Baseball 2014

[Syt]

Three sisters in U.S. (KC, FL, Pitt./PA). With various offspring begotten over there. One nephew from my middle sister's first marriage who moved over to the U.S. a few years ago. In Germany: Mom, near where we grew up. Nephew and Niece (from my "youngest" sister - she's 7 years older), living 2 hours and 6 hours, respectively, from my Mom's.

There's some aunt/uncle/cousins stuff, but we don't really have contact with them.

[CountDeMoney]

Don't really understand why any Europeans would come here in this day and age, but hey, whatever floats your kriegsschiff.

[Eddie Teach]

I believe they married yanqui pigdogs.

[derspiess]

Don't really understand why any Europeans would come here in this day and age, but hey, whatever floats your kriegsschiff.

Free soda refills

[Syt]

Don't really understand why any Europeans would come here in this day and age, but hey, whatever floats your kriegsschiff.

The oldest two have been Over There for 15 (+ a few extra years before that when her husband was stationed in Ft. Knox and El Paso) and 28 years, respectively. The youngest went a few years ago.

[derspiess]

My nephew has been invited to join the baseball program that produced, among many others, Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey, Jr & Mike Matheny.  They have 17 alumni on current MLB rosters and a few current coaches.

Seems like an awful serious thing to get an 8-year old involved with, but he's all for it.  And the kid has an amazing work ethic with how he practices.

[derspiess]

I read that Matt Adams's game-winning HR in the 7th inning was the first HR hit by a left-handed Major Leage batter off of Kershaw's curveball-- ever.

[Syt]

Footage from the final game of the 1924 World Series between Giants and Senators:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2AN9IDDLqg#t=59

http://proxy.espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/52443/video-found-of-1924-world-series-action

A few thoughts on the film and that World Series:

The film shows Earl McNeely's game-winning hit, which reportedly took a bad hop over third baseman Fred Lindstrom, although you can't actually tell from the footage. (McNeely's name is misspelled as "McNeeley" in the film.)

Unfortunately, we don't have the play that set up the winning run. With one out, Muddy Ruel launched a high foul pop behind home plate that Giants catcher Hank Gowdy staggered under before stumbling on his discarded mask and dropping the ball. Ruel then doubled and Walter Johnson reached on an error by shortstop Travis Jackson, with Ruel holding second, setting up McNeely's hit.

We do see Johnson pitching. In his first World Series at age 36, the great Johnson was looking like the goat before Game 7, having lost both of his starts while giving up 27 hits (granted, he lost Game 1 after pitching all 12 innings). The series was played that year without an off day, so after starting Game 5, Johnson didn't start Game 7. He entered in relief in the ninth inning with the score tied 3-3 and pitched four scoreless innings to get the win.

Johnson had a peculiar sidearm delivery; he whipped his arm across his body. Doesn't seem that he could have thrown in the mid-to-upper 90s with that motion, but his motion was so unique and his arms were so long that maybe he was able to generate that kind of velocity. Or at least without injuring his shoulder or elbow. Here's more on Johnson's motion.

Washington player-manager Bucky Harris used an interesting strategy. Giants rookie first baseman Bill Terry had been red-hot in the first six games, but manager John McGraw was platooning him. Harris started right-hander Curly Ogden -- putting Terry in the lineup -- and then switched to lefty George Mogridge after two batters. Terry went 0-for-2 against Mogridge. When he came up with two runners on in the sixth, McGraw pinch-hit Irish Meusel. Harris countered with his ace reliever, right-hander Firpo Marberry. The Giants still scored three runs in the inning, with the help of two Senators errors. (The film misidentifies Mogridge, since it's a right-hander pitching, not a lefty.)

The Senators tied it in the eighth, when Harris, who had homered earlier, hit a two-out, two-run single off Giants starter Virgil Barnes -- the 29th batter Barnes had faced. While starters went the distance about half the time back then, the Giants were slightly below average in complete games, so McGraw wasn't necessarily behind the times. He just let Barnes go too long. Imagine the uproar if that happened now!

Notice the headfirst slide into first base!


