Yeah his dad Dante was a good hitter, esp when w/Colo - Dante’s last year, 2001, was w/Sox, good #s, .286 12/49 in 107 games
looked it up, sure enough, Al Cicotte was the great nephew of P Eddie Cicotte of “Chicago Black Sox” infamy from 1919 WS that was tainted by scandal/allegedly fixed etc
also looked it up, NY P Ty Adcock is not related to Joe Adcock, a great hitter from the 1950s-60s w/Braves
noticed a Burleson in the league this year, looked it up, no relation to the Rooster, Rick Burleson, our great 1970s SS
finally, young Yaz, SF’s Mike Yastrzemski - a struggle this year
but all those great SF Giants - WillieMac in Oakland - then Orlando Cepeda in KC
….& yep, Marichal w/his own end-of-career cup of coffee w/…. Dodgers, & it woulda been sacrilege - Juan Marichal toeing the rubber in Candlestick Park
in a Dodgers uniform
heck even the Say Hey Kid himself - left SF to finish career where it began, in NY
no mention of this era would be complete w/out mention of two other greats who finished their careers at Fenway
Luis Aparicio, 90 years old, 1971-73, one of the greats, few peers at SS in his day
& the great Pirate, bespectacled P Bob Veale 1972-74, 88 years old
Yep - 50 summers ago we had longtime NL mainstays Bob Veale & Juan Marichal on our P staff - Juan, 86 years old, is still-today the greatest P who never won a Cy Young award
then the next year, Tony C came back for a cup of coffee, saw Messers. Lynn & Rice in front of him & quietly called it quits
but Tony had a decent spring training, made the team & got a thunderous welcome back on opening day as a member of one of our greatest teams, 1975 edition
One wonders about how Bob feels to see one of his own, a Pirates P, bail on a no hitter, which happened today
In short the same refrain ‘let’s go Sox’
Stephen
106-54
that’s the more accurate W-L # for Stephen - after all he was only a combined 6-4 his first 2 years, then all of 1-4 over his last 3 seasons
so his 8-year run of 106-54 made him the pre-eminent P from 2012-19, even w/all the injuries
happy belated 36th birthday to everyone’s favorite P, & holy hammystrain, his injured peers are starting to return
yep Clayton, also 36 returns Thurs & maybe there’s a 2024 lanky lefty matchup in the offing after all in that stretch-run series in Atlanta
Clayton’s teammate Walker Buehler sat out 2023, but returned too soon/injured once again
Y. Yamamoto, their prize free agent ($325M), injured w/an injury known only to MLB pitchers & ‘no timetable…….
In his last season, baseball fetes Max Scherder Friday on his 40th, yep 40th birthday - he’s returned from injury
problem in Houston - Justin Verlanzer, 41 - injured early on, also (likely) his final season
teammate, the forgotten constantly-injured Lance MuCullers Jr - out this season
school remain out on Jacob deGrom, 36
yu darvish, done for season
flipside, Carlos Rodon apparently made it thru the 1st half uninjured
all these guys, signed to mega rich contracts - & all of em, BUSTS, esp Stephen’s 2019 contract, & Jacob’s busted 2022 deal w/TX
just like us in LA this wknd - Kenley just couldn’t nail down the W Sat against his old team - that was the one we had to have
we can’t be more than one GB NY going into the wknd - ⚾️let’s go Sawx, it’s summertime summertime sum-sum-summertime
Midsummer Arrival
….waiting in the wings come June-July
….A $330 Million Tandem
No
going into the dog days of August
Max, 40 - 2-4, .3.89, 8 starts this season - we won’t see him this wknd
Justin, 41 - 3-2, 3.95, 10 starts this season - on the shelf the last 2 months w/a neck injury
among the two top-paid players in MLB, in the last years of their mega contracts
Max passed Justin this season for 10th on the all time strikeout list
call em Verder, Scherlanzer, whate-ver - gibberish to the prim & proper, it all translates to greatness on the field
now they’re showing their age as harsh end-of-career reality sets in like so many b4 them
Jacob? like Justin, yep, you guessed it, the ol ‘no timetable’ to return this season
Jacob signed that $185M contract, & has yet to pitch for TX - WTF
$185M to be a shell of his former self, if he ever returns
if 2 missed seasons isn’t enough rehab time, they must have botched deGrom’s operation
let’s sweep TX Sox - it’s a must, we’ve lost 8 of 11 outta the break
Max couldn’t complete the 2023 season, how will he hold up in his last half-season
he worked the first half of 2023 in tandem w/Verlanzer
now he’ll work the last half of 2024 in tandem w/the Gromster
all 3 of them, SHELVED
not shellACKED on field, injured off it
Max, shoulder fatigue w/a full 2 mos to go, after all of 39 IP this season….
