Tag: baseball

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All Other Sports

Odds and Ends: The Sport of Kings


Hunt organizers are accused of plying a tame bear with vodka-drench honey so that the King of Spain, Juan Carlos would have an easier time of killing a bear during a recent hunting excursion. Apparently, Russian hunt organizers have done this before as they used to ply animals with booze or tie them to trees so that former Soviet leader Brezhnev could still enjoy hunting even as he got older and his aim got worse.

Now Dick Cheney might shoot his friends in the face but he never had to resort to having hunt organizers ply quail with booze. America! Fuck Yeah!

In other news…

[Slate]: The physics of baseball’s most popular illegal pitches

[High and Tight]: Kenny Rogers no stranger to cheating

[MSNBC]: Backup punter surrenders on attempted murder charge for stabbing first string punter

[Hoops Addict]: Hey! Whatever Happened To John Starks?

[Fanblogs.com]: Ohio State #1 selling “Team Colors” paint

[TrojanWire]: Ivy League Mascot Wars: More Entertaining Than Ivy League Football

[Can’t Stop the Bleeding]: PETA Takes Credit For The NBA’s Much Maligned New Ball

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MLB General

More on the Pete Rose "apology" ball



Pete Rose is sad

Earlier this week, we told you about Pete Rose signing 300 balls to be auctioned off with the inscription “I’m sorry I bet on baseball”. The auction house was set to sell them for $1000 each. But why pay $1000 when you can get it direct from Charlie Hustle himself for only $349 (+ $4.99 S/H)?

And that’s not all! If you act now you can get it personalized with your name. If your name is Bob, they already have a ball ready for you. Now, who wants to be the first to order up one addressed to “God”?

Links:

[Pete Rose.com]: Pete Rose Personalized Autographed Baseball with “I’m Sorry I Bet on Baseball” Inscription

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Green Bay Packers

August 21 in Sports History: Packers join the NFL



Curly Lambeau

In 1922: The Green Bay Packers franchise gained admission into the fledgling NFL. The Packers – named for a local packing company – were owned and coached by the legendary Curly Lambeau (not Brett Favre, as he would like you to believe) and finished 4-3-3 in their first NFL season, including a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Bears (who they would play another 169 times through 2005). They have won the most championships in league history with 12. (packers.com)

In 1967: Ken Harrelson became baseball’s first free agent when he was released by the Kansas City Athletics. The “Hawk” was let go by A’s owner Charles O. Finley after he called Finley “a menace to baseball.” The Red Sox won Harrelson’s services for the rest of the season for $73,000, and he helped them win the pennant in 1967. He retired in 1971 to join the pro golf tour and went on to become the most annoying broadcaster in history with the White Sox. (baseball library.com)

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NBA General

August 8 in Sports History: The Dream Team brings home Gold


In 1992 The U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball team clinched the gold medal with a 117-85 win over Croatia. The Dream Team, led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Charles Barkley (to name a few) was simply the greatest basketball team ever assembled. The addition of Christian Laettner secured their place in basketball lore (kidding). They steamrolled their ridiculously overmatched opponents with victory margins averaging 44 points per game. It was funny to hear players such as Karl Malone and Johnson trying to be diplomatic when discussing opponents such as Angola (won by 68), Brazil (by 44) and Germany (43) by saying, “we have to be careful,” and “we don’t want this to turn into an all-star type game.” Barkley put it better by saying, “They in trouble. They in trouble.” (www.usabasketball.com)

In 1931: We all know how rare a perfect game is in baseball; as there have only been 17 such masterpieces (including one post season) throughout the history of the game. No-hitters, on the other hand, are a little different; and it seems almost every starting pitcher has a chance to catch lightning in a bottle – including forgettables such as Joe Barney, Ed Head, Jose Jimenez and Hod Eller (I swear I didn’t make those up). It was an obscure left-hander named Bobby Burke of the Washington Senators who accomplished the feat on this day in 1931. Burke shut down the Boston Red Sox 5-0. Burke had just a 38-46 career record with a 4.29 ERA, but will always be remembered in baseball legend for one brilliant afternoon. (baseball-almanac.com)

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NFL General

August 4 in Sports History: the USFL folds up tent


In 1986: The United States Football League officially folded. Having played the first two seasons in the spring during the NFL offseason, the USFL made a catastrophic mistake by trying to compete head-to-head with the NFL in Fall of 1985. They then brought an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, but was only awarded one dollar in damages. Useless Knowledge to Take Into Your Weekend: The Pittsburgh Maulers were the only team to ever sell out a USFL game. Pittsburghers basically showed up to throw batteries at former Steeler and then-current Birmingham Stallions’ quarterback Cliff Stoudt. (thisistheusfl.com)

In 1982: In one of the strangest accomplishments in baseball history, Joel Youngblood played in two games for two different teams on the same day; and even collected a hit in each game. Also, both hits were off Hall of Fame pitchers. Playing for the Mets in the afternoon game in Chicago, he hit a single off Ferguson Jenkins, but was traded to the Expos during the game. He immediately flew to Philadelphia for a night game, arrived in time to pinch hit, and stroked another single off Steve Carlton. (baseballlibrary.com)

In 1983: While throwing in the outfield between innings of a game at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium, Dave Winfield of the New York Yankees accidentally clipped a seagull with a baseball, killing it. The 12-time All-Star, Hall of Famer and member of the 3,000 hit club was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. He was forced to post a $500 bond, but the charges were dropped the next day. (baseballlibrary.com)

