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DOUGHBOYS
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Post by DOUGHBOYS » Wed Feb 23, 2022 10:26 am

I don't know if this will work, but I am inspired by Joe Posnanski's book (Folks, you have got to read this book if loving baseball) titled 'The Baseball 100'.
I'm going to do something a little different than Mr. Posnanski and hope it works.
If not, nothing lost.

Paul O'Neill will have his number retired this year.
Nobody retires numbers like the Yankees.
Would O'Neill have had his number retired had he played elsewhere? I don't know.
A lot of folks still question other numbers retired by the Yankees.
Especially, number One.

Billy Martin would never have been drafted by NFBC drafters. He played 11 years.
His best year, he had 15 homers and 75 RBI while playing a rough second base.
In today's terms, think of a positionally-challenged Tyler Wade with no speed.
Martin would Manage the Yankees....4 times. Won a World Series.
His claim to fame included...
1. Just being a Yankee
2. Being both a fiery player and Manager
3. Teaching Mickey Mantle the 'high life'
4. Fighting marshmallow man.
5. Pulling Reggie Jackson in the middle of a game
6. Feuding and getting fired by George Steinbrenner

But, there's another story.

It happened while Martin and Mantle were playing for the Yankees.
They both loved hunting and Mantle invited Martin to go hunting deer on a friends property.
They drove three or four hours and upon reaching the Mick's friends house, Mantle told Martin to stay in the car while Mantle would go up to the house to greet the owner and let him know that he'd be hunting on his property that day.
The owner invited Mickey inside.
"Mick, I'm hoping you can do me a favor before you and Billy go hunting."
"You probably saw him in the barnyard while walking up here. I've got a 20 year old mule who has been retired for a number of years. He's like a friend to me. He needs to be put down, but I just don't have the heart. Would you shoot him for me?"
After a few "I really don't want to's", Mantle acquiesced and agreed to shoot the mule.
On the way back to the car, Mantle thought about it and wanted to play a joke on Martin.
When reaching the car, Mantle acted annoyed.
"Give me my rifle, Billy", he shouted.
Martin handed him the rifle and asked him what was wrong.
"We drove three or four hours to get here and now he's not going to let us hunt on his property. I'm so mad, I'm going to shoot his mule!"
Billy grabs at the rifle, begging Mantle not to do it.
Mantle wrestles the rifle away and says, "Nope, I'm going to do it!"
So Mickey goes over with the rifle and shoots the mule.
Seconds later, he hears BAM! BAM! BAM!
Mantle turns around and says, "Billy, what are you doing?"
Billy lowers his gun and says, "I got three cows too!"
Last edited by DOUGHBOYS on Tue Mar 01, 2022 8:34 am, edited 4 times in total.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

DOUGHBOYS
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Re: 1

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:55 am

Say what you want about Derek Jeter, but he was iconic.
He was as close to a 'Baseball Elvis' as baseball can get. The girls loved him, the men wanted to be like him.
We can still picture in our minds some of the things Jeter did on the field.
The time he flew into the stands after a pop fly.
The time he came out of nowhere and flipped a dying outfield throw to Jorge Posada for an incredible out.
The inside out swing.

Derek Jeter had baseball in the palm of his hands.
Jeter was so good on the field that folks are still trying to find out the identity of the one Hall of Fame voter who DIDN'T vote for Jeter.
Jeter was so good off the field that even with social media around most of his career, there was little dirt to be found.
When starting his rookie year, MLB revenues were 706 million dollars. When ending his career, nine billion dollars.
Jeter was almost too good to be true.

But there is a story that Jeter and Joe Torre love to tell.
Torre was, as Jeter called him, "My second Father". Lovingly calling him 'Mr. T.
For Jeter, Torre was a mentor, a parent, a lifetime friend.
A bond that is still strong today.
Together, they would win four Championships in five years.

It was 1996. Jeter was a rookie. The Yankees had moved Tony Fernandez from shortstop to second base. Clearing the way for a spot for Jeter.
Jeter still felt like he was battling for a job. He was having a horrible Spring Training. Not hitting the ball well. Making errors.
Throughout that Spring Training, 'Mr. T' was always there with an encouraging word.
When Jeter struck out, Torre would say, "Get 'em next time".
When Jeter made an error, Torre would say that it happens to the best of players.
Torre always there with encouragement.

Spring Training was winding up with just a couple of games to go.
Here is the way Jeter tells the story....

