I quoted the battery line on Facebook!
― clemenza, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 02:22 (three years ago) link
Kaline was definitely highly thought of by other players. All-Star voting wasn't handed over to fans until 1970; I assume all those AS appearances were voted on by players?
― clemenza, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 02:26 (three years ago) link
Brooks Robinson said he was the best he played against
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 11:18 (three years ago) link
gen believed he forsook some power for average and walks
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/remembering-al-kaline-mr-tiger-1934-2020/
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 11:57 (three years ago) link
Al Kaline’s family put a “regular” obit in the Sunday @freep. By blending in, it’s an example of how one-of-a-kind he really was. pic.twitter.com/CR7ej9aZAT— Matt Friedman (@mattfrieds) April 12, 2020
― Andy K, Sunday, 12 April 2020 16:06 (three years ago) link
Glenn Beckert:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/former-chicago-cubs-star-glenn-beckert-dies/
One of those random stats that will stick in my mind forever: he hit .340 one year, when Rod Carew was the only second baseman who did that. (Okay, I checked--.342.)
― clemenza, Monday, 13 April 2020 00:49 (three years ago) link
hank steinbrenner, 63, non-covid-related
https://nypost.com/2020/04/14/hank-steinbrenner-yankees-co-owner-dead-at-63/
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 14 April 2020 14:59 (three years ago) link
jim frey, 88
https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/04/14/former-royals-cubs-manager-jim-frey-dies-at-88
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 14 April 2020 18:50 (three years ago) link
Within a few months of Tony Fernandez, Dámaso García.
http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/04/15/long-time-blue-jays-infielder-damaso-garcia-dies/
― clemenza, Wednesday, 15 April 2020 18:30 (three years ago) link
RIP I remember being super bummed as a 9 or 10-yr old when he was included in that Chambliss trade
And being down on Rick Cerone
― Yanni Xenakis (Hadrian VIII), Wednesday, 15 April 2020 21:40 (three years ago) link
Steve Dalkowski, a wild left-hander who was said to have been dubbed "the fastest pitcher in baseball history" by Ted Williams, died this week in New Britain, Connecticut. He was 80.Dalkowski, who once struck out 24 batters in a minor league game -- and walked 18 -- never made it to the big leagues.Writer-director Ron Shelton, who spent five years in the Orioles farm system, heard about Dalkowski's exploits and based the character Nuke Laloosh in 'Bull Durham' on the pitcher.
Dalkowski, who once struck out 24 batters in a minor league game -- and walked 18 -- never made it to the big leagues.
Writer-director Ron Shelton, who spent five years in the Orioles farm system, heard about Dalkowski's exploits and based the character Nuke Laloosh in 'Bull Durham' on the pitcher.
― mookieproof, Friday, 24 April 2020 18:31 (three years ago) link
The A's are mourning the loss of former Athletic minor leaguer Miguel Marte, who passed away earlier this week due to complications from COVID-19. Marte played in the A's system from 2008-2012. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.https://t.co/PV7UEuAuvL pic.twitter.com/mVeLdOUciU— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 1, 2020
― mookieproof, Friday, 1 May 2020 19:41 (three years ago) link
journeyman Matt Keough, AL All-Star as a rookie in 1978 & was selected AL Comeback Player of the Year in 1980, both for the A's.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Sunday, 3 May 2020 23:39 (three years ago) link
Tonight my dad and hero Bob Watson has passed away after a long fight with kidney disease.. #Astros #Yankees #RedSox #Braves #Athletics #USABAseball #MLB #1stBlackGM pic.twitter.com/obKe1mwJYc— K Dubb (@TheReal_KDubb) May 15, 2020
― Andy K, Friday, 15 May 2020 12:45 (three years ago) link
Understand that I realize why, but Watson was the very definition of what James called "the RBI guy with mystique," something you can't have in the era of analytics.
― clemenza, Friday, 15 May 2020 15:10 (three years ago) link
http://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/us/arizona-diamondbacks-player-wife-dead-spt-trnd/index.html
― clemenza, Tuesday, 19 May 2020 18:54 (three years ago) link
biff pocoroba, 66
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 May 2020 19:37 (three years ago) link
Not sure where to post this, but this is a must read (and pretty devastating):
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29224260/inside-roy-halladay-struggle-pain-addiction
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Thursday, 28 May 2020 22:25 (three years ago) link
Sad MLB news. Claudell Washington passed away this AM...— Full Dissident (@hbryant42) June 10, 2020
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 10 June 2020 16:41 (three years ago) link
Wasn't he basically the star of the team for a season after Finley got rid of everyone or they cleared out?
