simon... couldn't have happened to a 'nicer' guy! ..or should I say more deserving! but then again... your city 'drafted' him to be the 'managing partner' anyway didn't they? ...how do you feel when you see so many of your tax dollars going into his pockets from the d'backs and suns?
You could prolly do 100 pages in the political threads on all the political shenanegans that took place to bring the D-backs to Az. ...I'll credit Colangelo for making things happen,and the fact that he grew up in the sports ranks(he wasn't an independantly wealthy guy that just bought a sports team for a hobby)...But he did bully his way through some political barriers and admittedly,he mortgaged his team's future for an immediate winner...The transient,fair-weather Arizona population demands that...Now,the team has to start paying the credit-card bills,and the outlook ain't to purty...
Yes,us Cub fans feel you're pain,Mstar...Maybe that's why Red Sox fans and Cub fans are so persistant....It's like persuing a gal that never lets you,...um...er...oh,forget it...
Not really, I just feel it every year about this time during the nosedive......maybe it is genetic memory from the grandparents or a grave sin in a past life that lead me to be born in Boston....the Red Sox are an eternal and unbreakable link to dashed hopes and unfulfilled dreams
Every year with the Red Sox seems like a hundred years
I understand what you guys are talking about... but at least your teams have gotten out of the first round!
The youngsters on our team are "hitting the wall" right now (instead of the ball) but they're good humans and will learn from this and hopefully break out of it soon... our pitching isn't strong enough to overcome their recent lack of offense... and because we've had to carry so many pitchers on the active roster they've not had any time off... they're trying to bring up a utility guy or two to get them at least a day and a half each off and then they're just going to have to grind it out...
They do have great attitudes though... and the folks here love the way they approach and play the game...
Fortunately,my love for the game transcends how well my team is doing...Geez,between the Cubs and the White Sox,Chicago still hasn't won a championship in,what,a hundred years?...But there's nothing I enjoy more than good baseball(aside from a few personal vices)....While nothing can top a dramatic,walk-off homerun,I love a good chess match in a well managed game,heads-up baserunning,game-saving catches,watching great pitchers ply their craft against great hitters,the wonderful,relaxing atmosphere of knowing that nothing so cataclysmic has happened in the world around me that prevents me from soaking in the game....
Agreed and agreed, to me baseball is, or can be at times near to the perfect artform, I enjoy all those things of which you speak. What ultimately perturbs me is when I see our million dollar messiahs making mental lapses that any athletic 9 year old knows and that would embarass a 12 year old. Although mental and physical mistakes are a part of the game to see some of the things that I have seen this year out of my team, sort of degrades the game itself and gets me po'ed. Its like watching the child with the most potential go astray.
However, It still is though the best thing( well one of the best...) to do with a summer evening
Just watched ESPN's countdown to the greatest chokes of the last 25 years...2003 Cubs #5...1986 Bosox,#1....Grrrrr....
Yeah,I've been tempted more than a few times to take a baseball bat to the tv screen when Sammy Sosa or Corey Patterson come up to bat...It's like they go up to the plate with absolutely no game plan...Uhhh,Sammy...0-2 pitch,you're probably not gonna get a belt high fastball down the middle..ADJUST YOU'RE FREAKIN' SWING!...Patterson...The ump probably would have called that 1-0 pitch that sailed over your head a ball if you hadn't swung at it...I mean,I know they're facing good pitching,but these guys look totally unprepared and clueless when they come to the plate...I don't care if they guess wrong,but at least get up there and guess,for God's sake...I don't know if any sport matches the great one-on-one mental battle between pitcher and batter...
I "third" those thoughts as well... it is and always has been "the best" for me...
We open a series with the evil empire tonight after being swept by the O's the last four games... we put 5 up on Kevin Brown (that's always satisfying for us) and he's done...
They've also turned a couple of amazingly acrobatic double plays... now, if Drese (our pleasant surprise this year) can hold on for a couple of more innings we've got faith in our bullpen...
