When you think of four Championship rings, you probably think of Kobe Bryant. When you think of the number 500, you probably think of the 25 guys who have launched that many home runs in their career. When you think of the best there ever was, countless names may come to mind. To me those four rings don't mean Kobe, that 500 means saves instead of home runs, and the best there ever was happens to be Mariano Rivera.
On May 17, 1996 River took the mound for the first time as a Major League closer. The 26 year old, righty, stood on the bump, armed with not much more than a cut-piece fastball. Low and behold, Garrett Anderson grounds into a game-ending double play ball, and the best closer ever begins his quest. 14 seasons and 987 innings later that quest has reached a new milestone. Not only did Mariano draw a bases loaded walk for his first career RBI, but he also became only the second closer in baseball history to reach the 500 saves club. The only other member being Trevor Hoffman.
Sure you could try to make a case that Hoffman is better, but its just not there. He doesn't have the style that Rivera brings, he doesn't have the numbers that Mariano puts up, and quite frankly Mariano Rivera is THE most clutch pitcher to ever take part in a Major League postseason (barring the 2004 collapse in the ALCS, but hey, that was just destiny.)
Start with his style. He gets the help of pitching in the most glorious baseball stadium in the history of the game. He wears the blue and white pin stripes very well. He enter the game to one of the most amazing pump up songs known to man. Let's face it, Metallica is better than ACDC, and Hells Bells can't even hold the jock strap of Enter Sandman.
Onto the stats. He is number two on the all-time saves list and he is two years younger than Hoffman, having also played three fewer years. His 2.30 lifetime ERA is good enough for best all time among pitchers who have over 150 career saves. He is one half of the only two pitchers to ever convert 50 saves in two separate seasons. He's only had one season of less than 30 saves (28), and that was in a season where he only appeared in 45 games. He has compiled 110 saves in which he has pitched more than one inning. The man is a statistical god when it comes to the closers.
Finally the postseason. No reliever has ever been better than Mariano Rivera in October. He holds the MLB record for ERA in the postseason with an incredible 0.77. Nobody has more postseason saves than Rivera at 34, 12 of which have been two inning saves, another major league record. 9 of those 34 postseason saves have come during the fall classic, and guess what, that's another MLB postseason record. Also out of those 34 postseason saves, he set another record by closing the door in 23 straight. In 117 postseason innings pitched Mariano has given up just 10 earned runs. His career WHIP in the playoffs is an unheard of 0.75. I already mentioned this but i'll say it again, he has 4 rings. I don't know about you, but there is nobody i would want more than the "Sandman," to come in and close the door in a decisive World Series game.
"Exit light, Enter night, Take my hand, We're off to never, never land." The gates open and Mariano river walks out of the bullpen at Yankee Stadium. The song seems to describe the situation so well. The sun is setting on the current game. Mariano takes the ball in his hand, and leads the Yankees to the victory. He does it so well. The best ever.
Monday, June 29, 2009
More Than Meets The Eye
(For Robbie. I hope you enjoy this man. It's the only time you'll ever hear me talk good about them.)
Everybody knows that the University of North Carolina is one of the most dominant teams in college basketball history. If you wanted to be vain you could sum it up in just two words: Michael Jordan. But Tar Heel basketball is way more than that. It's 5 NCAA Division I National Championships. It's 17 ACC tournament titles and 27 ACC regular season titles. It's 41 times that they've gone dancing, and 18 times that they've danced their way into the Final Four. It's 1950 wins in just 98 seasons of basketball. But that's not all UNC should be known for anymore.
Tar Heel baseball has become one of the more dominant programs in college baseball. North Carolina only has 8 trips to Omaha to their name, but have been "back home" in each of the last 4 seasons. In 3 of those 4 seasons the Heels have made the Championship Series. Though they were unsuccessful, the fact they were there and show signs of being back for years to come, makes them a force to be reckoned with.
Okay so let's face it. North Carolina hasn't really done a whole lot in the gridiron department. They haven't won a bowl game since 2001 (Peach Bowl) and they haven't won an ACC title in 29 years. What they have done is hired and excellent coach/recruiter in Butch Davis, and put together two of the top recruiting classes in the nation over the past two years. They're 8-5 record was nothing to write home about, but it did get them their first bowl appearance since 2004 and has them on the rise for the near future in college football. And let's not forget, UNC football gave us one of the most important parts of the game: the forward pass.
North Carolina was the team of the 80's and half of the 90's in NCAA Lacrosse, making the tournament every year from 1980-1996. Though they haven't taken the crown since 1991 they are continually one of the top ranked teams in the nation, and the rivalry with Duke, definitely runs deep in this sport. In 2009 the Tar Heels posted a 12-6 record and eventually lost to the hated Dukies in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. That stellar season landed 5 of their players on the NCAA All-American team, and helped get the Tar Heels a recruiting class that looks to have them back at the top in 2010.
North Carolina won their first NCAA Men's Soccer Championship against the Indiana Hoosiers, in their first ever trip to the finals back in 2001. The Tar Heels made it back last season only to fall 1-0 to the Maryland Terrapins. The finals appearance was enough to bump the Heels to third in the national polls and, landed them a recruiting class that has UNC soccer primed as one of the favorites going into the 2009 season.
Make no mistake about it, Chapel Hill has, is, and always will be, a basketball town. But the athletes in these 4 sports have given the Tar Heel faithful something else to be proud of, when they aren't packed into the Dean Smith Center, watching Roy Williams work his magic.
Everybody knows that the University of North Carolina is one of the most dominant teams in college basketball history. If you wanted to be vain you could sum it up in just two words: Michael Jordan. But Tar Heel basketball is way more than that. It's 5 NCAA Division I National Championships. It's 17 ACC tournament titles and 27 ACC regular season titles. It's 41 times that they've gone dancing, and 18 times that they've danced their way into the Final Four. It's 1950 wins in just 98 seasons of basketball. But that's not all UNC should be known for anymore.
Tar Heel baseball has become one of the more dominant programs in college baseball. North Carolina only has 8 trips to Omaha to their name, but have been "back home" in each of the last 4 seasons. In 3 of those 4 seasons the Heels have made the Championship Series. Though they were unsuccessful, the fact they were there and show signs of being back for years to come, makes them a force to be reckoned with.
Okay so let's face it. North Carolina hasn't really done a whole lot in the gridiron department. They haven't won a bowl game since 2001 (Peach Bowl) and they haven't won an ACC title in 29 years. What they have done is hired and excellent coach/recruiter in Butch Davis, and put together two of the top recruiting classes in the nation over the past two years. They're 8-5 record was nothing to write home about, but it did get them their first bowl appearance since 2004 and has them on the rise for the near future in college football. And let's not forget, UNC football gave us one of the most important parts of the game: the forward pass.