“I’m still concerned about whether or not I’m going to make the team,” Jeter says. “And there was a runner on first base. Two outs.”
A ground ball is hit to the right of first baseman Tino Martinez, who fields the ball and turns to throw to second base for the third out. But there is a problem. Martinez has no one to throw to.
“I didn’t cover second base,” Jeter says. “I assumed he was going to throw to first [to the pitcher covering]. I didn’t cover second. We ended up getting out of the inning.
“And you know how in spring training you can sit on the field? The manager will sit on the field sometimes? And if you’re on deck you can sit next to him.”
Jeter was on deck the next inning. He sat next to Torre on the warning track next to the dugout.
“Mr. T, in only the way he knows how to do it … he didn’t look at me and he …”
Jeter starts laughing as the memory of Torre’s manner and words wash over him again like the tide returning.
"Mr. T says, "We're leaving here in a couple of days. Get your fucking head out of your ass!"
“You know, Mr. T is like a second father to me,” Jeter says. “And he said that and I was like, ‘Oh, God.’ I didn’t know how to take it. Does that mean I’m going with the team? I mean, did I just screw up my chance again? I wouldn’t use the language if he didn’t approve it, but that’s how spring training went for me.”

(In the first game of the season, Jeter would make a spectacular play in the field and hit a home run on his second swing of the season.
He would hit .314 for the regular season. Hit .361 in the playoffs.
He won Rookie of the Year,. The Yankees won the World Series. Jeter was dating the first of many 'dolls' in Tyra Banks at the climax of the season.
Somehow, somewhere...Elvis would be smiling)
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

DOUGHBOYS
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Post by DOUGHBOYS » Fri Feb 25, 2022 9:54 am

Killer.
That's the nickname he was given.
It belied his demeanor which was mostly gentle and quiet.
But man, when hitting a baseball....he was a killer.
Harmon Killebrew grew up in Idaho. Like our own John Pausma, he was a farm boy. He gave credit to carrying 95 pound milk cans everyday for building muscles he would be noted for.
At age 17, he signed to play baseball with the Washington Senators. Four days later, he played for the Washington Senators. Back in the day, when a kid signed a contract with a bonus, he was required to play his first two years in the Bigs. Laughable, now, as owners now are more prone to hiding their kids in the minor leagues to save money.

Killebrew would struggle those two years and be sent to the minors once the two years were through.
But he came back with a vengeance. He played in an era of Mantle, Mays, Aaron, and Robinson, but power-wise, Killebrew held his own with all of them.
When retiring, Killebrew held the all-time mark for home runs by an American League player hitting right handed.
He hit prodigious homers in every park.
Some ball parks would mark where a Killebrew ball was hit.

He would have fit in perfectly with todays style of play.
Killebrew would hardly ever bunt. He was walked a lot. He struck out a lot. And he hit home runs a lot.
He finished his career with 573 home runs.
Of his over 2,000 hits, almost 900 of those hits went for extra bases.
They didn't have analytics when he played, but Killebrew's swing with loft was way ahead of its time.
There was an even a rumor that the batter in the MLB logo is Harmon Killebrew.

There is a story that involved Killebrew....

It was an ordeal for the father to go anywhere outside the confines of his home . He was afflicted with polio.
He became tired easily. His muscles waning.
He never missed a Twins game on the radio. Thinking of himself as the Twins biggest fan.
He had gone to see the Twins in the past. Loved it. But now.....
His son wanted them to go see a game one more time. But this year, he knew he would need a lot of help and did not want to burden his son.
His son saw the difference in his Father. He saw that he was getting weaker and even a little depressed.
He never thought it a burden to take his Father to the ball game. Even relishing it.
Finally, he convinced his Father to go.

They showed up an hour before game time. This way, his Father can slowly walk in without fear of being brushed and knocked to the ground.
They found their seats and enjoyed a Twins victory with Harmon Killebrew hitting a home run.
When the game was over, they remained in their seats for more than an hour.
A chance for Dad to recharge his batteries and again, avoid the crowd.
After everyone left, they started the slow walk to their car.
When reaching the parking lot, a car pulled up next to them.
"Need a lift?"
The Father's first impulse was to say no...and he fully intended to say no until looking at the driver.
I was Harmon Killebrew!
The Father stammered out a "Sure!"
Harmon helped him into the car and also gave them some autographed pictures.
After Killebrew left, the father turned to his son and thanked him for one of the best days of his life.

(Whenever thinking of or writing about Killebrew, I think of Eddie Gillis. Harmon Killebrew's number one fan.)
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

DOUGHBOYS
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Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

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Post by DOUGHBOYS » Mon Feb 28, 2022 8:56 am

My Mom and Dad told me that the first word said on this earth was not "Mom" or "Dad".
It was "Ball".
Early pictures of my childhood were usually with a ball in my hand.
When starting School, 'Recess' was my favorite subject so that I can find like-minded kids who wanted to play ball.
In second grade, I was sent home with a report card that stated, "Danny has 'baseballitis'.
It was true.
I never wanted to miss a San Francisco Giants game. And even at age seven, I knew the enormity of what was going on in New York.
I had read about the New York Yankees in the papers. Roger Maris was on the cusp of breaking Babe Ruth's home run record.
The Babe was talked about on radio and in newspapers as God-like when it came to baseball.
Along with Willie Mays being Willie Mays, schoolwork for me was an annoyance until the game was on radio.

