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Post by inger on May 2, 2024 14:59:19 GMT -5
A fun but utterly meaningless fact:
The home run hitting leader all time from the country of Poland is…
Moe Drabowsky, with 3
Gotta go to MO’s…
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Post by pippsheadache on May 2, 2024 15:05:17 GMT -5
That insipid voice, “Yankee Stadium is a bandbox.” As if the opposition was swinging in a different ballpark. I couldn’t stand him and Joe Buck, though his father was great. Jack Buck was a legendary broadcaster! I am with you though on his boy Joe. I think he is awful in baseball and football. I've also never been impressed with any of the others (Morgan, Smoltz, Rodriguez, Mendoza, McCarver) named above. IMO some greats were Scully, Gowdy and Mel Allen! We're on the same wavelength HoJoe. Mel Allen just sounded like Yankee baseball. His dismissal has always been shrouded in mystery. I liked Red Barber almost as much. Scully was incomparable, and Gowdy meant big games on NBC. I always liked Lindsey Nelson too, especially on college football, but he was good with the Mets too. |
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Post by pippsheadache on May 2, 2024 15:13:08 GMT -5
A fun but utterly meaningless fact: The home run hitting leader all time from the country of Poland is… Moe Drabowsky, with 3 Gotta go to MO’s… I had to look that up. Only three other MLB players from Poland, all born in the first decade of the 20th century, so not much competition for Drabo. I remember when Moe, Dick Drott and Glen Hobbie were the young pitching hopefuls for the Cubs. The main thing I remember about Moe Drabowsky -- and I bet you remember it too -- was his great long relief work in Game One of the 1966 World Series for the Orioles against the Dodgers, setting the tone for a very unexpected four-game sweep. |
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Post by inger on May 2, 2024 15:16:28 GMT -5
I mentioned Ron Karcovice on this site a few games ago, sort of randomly recalling his string defense vs. the running game and here he appears on this list with an inside the park grand slam, one that provided all of the White Sox scoring in a 4-3 on August 6, 1990. A blast and run off of Twins pitcher David West. While we’re discussing the great announcers in baseball history (🤓), I should note that the nickname Officer Karcovice was bestowed upon Ron by none other than Ken “Hawk” Harrelson. Without going anywhere himself and thence playing 12 years for only the White Sox, Karkovice got to play alongside six Hall of Famers in his career. He was teammates with Frank Thomas, Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Carlton Fisk, Harold Baines & Tim Raines and was managed as a rookie by Tony LaRussa. It’s hard to recall Seaver as a White Sox hurler, but that he was…why did the Mets never use “Leave it to Seaver” as a promotional line?… www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN199008300.shtml |
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Post by bomberhojoe on May 2, 2024 15:20:50 GMT -5
Jack Buck was a legendary broadcaster! I am with you though on his boy Joe. I think he is awful in baseball and football. I've also never been impressed with any of the others (Morgan, Smoltz, Rodriguez, Mendoza, McCarver) named above. IMO some greats were Scully, Gowdy and Mel Allen! We're on the same wavelength HoJoe. Mel Allen just sounded like Yankee baseball. His dismissal has always been shrouded in mystery. I liked Red Barber almost as much. Scully was incomparable, and Gowdy meant big games on NBC. I always liked Lindsey Nelson too, especially on college football, but he was good with the Mets too. Agree on Barber and Nelson. But for me no one meant college football more than Keith Jackson! |
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Post by inger on May 2, 2024 15:22:11 GMT -5
A fun but utterly meaningless fact: The home run hitting leader all time from the country of Poland is… Moe Drabowsky, with 3 Gotta go to MO’s… I had to look that up. Only three other MLB players from Poland, all born in the first decade of the 20th century, so not much competition for Drabo. I remember when Moe, Dick Drott and Glen Hobbie were the young pitching hopefuls for the Cubs. The main thing I remember about Moe Drabowsky -- and I bet you remember it too -- was his great long relief work in Game One of the 1966 World Series for the Orioles against the Dodgers, setting the tone for a very unexpected four-game sweep. And his complete change of fortune once his many failed attempts to start were behind him in Baltimore. From that age 30 season on he was 40-24, 2.66, a good run better than his career era and way better than his previous winning percentage starting Chicago and Kansas City… |