North Carolina was the team of the 80's and half of the 90's in NCAA Lacrosse, making the tournament every year from 1980-1996. Though they haven't taken the crown since 1991 they are continually one of the top ranked teams in the nation, and the rivalry with Duke, definitely runs deep in this sport. In 2009 the Tar Heels posted a 12-6 record and eventually lost to the hated Dukies in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. That stellar season landed 5 of their players on the NCAA All-American team, and helped get the Tar Heels a recruiting class that looks to have them back at the top in 2010.
North Carolina won their first NCAA Men's Soccer Championship against the Indiana Hoosiers, in their first ever trip to the finals back in 2001. The Tar Heels made it back last season only to fall 1-0 to the Maryland Terrapins. The finals appearance was enough to bump the Heels to third in the national polls and, landed them a recruiting class that has UNC soccer primed as one of the favorites going into the 2009 season.
Make no mistake about it, Chapel Hill has, is, and always will be, a basketball town. But the athletes in these 4 sports have given the Tar Heel faithful something else to be proud of, when they aren't packed into the Dean Smith Center, watching Roy Williams work his magic.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
My Wish
ESPN is currently doing a segment for their Page 2 sports writers about things they wish would happen in sports. I really enjoyed reading Scoop Jackson's article (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/090624) and decided to create a list of my own.
I wish I could play ball again.
I wish I could sit in the Polo Grounds and watch the Say Hey Kid.
I wish Bill Buckner would have caught that ball.
I wish Michael Jordan would have missed that shot.
I wish I could love Brett Favre again.
I wish they'd let Joe Jackson and Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame.
I wish steroids didnt exist.
I wish Jose Canseco would keep his mouth shut.
I wish Roger Clemens would do the same.
I wish there were no reasons for asterisks.
I wish Ken Griffey Jr. would have stayed healthy.
I wish Earnest Byner would have held on to that football.
I wish Tony Fernandez would have fielded that ground ball.
I wish Roger Maris and Hank Aaron were still the Home Run Kings.
I wish free agency didnt exist.
I wish there were more women like Erin Andrews.
I wish Erin Andrews was my wife.
I wish I could be 8 years old, in my front yard, playing football with my dad again.
I wish I could have seen Bob Gibson pitch, and Ted Williams hit.
I wish the Browns would have never left Cleveland.
I wish the Oilers would have never left Houston.
I wish Woody Hayes wouldn't have hit Charlie Bauman.
I wish Warrne Moon wouldn't have hit his wife.
"I wish Donte Stallworth would have stayed home that night."
I wish Robinson Cano played for a different team.
I wish I could have seen a game at the old Yankee Stadium.
I wish i could hit a big league curveball.
I wish the USA would win the World Cup.
I wish Poland would win the World Cup.
I wish a Cleveland sports team would win a championship.
I wish I didnt love Cleveland sports so much.
I wish I never realized that professional sports were all about the money.
I wish i could see Michael Jordan and Cal Ripken play one more game.
I wish I could be like Mike.
I wish baseball would be back in the Olympics.
I wish Bud Selig would retire.
I wish Ty Cobb died with more friends.
I wish Dontrelle Willis could find his form.
I wish there were more athletes like Curtis Granderson.
I wish Americans respected baseball the way the Japanese do.
I wish Baseball would catch on in Europe and Africa.
I wish ever kid could know what it feels like to grip a baseball.
I wish continuation and that stupid circle weren't a part of NBA basketball.
I wish Jim Valvano was still alive.
I wish the NFL wasn't so protective of Quarterbacks.
I wish I could see a double header for 25 cents like the old days.
I wish there were more coaches like Joe Paterno.
I wish Gatorade was just Gatorade.
I wish baseball players still wore high socks.
I wish I loved other things as much as I love sports.
I wish I could play ball again.
I wish I could sit in the Polo Grounds and watch the Say Hey Kid.
I wish Bill Buckner would have caught that ball.
I wish Michael Jordan would have missed that shot.
I wish I could love Brett Favre again.
I wish they'd let Joe Jackson and Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame.
I wish steroids didnt exist.
I wish Jose Canseco would keep his mouth shut.
I wish Roger Clemens would do the same.
I wish there were no reasons for asterisks.
I wish Ken Griffey Jr. would have stayed healthy.
I wish Earnest Byner would have held on to that football.
I wish Tony Fernandez would have fielded that ground ball.
I wish Roger Maris and Hank Aaron were still the Home Run Kings.
I wish free agency didnt exist.
I wish there were more women like Erin Andrews.
I wish Erin Andrews was my wife.
I wish I could be 8 years old, in my front yard, playing football with my dad again.
I wish I could have seen Bob Gibson pitch, and Ted Williams hit.
I wish the Browns would have never left Cleveland.
I wish the Oilers would have never left Houston.
I wish Woody Hayes wouldn't have hit Charlie Bauman.
I wish Warrne Moon wouldn't have hit his wife.
"I wish Donte Stallworth would have stayed home that night."
I wish Robinson Cano played for a different team.
I wish I could have seen a game at the old Yankee Stadium.
I wish i could hit a big league curveball.
I wish the USA would win the World Cup.
I wish Poland would win the World Cup.
I wish a Cleveland sports team would win a championship.
I wish I didnt love Cleveland sports so much.
I wish I never realized that professional sports were all about the money.
I wish i could see Michael Jordan and Cal Ripken play one more game.
I wish I could be like Mike.
I wish baseball would be back in the Olympics.
I wish Bud Selig would retire.
I wish Ty Cobb died with more friends.
I wish Dontrelle Willis could find his form.
I wish there were more athletes like Curtis Granderson.
I wish Americans respected baseball the way the Japanese do.
I wish Baseball would catch on in Europe and Africa.
I wish ever kid could know what it feels like to grip a baseball.
I wish continuation and that stupid circle weren't a part of NBA basketball.
I wish Jim Valvano was still alive.
I wish the NFL wasn't so protective of Quarterbacks.
I wish I could see a double header for 25 cents like the old days.
I wish there were more coaches like Joe Paterno.
I wish Gatorade was just Gatorade.
I wish baseball players still wore high socks.
I wish I loved other things as much as I love sports.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Fed Up
There are quite a few things in sports these days that really get on my nerves. I thought I'd take the time to rant and rave a little bit about those things.
