The Pecan Park Eagle

In The Name of Peace and Love

November 28, 2014

"in This Twilight of My 20s" By Neal McCurdy Near The Bolivar Lighthouse Sundown, Wednesday November 25, 2014

“in This Twilight of My 20s”
By Neal McCurdy
Near The Bolivar Lighthouse
Sundown, Tuesday
November 25, 2014

On Tuesday, November 25, 2014, my son Neal drove down to Galveston on one of his vacation afternoons to spend the last daylight of his “20s” in a laid back celebration of an impending milestone birthday. Neal was on schedule to turn “30” at 2:51 AM in the wee small hours of the next day, Wednesday, November 26, 2014. He went alone, wanting to spend the time in solitary reflection, but the drive force behind his agenda was his desire to take photographs of the sunset on his last moment of daylight in his life as a young man in his “20s” – and he wanted to do that in a place that always has been memorable to him, on the beach road near the old lighthouse on the Bolivar peninsula.

By the time he shared the featured photo with me, it already had found its way onto his Facebook page as a “friends only” post on his day of quiet adventure – and also placed to this epically beautiful background music: “In This Twilight” (Stephan Carroll ‘Beyond This Twilight’ Remix) by Nine Inch Nails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahBgfQeLTuU

The best I can do to reproduce Neal’s Facebook production here is to share the photo, the above background story, and the musical theme that lifts the whole creative venture into a thing that sprouts wings and flies on its own muse-driven power. Hope you may enjoy the idea of what may have driven Neal to do this beautiful thing on some level of age transition call to contemplation. I’m his father. I’m not too capable of objectivity here. I love my son beyond words, as all of you with children most certainly understand, but I can see the call to creativity working through him as though it were the aurora borealis, awakening the night to the message that the sun shall rise again.

Each of us, at any age, only has today, but today is very big when we seize it, heart and soul, to do what we individually have the talent to do – and we are not just bound to all the social lessons of practicality that so often bury us from pursuing the edges of what we hope to do in a sellout career for the sake of safely making a living.

Neal McCurdy and Dad
At Home Where the Heart Is
Spring 2014

“Birthday Letters” are a tradition in our family- and Neal turning “30” as the background of this project he created stirred me as his “old man” to write him the following:

November 26, 2014

To My Dear Son, Neal

Upon the Occasion of Your 30^th Birthday

Awaken, Sleeping Muse of Creative Genius Residing Within,

Pour Forth Your Message of Hope and Beauty to the World.

Today is Your 30^th Birthday, Neal, But Like All Other Days

In the Past and Future, Our Present Day Is the Only Day

We Ever Own – And Even Today is Always Moment to Moment.

Hope, Faith, and Love Are the Fiery Fuel of All Creativity.

Releasing Them All in the Moment of Today is All They Require

For a Sustainable Level of Legacy That Even We Cannot See.

The Creative Powers of Hope, Faith, and Love Never Harm;

They Only Enhance the Level of Consciousness in Our World

To Our Shared Need in Life for Growth and Soulful Expression.

Bond to the Hope for Something Better in the Face of Despair!

Despair is Only Temporary; ~ Hope is Forever.

We all need to Bond in Faith to a Power Greater Than Our Personal Ego!

That Quality of Faith Will Carry Us Through All Weary Times.

Embrace the Trust That God is Love!

And that Love Really Does Overcome All Obstacles to Peace.

Just Be ~ And Do ~ From Your State of Love and Being,

Now and Forever.

~ Love and Peace, Dad

“None of us can capture what is yet to be with our promises;
None of us can regain what might have been with our regrets.
All we can do is – do from the moment,
With the wisdom we’ve been willing to absorb from the past.”
– Bill McCurdy

Tags: a birthday letter to my son
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Football Quotes for Turkey Day

November 26, 2014

“Better put some cranberry sauce on these football coach quotes before you sit down to the big dinner. – Some of the thoughts expressed here will go down a lot easier on the gullet, if you do!, but, nevertheless, all are in line with the idea that winning beats the tar out of losing at a very tough physical game to play.”

Thank you, Pat Callahan, for submitting much of the material we now use for our Thanksgiving holiday column – Football Quotes for Turkey Day!.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!

