Baltimore Orioles Quiz (1954 – 2004…I’m not including the St.
Louis Browns years, 1902-53). 1) Jimmie Dykes was the first
Baltimore manager in 1954. Who was the second? [1955-61] 2)
What years did the Orioles win their three Series titles? 3) When
did Camden Yards open? 4) Who was AL MVP in 1964? 5)
Who was Cy Young winner in 1969? 6) Who were the two
rookies of the year in the 1960s? 7) What three have driven in
140 or more in a Baltimore uniform? Answers below.
Nails
Uh oh….Sunday’s Los Angeles Times has an extensive piece
written by Lance Pugmire on a favorite baseball player of many
of us, former Mets / Phillies star Lenny Dykstra, affectionately
known as “Nails” for his hard-nose play in the 1980s and 90s.
Unfortunately, he is drawing attention today for all the wrong
reasons…steroid abuse and gambling on his sport.
Dykstra is currently living in Southern California, operating a
very lucrative car wash that I have written of before in this space.
But now, in a lawsuit, former partner Lindsay Jones is suing him
to regain an interest in the business and it’s opening up a real can
of worms. Jones, for example, is alleging that Dykstra advised
him to bet thousands of dollars on selected Phillie games in
1993.
But equally as damaging is a sworn statement from former
bodybuilder Jeff Scott that he injected Dykstra with steroids
“more times than I can count,” and that Dykstra stepped up his
use in spring training 1993 because “it was a contract year.”
Scott has a criminal past which Dykstra’s lawyer, famed attorney
Daniel Petrocelli, is trying to exploit, but as in the case of Jose
Canseco where there is smoke there is fire.
For his part, Jones alleges that Dykstra’s involvement with
baseball bets began in 1993.
“Lenny would instruct me to bet on (games) in 1993 at an
average bet of $2,000 per game,” he said in a sworn statement.
“Together, we won 11 straight Phillies games in a row before
being cut off by the bookmaker who was convinced that I had
inside information.”
Lance Pugmire writes, “Jones does not allege that Dykstra, his
friend since their days growing up in Garden Grove, ever
recommended betting against the Phillies. He declined to
elaborate on his sworn statements, citing a gag order from the
lawsuit arbitrator.”
Pugmire adds: “Regina Morrill, who identifies herself as a
former girlfriend of Dykstra’s, said he ‘gambled heavily,’ and
took her on 25 gambling trips to Las Vegas and Atlantic City by
private jet.”
“Todd Wilson, identifying himself as a former personal assistant
to Dykstra, said he saw Dykstra place a losing $50,000 bet on the
1994 Super Bowl with a bookmaker.”
Rich Levin, a spokesman for Major League Baseball, said that if
an investigation found that Dykstra advised on baseball bets
while playing he could be subject to a permanent ban from the
sport, though MLB is not currently conducting any kind of
inquiry.
As for the steroids allegations, it’s long been rumored when it
comes to Lenny.
In 1993, Dykstra suddenly hit 19 home runs after never hitting
more than 10 in any of his eight previous seasons. He also hit six
that postseason as the Phils lost to Toronto in the World Series.
Pugmire writes:
“ESPN reporter Jayson Stark told the Chicago Tribune last
month about a 1993 clubhouse meeting with a shirtless Dykstra.
“I said, ‘Look at you. What did you do?’ Stark recalled.
“[Dykstra] said, ‘I took some real good vitamins.’”
Of course while baseball didn’t ban steroids until 2002, various
substances were illegal ten years earlier unless prescribed by a
physician.
Stuff
–Interesting piece in Bloomberg News on Monday by Scott
Soshnick concerning gambling in the NBA. Three seasons ago,
for example, then Washington Wizards teammates Michael
Jordan and Richard Hamilton engaged in a post-practice shooting
contest.
“Having lost a number of bets, Jordan…refused to leave the gym
until he recouped his money, forcing teammates and coaches to
wait more than 90 minutes inside an idling bus, Hamilton recalls.
“ ‘I can’t say how much we were playing for, but we were
betting a large amount per shot,’ says Hamilton…
“High-stakes betting is commonplace in the league,” writes
Soshnick. “Disputes over IOUs have even led to fisticuffs.
