CBS News: Baseball Great Yogi Berra Dead at 90: An icon of Sports and Quotes

The Quote Master

Source: CBS News: Baseball Great Yogi Berra Dead 90: An icon of Sports and Quotes

I think it would be fairly easy just to write a piece about Yogi Berra featuring a lot of his great one-liners. But we’re talking about one of the top 3-5 catchers in the history of Major League Baseball. And yes he was a great comedian, but how many catchers do you know of that were great behind the plate who also have a career 285 bating average with 358 home runs and 1430 RBI. At least statistically we’re talking about a better hitting catcher than Johnny Bench who is still the best all around catcher of all-time. Yogi is at least the best all around catcher pre-Johnny Bench who came up with the Cincinnati Reds in 1967.

As far as his humor I love people who put things in a very direct way telling it exactly how it is and using humor with it. Especially when they’re not making fun of someone, or some group of people. Who can say ironic things and stuff that they know can’t be true, but do it so well and intentionally that you have to laugh at it. Like the Yogi line about baseball being 90% half mental. Well anyone with a basic understanding of mathematics knows that can’t be true. But he was so clever about how he said that, that you had to laugh at that. Or saying obvious things, but doing it with perfect timing that again you have to laugh. “When you come to a fork in road, take it.”

“You can observe a lot just by watching.” Which of course sounds like Captain Obvious under attack and everyone must duck, or get hit in the head with useless information that they’ve known since they were born. But if you’re not someone who tends to be very good about knowing your surroundings and tend to miss things that are right in front of you, that little piece of obvious information can help you. And tell you to pay attention so you don’t miss what is going on right in front of you.

“It aint over till it’s over.” Good message for players who are down a lot in a game, but still have time to turn it around. And instead of thinking, “damn we suck! We’re not only going to get blown out, but we might not bother to score!” You would have Yogi saying something like, “relax, I know its 6-0, but its only the 3rd inning. Besides I got a guy in there who can actually pitch now. So just relax and play the game right and we’ll get back in it.” Telling his players there’s a reason why a World Series is seven games and games themselves are nine innings, because you don’t win those things early on.

Yogi Berra, again one of the top 3-5 catchers of all-time, but similar to Billy Martin and Phil Rizzuto if he wasn’t playing and managing baseball, he could have been a great comedian and talk show host as well. Because of his ability to put things exactly as they are with a little touch of great wit. Which is what great one-liners are. The ability to use common sense to make fun of life and even people in life. The ability to state the obvious without someone saying,”no shit Einstein! You got any other brand new discoveries you would like to share with us?” And because of that and I think especially the humor he’s going to be missed for a long time.

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Classic MLB 11: MLB 1985-8/04/-Chicago White Sox @ New York Yankees: Tom Seaver Goes For 300

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat Plus

To me at least, Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton are the two best starting pitchers of the Baby Boom era. Pitchers who came up in the 1960s and 70s and pitched into the 1980s or so. To me they are the two best pitchers post Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson, from the generation before them. The only other pitcher I would consider with Seaver and Carlton, would be Jim Palmer. And not, not because I’m an Orioles fan, but he had the career, numbers, big games, everything else that puts him in the same class. Tom Seaver earned all of his victories, pitching for some mediocre New York Mets teams in the late 1960s and 1970s and some Cincinnati Reds teams that were in decline post Big Red Machine of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Not sure there was a better big game pitcher than Seaver of this era.

Classic MLB 11: MLB 1985-Chicago White Sox @ New York Yankees: Tom Seaver Goes For 300th

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Classic MLB 11-PASS Sports: MLB 1992-6/11-Baltimore Orioles @ Detroit Tigers: Full Game

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I think this Orioles-Tigers games is a classic game, because 1992 was a very important year for both the Orioles and Tigers. The Orioles emerged again as AL East contenders, but the Tigers took a step back, as the Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers emerged in the American League. And even the Cleveland Indians started to finally improve and even to paraphrase Harry Doyle in the movie Major League, the Indians threatened to climb out of the cellar. Meaning last place in the division. So this Tigers series was important for the Orioles, because the Tigers one of the teams that were basically hammering the Orioles at least since the late 1980s. And the Orioles had something to prove here. Were they good enough to beat a traditional contender in the AL East. And they certainly were in 1992.

