It seems that 3 is a lucky number for some. There is the all too often used phrase that "third time's a charm". If you were a fan of 70s/80s reruns as a kid, like I was, then you probably thought Three's Company was one of the best shows on TV. I mean who couldn't resist laughing at Norman Fell's face when he did his smirky Mr. Roper glances at the camera? Then there are some who embody the very number. Babe Ruth was the first man to make fans associate a player's number with the player himself. But there is another number "3" who just passed away the other day, who was just as endearing to his fanbase as any guy in NY.
I'm speaking of the late Harmon Killebrew, who passed away on May 17th at his home in Scottsdale, AZ. "Killer" as his teammates called him, was anything but the maniacal personality that his nickname perceived him to be. According to every quote I've read from people who knew the man personally, he was about the most humble and nicest individual the game has ever known. It was his time at the plate that earned him the fear and awe of his compatriots, for during the 1960s there was no greater power hitter in the game of baseball.
In that decade, he hit a stunning 393 homeruns, which is more than Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks, or Willie McCovey. He is also tied with Ruth for the most 40+ homerun seasons with 8. He was so revered for his talents by the game of baseball, that it was his silhouette that inspired the official MLB logo. While he was not a particularly adept fielder at any of the positions he played (1B, 3B or OF), he was not in the lineup to win Gold Gloves. He was there for one purpose, and that was to hit the ball as far as he could. From his rookie campaign in 1959 with the Washington Senators, when he hit 42 bombs, to when the team moved to Minnesota and became the Twins, Killebrew was known for his tape measure shots.
His homeruns were so legendary, that one of his blasts is still commemorated today at the Mall of American in Minneapolis. The mall is built on the site of the old Metropolitan Stadium that stood from 1956 until 1981. There is a plague on the floor of the now amusement park section of the mall, that stands exactly where home plate was. However, there is also a red chair that is hung high up on the wall about 522 foot away, which celebrates the monstrous blast Killebrew hit on June 3, 1967. That homerun was so originally miscalculated that according to a Yahoo.com article, "the Twins were compelled to contact a physics professor to calculate the true distance. An interesting Pioneer Press story from 2006 notes that the distance chart created by that professor is still used by the Twins to estimate the length of today's home runs."
Killebrew spent all but one season of his 22-year long career with the Senators/Twins franchise, retiring after one final year with the Kansas City Royals. He was never a great average hitter, but as the man himself said, "I found out early in life that I could hit a baseball farther than most players, and that's what I tried to do." His prowess with the stick will be long remembered, even though the mortal flesh is gone. Harmon Killebrew was the kind of man that you found in old movies, the stand-up, modest, hard worker who got the job done, even if it wasn't the prettiest way sometimes. He will be sorely missed.
What a better way to celebrate the man, though, then with the current offensive outputs that suddenly has enveloped the baseball world. For a month and a half, no player had hit three homeruns in a game. Then, Carlos Beltran smacks three on May 12th while visiting the Rockies. Blam!, Jose Bautista hits three of his own, three days later. Then on May 19th, Jason Giambi hits three against the Phillies. Not only have individual players been tearing the leather off the ball, but check out some of these blowout scores.
On May 16th, the Cleveland Indians beat up on the Royals 19-1, and hit only one homer in the process. Poor Vin Mazzaro had to come in for 2.1 innings of relief in the third, and gave up 14 runs. He took one for the team, and then was sent down the next day for his troubles. The very next day, the Oakland Athletics shutdown the Los Angeles Angels in a 14-0 blow out. And speaking of blow outs, have you seen A's outfielder Coco Crisp's afro lately? It's wonderful, and can barely be contained under his hat. It goes perfectly with the updated/retro yellow jerseys the Athletics are sporting this year. It's nice to see some style come back into the league. Now if we could just get half of the National League teams to get rid of all the red in their colors...., but I digress.
Anyway, it seems a fitting tribute to the man who was known for his hitting power, that the league was going through an offensive resurgence during his last few days. I hope that he got a chance to watch a little and smile before going off to the great unknown. I'm sure wherever he is, he's still signing autographs.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Feats of Strength
Strength comes in many forms. It takes a strong man to hit a homerun off a ball just a foot from the ground, yet not only did Troy Tulowitzki do this in a game I was watching early in the season, but Vladimir Guerrero and Roberto Clemente made careers out of it. It also takes a strong man to admit when he's made mistakes and take responsibility for them, as umpire Jim Joyce did with his blown call during Armando Gallaraga's perfect game, and Brooks Conrad did after muffing three errors in a Braves playoff game. On the other hand, to overcome a devastating loss requires a different type of strength entirely.
