 |
5/12/2008
Billy-Ball Daily
Bill Chuck (Billy-Ball his own self)
Billy-Ball - From the diamond to your desktop…
Subscribe to Billy-Ball - it’s free - www.billy-ball.com
The only spin here is on my screwball
Monday, May 12, 2008
Top of the 1st
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LAWRENCE
Today is the birthday of Mr. Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra born May 12, 1925. It is a pleasure to share 83 Yogi-toids with you, one for each year:
1. He said, “I never said most of the things I said.
2. Yogi grew up on Elizabeth Street in St. Louis, in a neighborhood called "The Hill".
3. He picked up his nickname from a friend who said he resembled a Hindu holy man (yogi) they had seen in a movie, whenever Berra sat around with arms and legs crossed waiting to bat, or while looking sad after a losing game.
4. One of only four players to be named the Most Valuable Player of the American League three times.
5. He was signed at age 17 by the Yankees.
6. ''I wanted to play for the Cardinals or the Browns, to stay in my hometown,'' he said, ''but they didn't want me.''
7. Yogi participated in the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach.
8. He is one of only four catchers to ever field 1.000 in a season (1958).
9. Yogi was named the Yankees manager in 1964 and went on to win the AL pennant, but was fired after losing to the Cardinals in a seven-game series.
10. One of only six managers to lead both American and National League teams to the World Series.
11. Five times Yogi drove in more than 100 runs.
12. As manager, his team lost in the World Series twice, both in seven games.
13. He caught two no-hitters by Allie Reynolds in 1951 and Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.
14. Yogi appeared on an episode of “The Phil Silvers Show” in 1957.
15. His quotes are known as “Yogisms.”
16. He said, “Steve McQueen looks good in this movie. He must have made it before he died.”
17. Berra led all American League catchers six times in double plays (a major league record).
18. He was a player-coach for the Mets.
19. He participated in a record 21 World Series, 14 as a player with the Yankees, four as a Yankee coach, one as a Met coach and one each as a Yankee manager and Met manager.
20. Yogi wrote the forword for the book 'Elston and Me: The Story of the First Black Yankee'' written by the widow of Elston Howard.
21. He said, “How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?”
22. The Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in five of six World Series during Yogi's era with the team.
23. Following Gil Hodges's death in 1971, Yogi was named as the Mets manager in 1972.
24. He was childhood friends with Joe Garagiola.
25. The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is located on the campus of Montclair State University in New Jersey.
26. Ron Guidry said about Berra, "He epitomizes what baseball's all about. To be able to hang around him as much as I have, it's a pleasure."
27. Berra had a streak of 148 errorless games.
28. He said, “You can observe a lot by watching.”
29. Yogi appeared on an episode of “The Tony Danza Show” in 2005.
30. In 1950, he struck out only 12 times in 597 at bats.
31. From 1986 to 1989, Berra coached the Houston Astros.
32. His record as a manager was 484-444.
33. Yogi appeared on an episode of “Arli$$” in 2002.
34. He won 10 World Series and appeared in 14, most ever by any player.
35. He said, “You should always go to other people's funerals, otherwise, they won't come to yours.”
36. He was named to the American League All-Star team every year from 1948 to 1962.
37. He received MVP votes in fifteen consecutive seasons.
38. "I stayed in baseball, until I quit," Berra said.
39. His number 8 was retired from the Yankees in honor of him and another great Hall of Fame catcher, Bill Dickey.
40. Yogi stole 30 total bases.
41. Yogi appeared on an episode of “Saturday Night Live” in 1984.
42. He said, “You wouldn't have won if we'd beaten you.
43. Yogi hit 358 home runs.
44. He was an All-Star 15 times.
45. He said, “Congratulations on breaking my record. I always thought the record would stand until it was broken.”
46. The Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Yogi Bear was named after Berra.
47. Yogi played 2120 games and had 2150 hits.
48. Yogi played two games at first base.
49. He said, “It's like déjà vu all over again.”
50. Berra led all American League catchers once in fielding percentage.
51. Five times, Berra had more home runs in a season than strikeouts.
52. He said, “Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.”
53. Berra spent 14 years in a self-imposed exile from the Yankees, staying away after George Steinbrenner fired him as manager just 16 games into the 1985 season. He reconciled with Steinbrenner and returned in 1999.
54. Yogi had nine sacrifice bunts in 19 years of playing.
55. He said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.”
56. He only struck out 414 times in his career.
57. Yogi Berra Stadium is home to the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Can-Am League.
58. Berra's three sons, Larry, Tim and Dale, and a daughter-in-law, Betsy, formed LTD Enterprises to market Yogi’s merchandise.
