It's World Series time and I'm jazzed!

My Father was born in New York City in 1905 and was a Yankees fan. He saw Murderers Row up close and personal, and all the other greats of the time. Told me lots of stories that I was too young and dumb to commit to memory. Do have a couple:

Seems many teams infields played Babe Ruth way back past the dirt. Every once in a while, Babe would lay down a bunt...WALK to first... and stand there laughing his ass off.

One of the Yankee outfielders had a weak arm (sound familiar?)...can't remember the name but he was apparently a good fielder. Would catch the ball and toss it to Babe or the other fielder for the throw in.

Negro League teams frequently played "exhibitions" at Yankee stadium. Dad particularly enjoyed these, because he appreciated baseball excellence, and didn't give a damn what a man's color was. Told me the best ballplayer he EVER saw was catcher Josh Gibson. He could throw a strike to second base, on a line, without coming out of his crouch. Said the longest homerun he ever saw at Yankee Stadium was hit by Josh.

My thoughts:

The best baseball book title, heck maybe ANY book title: "Only The Ball Was White" (history of the Negro Leagues).

Best nickname..."Cool Papa" Bell. Who wouldn't want to be known as a Cool Papa???. It was said of him (I think Satchel)..."he could turn out the lights and be in bed before it got dark". "He could hit a ball to the shortstop and be on third when the play was over."

My favorite player, ever...Willie McCovey. The majesty was mesmerizing. I love me some of "Stretch".

Best baseball movie...it's a tie..."Field of Dreams"..if ya got a heart and a head for baseball, hearing this...from THE VOICE of James Earl Jones...heck it STILL chokes me up....

Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.

AND, "Bull Durham".... as close to "inside" baseball as I'm ever likely to see...and funnier than shit to boot...I mean c'mon..."the rose goes in the front big fella"


I LOVE the game...and I played. Was a Little League All-Star, but that was my peak. In high school my position was...left out and right pine ;D. But I did personally get to see Larry Christianson (Marysville, Wa...Philadelphia Phillies) throw a one hitter and hit two homeruns. There were REAL baseball scouts in the stands. Remember thinking...geez, they're all fat and smoking cigars.....

I could go on and on and on....

“Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball.” Jacques Barzun

Best,

Jon

Quote:

Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

I recently read "Catcher: How the Man Behind the Plate Became an American Folk Hero" by Peter Morris.  It was a fascinating history of the Catcher's position. 

I'll admit I didn't finish it because it got too dry for me, but most of it was excellent.  I recommend it if you like baseball.

"A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while."

Cool, Pat....thank you. I'll be reading that!

One of the dumbest phrases I've ever heard is that
catchers wear "the tools of ignorance". It's exactly the opposite....they are the smartest person on the field.

Thinking it came about because the abuse suffered
is unimaginable for those without the heart...

Best,

Jon

Quote:

My favorite player, ever...Willie McCovey.

All-around player.  A picture of him sliding into second is etched in my brain.

Great being a kid in the sixties.

Frank and Yaz, back-to back triple crowns, not one since.

Who didn't want a glove with Brooks Robinson's name on it.


The loooong ball hitter -- Frank Howard

Favorite -- Harmon Killebrew.  Watched him so much I emulated his high-held batting style.  Worked alright.

Respected -- Roberto Clemente.  His expanding of national pride in baseball outside the U. S. to the territory.  When hero status and charitable person went hand in hand.

Of course though, local favorite -- Al Kaline.  Scouted from high school, batting champ the year I was born.  Saw him throw a strike to the plate from right field to beat a slide, and snag a hit to right, throwing the batter out at first base.  Came through big in a very exciting '68 World Series.  Another humble and great personality of the game.

:)

some people go cuckoo over the world series. :)
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Kevin_M wrote on Oct 31^st, 2009 at 5:05pm:

Quote: My favorite player, ever...Willie McCovey. All-around player.  A picture of him sliding into second is etched in my brain. Thank you Kevin...as my Asian friends would say..."you make my heart come glad". An image of him at the plate is etched in MY brain. I used to feel bad, and scared, for the pitcher.... Great being a kid in the sixties. Ummmmm...yup... Frank and Yaz, back-to back triple crowns, not one since. On my bucket list...Fenway Park...specifically, on top of the "Green Monster". I wanna see where Yaz performed his magic. Won the batting title at .301...they pay utility fielders millions for that now...sigh... Who didn't want a glove with Brooks Robinson's name on it. The human vacuum cleaner...never seen anything like it.... The loooong ball hitter -- Frank Howard I wanted "guns" like that....even at 10 yrs old I felt bad he was on such a bad team.... Favorite -- Harmon Killebrew.  Watched him so much I emulated his high-held batting style.  Worked alright. I loved "The Killer" too....In 1965, my fifth grade teacher, Mr Ziegler, would sneak us into the auditorium to watch the Twins-Dodgers WS games. The girls couldn't fathom...I've NEVER forgotten. Respected -- Roberto Clemente.  His expanding of national pride in baseball outside the U. S. to the territory.  When hero status and charitable person went hand in hand. Played like his hair was on fire...watching him run was like watching Secretariat....and the only outfield arm I've ever seen similar is Ichiro's.... Of course though, local favorite -- Al Kaline.  Scouted from high school, batting champ the year I was born.  Saw him throw a strike to the plate from right field to beat a slide, and snag a hit to right, throwing the batter out at first base.  Came through big in a very exciting '68 World Series.  Another humble and great personality of the game. Al and Mickey and Norm and Bill and Jim and Willie and Mayo and Denny and and and...1968...oh my... :)

