Baseball Things You Didn't Know Until 2021 (or, at least, I didn't)

[Edgy MD]

Late actor Michael Clarke Duncan, as a youth, was one of the participants in the Disco Demolition Night riot, sliding into third and stealing a bat.



https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/o8jf5vtSp6Wt2yTYWSawgQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY1NS4yMzgwOTUyMzgwOTUyO2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/en/blogs/sptusmlbexperts/mcd1.jpg>

[Frayed Knot]

The silly little ditty, GO CUBS GO, which is played after home wins at Wrigley and gained a national audience during their WS stretch run of 2016 was penned by the late folk singer Steve Goodman who wrote it as a retort to then manager Dallas Green complaining that Goodman's other Cubs tune, the Dying Cub Fan's Last Request, was "too depressing ".

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: The silly little ditty, GO CUBS GO, which is played after home wins at Wrigley and gained a national audience during their WS stretch run of 2016 was penned by the late folk singer Steve Goodman who wrote it as a retort to then manager Dallas Green complaining that Goodman's other Cubs tune, the Dying Cub Fan's Last Request, was "too depressing ".

I thought I saw/read somewhere that he was commissioned by WGN to do it, hence the call letter drop, as well as the lack of name drops to keep it evergreen for future year uses, ala Meet The Mets, while Dying Cubbie Fan name drops Keith Moreland among Cub icons Ernie Banks and Jack Brickhouse.

[Frayed Knot]

=stevejrogers post_id=60378 time=1618105300 user_id=57]
I thought I saw/read somewhere that he was commissioned by WGN to do it

[Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: =stevejrogers post_id=60378 time=1618105300 user_id=57] I thought I saw/read somewhere that he was commissioned by WGN to do it

Not sure about that part, but it's certainly possible.

Goodman, btw, was also a HS classmate of Hillary Rodham

[Frayed Knot]

He did ... they only WANT you to believe he died from Leukemia at the age of 36

[MFS62]

I didn't know this , but we all could have guessed.

The last pitch thrown by Bob Gibson in a major league game was a hit for a grand slam by Pete LaCock.

Ten years later, they both played in an old timer's game.

LaCock came to bat against Gibson.

Gibson hit him with a pitch.



Later

[MFS62]

If you need a fact that will brighten this rainy day, Charlie Silvera had more World Series rings than Derek Jeter.

I know it brightened mine.



Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

It's probably time for you to stop thinking about Derek Jeter.

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: It's probably time for you to stop thinking about Derek Jeter.

I will when I stop thinking about Walter O'Malley.

Later

[bmfc1]

I was watching the Seattle Ex-Mets and ROOT Sports analyst Ryan Rowland-Smith was interviewed during the game. Per Wiki, he was the first player in MLB with a hyphenated name.

[Double Switch]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: It's probably time for you to stop thinking about Derek Jeter. I will when I stop thinking about Walter O'Malley.

It's likely a safe bet that Jeter and O'Malley (especially O'Malley) waste no energy thinking about you.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Current Met Wilfredo Tovar, who made his MLB debut nine seasons ago in 2013, and has played in the majors for parts of four seasons, had still not used up his rookie status when the Mets promoted Tovar to their 25-man roster this season.



https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2021-rookies.shtml#all_misc_pitchinghttps://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2021-rookies.shtml#all_misc_pitching

[Edgy MD]

There were two Jeff D'Amicos.



The one who wasn't a Met only appeared in seven games for an overmatched 2000 Royals bullpen, but was chosen in the same 1993 draft as Big Daddy Jeff D'Amico, 44 picks later.

[MFS62]

In 1905, Nap Lajoie suffered an infected spike wound which caused blood poisoning that was attributed to the dye in his socks, and nearly resulted in his leg being amputated. The leg recovered, but the incident led to a new rule requiring teams to use sanitary white socks. It was that injury which led to one of baseball's most unique and enduring looks. Stirrup socks were then introduced to team uniforms to be worn on top of the sanitary socks to display team colors. "The stirrup has become part of the visual signature of baseball as no other sport used it. For a certain generation, myself included, it was kind of a key moment when you got your first Little League uniform and got to pull up those stirrups. I remember how official that felt." — Paul Lukas UniWatch

Source:

Society for American Baseball Research



Later

[Edgy MD]

George Foster and Dave Kingman played in the same Little League.



Lenny Dyksta grew up in a Brady Bunch-type family — a joined family produced by his mom bringing three boys to a marriage with a guy who already had three girls.

[Willets Point]

Those poor girls.