I'm fed up with Bud Selig. The man belongs in an old folk's home. Seriously, 2012 cannot come soon enough. In my opinion he's done one good thing during his tenure. The Wildcard. Think about what else his term as commissioner has given us. The DH? One of the main contributors to the lack of defense in this era of baseball. Players no longer need to have those 5 tools. They can just hit. A strike? Sure it has happened before but it definitely doesn't help his track record look any better. Bud Selig is the reason for the only tie in All-Star game history. A game where both teams, both managers and all of the fans wanted to see the game go on. Do i even have to mention the steroid era? I will. The biggest smudge on the history of baseball just managed to happen during Selig's time as well. Do me a favor, take a page out of Donal Fehr's playbook and hang up the spikes big guy.
I'm fed up with Manny Ramirez. Sure Manny, being Manny was cute for a while. Showing up in the bicycle cart to spring training was pretty funny. And scaling the wall to make a catch, giving a fan a high five, and wheeling back to the infield to get the runner at second base for the double play is one of the most amazing plays I've ever seen. he's fun to watch but the fact that he will be right back in the lineup on July 3rd is absurd. Juan Pierre (Manny's replacement) is hitting .329 with 17 stolen bases from the lead off spot. He's been no doubt the spark that has led to the Dodgers success this season. When Manny comes back from his 50 game suspension, Pierre will be force back to the bench, where he will get no more than two starts a week. I guess you could say I'm sort of fed up with Joe Torre as well.
I'm fed up with Tiger Woods. Don't get me wrong. he is THE greatest golfer in the history of the sport. He has more passion than anybody in the game today. He wants to win and i have nothing but deep respect for that. But what I'm fed up with, is when Tiger doesn't when a tournament, I still have to see every one of his 68 strokes from that round on Sports Center that night. If the guy wins the tournament, then i have no problem with the whole highlight being devoted to him. But when he finishes 3rd or lower, how about giving a little bit of credit to the guy that won? Maybe even the guy that got second and challenged the guy that won.
I'm fed up with the University of Texas Longhorns. Well their fans. Well the ones who call themselves fans when they win. You have this ridiculous belief that you are the best. You aren't the best. In fact, look at the major sports. Football. You're 4 national championships are impressive. Especially compared to Notre Dame's 8, USC, Oklahoma and Alabama's 7, and Ohio State, Nebraska and Miami's 5. 4's good though... Basketball. Well this is easy...big GOOSE EGG. That means zero. UTEP has won more NCAA Basketball National Championships than you. And your 3 Final Four appearances aren't really much to write home about, considering U of H has been to twice as many. Baseball. You actually come up just short in this one. And by just short I mean that USC has double your 6 wins in almost half of the appearances. Better win tomorrow, or LSU will be right there with you at 6.
I'm fed up with this article. So I'm out for now.
I'm fed up with Bud Selig. The man belongs in an old folk's home. Seriously, 2012 cannot come soon enough. In my opinion he's done one good thing during his tenure. The Wildcard. Think about what else his term as commissioner has given us. The DH? One of the main contributors to the lack of defense in this era of baseball. Players no longer need to have those 5 tools. They can just hit. A strike? Sure it has happened before but it definitely doesn't help his track record look any better. Bud Selig is the reason for the only tie in All-Star game history. A game where both teams, both managers and all of the fans wanted to see the game go on. Do i even have to mention the steroid era? I will. The biggest smudge on the history of baseball just managed to happen during Selig's time as well. Do me a favor, take a page out of Donal Fehr's playbook and hang up the spikes big guy.
I'm fed up with Manny Ramirez. Sure Manny, being Manny was cute for a while. Showing up in the bicycle cart to spring training was pretty funny. And scaling the wall to make a catch, giving a fan a high five, and wheeling back to the infield to get the runner at second base for the double play is one of the most amazing plays I've ever seen. he's fun to watch but the fact that he will be right back in the lineup on July 3rd is absurd. Juan Pierre (Manny's replacement) is hitting .329 with 17 stolen bases from the lead off spot. He's been no doubt the spark that has led to the Dodgers success this season. When Manny comes back from his 50 game suspension, Pierre will be force back to the bench, where he will get no more than two starts a week. I guess you could say I'm sort of fed up with Joe Torre as well.
I'm fed up with Tiger Woods. Don't get me wrong. he is THE greatest golfer in the history of the sport. He has more passion than anybody in the game today. He wants to win and i have nothing but deep respect for that. But what I'm fed up with, is when Tiger doesn't when a tournament, I still have to see every one of his 68 strokes from that round on Sports Center that night. If the guy wins the tournament, then i have no problem with the whole highlight being devoted to him. But when he finishes 3rd or lower, how about giving a little bit of credit to the guy that won? Maybe even the guy that got second and challenged the guy that won.
I'm fed up with the University of Texas Longhorns. Well their fans. Well the ones who call themselves fans when they win. You have this ridiculous belief that you are the best. You aren't the best. In fact, look at the major sports. Football. You're 4 national championships are impressive. Especially compared to Notre Dame's 8, USC, Oklahoma and Alabama's 7, and Ohio State, Nebraska and Miami's 5. 4's good though... Basketball. Well this is easy...big GOOSE EGG. That means zero. UTEP has won more NCAA Basketball National Championships than you. And your 3 Final Four appearances aren't really much to write home about, considering U of H has been to twice as many. Baseball. You actually come up just short in this one. And by just short I mean that USC has double your 6 wins in almost half of the appearances. Better win tomorrow, or LSU will be right there with you at 6.
I'm fed up with this article. So I'm out for now.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
All Movie Roster
I love baseball. I love movies. Heck, I love baseball movies. So i came up with the idea to compile a Marjor League Baseball sized roster of the top baseball movie characters. Thats right 25 of the best baseball movie characters of all time listed by position. I'll even throw in some coaches. I've also added my favorite quote (either said by them or about them) and a little bio of each of the characters. Each of the movies will be Fiction and since I havent seen every movie ever made, it will obviously only consist of the movies I've seen. A lot of them will be from the same movie, because most of these movies have too many great characters not to mention them. So without further adu, here is my Top 25 (Plus Owner, Managers, Grounds Crew, and even a Broadcaster):
Catcher
Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), Bull Durham- "C'mon meat, throw me that weak ass shit" Crash Davis plays an aging catcher who uses his knowledge of the game to mentor a young pitcher.
Hamilton "The Babe" Porter (Patrick Renna), The Sandlot- "You make your wienies from your momma's toe jam!" The Great Hambino is the portly kid on the Sandlot Baseall team. His word battle with Philips is quite possibly the best dialogue ever writtin.
First Baseman
Lou Collins (Timothy Busfield)- Little Big League "You think I'd miss my chance to ride the Thundering Frog" Lou Collins is the managers best friend. He's also soon to be his Step-Father. That is if he can take Randy Johnson deep to get the team into the playoffs.
Second Baseman
Tanner Boyle (Chris Barnes)- Bad News Bears "Those Yankees are real turds" Tanner Boyle is very outspoken for the Bears. He gets easily irritated and his temper got him into a fight...with the 7th grade. The little squirt is one of the funniest characters to ever act the game of baseball.
