*All of my quizzes are homemade, but for this one, if you
devoured the Sunday New York Times sports page, you have a
head start.
NBA Franchise Moves: 1) With the Vancouver Grizzlies
moving to Memphis, name the last 3 moves prior to this one. 2)
What NBA franchise moved in 1968? Answers below.
[Following is the first in a series of 6 or 7 pieces on baseball
history that we will be running over the next few weeks.]
Johnny Mac”s Baseball Chat
Recently, I was able to take advantage (on television anyway) of
one of life”s simpler yet increasingly rare pleasures.a mid-week
afternoon ballgame. Two, in fact. The Mets were at Wrigley,
the sun was bright, the games were close, balls were being hit
onto Waveland Avenue, the bleacher bums looked sufficiently
over-served. All was right with the world. The Cubbies are
having a wonderful year, so the discussion in the booth
occasionally focused on their near century long wait for a
World”s Championship. It seems that whenever the discussion
turns to “long-suffering” fans, the teams invariably mentioned
are the Cubs and the Red Sox. While it is true that they have
gone pretty long without winning it all, I could think of worse
things in life than being a Cubs or a Red Sox fan. Both teams are
steeped in history and tradition, with wonderful players through
the years and great old parks. I would like to take a look at that
history, and then point out a few franchises whose fans have had
it much worse.
The Cubs trace their lineage back to the very beginning of the
National League in 1876. Just for some historical perspective,
Rutherford B. Hayes won the election that year. They were
known as the White Stockings at the time and featured
undoubtedly the greatest player of the 19th century, Cap Anson.
He started in the old National Association in 1871 and played
regularly until 1897…27 seasons. This was at a time when
players rarely lasted into their thirties. The money wasn”t great,
so players put in a few years and then went off to find real jobs.
Also, they were more susceptible to injury and disease and
certainly didn”t have the advantage of anything resembling
modern medicine. Thus, for Anson to play until age 45 was
really remarkable. He was also the player / manager from 1879
through 1897. Some recent articles and books have been unkind
to Anson, painting him as a racist who had a hand in banning
blacks from baseball. I can”t refute or support these allegations,
but they wouldn”t shock me if true. Nevertheless, he was a hell
of a ballplayer. He was so loved in Chicago that when he left the
team in 1897 they changed the moniker to the Orphans, until
they became the Cubs in 1903.
Albert Spaldinng, who later saw some potential in sporting
goods, managed the original team. They were successful early
on, winning six pennants from 1876 through 1886, and they had
some interesting players, like 300+ game winner John Clarkson
and outfielder Billy Sunday, who went on to become a famous
evangelist. The Cubs then fell on hard times in the 1890s but put
together one of the great teams in history early in the next
century. From 1906 through 1910 they went 116-36, 107-45, 99-
55, 104-49, and 104-50, winning 4 pennants and 2 World Series
titles over that span. That was the Tinker to Evers to Chance
team, but it was the pitching that carried them.
Check out some of these stats from the 1906 squad, which
inexplicably lost the series to the cross-town White Sox (the
famous “hitless wonders”). Hall-of-Famer Mordecai “Three
Fingered” Brown…26-6, 1.04 ERA…Jack Pfiester…20-8,
1.51…Ed Reulbach…19-4, 1.65…Carl Lundgren…17-6,
2.21…Jack Taylor…12-3, 1.83…and Orval Overall…12-3, 1.88.
Brown was some pitcher, getting started late (27) due to his
physical problems, but when he mastered that three-fingered
curve, he was unstoppable. He often matched up with Christy
Mathewson, more than holding his own against the great Matty.
Reulbach had a career similar to Koufax.short but extremely
effective. He only had about 8 good years, but ended up 182-106
with a miniscule 2.28 ERA.
Taylor was an ironman even for that era. He once started and
completed 187 straight games. Re-read that…187 straight.
Incredible.
The Cubs won the series in ”07 and ”08 and a pennant in ”10.
That 1908 victory would prove to be their last to date. They
were basically middle of the pack after that run, but did managed
a pennant in 1918, losing to the Red Sox (coincidentally, that
was the Red Sox last championship). That team featured Hippo
Vaughn on the mound and Fred Merkle (of “Merkle”s Boner”
fame) at first. For the unfamiliar, that refers to a base running
mistake, not, well, you know.
