Category Archives: Philadelphia Phillies

There’s a new kid on the block, the result of a terrific website that literally outgrew itself. Jam-packed with over 400 audio clips and several thousand photo’s its popularity as an online baseball library continues to grow.

“Sounds of Baseball” is the dream of Steve Contursi, a teacher and non-apologetic baseball aficionado from Catskill, New York, and is the culmination of years of work on an archaic system of programming known as “coding”. It involved the ideas around what it could, should, and would be, and eventually ended up as an informative website that was like no other.

Most of the data on the website could be found somewhere else in the blogosphere, but it would have been a real challenge to find a website that contained all of this specific type of data in the same place.

This was and this is exactly what he did. Over time and with much patience, “Sounds” reached the level of top-rated baseball websites by the top search engines.

However, change was occurring fast in the internet world and with that came many challenges. A call was put out to the baseball community for someone to help with a transition to a more user-friendly website.

Along came Ronni Redmond of Santa Cruz, CA, a baseball blogger with a small amount of baseball knowledge, and not a lot of computer experience. But she wrote a decent blog, had an insatiable appetite for anything baseball and lots of chutzpah and opinions.

This is the new “Sounds of Baseball”. Its foundation is the original “Sounds” with a few little ditties thrown in and published in a Word Press format that’s much easier to maintain. The Site will be evolving as new material becomes available. Goodbye to coding and hello to the formation of an unlikely pairing of a fan of the New York Yankees and a fan of the SF Giants and all teams in-between.

We hope you’ll visit the site. So please grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and turn up the volume.

This one’s for you!

“SOUNDSOFBASEBALL.COM“

Sounds of Baseball, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Corporation.

T

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Posted in A1 Baseball, A2 Ballparks, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, baseball dress, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, General, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mets baseballs, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, NY Mets baseball dress, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

Tagged baseball audio clips, baseball photos, catskill ny, harry carey, joe diaggio, lou gehrig, lou pinella, ronni redmond, santa cruz ca, steve contursi, TED WILLIAMS

Veterans Day and Every Day ….. Thank You!

Posted on November 11, 2014 | Leave a comment

Note: This is a re-post of my 2014 Veteran’s Day Blog.

Arlington National Cemetery

“But the mainstay of the big leagues was the reservoir of 4-Fs – males of draft age who had been rejected on physical grounds by the Armed Forces. Not since harem attendants had gone out of style were men’s physical deficiencies so highly prized. Ulcers, hearing defects, and torn cartilages were coveted by team owners.” – Frank Graham, Jr. in Farewell to Heroes (1981)

This and the following list of Hall of Fame Members Courtesy of Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Hall of Fame Members who Served in the Armed Forces.


The Civil War
Morgan Bulkeley	United States Army
World War I
Grover Alexander	United States Army
Happy Chandler	United States Army Continue reading →

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Posted in A1 Baseball, General, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

Tagged Arlington National Cemetery, MLB Veterans, United States, United States Army, United States Navy, Veteran, Veterans Day, Veterans in Baseball

MLB SALARIES ~ DID THEY GET WHAT THEY PAID FOR?

Posted on October 31, 2014 | Leave a comment

Here’s a list of the 2014 salaries for the Major League Baseball teams. You can get a look at the individual player salaries from USA Today’s website. Individual rankings are interesting because you have to look past 65 players to get to the Royal’s top paid player, James Shields at #66. To find the highest paid “active” player on the Giants roster you’ll go to #29 for Tim Lineceum and further down to #89 for Buster Posey. But the real surprise was Madison Bumgarner who’s way down the list at #271. I’ll bet that’s going to change in the near future huh? Of course, you have to look at the total number of years in the individual contracts to see what the actual value is.

So the question is “Did they get what they paid for?” I’d say the Kansas City Royals management is feeling pretty good about themselves right now, ranking #18 out of 30 for highest salaries and still producing the top American League team in the nation.