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Post by pippsheadache on May 2, 2024 15:24:45 GMT -5
We're on the same wavelength HoJoe. Mel Allen just sounded like Yankee baseball. His dismissal has always been shrouded in mystery. I liked Red Barber almost as much. Scully was incomparable, and Gowdy meant big games on NBC. I always liked Lindsey Nelson too, especially on college football, but he was good with the Mets too. Agree on Barber and Nelson. But for me no one meant college football more than Keith Jackson! Whoa Nellie! The only problem I had with Keith was that he unfortunately hung around too long and made a lot of mistakes in his final years. But no question he was the sound of college football for decades. |
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Post by inger on May 2, 2024 15:25:32 GMT -5
We're on the same wavelength HoJoe. Mel Allen just sounded like Yankee baseball. His dismissal has always been shrouded in mystery. I liked Red Barber almost as much. Scully was incomparable, and Gowdy meant big games on NBC. I always liked Lindsey Nelson too, especially on college football, but he was good with the Mets too. Agree on Barber and Nelson. But for me no one meant college football more than Keith Jackson! I always hate to admit it, but I heard a lot of Chuck Thompson growing up in MD. What a voice, what a delivery, bit what a homer, too… Michael Kay has become someone I appreciate. Not the classic voice, but I enjoy him and the way he allows himself to be the foil for the O’Neills and Cones of the world… |
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Post by pippsheadache on May 2, 2024 15:31:38 GMT -5
Agree on Barber and Nelson. But for me no one meant college football more than Keith Jackson! I always hate to admit it, but I heard a lot of Chuck Thompson growing up in MD. What a voice, what a delivery, bit what a homer, too… Michael Kay has become someone I appreciate. Not the classic voice, but I enjoy him and the way he allows himself to be the foil for the O’Neills and Cones of the world… I feel the same way about Chuck Thompson. I hated him as a kid listening to him on WBAL or on channel two or thirteen. Mainly because as you said he was such a homer for the O's when they were battling the Yankees. But he really was a great broadcaster -- I appreciated him more with the Colts. "Everywhere you look there's an Oriole." |
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Post by inger on May 2, 2024 15:34:09 GMT -5
I always hate to admit it, but I heard a lot of Chuck Thompson growing up in MD. What a voice, what a delivery, bit what a homer, too… Michael Kay has become someone I appreciate. Not the classic voice, but I enjoy him and the way he allows himself to be the foil for the O’Neills and Cones of the world… I feel the same way about Chuck Thompson. I hated him as a kid listening to him on WBAL or on channel two or thirteen. Mainly because as you said he was such a homer for the O's when they were battling the Yankees. But he really was a great broadcaster -- I appreciated him more with the Colts. "Everywhere you look there's an Oriole." “Ain’t the beer cold!”… |
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Post by pippsheadache on May 2, 2024 15:48:28 GMT -5
I feel the same way about Chuck Thompson. I hated him as a kid listening to him on WBAL or on channel two or thirteen. Mainly because as you said he was such a homer for the O's when they were battling the Yankees. But he really was a great broadcaster -- I appreciated him more with the Colts. "Everywhere you look there's an Oriole." “Ain’t the beer cold!”… Haha his signature call. National Bo sponsoring the games, along with Ess-Kay Quality Meats and Utz Potato Chips and Luskin Furniture. He worked with Frank Messer and Bill O'Donnell in the mid-60s. He also did the network radio call for Mazeroski's home run, screwing up both the pitcher (he said Art Ditmar instead of Ralph Terry) and the score (he said 10-0 instead of 10-9.) But he recovered sufficiently to have several more decades of broadcasting. I remember the pre-game show "Dugout Chatter" with Jim West. After the game on radio there was something called "The Harley Show" that featured Dixieland Jazz. Somehow they managed to dig up a lot of songs about the Chesapeake Bay. |
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Post by fwclipper51 on May 2, 2024 19:13:51 GMT -5