JOHN HEISMAN HEY NAMED A TROPHY IN HIS HONOR

JOHN HEISMAN
THEY NAMED A TROPHY IN HIS HONOR

1) “Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble the football.” ~ John Heisman

KNUTE ROCKNE
NOTRE DAME

2) “Show me a good and gracious loser, and I’ll show you a failure.” ~ Knute Rockne

BEAR BRYANT
ALABAMA

3) “I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game.” ~ Bear Bryant

4) “It isn’t necessary to see a good tackle, you can hear it!” ~ Knute Rockne

ERK RUSSELL
GEORGIA SOUTHERN

5) “At Georgia Southern, we don’t cheat . That costs money, and we don’t have any.” ~ Erk Russell

6) “Football is only a game. Spiritual things are eternal. Nevertheless, beat Texas!” ~ Seen on a church sign in Arkansas prior to the 1969 “Game of the Century” between Texas and Arkansas.

BOBBY BOWDEN
FLORIDA STATE

7) “After you retire, there’s only one big event left , and I ain’t ready for that.” ~ Bobby Bowden

LOU HOLTZ
NOTRE DAME

8) “The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.” ~ Lou Holtz

JOE NAMATH AND BEAR BRYANT
ALABAMA

9) “When you win, nothing hurts.” ~ Joe Namath

10) “Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated.” ~ Lou Holtz

11) “If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold , you gotta know the password, “Roll, tide, roll!” – Bear Bryant

FRANK LEAHY
NOTRE DAME

12) “A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.” ~ Frank Leahy

WOODY HAYES
OHIO STATE
~BEFORE HE SAID IT~

WOODY HAYES
OHIO STATE
~AFTER HE SAID IT ~

13) “There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell (aka, the not-yet-evacuated-ingestion-waste) kicked out of you.” – Woody Hayes

BOB DEVANEY
NEBRASKA

14) “I don’t expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation.” ~ Bob Devaney

WALLY BUTTS
GEORGIA

15) “In Alabama , an atheist is someone who doesn’t believe in Bear Bryant.” ~ Wally Butts

ALEX KARRAS
DEFENSE ~ IOWA, DETROIT
MONGO ~ BLAZING SADDLES

16) “I never graduated from Iowa . But I was only there for two terms – Truman’s and Eisenhower’s.” ~ Alex Karras

BOWDEN WYATT
TENNESSEE

17) “My advice to defensive players is to take the shortest route to the ball , and arrive in a bad humor.” ~ Bowden Wyatt

DUFFY DAUGHERTY
MICHIGAN STATE

18) “I could have been a Rhodes Scholar except for my grades.” ~ Duffy Daugherty

SHUG JORDAN
AUBURN

19) “Always remember Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.” ~ Shug Jordan

DARRELL ROYAL
TEXAS

20) “They cut us up like boarding house pie , and that’s real small pieces.” ~ Darrell Royal

SPIKE DYKES
TEXAS TECH

21) “They whipped us like a tied up goat. ~ Spike Dykes

WALT GARRISON
RUNNING BACK
OKLAHOMA STATE

22) “I asked Darrell Royal, the coach of the Texas Longhorns, why he didn’t recruit me. He said , ‘Well, Walt, we took a look at you, and you weren’t any good.’ ” ~ Walt Garrison

23) “Son, you’ve got a good engine, but your hands aren’t on the steering wheel.” ~ Bobby Bowden

24) “Football is NOT a contact sport , it is a collision sport. Dancing IS a contact sport.” ~ Duffy Daugherty

JOHN McKAY
USC

25) After USC lost 51-0 to Notre Dame, his post game message to his team was, “All those who need showers, take them.” ~ John McKay

MURRAY WARMATH
MINNESOTA

26) “If lessons are learned in defeat , our team is getting a great education.” ~ Murray Warmath

27) “The only qualifications for a lineman are to be big and dumb. To be a back, you only have to be dumb.” ~ Knute Rockne

28) “Oh, we played about like three tons of buzzard puke this afternoon.” ~ Spike Dykes

29) “We live one day at a time and scratch where it itches.” ~ Darrell Royal

30) “We didn’t tackle well today, but we made up for it by not blocking.” ~ John McKay

31) “Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad.” ~ Darrell Royal

32) “I’ve found that prayers work best when you have big players.” ~ Knute Rockne

Finally, to help fan the flames on the TCU @ Texas game on Thanksgiving night and the Iron Bowl game featuring Auburn @ Alabama two days later on Saturday night, here’s one more quote and short story before we place this holiday column in the publication oven:

33) “TCU is like a cockroach. “It’s not so much what he gets into and carries away but what he falls into and messes up.” ~ Darrell Royal

34) Alabama coaching legends Bear Bryant and Auburn’s Shug Jordan went bass fishing one November day prior to the Iron Bowl. Bryant fell out of their boat and was drowning when Jordan jumped in and saved his non-swimming football rival and friend from going under a third time. “When we get back into town, Shug,” Bear pleaded, “please don’t tell the Alabama fans that I can’t really walk on water!” ~ Shug paused long enough to muffle a smile and a tear before answering. ~ “Here’s the deal, Bear,” Jordan said, “I won’t tell the “Bama fans that you can’t really walk on water – as long as you don’t tell the Auburn fans that I saved your sorry butt from drowning.”