That same teacher that tabbed me with baseballitis was amazed that I could do so well on my 'times tables' and division.
I explained that I had to do that to figure out earned run averages.
She laughed out loud. I really didn't know why at the time. What was so funny about an ERA?
Trying to get my reading skills honed, she suggested that I go to the school library and check out books.
"They even have books about baseball, Danny."
I was hooked.
The next day after school I went to the library and checked out the first book I would ever read.
"The Lou Gehrig Story"
Wow.
I had heard about Gehrig as being a partner of Ruth. But the whole story was overcoming to me.
I loved the guy.
Truly just a wonderful man.
MY Mother came into my bedroom when I finished the book.
"Why are you crying?", she asked.
"Lou Gehrig's dead!", I bawled.
"I know. He died a very long time ago," she said hugging me.
It was my 'Bambi' moment.

Lou Gehrig has been a 'hero' of mine ever since. The baseball player I never saw that I most wanted to see.
For most 'normal' fans, Gehrig is known for three things.
1. Being the Babe's partner in wrecking pitchers.
2. His 2,130 game streak of games played.
3. His speech and disease.
For me, he was what I wanted to be. I was only seven, but I wanted to play baseball and be like Lou Gehrig.
I failed at both.
I played baseball and softball most of my life. But of course, never at the level Lou Gehrig played.
And as far as being like the Man himself, I now know that everybody comes up short when trying to mirror a man that can do no wrong in my mind.

It's easy to remember Gehrig for the three things listed above, but he was so much more.
He was courteous to a fault. A self-proclaimed 'Mama's boy'.
It was while going to school at Columbia that he had to go against his Mothers wishes.
He decided he wanted to be a baseball player.
His Momma wanted him to be an engineer.
Baseball was a silly game and the pay was miniscule.
But Lou was hooked. He loved the game. So much so that he would break his Mom's heart when giving her the news.

(I think about Gehrig during this MLB-Players negotiations.
As fans, we mostly don't care how much money owners make. And most players start out loving the game so much that each at one time or other in their lives said, "I'd play for nothing."
Gehrig was willing to go against his beloved Mom's dreams for him.
Gehrig was willing to forego a College education and lucrative job.
Gehrig was willing to play for little money.
All for the love of the game.
Down in my heart, I know that times have changed, but I wished players felt the same way today.)

I don't need to magnify what Gehrig did on the field.
But I will. :D

I'll lead off with his most amazing stat (aside from 2,130 straight games)
Lou Gehrig had 100 RBI and 100 Runs Scored 13 years in a row!
Seriously.
Nobody has ever done that.
Nobody ever will again.
Can you imagine a guy like that on your forever fantasy team?
100 RBI and Runs in the bank EVERY YEAR.
Incredible.

Over 11 years, Gehrig AVERAGED 153 RBI a year.
They played 154 games back then. Do the math.
Gehrig would hit .340 for his career.
12 straight years of batting .300
Reaching .379 and .374

He won a triple crown.
He won two MVP'S at a time when voters did not like awarding an MVP to a player who had already won the award.
He did things that will never be seen on a baseball field again.
Still, he was forever living in a shadow.
The first being Babe Ruth.
Ruth loved the limelight, which suited a mild-mannered guy like Gehrig perfectly.
Babe loved the whiskey, women, and reporters. All things that Gehrig can avoid quite easily.
There were times when the two men didn't like each other.
Like brothers, they would have spats.
But when it came to something of importance, they were always there for each other.

('Pride of the Yankees', of course, is one of my favorite moves. That is the real Babe in the movie. Just as in real life when coming to watch Gehrig give his speech that day)

In 1927, Gehrig wrote a weekly column for a New York paper.
It would have stories about the team and their travels.
It included this piece about the Babe.....

"Up at Toronto in an exhibition game a couple of years ago, the kids mobbed the field as the game ended. There must have been a thousand of them, and they all made a bee line for Babe. They struck him like a huge wave, and he went down flat on his face, literally buried under a landslide of kids.

It looked as though he must be trampled to death, and players and cops formed a flying wedge to rescue him. But before we got there, he emerged smiling, two or three youngsters clinging to his broad back, others hanging on his legs, and one under each arm. Most players would have been angered and disgusted. But the Babe was smiling as he trotted to the runway and still smiling when he disappeared under the stands.

As he started down in the dugout, he happened to look back. One little youngster was still standing over by first base, crying. Babe turned back through the mob again and went to the kid.

"What’s the matter, kid?" he asked.

"I got my hand stepped on," the little fellow whimpered. "It hurts."

