I only knew him from the national broadcasts. He was definitely an old school colour commentator much like Joe Morgan was, relying on his wit and intuition about the game to tell a story. I enjoyed listening to him for the most part.
I hadn't realized that he had a 20-plus year career as a player. He played in four decades!
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Friday, 17 February 2023 13:17 (one year ago) link
lol, i missed this 2013 all-star game moment from mccarver. very hard to explain
This will always be remembered as the moment Tim McCarver crossed over into legendary status β hands down #STLCards pic.twitter.com/zaEkdf0313— π°πππππ ππππππ | πΊ (@drewmaniac) February 16, 2023
― President of Destiny Encounters International (Karl Malone), Saturday, 18 February 2023 00:09 (one year ago) link
(xpost) As a player, I always group him in my mind with Bob Boone and Jim Sundberg, although the other two are much closer in terms of timeline and being mostly about defense.
― clemenza, Saturday, 18 February 2023 13:53 (one year ago) link
(kramer voice) joe pepitone!
― mookieproof, Monday, 13 March 2023 22:01 (one year ago) link
I literally just read the part in Ball Four where they prank him by putting talc in his hairdryer so when he blow dries his wig after a game he looks like George Washington.
― giant bat fucker (gyac), Monday, 13 March 2023 22:21 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vqJ-WSC-QI
― mookieproof, Monday, 13 March 2023 22:30 (one year ago) link
I think I've got this right: it's him in Ball Four who puts a piece of popcorn under his foreskin and tells the trainer he's got some new form of VD...As flakes go, he sounded like one the greatest--he was near the end when I started watching.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 14 March 2023 01:46 (one year ago) link
rip dick groat, 8-time all-star, 1960 NL MVP, 2-time WS champ
― z_tbd, Thursday, 27 April 2023 17:24 (one year ago) link
Hobie Landrith, first Met, last week or so, i think
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Thursday, 27 April 2023 18:07 (one year ago) link
Vida Blue!
We mourn the passing of Vida Blue, a Cy Young, MVP and three-time World Series winner. He was 73. pic.twitter.com/dTJScoMstO— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2023
― Everybody's gonna get what they got coming (gyac), Sunday, 7 May 2023 15:38 (one year ago) link
damn, a guy with hall of fame talent but not quite enough of a career to get in there. dominant during his relatively brief career though, kinda like ron guidry in that respect.
― omar little, Sunday, 7 May 2023 16:17 (one year ago) link
and one of the best names of all time
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Sunday, 7 May 2023 16:26 (one year ago) link
As I've mentioned many times, my fandom began in 1970, so his '71 season looms so large for me: one of those things that you spend the rest of your life measuring everything else against. (Everything baseball...I think.) Greatest season (eclipsed by Gooden and a few others since), greatest name, greatest decade, greatest everything.
All in all, underrated after that, in that '71 was an albatross he could never duplicate, plus the holdout, plus the drug issue, plus the itinerant nature of his career. For his career, his numbers are probably better than at least a few pitchers in the HOF.
― clemenza, Sunday, 7 May 2023 16:47 (one year ago) link
Vida Blue was awesome, RIP. Loved hearing him talk too.
― brimstead, Sunday, 7 May 2023 16:49 (one year ago) link
There's a decent argument for him being in the HOF and sometimes I think briefer peak value types like him really belong. That's more in line with what the NBA and NFL halls do. I know the MLB HOF loves longevity though.
― omar little, Sunday, 7 May 2023 16:53 (one year ago) link
The other thing he has going against him besides what I mentioned was pitching in a pitcher's era--not to the degree the '60s were, but his old-school stats only leave him with 45 bWAR after adjustments. Plus he's surrounded on all sides by 300-game winners like Seaver, Carlton, Perry, Niekro, and Sutton, and also legends like Gibson, Marichal, Palmer, and others.
― clemenza, Sunday, 7 May 2023 16:58 (one year ago) link
Looking at his '71 game log is amazing:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=bluevi01&t=p&year=1971
He made a DeGrom like run at Gibson that year (without going down). His ERA was 1.03 after his May 23 start (12th), and he was still at 1.37 as late as July 25. He tailed off a bit after that and ended up with 1.82.