Tags: Football Quotes for Turkey Day
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

What’s With All the K’s?

November 25, 2014

Jose Altuve, 2B, .341
American League 2014 Batting Champion
~ The only man close to a sure thing in 2015 ~

After finally putting the plug on the jug of those three consecutive 100 plus loss seasons (2011-13) in 2014 and coming up the AL batting champion in the presence of the wonderful little second baseman with the big bat, Mr. Jose Altuve, , the Astros are starting to talk again through their strategic chieftains like a club that is ready to make a serious move on climbing back into the role of AL pennant contender, but that’s still a mile or two down the road.

Without television coverage in our Direct TV neck of the woods for two full seasons, we found ourselves seeing fewer games at the ballpark too over the past two seasons. That’s fewer games per season in 2013-14 than at any other time we’ve lived in Houston and been attending professional baseball games since 1947.

The result – or maybe I should amend that “one result” is that I know less about the cub and their prospects than at any earlier time in my history – and – from other people I’ve talked to lately about this experience – I am far from alone out here in that regard. Once I get past the names Altuve, Springer, Singleton and Carter among the firm to tentatively projected starters for 2015, I could not possibly pick out most of the others in a police lineup.

This morning, I just had time enough to piece together what I think is a fairly possible starting Astros offensive lineup for 2015, give a take a few trades – or a change based on their performances this coming spring. And, not even getting into pitching and defense, the people I see here need to really pick up their games for the Astros to make a serious run at improvement in 2015. I didn’t have time to add the Runs and RBI numbers for these nine offensive “starters,” but a couple of things jump immediately to mind:

(1) Once the opposition pitches to Altuve, they have worked their way through the heart of the Astros order; and (2) the rest of the guys strike out way too much and also fail to hit for average. Marisnick almost doesn’t count. His .272 BA was a short time figure for the Astros after a miserable shorter start for Miami at .167.

What’s the deal? Are these guys that bad as contact hitters? Or has anyone ever tried teaching them the strike zone – and the hard t impart wisdom to watch out for all those pitchers out there who still understand Warren Spahn’s philosophy about pitching – even if they don’t know who Warren Spahn was?

“Hitting is timing. ~ Pitching is upsetting a hitter’s timing.”

Hopefully, Jose Altuve can stay in the greatness zone that looks so natural to him – and the rest can either learn to play the game at a higher level – or give way to others who can.

Here are some basic stats about the Astros starters who this morning found their way into our Pecan Park Eagle Discovery Zone;

2014 Houston Astros Sometimes Starters and Their Stats

PLAYER	POS	AB	BA	OBP	SA	2BH	3BH	HR	BB	K	SB
JOSE ALTUVE	2B	660	.341	.377	.453	47	3	7	36	53	56
DEXTER FOWLER	CF	434	.276	.376	.399	21	4	8	66	108	11
GEO. SPRINGER	RF	295	.231	.338	.468	8	1	20	39	114	5
CHRIS CARTER	DH	507	.227	.287	.491	21	1	37	56	182	8
JON SINGLETON	1B	310	.168	.285	.335	13	0	13	50	134	2
M. DOMINGUEZ	3B	564	.215	.259	.330	17	0	16	29	125	0
JAKE MARISNICK	LF	173	.276	.304	.370	8	0	3	5	48	6
JASON CASTRO	C	465	.222	.287	.366	21	2	14	34	151	1
JON VILLAR	SS	263	.209	.268	.354	13	2	7	19	80	17

Leave a comment on your own observations about the offensive challenge tha faces the 2015 Astros. I’s never too early to start the Hot Stove League.

And have a nice sunny, cool Tuesday in Houston, everybody!

