There is something about baseball cards that brings out the inner child in me. The cardboard collectibles rank up there with kickball games, Saturday morning cartoons, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and running under the sprinkler in the summer. All invoke blissful childhood memories. So whenever I see a pack of cards, feelings of nostalgia overwhelm me, especially old school varieties. It isn’t just the photographs that appeal to me. Baseball card layouts intrigue me. It doesn’t take an overly creative person to craft the cards but every edition is different. I think it would be fun to make baseball cards, but I really do not know if baseball card creator qualifies as a job title.
My baseball card collection is a sporadic compilation of brands, players and oddities ranging from the mid-1940’s through today. I couldn’t help myself when I passed the vending machine at my local grocery store and peeked into the cards for sale. The 75 cent tag next to A3 was most appealing. I followed my ball card impulse by inserting a one dollar bill into the machine. My chosen pack was labeled “1992 Premier Edition Donruss Triple Play”. The black sleeve glistened as I pulled it out from the bottom flap of the display and retrieved my quarter from the coin slot. In my hands was a terrific treasure. Inside my apartment, I unwrapped these 15 player cards:
Darren Lewis—San Francisco Giants
Lou Whitaker—Detroit Tigers
Royce Clayton—San Francisco Giants
Jack McDowell—Chicago Whitesox
Benito Santiago—San Diego Padres
Brian Harper—Minnesota Twins
Dave Magadan—New York Mets
Dave Stewart—Oakland A’s
Lenny Dykstra—Philadelphia Phillies
Milt Cuyler—Detroit Tigers
Doug Drabek—Pittsburgh Pirates
Juan Gonzalez—Texas Rangers
Jose Oquendo—St. Louis Cardinals
Bob Welch—Oakland A’s
Randy Johnson—Seattle Mariners
I could have done a lot better, but I’ll take what I can get. It ‘s weird how these cards are now 17 years old, yet the players are still very familiar to me. It’s fitting for me to be typing this on the new laptop computer I just purchased. A new pack of baseball cards is the perfect way to initiate my keyboard to my card crazy typing.
Parting points: Happy Birthday to former REM drummer, Bill Berry. Jamming and rocking out to REM’s “Out Of Time” album.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Poll Picking
Congratulations to the Buckeyes. They were picked to win the Big 10 by conference voters at media day. Penn State was runner=up, followed by Michigan State.
Rickey Rewarded
Newly inducted baseball Hall-of-Famer, Rickey Henderson, liked to run the bases. His dirt-soiled uniform and highly admired running game and stealing skills are forever part of baseball greatness. Henderson was voted into Cooperstown on his first try and inducted last Sunday, along with Jim Rice. Rickey’s speed and athleticism were as infectious as his genuine love for the game. The throwback player with the wide grin is a reminder of how baseball should be played.
The game’s greatest leadoff hitter changed uniforms several times throughout his career as he set the precedent for batting in the one hole. During his playing days, the flashy speedster Henderson made on-base-percentage a significant statistic, setting the standard for scrappy sluggers in every city. Henderson had a mind-blowing .401 career on-base-percentage. And whenever he was on base, he was the toughest out and most distracting player on the field. It was difficult for opposing pitchers to ignore Rickey on the bases with his incredible fleetness.
Henderson holds the single-season and career record for steals. Rickey’s occasional power also entitles him to the record for most homers to leadoff a game. The five-tool player was as gifted as any in working the count, drawing walks and snagging a few bases each game. Rickey was an autonomous figure on the diamond as he created opportunities from routine grounders. Hitting and scoring came easy to the humble hitting hero Henderson. The composed outfielder set practically indissoluble records in runs with 2,295 and stolen bases with 1,406 during his brilliant career.
Henderson was just as cool in his induction speech as he was on the base paths over two decades. He delivered what many observers felt was the best Hall-Of-Fame speeches in recent years. Rickey remarked how his journey as a player was completed with Sunday’s shrine in Cooperstown. He dreamed of starring for football’s Oakland Raiders as a boy, but his mother encouraged Rickey to play baseball in order to mitigate possible injuries. Henderson acknowledged his childhood idols, Muhammad Ali and Reggie Jackson also.