By the way, the 1925 World Series also went seven games -- the Pirates defeated Johnson and the Senators 9-7 in the finale -- with Game 7 played in horrific conditions, with a foggy, misty day turning into a steady downpour. The New York Times described players "wallowing ankle-deep in mud, pitchers slipping as they delivered the ball to the plate, athletes skidding and sloshing, falling full length, dropping soaked baseballs ..."

OK, Library of Congress. Let's find some footage of that one.

[derspiess]

Very cool.  The (current) Nationals fly a 1924 flag in their stadium, which IMO they have zero right to do.  I think they also fly a 1933 flag, but the Senators actually lost that Series.

[Barrister]

The (current) Nationals fly a 1924 flag in their stadium, which IMO they have zero right to do.

Bah.  A Washinton team won the series.  They're a Washington team.

Not sure if they have it in the new arena, but the old Winnipeg Arena had a Stanley Cup banner for the 1901 Winnipeg Victorias.  Now sure - that pre-dated the creation of the NHL, but a Winnipeg Team wsa awarded the Cup that year.  It's not as if anyone else is hanging up banners for 1901.

[The Minsky Moment]

A few thoughts on the film and that World Series:
Johnson had a peculiar sidearm delivery; he whipped his arm across his body. Doesn't seem that he could have thrown in the mid-to-upper 90s with that motion, but his motion was so unique and his arms were so long that maybe he was able to generate that kind of velocity. Or at least without injuring his shoulder or elbow.

It's very unlikely Johnson threw at 95+.  He was once clocked around 90 but using equipment not designed for that purpose.  Also the sidearm motion is a good deal less stressful so injury risk is less, especially since Johnson's motion was so smooth.
The basis for WJ's rep, other than his incredible results, was probably due to:
1) His fastball, while not super-fast by modern standards was quite fast for his era.
2) His fastball had good movement.
3) His arm strength and smooth sidearm delivery allowed him to throw at or near max velocity the entire game.  Whereas a typical practice in that era was for pitchers to pace themselves and only throw at peak velocity at key moments.   

[derspiess]

Bah.  A Washinton team won the series.  They're a Washington team.

No, it's bullshit.  It's perfectly fine to have a statue or monument somewhere outside of the stadium to commemorate past glories of a different franchise that happened to be in that city.  But to put flags up on the stadiums is claiming someone else's past glory is sad at best.

[Barrister]

Bah.  A Washinton team won the series.  They're a Washington team.

No, it's bullshit.  It's perfectly fine to have a statue or monument somewhere outside of the stadium to commemorate past glories of a different franchise that happened to be in that city.  But to put flags up on the stadiums is claiming someone else's past glory is sad at best.

It depends - does Minnesota celebrate or claim winning the 1924 World Series?  If they claim that heritage, then fine, it stays with the team.

But if Minnesota doesn't care - if they trace the history of the franchise to the first day they played in Minnesota, then it's fair game.

[derspiess]

It depends - does Minnesota celebrate or claim winning the 1924 World Series?  If they claim that heritage, then fine, it stays with the team.

Don't know & don't care.  It's the Twins' to use or no other team's.  The city of Washington, DC is entitled to commemorate it in some way IMO but not the Nationals themselves.

But if Minnesota doesn't care - if they trace the history of the franchise to the first day they played in Minnesota, then it's fair game.

Disagree.  It remains that the current Washington Nationals team has zero connection to the 1924 Washington Senators other than they happen to play in the same city. 

[Barrister]

It depends - does Minnesota celebrate or claim winning the 1924 World Series?  If they claim that heritage, then fine, it stays with the team.

Don't know & don't care.  It's the Twins' to use or no other team's.  The city of Washington, DC is entitled to commemorate it in some way IMO but not the Nationals themselves.

But if Minnesota doesn't care - if they trace the history of the franchise to the first day they played in Minnesota, then it's fair game.

Disagree.  It remains that the current Washington Nationals team has zero connection to the 1924 Washington Senators other than they happen to play in the same city.

Remember you're talking to a Winnipeg Jets fan.  The history and heritage of a sports team belongs to the city and to that city's fans, not to some corporate body that may come and go.