Shortstop
Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez (Mike Vitar), The Sandlot- "Man, this is baseball, you gotta stop thinking! Just have fun" The movie never actually shows Benny playing a position but he does comment that he rotates all 8. Being the best I figured short would probably be the best for him. Plus i had nobody else to put here. He pickles the beast and then steals home for the Dodgers.
Alan "Yeah Yeah" McClennan (Marty York), The Sandlot- "Yeah yeah, so does my sister, but I didn't bring her along!" Lets face it there are no good baseball movies about shortstops. Thats a shame. But Yeah Yeah is a good character. Plus, he was one of the pioneers of Bungee Jumping. "Of course, we all know why."
Third Baseman
Roger Dorn (Tom Berenger), Major League- "I activated myself." Third base didn't have much to choose from. Dorn is a high class guy with low class talent. He doesnt like to go all out because its not a good investment for his body. In ML2 he becomes the owner, runs out of money and reactives himself to play again.
Doris Murphy (Rosie O'Donnel), A League of Their Own- "Evelyn. Your kid ate the line up." Not one of my favorite characters but like I said it was slim pickin's at third base. She adds good humor to the movie and the scene where she catches the foul ball and eats the hotdog gives me a good laugh.
Left Field
Taka Tanaka (Takaaki Ishibashi), Major League 2- "YOU HAVE NO...YOU HAVE NO...MARBLES....YOU HAVE NO MARBLES" Taka Tanaka was traded for Jack Parkman from the Giants..."Not those Giants." The Tokyo Giants. He has an unorthodox style of going all out to catch the ball, mostly resulting in knocking himself out. The clash between him and Pedro Cerrano is priceless.
Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry), The Sandlot- "Oh yeah, the Great Bambino. Of course! I thought you said the Great Bambi" Smalls is the new kid in town and doesnt know how to make friends. He also doesnt know much about baseball. But Benny takes him under his wing and teaches Smalls the game. In the process he picks up 8 great friends and gets them all in to the "biggest pickle" they've ever been in.
Center Field
Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes), Major League- "Willie Mays Hayes. I hit like Mays, and I run like Hayes" He wasnt even on the orginal invitee roster. But his blazing speed force Lou Brown to give him a uniform. Now if only he could learn to hit the ball on the ground. Of course, "he could be pointing at the right fielder."
Micheal "Squints" Palladorus (Chauncey Leopardi), The Sandlot- "For-ev-er, For-ev-er, For-ev-er, For-ev-er..." He put the moves on the life guard. And ended up marrying her. "They had nine kids" The Smart Alec of the team, he's full of one liners, and he also takes the role of storyteller.
Right Field
Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert), Major League- "Look at the... score... board... now.... GRASSHOPPER" The buddhist praises the Great Jobu. A little statue that he gives rum and cigars to, so that he will be able to hit a curveball. Cerrano hits big home runs in both Major League movies and is even responsible for helping the minor league Buzz team beat the Big Club.
Starting Pitchers
Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner), For Love of the Game- "Clear, the mechanism" The best pitching character of all time. He goes into Yankee Stadium and throws a perfect game. The whole game he battles with emotions, the past, and the decision of whether to retire (since he's being told he will be traded)
Ebbie Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), Bull Durham- "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." The young pitcher that is mentored by Crash Davis, the kid has a lot to learn. He nees to learn how to pitch, he needs to learn to hand the media, and he needs to learn not to punch with your pitching hand.
Ryan Dunne (Freddy Prince Jr.)- Summer Catch- "I love her" The local "lawn boy" falls in love with the beautiful girl and also has to deal with the fact that he's pitching against the best baseball prospects in the nation. He throws an 8 1/3 inning no hitter, leaves to get the girl, and still gets his check.
Miles Pennfield II, Hardball- (Dances to Big Poppa on the mound) Completely unhittable. As long as he can wear his headphones on the mound. The fact that he jams out to Big Poppa makes him one of the greatest pitching characters of all time. That and without him the Kekembas wouldnt be "Goin to the ship WHAT!"
Chet "Rocket" Steadman (Gary Busey), Rookie of the Year- "Dont take this game to seriously, because one day it will all be over. You're gift will be gone" The veteran grudgingly takes young Henry under his wing but very willingly takes Henry's mom from loser Jack Bradfield. He helps Henry lead the cubs until he blows out his arm in the final game versus the Mets.
Relievers
Jim Bowers, Little Big League- "On behalf of the entire Apache Nation, we accept this olive branch of peace." Bowers is the comic relief at the back end of the Twins bullpen. He truly understand the intricasies of the water balloon and he just loves to have a good time. And Guys, "The horse's name is Friday."
Kenny DeNunez (Brandon Quintin Adams), The Sandlot- "All the pros do it." "DeNunez played triple a ball...but he never got to the majors." The youngster mowed down the rich kids and could absolutely bring the little league heat.
Eddie Harris (Chelcie Ross), Major League- "Yo! Bartender, Jobu needs a refill" Eddie Harris is the crafty, Christian, veteran of the Cleveland Indians. He uses his vasoline ball and his faith to get him through each and every game.
Henry Rowengartner (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Rookie of the Year- "Okay. But this is the last time." The young phenom lights up the gun at triple digits all because he broke his arm. Very Billy Wagner esque. He eventually hones his talent and leads the Cubbies to the pennet. Not bad for a kid who rode the bench on his little league team.
Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford), The Natural- "Pick me out a winner Bobby." The Greatest Player to Ever Play The Game. Or so he would have been had he not been shot. I mean he struck out the "Whammer." But Roy makes an amazing comeback and with the help of Bobby hits a towering fly ball the busts some lights.
Carlton "Doc" Windgate (Peter Mackenzie), Major League Back to the Minors- (Pitching in bullpen, his speed doesnt show up on the radar gun.) "Yeah we got that thing cheap at a police auction, it doesnt pick up anything under 55." Doc doesnt have the best stuff but he's pretty much the team Shrink. He keeps the Buzz together and always has advice ready for Coach Cantrell whether he wants it or not.
Closer
Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), Major League- "I want...Parkman" Wild Thing is a b.a. straight out of the California Penal League. He can bring it triple digits and isnt scared to go after anybody. That is if he can get the ball over the plate.
Owner
Billy Heywood (Luke Edwards), Little Big League- "Ever heard of CERTS!" Bill Heywood has the dream job. After his Grandfather dies he inherits the Minnesota Twins. He owns the team and soon fires the manger and takes on that role as well. Heywood's tactics put the struggling phillies right into the chase for the wild card.