My favorite was Johnny Callison, maybe a little bit because he was distant kin.  He tied Willie Mays for the batting crown one year, I'm wanting to say 67, but I'm not sure.

Loved to watch Jim Bunning pitch.  Tried to copy his kick and fell over backward. ;D  Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver have to be two of the greatest of that era with Nolen Ryan coming along a little later.  Whitey Ford was awesome in his time as well.  For pure fun watching him pitch was Phil Niekro.  Nobody knew where the ball was going, including him.  Hoyt Wilhelm was another great knuckleballer.  Gaylord Perry and his splitter/spitter was another fun one.

Bobby Richardson and Tom Tresh were a great infield combo.  To bad they were on the Yankees!

Haven't paid any attention at all, nor gone to a Major League game since the last strike.  Got fed up and don't intend to go back.  We've got a couple of minor league teams in the area, and I'd rather watch kids who are playing cause they want to and that I can get in for what it costs for a hot dog and coke in the Majors.

Jon, you've brought back memories of the time I lived for baseball, and rarely went a day without doing something with a ball, even if it was only bouncing it off the side of the house of the roof making myself catch the crazy bounces.  I miss those days.

Jerry

Callico wrote on Oct 31^st, 2009 at 8:20pm:

Jon, you've brought back memories of the time I lived for baseball, and rarely went a day without doing something with a ball, even if it was only bouncing it off the side of the house of the roof making myself catch the crazy bounces.  I miss those days. Jerry

It don't get much better than that Jerry....

If they play ball in heaven, AND I make it....

Put me in Coach ("J")...I wanna play...CENTERFIELD!
"Singin Willl-eeee, Mickey...and the DUKE...say hey, say HEY, say HEY!!!"

-johnny- wrote on Oct 31^st, 2009 at 6:04pm:

some people go cuckoo over the world series. :) START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Dial up here...I'll watch this at work (shhhhh) on Monday ::). Thanks Johnny.....

If you build it, he will come . . . .

Get thee to Dyersville, Iowa next summer and visit the Field of Dreams.

Quote:

1968...oh my...

What made it great also was the Cards line-up they beat.    :o





Quote:

Jon, you've brought back memories of the time I lived for baseball, and rarely went a day without doing something with a ball, even if it was only bouncing it off the side of the house of the roof making myself catch the crazy bounces.  I miss those days. Jerry

A little poem about those days before even "F" league eligible when the kids on the street went over to an empty field and played all summer long, written the mid-90's, the day before a CVS back parking lot was built over it.  Sandlot Hill, kind of like a Boot Hill of memories.


Sandlot Hill

The green grass growing
On an empty city lot,
Never needed cutting
As our private summer plot.

On this open ground
No one said we couldn't play,
Us boys chose up the sides
And competed everyday.

We challenged other streets,
Wore a diamond in the ground.
Pitched and swang the bat,
Snagging horsehides on the bound.

Important throws to second,
Stressful pop-ups in the air;
With the thrill of getting hits
Came the fun of being there.

Our field was never used again,
By thirty years, of kids around.
Empty, it still stands today,
With diamond memory footprints, buried in the ground.

Jerry mentioned Whitey Ford and that brought back memories.

My dad was Cliff Fannin, (nickname "The Mule), pitcher for the St. Louis Browns (last season played was 1952, I believe). 

I remember, as a little girl, a bunch of ballplayers would go to a trout farm, wish I could remember where it was, and spend a couple days or so.  There were small cabins at this lake, and my Mom and Dad had one, along with the other players and their families staying in the other ones. 

Whitey Ford and my Dad "helped" me catch trout for dinner.  They built a big bonfire and cooked that day's catch on grills, then sat around the fire with their beer and conversation.  I sat on Whitey's lap in front of the bonfire until I would fall asleep, then Mom would put me to bed in the cabin, as did the other players who had their children there.  All the adults took turns checking into the cabins to make sure all the kiddies were sleeping soundly.

Thanks for bringing those memories back to me, Jerry.  They are precious ones.

Sandy

I'm sorry, I have to retract my previous post.  It wasn't Whitey Ford, It was Whitey Platt from the St. Louis Browns.  (I knew it was a Whitey guy).

But, I still say:  Thanks for the memories.

Sandy