talks a lot about Minor League talent around the country, but it is mostly about the stRanger prospects...
Anyway... I found it interesting that back on JUNE 18th (after the Ozzie beanball fiasco here) Newberg wrote this:
anyway... I know I already said it, but I'm just really happy for Michael...
Ozzie sure was a nice guy last night wasn't he? starman, just for you, he didn't use Popoblam because he didn't want to risk hurting him...
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Tom Strange
Okay... I'll stop after this (I promise)... here's an example of today's Newberg Report (and of course, he's gushing about Michael):
One strike away ... yet another one eludes NL (a nice story on ESPN.com)
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mstar1
I havent seen him as closely as you have, but I became at least somewhat of a believer in 04, and have been watching a little closer ( unfortunately only a few times a year) each time the Sox-Rangers get together.
After the previous shortstop ( whats his name??) left to be replaced by Michael Young was when the Rangers started to win and look good as a team. Its no accident, it made alot of people stand up and watch.
Sounds even more like a real gem to get to watch him everyday, after reading that article..treasure the moments while you can.......
Strange one I gots a curiosity question that came to me on a 7 hour drive yesterday, my mind was wandering as it often does and I was wondering what team you grew up with,
Simon, Hiway and me are pretty obvious but I dont think Ive ever heard you mention it-unless I spaced it, which I very well may have....anyway just curious, as the Rangers taint been around all that long---Everyone knows i was a Seattle Pilots fan (or something..) Howzabout you?
........Anyways----trade deadline is comin up--anyone got a wishlist? I know I do, a starting pitcher that can keep the game close and go 7 is all I ask--doesnt have to be a big name -, 2 of them would be nice, with a small dose of middle relief if the deal is good.....and dont mortgage the future
Who's gonna be buying and who's gonna be dumpin?
PS That Newburg report looks like a great read everyday
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simonzelotes
They're talking about this year being one in which not a lot of trades will happen before the deadline since something like 20 teams are still within striking distance of their division or the wild card....I'd like to see the Cubs move Maddux to a more deserving contender and start re-tooling....Kerry Wood's days as a Cub pitcher are more than likely over,and I can't imagine they would bring Dusty Baker back....Time for the Cubs to start a new koinoneia,or whatever the Greek word is for dispensation---er-I mean administration...
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Tom Strange
yeah.. there won't be much movin' I don't think... although that Devil Ray pitcher the other night looked pretty good and they're out of it and look to be dealing since they just gave up Huff...
I'd love for us to get Dontrell Willis... but that ain't happening I don't think... sadly, I think that Kerry's days as a starter are numbered (as if they weren't already)... he has so much trouble staying healthy, I don't know if it's the "Texas Curse" or not.
Have you all heard of that theory? How the Texas High School pitchers are 'cursed'? Seems that almost every year they've got the strongest, best stuff but they're overused in High School which leads to a short or no career... there's no inning limit in Texas HS baseball or in Pony, Colt, American Legion, etc... (I know it killed my brother's arm)
Starman, I grew up in DFW, so I just followed whoever was on the game of the week and naturally was a big fan of the Dodgers and the Yanks since they were on most of the time... and then from 72 on it's the stRangers... maybe that's why I'm such a fan of minor league ball...
go ahead and subscribe... you can always unsubscribe later...
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mstar1
Clemens, Ryan?
Ive never heard of the curse, all I can see from my vantage point is abunch of tough fireballers comng out of Texas pretty regularly--Josh Beckett is another off the top of my head but its a big state Im sure they lose alot along the way that Im missing.
I dont know exactly how they use their HS pitchers down there-here there is max inning something that is a start in the right direction, but its still not enough imo. I had a really good arm but I burned it out early throwing way too much junk at an early age which of course every kid does as soon as he figures it out because it is new and cool, and the coaches did nothing strong at the time to discourage it.
I'd like to see coaches of kids that age have alittle longer range view to developing real prospects instead of using them all to death.
Its a shame about Wood....
oikonomia I sink ess de vurd,
koinoneo ees greek for new coin, and all the fellows who will be on your ship and want to be full sharers and partakers with you when you have some new coin on you
---eh something like that....
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simonzelotes
You're right,mstar--and I thought I knew my ALPF....
I wonder if playing year round baseball has something to do with it as well...Arizona hasn't been cranking out these corn-fed fireballers like Texas has,but I've often wondered,since we do play year round baseball here and lots of ex-major leaguers retire here,why we don't develop a lot more ball players...So many parents and coaches want their kids to get noticed,or to have an edge,that they often overwork them....After my son's frosh year,he did very little off-season pitching,and I noticed a lot of of other pitchers doing the same....If they played on a fall or winter team,then they would more play a field position....Especially the way these lugs grow at that age....My son grew about 9 inches between his freshman and sophomore year....I don't know if their muscle mass and tendons keep up with their bone growth...
Sometimes,I think the majors puts too much emphasis on the "stuff" a pitcher has rather than things like control,smarts,etc. ...It seemed like every time Wood did pitch,his pitch count was up there around a 100 by the 5th inning...While he's famous for his fastball,he had one of the nastiest curves around....But after a while,the scouting report tells batters to lay off it,and if they're not swinging--he ends up walking alot of guys....Wood may be more suited as a reliever-in the later innings,batters are a little more tense and bail the pitchers out by swinging at balls in the dirt...