Managers
Lou Brown (James Gammon), Manager, Major League- "We won yesterday. If we win today, that’s two-in-a-row. If we win tomorrow, that’s called a winning streak; it has happened before" Lou Brown is the best played manager in the history of baseball movies. He looks like a manager, talks like a manager, and even has smart alec remarks like a manager. One of my favorite baseball movie characters of all time.
Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), Asst Manager, Bad News Bears- "Now get back to the stands before I shave off half your mustache and shove it up your left nostril." Not the greatest role model but he did play minor league baseball. Okay so he's a washed up "neverwas" but he led probably the worst team in the history of California Little League to the league championship.
Phil Brickma (Daniel Stern), Pitching Coach, Rookie of The Year- "Let the big dog eat" Sal Martinella beaned Brickma in the minor leagues and he's been following around ever since. He's a little crazy and gives young Henry some not so good advice. And remember..."Its alllll free"
Jimmy Duggan (Tom Hanks), Hitting Coach, A League of Their Own- "THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL..." Jim Duggan has recently quit drinking and cannot believe that they are letting girls play baseball. His classic one liners make him one of the best managers to never coach the game.
Sal Martinella (Albert Hall), Third Base Coach, Rookie of the Year- "Throw the heat." Martinella's inability to pronoune Rowengartner is pure genius writing. Resinbagger, Gardenhoser, Rulenfurter, each one of those continually has me laughing.
Connor O'Neil (Keanu Reeves), First Base Coach, Hardball- "I love it when you call me Big Poppa" The coach of the Kekembas with a major gambling problem. He takes a group of Inner City losers (including himself), and turns them into a championship team. The scene where he speaks at G-Baby's funeral brings tears to my eyes every time.
Broadcaster
Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker), Major League- "Remember, fans, Tuesday is Die Hard Night. Free admission for anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won the pennant" The best thing about Harry Doyle is that in real life Bob Uecker was actually a great broadcaster for the Brewers. Half of both movies he is drunk and fully hilarious.
Grounds Crew
Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), Field of Dreams- "Thats my corn out there. You guys are guests in my corn." Ray Kinsella plows over his cornfield to build a baseball field that turns out to be magical and allows Shoeless Joe Jackson, his father, and many other older players to come back and relive their dreams.
Keith and Kurt Uchima- Major League- "(In Japanese) They're Shitty" These two guys make me laugh because this is they're only line throughout the whole movie.
Minor Leagues
Rube Baker (Major League 2), Dottie Henson (A League of Their Own), Mel Clark (Angels In The Outfield), Amanda Wurlitzer (Bad News Bears), Kelly Leake (Bad News Bears), Jake Taylor (Major League), Jack Parkman (Major League 2), Hog Ellis (Major League Back to the Minors)
Catcher
Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), Bull Durham- "C'mon meat, throw me that weak ass shit" Crash Davis plays an aging catcher who uses his knowledge of the game to mentor a young pitcher.
Hamilton "The Babe" Porter (Patrick Renna), The Sandlot- "You make your wienies from your momma's toe jam!" The Great Hambino is the portly kid on the Sandlot Baseall team. His word battle with Philips is quite possibly the best dialogue ever writtin.
First Baseman
Lou Collins (Timothy Busfield)- Little Big League "You think I'd miss my chance to ride the Thundering Frog" Lou Collins is the managers best friend. He's also soon to be his Step-Father. That is if he can take Randy Johnson deep to get the team into the playoffs.
Second Baseman
Tanner Boyle (Chris Barnes)- Bad News Bears "Those Yankees are real turds" Tanner Boyle is very outspoken for the Bears. He gets easily irritated and his temper got him into a fight...with the 7th grade. The little squirt is one of the funniest characters to ever act the game of baseball.
Shortstop
Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez (Mike Vitar), The Sandlot- "Man, this is baseball, you gotta stop thinking! Just have fun" The movie never actually shows Benny playing a position but he does comment that he rotates all 8. Being the best I figured short would probably be the best for him. Plus i had nobody else to put here. He pickles the beast and then steals home for the Dodgers.
Alan "Yeah Yeah" McClennan (Marty York), The Sandlot- "Yeah yeah, so does my sister, but I didn't bring her along!" Lets face it there are no good baseball movies about shortstops. Thats a shame. But Yeah Yeah is a good character. Plus, he was one of the pioneers of Bungee Jumping. "Of course, we all know why."
Third Baseman
Roger Dorn (Tom Berenger), Major League- "I activated myself." Third base didn't have much to choose from. Dorn is a high class guy with low class talent. He doesnt like to go all out because its not a good investment for his body. In ML2 he becomes the owner, runs out of money and reactives himself to play again.
Doris Murphy (Rosie O'Donnel), A League of Their Own- "Evelyn. Your kid ate the line up." Not one of my favorite characters but like I said it was slim pickin's at third base. She adds good humor to the movie and the scene where she catches the foul ball and eats the hotdog gives me a good laugh.
Left Field
Taka Tanaka (Takaaki Ishibashi), Major League 2- "YOU HAVE NO...YOU HAVE NO...MARBLES....YOU HAVE NO MARBLES" Taka Tanaka was traded for Jack Parkman from the Giants..."Not those Giants." The Tokyo Giants. He has an unorthodox style of going all out to catch the ball, mostly resulting in knocking himself out. The clash between him and Pedro Cerrano is priceless.
Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry), The Sandlot- "Oh yeah, the Great Bambino. Of course! I thought you said the Great Bambi" Smalls is the new kid in town and doesnt know how to make friends. He also doesnt know much about baseball. But Benny takes him under his wing and teaches Smalls the game. In the process he picks up 8 great friends and gets them all in to the "biggest pickle" they've ever been in.
Center Field
Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes), Major League- "Willie Mays Hayes. I hit like Mays, and I run like Hayes" He wasnt even on the orginal invitee roster. But his blazing speed force Lou Brown to give him a uniform. Now if only he could learn to hit the ball on the ground. Of course, "he could be pointing at the right fielder."
Micheal "Squints" Palladorus (Chauncey Leopardi), The Sandlot- "For-ev-er, For-ev-er, For-ev-er, For-ev-er..." He put the moves on the life guard. And ended up marrying her. "They had nine kids" The Smart Alec of the team, he's full of one liners, and he also takes the role of storyteller.
Right Field
Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert), Major League- "Look at the... score... board... now.... GRASSHOPPER" The buddhist praises the Great Jobu. A little statue that he gives rum and cigars to, so that he will be able to hit a curveball. Cerrano hits big home runs in both Major League movies and is even responsible for helping the minor league Buzz team beat the Big Club.