Tags: 2015 Astros offense
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Politics as Usual in Sports

November 24, 2014

Bogart: “Why are you shutting me down, Louie?”
Rains: “I’m shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”

“I’m shocked to find that gambling is going on in here,” Claude Rains shouts as Capt. Renault in the classic movie “Casablanca” in response to serious questioning from Bogart’s Rick Blaine, the owner of “Rick’s American Cafe.” Rains is shutting down Rick’s under Nazi orders due to a spirited demonstration of Free French spirit of protest to their German military occupation. Rains, a regular gambler at Rick’s, has no choice but to obey the command of the visiting and present Nazi Major Strasser. Rains’ mock cry about “illegal gambling” is the easiest excuse he can use to get the order done. While he is supervising the shutdown, a Rick’s employee rushes up to Rains and hands him an envelope. – “Your winnings, Captain.”

“Thank you very much,” Rains utters as he quickly stuffs the money in his pocket and continues to direct the shutdown.

Politics as per usual, Hollywood style, lives on in sports today too in much the same manner – or so it seems. The place of politics in the human condition hasn’t changed much in thousands of years and isn’t likely to do so any time soon.

Let’s see how the Claude Rains/Capt. Renault example comes into play in recent and near future times:

Major League Baseball: In 1998, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa make the cover of Time magazine as the saviors of baseball’s popularity slide during the 1994 strike year by banging out a record-breaking total of 70 and 66 homers in a dual hop over record holder Roger Maris’ 61* homers in 1961. If anyone ever needed an asterisk of denigration to their single season accomplishments, it should have been McGwire and Sosa for their achievements in 1998, but no one even blinked long enough to answer the unasked question of the day: How did these two “supermen” really do this? No sir. – Everybody was too busy honoring them as the coming of Thor to baseball. Fast forward to the atomic Bonds explosion of 2001 and the awakening to other possibilities that might explain this sudden natural evolution in power-hitting performance – and the sniff for the truth was on, full spigot.

The Steroids Investigation Era was under way during the first decade of the 21st century, leaving Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig free to try his hand at a variant paraphrase of the famous Claude Rains Casablanca quote: “I am shocked to think that any baseball player would stoop to using performance enhancing drugs to artificially and chemically improve his chances of hitting a baseball a country mile! – Oh, yes, thanks, owners, for my commissioner pay raise and contract extension. I really appreciate it.” – Although Selig may never actually have said the words we’ve just paraphrased as his message to the fans, it sure seems like he did. Why was Selig and the rest of baseball not concerned about what was fueling the home run production of McGwire and Sosa in 1998? Given the fall from grace that baseball experienced for cancelling the balance of the 1994 season and the World Series in 1994, baseball’s need for super-hero redemption was too great to take any kind of close look at what needs may have been fueling the magic of “Superman” and “Captain Marvel that fabulous year.”

Some Other Possible Examples:

National Football League:

When Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice scored a first elevator floor KO of his ex-fiancee on the security-cam network at a gambling casino, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave Rice a light few games suspension without ever witnessing the tale of the tape. Once the tape went viral, Goodell had no good political choice, but to change gears and ban Rice indefinitely. In spite of much testimony to the contrary from several sources, Goodell claims he never had a chance to see the tape prior to his first ruling. We must only surmise that Goodell was “shocked that Rice’s right cross to the jaw looked much worse than it read on paper. – Somebody named Adrian Peterson is going to pay for the mistake that I made with Rice.”

College Football’s Division 1 Four-Team Playoff Selection Committee

An eight-team playoff field could have been possible with the re-arrangement of two additional bowl games and resolved many of the issues the new four-team field faces in the politics of choosing that even a blue ribbon selection committee can not avoid. Chances are great that the four finalist could end up as (1) Alabama; (2) Oregon; (3) Florida State; and (4) either Baylor, TCU, Mississippi State, or Ohio State.

As we understand it, the (1) and (4) teams will meet in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The (2) and (3) clubs will meet in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Some media people, especially those with FSU ties, are now suggesting that Alabama will take the (1) spot to assure them a Sugar Bowl berth. – And that Florida State, the only school with an undefeated record still in the running, will be placed (3) to force them into a Rose Bowl semi-final match with (2) Oregon, a West Coast powerhouse.

Let’s see if that happens. If it happens, watch one of the talking heads from Florida State say something like, “it figures. Alabama and FSU both wanted the gold mine and that’s the way these bowl assignments stack up. – Alabama gets the gold – and FSU gets the shaft!” And then someone on the selection committee is bound to either utter quietly or loudly cry: “I can’t believe that anyone would think that there was any subjectivity that entered into our final decision on the four selected teams or their placements by order.”

Don’t waste your time on the politically pitiful this week, folks. – It’s time to gear into a mellow week of some Thanksgiving gratitude and all that good eating!