he literally hasn’t pitched his age in this, his last season - & after surgeries too
3 Ps, a combined one hundred seventeen (117) years old, contracts worth a combined …. (no typo)… $416 million
& 3 injuries w/2024 returns in doubt
….welcome to MLB
this hot-shit advanced-technique arm surgery that makes Dr Frank Jobe look archaic blah blah
….it’s bull - it’s the forearm/elbow for ****** sake - no way in he** JdGs nowadays should need so much time off - pitcher statistics are emaciated b/c of it
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…..Bucs are drawing better this year than in many years👏🏴☠️⚾️awesome to see &. most deserving - coughup last nite tho
lets go Sox, August is a grueling endurance contest for everyone, we gotta crowd NY again like b4
🎶🍄good wknd✌️🎼
Jesus - from Big Six right thru to the Freak
& yes, maybe even Marichal
….Blake Snell - 15 Ks two starts ago, the most ever recorded over 6 innings (thought I read)
last start, NRNH - no-relief no-hitter - allowed just 3 base runners
could any Giant P ever, have had 2 in a row like that
…..there was a complete game recorded elsewhere in MLB recently too
snell only returned recently but he’s back now & could this spark SF - snell just 11 starts this year so dog days shouldn’t affect him - he signed a 2 year $62M deal w/SF
lets go Sox
60+40+20=shame
60 - sixty - games under .500, 40 GB on an L20, w/a full 2 mos to go
all in baseball question how it got this bad for ChiSox - they’re in 1962-65 Mets territory
they have another 4 years on their lease - however they need a change of scenery Now
mayb they’ll call their new stadium “Comiskey Park at ….” whatever they call the new lakefront complex they’re building
or just simply The CCC - the Chicago Comiskey Complex (or Center) - the name deserves to be restored front & center
BOSox or any team could have same misfortune - fans would like to see this historic franchise turn it around - ChiSox opened Comiskey Pahk summer 1910
The Big Hurt himself, All-Time ChiSox Frank Thomas, has no answers - same their other greats, Paul Konerko, Bobby Thigpen, even Jose Aubreu
…Wilbur Wood, Walt “No-Neck” Williams
…& yes, Carlton Fisk & Luis Aparicio
Kenley just couldn’t nail down the W Sat against his old team - that was the one we had to have
same tonite - a must-have game there for the taking - but no - we’ve coughed up so many L’s in the late innings
Bucs have **** the bed, a shame given their reinvigorated fan support this year
“old friend Chris is pitching like he’s 25 instead of 35
”yep at 13-3 2.70 ERA he’s on track for his first nearly-complete season since 2019”
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uh oh tho
a month later, the W-L is unchanged
…But The ERA - it’s actually dropped - now 2.61
that is a heckuva stat to have during a winless skein
a cinch for comeback of the year award, Chris must also be considered top dog for the Cy
….in short, the lanky lefty will have to stand tall & be the pitcher of record tonite in LA or #20 goes down the drain - that said, still the top NL P
…’down the drain’ - just like our season - oh well, at least we had the least-bad pitching last nite
lets go Sox
we’re history - we visit Hou - they’ve won 10 of 11
& yep - Wed nite, the returner of Verlander for their stretch run>postseason - let us spoil the return of this future HOFer in this, his likely final season
TX is out of it so they won’t risk anything w/Jacob this season - article said he’s going to try a Double A rehab game at some point
teammate Max, unScher - guessing he’ll want one or two more turns to cap the season & likely his career - both his & Justin’s megamax contracts expire this season
we can beat ‘em, ya howabout it Sawx⚾️
Tony C
high in most-any “what might have been” category along w/Herb Score, Bobby Orr, Roy Campanella, Addie Joss, Pres Kennedy, Duane Allman, Salvador Sanchez, James Dean, Patsy Cline, Eddie Cochran, countless others …..