I remember the left fielder, who was born on Christmas Day, from his four years in pinstripes during the 1980s. I also faintly recall his 1990 MVP season for the AL and his leadoff hitting days with the World Series champion 1989 Oakland A’s and 1993 Toronto Bluejays. The ten time All-star was an outspoken, sometimes outrageous, voice on all the clubs he competed. My favorite Rickey quote occurred the night he became the sport’s all-time stolen base leader, surpassing Lou Brock with 939 steals. Henderson’s remarkable achievement was overshadowed by Nolan Ryan’s 7th no-hitter on May 1, 1991. Ryan has always been one of my very favorite pitchers and all-time players. After the game, the talented Henderson delighted in saying, “If you haven’t been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you’re nobody.”
Parting points: This entry was supposed to be posted on Monday but I am having some issues getting online. Better late than never. This is the only time I can get online.
The game’s greatest leadoff hitter changed uniforms several times throughout his career as he set the precedent for batting in the one hole. During his playing days, the flashy speedster Henderson made on-base-percentage a significant statistic, setting the standard for scrappy sluggers in every city. Henderson had a mind-blowing .401 career on-base-percentage. And whenever he was on base, he was the toughest out and most distracting player on the field. It was difficult for opposing pitchers to ignore Rickey on the bases with his incredible fleetness.
Henderson holds the single-season and career record for steals. Rickey’s occasional power also entitles him to the record for most homers to leadoff a game. The five-tool player was as gifted as any in working the count, drawing walks and snagging a few bases each game. Rickey was an autonomous figure on the diamond as he created opportunities from routine grounders. Hitting and scoring came easy to the humble hitting hero Henderson. The composed outfielder set practically indissoluble records in runs with 2,295 and stolen bases with 1,406 during his brilliant career.
Henderson was just as cool in his induction speech as he was on the base paths over two decades. He delivered what many observers felt was the best Hall-Of-Fame speeches in recent years. Rickey remarked how his journey as a player was completed with Sunday’s shrine in Cooperstown. He dreamed of starring for football’s Oakland Raiders as a boy, but his mother encouraged Rickey to play baseball in order to mitigate possible injuries. Henderson acknowledged his childhood idols, Muhammad Ali and Reggie Jackson also.
I remember the left fielder, who was born on Christmas Day, from his four years in pinstripes during the 1980s. I also faintly recall his 1990 MVP season for the AL and his leadoff hitting days with the World Series champion 1989 Oakland A’s and 1993 Toronto Bluejays. The ten time All-star was an outspoken, sometimes outrageous, voice on all the clubs he competed. My favorite Rickey quote occurred the night he became the sport’s all-time stolen base leader, surpassing Lou Brock with 939 steals. Henderson’s remarkable achievement was overshadowed by Nolan Ryan’s 7th no-hitter on May 1, 1991. Ryan has always been one of my very favorite pitchers and all-time players. After the game, the talented Henderson delighted in saying, “If you haven’t been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you’re nobody.”
Parting points: This entry was supposed to be posted on Monday but I am having some issues getting online. Better late than never. This is the only time I can get online.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
(Un)Returnable
My crosscourt forehand misses the white tape of the net by an inch
It’s a disguised designed passing ploy plopping on the line with a pinch
The parallel ally marks are borders bounding my breaking ball shot
A whip of the wrist harvests a hard hit rifle resembling a jot
An uncomplicated shift with a shuffle step to net
Followed by a backhand slice volley no one has returned yet
It’s a disguised designed passing ploy plopping on the line with a pinch
The parallel ally marks are borders bounding my breaking ball shot
A whip of the wrist harvests a hard hit rifle resembling a jot
An uncomplicated shift with a shuffle step to net
Followed by a backhand slice volley no one has returned yet
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Met Mess
Miguel Tejada leads the major leagues in multi-hit games with 39. The Houston Astros are winners of seven straight games. They just swept the St. Louis Cardinals and extended their home winning streak to a season high five games when they won the opener of a three game set at Minute Maid Park. The Astros, of course, welcomed the a New York Mets team mingled in a mirage of muddled chaos. The Mets have lost six of eight games since coming back from the All-Star break and are all but out of contending for the NL East. The Phillies hold a ten game lead in the division and there are seven teams ahead of the Mets for the NL wildcard.
