Stuff

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 3:34 am

Yesterday's assertion from Dave Dombrowski that Joel Zumaya would be the probable closer for Detroit got me going about the alphabet and players.

In another post, I mentioned that the first name and last name alphabetically among active major league players are both closers, Dave Aardsma and Zumaya.

Aardsma is the first name among players all time, barely beating out Hank Aaron and his brother, Tommy. There have been five players, including the recent Paul Zuvella for players at the end of the line. For trivia reasons, Dutch Zwilling, who played from 1910-16 is at the end of the line.

I wasn't going to go on this jag, but let me be the first to thank MLB players for not changing their names.

Yesterday, I heard that some fella named Eninem sold more albums (sorry kids, I hate saying cd's). Eminem can't be his real name, can it? It made feel a little old in that being a music lover, I've never heard of this guy, but all was better when I saw that the second best seller of albums for the decade was The Beatles. I mean, how good can music have been over the last decade, if a band that broke up forty years ago is selling more records than almost every live entertainer(s)?

Anyway, I just want to commend sports stars for not making themseves one word names.

There have been zero, nada, Nady players whose last name started with an X.

There were six Q's on rosters last year. 43 Q's in MLB history, 11 of those were named 'Quinn'. Carlos Quentin is the all-time leader of home runs for players whose last name starts with Q.

M is the most popular letter for names. 1,799 MLB players have had last names starting with M.

Alright, enough of the alphabet. My favorite baseball trivia question of all time is this-

Who, in one game, was thrown out at first, second, third base, and home plate. The answer will be at the bottom of the post.

That question got me thinking, who the last player was that stole second, third, and home in the same inning.

We have to go back to 1996 for that event. Strange fact is that it happened twice in '96 and only a month apart. Chris Stynes did it first and a month later, Eric Young turned the trick.

Ty Cobb stole 2nd, 3rd, and home in the same inning four times, Honus Wagner, three. To illustrate how different those times were... Lou Gehrig stole home 15 times, Babe Ruth, 10.

The last of the modern day players to end with double digits in steals of home were Rod Carew with 17 in one year and Paul Molitor with 10. Since then it has become a lost art.

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The next time Lou Piniella jumps on a player for a baserunning gaffe, remember that Lou was thrown out at every base in one game. First base on a ground out. Second base, trying to stretch a single to a double. Third base, trying to steal. Home, trying to score from first on a double.

Dak · Post by **Dak** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 3:45 am

Dan.....you gotta start drafting!! You have to much time on your brain!

bjoak · Post by **bjoak** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 6:13 am

Dan, Eminem is a (white) rapper and I would suggest that most NFBCers don't care for him. His music isn't bad for rap, but what gets him selling albums is that his songs are little stories that are either self contained or part of a larger mythology he's created. He plays the part of fictional characters in some records. The stories range from memoir to horror to noir, I'd say. I'm not any kind of big fan; I have some songs off i-tunes, but I thought I'd mention he is not selling music as much as the stories, which while being sometimes morally questionable are at least not the typical one-dimensional gangsta stuff.

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:56 am

Originally posted by Dak:

Dan.....you gotta start drafting!! You have to much time on your brain!

You got that right, Rob!

I have a slo-draft with a bunch of NFBC guys next week. 'Bout time!

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 10:11 am

Originally posted by bjoak:

Dan, Eminem is a (white) rapper and I would suggest that most NFBCers don't care for him. His music isn't bad for rap, but what gets him selling albums is that his songs are little stories that are either self contained or part of a larger mythology he's created. He plays the part of fictional characters in some records. The stories range from memoir to horror to noir, I'd say. I'm not any kind of big fan; I have some songs off i-tunes, but I thought I'd mention he is not selling music as much as the stories, which while being sometimes morally questionable are at least not the typical one-dimensional gangsta stuff. My daughter and I go 15 rounds over the demise of music since the early 90's each time the subject comes up. She insists that rap and hip hop can carry powerful messages. I don't care. I can't listen to it without wanting to hurl. The sameness in rhythm and beat to each song makes one song like another.

I figure music has been a generation thing for a long time. I know my parents didn't care for rock n' roll. I'm just hoping that whatever supplants rap and hip hop is disliked by my daughter. Then the circle will be complete.

bjoak · Post by **bjoak** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:05 pm

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

quote:Originally posted by bjoak:

Dan, Eminem is a (white) rapper and I would suggest that most NFBCers don't care for him. His music isn't bad for rap, but what gets him selling albums is that his songs are little stories that are either self contained or part of a larger mythology he's created. He plays the part of fictional characters in some records. The stories range from memoir to horror to noir, I'd say. I'm not any kind of big fan; I have some songs off i-tunes, but I thought I'd mention he is not selling music as much as the stories, which while being sometimes morally questionable are at least not the typical one-dimensional gangsta stuff. My daughter and I go 15 rounds over the demise of music since the early 90's each time the subject comes up. She insists that rap and hip hop can carry powerful messages. I don't care. I can't listen to it without wanting to hurl. The sameness in rhythm and beat to each song makes one song like another.

I figure music has been a generation thing for a long time. I know my parents didn't care for rock n' roll. I'm just hoping that whatever supplants rap and hip hop is disliked by my daughter. Then the circle will be complete. [/QUOTE]I'm with you re: rap/hip-hop in general; my point was just that I don't think your daughter or anyone else would think Eminem is any kind of great pure musician--he's selling a narrative, which is rather uncommon in music.