Tags: politics in sports
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

In Good Fun and Appreciation for Mr. Dierker

November 23, 2014

Who's the tall smiling guy in the Hawaiian shirt? Hints: He's a iconic pitcher in Houston's MLB history; the author of a no-hitter and two great books on baseball; a baseball historian and broadcaster; the manager of 4 Astros playoff teams in his 5 years as manager; and the man our Houston SABR chapter is named in honor to him and all he does for the game.

Who’s the tall smiling guy in the Hawaiian shirt? Hints: He’s an iconic pitcher in Houston’s MLB history; the author of a no-hitter and two great books on baseball; a baseball historian and broadcaster; the manager of 4 Astros playoff teams in his 5 years as manager; a UH graduate; and the man for whom our Houston SABR chapter is named in his honor for all he’s done, and for all he continues to do for both the game of baseball and our Greater Houston community.

An E-Mail from Larry Dierker Regarding the Eddie Gaedel Society Anthem Choice

Bill,

Congrats on the extremely small honor. No wonder you’re humbled!

Seriously, I applaud your ability to maintain quality amid your prolific publications. What’s even more impressive is your ability to come up with an idea every day. Good to see you at the Spaghetti Western. You should be the star, and ride off with the heroin despite the marinara sauce on your shirt.

Dierk

Our Pecan Park Eagle E-Mail Expression of Gratitude to Larry Dierker

Thanks, Dierk.

Your words make my day, except for one. If I ride off into the sunset with the “heroin,” won’t the cops track me down? After all, I’m riding a horse and carrying a couple of saddlebags of “felony horse” and those guys chasing me are driving black and white Dodge Chargers!

Seriously, please forgive me. I’m the king of typos and repeated double play instances in which my “brain brain” writes “the the” twice. Besides, everyone with any social experience in this world knows on so many painful levels that the difference between “having the heroine” and “holding the heroin” is most often far more involved than a missing “e” will ever explain.

I appreciate the intended imagery and will treasure your thoughts forever. By the way, if that photo you shot at the Spaghetti Western came out OK, please send me a copy. I’d love to see it.

Thanks again, Larry. See you ’round the bend.

Regards, Bill

(TPPE Editor’s Note: Larry Dierker’s already written this morning, 11/23/14, and said “had I known I would have spell checked,” As for my references to the mistaken identification of heroin and heroine here, The Pecan Park Eagle is just kidding around about the misunderstanding, folks. No intentional harm was intended toward heroin addicts, heroin dealers or their burros, mythical heroines of our wildest dreams, the uniformed police, or the propensity that many of us share for committing numerous typo errors once our hands are released to range upon the keyboards. For those who do not understand any writing that ventures one inch from the straight and narrow, please save the gubernatorial hair lips and easy judgments for Judgment Day, where a sense of humor about really big stuff will be a requisite for all who plan to sit through the whole thing and take their own turns before the big bench in the sky.)

What a difference a day makes in Houston! – Enjoy the cornflower blue skies over our great city this Sunday, everybody!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Pecan Park Eagle Humbly Honored

November 22, 2014

Eddie Gaedel
Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis
August 19, 1951

An E-mail notification from President Tom Keefe, Eddie Gaedel Society, Spokane Chapter # 1:

11/21/14

Bill:

Having exercised my considerable executive authority as founder and president of the Eddie Gaedel Society, Spokane Chapter #1, it is my great honor to notify you that your classic song, “The Ballad of Eddie Gaedel” has been adopted as the official ballad of the Eddie Gaedel Society, and has been scheduled for a public performance at O’Doherty’s Irish Grille & Pub in Spokane, WA, at the 5^th annual meeting of the Eddie Gaedel Society next August. A barbershop quartet that includes a gentleman who was there at Sportsman’s Park on Eddie’s big day, as a guest of Bill Veeck, will perform, as will the soon to be formed Eddie Gaedel Choir, made up of club members and O’Doherty’s regulars, some of whom claim to be actually capable of carrying a tune. In addition, Spokesman Review columnist Doug Clark, who plays a mean guitar when he is not writing about the Eddie Gaedel Society and other important civic events in Spokane, will provide accompaniment. We are planning on having the performance professionally audio and video recorded with the intention of uploading it to the internet, where your great contribution to the Gaedel Saga will itself be “safe for all eternity!” Hopefully, it will then be close enough to the gates of Heaven that our hero, Saint Eddie the Little Walker, will be able to sing along with a smile.