Jack Buck was a legendary broadcaster! I am with you though on his boy Joe. I think he is awful in baseball and football. I've also never been impressed with any of the others (Morgan, Smoltz, Rodriguez, Mendoza, McCarver) named above. IMO some greats were Scully, Gowdy and Mel Allen! We're on the same wavelength HoJoe. Mel Allen just sounded like Yankee baseball. His dismissal has always been shrouded in mystery. I liked Red Barber almost as much. Scully was incomparable, and Gowdy meant big games on NBC. I always liked Lindsey Nelson too, especially on college football, but he was good with the Mets too. Don't forget Red Barber, who helped a young Vince Sully when he was with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mel days with the Yankees were coming to end with the new CBS ownership in 1964. He was told on September 21, 1964 that his contract wouldn't be renewed for 1965 season. Also the team had selected Phil Rizzuto would do the 1964 World Series. The Yankees would announce his firing to the public on December 17, 1964. Joe Garagiola would be his replacement. |
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Post by pippsheadache on May 3, 2024 5:38:09 GMT -5
We're on the same wavelength HoJoe. Mel Allen just sounded like Yankee baseball. His dismissal has always been shrouded in mystery. I liked Red Barber almost as much. Scully was incomparable, and Gowdy meant big games on NBC. I always liked Lindsey Nelson too, especially on college football, but he was good with the Mets too. Don't forget Red Barber, who helped a young Vince Sully when he was with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mel days with the Yankees were coming to end with the new CBS ownership in 1964. He was told on September 21, 1964 that his contract wouldn't be renewed for 1965 season. Also the team had selected Phil Rizzuto would do the 1964 World Series. The Yankees would announce his firing to the public on December 17, 1964. Joe Garagiola would be his replacement. Jerry Coleman also did Yankee games in the 60s before taking off for a much longer career in San Diego. I liked Jerry, but in some ways he was the Yankees' version of Ralph Kiner, mangling names and syntax. All part of his charm. |
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Post by Max on May 3, 2024 10:55:10 GMT -5
That insipid voice, “Yankee Stadium is a bandbox.” As if the opposition was swinging in a different ballpark. I couldn’t stand him and Joe Buck, though his father was great. Jack Buck was a legendary broadcaster! I am with you though on his boy Joe. I think he is awful in baseball and football. I've also never been impressed with any of the others (Morgan, Smoltz, Rodriguez, Mendoza, McCarver) named above. IMO some greats were Scully, Gowdy and Mel Allen! Well said.  |
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Post by inger on May 3, 2024 11:47:11 GMT -5
First game of a double header 8/6/1950. I’m really happy to see Wes Westrum on this list of catchers with an inside the park grand slam off a pitcher who is a complete unknown for me. It’s Monk Dubiel of the Cubs.
Then I find out that Dubiel was a war-time starting pitcher for the Yankees, going 13-13 in 1944 and 10-9 in 1945. So I’m embarrassed now. I know I’ve seen his numbers before but had forgotten the poor man. He took a good thumping on the day of Westrum’s slam as the Giants prevailed 11-1.
I’m excited to find Westrum here because when I was a mere lad I found his numbers and was simply blown away by his ability to draw bases on balls, and the discovery led me to search for more players, especially players with low BA’s with that skillset.
In 1951, Westrum hit .219/.400/.418 with 104 BB. The year he hit the grand slam, 1950 he had similar numbers. For his career .217/.356.373.
Westrum and Eddie Matthews were part of an iconic photograph. They, along with umpire Augie Donatelli, grace the cover of the very first issue of Sports Illustrated magazine in 1954.
My memories of Westrum are from when he took over the Mets as manager after Casey Strngel’s retirement. The old perfessor had the helm from 62-64 and Westrum endured the punishment from 65-67, with the disclaimer that Salty Parker managed 11 games at the end of the season. Parker would later manage the Astros for a single game in 1972.
Westrum at one time had the record for most grand slams hit in the minor leagues when he belted 5 in 1949 for the Jersey City Giants, AAA, before ascending to MLB for good.
Anyway, thanks for all the walks and those glorious numbers from Baseball Encylopedia that helped make me the nostalgia nerd I am today…
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