One of the things Dusty Baker was accused of doing is overusing his pitchers...I still find that laughable when you compare the inning eaters of today with the guys from our youth....Now,they're using the term"quality starts" to describe the kind of year a pitcher is having...I guarantee there won't be a pitcher this year who will have as many quality starts as a Koufax,or a Jenkins or a Gibson had complete games in one season during their heyday...
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Tom Strange
yeah... "quality start"... six innings and 3 runs or less... that means we're supposed to be overjoyed if they pitch to a 4.5 era??? we'll never see pitchers like we had in the "old days"...
which reminds me, did you guys see that Costas show on HBO about steroids with a panel of Tim McCarver, Bob Gibson and (I think) Joe Morgan? He also interviewed Willie Mays about steroids and Mays said that 1) he hadn't asked his godson about whether or not he used them and 2) that he probably would've tried them if they'd been around... I think Gibson said he would have as well...
when Costas asked Gibson how he'd pitch to Bonds he and McCarver both just kind of laughed to themselves (what a relationship they must've had) and Gibson said he'd go inside on him to move him off of the plate. Costas mentioned the body armor that BB wears and again Gibson kind of laughed to himself and said "I think I could break it" and he and McCarver had another chuckle...
About the Texas HS pitchers... there was a story here recently, I'll try to find it... but for every Beckett or Woods there are about 3 or 4 others that were blowing them away at the same age but now have rag arms... no pitch limits here, that's what the whole point of the story was... I'll look around for it...
WE'RE all happy tonight... we've been waiting for Teixeira to break out and get back to "normal"... 3 big flies and one Sac fly is a pretty good start... we've got a pretty hard road trip here to come out of the break... GMJ made another highlight reel catch tonight...
all is well...
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Tom Strange
Baseball 101 Quiz
...thought y'all might enjoy this... I sucked, only got 18 right... but there were about 10 or so that I "changed" (didn't go with my first thought).
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hiway29
I only got 31 right. That was a tough test.
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mstar1
35--at 4am--I did better on the old time stuff than the Middle years.
Well yea, in a way, it is a much different game though with different expectations now than it was then. Im not saying that is good or bad-its just the way that it is. I dont know why pitchers dont have the stamina that they used to--but they just dont. Maybe its the roids era-there seem to be alot less guys hitting in lineups that are hitting .210 or .240 than there used to be and alot more 30-40HR guys that have to be faced.During Pedro's golden years with the Sox, they were very careful about not overworking him because he had a tedency for a few years to go on the disabled list every year around Memorial Day, and his effectiveness changed on a dime after about 105 pitches anyway-so they made adjustments to accomodate him, and fit what he really could do into the works.
Francona took a lot of heat earlier this year when he left in Schilling for 137 pitches , which was great to watch at the time, but then was ineffective for his next 3 or 4 starts.
I'd love to see some bulldog who would throw a complete game every fourth day but Im surprised that a pretty smart guy like Dusty, or the Cubs organization would take Wood, who always seemed to be on the DL, and not try to taylor a role for him that would keep him healthy and more beneficial to the team in the long run.............
It looks like alot of teams have a tough schedule coming out of the break, I wonder if it is by design, before the trading deadline, to let the GM's know where their teams really are as far as contention. I know as an example The BJ's are 5 out but could conceivably be 10 out in a week or 2 with their schedule . Then if you are GM how do you play your cards ?
Do you more or less concede, acquire prospects while you can and dump some payroll, or stick it out, strengthen and push for the improbable?
..and just because alot of teams are still close doesnt necessarily mean that they wont shift guys around. 2 years ago the Twins, Cubs and Red Sox were all in it and did that weird 3 way deal that involved Nomar, that strengthened them all.
Who knows? Its baseball ---anything can happen.
Sox just called up a kid from Yale, a molecular biophysicist who was doing research on Ebola in Gambia, but would rather be a left handed reliever for the Boston Red Sox :)
who wouldn't?
I love this game
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Tom Strange
31!!! good job... like I said, I didn't trust my "first thought"! (must be out of fellowship)...
c'mon Starman! what's with the BoSox? We're counting on them taking a few from the A's so's we can get ahead... I'm thinking that on this strange road trip the stRangers fly in there for one game as a makeup and then fly right out...
...and 35! good job as well... it was on a lot of the older stuff that I changed my answers...
One other thing that Gibson "complained" about... when they lowered the mound... he was not too happy about that! ..said it changed a lot then...
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mstar1
Maybe they shouldnt have changed it or put in the DH...I wonder what the game would look like now if they hadnt changed things....would it have been an era of pitching instead of hitting? What would Clemens and Martinez have done off a mound (how many?) six inches higher....How many no-no's would Ryan have had about 20?
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Tom Strange
yeah.. well, I don't feel sorry for them! they get paid handsomely, but you know that... and there's not a kid in the stands that wouldn't trade places with them... that's what they have to remember... sometimes teams just play like krap... remember the stRanger roadtrip last year? about the only time all season they sucked for a period of time... and that's all it took...
I think you're right on that... and for some reason I thought it was eight inches, but that seems like an awful lot so I'll check...
I don't know what it would've looked like, but Maris' record would still be standing... maybe Babe's as well...
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simonzelotes
30....That stupid quiz sucked....
In 1968,the year Yaz won the AL batting title with a whopping .301 average,Tom Tresh,playing mostly shortstop and some outfield for the Yanks,had 99 hits in 507 at bats for a staggering .195 batting average....,But then,George Scott of the Bosox only managed to punch out 60 hits in 350 at bats for a forgettable .171 average....I think something needed to be done to bring in some offense....
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