Regards,

Tom Keefe, President

Eddie Gaedel Society

Spokane Chapter #1

Our Pecan Park Eagle Response:

11/21/14

Dear Tom,

I am humbly honored by this wonderful news of my song becoming Eddie’s anthem. It’s object for years always was to keep little Eddie Gaedel’s name and accomplishment alive – and now your energy and the very much living Eddie Gaedel Society and the formulating choir are about to lift that goal into the wild blue yonder of forever.

Let me know if you still would like to hear that key change in the last stanza over the phone – and my impression of how the “Hail, Eddie!” shout at the end adds a major punctuating send-off to the little big man’s crowning glory.

Have a nice weekend too! – Regards, Bill

The Ballad of Eddie Gaedel (Our Good-To-Go Version, 10/14/14)

The lyrics below were incorporated into the accepted anthem version at this link: eddie-anthem

The Ballad of Eddie Gaedel plays out as follows:

(Sung to the tune of “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer”)

By Bill McCurdy, 1999. (Final Version)

_________________________________________

Bill Veeck, the Brownie owner,

Wore some very shiny clothes!

And if you saw his sport shirt,

You would even say, “It glows!”

All of the other owners,

Used to laugh and call him names!

They wouldn’t let poor Bill Veeck,

Join in any owner games!

(Chorus)  Then one humid summer day,

Bill Veeck scratched – his fidget!

Got an idea that stirred his soul,

He decided to sign a – midget!

His name was Eddie Gae-del,

He was only three feet tall!

He never played much baseball;

He was always just too small!

(Chorus)  Then one day in Sportsman’s Park,

Eddie went to bat!

Took four balls and walked to first,

Then retired – just like that!

Oh, how the purists hated,

Adding little Eddie’s name,

To the big book of records,

“ Gaedel” bore a blush of shame!

Now when you look up records,

Look up Eddie’s O.B.P.!

It reads a cool One Thousand,

Safe for all eternity!

Hail, Eddie!

Tags: Gaedel Ballad is now anthem of Eddie Gaedel Society
Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

The MLB Classic Comic Surname All Stars

November 21, 2014

COSTELLO: "WHO'S ON 1ST?" ABBOTT: "HU'S AT SHORTSTOP." COSTELLO: "I DIDN'T ASK YOU 'WHO'S AT SHORTSTOP?', I ASKED YOU..."

COSTELLO: “WHO’S ON 1ST?”
ABBOTT: “HU’S OUR BACKUP SHORTSTOP.”
COSTELLO: “I DIDN’T ASK YOU ‘WHO’S THE BACKUP SHORTSTOP?’, I…”

THE CLASSIC COMIC SURNAME ALL STARS, SO FAR. Feel free to recommend your own additions as a comment below.

The Roster

Pitchers –

Walter (Artie) JOHNSON (107-1927);

Clark (Andy) GRIFFITH (1891-1914); signed 11/21/14 by TPPE scout Rick B.

Jim (Bud) ABBOTT (1989-1999);

John (Lou) COSTELLO (1988-1991);

JOHN (BOB) HOPE (1993-1996);

Kid (Jackie) GLEASON (1888-1895).

Kenny (Will) ROGERS (1989-2008);

Tiny (Charlie) CHAPLIN (1928, 1930-21, 1936).

Catchers –

Elston (Moe, Curly & Shemp) HOWARD (1955-1968) signed 11/21/14 by TPPE scout Rick B.

Keith (Mantan)) MORELAND (1978-1989)Mantan Moreland played Birmingham Brown in the Sid Toler as Charlie Chan movies).

1st Base –

Eddie (Bill) MURRAY (1977-1997), signed 11/21/14 by TPPE scout Rick B.

Hal (Chevy) CHASE (1905-1919), signed 11/21/14 by TPPE scout Rick B.

2nd Base –

Billy (Steve or Dean) MARTIN (1950-1961) Minor baseball trivia quiz: Billy and Dean shared a particular fondness. What was it?

Henry (Henny) YOUNGMAN (1890) “Take my wife, … please!”

3rd Base –

Dick (Woody) ALLEN (1963-1977)

Josh (W.C.) FIELDS (2006-2010) “Every time I go out to play golf I always wear a suit with two pair of pants – just in case I get a hole in one.”

Shortstop –

Pop (Harold) LLOYD (1907-1932, Negro League BB), signed 11/21/14 by TPPE scout Bill Hickman.

Chin-lung (Abbott & Costello punchline) HU (2007-2011) “Hu you talkin’ to? You talkin’ to me? Well, I’m the only one here.”

Left Field –

Ted (Robin) WILLIAMS (1939-1960), signed 11/21/14 by TPPE scout Rick B.