Starting Pitchers
Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner), For Love of the Game- "Clear, the mechanism" The best pitching character of all time. He goes into Yankee Stadium and throws a perfect game. The whole game he battles with emotions, the past, and the decision of whether to retire (since he's being told he will be traded)
Ebbie Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), Bull Durham- "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." The young pitcher that is mentored by Crash Davis, the kid has a lot to learn. He nees to learn how to pitch, he needs to learn to hand the media, and he needs to learn not to punch with your pitching hand.
Ryan Dunne (Freddy Prince Jr.)- Summer Catch- "I love her" The local "lawn boy" falls in love with the beautiful girl and also has to deal with the fact that he's pitching against the best baseball prospects in the nation. He throws an 8 1/3 inning no hitter, leaves to get the girl, and still gets his check.
Miles Pennfield II, Hardball- (Dances to Big Poppa on the mound) Completely unhittable. As long as he can wear his headphones on the mound. The fact that he jams out to Big Poppa makes him one of the greatest pitching characters of all time. That and without him the Kekembas wouldnt be "Goin to the ship WHAT!"
Chet "Rocket" Steadman (Gary Busey), Rookie of the Year- "Dont take this game to seriously, because one day it will all be over. You're gift will be gone" The veteran grudgingly takes young Henry under his wing but very willingly takes Henry's mom from loser Jack Bradfield. He helps Henry lead the cubs until he blows out his arm in the final game versus the Mets.
Relievers
Jim Bowers, Little Big League- "On behalf of the entire Apache Nation, we accept this olive branch of peace." Bowers is the comic relief at the back end of the Twins bullpen. He truly understand the intricasies of the water balloon and he just loves to have a good time. And Guys, "The horse's name is Friday."
Kenny DeNunez (Brandon Quintin Adams), The Sandlot- "All the pros do it." "DeNunez played triple a ball...but he never got to the majors." The youngster mowed down the rich kids and could absolutely bring the little league heat.
Eddie Harris (Chelcie Ross), Major League- "Yo! Bartender, Jobu needs a refill" Eddie Harris is the crafty, Christian, veteran of the Cleveland Indians. He uses his vasoline ball and his faith to get him through each and every game.
Henry Rowengartner (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Rookie of the Year- "Okay. But this is the last time." The young phenom lights up the gun at triple digits all because he broke his arm. Very Billy Wagner esque. He eventually hones his talent and leads the Cubbies to the pennet. Not bad for a kid who rode the bench on his little league team.
Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford), The Natural- "Pick me out a winner Bobby." The Greatest Player to Ever Play The Game. Or so he would have been had he not been shot. I mean he struck out the "Whammer." But Roy makes an amazing comeback and with the help of Bobby hits a towering fly ball the busts some lights.
Carlton "Doc" Windgate (Peter Mackenzie), Major League Back to the Minors- (Pitching in bullpen, his speed doesnt show up on the radar gun.) "Yeah we got that thing cheap at a police auction, it doesnt pick up anything under 55." Doc doesnt have the best stuff but he's pretty much the team Shrink. He keeps the Buzz together and always has advice ready for Coach Cantrell whether he wants it or not.
Closer
Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), Major League- "I want...Parkman" Wild Thing is a b.a. straight out of the California Penal League. He can bring it triple digits and isnt scared to go after anybody. That is if he can get the ball over the plate.
Owner
Billy Heywood (Luke Edwards), Little Big League- "Ever heard of CERTS!" Bill Heywood has the dream job. After his Grandfather dies he inherits the Minnesota Twins. He owns the team and soon fires the manger and takes on that role as well. Heywood's tactics put the struggling phillies right into the chase for the wild card.
Managers
Lou Brown (James Gammon), Manager, Major League- "We won yesterday. If we win today, that’s two-in-a-row. If we win tomorrow, that’s called a winning streak; it has happened before" Lou Brown is the best played manager in the history of baseball movies. He looks like a manager, talks like a manager, and even has smart alec remarks like a manager. One of my favorite baseball movie characters of all time.
Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), Asst Manager, Bad News Bears- "Now get back to the stands before I shave off half your mustache and shove it up your left nostril." Not the greatest role model but he did play minor league baseball. Okay so he's a washed up "neverwas" but he led probably the worst team in the history of California Little League to the league championship.
Phil Brickma (Daniel Stern), Pitching Coach, Rookie of The Year- "Let the big dog eat" Sal Martinella beaned Brickma in the minor leagues and he's been following around ever since. He's a little crazy and gives young Henry some not so good advice. And remember..."Its alllll free"
Jimmy Duggan (Tom Hanks), Hitting Coach, A League of Their Own- "THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL..." Jim Duggan has recently quit drinking and cannot believe that they are letting girls play baseball. His classic one liners make him one of the best managers to never coach the game.
Sal Martinella (Albert Hall), Third Base Coach, Rookie of the Year- "Throw the heat." Martinella's inability to pronoune Rowengartner is pure genius writing. Resinbagger, Gardenhoser, Rulenfurter, each one of those continually has me laughing.
Connor O'Neil (Keanu Reeves), First Base Coach, Hardball- "I love it when you call me Big Poppa" The coach of the Kekembas with a major gambling problem. He takes a group of Inner City losers (including himself), and turns them into a championship team. The scene where he speaks at G-Baby's funeral brings tears to my eyes every time.
Broadcaster
Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker), Major League- "Remember, fans, Tuesday is Die Hard Night. Free admission for anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won the pennant" The best thing about Harry Doyle is that in real life Bob Uecker was actually a great broadcaster for the Brewers. Half of both movies he is drunk and fully hilarious.
Grounds Crew
Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), Field of Dreams- "Thats my corn out there. You guys are guests in my corn." Ray Kinsella plows over his cornfield to build a baseball field that turns out to be magical and allows Shoeless Joe Jackson, his father, and many other older players to come back and relive their dreams.
Keith and Kurt Uchima- Major League- "(In Japanese) They're Shitty" These two guys make me laugh because this is they're only line throughout the whole movie.
Minor Leagues
Rube Baker (Major League 2), Dottie Henson (A League of Their Own), Mel Clark (Angels In The Outfield), Amanda Wurlitzer (Bad News Bears), Kelly Leake (Bad News Bears), Jake Taylor (Major League), Jack Parkman (Major League 2), Hog Ellis (Major League Back to the Minors)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
"It Aint So"
In 1919 the Chicago "Black" Sox, led by "Shoeless" Joe Jackson met the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series of Baseball. The Reds took the then best of 9 series in 8 games. The upset was said to be a big shock, but the biggest of shocks would come a year later as 8 of the White Sox players were accused of throwing the series (taking money to lose on purpose). The players were acquitted of the charges because of some "faulty evidence." Baseball saw fit to punish them differently and banned all 8 of the men from the game forever. The 8 men included Joe Jackson (for more on the scandal see the movie Eight Men Out). Joe Jackson was a .356 lifetime hitter with 1,772 hits in just 8 full season of baseball, 4 of those seasons included 200 or more hits. He struck out just 158 times in almost 5000 career at bats. Some guys strike out more than that in a season these days.
