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Post by inger on Sept 14, 2018 1:00:42 GMT -5
I guess i’m Not going to get that Ehite Sox team posted tonight. For some reason Ruthie has been at the computer for hours tonight. She’s still up. Again very unusual, still on the computer. She’s usually in bed no later than 10:00. I just didn’t feel like disturbing what she was doing. I’ve been doing some work and some interesting side reading tonight, so I’ve been quite content.
I also spent almost an hour on a walk with Brandy and some time doing battle with our resident gopher in the front yard...So far it’s either Gophers 1- Human 0, or perhaps I’m battling a family and there are more than one to kill. Dang it, I hate to kill an animal, but they’ll do a lot of damage if you don’t kill them...There does have to be a limit at some point...
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 14, 2018 7:59:46 GMT -5
I guess we won't get to the Angels if we follow only the 16 more or less "original" teams...but, in passing, the Angels somehow in their draft came up with some gems for a startup club...one good one was Dean Chance.... I was reading a bit about Chance (and Belinsky) tonight. The reason the Angels were able to get Chance was because the Orioles, who had drafted the former high-schooler that was said to have pitched 18 no-hitters in high school, was because they saw him as too boisterous and exposed him in the expansion draft. The Senators actually selected Chance and immediately dealt him to the Angels because the still needed a 1B and OFs. The Angels were a remarkably quick-start expansion team for that era of miserable Senators, Astros, and Mets teams... Chance married young, but once he and Belinsky met up the skirt chasing began in earnest and even though there were two children the Chance marriage did not last... I think it was 1964 when Chance went 5-0 vs. the Yanks with 4 shutouts and Amanda ERA of...gulp... 0.18... Dean Chance was a very good pitcher. I do remember he killed the Yanks, I believe you are correct is was 1964, which is without looking it up probably the year he won the Cy Young. I just know I hated to see him out there. I have memories of lying in bed listening to late games from LA broadcast on WCBS by Mel Allen and Red Barber, along with Scooter and I think Jerry Coleman was still there. Chance and Belinsky were great news copy for sure, in the days when reporters were just starting, albeit tentatively, to discuss things like that publicly. I think Tina Louise was also part of Bo's Bevy. Chance also had some good years for the Twins. I looked him up just now and see that he later had a very successful career organizing carnivals for state fairs. I have no trouble believing that. The early Angels did get off to a fast start as you noted, Inger. They hung around the fringes of the pennant race in only their second season, going 86-76. They drafted some veterans who had a year or two of decent play left in them -- Steve Bilko, Albie Pearson, Leon Wagner, Earl Averill Jr., Eddie Yost -- even squeezed a few last drops out of Big Klu, Ted Kluszewski. They had a pitcher named Ken McBride who gave them a few good years before Chance developed into their ace. I remember the Yanks lost Eli Grba in the expansion draft, and so naive was I that it really upset me that they were losing pitching depth! Turns out the guy was strongly disliked by his teammates, so despite his very cool name they, unlike me, were most likely not sad to see him go. They played their first season at the OTHER Wrigley Field, in South Central LA, home for many years to the PCL Los Angeles Angels. And of course the filming site for the always beloved Home Run Derby. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 14, 2018 12:59:06 GMT -5
Inger -- I never did comment on the excellent work you did on the Senators/Twins teams. A lot of work obviously went into that. It was the first team done and I don't want it to get lost in the shuffle. I did want to mention one player who was not listed -- and I'm not saying he should be, I just wanted to mention him and I know Utah will remember this guy (although I only know of him from what others who saw him have told me) and that is George Case. Many people considered him the fastest baserunner of the first half of the 20th century. He led the AL in stolen bases six times despite a degenerative spinal condition that ended his career very early. Bill Veeck once arranged a 100-yard dash between Case and Jesse Owens when both were in their late 20s. Jesse won, but only by a tenth of a second. He was the fastest timed running the bases before Mantle topped him. His family is also known at assorted New Jersey shore sites for Case's Pork Roll, one of many artery-clogging foods to arise from the Philly area.
Another thing I remember about George Case is that he took a bunch of color movies of major leaguers back in the 1930s. It was great to see guys like Gehrig and Foxx in glorious color. George Case caught the last ball ever hit by Gehrig, a fly ball to center field.
I concur on the Mauer/Battey tandem. Mauer was headed for Mickey Cochrane territory as one of the all-time catchers before the inevitable injuries cut him short and moved him to first. We'll see him in Cooperstown soon enough anyway. Earl Battey was indeed a tough, tough jamoke with a very strong arm. He also has one of my all-time favorite baseball player quotes. He was asked what it took to be a good catcher, and he said "You have to be big and you have to be dumb. I qualify on both counts." Now anybody who says that clearly doesn't qualify on the second count, but I loved the line.