In 1985: On the same day, White Sox pitcher Tom Seaver won his 300th career game in New York against the Yankees; while Angels second baseman Rod Carew collected his 3,000th hit against the Twins in Anaheim. Carew was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1991, and Seaver received the highest-ever percentage of first-place ballots (98.2) in 1992. (baseball-almanac.com)

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MLB General

July 28 in Sports History: Perfect games

In 1991: Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Expos tossed the 13th perfect game in Major League history with a 2-0 gem over the Dodgers in L.A. It is the second time in four years the Dodgers have been the victims of a perfect game by the opposing pitcher (Tom Browning of the Reds did it in 1988). From the Wow Your Friends with Baseball Trivia department: Expos catcher  Ron Hassey became the first catcher to be behind the plate for two perfect games, as he caught Len Barker’s masterpiece for the Indians in 1981. Also, the Dodger’s Alfredo Griffin went hitless in the game, just as he did in Browning’s perfecto in 1988 and in Barker’s, as a member of the Blue Jays in ‘81!

In 1994: On the same day that the players voted to strike on August 12, Kenny Rogers of the Texas Rangers threw the 14th perfect game in Major League history with a 4-0 shutout of the California Angels in front of the largest crowd in the history of the Ballpark in Arlington. He became the first left-hander in American League history to accomplish the feat as he struck out 11. The perfect game was saved in the bottom of the ninth inning by Rusty Greer’s diving catch in centerfield. More useless trivia: the last perfect game in the American League before this also took place in Arlington, and was also between the Angels and Rangers, with California’s Mike Witt shutting down Texas ten years earlier in 1984.

In 2001: In what was probably the most amazing comeback in baseball history, the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to defeat the Houston Astros 9-8 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Trailing 8-2 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and nobody on base, the Pirates scored seven runs to stun the Astros and take the first game of the day/night doubleheader. Brian Giles of the Pirates hit a game-winning grand slam off Astros’ closer Billy Wagner to the delight of the very few fans remaining in the ballpark. What was even more amazing, however, is the fact that the Pirates lost 100 games in 2001, and it was the only game they won all year when trailing after eight innings.

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Olympics

July 27 in Sports History: Atlanta Olympics bombing

In 1933: Joe DiMaggio was just getting warmed up for his magical 56-game hitting streak in 1941, as his 61-game streak came to an end. As an 18-year old in his first year of pro baseball with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, Dimaggio got a hit on May 28 and didn’t stop for 61 straight; at one point needing six batters in front of him to reach base in the last inning before hitting a double to keep the streak alive.

In 1996: A pipe bomb exploded in the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta during a late-night concert at the Summer Olympics. One person was killed and over a hundred people were injured when the bomb exploded shortly after 1 A.M. Despite heavy security at all of the venues and a bomb threat that was called in shortly before the explosion, police were unable to completely evacuate the area in time. The games continued without interruption, and a man named Eric Rudolph later plead guilty and received three consecutive life prison terms (for this and two other bombings). Rudolph was only sentenced in 2005, nine years after a security guard named Richard Jewell was originally accused and later cleared.

Categories
MLB General

July 26 in Sports History

In 1922: Hoyt Wilhelm was born in Huntersville, North Carolina. Hoyt was the first great relief pitcher in baseball history, reaching 200 saves before anyone else. He is also the owner of the most wins by a relief pitcher with 124. Hoyt was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985.

1948: July 26 also marks the last day that Babe Ruth was seen in public. He went to a screening of The Babe Ruth Story in New York City. After the screening, Ruth went back to the hospital and died about a month later, succumbing to throat cancer.

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MLB General

July 20 in Sports History: Baseball starts charging



New York Nine

In 1859: At the Fashion Race Course near Flushing, NY (close to where Shea Stadium is today), spectators paid to see a baseball game for the first time. It was also considered the first “All-Star” game. About 1,500 fans paid fifty cents each to watch the New York Nine defeat the Brooklyn Nine (more creative names were to come, I guess) 22-18 in a game that benefited the city’s fire departments. No word on whether there were hot dog launches, sausage races or A-Rod heckling.

In 1993: The Atlanta Braves caught fire. Literally. A pre-game blaze in the Fulton County Stadium press box delayed the start of the Braves-Cardinals game. Trailing the San Francisco Giants by 10 games in the N.L West, newly acquired Fred McGriff (perhaps the best midseason pick-up in recent history) hit a two-run homer to ignite a rally from a 5-0 deficit in the late innings. The Braves won, 8-5, and never cooled down. They went 51-17 after the All-Star break and eventually overtook the Giants to win their third of 14 consecutive division titles.

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MLB General

Odds and Ends (07.19.06): Oldest player in baseball history

From the “pretty cool” file comes the story of Buck O’Neil who became the oldest player in the history of professional baseball when he lead off the game in the Northern League All-Star Game. He was intentionally walked, pulled for a pinch runner, and then immediately traded to another team so he could lead off the bottom of the first as well. He was intentionally walked again. One of the first pitches almost hit him in the head. Yay Sports claims he was crowding the plate.

In other news…

[Buffalo Geek]: The ugly ass new Buffalo Sabres logo

[Seattle Times]: Courting a 10-year-old basketball prodigy

[Sportszilla]: Islanders = Idiocy

[Off Wing Opinion]: Sorting Out The Mess On Long Island

[Sportsline]: Butt men Zidane, Materazzi face sanctions (We didn’t make up this headline)