I'm not referring to a loss on the field, but one of the heart and mind. The tragic death of young Angels' pitcher Nick Adenhart rekindles when speaking of such a situation. The loss of this young man due to a drunk driver scarred the team he played for and everyone associated with it. It took strength of character from his teammates, the coaches, and his family and friends to band together and not only remember the fine young man, but to honor him appropriately. It's tough for grown men and women to overcome these tremendous emotional blows, but for a teenager it can be nearly impossible.
Just don't tell that to young Jaydin Goldenstein of the Holyoke High School baseball team. In a Yahoo.com article from Cameron Smith, the story is told of how "After a year of estrangement from his mother, a drug addict who spent significant time in jail and a halfway house, Goldenstein sat by her bedside as she died." A tragic event that could easily have sidelined any normal person for the season, and possibly from baseball forever. But Goldenstein proved he was made of sterner stuff, when just two days later he performed the near unthinkable. In the midst of a double-header against Wray High School, and with the Lower Platte league title up for grabs, Jaydin started the day by throwing a no-hitter, and then in the second game hit 4 home runs. It was a day of such incredible achievement on the baseball field, that I doubt it will ever be equaled in history.
Not only did this young man accomplish the near impossible on the diamond, but according to the original article in The Denver Post by Benjamin Hochman, "He plays football, basketball, baseball and a mean guitar. And there he was onstage this winter, stealing scenes as Hugo Peabody, Kim's steady, in "Bye Bye Birdie."' A theater guy, too? This kid is freaking incredible! And it might just be due to his adversity as a young boy dealing with his parents' horrendous divorce and a drug-addict mother, that instilled in him the drive to succeed at such a high level. Proof positive against the idea that shielding someone (especially children) from harm, embarrassment, or unpleasantness in general somehow makes them a stronger person.
This is certainly not a comparison, but it brings to mind the ordeal that Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo had to go through this past winter. According to South Korean's mandatory military service protocol, all men have to serve in the military before the age of 30. However, by being a part of the South Korean National Team, and winning gold in the Asian Games last November, Choo was able to bypass his military service, and continue playing the game he loves for the Indians. Choo didn't glide by on the efforts of his teammates either. Choo stepped up to meet the challenge, and over the course of the event Choo went 8-14, with three homers, eight runs, and 11 runs batted in. In the final game to win gold, he went 2-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. I think that man wanted to win.
In this world where the term hero is thrown around more than beanbags at a Philadelphia tailgating party, these types of performances are worthy of being called heroic. It doesn't mean the men and women who accomplish them are heroes, though. It simply means what Webster's Dictionary refers to as "any person admired for noble qualities or special achievements." In my opinion, the term 'hero' should still be reserved for the precious few who go above and beyond special achievements and who do the near impossible. Like the firefighter who runs into a burning building. The men and women who stand up for what's right, no matter the personal cost, like in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria. Or maybe the soldiers of Navy Seal Team 6 who took down an enemy of man kind when the potential risks and personal toll were at the utmost highest.
Whatever your opinion of what makes a hero, it's nice to be reminded that they still exist. Whether they are changing the world for the better, or just reminding people in a small town in Colorado that it's possible to overcome personal tragic with grace and strength. While it's somewhat contradictory, Jaydin Goldenstein is not a hero, he just performed a heroic act. He is the face of a generation that has grown up with tragedy, but might just be the better for it. I applaud his efforts, as I'm sure my readership will, too. Let's hope that there are a lot more Jaydin Goldensteins out there.
I'm not referring to a loss on the field, but one of the heart and mind. The tragic death of young Angels' pitcher Nick Adenhart rekindles when speaking of such a situation. The loss of this young man due to a drunk driver scarred the team he played for and everyone associated with it. It took strength of character from his teammates, the coaches, and his family and friends to band together and not only remember the fine young man, but to honor him appropriately. It's tough for grown men and women to overcome these tremendous emotional blows, but for a teenager it can be nearly impossible.
Just don't tell that to young Jaydin Goldenstein of the Holyoke High School baseball team. In a Yahoo.com article from Cameron Smith, the story is told of how "After a year of estrangement from his mother, a drug addict who spent significant time in jail and a halfway house, Goldenstein sat by her bedside as she died." A tragic event that could easily have sidelined any normal person for the season, and possibly from baseball forever. But Goldenstein proved he was made of sterner stuff, when just two days later he performed the near unthinkable. In the midst of a double-header against Wray High School, and with the Lower Platte league title up for grabs, Jaydin started the day by throwing a no-hitter, and then in the second game hit 4 home runs. It was a day of such incredible achievement on the baseball field, that I doubt it will ever be equaled in history.