The grisliness that is the New York Mets reached epic proportions with Vice President, Tony Bernazard’s diatribe on the Binghamton Mets. Sources say the top executive took off his shirt and challenged the minor league players to a fight, while cursing out Met management. Bernazard reportedly also had a bout with closer, Francisco Rodriguez on the team bus returning from Atlanta last week. The ongoing investigation of Bernazard will continue and so will the plague of pathetic play as long as Jerry Manuel fields this team. New York is nothing more than a Triple A team in shambles. The offense is weakened due to injuries but the Mets cannot use that as an excuse for not hitting. They lack deep and dominant pitching and have precious little to trade before the July 31st baseball deadline. The Mets do not have a stacked minor league system and aside from a handful of serviceable relievers and Gary Sheffield, have nothing to offer opposing clubs. If Jose Reyes could stay on the field and prove himself in good health and a good attitude, the Mets would have a chip to offer. But Reyes is currently damaged goods and teams are not going to risk acquiring the All-star shortstop. Daniel Murphy is viable trade bait as well. However, the Mets cannot lose Murphy at first base despite his mediocre production. With Carlos Delgado’s return pending, the Mets either need to trade for a first baseman with a big bat or move David Wright to the other side of the infield. Then, the problem of filling the hot corner becomes number one on the agenda. The Mets are just not hitting and are leaving too many runners on base when they do reach safely. Manuel has seen his team shut out five times in July and nine times this season.
Last night, the team ace Johan Santana, endured one of his worst outings on a muggy Houston mound. Santana allowed 15 runners to reach base in six plus innings. He struck out just three Astros, and gave up a two-run homerun to opposing pitcher and former Amazin’ Mike Hampton. The veteran Hampton allowed four runs on eight hits in the 5-4 Houston victory. The southpaw fanned seven Mets and walked four over 5 2/3 impressive innings to pick up his sixth win. The Astros received crisp contributions from every batter in the lineup, and from the shining defense. Chris Coste provided the difference-making double with his two-run smack in the fifth. The Mets drew first blood with a Wright RBI single in the first inning. New Met, Jeff Francoeur and fill-in, Fernando Tatis thwarted the Mets opportunity with consecutive outs.
The Astros responded to the 1-0 New York lead in the bottom of the first. Kaz Matsui and Tejada stroked back-to-back singles with one out against Santana. Johan ended his 15 inning scoreless streak when Astros’ sluggler Carlos Lee delivered an RBI single. After a Jeff Keppinger double with two down in the fourth, Hampton gave himself a 3-1 margin with his 16th career long ball. The Mets’ Omir Santos went deep in the sixth for a solo shot and was 3 for 4 on the evening. Second baseman, Luis Castillo, was also 3 for 4 with an RBI. Francoeur and Wright added an RBI each, but it wasn’t enough to propel the Mets to a win. Coste’s creaming gave the Astros the lead for good despite a late threat by New York’s putrid offense in the eighth. With runners at the corners and two outs, LeTroy Hawkins got Castillo to pop out to left field. Jose Valverde tossed a hitless ninth to collect the save, his 11th of the year.
The Mets pounded out the hits Friday night but were unable to get the runs in. The lack of run production is a major problem, even in the low-scoring National League. Ten runners were stranded even though the Mets worked Astros hurlers to 160 pitches. The offense continues to regress, and their biggest hitter, Wright, has yet to reach double digits in homeruns. When Sheffield is the team leader in taters, the offensive struggles should be addressed. I am not sure how to fix the Mets. I do know their HR and front office needs to look in the mirror and realize they are embarrassing to fans and the league. The Phillies are the frontrunners as the World Series champions and are not slowing down to allow the Mets back into the playoff race. If Philadelphia lands Roy Halladay, the Mets can forget about making the playoffs for the next three seasons. The Mets are a mess and marred. They are in a public relations nightmare with Bernazard, yet the Wilpons are unwilling to fire the destroying VP. The owners feel the Mets are thriving in the minor leagues because of Bernazard. GM Omar Minaya is generally liked by the public but his team is unmatchable. Minaya’s diminishing power in the organization should concern fans because the Wilpons are clearly in control. As long as they call the shots, New York will be perceived as a laughable organization.