Like Tony, Kirby Puckett & Christy Mathewson were also 45 when they died, but they had full careers -
the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, was only 37 when he died
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but yep, the smoke bomb in the OF that delayed the game about 10 min
then it resumes - & 57 years ago tonite, Tony Conigliaro, beaned
the sky was the limit for the kid from Swampscott Mass. - first AB at Fenway as a 19 year old rookie in 1964…….yep, over the wall
The roof will be closed & the massive AC system must be working this afternoon in Hou, where it’s brutally hot - even for down there
they actually played in those conditions one time when Dodgiz visited Colt Stadium, aka The Sizzler, in June 1962
so-called b/c it was built on a large concrete parking lot so that heat came up from underneath in addition to the sun
in legend/on info hwy, 78 people dropped from heat prostration that day - it was a doubleheader, & umpire Jocko Conlan had to leave a game in the 4th inning - Don Drysdale reportedly lost 12 pounds that day
it was basically inhumane to play that day (a doubleheader???), & hastened construction of a facility so futuristic looking that many thought George Jetson was project design consultant - after all his dog was Astro
today, Astros are as hot as the weather, not to mention a smoking Colt 45
….w/the series tied & a legend returning today wanting only to be another Don Nottebart
so, appreciate the AC boys, amp up Max offense & shell Justin early
holy toledo, Johnny Cueto, 38, returns tonite too
a rough return for Walker Buehler (1-4, 6.09 ERA) - teammate Yamamoto, a bust at $325M - will bet anything he’ll soon have Tommy John
Al Cicotte was the great nephew of P Eddie Cicotte of “Chicago Black Sox” infamy from 1919 WS that was tainted by scandal/allegedly fixed etc
young Yaz, SF’s Mike Yastrzemski - a struggle this year
WOW - the Babe’s uni that they claim is the one he called the shot w/at Wrigley Field in the 1932 WS fetched a record $24M at auction
sports memorabilia, wow - items belonging to Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, others also went for record prices
re quote, someone paid $2.1 mil for a bat from 1911 belonging to Shoeless Joe, Cicotte’s ‘Black Sox’ teammate, the most ever for a bat, article said - Jackson was w/Indians at that time
no one ever did what Shoeless Joe did on the field - his last year b4 being banned - .382 w/121 RBI, league high 20 triples
….in 1912 w/Tribe, .395, 3 HR, 90 RBI - & his 26 triples that years might be the record still
….Lifetime .356 BA Over 13 Seasons, 4th Best, All Time
….he deserves front-&-center induction into the pre-1920 pioneers/trailblazers/legends wing of the HOF
long past-time to forgive & forget w/Shoeless Joe, & Charley Hustle too imo
the point has been made, punishment handed down, time to move on
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….Mike Y, .242, 10/40 - Happy Belated Birthday Cahl - 85 Aug 22, forever young
we’re struggling but the idea is still 11 over .500 or bust - let’s go Sox
Just noticed now, can see why Tygiz fans are going so ape - they’re about to attain .500 for the 1st time since May
….& T. Skubal is the certain AL Cy - MLB leader wins, ERA, K’s, yet under the radar, how can that be - having a fantastic year - we see him Friday
long past-time to forgive & forget w/Shoeless Joe, & Charley Hustle too imo
in addition to Jackson, all time hits leader Pete Rose & all time HR leader Barry Bonds
Bonds was inducted into the Pirates HOF Saturday - That Says Plenty, & he gave it up for Pittsburgh, calling his 7 years there the tops
his manager Jim Leyland called him the best he ever managed (always has) - Leyland was also inducted along w/great C Manny Sanguillen b4 a full house (38G plus)
recall Wake (RIP bro) going to bat for Barry, a former Pirates teammate, during all the steroid BS
Bucs played like crap, but still a great day for Pirates baseball - like many long-time teams, their hall of fame is 2nd to none
Yeesh - as if they didn’t have enough problems, now ChiSox are being sued by a fan who was shot in the leg at a game last year - who fired it or where shot came from, they apparently don’t know