The Kids from Richmond, Texas made it to Williamsport for the second year in a row last night- a good exciting game against Arkansas
The LLWS has first choice for me, with the Sox relegated to between innings, even though the AL wildcard race is in a 3-way tie.
Halfway through August and the Red Sox are still a team without an identity, they and a lot of these major leaguers could learn a lot about teamwork from these little leaguers.
Hows Nomar doing over there? He wasnt happy anymore over here, but when he is on (which has been awhile)he can be one of the most exciting players I have seen in this generation. Maybe those days are gone (maybe and hopefully not) but I still would love to see him spark the Cubs
The Morganton, NC All-Stars are going to Williamsport for the Little League World Series.
Morganton is a town of about 17,000 that is 70 miles northwest of Charlotte and this is the biggest thing to happen there since...forever. The last team from anywhere around here to go to the World Series was in 1952.
Old timers might remember Morganton as a big twi area back in the 70s.
Their first game will be August 20th against Davenport, Iowa.
There's still a lot of baseball to be played in the majors. Seattle won 116 games in what? 2001? Didn't even make it to the world series. Anything could happen.
Last years Little League World Series Team was from Valley Sports in Louisville, Ky. I played on the same team back in the late sixties , so it was thrill for me seeing them win tha world series of Little League. I think my next big thrill in baseball will be seeing Tony LaRussa lead the Cardinals to another World Series Championship!. I think he deserves to go out on a Winners Note!
The last Arizona team in the tournament got ousted yesterday in the regionals in California.....
You're right,Johniam,there's still plenty of baseball left...This is the time of year when the ones who really want to play playoff baseball start stepping it up...
So far,Mstar,Nomaah is fitting in nicely,which is to be expected..Got his first homer as a Cub,yesterday...The Cubs haven't had a good hitting shortstop since....geez,Ernie Banks...
I have similar trouble remembering Dal Maxville and Mike Shannon's positions...
Beckert was their second baseman and was always a tough strikeout...Unfortunately for him,when he had his career year in 1971 and hit .342,Joe Torre also had his career year and hit .363,and not only won the batting title,but had 137 ribbies and won the MVP as well....Kessinger was a good shortstop,but I don't think he ever hit higher than the .270's,and rarely homered..In those days it wasn't uncommon for the starting shortstop on a lot of teams to hit below .250,as long as they were fast and good defensively...These power-hitting,lightning-quick infielders we have nowadays truly amaze me...
You know,Johniam,you were talking about believing a while back...I'm sort of a stat freak...But what amazes me is when the best statistics and the actual winners don't match...Like,everybody remembers the Cubs collapse of '69...What gets me,is there is no way they should have lost the division to the Pirates in 1970...Cubs had the best starting four(remember those days?),three 100 RBI men,and a "million dollar infield",yet only managed to win 84 games...Pirate's leading pitcher won only 15 games,and their leading RBI guy was Stargell with 85...Yet they won the division by 5 games over the Cubs...How do you explain that? Believing?...Winning(or losing)attitude?
Look at the Cardinals this year...A typical series for them is: win 8-7; win 1-0; lose 8-2;win 5-4 in extra innings...How is it teams like that seem to just know how to win while some of the heretofore-mentioned teams seem to lay awake at night inventing new ways to lose?....
Well,I'm a little charged on caffienne,and felt like ranting a bit...Like they say,it's only a game...
Interesting that as a young Cleveland Indian fan, one of their players over 40 years ago was
Doc Edwards. He managed the Indians for a little while back in the '80s. Now he is in town (has been for a while) as the manager of our Northern League Canaries...who, like the Indians of the 60s dont seem to go too far.
Recommended Posts
Top Posters In This Topic
858
673
1658
1014
Popular Days
Oct 24
38
Aug 12
34
Aug 18
31
Oct 22
29
Top Posters In This Topic
hiway29 858 posts
Rocky 673 posts
mstar1 1,658 posts
Tom Strange 1,014 posts
Popular Days
Oct 24 2007
38 posts
Aug 12 2008
34 posts
Aug 18 2008
31 posts
Oct 22 2006
29 posts
Popular Posts
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.
