[Note: The following was posted before Game Five of the Series.
I am praying that the Mets extend it, thus a final World Series
tester.]
World Series Quiz: 1) What 4 Red Sox players hit home runs in
the 1975 Series? [Have to throw a bone to my many Sox fans.]
2) Who hit 6 homers in just 2 Series; one in the 80s, the other the
90s? 3) Who is the only non-Yankee to win 7 or more Series
games? Answers below.
1959 / Baseball
A few weeks back I mentioned that I had gone to Cooperstown,
New York to do some research at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
One afternoon I spent some time in the library there just looking
through The Sporting News from 1959 to see if there were a few
good Bar Chat pieces for next year (yup, I was thinking ahead).
Well, lo and behold I”m going through the material I brought
back the other night and I see some stuff that kind of fits with the
whole Roger Clemens episode. Some things haven”t changed.
To wit:
Sporting News, July 29, 1959. “Buhl Boils Over ”Spitter”
Charge – Blasts Walker”
“While the exact circumstances of the row involving (pitcher)
Bob Buhl and Ed Mathews of the Braves and an unidentified
third party early Sunday morning, July 19, in the Chase Hotel
(St. Louis), have not been determined, it was learned that Buhl
had a wordy argument with the Cardinal coach just prior to the
incident.
“Harry Walker, first base coach of the Cardinals, had dropped off
friends at the Chase Hotel and had visited them briefly. As he
was leaving, he encountered Buhl and Mathews in the lobby.
[All plastered, I”m sure.]
“When Buhl had gone in to pitch, the Cardinals were stopped
cold for a couple of innings. Buhl, who had not pitched in a
month, didn”t seem to be throwing hard and the Cardinals started
to observe him more closely.
“The Braves later said Buhl was throwing a knuckler but the
Cardinals contended he was throwing the forbidden spitter.
“”He”d wipe his forehead with his fingers,” one Redbird said,
”then pick up the resin bag in the palm of his hand and squeeze it
like he was squirting it. The fingers stayed damp.””
“In the ninth inning, as the Cards made a last threat, they kept
demanding that the umpire look at the ball. Walker, coaching at
first base, was one of the most vociferous. The umpire called for
the ball a couple of times but could find nothing wrong although
one time the ball dropped to the ground before Buhl delivered it
to the umpire.
“The Cardinals, with the help of one tainted hit, won the game
and as Joe Cunningham slid across with the clinching run, Buhl
picked up the ball and angrily fired it into the upper deck.
“He was still seething when he later encountered Walker. ”Why
don”t you concentrate on playing ball instead of hollering about
spitters?” he was quoted as asking Walker. The Cardinal coach
responded that the Cards had won the game, further that any time
he thought anything was ”going on” he”d keep asking for the ball.
“”The next time you ask for it,” Buhl said, ”I”ll give it to you –
right between the eyes.””
From a Sporting News editorial:
“Orestes Minoso undoubtedly leads both leagues in accidental
bat-throwing.
“In one game recently, the bat got away from Minoso just after
he had been low-bridged by the pitcher; and by the most innocent
of coincidences, it bounced, not down the base line, but toward
the pitcher”s box.
[The Sporting News did not think an action like this was
revenge.]
“But a suspicious man might conclude that Minnie”s action was
deliberate. If so, we do not condone it. Some observers may be
tempted to applaud this primitive approach to balancing the odds
between the batters and the morons who occasionally throw at
them. If every hitter responded the same way to a ball thrown at
his head or too close thereto for comfort, the authorities soon
would find a way to end the dangerous nonsense – at both ends
of the pitching lane.
“But two wrongs never yet have made a right, so we only point
to intentional bat-throwing as a new evil in the war which starts
when a pitcher who ought to be barred from baseball takes a
chance on maiming or even killing an opponent.
“We noted with great satisfaction the evidence that umpires this
season evidently have instructions to treat suspected beanball
throwers more severely than they once did. Several moundsmen
have drawn the automatic $50 fine.
“But evidently, even sterner measures are required. Until the day
when all club owners simultaneously tell their general managers:
”No beanballs – or else,” the best course would seem to be a rule
severely penalizing the pitcher for even accidental wildness high
inside.
“If the batter were given, not first base, but second base,
whenever he had to hit the deck, there would be a most
remarkable improvement in control. Such a rule, of course,
would be artificial. But it would be better than an artificial
head.”
Sporting News, June 17, 1959.”Cardwell, Cimoli in Row”
“Gino Cimoli of the Cardinals was fined $100, June 9, for his
part in the king-size rhubarb and near-riot during the fifth inning
of the nightcap at Connie Mack Stadium two days earlier.
“Cimoli was assessed by National League President Warren
Giles for leaving the batter”s box and charging after Pitcher Don
Cardwell whose fastballs near Cimoli”s head had just sent the
Cardinal to the ground again…
“As Cimoli and Cardwell met, both benches emptied onto the
field and the main combatants soon were on the ground. There
was the usual stomping, tugging and shoving and the
peacemakers appeared to have done the most damage, especially
with their spikes.[Cardwell injured his shoulder in the
scuffle.]”