Whether it’s trick shots at practice, dice on the team plane, or
poker – which participants say sometimes results in pots topping
$40,000.”
IOUs can lead to big problems, such as was the case in 2000
when Philadelphia’s Tyrone Hill and Toronto’s Charles Oakley
came to blows over an unpaid debt. Oakley said Hill owed him
$60,000 from a dice game. Goodness gracious.
“Oakley slapped Hill in the face before a preseason game, then
hurled basketballs at him before a regular-season contest. The
NBA fined Oakley $10,000 and suspended him one game for the
ball-tossing episode. Neither player was disciplined for betting.”
[Soshnick]
–Just a little history tidbit from your editor. Monday marked the
90th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli, the disastrous World
War I campaign that was nonetheless a defining moment in the
history of Australia and New Zealand. Both nations celebrate
April 25 as Anzac Day, a day to remember the fallen soldiers
from all conflicts.
Back in 1915, Australian, New Zealand, British and French
forces waded ashore in Turkey in a bid to take Istanbul. In the
ensuing battle with the Turks over 8,700 Australians and 2,700
New Zealanders died (along with 21,000 British, 9,800 French,
1,300 Indian troops and 86,000 Turks) with Allied forces having
to withdraw after nine months. The founder of modern Turkey,
Ataturk, made his name in this battle.
But despite the sacrifices, and loss, for the nascent nations of
Australia and New Zealand, Gallipoli was in many respects a
victory as it represented the first time both fought under their
own flags.
[Personally, I’ve visited the war museums of Australia, New
Zealand and Turkey. It’s normally the first stop in all my
travels.]
–David Carr had an article in the Sunday New York Times on
“Simpson’s” creator Matt Groening as the greatest show in
television history approaches episode #350. The story of how it
all came about is really amazing. Groening, after all, “conceived
it in 15 minutes before a pitch meeting with Fox – in the rush, he
used the names of his family for the characters.” Once a
sideshow to Tracey Ullman’s offering, “The Simpson’s” first
aired in December 1989.
“I always thought the show would be a hit,” Mr. Groening said.
“At the time Fox was brand new and willing to experiment. To
this day, I don’t think it could get on any other network.” I guess
I’m amazed that the main voices are still around after all these
years.
–Pity North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams. OK,
maybe pity isn’t the right word since he did just win a national
title, but with the announcement that all four of his stars are
entering the NBA draft early…Rashad McCants, Raymond
Felton, Sean May and Marvin Williams…plus the departure of
three key seniors, Williams will be without his top seven scorers
next year.
However, as I noted in my commentary on Wake Forest’s Chris
Paul and his leaving early, you cannot fault the Carolina stars for
their decision. After all…they WON! They have nothing left to
prove, as opposed to Paul who is simply a loser.
All four Tar Heels, incidentally, should go in the top 20 of the
draft, with McCants being the only question mark due to his
miserable personality.
–Utah QB Alex Smith was selected first in the NFL draft by the
San Francisco 49ers. My Jets were able to snap up Ohio State
placekicker Mike Nugent with the 47th selection, a great move.
–And remember Ohio State’s Maurice Clarett? Finally, he gets
to prove whether he’s the real deal or not. Clarett was chosen
#101 by Denver.
–Hey, Mike Bibby of the Sacramento Kings…nice freakin’
game the other night. Sacramento lost its first NBA playoff
contest to Seattle, 87-82, as Bibby shot 1 for 16 from the field.
Mr. Bibby promised not to do it again.
–Former Mets pitcher Grant Roberts, now in the minor leagues,
tested positive for steroids. This guy always had a ton of talent
but injuries, and a poor attitude, held him back. But, this latest
development is significant because he’s a pitcher and thus helps
prove that they, like position players, have seen a benefit in
steroids, too. Certainly this should help fuel the rumor mill.