The Cubs later made a great decision in 1926, hiring Joe
McCarthy to manage the team. They immediately began to
contend, behind the play of catcher Gabby Hartnett and
outfielder Hack Wilson and the pitching of Charlie Root (off
whom Babe Ruth supposedly called his shot in the 1932 Series).
They also picked up Kiki Cuyler and Rogers Hornsby and went
on to win the pennant in 1929. Unfortunately, they ran into a
great Athletics team (Foxx, Cochrane, Simmons, Grove) and lost
4 games to 1.
The next year Hornsby, in the waning years of his career, lobbied
to manage the team and he was accommodated. McCarthy was
let go and the Yankees wisely signed him. In New York, he
would go on to manage 7 World Series winners, including twice
beating the Cubs (1932 and 1938.the ”38 Yanks were
awesome, maybe the best team ever). Meanwhile, the Cubs
realized Hornsby wasn”t the answer and hired a good baseball
man in Charlie Grimm. He led them to 3 pennants in 7 years
(”32, ”35 and ”38), although all ended in defeat. Great young
players like Billy Herman, Stan Hack and Phil Cavaretta
anchored the team for years to come. They next won the pennant
in 1945, but lost a 7-game series to the Tigers. Hank Borowy,
picked up from the Yankees in mid-season, was the surprise
starter in Game One for Chicago and threw a shutout.
Unfortunately, he then got lit up in Game 7 and Detroit, behind
Hal Newhouser, Dizzy Trout and Hank Greenberg, prevailed.
Now the hard times set in. The Cubs consistently finished at or
near the bottom for years to come. In fact, they had only one
winning record in the next 22 seasons, and that was only 82-80,
good for seventh place. They wasted the best years of perhaps
the greatest Cub of them all, Ernie Banks.
Banks managed to win back-to-back MVP”s for teams that
finished 6th out of 8. They had the insanity to trade Lou Brock
for Ernie Broglio.Brock went on to the Hall.Ernie went 7-19
in three meaningless seasons. Nevertheless, they managed to
assemble a decent club under fiery Leo Durocher and contended
from 1967 through 1972. But they never did get over the hump,
losing a famous race to the Miracle Mets in 1969. That team
featured some excellent players.Billy Williams, Ron Santo,
Glenn Beckert, Don Kessinger, Randy Hundley and Fergie
Jenkins.
The Cubs didn”t manage a winning campaign from ”73 thru ”83,
despite developing a decent amount of talent. Rick Reuschel,
Burt Hooton, Larry Gura, Bill Madlock, Manny Trillo, Bruce
Sutter, Donnie Moore, Willie Hernandez, and Lee Smith all were
Cubs and all eventually went elsewhere in failed trades. They
had that magical year in 1984, behind Ryne Sandberg and Rick
Sutcliffe. But having taking a seemingly insurmountable 2-0
lead in the best of five play-off against the Padres, they
proceeded to lose three straight.
The Cubbies then stumbled along for a few years before putting
together a young, talented bunch that won the East in 1989.
Forget that they then got hammered 4-1 by the Giants and Will
Clark (he of the .650 batting average). This team looked perched
to contend for years. They had Gregg Maddux (19-12), Mark
Grace, Shawon Dunston, Mitch Williams (36 saves), Jerome
Walton (the rookie of the year) and Dwight Smith (who hit
.324).all 26 or younger.and Ryne Sandberg was just 29 and in
his prime. Unfortunately, it just never worked out. Dunston
never fulfilled his immense promise, Maddux left for greener
pastures, Walton and Smith never reproduced those stats again,
Williams was traded after 1990 and Sandberg took early
retirement.
Mark Grace hung in there, and the addition of Sammy Sosa did
help them to the wild-card in 1998. But while two last place
finishes followed that mild success, they appear ready today,
having assembled some pitching. Don Baylor is a first class guy
and he can still whip anybody on the roster. Maybe this year,
huh Cubbies? But watch out, I can guarantee a certain junior
Senator from New York will be back as your biggest fan.
Chicago has one long and storied history. And they have
Wrigley Field and more day baseball than anyone. Add it up and
being a Cubs fan is not all bad. On Wednesday, we take a look
at the Red Sox.
