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Post by inger on May 23, 2024 20:00:48 GMT -5
Rube Waddell, an American baseball player (from the early 1900s) whose life story bewilders me to no end.
In the middle of a game, Waddell would disappear to chase fire trucks. He was easily distracted, so opposing fans would bring puppies, which would have Waddell running over to play with them.
American sportswriter and baseball historian Lee Allen wrote that in 1903, Waddell was "sleeping in a firehouse at Camden, New Jersey, and ended it tending bar in a saloon in Wheeling, West Virginia. In between those events, he won 22 games for the Philadelphia Athletics, [...] toured the nation in a melodrama called The Stain of Guilt, courted, married, and became separated from May Wynne Skinner of Lynn, Massachusetts, saved a woman from drowning, accidentally shot a friend through the hand, and was bitten by a lion."
It should be noted that Waddell was incapable of memorizing his lines for his part in The Stain of Guilt, so he was allowed to improvise his lines in every show. The play went on to critical acclaim.
In 1905, Waddell shared a room with baseball catcher Ossee Schreckengost who refused to continue sharing the room unless there was a clause in Waddell’s contract that forbade him from eating crackers in bed. It should be noted that it was common for players to share the same bed in hotel rooms while on the road. That same year, Waddell missed the World Series after injuring his shoulder while trying to destroy a straw hat.
However, he went on to win a Triple Crown in pitching. If the Cy Young award had existed during this time, Waddell would have won it over Cy Young himself.
He died of tuberculosis at the age of 37 on April Fool’s Day, 1914…
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Post by inger on May 26, 2024 2:44:40 GMT -5
.290
Deacon McGuire was another 4-decade non Hall of Fame catcher, like Rick Dempsey, and like Dempsey he also pitched a bit. Not as well though. He was tagged for 4 runs and 10 hits in his only appeareance of 5 innings. (6.75 ERA).
McGuire caught Hank O’Day when they were both rookie teammates on the 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings. McGuire later said, “He threw the heaviest and hardest ball I ever caught!”
He would insert a steak into his mitt any time he caught O’ Day…
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Post by inger on May 26, 2024 13:32:33 GMT -5
8/6/1904:
Nick Altrock pitched nine innings, allowing one run. He handles 13 chances from the pitcher position.
Altrock? Like R.E.M., Radiohead, The Cure, Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers and similar bands?
But think about it. Can you imagine a pitcher handling the ball 13 times in a game today? Some games it doesn’t even get hit that often…
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Post by inger on May 27, 2024 13:53:33 GMT -5
JACK QUINN
Quinn is yet another 4-decade player who is not in the Hall of Game.
Quinn is both the oldest man ever to start a WS game and later became the eldest to appear in one.
Quinn started G 4, of the 1929 WS at 45 years, 3 months, 7 days old. The following year, he came into G 3 of the 1930 WS at _(even older)_.
His natal country still exists, but by a different name today.
Born in Stefuró, Hungary (modern-day Štefurov, Slovakia), Quinn emigrated to the U.S.as an infant with his parents Michael Pajkos & Maria Dzjiacsko in 1884.
Ever heard the corny “Give that fan a contract line when a fan catches a foul ball?
While watching a semi-pro game in Connellsville, the 14-year-old Quinn threw a foul ball back from the stands to the catcher, hitting his mitt right in the middle. The visiting manager, from the nearby town of Dunbar, was impressed by the throw & offered Quinn a contract…
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Post by inger on May 27, 2024 13:57:07 GMT -5
"After the Orioles wiped out the Twins in three games, Frank Robinson proclaimed, 'Bring on Ron Gaspar and the Mets,' a disparaging reference to the Mets' reserve outfielder Rod Gaspar.
When one of his Oriole teammates, Merv Rettenmund, corrected him — 'It was Rod Gaspar, not Ron, stupid' — Frank reportedly retorted, 'Okay, bring on the Mets and Rod Stupid!'"
- Seaver, Tom. Tom Seaver: A Terrific Life. Simon & Schuster Publishing. 7 September 2021. Page 115.
