Rico Brogna, Good Fit (Cont.)

[stevejrogers]

This should be a good read:

Mel Stottlemyre is coming out with an autobio (written with John Harper) this April

[Guest Edgy DC]

Jon Nunnally --- who, I'm embarrassed to say, I had forgotten about almost entirely ---- is the new hitting coach for the Kinston Indians.

[MFS62]

According to the 2007 BaseballAmerica Almanac, Tim Bogar was voted the best manager prospect in the Eastern League for his work at Akron in 2006.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

And TJ Harrelson appears to have avoided incarceration and entered a drug treatment program.

[Guest Edgy DC]

When I wonder how I'm going to go on, how am I going to edit one... more... fucking... newsletter... I think of the person who has to edit The Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Journal.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sheila Foster and Milli Bonilli bring down a bureaucrat.

[Guest Edgy DC]

More of what you read Rico Brogna for: a new Mets must-see roadside attraction:

Ohio mural includes ties to Pine Belt

Alan Hinton

Hattiesburg banker Dave Bush went home for Christmas.

While he was there, in Portsmouth, Ohio, he saw more than relatives and friends.

"They have a 16-foot concrete floodwall that is a mile and half long," Bush said. "On the floodwall, they have a mural project."

Mural painter Robert Dafford essentially painted the history of Portsmouth on the floodwall.

It begins with painting of Native Americans, goes to the early settlers and farmers, highlights the steel and shoe mills and spotlights Portsmouth natives Roy Rogers and Branch Rickey.

Most of the mural was completed in 2003, but as Bush found out, another section was added in just the past year. In that section, the mural has paintings of Portsmouth athletes who went on to play professional baseball.

Bush wasn't on the mural. He was a good pitcher on the William Carey baseball team that advanced to the NAIA national championship tournament way back when, but he didn't play pro ball.

But the man who recruited him to come to Carey, former coach John Stephenson, did, and Portsmouth honored him by making Stephenson part of the mural.

John Stephenson immortalized

Stephenson, who is from South Portsmouth, Ky. - just across the Ohio River from Portsmouth, Ohio - came south to Hattiesburg to play baseball at Carey, then turned pro and played for the New York Mets and California Angels. He used to catch Nolan Ryan. In fact, Stephenson was the catcher for Ryan's first major-league strikeout. (There were 5,713 more of them.)

"I caught him quite a few times," Stephenson said.

Then he returned to Carey to coach the school's baseball and basketball teams.

Stephenson moved away from Hattiesburg a while back to coach at Southeastern Louisiana and later managed several New York Mets' minor league teams.

But Hattiesburg is never far from his heart. He was here when Carey's new baseball field was dedicated last spring, and he was here to instruct local youngsters last month at the Bobby Halford Baseball Camp at Carey. He'll be here next week, after a trip that begins today to Portsmouth for another mural dedication.

"It's quite an honor to be on the wall," Stephenson said. "I went up there last year for a ceremony, and they're having another one this week for three more guys. The mural is really a beautiful thing. People walk and drive along it just to look at it."

Stephenson is shown on the mural crouching like a catcher, next to the likes of Don Gullett, Gene Tenace, Larry Hisle and Del Rice.

Stephenson now lives in Hammond, La. But people here in Hattiesburg like Bush, and the people of Portsmouth, haven't forgotten him.

Hattiesburg American Assistant Sports Editor Alan Hinton can be reached via e-mail at

ahinton@hattiesburgamerican.com

.

Nothing... short... of awesome!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Very cool. If I'm ever in Portsmouth, Ohio I want to have my picture taken in front of that mural.

[Theoldmole]

Good for John.

[Guest Edgy DC]

="Yancy Street Gang"]Very cool. If I'm ever in Portsmouth, Ohio I want to have my picture taken in front of that mural.

If I'm ever there, I'm tossing a pitch right at that glove. Eventually, so many pilgrims will join me in my rite that we'll wear a deep dimple in the brick, creating a noble pocket right in the mitt. (They'll naturally have to regularly repaint the places hit by the pilgrims who don't share my pinpoint control.)

