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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 29, 2023 18:53:46 GMT -5
Somewhat like Gaylord Perry, Whitey Ford got a lot of mileage out of having the other team obsessing over how he was doctoring the ball. He clearly relished this reputation -- as Tony Kubek said, "Whitey Ford loved being Whitey Ford." Slick, twinkle in the eye, knowing something you don't know. Ford claimed that he only started experimenting with baseballs late in his career, although he also once said that Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette showed him how they threw their "mudball" during the 1957 World Series. That seems like an odd time to show the opposing team's ace your tricks of the trade, but all three of those guys were chain-yankers of the first order. Ford also said that late in his career, in a tough spot, he would nick the ball with his ring or his belt, at least until the umpires started putting heat on him. Then, he claimed, Elston Howard would place a rivet in his shin guard to do the nicking on Whitey's behalf. He also said that he only threw a wet one when he had two strikes on a hitter, and that during the around-the-horn after the strikeout the infielders would rub the ball dry. Who knows how much of that is true? Likewise, Ford's reputation as a night-crawling carouser was definitely overblown. Not that he didn't do his share, but many of his teammates said he was always early to bed the night before he pitched, and that most of his high times came after the games when he had pitched. Joe DeMaestri, a reserve IFer on the 61 team after nine seasons of bouncing around the majors, said he was shocked to see how masterful Ford was on the mound. He said Whitey not only knew where his pitch was going, he knew where the batter would hit it and that he was always moving the fielders around to get them in a better position to field the ball. Kubek said he moved fielders around with his eyes. John Blanchard said he loved catching Ford because he called his own game and made it easy. Ralph Terry called him "the master -- like watching a pitching textbook in the flesh." Bud Daley, also a pitcher on that 61 team, said he never saw a guy who made pitching look so easy. The other pitchers had similar comments about his mound savvy. I guess that's how I and other fans from that time regarded him -- he just exuded confidence and you always felt he had everything under control. Partly it was an illusion -- even if he had a bad game, it never seemed to make an impression. He pulled the whole thing off, he was always Whitey Ford, the coolest guy in the game. I recently read a quote from Ford that there was no easier pitch to hit than a spitter that didn’t break. Another source said he said “splitter”, but I don’t think that term was even used back then. It would have been a forkball… Yeah, I never heard of a splitter before Bruce Sutter started throwing it in the 1970s. Lots of forkballs -- Elroy Face famously -- Roger Craig -- others I'm blanking on. For sure splitters came along well after Whitey hung up his sharpened ring. |
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Post by acuraman on Mar 29, 2023 18:57:13 GMT -5
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 29, 2023 19:16:25 GMT -5
Her stance is like Magglio Ordonez. Great follow through. And she looks better in heels than Mags. I assume, I've never seen him dressed that way. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 29, 2023 19:40:32 GMT -5
Note to Chi -- I happened to see a few moments of Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on MLBTV and he mentioned that on this date in 1984 the Yankees traded Graig Nettles to San Diego (where of course he got to play on one more pennant-winning team.) He was traded for Dennis Rasmussen, who gave the Yanks a few decent seasons but always seemed to get the kind of run support Jordan Montgomery can only dream of. For a veteran Yankee-hating Giants fan like Russo -- a little of whom goes a long long way for me -- he was very complimentary to Nettles and played some of his World Series defensive highlights. Wow, even better than I remembered.
Hard to believe he played until 1988, when he was 43 years old, and ended his career with Montreal. Then he played in that short-lived senior league. Senior sports only works with golf.
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Post by domeplease on Mar 30, 2023 17:15:50 GMT -5
WHAT A GREAT DAY = Yankees had not just have a great opening day game but an AWESOME one.
And the the icing on the cake is the other awesome breaking news that I am NOT allowed to discuss on this board = TRiPLE BRAVO!!!
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Post by chiyankee on Mar 30, 2023 17:24:22 GMT -5
Note to Chi -- I happened to see a few moments of Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on MLBTV and he mentioned that on this date in 1984 the Yankees traded Graig Nettles to San Diego (where of course he got to play on one more pennant-winning team.) He was traded for Dennis Rasmussen, who gave the Yanks a few decent seasons but always seemed to get the kind of run support Jordan Montgomery can only dream of. For a veteran Yankee-hating Giants fan like Russo -- a little of whom goes a long long way for me -- he was very complimentary to Nettles and played some of his World Series defensive highlights. Wow, even better than I remembered. Hard to believe he played until 1988, when he was 43 years old, and ended his career with Montreal. Then he played in that short-lived senior league. Senior sports only works with golf. Great post, pipps. I think you can make a case that Nettles should be in the HOF, but of course, I'm biased.  Before Nettles finished his career with the Expos, he spent some time with Atlanta, which was alright with me, because they were on TV all the time on the old Turner Super Station. |
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Post by inger on Mar 30, 2023 19:20:08 GMT -5
Jim Gantner popped onto my radar for some odd reason today. They’re not a lot to tell but I think it to be quite an achievement that he played 17 seasons, all for the Brewers. In all of that time he only had an OPS over 99 once, in 1983 at age 30. It was also a year with a career high 11 HR and 74 RBI…
He played mostly 2B, but he did put some time in at 3B…
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Post by inger on Mar 30, 2023 19:21:05 GMT -5
WHAT A GREAT DAY = Yankees had not just have a great opening day game but an AWESOME one.
And the the icing on the cake is the other awesome breaking news that I am NOT allowed to discuss on this board = TRiPLE BRAVO!!!
Nice of you to mention that you’re not mentioning it… 🤓 |
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Post by inger on Mar 30, 2023 20:05:18 GMT -5
A big 93rd birthday today for John Astin! I’ve enjoyed his work in many different venues, non more than the Addams Family…
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Post by inger on Mar 30, 2023 23:35:20 GMT -5
June 11, 1966, Ernie Banks was 35 years old when he tied the MLB record for most triples in a game, hitting three off three different pitchers…
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Post by inger on Mar 30, 2023 23:41:23 GMT -5
In his first eight seasons, Joe Medwick compiled 1630 hits, averaging 203.75 hits and 46.375 doubles per season… (371 total doubles). 22.8% of his hits in those seasons were doubles). Baseball could use a Joe Medwick today…
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Post by inger on Mar 31, 2023 10:05:45 GMT -5
His baseball wisdom once produced this gem, “I’m not sure what the hell charisma is, but I get the feeling it's Willie Mays.”- Ted Kluszewski…
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Post by inger on Mar 31, 2023 11:34:22 GMT -5
Carl Crawford’s closest similarity was Roberto Clemente for a four year stretch of his career, then dropped off to Lou Brock before settling at Claudell Washington at the end…
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Post by inger on Mar 31, 2023 11:36:18 GMT -5
1880’s hurler Lady Baldwin was born Charles, but his team mates dubbed him Lady because he didn’t smoke, drink, chew, nor curse…
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Post by kaybli on Mar 31, 2023 11:40:16 GMT -5
1880’s hurler Lady Baldwin was born Charles… I thought this was doing a different way. |
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Before Nettles finished his career with the Expos, he spent some time with Atlanta, which was alright with me, because they were on TV all the time on the old Turner Super Station. 