Not only did this young man accomplish the near impossible on the diamond, but according to the original article in The Denver Post by Benjamin Hochman, "He plays football, basketball, baseball and a mean guitar. And there he was onstage this winter, stealing scenes as Hugo Peabody, Kim's steady, in "Bye Bye Birdie."' A theater guy, too? This kid is freaking incredible! And it might just be due to his adversity as a young boy dealing with his parents' horrendous divorce and a drug-addict mother, that instilled in him the drive to succeed at such a high level. Proof positive against the idea that shielding someone (especially children) from harm, embarrassment, or unpleasantness in general somehow makes them a stronger person.
This is certainly not a comparison, but it brings to mind the ordeal that Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo had to go through this past winter. According to South Korean's mandatory military service protocol, all men have to serve in the military before the age of 30. However, by being a part of the South Korean National Team, and winning gold in the Asian Games last November, Choo was able to bypass his military service, and continue playing the game he loves for the Indians. Choo didn't glide by on the efforts of his teammates either. Choo stepped up to meet the challenge, and over the course of the event Choo went 8-14, with three homers, eight runs, and 11 runs batted in. In the final game to win gold, he went 2-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. I think that man wanted to win.
In this world where the term hero is thrown around more than beanbags at a Philadelphia tailgating party, these types of performances are worthy of being called heroic. It doesn't mean the men and women who accomplish them are heroes, though. It simply means what Webster's Dictionary refers to as "any person admired for noble qualities or special achievements." In my opinion, the term 'hero' should still be reserved for the precious few who go above and beyond special achievements and who do the near impossible. Like the firefighter who runs into a burning building. The men and women who stand up for what's right, no matter the personal cost, like in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria. Or maybe the soldiers of Navy Seal Team 6 who took down an enemy of man kind when the potential risks and personal toll were at the utmost highest.
Whatever your opinion of what makes a hero, it's nice to be reminded that they still exist. Whether they are changing the world for the better, or just reminding people in a small town in Colorado that it's possible to overcome personal tragic with grace and strength. While it's somewhat contradictory, Jaydin Goldenstein is not a hero, he just performed a heroic act. He is the face of a generation that has grown up with tragedy, but might just be the better for it. I applaud his efforts, as I'm sure my readership will, too. Let's hope that there are a lot more Jaydin Goldensteins out there.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The Reviews Are In
"What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports is a-going on here?!" The title to this post is fitting in two ways. First, it is a phrase usually regarded for theater reviews, and theater has been one of the biggest distractions for me in the past two weeks. Second, it is fitting because of what I plan to do in this post, which is review the major events of the past few weeks. So sit back and relax and we're going to take a little jot around the world of competitive baseball. It will help if you read the following as the announcer to a 1960s era sports show. Enjoy.
To begin our travels around baseball, we'll first step in the American League, where we find the New York Yankees, surprise surprise, atop the eastern division. But what is this? The Rays of Tampa Bay have come storming back from a horrendous 1-8 start, to win 20 of their last 25 games! As the great Yankees player/commentator Phil Rizzuto was known for saying, "Holy Cow!" Helping spawn this renaissance is the little outfielder Sam Fuld, who seemed to do everything right for the team since Manny Ramirez left for greener pastures. Them Damn Yankees still sit on top of the division with a slightly higher winning percentage, but watch out for those Rays!
Meanwhile, in the heartland of America, the Cleveland Indians have been hooting and hollering their way to victory night after night. The 26-year-old sensation Justin Masterson still hasn't lost a game for his squadron, and Josh Tomlin has been looking pretty swell, too. Mr. Grady Sizemore seems to finally be healthy, as he has five dingers already for the season, and shows no signs of that gosh darn knee injury acting up. Those pesky Kansas City Royals are still knocking on the back door, and have just called up their highly-touted phenom at first, Eric Hosmer. The offenses for the Tigers and White Sox have been feast or famine, though lately the two teams have been gorging on their opponents. Sweeping the Central's cellar are the Minnesota Twins who can't seem to hit, field or pitch, leading the formerly mustachioed Carl Pavano to take a 30-ouncer to some equipment in the dugout. I'm glad it's not coming out of my paycheck. (Wha, wha!)