Lots of other eye-opening stuff in there, like six consecutive CG more than once.
― clemenza, Sunday, 7 May 2023 17:08 (one year ago) link
Thought he moved around more than he actually did: only three teams (two stints in San Francisco). That's not many in the free-agent era. (His '72 holdout, where--surprise--Finley railroaded him into coming back should get more credit than it does in ending the reserve clause.)
― clemenza, Sunday, 7 May 2023 17:46 (one year ago) link
Posnanski on Vida, with a nice tweet from Fergie Jenkins:
https://open.substack.com/pub/joeposnanski/p/blue-monday?r=1jtu0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Reminded me of how close his career numbers were to Catfish Hunter's.
― clemenza, Monday, 8 May 2023 16:11 (one year ago) link
roger craig, 93
― mookieproof, Monday, 5 June 2023 02:08 (eleven months ago) link
Last words, as he sat at home watching the A's: "Can't anybody here play this game?"
― clemenza, Monday, 5 June 2023 02:26 (eleven months ago) link
People you thought were 80 years old already when his team humiliated yours in the 1989 NLCS
― omar little, Monday, 5 June 2023 02:34 (eleven months ago) link
He had been in ill health for some time aiui
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Monday, 5 June 2023 02:52 (eleven months ago) link
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/419Yf4Bi7WL._AC_UL600_SR600,600_.jpg
Enjoyed this book as a young Tigers fan. (Shout-out to scott pl.)
― Andy K, Monday, 5 June 2023 12:05 (eleven months ago) link
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F1mlG0PXgAIHZDF.jpg:small
― mookieproof, Saturday, 22 July 2023 03:12 (nine months ago) link
We mourn the passing of Jim Price, a treasured member of the Tigers organization for decades.He spent all five years of his playing career wearing the Olde English βDβ, including the 1968 World Series championship season.— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 8, 2023
― Andy K, Wednesday, 9 August 2023 02:25 (nine months ago) link
A Statement from the Robinson Family and the Orioles:βWe are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson. An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport ofβ¦— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 26, 2023
― j.q higgins, Tuesday, 26 September 2023 21:59 (seven months ago) link
Ah happy trails
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Tuesday, 26 September 2023 22:04 (seven months ago) link
Just heard that. He was something else in the '70 Series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_XHZbhR9qc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6FkSuRWZtA
― clemenza, Tuesday, 26 September 2023 22:05 (seven months ago) link
Apparently he was left-handed, and did everything left-handed, except bat and throw
― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 26 September 2023 23:17 (seven months ago) link
Jim Palmer said Brooks "never had a bad day in his life"
Thanks for the videos, clemenza. Wild to see video of that time. Great play
― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 26 September 2023 23:18 (seven months ago) link
Jim Palmer reflects on the legacy of Brooks Robinson. pic.twitter.com/2UlvMt5gBd— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) September 26, 2023
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 00:55 (seven months ago) link
Nice clip. I'm going by memory here--and will feel silly if I'm wrong (can't seem to find confirmation online)--but I think Ken Burns used "Theme from Shaft" for the segment on Robinson and the '70s Series. He cheated by a year, but it was great. Clemente and Santana's "Oye Como Va" for the '71 Series was a perfect match; Robinson and "Shaft" was a brilliant contrast.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 02:01 (seven months ago) link
jim palmer is in awfully good shape for a guy who'll turn 78 in a couple weeks
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 02:33 (seven months ago) link
Sorry, forgot this thread existed for a moment.
Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield.Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation.Our deepest love and thoughts are withβ¦ pic.twitter.com/ah5kV2Yt8j— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 1, 2023
― Iβm going to get fined for being right, again (gyac), Sunday, 1 October 2023 18:35 (seven months ago) link
Highly recommend Knuckleball, about his quest for his 200th win but really about this small fraternity of four or five people who account for almost everyone in the world who knows how to throw that pitch well. They golf together, keep in touch, and mentor Wakefield.