it seems inconceivable ChiSox vacating South Side as has been rumored - it’s still a few years away
but, to every season turn turn turn etc - as was mentioned a change of scenery>ballpark name>overall ‘rebranding’ are sorely needed
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pattern holds - future HOFers winding down, feeling their oats - Max sherbert, I mean ScherVer, is in “a holding pattern” on IL, TX team report says
Jderlanzer, 2-4 after picking up the L last night - both dominant Ps of the last 12-15 years, wrapping up great careers
& both learning what it’s like becoming aging relics, that “brain says go, body says no” end of career time
JdG is going to amp up his rehab w/a Labor Day 3-inning semi-dry run Triple A start - any Sept starts will be that - w/team out of the running TX can afford to pick & choose a pressure-free cautionary approach w/Jacob (it’s always been that) - probly 10 controlled IP spread over 3 or so carefully-planned starts - uneventful Double A return last week for Jacob
Just noticed now, can see why Tygiz fans are going so ape - they’re about to attain .500 for the 1st time since May
….& T. Skubal is the certain AL Cy
ever since Aug 11, one month ago, they’ve won 20 of 28
gotta hand it to em, they’ve surpassed us in the standings & are in the field for postseason
for Sox, wait til next year
*later edit, a little harsh there, we’re not far off - Bad 2nd Half Of Season Tho
Obviously we’d like to win the series - us coming in lagging like we are tho takes some of the fun out of it - let’s go boys, this is our playoffs - lagging or not it’s Bronx, no gettin shoved around
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there it is, they’re back for their final previously-mentioned dry runs - this is clearly basically an exhibition tomorrow night for Jacob, it’d be crazy for him to go all out - 3 IP max of just sounding out his arm, trying different pitches etc
max - fittingly both he & justin return Sat
justin needs a good outing - he’s been getting hit hard - rumors he might be left off the playoff roster
and max - watta career - same Justin - however, just can’t imagine who’d sign them this winter
so only Jacob is likely to be back next year, if he stays injury-free over the winter & in spring training - he’ll be 37 w/a lot of aches & pains
& in the third of a 5-year, $185M contract
Jacob has pitched S$S$paringly the past few seasons
all TX wants is at least a few decent early starts in 2025 & see how he holds up from there
TX knows it’s not just Jacob’s contract, there’s an equally bloated amount of crow to eat here too
Jacob will never pitch more than 5 innings no matter what happens - all for $185M
After all those surgeries his arm is still delicate as china
they have to minimize his IPs & pitch counts, & can’t afford to put his health at risk for fear of injury recurrence
watta massive bust for a contract
welcome to MLB
It’s the matchup everyone was hoping to see - a lost year for Clayton tho, just 30 IP w/various injuries
w/Shohei, Gonsolin, Glasnow, Yamamoto & others returning - will Clay be back next year…..like ScherVer he’s been ineffective in recent years
or possibly join Max & Justin in rocking chairs & retirement - my gosh it’d be one of the most hi-profile group of retiring pitchers in one year, EVER
it’ll be #17 if Chris wins tonite - no lanky lefty matchup but still a good opponent (12-6, 2.86), so the outside chance for 20 remains w/a win
yep, ScherVer also gearing up to pitch tonite too
however Sox fans have quietly asked among themselves …. Chris, where was it when you were with us
lets go Sox
He’s enshrined in the only HOF worthy of the Hit King
the only one big enough to accommodate this brash win-at-all-costs firebrand
upstairs, in the HOF of immortality
Terra firma HOF is beneath Pete Rose, in more ways than one
never cared for him but always had to concede it was easy to see why/how he got his nickname
Charley Hustle - A Baseball Original
NO ONE ever played the game harder or squarer
RIP, Pete Rose
realize those here disagree vehemently about Pete same as OJ, saying just as OJ’s accusal/acquittal of his wife’s murder made OJ Simpson scum 1st, 4most & 4ever…..