Twenty-two year old, Jon Niese, throws for the Mets tonight. Niese was 5-0 in his last seven starts in Buffalo. The Mets look to the youngster for a much-needed turnaround in the middle game of this series. He won’t completely clean up the mess, but should he provide a quality start, he will alleviate some of the stench.
Parting points: I am still flabbergasted by the Dwayne Wise catch Thursday night. He looked more like Dwayne Wade going up for a hook shot.
Song of the day- “Hero” by Mariah Carey
The grisliness that is the New York Mets reached epic proportions with Vice President, Tony Bernazard’s diatribe on the Binghamton Mets. Sources say the top executive took off his shirt and challenged the minor league players to a fight, while cursing out Met management. Bernazard reportedly also had a bout with closer, Francisco Rodriguez on the team bus returning from Atlanta last week. The ongoing investigation of Bernazard will continue and so will the plague of pathetic play as long as Jerry Manuel fields this team. New York is nothing more than a Triple A team in shambles. The offense is weakened due to injuries but the Mets cannot use that as an excuse for not hitting. They lack deep and dominant pitching and have precious little to trade before the July 31st baseball deadline. The Mets do not have a stacked minor league system and aside from a handful of serviceable relievers and Gary Sheffield, have nothing to offer opposing clubs. If Jose Reyes could stay on the field and prove himself in good health and a good attitude, the Mets would have a chip to offer. But Reyes is currently damaged goods and teams are not going to risk acquiring the All-star shortstop. Daniel Murphy is viable trade bait as well. However, the Mets cannot lose Murphy at first base despite his mediocre production. With Carlos Delgado’s return pending, the Mets either need to trade for a first baseman with a big bat or move David Wright to the other side of the infield. Then, the problem of filling the hot corner becomes number one on the agenda. The Mets are just not hitting and are leaving too many runners on base when they do reach safely. Manuel has seen his team shut out five times in July and nine times this season.
Last night, the team ace Johan Santana, endured one of his worst outings on a muggy Houston mound. Santana allowed 15 runners to reach base in six plus innings. He struck out just three Astros, and gave up a two-run homerun to opposing pitcher and former Amazin’ Mike Hampton. The veteran Hampton allowed four runs on eight hits in the 5-4 Houston victory. The southpaw fanned seven Mets and walked four over 5 2/3 impressive innings to pick up his sixth win. The Astros received crisp contributions from every batter in the lineup, and from the shining defense. Chris Coste provided the difference-making double with his two-run smack in the fifth. The Mets drew first blood with a Wright RBI single in the first inning. New Met, Jeff Francoeur and fill-in, Fernando Tatis thwarted the Mets opportunity with consecutive outs.
The Astros responded to the 1-0 New York lead in the bottom of the first. Kaz Matsui and Tejada stroked back-to-back singles with one out against Santana. Johan ended his 15 inning scoreless streak when Astros’ sluggler Carlos Lee delivered an RBI single. After a Jeff Keppinger double with two down in the fourth, Hampton gave himself a 3-1 margin with his 16th career long ball. The Mets’ Omir Santos went deep in the sixth for a solo shot and was 3 for 4 on the evening. Second baseman, Luis Castillo, was also 3 for 4 with an RBI. Francoeur and Wright added an RBI each, but it wasn’t enough to propel the Mets to a win. Coste’s creaming gave the Astros the lead for good despite a late threat by New York’s putrid offense in the eighth. With runners at the corners and two outs, LeTroy Hawkins got Castillo to pop out to left field. Jose Valverde tossed a hitless ninth to collect the save, his 11th of the year.
