Archive for the 'Bloops' Category

We've linked a few times to Mary Jane Schriner's posts about George Steinbrenner, so here's another one her son sent our way:

Sixty Years Later a Wonderful Gift from an Old Friend - Mary Jane Schriner's Blog

I also found this post on her site:

George really did like Meatball Calzones!

Funny to find out that these Seinfeld scenes were rooted in some truth:

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a cool report on some of the most interesting and bizarre injuries that happened this past season, and he didn't even mention how Adrian Beltre wiped out two different Red Sox left fielders in collisions that resulted in rib injuries.

Bottom of the Fourth: Sandy Koufax Perfect Gingergame.

Koufax's perfect game rendered in gingerbread.   Happy Halladays!

Hat tip: BTF

I was absolutely stunned to come across an article on ESPN.com saying that Pete Rose Jr. has signed on to become a minor-league manager for the White Sox.

The stunning part was not that he's becoming a manager, but that he was an active minor league player all the way up through last season. Indeed, his minor-league record confirms it: last year he played for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League, the same team for which Jose Canseco, Rickey Henderson, and Jose Lima once played.

Rose Jr. finishes his minor-league career with 1,918 games played and a .271 batting average, as compared to just 11 games in the big leagues with the Reds in 1997.

Mike Schur, once the proprietor of FireJoeMorgan.com and now executive producer of the television show Parks & Recreation gave an interview over at Fanhouse.com primarily about what was wrong with Joe Morgan.

I find it interesting to read stuff like this when it's tailored for the mainstream. Also, you gotta love Morgan saying that the K-Zone is wrong.

Adam Krohn of the Gainesville (Ga.) Times sent us a link to his story about how a vintage John Buzhardt Astros jersey made its way back to Buzhardt's widow more than 40 years after his final game:

Jersey back where it belongs - Local man gives to widow a piece of her husband's past

So, last night, I'm watching Game 7 of the 1960 World Series on the MLB Network and I see Bill Virdon come up to bat.

Now, to me, Virdon is the former Yankees manager who Bill Sudakis used to make fun of in the locker room. (Yes, I'm a Yankees fan and I started following the game in 1973.)  I've never seen Virdon bat, before last night.

And, what do I see? I'm looking at Virdon's stance and it's Pete Rose. From the left side of the plate, they're  carbon copies of each other. Anyone else see this?

Related, what batters in baseball history have reminded you of each other because of their batting stance and/or swing? Doesn't have to be exact - could be a part of it - like Craig Counsell and Yaz each holding their bat up high.

Have fun with this...if you'd like to play along.

After the news broke that Boston had signed Carl Crawford, I plugged their projected lineup (via MLBDepthCharts.com) into Baseball Musings' lineup simulator, using each player's OBP/SLG over the past 3 seasons. The result? This lineup...

1 CF Jacoby Ellsbury (0.339/0.395)
2 2B Dustin Pedroia (0.372/0.475)
3 LF Carl Crawford (0.349/0.454)
4 1B Adrian Gonzalez (0.387/0.523)
5 3B Kevin Youkilis (0.404/0.560)
6 DH David Ortiz (0.356/0.498)
7 RF J.D. Drew (0.379/0.495)
8 C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (0.317/0.364)
9 SS Marco Scutaro (0.351/0.385)

...would be expected to score 5.675 RPG.

The simulator also suggested the best Red Sox lineup for 2011 would be:

1 RF J.D. Drew (0.379/0.495)
2 3B Kevin Youkilis (0.404/0.560)
3 DH David Ortiz (0.356/0.498)
4 1B Adrian Gonzalez (0.387/0.523)
5 2B Dustin Pedroia (0.372/0.475)
6 C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (0.317/0.364)
7 CF Jacoby Ellsbury (0.339/0.395)
8 LF Carl Crawford (0.349/0.454)
9 SS Marco Scutaro (0.351/0.385)

Which would expect to score 5.754 RPG.

Obviously, this doesn't account for baserunning, injuries, aging, park effects for Crawford/Gonzalez, and a whole host of other variables. But Boston has definitely assembled what should be a potent offensive team next season.

Here's the official announcement. 

Here's Gillick's Bullpen page.

And, here's his resume on the Baseball America Executive Database.

Read the rest of this entry »

Via TVSquad.com - On last night's 60 Minutes, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens offered his "final ruling" on what happened during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, a game he was present at when Babe Ruth supposedly called his shot before homering in the 5th inning:

Stevens says there's "no doubt" Ruth called the shot.

Then again, that's just one man's opinion, even if he was on the Supreme Court bench. As the TV Squad post notes,

"Ruth's called shot wasn't televised, but a pair of home movies recorded by other spectators at the game suggest Ruth may have really been pointing at the pitcher, or at the opposing team's bench. Much like the Supreme Court rulings, a unanimous verdict is hard to come by."

(Hat Tip: Our own Andy K.)