…..so Pete’s managerial record of betting on baseball likewise renders his playing record moot &, far from a hero, makes him dirt/another OJ blah blah
there’s a lot of Pete Rose in Donald Trump in that the latter is likewise portrayed as brash/a firebrand/criminal etc
mayb we need a return to that kind of approach - hard-charging, rambunctious, unapologetic - that’s the way Pete Rose played the game, & it’s Trump’s MO too
we’ve had 4 happy years w/Joe - thank you Pres. Biden
now we would do well, perhaps, to return from a ‘kinder gentler’ presidency back to the take no prisoners-no quarter asked/none given approach w/Trump
VP Harris is slowly taking over WH operations, good photo of her w/Helene victims - am very impressed w/her & imo she is well qualified to lead effectively
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imo he’s too old to be president
yet if the election was tomorrow
i’d still vote for Trump - One Term Only, a la Grover Cleveland
Joe had one term as an elderly president - let’s give Donald that chance too
every citizen wants what Donald Trump has always espoused - to make America great again
Good luck to the VP candidates in their debate tonight
no feat is greater than being a centarian
congratulations & happy birthday to Pres Jimmy Carter - our first president to live to 100 years old
🇺🇸
RIP Luis Tiant, he’ll get big love next game in Cleveland - he set records there that might still stand today - 32 straight shutout innings is one
1968 - 21-9 - ERA, 1.60 - Nine Shutouts
overlooked
why? McLain 30-game winner, Gibson - 22-9 & his historic 1.12 ERA that’ll never be touched
WORD - Juan, Looie’s later teammate on the Sox, was better than all of em in 1968
26-9, 2.43 ERA - 30 CG (complete games) - 325 IP (innings pitched)
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⚾️that cigar-chompin’ Cuban sen~or was a dandy & he left us w/his best - a 2-hitter last game of 1978 to set up the unforgettable win-or-go-home finale at Fenway
…..vs NYY, w/not a hint that Looie’s next game would be in their uniform
these greats never die
thanks for the memories Luis Tiant
Holy mackerel, will Walker Buehler be able to pitch in the right frame of mind tonight after his $100G watch was stolen - literally ripped off his arm apparently - anyone would be shaken up pretty bad by something like this, as much being caught red handed like that as anything - he had to know it’d draw attention to snakes like that - article said it’s happened b4 at hi profile events that draw glitzy customers - apparently they got the watch off Buehler’s arm w/out much of a fracas
*later edit, sure enough, Walker ended up getting more roughed up on the mound last night than when the thugs got his watch
Yu & Yo both missed much of the season, it’s reflected in their nearly-identical records - Yu, 38, 7-3, 18 starts, 90 IP - Yo, 7-2, 16 starts, 81 IP
They’re both 30 & have missed A Lot of time in recent seasons
thats about where the similarities end tho in tonite’s Buehler-Severino matchup
walker is in Yu-Yo territory (see above) - 16 starts 75 IP - 1-6 W-L, 5.38 ERA
luis is in chris-rodon territory - 31 starts, 182 IP - unspectacular 11-7 W-L, 3.91 ERA
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mayb inspired by fellow lanky lefty Chris, Clayton is going to attempt a return next year - like Jacob it seems improbable - 2 rusty creaky likely-injured 37 year olds in 2025
two at home is the only way, let’s go Cleveland
Looking forward to watching the Yankees/Dodgers. Tough to find a more historical rivalry than that one.
it has all the legendary WS names - Don Larsen, Yogi Berra, Sandy Amoros, Al Gionfriddo, Bill Bevens, Cookie Lavagetto, of course the Yankee Clipper…..anon up to Reggie’s 3 HRs to win 1977 Series for NY
Ty Cobb didn’t play for Bklyn but Aaron Judge vs Shohei Ohtani is the equivalent of what the Babe vs Ty in the WS would’ve been
The Eleven - it spun & spun on my turntable
they’ve played in 11 WS, NY holds 8-3 lead over Bklyn/LA - in addition, read somewhere, they’re tied 11-11 in regular-season games
congrats to both (😠hehe😡), NY bounced back strong from a crummy 2023, Dave Roberts & LA made WS despite Many P injuries this year
Unlikely as it seems, the late great Say Hey Kid’s stupendous catch in CF off Vic Wertz in the 1954 WS wasn’t the only one of its kind
Yogi Berra was heard muttering, ‘how can ya look like an all star on a pop fly’ after Bklyn LF Sandy Amoros’ catch in the 7th game of 1955 WS
Yogi shanked it to LF, & on a dead sprint, on a face-first beeline w/the wall, w/the ball tailing away from him
….Sandy stuck his glove out at the last second & backhanded it for one of the greatest catches Ever
& most clutch - there were 2 on w/nobody out & Da Bums trying to hold a 2-0 lead in the 6th inning
it resulted in a double play & propelled Dodgiz to WS title
The Polo Grounds, Coogan’s Bluff, NYC, all the NYG legends…
& the worst baseball stadium ever
there was no LF at the Polo Grounds!!!
it’s why CF Willie Mays had to do a full sprint halfway to Bklyn to catch up to Vic Wertz’s smash - 420 feet
….& why that game (Game 1, 1954 WS) was won on, no exaggeration, a high school-level 10th inning pinch hit HR by Dusty Rhodes
….that just barely cleared the 258 foot marker in LF
258 feet?? in a major league stadium in the WS???
On a different note, a pall of sadness in Dodgertown & for many bball fans this WS with the passing of one of their all time greats, Fernando Valenzuela
NYG & all people mourned the passing of Big Six, Christy Mathewson, 99 years ago, during the 1925 WS - his passing shook players & fans alike to their core