Duffy (Jerry) LEWIS (1910-1921) (answering phone: “Duffy’s Tavern – where the elite meet to eat – Archie the manager speaking – Duffy ain’t here.”

Center Field –

GEORGE (GEORGE) BURNS (1911-1925) “Say Goodnight, Gracie!”

MYRON (GRACIE) ALLEN (1883-1888) “Goodnight, George!”

Right Field –

Dale (Eddie) MURPHY (1976-93), signed 11/21/14 by TPPE scout Rick B.

Matt (Jonathan) WINTERS (1989) “My God, you’re about as big as a mountain! – Looks like you might’ve played some football!”

Manager –

Carroll (Oliver) HARDY (1958-1967) (To Laurel: “Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into!”

Bench Coach –

Edwin (Stan) LAUREL (1937-38, 1940, minor leagues) (sobbing his eyes out silently in a grimaced flood of tears.)

1st Base Coach –

JACOB (John) GOODMAN (1878, 1882) The guy had to lose weight to play Babe Ruth in the movie. Now that’s funny.

3rd Base Coach –

Rube (Peter) SELLERS (1910) “Being There” is the thing, No “Pink Pussycat” types need apply.

Tags: Comic All Star Baseball Team
Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

Another Picture Worth a Thousand Words

November 20, 2014

!st Baseman Larry Joe Miggins of the Houston Babies in a Vintage Game with the Katy Combine in 2014. Photo Courtesy of Dave Lopez

!st Baseman Larry Joe Miggins of the Houston Babies in a Vintage Game with the Katy Combine in 2010.
Photo Courtesy of Dave Flores.

Tags: Larry Joe Miggins
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

What’s the name of that place where MLB teams do their spring training when they don’t own a half-way decent bullpen?

November 20, 2014

Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Bill Gilbert: Triple Milestones – 2014

November 20, 2014

Veteran SABR Baseball Researcher/Writer Bill Gilbert takes his annual look at the Triple Crown Winners for 2014.

Veteran SABR Baseball Researcher/Writer Bill Gilbert takes his annual look at the Triple Crown Winners for the 2014 Baseball Season.

Triple Milestones – 2014

By Bill Gilbert

Offensive production in the major leagues continued to decline in 2014. The number of home runs per game decreased in 2014 and batting average, on-base percentage and slugging average dropped to the lowest levels in over 20 years.

Year Runs/Game HR/Game BAVG OBA SLG OPS Triple Milestone Hitters

—- ——— ——- —- —- —- — ————————

1990 8.51 1.58 .258 .324 .386 .710 2

1991 8.62 1.61 .255 .323 .384 .707 3

1992 8.23 1.44 .256 .322 .377 .699 2

1993 9.20 1.78 .266 .332 .404 .736 5

1994 9.85 2.07 .270 .339 .424 .763 3

1995 9.69 2.02 .267 .338 .417 .755 8

1996 10.07 2.19 .270 .340 .427 .767 21

1997 9.53 2.05 .267 .337 .419 .756 7

1998 9.58 2.08 .266 .335 .420 .755 14

1999 10.17 2.28 .271 .345 .434 .779 19

2000 10.28 2.34 .271 .345 .437 .782 26

2001 9.55 2.25 .264 .332 .427 .759 21

2002 9.24 2.09 .261 .331 .417 .748 12

2003 9.46 2.14 .264 .332 .422 .754 8

2004 9.63 2.25 .266 .335 .428 .763 12

2005 9.18 2.06 .265 .330 .419 .749 10

2006 9.72 2.22 .269 .336 .432 .768 13

2007 9.59 2.04 .268 .336 .423 .759 8

2008 9.30 2.01 .264 .333 .417 .750 7

2009 9.23 2.02 .262 .333 .418 .751 6

2010 8.77 1.90 .257 .325 .403 .728 6

2011 8.57 1.87 .255 .321 .399 .720 7

2012 8.64 2.03 .255 .319 .405 .724 4

2013 7.77 1.79 .253 .318 .396 .714 3

2014 8.13 1.73 .251 .314 .386 .700 2

Runs and home runs were down in 2014 to the lowest level in over 20 years. Only one player (Nelson Cruz) hit 40 or more home runs in 2014 compared to two in 2013 and six in 2012. The 30 home run level was reached by only 11 players in 2014 compared to 14 in 2013 and 27 in 2012.

A useful indicator for tracking offense is the number of players who hit for both power and average by achieving a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in. A record 26 players reached all three milestones in 2000, but that figure has dropped significantly in recent years. Only two players reached all three milestones in 2014, the lowest since 1992, Of the 14 players with 30+ home runs, only two batted over .300 and seven had 100+ RBIs.