Posted Images
Tom Strange
simon... couldn't have happened to a 'nicer' guy! ..or should I say more deserving! but then again... your city 'drafted' him to be the 'managing partner' anyway didn't they? ...how do you feel when you see so many of your tax dollars going into his pockets from the d'backs and suns?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonzelotes
Tom,
You could prolly do 100 pages in the political threads on all the political shenanegans that took place to bring the D-backs to Az. ...I'll credit Colangelo for making things happen,and the fact that he grew up in the sports ranks(he wasn't an independantly wealthy guy that just bought a sports team for a hobby)...But he did bully his way through some political barriers and admittedly,he mortgaged his team's future for an immediate winner...The transient,fair-weather Arizona population demands that...Now,the team has to start paying the credit-card bills,and the outlook ain't to purty...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tom Strange
well... at least you got a world series out of the deal...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mstar1
Speaking of World Series--dont forget one of the purer manifestations of the sport The Little League World Series which is starting up this weekend.
***********************************************
Saturday, Aug. 7
Southeast Championship (at St. Petersburg, Fla.) 7 p.m.
(eastern) ESPN
Sunday, Aug. 8
Midwest Championship (at Indianapolis) 7 p.m.
(eastern) ESPN2
Monday, Aug. 9
Great Lakes Championship (at Indianapolis) 8 p.m.
(eastern) ESPN
Tuesday, Aug. 10
Southwest Championship (at Waco, Texas) 8 p.m.
(eastern) ESPN2
Wednesday, Aug. 11
Northwest Championship (at San Bernardino, Calif.) 8 p.m.
(eastern) ESPN2
Thursday, Aug. 12
West Championship (at San Bernardino, Calif.) 8 p.m.
(eastern) ESPN2
Saturday, Aug. 14
New England Championship (at Bristol, Conn.) 8 p.m.
(eastern) ESPN
Sunday, Aug. 15
Mid-Atlantic Championship (at Bristol, Conn.) 5 p.m.
(eastern) ESPN2
Little League Baseball Division (11-12 year olds)
World Series Games to be Televised
(All games at Little League International - Williamsport, Pa.)
All times are listed in Eastern Time.
Game Time Network
Friday - Aug. 20
Midwest vs. Southeast 1 p.m. ESPN
Latin America vs. Canada 5 p.m. ESPN2
New England vs. West 8 p.m. ESPN
Saturday - Aug. 21
Mid Atlantic vs. Great Lakes Noon ESPN2
Southwest vs. Northwest 3 p.m. ESPN
EMEA vs. Asia 6 p.m. ESPN2
Midwest vs. New England 8 p.m. ESPN2
Sunday - Aug. 22
Southwest vs. Great Lakes 1 p.m. ESPN
Southeast vs. West 3 p.m. ESPN
Northwest vs. Mid-Atlantic 8 p.m. ESPN2
Monday - Aug. 23
Pacific vs. Mexico 1 p.m. ESPN2
Midwest vs. West 3 p.m. ESPN
Caribbean vs. Transatlantic 5 p.m. ESPN2
New England vs. Southeast 7 p.m. ESPN2
Tuesday - Aug. 24
Caribbean vs. Pacific 11 a.m. ESPN2
Canada vs. EMEA 1 p.m. ESPN2
Southwest vs. Mid-Atlantic 3 p.m. ESPN
Latin America vs. Asia 5 p.m. ESPN2
Northwest vs. Great Lakes 8 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday - Aug. 25
International - Semi-Final (D1 vs. C2) 4 p.m. ESPN
United States - Semi-Final (B1 vs. A2) 8 p.m. ESPN
Thursday - Aug. 26
International - Semi-Final (D2 vs. C1) 4 p.m. ESPN
United States - Semi-Final (B2 vs. A1) 8 p.m. ESPN2
Saturday- Aug. 28
International Championship 3 p.m. ESPN
United States Championship 7:30 p.m. ABC
Sunday - Aug. 29
Consolation Championship 1 p.m. ESPN
World Championship
Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonzelotes
Thanks,Mstar,
I try to catch a few of those games on ESPN...I love watching ballplayers when they still have they're dreams ahead of them...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mstar1
Well being a Red Sox fan, I like to see somebodies baseball dreams come true, since mine have been on hold for about a century now.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonzelotes
Yes,us Cub fans feel you're pain,Mstar...Maybe that's why Red Sox fans and Cub fans are so persistant....It's like persuing a gal that never lets you,...um...er...oh,forget it...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lifted Up
Are you that old?