RANK	TEAM	CURRENT	DIFF	AVG SALARY
1	Dodgers	$241,128,402	$ –	$7,778,335
2	Yankees	$208,830,659	$ –	$8,031,948
3	Phillies	$179,521,056	$ –	$5,791,001
4	Tigers	$163,078,526	$ –	$5,824,233
5	Red Sox	$154,380,395	$ –	$5,717,792
6	Giants	$148,239,158	$ –	$5,490,339
7	Nationals	$134,366,735	$ –	$4,798,811
8	Rangers	$132,491,596	$ –	$4,140,362
9	Blue Jays	$129,427,700	$ –	$4,793,618
10	Angels	$128,046,500	$ –	$4,415,396
11	Reds	$112,378,771	$ –	$3,405,417
12	Diamondbacks	$111,798,833	$ –	$3,726,627
13	Cardinals	$108,020,360	$ –	$3,857,870
14	Orioles	$105,084,121	$ –	$3,389,810
15	Brewers	$102,724,338	$ –	$3,804,605
16	Rockies	$99,579,071	$ –	$3,688,113
17	Braves	$97,855,673	$ –	$3,156,634
18	Royals	$90,481,500	$ –	$3,351,166
19	Padres	$89,881,695	$ –	$2,899,409
20	White Sox	$89,551,982	$ –	$3,316,740
21	Mariners	$89,539,642	$ –	$3,087,573
22	Twins	$84,912,500	$ –	$3,396,500
23	Mets	$84,281,011	$ –	$3,121,518
24	Indians	$82,500,800	$ –	$3,055,585
25	Rays	$82,035,490	$ –	$2,828,810
26	Pirates	$77,845,999	$ –	$2,883,185
27	Athletics	$77,220,900	$ –	$2,490,996
28	Cubs	$74,546,356	$ –	$2,662,369
29	Astros	$44,985,800	$ –	$1,606,635
30	Marlins	$41,836,900	$ –	$1,549,514

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Posted in A1 Baseball, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, General, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

Tagged BUSTER POSEY, james shields, Madison Bumgarner, mlb player salaries, MLB Salaries, mlb team salaries

Name Origins of all 30 Major League Baseball Teams

Posted on September 22, 2014 | Leave a comment

Cincinnati Red Stockings. 1st Professional Baseball Team

Cincinnati Red Stockings Photo Courtesy “www.todayifoundout.com” Daven Hiskey.

I “Stumbled” on this great post that lists the origins of all 30 Major League Baseball Teams. It appears the Boston Red Sox hold the oldest named team dating back to the 1860’s, popularized by the Cincinnati Red Stockings from 1867-1870 and used by Boston’s National League franchise from 1871-1876.

But the actual team name origin that’s with the same team is the San Francisco Giants, formerly the New York Giants, that dates back to 1885.

Read the original Post Stumbleupon.com, written by Scott Allen.

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Posted in A1 Baseball, A1 Baseball, General, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, General, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

Tagged arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, BALTIMORE ORIOLES, baseball name origins, Baseball origins, boston red sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, cincinnati red stockings, Cincinnati Reds, cleveland indians, Colorado Rockies, DETROIT TIGERS, florida marlins, Houston Astros, kansas city royals, los angeles angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, minnesota twins, New York Giants, new york mets, new york yankees, Oakland Athletics, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Scott Allen, seattle mariners, St Louis Cardinals, Stumble, Stumbleupon, tampa bay rays, Texas Rangers, toronto blue jays, washington nationals

2012 MLB Team and Player Salaries

Posted on September 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

2012 All Star Game Photo

Here’s the 2012 update to our 2011 listing published August 27, 2011. This comes to us compliments of USA Today. If you’ll click the individual teams, you can access the individual players salaries. It will be interesting to note the annual salaries of the teams that make the playoffs; in other words, did they get what they paid for? For example; the Washington Nationals have the best record in the Majors this year, but have the 11th Lowest Salary out of 30 Teams. Salary Chart Linked Here

2012 MLB Salaries
TEAM	TOTAL PAYROLL
New York Yankees	$ 197,962,289
Philadelphia Phillies	$ 174,538,938
Boston Red Sox	$ 173,186,617
Los Angeles Angels	$ 154,485,166
Detroit Tigers	$ 132,300,000
Texas Rangers	$ 120,510,974
Miami Marlins	$ 118,078,000
San Francisco Giants	$ 117,620,683
St. Louis Cardinals	$ 110,300,862
Milwaukee Brewers	$ 97,653,944
Chicago White Sox	$ 96,919,500
Los Angeles Dodgers	$ 95,143,575
Minnesota Twins	$ 94,085,000
New York Mets	$ 93,353,983
Chicago Cubs	$ 88,197,033
Atlanta Braves	$ 83,309,942
Cincinnati Reds	$ 82,203,616
Seattle Mariners	$ 81,978,100
Baltimore Orioles	$ 81,428,999
Washington Nationals	$ 81,336,143
Cleveland Indians	$ 78,430,300
Colorado Rockies	$ 78,069,571
Toronto Blue Jays	$ 75,489,200
Arizona Diamondbacks	$ 74,284,833
Tampa Bay Rays	$ 64,173,500
Pittsburgh Pirates	$ 63,431,999
Kansas City Royals	$ 60,916,225
Houston Astros	$ 60,651,000
Oakland Athletics	$ 55,372,500
San Diego Padres	$ 55,244,700

Updated MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Your Favorite Team Stand? (bleacherreport.com)
Low-Salary Rays Show Moneyball Still Works as Yankees Struggle – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
MLB’s Most Disappointing Teams of 2012 (bleacherreport.com)
MLB Pennant Races Heating Up (seatgeek.com)

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Posted in Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

Tagged arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, BALTIMORE ORIOLES, boston red sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, cleveland indians, Colorado Rockies, DETROIT TIGERS, florida marlins, Houston Astros, kansas city royals, los angeles angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, Milwaukie Brewers, minnesota twins, new york mets, new york yankees, Oakland A's, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, seattle mariners, St Louis Cardinals, tampa bay rays, Texas Rangers, toronto blue jays, USA Today, washington nationals

The “D-Train” Has Left the Station. “We Hardly Knew ye D”

Posted on March 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

Dontrelle Willis

I’m really sad this morning to read about Dontrelle Willis being released from yet another team, this time the Philadelphia Phillies. I’ve been following this kid since his 2003 debut with the Florida Marlins. He was just so much fun to watch, with that wild and goofy wind-up he had and always a big smile. I’d never seen anything like it before and probably never will again.

He was dynamite back then! And I wasn’t the only one who was enthralled with the kid. He was named the 2003 National League Rookie of the Year. And that wasn’t all he did in 2003. In game 4 of the 2003 NL Division Series he hit 3 for 3 (one was a triple) and scored a run, this all being done as a “pitcher”, and then beat the socks off my home team, the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins won the 2003 World Series, and I’ll never forget Dontrelle Willis in that series.

Dontrelle Willis & Miguel Cabrera in Detroit

Dontrelle was born and raised in Oakland and raised by his very strong, tough and intelligent mother, Joyce. She was not only a commercial welder, working on such bridges as the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge, but she was also a softball catcher and avid Oakland A’s fan. This was the defining influence on Dontrelle that propelled him all the way to the Major Leagues. His dad bailed out when he was a toddler. I don’t know this, but I think they probably had a pretty tough time during those early years. We know one thing though. He loved his mama!

I’m sorry the “D-Train’s” career has been de-railed again. In December, 2011 the Phillies signed him to a one year million dollar deal with expectations that he’d be a bullpen pitcher. He was released yesterday after just three spring training appearances.

Not so long ago

It’s been a wild and rocky road. Will he be back? I don’t know. But I know one thing. Dontrelle Willis provided me with some of my most memorable baseball experiences and I hope he does come back, though at 40 years old it’s unlikely.

To Dontrelle Willis: Best Wishes. I wish we could have gotten to know you better kid!

Phillies Release Dontrelle Willis (tracking.si.com)
Dontrelle Willis is hurting and “horse(bleep)” (hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)
Dontrelle Willis signs one-year contract with Phillies (hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)

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Posted in A1 Baseball, General, Florida Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants

Tagged 2003 NL Rookie of the Year, 2003 World Series, D-Train, Dontrelle Willis, florida marlins, Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award, Marlins, Oakland Athletics, philadelphia phillies, Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Willis

Best Food at the Ballpark in 2012? ~ You Decide!

Posted on March 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

"Strasburg: Last year's version with butterflied hotdog on top"

I found a great little ditty this morning at the Washington Post. The Nationals are going to highlight special food from the visiting team’s home town each time they play in Washington. I recommend you take advantage of San Francisco’s special food “Garlic Fries” this year, especially since the Giants will be playing at Nationals Park on the 4th of July, and not just because they’re our namesake, but because they’re really, really good!

But for sure you gotta love the special food presented by the Washington Nationals this year, honoring their special pitcher, Stephen Strasburg. I hear it includes 12 pickles, representing the twelve strike-outs the Stras got in his first outing. Great article written by Dan Steinberg, from the Washington Post.

Nationals Park introduces 8-pound ‘StrasBurger’

By Dan Steinberg, Washington Post Posted at 02:06 PM ET, 03/12/2012

The new 8 lb. Strasburger includes fries and a coke! Courtesy "Yardbarker"

(Marvin Joseph – TWP.) As the baseball season approaches, you know what that means on this here blog: lots of updates on the concessions available at Nationals Park.

Our first update concerns the Red Porch, and a brand-new menu item that will get lots of attention from media and fans: The StrasBurger. Via my favorite friends in Nats PR:

Weighing eight pounds total (including toppings), the StrasBurger is a monstrous all beef burger (combination of ground brisket, chuck and short ribs). The burger is served on a large burger bun with our secret sauce, American cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions, pickle chips and served with a cone basket of fresh cut fries and a pitcher of your choice of soft drink. This signature dish is the perfect entrée to share at this affordably-priced family restaurant.

In case you missed the key phrase, this burger WEIGHS EIGHT POUNDS TOTAL, which is a lot of pounds. Even if some of them are onion pounds. Every TV station in this market will have hosts merrily attempting to grapple with the StrasBurger next month. At least, I hope so.The Red Porch will also feature special food and beer pairings that will spotlight area brews, including those from Dogfish Head and Flying Dog. Any time I get to type “Dogfish Head,” I consider that a win.

Also, the Taste of the Majors stand — which has spotlighted a few items from other MLB cities — will now feature a special dish from the city of each visiting opponent while they’re actually in D.C. Those items will all be limited time only offers, obviously. The list:

Atlanta: Smothered Fried Chicken Platter

Baltimore: Pit Beef Sandwich Platter

Arizona: Dog Platter

Chicago: Dog Platter

Cincinnati: 5-Way Cincinnati Chili

Colorado: Mile High Burger

Houston: Houston Nacho

Los Angeles: Dog Platter

Miami: Cuban Dog

Milwaukee: Beer Brat Platter

New York (Mets and Yankees): Coney Dog Platter

Philadelphia: Philly Chicken Cheese Steak Platter

Pittsburgh: Pitts Burger Platter

St. Louis: BBQ Rib Platter

San Diego: Fish Taco Platter

San Francisco: Garlic Fries and Shrimp Platter

Tampa Bay: Salty Dog Platter

Geez, this is all making me hungry! Only 23 Days to Opening Day ~ See you at the ballpark!

Last Night’s Winner: Strasburger Entrepreneurs [Last Night’s Winner] (deadspin.com)
Garlic Fries and Baseball: The Book Review (mlbreports.com)
Baseball Food: The New Culinary Adventure (foodservicewarehouse.com)
MLB: 10 Washington Nationals Questions Going into the Season (bleacherreport.com)

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Posted in A1 Baseball, General, A2 Ballparks, A3 Ballpark Food, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals

Tagged Dan Steinberg, French fries, GARLIC FRIES, Nationals Park, Red Porch, San Francisco, Stephen Strasburg, Strasburger, Strsburg hamburger, Washington National, Washington Post

Baseball’s Top Ten News Items in 2011

Posted on January 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

2011 World Champions St Louis Cardinals

The media’s full of articles and videos of the most newsworthy items about baseball this past year. You might think this would be those articles you and I found the most interesting and representative of baseball throughout the country, but not necessarily so.

I compiled a list from a survey today of the “top 10” from USA Today, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN.

Here’s the results and below that I’ve listed my own personal “Top Ten”. How does your list compare?

TOP TEN FROM SURVEY

St. Louis Cardinals, World Series Champions
Justin Verlander, AL Cy Young and MVP Winner
Game 162 collapse of the Red Sox and Braves.
Game 6 World Series between the Cardinals and Rangers
Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit
Ryan Braun’s Drug Test
Jim Thome’s 600th Home Run
Shannon Stone Fatal Fall at Rangers Stadium
Mariano Rivera all time saves leader
Bryan Stow beating at Dodger Stadium Continue reading →

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Posted in A1 Baseball, General, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals

Tagged American League, Bryan Stow, BUSTER POSEY, Derek Jeter, Jim Thome, Justin Verlander, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, Mariano Rivera, National League, NLDS Game 5, Ryan Braun, scott cousins, Shannon Stone, St Louis Cardinals, Tony LaRussa, Top Ten, World Series

“TOP BASEBALL PLAYERS OF PAST 60 YEARS!” A Mathematical Study.

Posted on November 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

This is the third year we’ve published this study by Dr. Don Davis. It’s one of our most popular blogs and we’re happy to be able to share it again with you. Be sure to link to his website for additional information, changes and criteria he used in compiling his study.

“2011 Baseball Players Mathematical Study, written by Don Davis, Department of Mathematics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA., and printed here with his permission.”

Pos’n	First team	Second team	Third team	Fourth team	Fifth team
P,1	Roger Clemens, 266.0	Tom Seaver, 181.1	Bob Gibson, 140.4	Juan Marichal, 107.9	Curt Schilling, 85.1
P,2	Randy Johnson, 202.1	Warren Spahn, 167.5	Sandy Koufax, 137.8	Gaylord Perry, 102.8	Phil Niekro, 84.9
P,3	Greg Maddux, 197.5	Bob Feller, 157.6	Robin Roberts, 136.5	Roy Halladay, 102.1	Johan Santana, 84.6
P,4	Pedro Martinez, 187.5	Steve Carlton, 143.5	Jim Palmer, 133.2	Fergie Jenkins, 87.2	Nolan Ryan, 83.7
C	Johnny Bench, 111.2	Yogi Berra, 92.9	Gary Carter, 75.6	Mike Piazza, 74.8	Ivan Rodriguez, 71.0 Continue reading →

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Tagged Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, baseball mathematics, don davis, dr. don davis, greg maddux, joe morgan, Johnny Bench, Lehigh University, Mike Schmidt, pedro martinez, randy johnson, Roger Clemens, top baseball players, top baseball players in 60 years

Veterans Day and Every Day ….. Thank You!

Posted on November 10, 2011 | 7 comments

Note: This is a repost of my 2010 Veteran’s Day Blog.

Arlington National Cemetery

This and the following list of Hall of Fame Members Courtesy of Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Hall of Fame Members who Served in the Armed Forces.


The Civil War
Morgan Bulkeley	United States Army
World War I
Grover Alexander	United States Army
Happy Chandler	United States Army Continue reading →

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Posted in A1 Baseball, General, A5 Baseball Videos, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

Tagged Baseball Veterans in Hall of Fame, History, United States, United States Air Force, United States Armed Forces, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States National Guard, United States Navy, Veterans Day

A British Take on NLDS Game 5.

Posted on October 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

British Fife and Drum

I know, you probably think I’m being a little giddy, perhaps dwelling too much on the last Cardinal/Phillies game. But I just couldn’t resist the urge to share this post. For one thing it references a previous post with an outlandish video spoof “Too Much Money Ball” . It includes a 7th Inning stretch video “Take Me out to the Ballgame – Old Skool” as only a Brit could do.

Written by Steve Busfield for “The Guardian” in the U.K., this gives a good argument that the British are not totally limited to knowledge of soccer and cricket. Here are some excerpts from the post:

Money ball Yankees Style:

“My hilarious colleague David Lengel, who was on live blogging duty last night, is now live tweeting this game to me. This is his description of Molina’s appearance in the top of the 4th:

‘God strolls to the plate. Oh, God gets a base hit. Surprise. God steals a base. God is let down by his people. This happens.’

Did you see the squirrel interrupt play in game four? (“like a tiny streaker in a fur coat,”

Seventh inning stretch: Take Me Out To The Ballgame: old skool:

Proper.

St Louis Cardinals v Philadelphia Phillies – live! | David Lengel (guardian.co.uk)
St Louis Cardinals v Philadelphia Phillies – live! | Steve Busfield (guardian.co.uk)

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Posted in A1 Baseball, General, A5 Baseball Videos, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals

Tagged David Lengel, Guardian, Major League Baseball, philadelphia phillies, St Louis Cardinals, Steve Busfield, U.K. Baseball

“Those Classy Cardinals” …. On and Off the Field.

Posted on October 8, 2011 | 4 comments

St. Louis Cardinals

I’m kinda sorta breaking with my tradition of not writing about post season play until we get to the pennant winners. But not really, since this concerns a story written after last nights game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. It was written by Les Carpenter for Yahoo Sports (I’m assuming Les is in no way related to Cardinal pitcher, Chris Carpenter). This is a human interest story about sportsmanship, team spirit and the camaraderie of the players. Here’s an excerpt from the story:

“The National League Division Series had been decided, the mighty Philadelphia Phillies dispatched like a playoff pretender, and the St. Louis Cardinals raced into their clubhouse and tore into the three giant blue tubs of Champagne. Then they stood in a half circle near the door to the tiny room, late Friday night, shook the bottles, held the corks and …

They waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Five minutes passed, then seven, eight, then 10 and still they would not celebrate. Here was a baseball team, just after the most improbable of playoff victories, and its players were standing awkwardly as if this was a junior high mixer at the VFW Hall. But the national television people had grabbed their pitcher, Chris Carpenter, the one who stifled the Phillies on three hits in nine innings, the one who sent them to the Milwaukee Brewers with a 1-0 victory, and that meant he wasn’t in the room with them.

Carpenter was still on the field doing interviews. Given the way he pulled them through this night, making the postseason last another week longer, they couldn’t pop the cork on anything until he arrived. So with no Carpenter, there was no party. They would wait.

Finally someone spotted him. He was walking up the tunnel from the dugout. Someone waved to the others and they huddled in position near the clubhouse entrance. And as he turned the corner into the room they pounced. Bottles flashed. Liquid poured. And Chris Carpenter could do little else but hunch his shoulders as they doused him with Champagne, screaming for the joy of a playoff win they never could have imagined a month earlier.”

Last April I wrote about the San Francisco Giants Home Opener against the St Louis Cardinals. The post wasn’t about the game so much as it was about the reputation and tradition of “those classy” Cardinals. They’d just been selected as having the best and most knowledgeable of all fans in Major League Baseball.

After reading this article I think it’s safe to say “Those Classy Cardinals” doesn’t just relate to the St. Louis fans. It’s pretty safe to say that scene in the locker room represents a pretty darn classy group of baseball players and teammates also. Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals both on and off the field.