all things baseball. if you swing that way
- Thread starter hoochmonkey9
- Start date
you know, sometimes I feel stupid for still liking baseball. not that baseball is stupid, just that it has become a money grubbing sport (like most professional sports), full of athletes and agents with no loyalty. and the whole steroids thing that spoiled 20 years, not to mention shitting on Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle....well pick a player that hit his prime before 1985(?), and the steroid era shit on them. belittled them and wrongly made them feel inferior.
but so help me, I love baseball. I visited Fenway Park for the first time last summer. walked up Yawkey Way and into the park and up into the stadium and it was a perfect evening with the sun behaving exactly as it should on a mid summer evening and the Green Monster hit me as much as the Wailing Wall hits others. I choked up a little. ok, more than a little. Fred Lynn was there, waving to the crowd. I'll remember that night forever.
but my point? here's why I'll always love baseball, for plays like this.
full disclosure, I'm a Washington Nationals fan, which were the Montreal Expos until 2005. I became an Expos fan in 1976. for that, you can call me stupid. have another drink, Steve, ok!
but so help me, I love baseball. I visited Fenway Park for the first time last summer. walked up Yawkey Way and into the park and up into the stadium and it was a perfect evening with the sun behaving exactly as it should on a mid summer evening and the Green Monster hit me as much as the Wailing Wall hits others. I choked up a little. ok, more than a little. Fred Lynn was there, waving to the crowd. I'll remember that night forever.
but my point? here's why I'll always love baseball, for plays like this.
full disclosure, I'm a Washington Nationals fan, which were the Montreal Expos until 2005. I became an Expos fan in 1976. for that, you can call me stupid. have another drink, Steve, ok!
Yeah, catches like that are just fantastic to watch. I'll take great defense over great offense any day. I've been going to Fenway since '71 and I still get awed when I walk into that place.
But right now, it's all Broons.
But right now, it's all Broons.
mjp
Founding member
That reminds me of Kirby Puckett in the 1991 world series...
In the first inning of Game 6, Puckett tripled home a run, then scored. In the third inning, with one out and a runner at first, Atlanta's Ron Gant hit a fly ball to deep left-center field. "I thought it was gone," Puckett said. But Puckett, who was 5-foot-8, scaled the Plexiglas fence in left-center and caught it -- making one of the greatest catches in World Series history.
The only difference, of course, is Puckett didn't milk it and ham it up after the catch like the dude in the video there. Well, that and it was the world series.
In the first inning of Game 6, Puckett tripled home a run, then scored. In the third inning, with one out and a runner at first, Atlanta's Ron Gant hit a fly ball to deep left-center field. "I thought it was gone," Puckett said. But Puckett, who was 5-foot-8, scaled the Plexiglas fence in left-center and caught it -- making one of the greatest catches in World Series history.
The only difference, of course, is Puckett didn't milk it and ham it up after the catch like the dude in the video there. Well, that and it was the world series.
Well, there may have been some other differences, perhaps involving a dragging incident, a Men's Room and a restraining order or two.
Great ball player though.
Great ball player though.
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
To tie things together here, I saw a Twins vs. Red Sox game at Fenway in 1994 when Puckett was still playing (he retired in 1996). He had an off night as I recall, but the Red Sox played well and won. Otis Nixon made two nice running catches in center. Andre Dawson launched a freaking ICBM over the Monster that I can still HEAR in my head. That game made me reconsider my objection to the DH rule. By 1994, Dawson's knees were shot to hell but he could still hit. If not for the DH, he wouldn't have been able to contribute like he did that night and others.
What a great park. And game. And yeah, the money and steroids have tarnished baseball badly but I still watch too.
What a great park. And game. And yeah, the money and steroids have tarnished baseball badly but I still watch too.
man, Kirby didn't even fall down! you call that a catch? ;)
sure, maybe Bernadina did milk it a bit, but it's not like he's a soccer player, flapping and flailing around the field because someone accidentally touched his jersey.
Bernadina has been up and down from the minors his whole career; great glove, great make up, but can't seem to translate his natural athletic ability into hitting a baseball on a consistent basis. he's probably thinking "Well that catch just bought me another week up here!" that's not hamming it up you're seeing, it's relief.
sure, maybe Bernadina did milk it a bit, but it's not like he's a soccer player, flapping and flailing around the field because someone accidentally touched his jersey.
Bernadina has been up and down from the minors his whole career; great glove, great make up, but can't seem to translate his natural athletic ability into hitting a baseball on a consistent basis. he's probably thinking "Well that catch just bought me another week up here!" that's not hamming it up you're seeing, it's relief.
mjp
Founding member
I saw Bo Jackson (O, where have ye gone, Bo?) hit a home run out of the Angel's park that I don't think has landed yet. I don't know if he took steroids, but talk about pure fifty-tons-of-iron-steam-locomotive-power. Yeeeow.