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BASH 953-HTS: MLB-1989-Anaheim Angels @ Baltimore Orioles: Mike Deveraux’s HR Wins it

Oriole Magic Returns

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat Plus

This was certainly one of the highlights of the 1989 Orioles season, that again had their been a wildcard back then, the Orioles make the AL Playoffs with 89 wins, but that is a different story. The 1989 Orioles are what a good team looks like. Not a great team, not a talented team, but what a team looks like. How good a team can be when it has a lot of good players and is deep. As well as lets say average players who have big years and big moments for them. The 89 Orioles were a pitching and defense first team, that would score enough and score when they needed in order to win. Their pitching wasn’t very good in this game, so their offense backed them up and scored enough runs to win and bailout the Orioles pitching in this game.
BASH 953-HTS: MLB 1989-07-15-89-Anaheim Angels @ Baltimore Orioles: 9th Inning

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Noel Breen: Video: ABC Sports: MLB-1983-World Series-Game 1: Philadelphia Phillies @ Baltimore Orioles: Intros

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This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

Basically just the intros of the Philadelphia Philles and the Orioles for game 1 of the 1983 World Series. With a little commentary from Al Michaels, Howard Cosell, and Earl Weaver. A brief interview of Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken and didn’t get enough of it to figure out what they were talking about, other than Cosell trying to figure out how Cal Jr felt playing for Earl Weaver with the Orioles. And The Earl talking about the fact that the Orioles lost their DH Ken Singleton. Because back then unfortunately what MLB did for the World Series, was to rotate the hitting pitcher and the designated hitter each year. One year the DH would play in every game. The next year, there would be no DH and the pitcher would hit every game. Which was unfair and gave the National League champion a big advantage during the World Series.

Outdoor Insane Asylum

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ABC Sports: MLB 1983-MLB World Series-Game 5- Baltimore Orioles @ Philadelphia Phillies: Full Game

Source: MLB Classics

Source:The New Democrat

What makes the 1983 World Series different from the 1979 World Series that the Orioles had a 3-1 series lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979, as opposed to the Phillies in 83, is the Orioles pitching and their hitting. The Phillies other than the really the first game of this series, were pretty much shut down offensively in this series. Including getting shut out in-game 5 to clinch the Series for the Orioles. Unlike game 5, 6 and seven in the 79 World Series against the Pirates, the Orioles got all the pitching, key runs and key hits in-game 5 of the 83 Series and for most this World Series as well.

The Phillies had a very solid lineup in 83, but you shut down 3B Mike Schmidt and you could pretty much shut down the Phillies lineup. Then throw in the fact that Joe Morgan their leadoff hitter was forty-years old, Pete Rose is forty-two and their 1B Tony Perez is thirty-nine years old and all of these players being great at one point, but were all at the end of their careers against the Orioles in this series. As well as the Phillies not having the pitching that the Pirates did in 79. Everything was set up for the Orioles to win the 83 World Series. The only question was, would they come through or not.

MLB Classics-ABC Sports: MLB 1983- World Series Game 5- Baltimore Orioles @ Philadelphia Phillies: Full Game

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Tim Fuerhardt: MLB 1991-Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles: Orioles Last Game at Memorial Stadium

Source:Tim Fuerhardt– Tbe last MLB game at Baltimore Memorial Stadium.

Source:The New Democrat 

“Baltimore Orioles October 6, 1991 Sorry For The Bad Quality Video But The Tape Is Over 20 Years Old.”

From Tim Fuerhardt

The story of this Tigers-Orioles game, even though it is a very small part of the Orioles 1991 season with this being their last game at Baltimore Memorial Stadium, but this game pretty much summarized their season. You would think that the Orioles management would’ve put more into trying to make sure that they had a competitive team in 91, considering this was their last season at Memorial. And they tried to do that with the Glen Davis trade, but they were horrible in 91. Very little pitching, at least consistent pitching either starters or in the bullpen. And not a lot of offense in their lineup to go with Cal Ripken.

The Orioles lost this game I believe 8-1 to the Tigers, who had a pretty good lineup that year. But the real story of this game was that it was the end of a great era not just for Orioles baseball with all the success the Oriole had at Memorial, but the end of a great era for Major League Baseball as well. Just too bad that the Orioles, especially for their fans, that after winning their last MLB World Series in 1983, they five of their last eight seasons at Memorial, were losing seasons. Including losing 108 in 88 and two 95 lost seasons in 87 and 91. But the Orioles of the 60s, 70s and 80s were one of the best franchises in MLB and all of that home success came at Memorial.

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ABC Sports: MLB-1985-MNB-Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles

 

Source: FRS Daily Journal Plus– The Outdoor Insane Asylum- Baltimore Memorial Stadium 

Source: The New Democrat Plus

Interesting matchup between two non-contending AL East teams in 1985. The Detroit Tigers finished in third place, but fifteen games out of first. And the Orioles finished fourth sixteen games out of first. But the AL East was deep in 1985, with four teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Tigers and Orioles all having winning seasons. And the Boston Red Sox were a 500 club that year. So it wasn’t like the Tigers and Orioles had bad years in 85, it was just that the Blue Jays and Yankees were both very good. And had their been a wildcard back then, both the Jays and Yanks would’ve made the AL Playoffs.