"That’s all right," Babe replied, taking the lad in his arms. "We’ll get that fixed." And back he ploughed through the mob, the youngster held in his arms.

"Look out, here comes the ambulance!" he called. Then he took the lad into the clubhouse, and Babe bandaged the sore finger himself. After that, he gave the lad a baseball, a pat on the back, and sent him away smiling. That’s typical of the Babe. "

Gehrig went from the shadow of Ruth to the more ominous shadow of ALS.
A man that was called, 'Gibralter in cleats' by famed sports writer Jim Murray having a horrific, debilitating disease.
It didn't seem fair to a seven year old child.
I guess it still doesn't seem fair to this very day.
Trying to live up to Lou Gehrig during my life has been like trying to touch the sky.
Impossible.
For me though, a hero for life.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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Quahogs
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Re: 4

Post by Quahogs » Mon Feb 28, 2022 2:41 pm

very good read Doughie, thanks !

DOUGHBOYS
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Re: 4

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:50 am

Thanks Steve.
Good to hear from you!
Easy for me. A life-long love for the guy.
Thanks again.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

DOUGHBOYS
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Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

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Post by DOUGHBOYS » Tue Mar 01, 2022 8:34 am

I remember the moment. It was the late 60's and I was 'channel surfing late at night trying to pick up baseball games on the radio.
Finally, I honed in on one.
The broadcaster was gushing about a player I had never heard of. A kid just up from the minors.
Johnny Bench.
The broadcaster said he couldn't wait for somebody from his own team to try and steal against Bench. He had heard so much about his arm.
Later in the game, it happened.
This is what I remember hearing....
"He's off! Now we're going to see this young catcher's arm..."
Silence.
I remember yelling at the radio, thinking I had lost the station.
Then..."WOW! Sorry for the silence, folks! "This guy is the real deal!" That arm is like a rocket launcher!" "The throw was on the bag in plenty of time for the out!"
I imagined a Bugs Bunny cartoon character. A guy in uniform with a right arm twice as large as his left.
I couldn't wait to see the guy.

Bench would live up to that broadcasters fawning.
The next couple of stories are from 'The Baseball 100'...

When Bench was three, he was already in love with baseball. His Dad had played and was known for his arm as well.
Being from Oklahoma, they had heard that another Oklahoma kid had made it to the Big Leagues.
Mickey Mantle.
They would make it a point to watch Mantle on tv whenever a game was on.
His Dad would grumble, "Ralph Terry is pitching today? I can hit that guy!"
Once, Bob Gibson was throwing and Bench's Dad said the same thing. "Hell, I could hit him!"
Johnny Bench faced Gibson for the first time with that in mind. He struck out looking.
Two more times up and Bench struck out swinging each time.
"Dad", Bench said next time speaking with his Father, "You couldn't hit him."

Bench was a great student. At 12, he already had his future laid out. He would be the best Catcher in baseball.
Studies came easy with his future already mapped out.
But, he got a 'C'. A ;C' in penmanship.
Little Johnny was astonished.
How could a guy who will be signing autographs get a C in penmanship.
So Bench practiced.
He practiced for weeks.
Finally, he had perfected his autograph.
He started offering the autograph around town. "Do you want my autograph? I'm going to be famous!"
He even had an 'autograph table' set up at the local Texaco station.
The best part?
Bench has the best autograph in sports.
Clear. Legible. Spectacular.
It had to be. He was going to be famous.

Bench would play at least 100 games 13 straight years.
When leaving baseball, he had more homers than any other Catcher.
Yogi Berra called him the best Catcher he had ever seen.
Folks who remembered the Negro Leagues compared him to Josh Gibson.

There is another side to Bench that is hardly spoken about though.
His pure, unadulterated goodness.
Here is a partial list....

Bench enlisted in 1966 in the Army Reserve for six years, receiving basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and combat support training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He became a field wireman with the 478th Engineer Battalion and was based at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, which is across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. This unit included several of his teammates, including Pete Rose, Bobby Tolan and Darrel Chaney.

His other duty stations included: Fort Drum, New York; Camp A.P. Hill, Virginia; and, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Bench was with Bob Hope's USO tour, visiting the troops three times during the Vietnam War, once during Operation Desert Storm and many other locations.

Bench also participated in numerous charitable causes, including:

Raising money for the nonprofit Hope For the Warriors, which provides programs on transition, health and wellness for service members and veterans
Serving as the 2014 national spokesperson for the National Guard Youth Challenge Program
Serving as the past national chairman of the American Cancer Society's Athletes vs. Cancer campaign
Hosting the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital's Catch the Cure program
Raising money for the American Lung Association
Raising money for the nonprofit USA Cares, which supports veterans
Starting the Johnny Bench Scholarship.

A lot of folks think of Johnny Bench as the guy that could hold seven baseballs in one hand. (He could)
Bench was so much more...and still is.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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