Like with Roger Clemens. I mean for crying out loud, the guy is
42 and all he’s done this season is allow one run in 28 innings, a
0.32 ERA. [Unfortunately for Roger his Astros teammates have
failed to score a run for him in something like 22 innings and
Clemens is only 1-0 in four starts.] He, like Barry Bonds, has
just gotten better with age. Why? His workout regimen? Oh,
c’mon. When he was 31, way back in 1993, Clemens went 11-
14 with a 4.46 ERA for Boston. After so-so ”94 and ”95 campaigns,
in 1996, despite a 10-13 record, he suddenly threw 242 innings and
whiffed 257. Since then he’s been nothing short of spectacular.
Oh well, I’ll let Johnny Mac put together some more stuff later in
the season. One thing is clear. Steroids help pitchers with their
recovery time, for starters.
–Baseball attendance: This is fascinating. Attendance for the
first 176 games last year averaged 30,914 per game. For the first
176 games this season it is the exact same…30,914. [Take note,
Mark R. You’re going to lose your bet…heh heh.]
–Did you see Nomar Garciaparra go down in a heap at home
plate the other day? Goodness gracious, that was kind of
grotesque once you knew his left groin muscle pulled away from
the bone. [Sorry, I should have warned you on this one.]
Some athletes are never the same after an injury like this, so
allow me to be the first to say Nomar is no longer a sure-fire Hall
of Fame selection. Plus, his wife, soccer great Mia Hamm, has
to be wondering about her decision to marry the guy. [Just
kidding!]
–Ha! The 8-11 Yankees will be hit with a $30 million luxury tax
this year. [The only other team that has to pay one is Boston at
less than a $million.]
–Baltimore’s Brian Roberts hit 4 home runs in 641 at bats in
2004. He now has 7 in his first 77 this season. He wouldn’t be
using….no, he couldn’t possibly be that stupid….after all, he did
say he worked out twice a day in the off-season, double his
normal load…..
–Florida’s Dontrelle Willis is one of the great characters in
baseball and it’s super seeing him off to a 4-0 start. May he go
28-1….as long as the Mets beat Florida overall.
–St. Louis Cardinals hurler Mark Mulder threw a 10-inning, 1-0
shutout on Saturday. These early season pitching performances,
replete with shutouts and complete games, are a most refreshing
development.
–Mark down Nov. 12 on your calendar if you are a Syracuse
football fan…or simply a fan of the sport. On this day the school
will retire No. 44, the jersey worn by greats Jim Brown, Ernie
Davis and Floyd Little. It’s also been neat to see how involved
Brown has become with the university. This is one complex man
who has had his share of problems over the years, but for various
reasons I’ve always admired him. And anyone who doesn’t call
him the greatest running back ever just doesn’t know their NFL
history.
–Now this is incredibly ironic and, frankly, I’m quite proud of
myself. Last chat, in my story on the death of college basketball
coaching legend Clarence “Big House” Gaines, I included the
connection to Winston-Salem, NC, sportswriter Mary Garber, the
two having been long-time close friends. Phil W. had
encouraged me to take a look back at a piece I had written five
years ago on Garber and then, out of nowhere, who should win
the Red Smith Award (the Associated Press Sports Editors’
highest honor) the very next day but one Mary Garber! Mary is
the first woman ever to win it. Said Mary, now 89:
“I hope some little girl out there knows now that she can be a
sportswriter if she wants to be.”
Congratulations, Ms. Garber.
–Good friend Stu W. (Stu Baby…and father of Phil W.) is sick
and tired of the behavior of many professional athletes these
days. “Sports are getting too ‘in your face-ish’” for his tastes,
including on the golf course where Stu notes “I even see 70-year-
old farts give a Tiger-like fist pump when they make a four-foot
putt to win a quarter.”
[Actually, I have to admit that I employed a fist-pump myself the
other day when I discovered my local liquor store was now
stocking Harp beer.]
Stu also brings up the point that fans interfering with a fair ball in
foul territory should be ejected.
–What’s up with Scott MacInnes? He’s the 51-year-old
biologist who became the first person known to have survived
two bear attacks. Last Monday he was mauled during an early
morning jog near his home in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. 38
years earlier he was mauled on a hiking trail in Chugach National
Forest. The U.S. Geological Survey keeps extensive records of
Alaskan bear attacks and MacInnes is the only one to have gone
through this horrific experience twice. No word on whether
Scott still has a face left. [Reuters / MSNBC]
–Australian scientists have discovered a new coral reef
stretching 100 kilometres off the north coast. This is pretty cool.