Notice how huge those feet are.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I wonder, how big is the figure in that mural? I'd love to see a picture with a person in front of it, so we could get a sense of scale.

We know the wall is 16 feet tall, and Stephenson's picture at most takes up half the height, since we see parts of other players to his left and right. I'd guess the picture is roughly life size.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Keith Miller enters the Oral Roberts University Athletics Hall of Fame, joining Mets coach Tom Nieto. In a nice touch, also going in will be Angela Manuel, track star and daughter of Jerry Manuel.

Angela Manuel, Keith Miller, Garth Robinson Elected to ORU Athletics Hall of Fame

TULSA—Former Track & Field standouts Angela Manuel and Garth Robinson, and Major League Baseball veteran Keith Miller have been elected to the Oral Roberts University Athletics Hall of Fame, Athletic Director Mike Carter announced on Tuesday.

Manuel and Robinson will be inducted at halftime of the ORU-IUPUI men’s basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 27 at Mabee Center. Miller, who is unable to attend due to prior commitments, will be inducted in 2008. The trio brings the total number of Athletics Hall of Fame members to 33.

Manuel, the daughter of former Chicago White Sox manager and current New York Mets bench coach Jerry Manuel, lettered four seasons (1994-98) in both indoor and outdoor track & field. A West Palm Beach, Fla., native, Manuel captured three All-America awards in her time at ORU, winning twice in the 100-meters and once in the 55-meters.

She still holds the Mid-Con records for fastest time in the indoor 55-meters (6.96) and the indoor 200-meters (24.55). In 2000, Manuel competed at the United States Olympic Trials.

A 5-time All-American and a member of Jamaica’s 1996 Olympic Bronze Medal-winning 4x400-meter relay team, Robinson is one of the most decorated track athletes in the history of ORU’s program. In just two seasons (1993-95), Robinson was a 7-time NCAA national qualifier. He placed fifth in the 1994 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 200, and in 1995 was the only collegian to qualify for three different events (55, 100, 200) at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Originally from Manchester, Jamaica, Robinson earned All-America honors twice each in 4x400-meter relay and the 200-meters, and once 4x100-meter relay.

Miller, a Bay City, Mich., native who lettered at ORU from 1982-84, spent nine seasons in the Major Leagues (1987-95) playing for the New York Mets (1987-91) and the Kansas City Royals (1992-95). As a 24-year old rookie with the Mets in 1987, Miller batted .373 in 25 games. His finest season in the Big Leagues came in 1992 with the Royals when he batted .284 with four home runs and 38 RBI as Kansas City’s regular second baseman.

At ORU, Miller left his mark on the school record book. He played in 131 games in three seasons with Larry Cochell’s Titans, batting .308 with 15 home runs and 81 RBI. He hit .368 as a junior, signing as an undrafted amateur free agent following the season. Miller helped lead ORU to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances (1982, 1983), and he also played for the United States at the 1983 U.S. Pan American Games.

Tom Nieto

ORU Athletics Hall of Fame Members

• Mark Acres, Men’s Basketball (1980-85)


• Dave Barr, Men’s Golf (1970-73)


• George Bjorkman, Baseball (1976-78)


• Kisa Bradley, Women’s Basketball (1995-97)


• Todd Burns, Baseball (1982-84)


• Greg Davis, Baseball / Men’s Basketball (1969-73)


• Arnold Dugger, Men’s Basketball (1974-77)


• Richard Fuqua, Basketball (1969-73)


• Bill Glasson, Men’s Golf (1978-82)


• Mike Hairston, Men’s Cross-Country (1978-81)


• Vivian Herron, Women’s Basketball (1985-89)


• Haywood Hill, Men’s Basketball (1969-71)


• Jim Kane, Men’s Golf (1978-81)


• Madeline Manning-Mims, Women’s Track (1979-81)


• Angela Manuel, Track & Field (1994-98)


• Ron Meredith, Baseball (1976-78)


• Keith Miller, Baseball (1982-84)


• Mike Moore, Baseball (1979-81)


• Juliana Moser, Volleyball (1996-99)


• Tom Nieto, Baseball (1981)


• Bryan Norton, Men’s Golf (1978-81)