My Cleveland Indians had their last World Series win in 1948, two years before I was born, so it may as well be a century.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mstar1
Not really, I just feel it every year about this time during the nosedive......maybe it is genetic memory from the grandparents or a grave sin in a past life that lead me to be born in Boston....the Red Sox are an eternal and unbreakable link to dashed hopes and unfulfilled dreams
Every year with the Red Sox seems like a hundred years
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tom Strange
I understand what you guys are talking about... but at least your teams have gotten out of the first round!
The youngsters on our team are "hitting the wall" right now (instead of the ball) but they're good humans and will learn from this and hopefully break out of it soon... our pitching isn't strong enough to overcome their recent lack of offense... and because we've had to carry so many pitchers on the active roster they've not had any time off... they're trying to bring up a utility guy or two to get them at least a day and a half each off and then they're just going to have to grind it out...
They do have great attitudes though... and the folks here love the way they approach and play the game...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonzelotes
Fortunately,my love for the game transcends how well my team is doing...Geez,between the Cubs and the White Sox,Chicago still hasn't won a championship in,what,a hundred years?...But there's nothing I enjoy more than good baseball(aside from a few personal vices)....While nothing can top a dramatic,walk-off homerun,I love a good chess match in a well managed game,heads-up baserunning,game-saving catches,watching great pitchers ply their craft against great hitters,the wonderful,relaxing atmosphere of knowing that nothing so cataclysmic has happened in the world around me that prevents me from soaking in the game....
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mstar1
Agreed and agreed, to me baseball is, or can be at times near to the perfect artform, I enjoy all those things of which you speak. What ultimately perturbs me is when I see our million dollar messiahs making mental lapses that any athletic 9 year old knows and that would embarass a 12 year old. Although mental and physical mistakes are a part of the game to see some of the things that I have seen this year out of my team, sort of degrades the game itself and gets me po'ed. Its like watching the child with the most potential go astray.
However, It still is though the best thing( well one of the best...) to do with a summer evening
Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonzelotes
Just watched ESPN's countdown to the greatest chokes of the last 25 years...2003 Cubs #5...1986 Bosox,#1....Grrrrr....
Yeah,I've been tempted more than a few times to take a baseball bat to the tv screen when Sammy Sosa or Corey Patterson come up to bat...It's like they go up to the plate with absolutely no game plan...Uhhh,Sammy...0-2 pitch,you're probably not gonna get a belt high fastball down the middle..ADJUST YOU'RE FREAKIN' SWING!...Patterson...The ump probably would have called that 1-0 pitch that sailed over your head a ball if you hadn't swung at it...I mean,I know they're facing good pitching,but these guys look totally unprepared and clueless when they come to the plate...I don't care if they guess wrong,but at least get up there and guess,for God's sake...I don't know if any sport matches the great one-on-one mental battle between pitcher and batter...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tom Strange
I "third" those thoughts as well... it is and always has been "the best" for me...
We open a series with the evil empire tonight after being swept by the O's the last four games... we put 5 up on Kevin Brown (that's always satisfying for us) and he's done...
They've also turned a couple of amazingly acrobatic double plays... now, if Drese (our pleasant surprise this year) can hold on for a couple of more innings we've got faith in our bullpen...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mstar1
The Kids from Richmond, Texas made it to Williamsport for the second year in a row last night- a good exciting game against Arkansas
The LLWS has first choice for me, with the Sox relegated to between innings, even though the AL wildcard race is in a 3-way tie.