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Post by inger on May 27, 2024 14:48:20 GMT -5
Reggie Jackson, Vince DiMaggio, Juan Samuel, and Hack Wilson each lead his league in strikeouts as a hitter in four consecutive seasons…
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Post by inger on May 28, 2024 16:51:59 GMT -5
Kid Gleason is another non-HOF 4 decade player. He was so well liked that over 5,000 people attended his funeral, even the somber commissioner Landis…
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Post by inger on May 28, 2024 17:56:35 GMT -5
A recent four decade guy was Jesse Orosco whose 1252 appearances lead all players. He earned a WS ring on each coast… at his peak his “sweeper” was spectacular…
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Post by inger on May 29, 2024 9:27:41 GMT -5
It’s hard to believe that Mike Morgan was a four decade player with his 141-186 record. He started out at age 18, and he was 42 in his final season. He had a 97+ ERA.
He served up # 61 to Mark McGuire in ‘98. A meaningless Tater in my book that McGuire should be ashamed of, but probably is not…
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Post by inger on May 29, 2024 11:59:42 GMT -5
Justin Verlander has passed Greg Maddox in K’s…
Celebrated with an old quote:
"Starter Justin Verlander rode a dominant fastball to the Rookie of the Year award, and the only way Zumaya could have been scarier was by lugging a chain saw to the mound." - Crasnick, Jerry. ESPN Staff Writer. High-speed pursuit. 26 March 2007...
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Post by inger on May 29, 2024 12:09:00 GMT -5
This day in history: 1960
Clint “scrap iron” Courtney first uses the gigantic catchers mitt “invented” by Orioles GM Paul Richards to catch Hoyt Wilhelm after Wilhelm danced knuckles to 11 passed balls in his last 28 innings.
The mitt worked as Wilhelm won his game without a passed ball. MLB would later set a limit on the size of catcher’s mitts, rendering the mitt a useless relic…
I wish Eddie Gaedel could have worn it to catch a pitch from Wilhelm… or even from Bob Tiefenauer…
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Post by bomberhojoe on May 29, 2024 12:10:04 GMT -5
It’s hard to believe that Mike Morgan was a four decade player with his 141-186 record. He started out at age 18, and he was 42 in his final season. He had a 97+ ERA. He served up # 61 to Mark McGuire in ‘98. A meaningless Tater in my book that McGuire should be ashamed of, but probably is not…  |
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Post by fwclipper51 on May 29, 2024 15:54:24 GMT -5
1891 - Charles 'Old Hoss' Radbourn of the Cincinnati Reds wins his career 300th game by beating the Boston Beaneaters at South End Grounds, 10 - 8. Radbourn, who will finish 488 of the 502 games he started, will end his 11-year career this season with 309 victories.
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Post by chiyankee on May 29, 2024 16:04:01 GMT -5
1891 - Charles 'Old Hoss' Radbourn of the Cincinnati Reds wins his career 300th game by beating the Boston Beaneaters at South End Grounds, 10 - 8. Radbourn, who will finish 488 of the 502 games he started, will end his 11-year career this season with 309 victories. 309 / 11 years = 28.09 wins per year.  |
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Post by inger on May 29, 2024 17:53:40 GMT -5
Players with hot or well known women.
Yeah. We can name a few more, but here are a select few.
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA
He was the first Red Sox player to hit 50+ doubles in a season.
In 2000, Garciaparra hit 51 2B, in 2002, 56.
His best hitting streak trails only DiMaggio’s.
Garciaparra’s 30-G hitting streak in 1997 (Setting the AL record for rookies) tied the 30 that Tris Speaker had in 1912. They both trail Dom DiMaggio’s 34-gamer in 1949.
Nine of his fourteen seasons resulted in a BA over .300, with two batting titles.
His career stretched from 1996 to 2009. In 1999 he hit .357, in 2000, .372. He spent his final season with OAK.
Married to women’s soccer superstar Mia Hamm.
Here’s the dish on Mia. It’s long and boring, so unless your a fan of women’s soccer, I wouldn’t read it…
Oh, and Nomar cheated in baseball. Don’t think he cheated on his wife, but who knows? Cheat at baseball, cheat at anything…
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