Hitting Streaks: Who are the only 4 players to hit in 40 or more
consecutive games since 1900? Answer below.
The Spitter
Many baseball experts say pitchers today have no idea how to
throw a spitball. I wish they did. Maybe we”d see an end to the
obscene homer barrage of the past few years. Anyway,
following are some comments from those who employed it.
Gaylord Perry: “I”d always have (a little grease) in at least two
places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe off one. I
never wanted to be caught out there without anything. It
wouldn”t be professional.”
Whitey Ford: His secret was dropping a saliva-coated ball gently
against the mound while picking up the resin bag. “I was never
caught throwing the mud ball. Usually, by the time the ball hit
the catcher”s mitt, the blow would knock the mud off and it
wouldn”t be detected.”
George Bamberger: “The best way to hide the spitter is to fake
all the tricky stuff – Vaseline behind the knee or under the bill of
your cap – then just spit on your hand when they”re looking at
you. I never did it any other way.”
Joe Niekro: Once, as umpires approached him about doctoring
the ball, he flicked a nailfile to the ground. He was promptly
suspended. Said Joe, “I sometimes have to file my nails between
innings.”
Tommy John / Don Sutton: During a Yankees-Angels game in
1987, Sutton, of the Angels, was blatantly doctoring the ball.
The Yankees television station, WPIX, had the goods on him.
But Yankees manager Lou Piniella did nothing. Watching at
home, owner George Steinbrenner called the dugout, miffed that
Piniella wasn”t making a stink about the situation. “George,”
said Lou, “if I complain about him, they”re going to complain
about John. And Tommy is cheating more than Sutton.”
John outdueled Sutton 3-2, prompting one scout to say, “If
anyone can find one smooth ball from that game, it should be
sent to Cooperstown.”
George Frazier: “I never hid it. I always told opposing hitters I
was going to throw it. ”Anytime I touch my skin, it”s coming.”
So they”d step out and call time and check the ball and, of
course, I wouldn”t have anything on it. Then I”d throw a spitter
on the next pitch.” Billy Martin once told Frazier to use the
spitter or risk getting sent to the minors.
[Source: Steve Politi / Star-Ledger; “Baseball”s Greatest
Quotations,” Paul Dickson]
Hurricanes…clip ”n save!
The season started June 1st. Following are the Ten Deadliest
Hurricanes in the United States. [Before 1953 they weren”t
given names.]
1. Galveston, TX 1900 8,000+ deaths
2. Lake Okeechobee, FL 1928 1,836
3. Florida Keys, southern TX 1919 600
4. New England 1938 600
5. Florida Keys 1935 408
6. Audrey: SW LA., northern TX 1957 390
7. Northeast U.S. 1944 390
8. Grand Isle, LA 1909 350
9. New Orleans, LA 1915 275
10. Galveston, TX 1915 275
Measuring Hurricanes
The (Morley) Saffir – (Homer) Simpson Scale
Category 1
Winds: 74 to 95 mph. Storm Surge: 4 to 5 ft.
Damage: Minimal; shrubbery, mobile homes, signs down.
Good body-surfing.
Category 2
Winds: 96 to 110 mph. Storm Surge: 6 to 8 ft.
Damage: Moderate; some home damage, branches blown down.
Children”s toys left outside blow through neighbor”s picture-
window.
Category 3
Winds: 111 to 130 mph. Storm Surge: 9 to 12 ft.
Damage: Extensive; minor damage to buildings, trees down.
Tee-ball games postponed.
Category 4
Winds: 131 to 155 mph. Storm surge: 13 to 18 ft.
Damage: Extreme; damage to buildings, almost total destruction.
In preparation, Home Depot jacks up cost of plywood sixteen-
fold.
Category 5
Winds: 155+ mph. Storm surge: 18+ ft. Aaghhhhh!
Damage: Catastrophic; ”hurricane” drinks no longer appropriate.
Irving Rudd
The former “press agent” (he didn”t like the term public relations
man) died on Friday. He was a legend in the business. Rudd
always said that he generated the ink that put people in the
stands.
In 1949, he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and subsequently
devised events such as bat day, camera day, and batboy for a day.
In 1957, when the Dodgers relocated to L.A., Rudd went to work
for Yonkers Raceway. It was here that he staged his most
famous stunt when the raceway reopened in 1958 after being
rebuilt.
As reported by Richard Sandomir in the New York Times,
“Rudd told the painters to misspell it ”Racewya” on a sign next to
the track, which made phone callers inquire, ”Don”t you idiots
know how to spell raceway?” Naturally, photographers and
television cameramen came to record the faux pas, which
generated clippings around the world.”
On sweltering summer days, Rudd said, “We used to go around
to the barns and get a picture of a horse nuzzling one of those
great big cakes of ice. We got a lot of ink that way.”
[I was trying to think of today”s masters at generating publicity
for themselves and I keep coming back to one man…Donald
Trump.]
Hail
Yes, it”s true. Last Thursday, Oakdale, Wisconsin had softball
sized hail.
Bonds vs. Griffey
It”s getting ugly for you Griffey fans. Through Monday”s games:
Bonds (47 games) 24 HR 46 RBI 53 Runs .341 BA
Griffey (56 games) 15 HR 39 RBI 35 Runs .216 BA
Top 3 songs for the week of 6/8/63: #1 “It”s My Party” (Lesley
Gore) #2 “Sukiyaki” (Kyu Sakamoto) #3 “Da Doo Ron Ron”
(The Crystals)
Quiz Answer: Joe DiMaggio, 56 (1941), Pete Rose, 44 (1978),
George Sisler, 41 (1922), Ty Cobb, 40 (1911). The other two
with 40 or more are Willie Keeler, 44 (1897) and Bill Dahlen, 42
(1894). Incidentally, both Sisler and Cobb hit .420 for the season
in which they had their streak.
Next Bar Chat, Friday…The Great Tornado of 1925.