Halfway through August and the Red Sox are still a team without an identity, they and a lot of these major leaguers could learn a lot about teamwork from these little leaguers.
Hows Nomar doing over there? He wasnt happy anymore over here, but when he is on (which has been awhile)he can be one of the most exciting players I have seen in this generation. Maybe those days are gone (maybe and hopefully not) but I still would love to see him spark the Cubs
to the Series.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pirate1974
The Morganton, NC All-Stars are going to Williamsport for the Little League World Series.
Morganton is a town of about 17,000 that is 70 miles northwest of Charlotte and this is the biggest thing to happen there since...forever. The last team from anywhere around here to go to the World Series was in 1952.
Old timers might remember Morganton as a big twi area back in the 70s.
Their first game will be August 20th against Davenport, Iowa.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
johniam
There's still a lot of baseball to be played in the majors. Seattle won 116 games in what? 2001? Didn't even make it to the world series. Anything could happen.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Littlehawk
Last years Little League World Series Team was from Valley Sports in Louisville, Ky. I played on the same team back in the late sixties , so it was thrill for me seeing them win tha world series of Little League. I think my next big thrill in baseball will be seeing Tony LaRussa lead the Cardinals to another World Series Championship!. I think he deserves to go out on a Winners Note!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tom Strange
Hawk... is he stepping down after this year? The list of managers with his talent is very short...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonzelotes
The last Arizona team in the tournament got ousted yesterday in the regionals in California.....
You're right,Johniam,there's still plenty of baseball left...This is the time of year when the ones who really want to play playoff baseball start stepping it up...
So far,Mstar,Nomaah is fitting in nicely,which is to be expected..Got his first homer as a Cub,yesterday...The Cubs haven't had a good hitting shortstop since....geez,Ernie Banks...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
johniam
Simon: Don't forget Glenn Beckert and Don Kessinger.(can't remember which one played second base and which one played shortstop)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
simonzelotes
Johniam,
I have similar trouble remembering Dal Maxville and Mike Shannon's positions...
Beckert was their second baseman and was always a tough strikeout...Unfortunately for him,when he had his career year in 1971 and hit .342,Joe Torre also had his career year and hit .363,and not only won the batting title,but had 137 ribbies and won the MVP as well....Kessinger was a good shortstop,but I don't think he ever hit higher than the .270's,and rarely homered..In those days it wasn't uncommon for the starting shortstop on a lot of teams to hit below .250,as long as they were fast and good defensively...These power-hitting,lightning-quick infielders we have nowadays truly amaze me...
You know,Johniam,you were talking about believing a while back...I'm sort of a stat freak...But what amazes me is when the best statistics and the actual winners don't match...Like,everybody remembers the Cubs collapse of '69...What gets me,is there is no way they should have lost the division to the Pirates in 1970...Cubs had the best starting four(remember those days?),three 100 RBI men,and a "million dollar infield",yet only managed to win 84 games...Pirate's leading pitcher won only 15 games,and their leading RBI guy was Stargell with 85...Yet they won the division by 5 games over the Cubs...How do you explain that? Believing?...Winning(or losing)attitude?
Look at the Cardinals this year...A typical series for them is: win 8-7; win 1-0; lose 8-2;win 5-4 in extra innings...How is it teams like that seem to just know how to win while some of the heretofore-mentioned teams seem to lay awake at night inventing new ways to lose?....
Well,I'm a little charged on caffienne,and felt like ranting a bit...Like they say,it's only a game...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lifted Up
Interesting that as a young Cleveland Indian fan, one of their players over 40 years ago was
Doc Edwards. He managed the Indians for a little while back in the '80s. Now he is in town (has been for a while) as the manager of our Northern League Canaries...who, like the Indians of the 60s dont seem to go too far.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
def59
Speaking of good hitting shortstops, I think Alan Trammell should get some votes for manager of the year and the Hall of Fame.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.