The Mets pounded out the hits Friday night but were unable to get the runs in. The lack of run production is a major problem, even in the low-scoring National League. Ten runners were stranded even though the Mets worked Astros hurlers to 160 pitches. The offense continues to regress, and their biggest hitter, Wright, has yet to reach double digits in homeruns. When Sheffield is the team leader in taters, the offensive struggles should be addressed. I am not sure how to fix the Mets. I do know their HR and front office needs to look in the mirror and realize they are embarrassing to fans and the league. The Phillies are the frontrunners as the World Series champions and are not slowing down to allow the Mets back into the playoff race. If Philadelphia lands Roy Halladay, the Mets can forget about making the playoffs for the next three seasons. The Mets are a mess and marred. They are in a public relations nightmare with Bernazard, yet the Wilpons are unwilling to fire the destroying VP. The owners feel the Mets are thriving in the minor leagues because of Bernazard. GM Omar Minaya is generally liked by the public but his team is unmatchable. Minaya’s diminishing power in the organization should concern fans because the Wilpons are clearly in control. As long as they call the shots, New York will be perceived as a laughable organization.
Twenty-two year old, Jon Niese, throws for the Mets tonight. Niese was 5-0 in his last seven starts in Buffalo. The Mets look to the youngster for a much-needed turnaround in the middle game of this series. He won’t completely clean up the mess, but should he provide a quality start, he will alleviate some of the stench.
Parting points: I am still flabbergasted by the Dwayne Wise catch Thursday night. He looked more like Dwayne Wade going up for a hook shot.
Song of the day- “Hero” by Mariah Carey
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Clandestine Clutch Cincinnati Crush
Cincinnati Reds reliever, Nick Masset, was brought in to face pinch-hitting outrageous outfielder, Manny Ramirez in the bottom of the L.A. sixth inning last night. Reds’ renowned starter, Bronson Arroyo, uncoiled and unraveled after 100 pitches and retired with the game tied at 2-2. Masset delivered his first pitch of the night and Manny affirmed his elite status as a clutch hitter by drilling a line-drive grand slam. It was Manny Ramirez bobblehead night Wednesday at Dodgers’ Stadium and the featured player produced.
The dramatic stammering smash was the 21st grand slam of Ramirez’s career. He is two behind baseball’s all-time leader in slams, Lou Gehrig.
Arroyo pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed just five hits. He was charged with five runs, including the three base runners who Manny drove in with his pinch-hit bomb. James Loney and Matt Kemp drew walks for Los Angeles with one out in the game-changing sixth. Catcher, Russell Martin then slapped a single off Arroyo to load the bases for the home team. Manager, Joe Torre, chose to pinch hit for his starting mounds man, Chad Billingsley. Whom other than crowd favorite Dodger darling Manny Ramirez could give his team the lead? Manny has made many mystifying and majestic movement look easy. Wednesday night he starred again when he stepped to the plate without even taking batting practice before the contest. Manny nailed the first pitch he saw into the Mannywood section of the stadium and the crowd erupted. Ramirez was sidelined yesterday after being hit by a Homer Bailey pitch on his left hand Tuesday. It did not seem to affect his made-for-big-moment swing. Manny is a readymade player any day of the week, no matter how long he takes down time. He rises to the occasion in the biggest of baseball moments. Manny was beckoned with the bases juiced because he has the ability to be a game changer. He did what few others in his position could do with a tie score in a crucial situation. The stage was set for a momentum-changing Manny moment and sure enough, the outfielder walloped the 96 mph heater for an L.A. sweep of Cincinnati. It was the Dodgers’ fourth straight win.
Manny is slugging an even .300 with 8 RBIs and two homeruns in seven games. You cannot argue number 99’s production for a Dodgers team that refuses to lose in 2009. Even without his bat, L.A. admittedly did just fine. With Ramirez in Torre’s pesky lineup, the blue and white California club is that much better and harder to defeat. The Chavez Ravine faithful appreciate their hero for the hard slog he does. Baseball fans may dislike the fact Manny was pegged with a suspension for using performance enhancing drugs, but last night the man showed why his bat is still the deadliest clutch in the game. Ramirez is perhaps the best run producer the game has ever witnessed.