Stuff
–I”ve never understood people who don”t like sports. Case in
point, the Western Open. Forget that as a Wake Forest alum, the
editor is partial to Wake Forest golfers. What us golf fans
witnessed onSunday was easily the best head-to-head matchup in
years (yes, as good, if not better, than Woods vs. May). Demon
Deac Scott Hoch against Davis Love, with Hoch prevailing.
I”ll never forget the now infamous Golf Digest poll of PGA players
which ranked Hoch the most despised player on tour. And as
commentator / college teammate Curtis Strange said, Hoch can be
a real pain in the ass. But it”s also great to see a pro come
through in the clutch like he has these past few months. Consider
this…at age 45 he has now finished in the top 16 nine straight
tournaments. That”s simply awesome. If you can find a better
stretch by a player that age, please pass it along. And the Western
Open is no cakewalk. So Scott, you have received a lot of s—
over the years, perhaps some of it deserved. And forever, fans will
remember the putt at the Masters. But what you are doing today
is amazing. Congratulations and GO DEACS!!!
–Well, by now you probably all heard about the latest shark
attack in Florida, near Pensacola. Thankfully, the 8-year-old boy
who lost his arm (since reattached) to a 7-foot bull shark will be
OK. But think about the boy”s father wrestling the shark to shore
where the animal could be shot to death, thus enabling rescuers
to reach in and get the arm?! His adrenalin level must have been
off the charts.
When kids are hurt in these animal attacks, we try to employ
some sensitivity here. But I do have to say that the anonymous
(by choice) father is clearly a deserving member of the Bar Chat
Hall of Fame. [The boy”s arm is expected to grow to normal size
but it is too early to tell what kind of range of motion he will
have.] And remember, folks, the worst time to go swimming in
Florida (where 40% of the world”s reported attacks are occurring
these days) is at dawn or dusk, when the murky water makes it
difficult for the shark to distinguish his normal prey from a
human.
–Lawrence Strouts of Wilsey, KS, gets a mention here because
he is the cap king. Strouts started collecting caps about 25 years
ago and now has over 2,500. According to The High Plains
Journal, whenever he buys something, he asks for a promotional
cap. And if there is a warranty card, he asks for a hat. 2 of 3
respond with one. Parents, this may be a good summer activity
for your children. Then instead of selling lemonade, they can set
up cap stands. Be careful, however, not to run afoul of local
sales tax rules.
–Michigan State decided it was good idea to have an outdoor
hockey game against Michigan this coming October 6. They
started selling tickets for $10 and $18 on June 25. Saturday, they
suspended sales after 61,000 were sold!!! Spartan Stadium holds
72,000 and the difference is being held in reserve for students.
Yes, this will be the largest crowd ever for an outdoor hockey
game. What a brilliant idea. Quaff an ale to the folks in the
MSU athletic department.
–Boy, I”m bothered by the fact that Fred McGriff has 432 career
homers. Please don”t stick around long enough to hit 500, Fred.
I mean, Fred McGriff among baseball”s slugging elite? C”mon.
–25 homers and 79 ribbies, along with a .365 batting average,
thru Sunday. What a season! Those are the stats for one Lance
Berkman of the Astros. I bet two percent of Americans are
aware of this. Hell, I just became aware of it!
–And congratulations to Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Saturday night”s
performance at Daytona. For us NASCAR fans, that was one of
the most exciting finishes, ever. And kudos to NBC. I”m sure
I”m not the only one who wishes more of the races were at night.
Top 3 songs for the week of 7/7/62: #1 “The Stripper” (David
Rose) #2 “Roses Are Red” (Bobby Vinton) #3 “I Can”t Stop
Loving You” (Ray Charles).
NBA Franchise Moves Answer: 1) Last 3: 1985 – K.C. Kings
moved to Sacramento. 1984 – San Diego Clippers move to Los
Angeles. 1979 – New Orleans Jazz move to Utah. [”78 Buffalo
Braves became the S.D. Clippers. ”77 New York Nets became
New Jersey Nets.] 2) In 1968 the St. Louis Hawks moved to
Atlanta.
Next Bar Chat, Wednesday. Fishing records…and more
baseball.