― clemenza, Wednesday, 10 June 2020 18:40 (three years ago) link
Checked, and no--he was gone by '77 himself, and in '76, Tenace, Campanaris, Bando, Rudi, and North were still there. Really, only Jackson, Hunter, and Holtzman were gone.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 10 June 2020 18:45 (three years ago) link
he had a very nice age-20 season, which was before my time. i only remember him with the barves
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 10 June 2020 18:49 (three years ago) link
a linchpin of the 1980 Mets
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 10 June 2020 19:11 (three years ago) link
I seem to remember Claudell Washington making an unbelievable catch when he was with the Braves where at full speed goes up the wall catches the ball then goes over the wall. To my memory, it was in the part of the wall back at the old Braves stadium when the walls were like plexiglass and visible through them, so in the clip you see him falling behind the wall.
Looked and could not find the clip, but I seem to remember it being in one of those "best all time catch" clips you would see back in the 80s.
― earlnash, Thursday, 11 June 2020 00:25 (three years ago) link
1967 NL cy young winner mike mccormick, 81
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:49 (three years ago) link
Mike Ryan
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29442904/former-catcher-long-coach-mike-ryan-dies-78
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 12 July 2020 12:09 (three years ago) link
Heartbroken today with the news of Tony Taylor’s passing. To me, he was more than a former teammate... he was my best friend and one of finest human beings on the planet pic.twitter.com/enXxCvzu1k— Dick Allen (@DickAllen_15) July 16, 2020
― mookieproof, Thursday, 16 July 2020 17:25 (three years ago) link
Earlier this week, Johan Maya welcomed his pregnant wife home after she recovered from COVID-19. Then the Diamondbacks scout got sick. He died on Thursday, leaving a hole in the baseball community.With @jakemkaplan:https://t.co/N2ZvRkjU7F— Zach Buchanan (@ZHBuchanan) July 24, 2020
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 25 July 2020 13:46 (three years ago) link
by all accounts a good guy, was in minor league baseball forever
Awful news. Longtime MiLB owner Lou Schwechheimer, currently owner of the new AAA club in Wichita has passed away from the novel coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/KO6LGeFjWJ— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) July 29, 2020
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 29 July 2020 20:57 (three years ago) link
John McNamara
https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/07/29/former-red-sox-manager-john-mcnamara-dies-at-88/
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 30 July 2020 14:32 (three years ago) link
avatar of a blessedly crap Yankees era
Column: RIP Horace Clarke, who unwittingly lent his name to an era of #Yankees futility but never let a terrible case of bad timing alter the fact that he loved his life and cherished his memories. https://t.co/Sf96AGGvGv— Mike Vaccaro (@MikeVacc) August 6, 2020
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Friday, 7 August 2020 20:24 (three years ago) link
:(
― singular wolf erotica producer (Hadrian VIII), Friday, 7 August 2020 21:01 (three years ago) link
tom seaver
― mookieproof, Thursday, 3 September 2020 00:57 (three years ago) link
:( rip
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 3 September 2020 01:05 (three years ago) link
paul giamatti's dad waxes hardcore rhapsodic on seaver after the mets traded him: https://harpers.org/archive/1977/09/tom-seavers-farewell
― mookieproof, Thursday, 3 September 2020 15:26 (three years ago) link
this is pretty cool
Every Mets player has dirt on their right knee as a tribute to Tom Seaver, who’s knee would hit the ground as a result of his delivery 🧡 pic.twitter.com/3QkXueO8di— SI MLB (@si_mlb) September 3, 2020
― mookieproof, Thursday, 3 September 2020 22:02 (three years ago) link
Nice tweets from Palmer ("Baseball lost the best pitcher of my era") and Jenkins. One of my favourite SI covers:
http://phildellio.tripod.com/toughest.jpg
― clemenza, Friday, 4 September 2020 03:10 (three years ago) link
Mr Baseball to me
His beginnings:
https://mcusercontent.com/70117f7e29064e68418377637/files/9ac95a1f-1d62-433b-8de2-44f0e9716a50/20073_Seaver_Beginning.pdf
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 5 September 2020 13:38 (three years ago) link
RIP Jay Johnstone, who played for 8 teams in his 20-yr #MLB career (1966-1985). A excellent PH & role player, Johnstone was one of baseball's great pranksters & fan favorite. He was 74. His @sabr bio https://t.co/a82uL7ta16 pic.twitter.com/81At5sLOu4— SABR BioProject (@SABRbioproject) September 28, 2020
― mookieproof, Monday, 28 September 2020 19:25 (three years ago) link
Bob Gibson
RIP to a real one
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 3 October 2020 04:00 (three years ago) link
damn, within a couple weeks of lou brock, too.
RIP Bob Gibson. :(
― idkwtf (Karl Malone), Saturday, 3 October 2020 04:06 (three years ago) link
One of the two times I was in Cooperstown, he was on the street signing autographs--not near anything, just sitting there on his own. I remembered reading something where he wished fans would just shake his hand instead of asking for autographs, so, very proud of myself, that's what I did, walked up and asked to shake his hand--not thinking that there might be a difference between signing for money and getting interrupted in a restaurant and signing. He put out his hand, half looked away, and gave me the deadest handshake in the history of handshakes.
I view it as a funny, embarrassing story. I in no way stopped being a fan or anything. I cut major slack for any African-American player who came up through the '50s.