― clemenza, Sunday, 1 October 2023 18:44 (seven months ago) link
rip The Young Knuckleballer
went to see him do a rehab start for the carolina mudcats in 1993, but he ended up being scratched. andy van slyke was there rehabbing tho
classic pirates move to waive a guy who would win 186 games and put up 33 bWAR elsewhere. always rooted for him ;_;
― mookieproof, Sunday, 1 October 2023 18:49 (seven months ago) link
Tim Wakefield, Knuckleballer Extraordinaire pic.twitter.com/QElTCrnSMT— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) October 1, 2023
― mookieproof, Sunday, 1 October 2023 20:18 (seven months ago) link
For those that didnβt notice, George Kirby threw a first-pitch knuckleball to Corey Seager for a swing and miss. Statcast had it as a splitter, but Kirby has been threatening to throw his knuckleball once in a game.— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) October 1, 2023
― Iβm going to get fined for being right, again (gyac), Sunday, 1 October 2023 20:19 (seven months ago) link
This Mike Timlin-Tim Wakefield video from the 2007 World Series resonates even more now. Seemed like the absolute best teammate you could have. pic.twitter.com/4A3hx6nEIi— Mike Cole (@MikeColeNESN) October 1, 2023
― mookieproof, Sunday, 1 October 2023 20:20 (seven months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZf9UeZa4uA
― mookieproof, Sunday, 1 October 2023 21:08 (seven months ago) link
I'm sure many of you have read this before, but it's well worth a re-read in the aftermath of Wakefield's death. By my lights this is the best oral history about any baseball event ever: The Doug Mirabelli trade.
https://tht.fangraphs.com/the-doug-mirabelli-trade-an-oral-history/
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 2 October 2023 12:31 (seven months ago) link
baseball writer jim caple, who i used to enjoy reading back in the espn page 2 days and again years later at the athletic
― is he disgruntled adrian? (voodoo chili), Monday, 2 October 2023 19:36 (seven months ago) link
thanks for posting that, tracer hand!
― brimstead, Monday, 2 October 2023 20:18 (seven months ago) link
Great read.
Loved watching (and imitating) him.
― Andy K, Monday, 2 October 2023 21:11 (seven months ago) link
Hondo, one of the legendary guys from my youth:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/mlb/article-12690331/Frank-Howard-Washington-Senators-dies-87-MLB.html
It's not so much how many HR he hit--under 400 for his career, reached 40+ three times--as when he hit them: 44 in '68 (with a slugging pct. of .552), when pitchers dominated like no year since the 1910s, and 48 in '69, which was wasn't as extreme but still pitching-dominated. And he was huge (standing next to Mantle here).
https://ladodgertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/gettyimages-52909635-612x612-1.jpg
― clemenza, Monday, 30 October 2023 21:04 (six months ago) link
"His coming-out party came in May 1968, when, during a stretch of 20 at-bats, Howard blasted 10 home runs. It still stands as the record for most home runs hit in one week."
https://www.mlb.com/news/frank-howard-dies
― clemenza, Monday, 30 October 2023 21:43 (six months ago) link
Little bit in Posnanski's post today about how much Ted Williams brought Frank Howard around as a hitter.
Then in 1969, the team hired their new manager, a guy named Ted Williams, and itβs utterly REMARKABLE how much that changed Frank Howard as a hitter. Up to that point, he was a wild free swinger with a .336 lifetime on-base percentage. Under Williams, he immediately cut down the strikeouts and doubled the walks; that year he hit .296/.402/.574 with those career-high 48 homers. The next year, he led the league with 132 walks. Ted Williams was a famously ineffective manager for many reasons, but Frank Howard would always say he made him a great hitter and he would lament not playing for Ted when he was young.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 1 November 2023 02:37 (six months ago) link
Peter Seidler, grandson of Wally O'Malley, owner/controlling partner of SDP from 2012-2023.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 14 November 2023 19:27 (five months ago) link