Editor Note: I hate when someone who disagrees with
something I write comes at me with their spikes high.
Don Drysdale
Since the Mike Piazza beaning by Roger Clemens in the summer,
Don Drysdale and Bob Gibson were the first two who came to
mind in every conversation concerning old time pitchers who
used to throw inside and go after the occasional head.
The following is from a Drysdale profile in the Sporting News in
the summer of 1959. Drysdale, just 22 years of age, was 13-6 at
the time, on his way to a 17-13 mark for the Los Angeles
Dodgers.
“As he matures, Drysdale can accept an occasional defeat more
gracefully now, although he isn”t about to shake an opposing
batter”s hand.”
“”I don”t want you to think I”m conceited about this,” he told a
Milwaukee writer recently, ”because there”s a lot of difference
between conceit and confidence. I just know I can do it (win)
now. If I go out and pitch and they bat me around, well, they”re
lucky. I”ll go out and get them the next time.””
“Drysdale has a widespread reputation for being mean on the
mound, and he”d be the last one to deny that he employs the
duster and the brushback pitch. This season he has plunked ten
batters in various portions of their anatomy.
“After President Giles fined the Dodger pitcher $50 for
”deliberately throwing” at Willie Mays at Seals Stadium,
Drysdale exploded with wrath.
“”What do they expect me to do, put the ball down the pipe?” he
demanded angrily. ”They can fine me every time I pitch, but I”m
not going to change my style now. It”s my bread and butter.””
[Drysdale later drew a second fine.]
“It is a thrilling man-to-man contest every time Don duels on a
personal basis with great hitters like Mays and Hank Aaron.
“”Is that boy rough?” says Willie. ”You joking, or something?
He”s meaner now than any time I ever batted against him. That
ball looks like it”s coming in from third base and you gotta be
ready to get out quick.””
[And I loved the following from the Drysdale
profile…admittedly, not exactly politically correct.]
“He is happily married to pert Ginger Dubberly, a gorgeous
former professional model whom he met last season at the
Coliseum when she posed for ”A Day With the Dodgers”
photographs for a local newspaper.”
Speaking of Pert.
From the 10/15 edition of the Sunday Times Magazine. Q&A
with Ivana Trump.
Q: So how much does a beautiful bra have to cost to make you
think twice about buying it?
Ivana: I really don”t look. This is the time when I go to
Bloomingdale”s, to the fourth floor. I go there for two hours and
I buy 2,000 of the black, 2,000 of the beige, 2,000 of the white.
And I ship them around between the homes and the boat and
that”s the end of it for maybe half a year when I have to do it all
over again. [Editor: I”m missing a bunch of things here…]
Bill Clinton / Golfer
In the November issue of Golf Digest, the New York Times
foreign-affairs columnist Thomas Friedman played a round with
President Clinton and interviewed him on the game of golf and
his personal experiences in it. But the piece also offers a
fascinating look into the true personality of Slick Willy.
Friedman and Clinton were playing with Connecticut Senator
Chris Dodd. Before the formal interview, Friedman had this
observation.
“The President has already made par on a tough, 185-yard par 3,
which the Commander in Chief has hit with a high, floating 3-
iron. Dodd has a chance to beat him by making his birdie putt.
”Don”t leave that putt short, Chris – you”ve really got to hit it
hard; you just wouldn”t want to be short,” the president yammers
at Dodd right into his backstroke.”
Man, if he did that to me, I”d be tempted to pop him. And I bet a
lot of you would too.
During the round, Clinton took a few mulligans. When Friedman
questioned him about the razzing he takes for those frequent
extra strokes, Clinton had a long, twisted explanation…with the
bottom line being that HE is the one who gives mulligans to
others.
A different topic:
Friedman: What was your favorite shot?
Clinton: It”s amazing what you can remember about golf. I”ve
never had a hole-in-one. The closest I ever got was when I was
15. I hit it to an inch away, and I got down and blew on the ball.
Is there any doubt in your mind that if he had been successful in
blowing it in, he would have counted it?
In another instance, Clinton describes playing with British Prime
Minister Tony Blair.
“(Blair had) never held a club before, but he”s a pretty good
athlete, so I said, ”Tony, I”ll hit a drive for both of us. You play
the better drive. You hold the club like I tell you, and swing it
like I tell you.” He made four pars, a bogey and a double bogey
– and he”d never played before. We had to quit after six holes.
But he literally went four pars, a bogey and a double bogey. Just
took the drive I hit. Everything else he did himself. It makes me
think I”ve got a second career as a golf teacher.”
This is total B.S. Geezuz. He even lies for others. I have to
believe Blair would tell the truth. [If you have never golfed, trust
me, this is impossible.] But notice how Clinton is able to work
in his own great work. He wants you to read between the lines
that Blair was using Clinton”s superb drives, as well.