Leading in the West are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are hitting despite the fact they are still missing Kendrys Morales due to his 2010 leg injury, and now might be without the costly Vernon Wells for a spell. The dynamic pitching staff has kept the team apace, and in front of the division rival Oakland Athletics. The Athletics have some fantastic arms of their own, especially Mr. Trevor Cahill who's allowed more than 1 earned run merely once this year. Wow, that is something! The defending champion Texas Rangers are still missing their MVP Josh Hamilton, but fret not fellas, he's due back in just a couple more weeks.
We journey now to the Senior Circuit where the Colorado Rockies are leading the National League West with a record of 19-14. The Rockies have had some hard times with their certified ace Ubaldo Jimenez having trouble regaining his form since an injury to his cuticle. The outstanding combination of Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez hasn't quite caught fire yet, but rest assured sports fans that when it does, the rest of the West will be looking for a hole to crawl in. Hoping that doesn't happen are the defending World Series Champions, who are holding their own against their compatriots. The San Francisco Giants have kept up with every other team while scoring the third-least amount of runs in baseball. Look for general management to put together a deal or two by mid-season to make this Giant lineup even more imposing. Get it, imposin...? Whatever.
Lance Berkman of old has come out of hiding for the Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals this season. The man affectionately known around the clubhouse as Big Puma, or Fat Elvis as some like, has been an absolute tour de force for his new baseball club. His return to prominence, in addition to Matt Holliday's scorching bat, has aided the Cardinals in overcoming the loss of their number one pitcher earlier in Spring Training. When the perennial All-Star Albert Pujols comes around to playing his pinnacle style of play, this team could end up showing opponents stars come July 4th. The Cincinnati Reds might have something to say about that, if their starting rotation can come to form. And look here, what's this?! The Pittsburgh Pirates are saying they are done with being below deck, and want to come up for a breath of fresh air. These young scalawags have proven they have some fight in them for the long haul.
In Philadelphia, the team known as the Phillies are continuing their dominance of the National League even without stalwart players like Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge, and Chase Utley. Utley begins a rehabilitation assignment tonight, and Roy Oswalt will be returning to the team once he takes care of family matters due to the tornadoes down in Dixieland. This team will be a fearsome titan if these bold men can return healthy for their club. Even with the best record in baseball in hand, this division is not quite won for Philadelphia yet. The Florida Marlins are reeling themselves in, and the Atlanta Braves are within scalping distance. Meanwhile the lowly Metropolitans are as streaky as a glass coffee table.
There's specific news to report as well, as the Minnesota Twins did have a glimmer of happiness as Mr. Francisco Liriano pitched a no-hit game on May 3 versus the Chicago White Sox. Liriano pitched a heck of a game and despite the six walks he allowed, deserved the jubilation and congratulations of his fellow teammates as they celebrated the victory. It is but a small matter that after Liriano's previous outing, one owner in the fantasy baseball universe decided to drop said pitcher due to his 9.13 ERA. I suppose that owner never would have thought that for the first time since the 1920s, a pitcher would decide to throw a no-hitter after being so damn horrible that he made the owner pull his freaking hair out! And then he throws a freaking no-hitter! What the.... But I digress sports fans!
Liriano wasn't the only one who thought May was the perfect time for picking flowers and throwing no-nos. Justin Verlander did even better on May 7th up in the faraway land of Canada. Versus the Toronto Blue Jays, which one can only assume is a bird native to that area, Justin was masterful, and was just one walk away from pitching a perfect game. But perfection is a cruel mistress, and Verlander had to settle for collecting his second no-hit game in his career. Congratulations are in order for both men!
Well, I hope you enjoyed me being silly for just a minute or two. I promise I'll be back with some more posts soon. Until next time, keep your eyes on the ball sports fans.
To begin our travels around baseball, we'll first step in the American League, where we find the New York Yankees, surprise surprise, atop the eastern division. But what is this? The Rays of Tampa Bay have come storming back from a horrendous 1-8 start, to win 20 of their last 25 games! As the great Yankees player/commentator Phil Rizzuto was known for saying, "Holy Cow!" Helping spawn this renaissance is the little outfielder Sam Fuld, who seemed to do everything right for the team since Manny Ramirez left for greener pastures. Them Damn Yankees still sit on top of the division with a slightly higher winning percentage, but watch out for those Rays!