Tony Oliva for sure. You had to be there to fully appreciate how great he was his first few years. Probably would have won five or six batting titles without the physical miseries. But of course the history of the game is full of stories like that.
Baseball card Senators for me, beyond guys already mentioned -- Jim Lemon, Herb Plews, Bennie Daniels, Faye Throneberry (Marv's brother), Reno Bertoia (from Italy), Vito Valentinetti (not from Italy), Hal Woodeschick, Bobby Malkmus, Julio Becquer. The names are like free verse poetry.
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Post by desousa on Sept 14, 2018 16:13:42 GMT -5
I remember the Yanks lost Eli Grba in the expansion draft, and so naive was I that it really upset me that they were losing pitching depth! Turns out the guy was strongly disliked by his teammates, so despite his very cool name they, unlike me, were most likely not sad to see him go.
Pipps, now there's a name I haven't heard in a while. Holy crap, we had a lot of his baseball cards. A guy named Billy Gene Smith too.
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Post by utahyank on Sept 14, 2018 16:38:31 GMT -5
re: George Case....yes, he could really run...lots of arms and legs flying, head bounced something like Eduardo Nunez...and George's cap often came off too...…..I didn't know George caught the last out from Gehrig..were the movies that Case took of ML players of the 30's action shots of games, or just sideline shots?....I would love to see more of a younger Foxx for instance...
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 14, 2018 16:38:39 GMT -5
I remember the Yanks lost Eli Grba in the expansion draft, and so naive was I that it really upset me that they were losing pitching depth! Turns out the guy was strongly disliked by his teammates, so despite his very cool name they, unlike me, were most likely not sad to see him go. Pipps, now there's a name I haven't heard in a while. Holy crap, we had a lot of his baseball cards. A guy named Billy Gene Smith too. Desousa -- yeah, I think for about a seven year period in there I would almost always completely fill in the check list (although I was always missing a few.) In those days, people didn't just sit down and order the entire set before the season even started. That stuff didn't happen until baseball cards became a business for collectors. So glad we had to earn each player, nickel by nickel for each pack, sifting through increasing numbers of duplicates to try to get an elusive Bill Monbouquette or George Altman or Gene Freese. I remember one year I seemed to get an endless stockpile of Russ Kemmerer cards. He was hard to trade off, because most of my friends didn't care if they had him or not. I do remember Bobby Gene Smith, aka BG Smith. OFer if memory serves -- I am thinking Cardinals and later Phillies, probably some other teams as well. I also remember Al Smith, a pretty good OFer for the ChiSox and Indians, as well as the two catcher Hal Smiths -- the year I am thinking, one was with the Pirates (hit the big WS homerun in Game Seven 1960) and one with the Cardinals. There were also two pitching Bob Millers -- actually probably more than two, there was an older Bob Miller from the 50s -- I think they distinguished between them as Bob L and Bob M, something like that. At least one was with the Mets and one with the Cards. More random baseball card names in stream of consciousness style -- Dick Gernert, Taylor "T-Bone" Philips, Bubba Morton, Carl Willey, Dave Jolley, Gene Green, Marty Keough, Pete Burnside, Marv Breeding, Ted Kazanski, Connie Johnson, Arnie Portocarrero, Marcelino Lopez, Art Mahaffey, Ted Bowsfield, Al Pilarcik, George Crowe. Obscure Yankee cards I remember having (besides Eli Grba) -- Fritz Brickell, Zack Monroe, Jerry Lumpe, Billy Short (I think his was a Rookie Prospect card), Marshall Bridges. The Yanks were so loaded with talent back then that most of the really obscure guys never rated a card. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 14, 2018 16:47:25 GMT -5
re: George Case....yes, he could really run...lots of arms and legs flying, head bounced something like Eduardo Nunez...and George's cap often came off too...…..I didn't know George caught the last out from Gehrig..were the movies that Case took of ML players of the 30's action shots of games, or just sideline shots?....I would love to see more of a younger Foxx for instance... Utah, it's been so long since I've seen them that I am not certain. It seems to me they were more along the lines of pre-game stuff, but I could be wrong. I just remember seeing them on TV many years ago. I will do some research and see what I find. Glad you remember him. Jimmie Foxx was one of his best friends in baseball, I do know that. As for the Gehrig connection -- another oddity of Lou's sadly brief last season of 1939, in which he played seven games -- the Yanks opened that season with a one game series against Boston. In right field for the Red Sox that day, making his major league debut, was a skinny kid from San Diego named Ted Williams. It was the one and only time that Ted and Lou were on the field for the same game. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 14, 2018 16:55:02 GMT -5
Hey Utah -- I found a brief segment of George Case's movies here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFipmqWELD8 They only give you a brief taste because they are trying to sell the DVD. Lou was not in the segment on here, but Foxx is, as well as Lefty Grove, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Cronin -- even Jesse Owens. I could swear Gehrig was in the full-length version, but I am not buying the DVD to verify it. The part shown here is, as I thought, mostly pre-game or dugout stuff. |
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Post by utahyank on Sept 14, 2018 17:58:54 GMT -5
Hey Utah -- I found a brief segment of George Case's movies here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFipmqWELD8 They only give you a brief taste because they are trying to sell the DVD. Lou was not in the segment on here, but Foxx is, as well as Lefty Grove, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Cronin -- even Jesse Owens. I could swear Gehrig was in the full-length version, but I am not buying the DVD to verify it. The part shown here is, as I thought, mostly pre-game or dugout stuff. thanks for the legwork...I will check it out... |
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Post by inger on Sept 14, 2018 19:53:56 GMT -5
Pipps, I did consider George Case, but dismissed him, perhaps too quickly due to his career 95+ batting along with the fact that he was more of a corner of in his career than a cf.