Billingsley lasted six frames for the Dodgers and was responsible for a pair of runs and seven hits. Los Angeles improved their season best mark to 27 games over .500. The storied franchise now holds a comfortable nine game lead in the NL West over Colorado. Dusty Baker’s Reds took the lead in the first inning by playing small ball. Leadoff hitter, Chris Dickerson, knocked a ground-rule double and Willy Taveras accomplished his goal of advancing the runner when he bunted Dickerson to third. Joey Votto, the Reds 2009 sensation, added to the early hit parade with a double down the right-field line. Andre Ethier stamped a shot to center off Arroyo for the first of L.A.’s runs, and his 20th long ball of the year. Loney blooped a ball past a sliding Laynce Nix in left field for a triple to sport the Dodgers a one run lead and another tally in the fourth. The Reds tied the score again in the top of the sixth. Votto’s third hit of the night was followed by two Billingsley strikeouts, but the Reds took advantage of a wild pitch with Edwin Encarnacion at the plate. Encarnacion proceeded to strike out to end any further Cincinnati threats. Then the thrill began, with Ramirez’s productive pounding and a plethora of applause. The Dodgers would not be run-impoverished this night. Manny’s submerged the ball into the stands for a statement slam.
Parting points: Song of the day- “End of the Road”- Boyz II Men
The dramatic stammering smash was the 21st grand slam of Ramirez’s career. He is two behind baseball’s all-time leader in slams, Lou Gehrig.
Arroyo pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed just five hits. He was charged with five runs, including the three base runners who Manny drove in with his pinch-hit bomb. James Loney and Matt Kemp drew walks for Los Angeles with one out in the game-changing sixth. Catcher, Russell Martin then slapped a single off Arroyo to load the bases for the home team. Manager, Joe Torre, chose to pinch hit for his starting mounds man, Chad Billingsley. Whom other than crowd favorite Dodger darling Manny Ramirez could give his team the lead? Manny has made many mystifying and majestic movement look easy. Wednesday night he starred again when he stepped to the plate without even taking batting practice before the contest. Manny nailed the first pitch he saw into the Mannywood section of the stadium and the crowd erupted. Ramirez was sidelined yesterday after being hit by a Homer Bailey pitch on his left hand Tuesday. It did not seem to affect his made-for-big-moment swing. Manny is a readymade player any day of the week, no matter how long he takes down time. He rises to the occasion in the biggest of baseball moments. Manny was beckoned with the bases juiced because he has the ability to be a game changer. He did what few others in his position could do with a tie score in a crucial situation. The stage was set for a momentum-changing Manny moment and sure enough, the outfielder walloped the 96 mph heater for an L.A. sweep of Cincinnati. It was the Dodgers’ fourth straight win.
Manny is slugging an even .300 with 8 RBIs and two homeruns in seven games. You cannot argue number 99’s production for a Dodgers team that refuses to lose in 2009. Even without his bat, L.A. admittedly did just fine. With Ramirez in Torre’s pesky lineup, the blue and white California club is that much better and harder to defeat. The Chavez Ravine faithful appreciate their hero for the hard slog he does. Baseball fans may dislike the fact Manny was pegged with a suspension for using performance enhancing drugs, but last night the man showed why his bat is still the deadliest clutch in the game. Ramirez is perhaps the best run producer the game has ever witnessed.
Billingsley lasted six frames for the Dodgers and was responsible for a pair of runs and seven hits. Los Angeles improved their season best mark to 27 games over .500. The storied franchise now holds a comfortable nine game lead in the NL West over Colorado. Dusty Baker’s Reds took the lead in the first inning by playing small ball. Leadoff hitter, Chris Dickerson, knocked a ground-rule double and Willy Taveras accomplished his goal of advancing the runner when he bunted Dickerson to third. Joey Votto, the Reds 2009 sensation, added to the early hit parade with a double down the right-field line. Andre Ethier stamped a shot to center off Arroyo for the first of L.A.’s runs, and his 20th long ball of the year. Loney blooped a ball past a sliding Laynce Nix in left field for a triple to sport the Dodgers a one run lead and another tally in the fourth. The Reds tied the score again in the top of the sixth. Votto’s third hit of the night was followed by two Billingsley strikeouts, but the Reds took advantage of a wild pitch with Edwin Encarnacion at the plate. Encarnacion proceeded to strike out to end any further Cincinnati threats. Then the thrill began, with Ramirez’s productive pounding and a plethora of applause. The Dodgers would not be run-impoverished this night. Manny’s submerged the ball into the stands for a statement slam.
Parting points: Song of the day- “End of the Road”- Boyz II Men
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