59. Yogi appeared in 75 World Series games.
60. Yogi played 260 games in the outfield.
61. Yogi hit the first pinch hit home run in World Series history in 1947.
62. He said, “When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it.
63. The famed advertising executive George Lois said that in an award-winning television spot he created for the Quaker Oats Company's Puss 'n Boots cat food in 1960, Yogi was one of the first athletes to be featured not as a direct pitchman, but as part of a story. The spot featured Berra, amazed by a cat that had just performed aerobics on a trampoline, talking to the cat about how to stay in shape. The cat answers in Whitey Ford's voice.
64. Yogi drove home 1,430 runs.
65. Berra wrote, writes: "Now players are more like entertainers. Still, I wonder if they realize how self-centered and glory-minded they appear . . . I don't like players who stand and admire their home runs like they finished painting a masterpiece . . . It becomes more about self and showing off than teamwork and working together."
66. He said, “So I'm ugly. So what? I never saw anyone hit with his face.
67. On three different occasions Yogi was the mystery guest on “What’s My Line?”
68. Berra led all American League catchers eight times in games caught and in chances accepted.
69. Yogi played one game at third base.
70. He said, “Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.
71. Yogi and Derek Jeter have been named the official spokesmen for the 2008 DHL All-Star FanFest, which will be held July 11-15 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York and is Major League Baseball's major fan event for the All-Star Game festivities.
72. Yogi caught Don Larsen’s perfect game and two of Allie Reynolds’ no-hitters.
73. He was the first player to ever win two consecutive MVP awards.
74. Berra and Phil Rizzuto were partners in a Clifton, New Jersey bowling alley called Rizzuto-Berra Lanes.
75. Berra has frequently appeared in advertisements for Yoo-Hoo, AFLAC, Entenmann's, and Stovetop stuffing and others.
76. Berra once told Joe Torre he was leaving for Washington to film a television advertisement. Torre asked which company Berra was endorsing. "Amtrak," he replied. He meant to say Aflac, the insurance company.
77. His last at-bat came on May 9, 1965.
78. Yogi had a .348 On Base Percentage.
79. He said, 'Wherever I go, people say, 'You're not Yogi Berra, are you?' and I'll say, 'No, I just look like him.'''
80. Yogi was elected the the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
81. On a trip to Cooperstown, Phil Rizzuto commented to Yogi, "I think we're lost." To which Yogi responded "Yeah, but we're making great time."
82. ''I don't want to know how old I am,'' Yogi said about turning 80. ''I want to go backwards.''
83. He said, “It ain't over till it's over.
Top of the 2nd
PREVIEW OF THE NLCS?
The Diamondbacks came into Wrigley with the best record in baseball, but left on the wrong end of a three game sweep. "We feel like it was a little bit of payback for us, [since] they beat us in the playoffs last year," said Daryle Ward, whose 8th inning pinch double scored the final two runs in a 6-4 victory as the Cubs battled from behind yesterday for the third straight day.
The Cubs are 14-6 at home and 8-9 on the road.
Top of the 3rd
IS MADDUX THE LAST?
Greg Maddux picked up his 350th win Saturday night and he may be the last pitcher to achieve that feat. In case you’re interested, Greg Maddux made his first major league appearance in relief, in the 18th inning of a game against the Astros. The game started on Sept. 2, 1986. It was suspended with the score tied and resumed Sept. 3. Maddux pitched one inning and gave up a home run to current Reds first base coach Billy Hatcher that decided the game.
Maddux’ next start is against the Cubs, Thursday at Wrigley. See him while you can.
Top of the 4th
GIMME SEVEN
Dan Uggla's second homer in the 8th led the Florida Marlins to their seventh straight win, 5-4 over the Washington Nationals. With the Red Sox's 9-8 loss to the Twins, the Marlins ended the day with the best record in baseball. They have never had the best mark in MLB this late in the season. On May 30, 2004, they had the best record in the National League.
Uggla had seven RBIs and three homers in the final two games of Florida's three-game series sweep; he hit a grand slam and had five RBI Saturday. The Fish have 53 homers this season, second only to the Phils who have 54.
The folks at ESPN point out that on May 2, the Marlins had lost four of five and manager Fredi Gonzalez dropped Hanley Ramirez from first to third and Dan Uggla from second to sixth in the lineup. Since then, the Marlins have won eight of nine and Ramirez is hitting .392 over that time. Uggla, in the sixth and fifth spots, is hitting .400 with seven HRs and 15 RBIs.