That last criticism may not be fair, for it could also be said of Brett Gardner and wouldn’t make him one less bit qualified to play Cf.
If you send me a letter of recommendation for George, i’ll Make him an offer to join one of our minor league affiliates with a promise to st the very least get him a call up to pinch run during September. I figure that may make up for the initial slight... (:
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Post by inger on Sept 14, 2018 23:18:45 GMT -5
CHICAGO WHITE SOX ALL TIME TEAM:
First base: Jose Abreu, Frank Thomas // AAA Paul Konerko, Zeke Bonura, Jake Fournier
Second base: Ed Collins, Nelson Fox // AAA Julio Cruz, Ray Durham, Jorge Orta
SS: Luke Appling, George Davis // AAA: Luis Aparicio
3B; (Platoon) Bill Melton, Robin Ventura // AAA: Willie Kamm, Pete Ward
C: Sherm Lollar, Carl Fisk // AAA Ray Schalk
LF: Minnie Minoso
CF: Chet Lemon
RF: Joe Jackson
Back up OF: Fielder Jones, Magglio Ordonez // AAA: Harold Baines, Bibb Falk, Carlos Lee, Johnny Mostil, Lou Johnson,
Starting Rotation: Chris Sale, Ed Walsh, Billy Pierce, Red Faber, Ed Cicotte // AAA: Wilbur Wood, Ted Lyons, Mark Buerhle, Doc White, Jack McDowell, Joel Horlen, Thornton Lee, Gary Peters (okay, rookie ball, but he has to be here for me)
Bull Pen: Closer, Hoyt Wilhelm, Set up Roberto Fernandez, Bobby Jenks, Bobby Thigpen, Terry Forster // AAA: Wilbur Wood, Matt Thornton
Notes:
Yes, I chose Abreu to start over Thomas because of the bad glove of Thomas
Tough choice to take Appling over Davis. Close and I favored Appling's glove. HOF Aparicio in AAA, sorry Luis. It was your OBP that did you in.
Another HOF in AAA at C:
Joe Jackson has promised to join gamblers anon...
I figured if Billy Pierce wasn't in the rotation I'd get run out of the forum on a rail, but he deserves his spot.
NOBODY will close over Hoyt Wilhelm except MO, and MO is not hear...and I'm glad he's not.
When discussing UGLY baseball players there is a face that would give children nightmares attached to the name Ed Walsh. He would scare convicts in prison. I think I might have nightmares tonight thinking about him...Aaaaahhhhggggg!!!
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Post by inger on Sept 14, 2018 23:20:32 GMT -5
Thank goodness that White Sox post came through. Something happened and I lost it twice when it was 99% completed...Enjoy this tonight and tomorrow, guys. I'll see you in a day or two when I get back. I don't expect to even have time to peek in on my mobile app...(though you never know)... (:
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Post by rizzuto on Sept 15, 2018 8:39:08 GMT -5
Thank goodness that White Sox post came through. Something happened and I lost it twice when it was 99% completed...Enjoy this tonight and tomorrow, guys. I'll see you in a day or two when I get back. I don't expect to even have time to peek in on my mobile app...(though you never know)... (: Vaya con Dios, Amigo! May your sombrero be your guide. |
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Post by desousa on Sept 15, 2018 17:43:41 GMT -5
Inger, I'll chime in on your White Sox team when I have a little more time. At first glance, not one of your better lineups.
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Post by inger on Sept 16, 2018 0:04:06 GMT -5
Inger, I'll chime in on your White Sox team when I have a little more time. At first glance, not one of your better lineups. I’ll be anxious to get the feed back. I found this team to be quite a challenge... |
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