Pete Rose, also known as "Charlie Hustle", was without a doubt one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game of baseball. A member of the Big Red Machine, he led the Cincinnati Reds to Three World Series Championships, winning his own MVP and being named to 17 All-Star games, in what turned out to be an illustrious career. In 1989 he was also permanently banned from baseball amidst accusations that he had gambled on games that he was involved in.
Shortly after Pete Rose's ban the commissioner voted that all players who had been determined "permanently ineligible" would also not be eligible for the Hall of Fame. This my friends is absurd. The fact that these two men do not have a place in Cooperstown is more of a disgrace then the "Steroid Era."
Jackson is not eligible because he "threw the World Series." While he admitted that he did take the money, there is no proof that he threw the series. Seriously I encourage you to find it and prove me wrong. I bet I can find the proof that he didn't. In fact here it is. First of all he hit .375 in the series. That was good enough for the best average out of any player who played more than 4 games in the series (Joe played all 8). Joe didn't commit an error in the series. Joe hit the only home run of the series. 1/3 of Joe's hits in the series went or extra bases (4:12). Go ahead and find me proof that he didn't play his best in those 8 games. All you can prove is that he took the money. Hm, a player getting extra money because he played well. I think we have a word for that these days. Endorsement maybe? It's okay for Nike to sign a guy to a contract after he wins and MVP award but because a guy took money from a gambler and then played great that not okay? Doesn't seem right to me. If that's the case then any player who has ever accepted money from a source outside the league for how well they play should not be allowed into the hall of fame.
Pete Rose is not eligible for the Hall of Fame because he "bet on baseball." What most people don't know is that Rose bet on his OWN team to WIN. How is that harming the team? How is that "cheating" the game of baseball? To me that says something about a man. he had the confidence and trust in himself and his teammates, to put his own money on the line, and bet that his team would go out and perform day in and day out. Is that not the same thing as a guy going out and publicly guaranteeing victory the day before a big game? The only difference is Pete Rose got paid for doing in it. In my opinion that was just a wise investment by Rose. He knew they were good, and he knew that he was going to do everything in his power to win ballgames. Wouldn't you bet on yourself too?
If you're going to keep two of the greatest baseball players of all time out of the Hall of Fame, then the same must be done with the steroid users. Those guys cheated the game. Those guys cheated the fans. And for the most part, unlike Jackson, its been proven. These guys hurt the integrity of the game. Jackson made a crappy series (because of the other 7 players) go 8 games and got a 10,000 dollar bonus for it. Rose got paid because his team won. Don't get me wrong what they did was selfish, but in no way did they cheat or do anything to hurt the game. LET THEM IN.
Pete Rose, also known as "Charlie Hustle", was without a doubt one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game of baseball. A member of the Big Red Machine, he led the Cincinnati Reds to Three World Series Championships, winning his own MVP and being named to 17 All-Star games, in what turned out to be an illustrious career. In 1989 he was also permanently banned from baseball amidst accusations that he had gambled on games that he was involved in.
Shortly after Pete Rose's ban the commissioner voted that all players who had been determined "permanently ineligible" would also not be eligible for the Hall of Fame. This my friends is absurd. The fact that these two men do not have a place in Cooperstown is more of a disgrace then the "Steroid Era."
Jackson is not eligible because he "threw the World Series." While he admitted that he did take the money, there is no proof that he threw the series. Seriously I encourage you to find it and prove me wrong. I bet I can find the proof that he didn't. In fact here it is. First of all he hit .375 in the series. That was good enough for the best average out of any player who played more than 4 games in the series (Joe played all 8). Joe didn't commit an error in the series. Joe hit the only home run of the series. 1/3 of Joe's hits in the series went or extra bases (4:12). Go ahead and find me proof that he didn't play his best in those 8 games. All you can prove is that he took the money. Hm, a player getting extra money because he played well. I think we have a word for that these days. Endorsement maybe? It's okay for Nike to sign a guy to a contract after he wins and MVP award but because a guy took money from a gambler and then played great that not okay? Doesn't seem right to me. If that's the case then any player who has ever accepted money from a source outside the league for how well they play should not be allowed into the hall of fame.
Pete Rose is not eligible for the Hall of Fame because he "bet on baseball." What most people don't know is that Rose bet on his OWN team to WIN. How is that harming the team? How is that "cheating" the game of baseball? To me that says something about a man. he had the confidence and trust in himself and his teammates, to put his own money on the line, and bet that his team would go out and perform day in and day out. Is that not the same thing as a guy going out and publicly guaranteeing victory the day before a big game? The only difference is Pete Rose got paid for doing in it. In my opinion that was just a wise investment by Rose. He knew they were good, and he knew that he was going to do everything in his power to win ballgames. Wouldn't you bet on yourself too?
If you're going to keep two of the greatest baseball players of all time out of the Hall of Fame, then the same must be done with the steroid users. Those guys cheated the game. Those guys cheated the fans. And for the most part, unlike Jackson, its been proven. These guys hurt the integrity of the game. Jackson made a crappy series (because of the other 7 players) go 8 games and got a 10,000 dollar bonus for it. Rose got paid because his team won. Don't get me wrong what they did was selfish, but in no way did they cheat or do anything to hurt the game. LET THEM IN.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
No Bang For Your Buck
For those of you who know me, you know i hate the large market, dynasty, professional sports teams. I'm sick of seeing all 19 Yankees/Red Sox games every season. I cringe at the thought of the Lakers winning another title. I just flat out hate the Cowboys. I don't know why I have this hatred. It could be because I worship a sports town that is about as Low Market as it gets. Or it could be that I just dont like mainstream stuff. I dont buy into Red Sox nation, and i liked the Rays before they won the AL. Thats just the kind of person i am. But something recently came to my attention that made me feel 100% stronger about this.
I was looking up the Astros schedule trying to find interesting games and good deals on tickets for those games. I got distracted, as I easily do, and started looking at the different promotions that they had. Roy O bobble head is coming up Thursday and its half price tickets. Sounds like a winner. But this got me thinking. I wonder what types of promotions other teams give?
Naturally I went to the Indians first. To my astonishment, they have have a promotion scheduled for every single night. Not everyone is big, maybe a fireworks show on Friday, or a charity event on Wednesday. But every single home game they are doing something to give back to the fans and the community. They see the true spirit of the game. Its about the fans and the kids. It wasnt just the Indians, It was the Angels, and the Braves, and the Rangers...Until i got greedy and decided to look at the Yankees.