― clemenza, Saturday, 3 October 2020 04:33 (three years ago) link
World moves on...sad to see them go.
I remember Jay Johnstone having some big pinch hits for the Cubs back in 84.
― earlnash, Saturday, 3 October 2020 05:11 (three years ago) link
I dunno, clem, I don't think Ernie Banks or Buck O'Neil would've done that.
The Roger Angell profile of Gibson I posted two weeks ago:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1980/09/22/distance
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 3 October 2020 14:35 (three years ago) link
They wouldn't have, no, but I understand both reactions. The whole signing business--I'm not part of that world, but my collector friend is immersed in it, so I hear all his stories--is bizarre.
― clemenza, Saturday, 3 October 2020 15:34 (three years ago) link
In my telling, Gibby watched a nine-pitcher shutout in October and decided he’d seen enough.— Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) October 3, 2020
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 3 October 2020 22:56 (three years ago) link
They changed the rules of baseball to stop Bob Gibson. That's the only epitaph you need.— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) October 3, 2020
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 3 October 2020 23:35 (three years ago) link
Was reading Joe Posnanski's obituary for Gale Sayers from 10 days ago, and there's this:
The basics of his career are well known. He was a prodigy in Omaha, Neb. — where he was coached for a time by Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson’s brother Josh — and he became a star at the University of Kansas.
Besides the coincidental timing, I didn't know Gibson had a brother named Josh.
― clemenza, Sunday, 4 October 2020 00:09 (three years ago) link
https://www.mlb.com/video/bob-costas-reflects-on-bob-gibson?t=remembering-bob-gibson
Bob Costas (who I've never minded)--you probably know the story of Gibson's final pitch and the aftermath, but if not, it's here.
― clemenza, Sunday, 4 October 2020 01:02 (three years ago) link
Who just died? I briefly saw one of those rotating online headlines about a pitcher who played for 10 seasons dying...can't find anything.
― clemenza, Saturday, 10 February 2024 22:16 (one month ago) link
im not seeing anything
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Saturday, 10 February 2024 23:07 (one month ago) link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hannan
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Saturday, 10 February 2024 23:17 (one month ago) link
That'd be him, thanks. Never heard of him. Definite claim to fame: part of the massive Denny McLain trade in 1970.
― clemenza, Saturday, 10 February 2024 23:20 (one month ago) link
Geez, missed this:
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/don-gullett-world-series-champion-with-reds-and-yankees-dies-at-73/
Easily the best pitcher on my first favourite team. From Posnanski's post today: best winning percentage for pitchers who won 100 games before turning 27 (44 of them in the 20th century).
1. Roger Clemens, 116-51, .6952. Don Gullett, 109-60, .6863. Dwight Gooden, 142-66, .6834. Jim Palmer, 122-57, .6825. Pedro Martinez, 107-50, .682
Retired after that--never pitched in another game.
― clemenza, Monday, 19 February 2024 22:18 (one month ago) link
ed ott, 72
u l washington, 71
― mookieproof, Monday, 4 March 2024 14:38 (three weeks ago) link
also tim wakefield’s widow stacy, 57
― mookieproof, Monday, 4 March 2024 14:41 (three weeks ago) link
I remember Ed Ott, who then led me back to Duffy Dyer; Manny's backups.
― clemenza, Monday, 4 March 2024 15:08 (three weeks ago) link
having grown up with ed ott (and steve nicosia!) i have to stop and think whenever the the crossword is asking for MEL
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 5 March 2024 03:17 (three weeks ago) link
Ed Ott did Felix Millan dirty. RIP but you will pay for it in the afterlife.
― buzza, Tuesday, 5 March 2024 07:10 (three weeks ago) link
missed this but former pirates/cardinals/white sox/etc pitcher jose deleon died a few weeks ago at 63
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 13 March 2024 12:00 (two weeks ago) link
Such a strange pitcher, the disconnect between his peripheral stats and his W-L record--he got some attention for it at a time when few pitchers did. Both years he lost 19 (2-19 in '85!), he gave up fewer hits than IP. He walked too many, but he also struck out over 7 batters per 9 when, again, that wasn't common. For his career, a league-average ERA, a FIP of 3.61, and a W-L record 30 games under .500.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 13 March 2024 13:08 (two weeks ago) link
kind of amazing that deleon still put up 1.8 fWAR while going 2-19
he was unlucky, but the '85 pirates were a deeply awful team (apart from rick reuschel). their leading home run hitter had 12!
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 13 March 2024 20:13 (two weeks ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PqXNWS4aRU
― mookieproof, Thursday, 21 March 2024 16:48 (one week ago) link
Three or four famous Mets on there...Did we mention Bill Plummer on this thread? Remember him well as Bench's backup.
― clemenza, Thursday, 21 March 2024 18:17 (one week ago) link
Peter Angelos
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/23/peter-angelos-orioles-owner-dies/
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Saturday, 23 March 2024 18:50 (six days ago) link