Puckett, yeah, it was odd to learn that he was more like Rick James on a crack binge than the Papa Smurf everyone in MN wanted him to be. Dude was a freak. But whenever he had to do something crazy in a game, he did it. Speaking of the Angel's park, I saw Puckett hit one out of there too, and he wasn't really known for his home run prowess. Bring back the juiced balls! ;)
Bo Jackson. I would watch Royals games just to see him. something crazy like running up the outfield wall or saving Metropolis from Lex Luthor....wait, I think I might have that mixed up.
but yeah, he was something.
sorry, I was looking for that Bo Jackson running up the wall vid, couldn't find it, but found this:
but yeah, he was something.
sorry, I was looking for that Bo Jackson running up the wall vid, couldn't find it, but found this:
I'm pretty sure that was an advertisement for Gatorade that aired a few years back. I remember watching a piece on ESPN or somewhere about how it was made. A couple hundred fans stuck around after a minor league game to sit in the left field bleachers. They attached cables to her and lifted her up. A bottle of Gatorade was sitting by her chair when she goes back to sit down.
There. Now that I've ruined that awesome catch for you, I'm off to piss on something else. ;)
There. Now that I've ruined that awesome catch for you, I'm off to piss on something else. ;)
dammit! I thought the crowd noise sounded fake...
see? that's how gullible I am when it comes to baseball. sentimental sucker.
see? that's how gullible I am when it comes to baseball. sentimental sucker.
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
Shit - gotta confess I fell for that too !
***joining hooch for a drink at the Sentimental Suckers bar***
***joining hooch for a drink at the Sentimental Suckers bar***
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
mjp
Founding member
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
Legendary.
And on a day when the Last Great Beer Drinkin Home Run guy passed...
I can only salute you sir...
And on a day when the Last Great Beer Drinkin Home Run guy passed...
I can only salute you sir...
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
Hooch ! Would you PLEASE stop showing off your magic, psychic-telekinetic voodoo powers ? Sure - you can inspire a late-inning comeback by the Nats vs. Cards. I GET IT. Just let the game play out naturally from here on out - please ?
God - you're worse than steroids with that influence.
God - you're worse than steroids with that influence.
Zimmerman's back, baby!
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
Oh sure - you can credit Zimmerman or write it off to bad Cardinals pitching if you want. But just in case, I've contacted Uri Gellar, Kreskin, Sarah Palin and every other magical thinker available to form a giant force field between Nova Scotia and the U.S.
Game on !
Game on !
don't forget Reveen!
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
Him too. But nothing is stopping these Nationals tonight. And what a pitching performance from Hernandez - well done
I don't know much about baseball but there was this pitcher who's nick name was "The Wild Thing"?
I worked 6:30 pm - 3am night shifts at the post office and when I got home I could hardly walk upstairs to my room but made it and I always opened an expensive bottle of Beaujolais, layed down on my bed, put the tv on, found an unkown sports channel and watched a baseball game until I fell asleep around 6am.
Who was that pitcher?
I worked 6:30 pm - 3am night shifts at the post office and when I got home I could hardly walk upstairs to my room but made it and I always opened an expensive bottle of Beaujolais, layed down on my bed, put the tv on, found an unkown sports channel and watched a baseball game until I fell asleep around 6am.
Who was that pitcher?
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
Mitch Williams. He was a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in 1989 when they actually played well and won the Eastern Division. But his big "claim to fame" was giving up a World Series-winning home run to Joe Carter in the 1993 World Series. At that time, Williams pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies and they lost the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays. Overall, he was a pretty good pitcher in his prime. Left-hander too.
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
Quitter ?
Or feisty independent ?
Ooooohh.... the Nats' center fielder just robbed Adam Dunn of a home run with a nice leaping catch. I think Sox fans wish Dunn would get on the Riggleman Express bus out of town too...
Or feisty independent ?
Ooooohh.... the Nats' center fielder just robbed Adam Dunn of a home run with a nice leaping catch. I think Sox fans wish Dunn would get on the Riggleman Express bus out of town too...
I'm on the fence about the Riggleman episode. apparently this has been brewing for awhile. bad timing, but I like Riggleman's balls.
and I was glad to see Dunn go. great personality, but his skills were and are declining and not someone you build a club around. if the Nats were perennial contenders, then Dunn would be a nice piece. but the Nats are not the Yankees. yet.
3-0 Nats top 9.
two weeks ago, the Nats were 8 games under .500. if they hold on tonight, they will be 2 games over. they are hot.
and I was glad to see Dunn go. great personality, but his skills were and are declining and not someone you build a club around. if the Nats were perennial contenders, then Dunn would be a nice piece. but the Nats are not the Yankees. yet.
3-0 Nats top 9.
two weeks ago, the Nats were 8 games under .500. if they hold on tonight, they will be 2 games over. they are hot.
fuck. 3 run home run by the Sox to tie. bottom 9.
I jinxed.
I jinxed.
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
I don't believe in jinxes, but dude..... that was Mark Teahen :)
Jordan Zimmerman looks like a good young pitcher, though.
Jordan Zimmerman looks like a good young pitcher, though.
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
Santas left it hanging. Nix jumped all over it. Now the crowd goes limp....
What ? I'm just talking about the game
What ? I'm just talking about the game
don't worry about it. I just declared how much I like Riggleman's balls...
I'm surprised that's only the second home run allowed this year by Santas, the way he hung that...
I'm surprised that's only the second home run allowed this year by Santas, the way he hung that...