Top of the 5th
GIMME FIVE
The Rays are five games over .500 for the first time in the club's 11 seasons after Carl Crawford hit a three-run homer, stole two bases and scored twice to lead Tampa Bay to an 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels completing a three game sweep.
The series sweep left Los Angeles with a four-game losing streak for the first time since April 2007. The Rays (21-16) are five games over .500 for the first time at any point in a season, and it's the latest they've ever been in second place.
Top of the 6th
BILLY-BALL-SITE-OF-THE-DAY
Yogi’s official site: http://www.yogiberra.com/
Top of the 7th
PROBABLE PITCHERS
AL
Blue Jays (A.J. Burnett and Shaun Marcum) at Indians (Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee), DH, 4:05
Red Sox (Clay Buchholz) at Twins (Livan Hernandez), 7:05
Yankees (Andy Pettitte) at Rays (Matt Garza), 7:10
Mariners (Erik Bedard) at Rangers (Vicente Padilla), 8:05
White Sox (Mark Buehrle) at Angels (Nick Adenhart), 10:05
NL
Braves (Jair Jurrjens and Tim Hudson) at Pirates (Zach Duke and John Van Benschoten), DH, 12:35
Marlins (Burke Badenhop) at Reds (Aaron Harang), 7:10
Nationals (Odalis Perez) at Mets (Nelson Figueroa), 7:10
Cardinals (Adam Wainwright) at Brewers (David Bush), 8:05
Padres (Randy Wolf) at Cubs (Carlos Zambrano), 8:05
Astros (Roy Oswalt) at Giants (Barry Zito), 10:15
Top of the 8th
DID YOU KNOW?
ALL-TIME WINS LEADERS
1. Cy Young 511
2. Walter Johnson 417
3. Grover Cleveland Alexander 373
3. Christy Mathewson 373
5. Pud Galvin 365
6. Warren Spahn 363
7. Kid Nichols 361
8. Roger Cl*m*ns 354
9. Greg Maddux 350
10. Tim Keefe 342
11. Steve Carlton 329
12. John Clarkson 328
13. Eddie Plank 326
14. Nolan Ryan 324
14. Don Sutton 324
16. Phil Niekro 318
17. Gaylord Perry 314
18. Tom Seaver 311
19. Hoss Radbourn 309
20. Mickey Welch 307
21. Tom Glavine 303
22. Lefty Grove 300
ACTIVE WIN LEADERS
1. Greg Maddux 350
2. Tom Glavine 303
3. Randy Johnson 286
4. Mike Mussina 255
5. Jamie Moyer 232
6. Curt Schilling 216
7. Kenny Rogers 213
8. John Smoltz 210
9. Pedro Martinez 209
10. Andy Pettitte 204
Top of the 9th
OUT OF ORDER
At 15-23, there is no question that the Cincinnati Reds are broken this season but on Saturday while losing to the Mets, they were officially out of order. In the 9th inning of they batted out of order when catcher David Ross came to the plate to lead off the inning and lined out. But the batter in the No. 8 spot should have been outfielder Corey Patterson, with Ross hitting ninth after an earlier double switch. Mets manager Willie Randolph came out to inform the umpiring crew of the mix-up. Patterson was charged with the out, which officially counts as a putout by the catcher, and Ross came up again. This time, he singled.
"The guys hit out of order, and it's my job to catch that," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "So I take full responsibility."
Baker said his only other experience with a team batting out of order came when he was a player and he was the one who hit when he wasn't supposed to. When he came up the second time, he hit a three-run homer.
Crew chief Dale Scott said he'd never seen it happen in 23 years of umpiring.
Bottom of the 9th
THERE’S ONLY 34 DAYS UNTIL FATHER’S DAY
Bill Chuck is the creator of Billy-Ball.com and, with Jim Kaplan, is the author of the book, “Walk-Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales,” with a Foreword by Jon Miller available now from ACTA Sports.
Autographed first editions are available by contacting, Bill@billy-ball.com or order directly from Acta Sports, http://www.actasports.com/detail.html?&id=3427 or from your favorite bookstore worldwide.
• Support Billy-Ball via PayPal (WWW.BILLY-BALL.COM) or Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/paypage/PBANN9XCMMFSH.
Do you want to snail mail?
Billy-Ball
258 Harvard Street, #145
Brookline, MA 02446
Information provided in Billy-Ball has been gathered from A.P. reports, espn.com, sportsline.com, mlb.com and numerous other e-sources. Opinions expressed in Billy-Ball are obviously solely the opinions of the author of Billy-Ball and do not reflect those of source material no matter how off the wall they may be.
|
| |
|
|
Billy-Ball is a baseball column by