Psychologists would have a field day with this.
And then Friedman asks Clinton what his favorite course is. The
President proceeds to talk about his round at Ballybunion in
Ireland. [The club was so enamored with the visit they put a
statue to Clinton there. This single act has drawn the derision of
the natives at other clubs in Ireland. Said one at a club I belong
to, Lahinch, “We don”t need any special statues to help tout how
great our course is!”]
Anyway, what you need to know is that Ballybunion is one of the
Top Ten courses in the world and when the wind is blowing, it is
a bitch. Clinton picks up the story.
“They asked me what my handicap was, and at the time I was
playing pretty good, and I said I don”t know, maybe 12 to 13.
They said, ”How many links courses have you played?” I said,
”Two.” They said, ”Good. We”re taking 20-to-1 odds you can”t
break 100.” So I was 10 over for 15 holes and 13 over for the
last three. I was playing with Christy O”Connor (the great Irish
pro). Howling wind. [Folks, the wind makes his whole story a
big lie. I”ve played here 6 or 7 times.] I made 7 on the first hole,
then I made 10 on a par 4. I kept going back and forth, back and
forth. Otherwise I played well. So I won. I was 23 over – 95.”
No way, gang. You don”t just shoot 9 over on two holes there
and then go 14 over on the other 16. Then again, maybe he did
shoot 95…with 10 mulligans.
Is this all much ado about nothing? Well, if you don”t golf, it
may seem trite. If you do, you know where I”m coming from.
This is who he is…Oh, here”s Dick Cheney. Let me ask him if
he agrees. “Oh yeah, big time.”
Al Groh Explodes
Anyone watching the first half of Monday night”s football game
between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins probably
had the same thoughts I did, as the Jets were getting manhandled
in all phases of the game. “Boy, is (Jets coach) Groh going to let
them have it at halftime.” And so now the story has come out
that, yes, Groh threw one of the great tantrums of all time.
Mike Freeman of the New York Times helped provide some of
the details. Six Jets players recounted to him what happened.
“They said the coach walked into the locker room and
immediately began screaming and wildly cursing…Groh”s face
turned beet red, the players said, and he was screaming so loudly
that spit was coming out of his mouth.
“…Then he started tossing objects. At one point, he was so
angry he seemed to lose control. He kicked over a chair that
tumbled several feet across the locker room and almost struck
several players…Then Groh threw an industrial-sized laundry
basket, slamming it into the ground.
“You”re disgracing yourselves,” one player quoted Groh as
saying. “You”re disgracing this organization and you”re
disgracing the National Football League. The nation is watching
a bunch of pathetic losers.”
Freeman recounts that another player contends that Groh said, “If
I could, right now, I would cut all of you.”
“Then, suddenly, you could hear a pin drop, and Groh left the
room.” The Jets came back with a 30-point fourth quarter and
went on to defeat the Dolphins 40-37 in overtime, one of the
great comebacks in NFL history.
Rashard Casey / Follow-Up
In the 8/9 edition of Bar Chat, I raised the question of whether or
not Penn State football coach Joe Paterno should be standing
behind quarterback Rashard Casey. Last spring, Casey had
reportedly been involved in the beating of an off-duty policeman
in Hoboken, NJ, Casey”s hometown.
Penn State has suffered through a horrible season to date, posting
just a 3-5 record, with Casey at the helm for most of this time.
The case, with its grand jury inquiry, has clearly been a major
distraction for Paterno and school officials.
So on Wednesday, numerous reports surfaced that Casey is about
to be indicted. Hudson County, New Jersey officials, however,
denied those reports. If Casey IS indicted, he could face up to
five years in prison if convicted.
Top 3 songs for the week of 10/26/63: #1 “Sugar Shack”
(Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs) #2 “Be My Baby” (The
Ronettes) #3 “Deep Purple” (Nino Tempo & April Stevens)
Series Quiz Answers: 1) Red Sox who homered in the ”75
Series: Bernie Carbo (2), Carlton Fisk (2), Dwight Evans, Fred
Lynn. 2) Lenny Dykstra homered twice in the 1986 Series and 4
times in 1993. 3) Bob Gibson won 7 games over the ”64, ”67,
and ”68 Series.
Blurb on Pirates great Honus Wagner, from the Sporting News,
1959.
“As a player and National League batting champion, Wagner
was reticent with members of the press and objected to giving
interviews. Harry Cross, former baseball writer of the New York
Times, once called on Wagner at the New York hotel where the
Pirates were stopping, saying he wanted an interview. It was a
hot summer day, and Honus greeted his visitor dressed in a pair
of trunks. He led the way to his bathtub, which was filled with
cracked ice and bottles of beer. ”Drink all the beer you like,” said
Honus, ”but no interview.””
You”re reading…Bar Chat. Next one, Monday. What”s wrong
with Minnesota?