The Orioles were in transition in 85 especially as it relates to their pitching with Jim Palmer retiring after the 84 season. They were still good enough to be a winning team, but no longer a serious contender for the AL East. Their pitching wasn’t nearly as good as it was in the early 1980s and 1970s. And became a power hitting team that needed big offensive games to win. The Tigers won the MLB World Series in 1984 and were still good enough to contend in 85. But they slipped back as the Blue Jays and Yankees finished first and second.

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Frank Russo: Captain: The Thurman Munson Story: Mr. New York Yankee of The 1970s

Captain of the New York Yankees

This post was originally posted at FRS Daily Journal

I’m not an expert on Thurman Munson, he died in 1979 and I didn’t start watching baseball until 1983 but what I’ve heard about Thurman Munson, is that there’s not nearly enough information or reporting about him one of the most underrated and under appreciated baseball players of all time. We are talking about one of the best all around Catchers of the 1970s, right there with Carlton Fisk and Johnny Bench. Same skills as both players but ran better and could hit for a better average.

This was a catcher who was a 300 hitter and back then that almost never happened. Besides I’m a Baltimore Orioles fan and the New York Yankees are our arch rivals and Orioles fans hate the Yankees and we had a very good rivalry with each other in the 1970s and 80s and the Yankees cost the Orioles a three division titles in the mid and late 1970s, 76-78. But again what I’ve heard and know about Munson, is a great all around catcher who was headed to the Hall of Fame.

And even though he only played eleven seasons 1969-79, again since he was one of the best all around catchers of an entire decade that alone should be enough to give Thurman Munson consideration for the Hall of Fame. Anytime you’re one of the best players at your positions and one of the best players in the game for an entire decade, that alone should give you strong consideration to be in the Hall of Fame. But that’s not up to me but it took a plane crash in the Summer of 1979 to keep Thurman Munson out of the Hall of Fame because he’s a player that played in pain constantly, similar to Mickey Mantle another great Yankee and who was headed to the Hall of Fame.

If you want to know if Thurman Munson was a great baseball player or not, you need to know what makes a great baseball player. To me that’s someone with no glaring weakness’ and at least with a few glaring strengths and you show these skills consistently for a solid period of time, 5-7 or ten years to me for a catcher to be a great Catcher, you can’t just be a guy that calls a great game, defends his position well and throws the ball well, Rick Dempsey of the Orioles did all of those things very well.

And for about ten years about as well as they could be done. But he was basically a 230 hitter with very little if any power and not much of a run producer his entire career. But he was a good clutch hitter in the playoffs but that alone even with being a great Defensive Catcher. Doesn’t get you in the Hall of Fame, the reason why Thurman Munson was a great catcher because he did everything that Rick Dempsey could do if not better.

But he was also a 300 Hitter who drove in runs. Who also had solid power but not great power but definite threat to go deep. In the American League the two best catchers in the 1970s were Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson and you could go either way and for that decade I would lean towards Munson, because he played through injuries without losing production. Fisk missed a lot of time because of injuries. When I think of the term captain as it relates to sports, I think of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers who his teammates called Cap.

But captain also fits Thurman Munson of the New York Yankees who was not only the captain of his teams but the leader the quarterback, the on field coach of that team that his teammates knew they better do their jobs or the captain was going to get on them. Who always did whatever he could to make sure his players were in the best position that they could be so they could play as well for the Yankees as possible. Thurman Munson was the Captain of the New York Yankees.

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CBS Sports: Report: Tom Breech: Mark Davis Meets With San Antonio Officials: Possible Move?

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on Blogger

CBS Sports: Report: Oakland Raiders Owner Mark Davis Meets With San Antonio Officials: Possible Move?

I agree with the CBS Sports Network crew that the Raiders belong in Oakland and that San Antonio which is a solid sports market that could support a future NFL franchise would seem strange for the Raiders. With that being said the Oakland Coliseum or whatever the hell they call it now is not an NFL caliber football stadium. It is not an MLB caliber ballpark either and very soon the City of Oakland is going to have to step up and build two new stadiums. An NFL football stadium for the Raiders and an MLB ballpark for the Athletics or they’ll lose both of their great franchises. Two of the best franchises in all of pro sports.

So the City of Oakland has to decide do they want NFL football and MLB baseball or not. If the answer is yes the Coliseum needs to go and be replaced with either a football stadium or a baseball park. And then they need to look at downtown possibilities as far as building the other stadium. With the Athletics and Raiders staying at the Coliseum while their stadiums are being built. Otherwise we could see the Raiders back in Los Angeles or San Antonio and the Athletics headed to San Jose or Sacramento in the near future.
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