The two players who made the .300-30-100 club were Victor Martinez, for the first time, and Rookie Jose Abreu. They became the 173rd and 174th players to register at least one .300-30-100 season starting with Babe Ruth in 1920.

Following is a listing of players who achieved triple milestones in 2014.

Player Times BAVG-HR-RBI Comments

Victor Martinez 1 .335-32-103 First time at age 36.

Jose Abreu 1 .317-36-107 Eighth rookie with triple milestones.

Three players achieved triple milestones in 2013 but fell short in 2014:

2013 2014

Player Times BAVG-HR-RBI BAVG-HR-RBI

Miguel Cabrera 7 .348-44-137 .313-25-109 Power shortage

David Ortiz 4 .309-30-103 .263-35-104 Big drop in BAVG.

Paul Goldschmidt 1 .302-36-125 .300-19- 69 On track until injury.

Since baseball is now in a low scoring era, it has become more difficult for players to achieve triple milestones. No others came close. I have been tracking and analyzing triple milestones for over 20 years but this might be the last one. If current trends continue, there may not be any triple milestone hitters next year. Even Mike Trout, considered by many to be the best player in the game, can’t make it (.287-36-111 in 2014) in his first year with 100+ RBIs. Martinez, at age 37 is unlikely to match his 2013 success in 2014 and Abreu faces a challenge in repeating his rookie success. Of the other seven previous rookies to reach triple milestones, only Albert Pujols repeated in his second year. Others like Ted Williams and Mike Piazza fell short before racking up multiple triple milestone seasons. Hal Trosky and Rudy York each later recorded another such season but Wally Berger and Walt Dropo never had another one.

The following list contains the names of players, active in 2014, who have had multiple .300-30-100 seasons in the past but have not done it in the last three years. Many have been limited by injuries. Some are still productive players like Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and Aramis Ramirez, but not at the same level as in their peak years. Since this list was started in 2004, Ortiz is the only player that has come back with another triple milestone season.

Last

.300-30-100 .300-30-100

Player Seasons Season 2014 Comments

Albert Pujols 10 2010 .272-28-105 Four straight years under .300

Jason Giambi 4 2002 .133- 2- 5 End of the line at 43.

Mark Teixeira 3 2008 .216-22- 62 Injuries have taken toll.

Paul Konerko 3 2011 .207- 5- 22 Retiring at 39.

Aramis Ramirez 2 2004 .285-15- 66 Still productive.

Matt Holliday 2 2007 .272-20- 90 Lowest BAVG of career.

David Wright 2 2008 .269- 8- 63 Worst year of career.

Josh Hamilton 2 2010 .263-10- 41 A shell of his former self.

Twenty nine of the thirty major league teams have now had at least one triple milestone hitter since the year 2000. Kansas City has not had a triple milestone hitter since Danny Tartabull in 1991.

Three minor league players also recorded triple milestone seasons. Only one is under the age of 29.

————————————————————-

Player Team (Level) Organization Age BAVG-HR-RBI

Kris Bryant Tennessee (AA) Chicago Cubs 22 .355-22- 58

Iowa (AAA) .295-21- 52

Ave. for Year .325-43-110

Jake Fox Laguna, Mex. (AAA) None 31 .307-16- 46

Reading (AA) Philadelphia .308-22- 70

Ave. for Year .308-38-116

Marquez Smith Pensacola (AA) Cincinnati 29 .156- 1- 5

Bakersfield (A+) .323-29-126

Ave. for Year .311-30-131

Another player who split time between the minors and majors just missed:

J.D.Martinez Toledo (AAA) Detroit 26 .308-10- 22

Detroit .315-23- 76

Ave. for Year 314-33- 98

No college players achieved triple milestones in 2014.

Pitchers also strive for triple milestones – 20 wins, 200 strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00. Only two pitchers made all three in 2014:

Wins-SO-ERA

Clayton Kershaw 21-239-1.77 Also did it in 2011.

Johnny Cueto 20-242-2.18 First 20 win and 200 strikeout season.

Another pitcher won 20 games but fell short on strikeouts:

Adam Wainwright 20-179-2.38 Made it in 2010.

Twenty two pitchers with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title had an ERA under 3.00 but only three won 20 games and nine had 200 strikeouts.

TRIP2014.DOC

11/18/14

Tags: Bill Gilbert: 2014 Triple Crown Winners
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »