You are here: Home / Archives for In memoriam

A sad day in baseball continues: Stan Musial passes away at 92

January 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Man.  What a nickname.  Can there be a better one?  Stan Musial was one of the best baseball players in the history of the game and pretty much defines what it means to be a St. Louis Cardinal.  A 1969 Hall of Fame inductee, a 3 time MVP, and a 24 time All-Star, he was consistently great for so long, that sometimes his name can get lost in when mentioning the all-time greats – don’t make that mistake.  Musial didn’t just fade into the sunset after his playing career, but proved in his post playing career that he was as good of a man as ball player.  A great Musial quote?

“You wait for a strike, then you knock the shit out of it.”

So simple, so great.

Baseball is a little worse off today.  Rest in peace Stan.

Filed Under: In memoriam Tagged With:

“A manager’s job is simple. For one hundred sixty-two games you try not to screw up all that smart stuff your organization did last December.”

January 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Rest in Peace, Earl Weaver. Your managerial philosophy of pitching, defense, and the three-run homer has always made too much sense to us.

Filed Under: In memoriam Tagged With:

Rest in Peace Ryan Freel

December 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Ryan Freel was always a favorite of mine. So much that one night, I felt compelled to add him as a Facebook friend. In fact, whatever occurred between today and yesterday was not something that I would think was planned all along by Freel. As of yesterday, Freel had added a submission to The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Field fan page stating “Let me know if I can help in anyway……”

I lived in Cincinnati in 2004 and 2005. I spent countless summer nights by myself at the ballpark, where I saw Freel up close and nearly felt like I knew him. Those years would coincide with the finest seasons of Freel’s MLB career. Over three seasons, he was a fixture at the top of the Reds lineup that desperately needed a leadoff man and stole 103 bases from 2004 to 2006. He played every position on the diamond except for first base and shortstop. He was a hustling, down and dirty throwback of a renaissance man.

I got the feeling that Freel; in all his battling from the dusty fields of the minor leagues, was a guy who never forgot where he came from.

A short story I never about Freel that might illustrate that comes to mind. One night I was sitting in the first row of the seats on the Reds dugout. A guy next to me was someone from Freel’s past; a coach, a friend, someone who had known Ryan for some time and had traveled a long way to see him play in Cincinnati from what I gathered. Freel was finishing a few warm-up tosses when he noticed the guy and he nodded and came over and spoke to him. He told the guy to hold on a second, popped into the dugout and emerged from it with a couple game used bats for the guy and his kid.

He was likable and approachable to Reds fans. He played the game like a warrior, running through walls and generally having no reservations about his own health when it came to stealing a bag or making a play. One night at Great American Ball Park the giveaway was Ryan Freel dirty t-shirt jersey night. I still have that shirt somewhere in my dresser with the dirt stains down the front covering Freel’s number six to commemorate his head first slide.

My thoughts and my prayers go out to Ryan’s family and friends tonight. This is a terrible and senseless thing.

Filed Under: In memoriam Tagged With:

Never Knew Pesky’s Pole Had So Much Grafiti on It

August 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I figured that if the less famous distant cousin of the Green Monster is ever going to get a post on this blog, today had to be that day.

Johnny Pesky was a Red Sox legend who hit .307 for his career, and he died today at age 92. This is one of the most famous baseball landmarks in the game. When I make my first trip to Fenway (God willing), I’ll be sure to write something cool on that pole.

You want to read why they call it Pesky’s Pole, right here.

You want Pesky’s Baseball-Reference page, right here.

Filed Under: In memoriam, Red Sox Tagged With: ,

Henry Hill of Goodfellas Fame has Passed

June 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Not the real Henry Hill

We promise to never make too many pop-culture references, but when it pertains to Goodfellas we have to mention it in a post.

Henry Hill–the rat played by Ray Liotta in the Hollywood film–has passed away at age 69. I wouldn’t have known it until I read this Grantland article.

Rest in peace ‘Hendry’ as Tommy said in the movie. Thanks for the great movie and mystique surrounding wiseguys everywhere.

Filed Under: Goodfellas, In memoriam Tagged With:

RIP Kid

February 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Gary Carter is gone.

In the first baseball video game I ever played–the Original RBI Baseball on the NES–Gary Carter was the clean-up guy for the New York Mets. They were my team of choice. That GCarter guy could really swing it back in those days. I wanted to learn more about him. As I collected all the Darryl Strawberry Mets items I could find, Carter was a good Robin to his Batman for me.

In one of the first baseball books I ever remember reading–a book about the ’86 Amazin’ Mets in my school library–I read all about the heart and soul of the Mets team. It was not Strawberry they spoke of as I wished, but this Carter character.

Ironically it was Strawberry today who said the following about his former teammate:

“I Wish I Could Have Lived My Life Like Gary Carter…He Was A True Man.”

A sad day for baseball. Gary Carter, gone too soon.

Filed Under: In memoriam Tagged With: ,

“Hulkamania is like a single grain of sand in the Sahara desert that is Macho Madness.”

May 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

RIP, Macho Man.

I know this is a baseball blog. But this guy was a huge piece of my childhood. If you grew up in the 80′s and you liked old WWF, today is a sad day.

Countless VHS tapes of old wrestling pay per view’s that my parents rented for me when I was just a little guy had the Macho Man straight dominating.

The pinnacle of his career, Wrestlemania 4:

He’ll definitely be missed, and he should definitely be remembered for not being a guy who hung around too long. Unquestionably one of the greatest of all-time and a legend. Thanks for all those Saturday morning memories, Mach.

Filed Under: In memoriam, Other Sports Count too, WWE

Harmon Killebrew 1936-2011

May 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Only Babe Ruth had more 40 home run seasons. RIP, Killer.

Filed Under: In memoriam Tagged With:

Saying goodbye to the Duke of baseball

February 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Over the weekend we lost one of the greatest Dodgers to ever walk the earth. Duke Snider passed away at age 84.

We won’t pretend to have much of a tie of any type with Duke. We knew he was special as a player, he’s a guy who you wish you could have been around to have watched play the outfield back in the day ‘when it was a game’. He’s also featured in the song ‘Talkin’ Baseball’ if you’ve ever heard it.

For those closer to the situation, we refer you to True Blue L.A. for some memories of the Duke.

Filed Under: In memoriam, Los Angeles Dodgers Tagged With:

Goodbye, Rapid Robert

December 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

One of the greatest Cleveland sports figures of all-time has passed away. Bob Feller is dead at age 92.

This is a sad story–Cleveland loses another sports hero–and one that would have never forsaken or left the city behind. Feller played for 18 years and struck out nearly 3,000 hitters in an Indians uniform and won 266 ballgames.

Heaven just gained a Helluva fastball.

via Golden Sombrero.

UPDATE: Feller is not dead yet. Morning Journal report was incorrect.

Filed Under: Bob Feller, In memoriam, Legends

Sparky Anderson 1934-2010

November 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment

“I cannot get rid of the hurt from losing, but after the last out of every loss, I must accept that there will be a tomorrow. In fact, it’s more than there’ll be a tomorrow, it’s that I want there to be a tomorrow. That’s the big difference, I want tomorrow to come.”

RIP to one of the greatest baseball men who ever breathed.

Filed Under: In memoriam, Legends

UPDATE: Steinbrenner Dead at 80

July 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Multiple reports this morning reported that George Steinbrenner has suffered a massive heart attack. We have since learned that George Steinbrenner has died at age 80 in Tampa, Florida.

It was just two days ago that Steinbrenner reacted to the death of legendary Yankees public address anouncer Mel Sheppard.

Obviously in the midst of the All-Star Game going on, it’s about to become a full blown Yankees fest. We’ll pay our respects to Steinbrenner in a post here, and then we’ll move on. Obviously we respect that this is huge news. Steinbrenner is the most legendary owner in the sport’s history and maybe all of sports.

Update: Yikes! YES Network Nightmare.

Filed Under: In memoriam, Owners who Own, Steinbrenner, Yankees

Bob Sheppard passes away

July 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Bob Sheppard was the gold-standard for which all public address anouncers should be measured by. What a voice. I heard him at the Yankees games that I’ve been to, as well as the several time I went to the Meadowlands for New York Giants football games.

He had the perfect voice, for the perfect classy organizations.

What was so fascinating to me; was that this same man who could say “De-rrek (accenting the ‘r’) Jee-tur” with such magic was the same guy who anounced legends like Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.

Sheppard died yesterday at age 99. This man without a doubt was an artifact to the game of baseball. He probably saw more great games and legends pass through one time period than anyone else.

Rest in Piece Bob. Hearing you anounce the names of players at The Stadium in the Bronx just added to the mystique of being there for me.

Filed Under: In memoriam, Legends, Yankees

Lima-Time Forever

May 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment
I remember the summer of 1999 so vividly. I had one of my first jobs that summer after just getting my drivers license. I took care of a private estate, mowing and landscaping. I had an old walkman radio that picked up AM stations pretty good; and if I turned up the volume all the way the headphones I could even hear the radio while riding around the loud mower all day long. On the days when it rained I’d get through hours of weeding and mulching just fine by picking up the Jim Rome show. After three hours of Rome, it hardly seemed like I’d done a days work.
That summer was also the height of “Lima Time”. Jose Lima would win 21 games that summer for the Houston Astros, following up a season in which he went 16-7. He was a frequent guest on Rome’s show, and by the way he talked I was certain this Lima guy was a power pitcher. Little did I know, and as I would later learn, Lima was a guy who relied heavily on his change-up and confidence on the mound. His fastball had little to do with his success.
That was also the summer of the 1999 Reds, so I followed everyone in the NL Central extra close. They hung two losses on Lima that summer in facing him three times. It was a memorable and special time of being a young baseball fan.
Last night when I logged on ESPN.com and saw the top headline was Jose Lima dying of a heart attack at age 37, I was pretty shocked. Talk about going way too soon. It’s just something that doesn’t make sense. To think just a decade ago the guy was coming off an All-Star season trying to establish himself as one of the game’s finest pitchers.
The guy understood about being an entertainer as well as an athlete. He understood that the game was about the fans. That’s probably what Lima-time was all about to begin with.
Rest in peace, Jose. The Lord just gained one heck of a fourth starter in his rotation. Gone far too soon.
Filed Under: In memoriam
«Older Posts