It’s estimated to be 100,000 years old. However, before you go
rushing to explore this new find, just know that this could have
been the breeding ground for Godzilla. At least that’s my take
until proven otherwise.
— I commented on this topic elsewhere on this site but I have to
note again that the area of New Jersey I live in is having a real
problem with wild turkeys. One mailman was attacked four
times in the last few weeks. But what cracked me up about a
story in the Star-Ledger by Robert Misseck is that the mailman
requested anonymity. Then again, the gentleman recognizes he
is one step removed from having to go into the witness protection
program because within the turkey community he is clearly a
marked letter carrier, having been forced to kill one of his
attackers with a stick. [In all seriousness, the local humane
society cleared the man of any charges.] Consider his
description.
“They have these spikes on their legs and they fly up in the air
and try to spike you. They’re really nasty and actually chase
you. They try to box you in.”
Hey, tell me about it. I was almost killed jogging the other day
when one flew right in front of me. I mean these beasts can grow
to four feet, after all, and, get this, fly at “55 mph and run up to
25 mph.” [Star-Ledger]
–According to the Los Angeles Times, area golf courses are
having a real problem with expensive clubs being ripped off. I
have to admit I think of this all the time. Even at exclusive
country clubs it’s easy to just blend in and cart away a bag.
–Vijay Singh was elected to golf’s Hall of Fame, which I find
kind of bogus. Not because Singh doesn’t deserve the honor, I’m
just troubled people get in before they are even close to retiring.
Plus Singh got in with less than the required 65% of the vote
because of a provision in the balloting that if no one reaches that
level, but one receives at least 50%, the one with the most votes
gets in. Singh received 56% and Larry Nelson (10 titles, 3
majors) had 55%. Curtis Strange (17 victories, 2 U.S. Opens)
had an even 50%. Not happy with all this…know what I’m
sayin’?
[Singh did win his 26th PGA title this weekend at the Houston
Open, after John Daly hit his tee shot in the water on the first
playoff hole.]
I’m also ticked off the PGA still doesn’t have a definitive record
book that, for example, lists the top ten finishers in all officially
sanctioned events going back to, let’s say, the 1930s.
Inexcusable.
–Ughh. A skydiver, known for his cinematography, was killed
after his legs were severed in a midair collision with the airplane
he jumped from. Albert Wing III was able to land but died
shortly thereafter near Orlando, Florida.
Top 3 songs for the week of 4/22/67: #1 “Somethin’ Stupid”
(Nancy & Frank Sinatra) #2 “Happy Together” (The Turtles) #3
“A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” (The Monkees)
Baltimore Orioles Quiz Answers: 1) Second manager – Paul
Richards, 1955-61 (517-539). 2) World Series titles – 1966 (4-0
vs. Los Angeles); 1970 (4-1 vs. Cincinnati); 1983 (4-1 vs.
Philadelphia). 3) Camden Yards opened in 1992. 4) Brooks
Robinson was AL MVP in 1964. 5) Mike Cuellar was AL Cy
Young winner in 1969. 6) Ron Hansen, SS, 1960 and Curt
Blefary, OF, 1965 were the two rookies of the year in the 60s. 7)
140 or more RBI – Miguel Tejada, 150 (2004); Rafael Palmeiro,
142 (1996); Jim Gentile, 141 (1961….if you got this one you
know your Orioles).
O’s tidbits:
Gentile’s season, 46-141, .302, was totally out of nowhere and he
never approached those levels again in a short career.
Both Hansen and Blefary arguably had their best seasons in their
rookie years.
The O’s haven’t had a strikeout champ since Bob Turley in 1954.
They haven’t had an ERA champ since Mike Boddicker in 1984,
who was their last 20-game winner that same season.
They haven’t had a Cy Young winner since Steve Stone in 1980.
And, the last complete game no-hitter was thrown by Jim Palmer
in 1969.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday….rock and roll / Saigon.