7 Promotions scheduled for the whole year. One of which i will add was a Yankee Stadium Soup Bowl available to all fans. TELL ME WHAT 10 YEAR OLD WANTS A FRIGGIN SOUP BOWL. More surprisingly than that, the Boston Red Sox had NO scheduled promotions for the rest of the year.
Its not about the consumer, its about how much money George Steinbrenner can fit in his pocket. Recently at a game, my dad told me about a time when they had Bat Giveaway Day. Every fan under a certain age got an actual Major League wooden bat. Thats why I dont like large market teams and frankly thats what I'm most upset with in sports. Its not about us anymore. The players dont play for the fans. There was a time when it was like that. Pay a quarter. See a double header. No free agency. Guys got what they got and they played ball.
They once asked Joe Dimaggio why he played so hard. "There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first or last time, I owe him my best." Ask yourself if you truly believe thats what the organizations are about today. Are you getting your best when you go to a major market sporting event?
I was looking up the Astros schedule trying to find interesting games and good deals on tickets for those games. I got distracted, as I easily do, and started looking at the different promotions that they had. Roy O bobble head is coming up Thursday and its half price tickets. Sounds like a winner. But this got me thinking. I wonder what types of promotions other teams give?
Naturally I went to the Indians first. To my astonishment, they have have a promotion scheduled for every single night. Not everyone is big, maybe a fireworks show on Friday, or a charity event on Wednesday. But every single home game they are doing something to give back to the fans and the community. They see the true spirit of the game. Its about the fans and the kids. It wasnt just the Indians, It was the Angels, and the Braves, and the Rangers...Until i got greedy and decided to look at the Yankees.
7 Promotions scheduled for the whole year. One of which i will add was a Yankee Stadium Soup Bowl available to all fans. TELL ME WHAT 10 YEAR OLD WANTS A FRIGGIN SOUP BOWL. More surprisingly than that, the Boston Red Sox had NO scheduled promotions for the rest of the year.
Its not about the consumer, its about how much money George Steinbrenner can fit in his pocket. Recently at a game, my dad told me about a time when they had Bat Giveaway Day. Every fan under a certain age got an actual Major League wooden bat. Thats why I dont like large market teams and frankly thats what I'm most upset with in sports. Its not about us anymore. The players dont play for the fans. There was a time when it was like that. Pay a quarter. See a double header. No free agency. Guys got what they got and they played ball.
They once asked Joe Dimaggio why he played so hard. "There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first or last time, I owe him my best." Ask yourself if you truly believe thats what the organizations are about today. Are you getting your best when you go to a major market sporting event?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
For Love of the Game
I feel bad for people who have never had a sports experience in their life. Its hard to believe that there are even people out there who haven't. Some people even go as far as to make the excuse that sports are too violent and that they are too competitive. I really feel for these people.
I recently went through one of the toughest experiences of my life, a bone marrow transplant. To be honest the toughest part wasn't the chemo, or the throwing up, or the not eating for a week. The toughest part was being on the Pediatric Floor and having to see the 20-30 children under the age of 10 going through the same stuff that i went through. It just didn't seem right that somebody so innocent had to suffer. It quickly occurred to me that these kids were some of the strongest people i would ever meet in my life, and I found that out through sports.
I was out on my daily walk toward the end of my stay at the hospital, and i decided that i was going to go into the kids playroom with my niece and let her play around so i could spend some time out of my room. About 5 minutes after we got there a little Hispanic boy came in, in his little spider man pajamas. My heart immediately sank and i felt so bad for the little boy. After a few minutes the boy made his way over to the air hockey table, begging his grandfather to turn it on. From the first time he struck the puck, the biggest most adorable smile came over his face. I sat watching, amazed at how something so little as a puck sliding across a white table could make this boy who was going through hell so happy.
About a half hour later another group of boys came into the play area. It was easy to spot that none of them were patients but as the area is open to family members as well it was no big deal. They grabbed a soccer ball and began to kick it around the play room. The game quickly escalated into a pretty competitive but fun game of soccer. Everybody was laughing and having a great time. It was about that time, that the grandfather of the little air hockey boy informed our family that the boys were relatives of a 17 year-old girl who had lost her battle to Leukemia earlier that day. Once again I was amazed that something as simple as a little black and white ball could bring joy to people that had just lost something so close to them.
As I stood there kicking the ball with the boys, the little air hockey boy and my family, I began to realize that sports are one of the greatest escapes there is in this world. I never realized it before, but every time I was at a major league ballpark, or watching a football game on TV, that i was escaping something. I was escaping just everyday life. That's why sports are so great. They take you away from burdens whether they are health related, school related, work related. Whatever problem you may have, next time just sit down and take in a game. Spend three hours worrying about nothing but the action unfolding before you. You may find it more helpful than anything else.
I recently went through one of the toughest experiences of my life, a bone marrow transplant. To be honest the toughest part wasn't the chemo, or the throwing up, or the not eating for a week. The toughest part was being on the Pediatric Floor and having to see the 20-30 children under the age of 10 going through the same stuff that i went through. It just didn't seem right that somebody so innocent had to suffer. It quickly occurred to me that these kids were some of the strongest people i would ever meet in my life, and I found that out through sports.
I was out on my daily walk toward the end of my stay at the hospital, and i decided that i was going to go into the kids playroom with my niece and let her play around so i could spend some time out of my room. About 5 minutes after we got there a little Hispanic boy came in, in his little spider man pajamas. My heart immediately sank and i felt so bad for the little boy. After a few minutes the boy made his way over to the air hockey table, begging his grandfather to turn it on. From the first time he struck the puck, the biggest most adorable smile came over his face. I sat watching, amazed at how something so little as a puck sliding across a white table could make this boy who was going through hell so happy.
About a half hour later another group of boys came into the play area. It was easy to spot that none of them were patients but as the area is open to family members as well it was no big deal. They grabbed a soccer ball and began to kick it around the play room. The game quickly escalated into a pretty competitive but fun game of soccer. Everybody was laughing and having a great time. It was about that time, that the grandfather of the little air hockey boy informed our family that the boys were relatives of a 17 year-old girl who had lost her battle to Leukemia earlier that day. Once again I was amazed that something as simple as a little black and white ball could bring joy to people that had just lost something so close to them.
As I stood there kicking the ball with the boys, the little air hockey boy and my family, I began to realize that sports are one of the greatest escapes there is in this world. I never realized it before, but every time I was at a major league ballpark, or watching a football game on TV, that i was escaping something. I was escaping just everyday life. That's why sports are so great. They take you away from burdens whether they are health related, school related, work related. Whatever problem you may have, next time just sit down and take in a game. Spend three hours worrying about nothing but the action unfolding before you. You may find it more helpful than anything else.
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