Meanwhile, in the heartland of America, the Cleveland Indians have been hooting and hollering their way to victory night after night. The 26-year-old sensation Justin Masterson still hasn't lost a game for his squadron, and Josh Tomlin has been looking pretty swell, too. Mr. Grady Sizemore seems to finally be healthy, as he has five dingers already for the season, and shows no signs of that gosh darn knee injury acting up. Those pesky Kansas City Royals are still knocking on the back door, and have just called up their highly-touted phenom at first, Eric Hosmer. The offenses for the Tigers and White Sox have been feast or famine, though lately the two teams have been gorging on their opponents. Sweeping the Central's cellar are the Minnesota Twins who can't seem to hit, field or pitch, leading the formerly mustachioed Carl Pavano to take a 30-ouncer to some equipment in the dugout. I'm glad it's not coming out of my paycheck. (Wha, wha!)
Leading in the West are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are hitting despite the fact they are still missing Kendrys Morales due to his 2010 leg injury, and now might be without the costly Vernon Wells for a spell. The dynamic pitching staff has kept the team apace, and in front of the division rival Oakland Athletics. The Athletics have some fantastic arms of their own, especially Mr. Trevor Cahill who's allowed more than 1 earned run merely once this year. Wow, that is something! The defending champion Texas Rangers are still missing their MVP Josh Hamilton, but fret not fellas, he's due back in just a couple more weeks.
We journey now to the Senior Circuit where the Colorado Rockies are leading the National League West with a record of 19-14. The Rockies have had some hard times with their certified ace Ubaldo Jimenez having trouble regaining his form since an injury to his cuticle. The outstanding combination of Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez hasn't quite caught fire yet, but rest assured sports fans that when it does, the rest of the West will be looking for a hole to crawl in. Hoping that doesn't happen are the defending World Series Champions, who are holding their own against their compatriots. The San Francisco Giants have kept up with every other team while scoring the third-least amount of runs in baseball. Look for general management to put together a deal or two by mid-season to make this Giant lineup even more imposing. Get it, imposin...? Whatever.
Lance Berkman of old has come out of hiding for the Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals this season. The man affectionately known around the clubhouse as Big Puma, or Fat Elvis as some like, has been an absolute tour de force for his new baseball club. His return to prominence, in addition to Matt Holliday's scorching bat, has aided the Cardinals in overcoming the loss of their number one pitcher earlier in Spring Training. When the perennial All-Star Albert Pujols comes around to playing his pinnacle style of play, this team could end up showing opponents stars come July 4th. The Cincinnati Reds might have something to say about that, if their starting rotation can come to form. And look here, what's this?! The Pittsburgh Pirates are saying they are done with being below deck, and want to come up for a breath of fresh air. These young scalawags have proven they have some fight in them for the long haul.
In Philadelphia, the team known as the Phillies are continuing their dominance of the National League even without stalwart players like Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge, and Chase Utley. Utley begins a rehabilitation assignment tonight, and Roy Oswalt will be returning to the team once he takes care of family matters due to the tornadoes down in Dixieland. This team will be a fearsome titan if these bold men can return healthy for their club. Even with the best record in baseball in hand, this division is not quite won for Philadelphia yet. The Florida Marlins are reeling themselves in, and the Atlanta Braves are within scalping distance. Meanwhile the lowly Metropolitans are as streaky as a glass coffee table.
There's specific news to report as well, as the Minnesota Twins did have a glimmer of happiness as Mr. Francisco Liriano pitched a no-hit game on May 3 versus the Chicago White Sox. Liriano pitched a heck of a game and despite the six walks he allowed, deserved the jubilation and congratulations of his fellow teammates as they celebrated the victory. It is but a small matter that after Liriano's previous outing, one owner in the fantasy baseball universe decided to drop said pitcher due to his 9.13 ERA. I suppose that owner never would have thought that for the first time since the 1920s, a pitcher would decide to throw a no-hitter after being so damn horrible that he made the owner pull his freaking hair out! And then he throws a freaking no-hitter! What the.... But I digress sports fans!
Liriano wasn't the only one who thought May was the perfect time for picking flowers and throwing no-nos. Justin Verlander did even better on May 7th up in the faraway land of Canada. Versus the Toronto Blue Jays, which one can only assume is a bird native to that area, Justin was masterful, and was just one walk away from pitching a perfect game. But perfection is a cruel mistress, and Verlander had to settle for collecting his second no-hit game in his career. Congratulations are in order for both men!
Well, I hope you enjoyed me being silly for just a minute or two. I promise I'll be back with some more posts soon. Until next time, keep your eyes on the ball sports fans.
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