• Rhonda Penquite, Women’s Basketball (1977-78)


• Krista Ragan, Women’s Basketball (1998-2002)


• Joe Rassett, Men’s Golf (1978-81)


• Anthony Roberts, Men’s Basketball (1973-77)


• Garth Robinson, Track & Field (1993-95)


• Pekka Saila, Men’s Tennis (1968-70)


• Alvin Scott, Men’s Basketball (1973-77)


• Sheera Sirola, Volleyball (1994-95)


• Bill Springman, Baseball (1976-78)


• Peter Van Lingen, Men’s Tennis (1967-71)


• Bob Volk, Baseball (1976-78)


• Haywoode Workman, Men’s Basketball (1986-89)

[stevejrogers]

No clue when his episode will air, but Darryl Strawberry shows up this season on Spike TV's "Pros vs Joes" http://www.spiketv.com/#shows/prosvsjoes2/index.jhtml which pits ex-pros vs those who were "Good enough to dream, but still bitching about whatever reason they never made it"

[Guest Edgy DC]

Rafael Santana was a good fit managing Winston-Salem last year, so the White Sox promoted him to AA Birmingham, one of Wally Backman's old jobs.

The Sox also appointed the remarkable Chris Jones to manage Class A Kannapolis, wherehis batting coach will be Andy Tomberlin.

You have the Mets on your resume, you are in with the White Sox.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Keeping tabs on Tabler.

Troy takes after dad

But Moeller senior is a star on hardwood, not diamond

BY TOM GROESCHEN |

TGROESCHEN@ENQUIRER.COM

Troy Tabler could really big-time people if he wanted, but that isn't the Tabler way.

The tale of the two-sport Tablers

Pat Tabler was one of the area's all-time greatest prep basketball players (McNicholas 1976) and a standout baseball player, going on to a 12-year major-league career. His son, Troy Tabler, a Moeller senior, is one of the area's top basketball players. He is a rare three-year starter at Moeller, which is ranked No. 1 in both the city and state Division I polls. PAT TABLER McNicholas class of 1976 Basketball : Still holds McNicholas single-season scoring record (25.6 ppg). ... No. 67 on Enquirer all-time Top 100 list of area boys' basketball players. Baseball: No. 1 draftee of New York Yankees in 1976. ... 12-year major league career; 1,101 career hits (.282 batting average). Fun fact: Signed with Virginia Tech out of high school for both baseball and basketball, was drafted No. 1 by New York Yankees (No. 16 player picked overall) and went straight to baseball. TROY TABLER Moeller class of 2007 Basketball: Enquirer all-city as junior, third-year starter, more than 700 career points. ... Helped lead Moeller's 2005 team to the Div. I state tournament. ... Signed with Wright State for basketball. Baseball: Was standout pitcher during his elementary school days (All Saints parish, next to Moeller on Montgomery Road) ... Gave up baseball as freshman. Fun fact: Began his career in Summit Country Day school system, transferring to All Saints in fifth grade.

Tyler Tabler, now 24, played baseball and basketball at Moeller and went on to a solid baseball career at Miami.

Tabler, a senior at Moeller, is the biggest name on the best boys' basketball team in Ohio. He has helped lead Moeller to a 14-0 record, with the Crusaders ranked No. 1 in both the state (Associated Press) and area (Enquirer coaches) Division I polls.

Troy's dad, Pat Tabler, was one of the greatest athletes in Cincinnati history. Pat holds the McNicholas season basketball scoring record (25.6 ppg as a senior guard in 1975-76) and was recruited by the likes of then-Indiana coach Bob Knight, but he was even better as a baseball outfielder. He was the New York Yankees' No. 1 draftee in '76, and went on to a big-league career of 1,101 lifetime hits and a World Series ring (Toronto '92).

"I got my work ethic from him," Troy said of his dad. "He taught me that whatever work you put into something, that's what you'll get out of it."

Pat made hundreds of thousands of dollars in his career. Baseball-reference.com salary data show he peaked at $900,000 in his final major-league season in 1992. Tabler invested well, and the family lives in well-to-do suburb Indian Hill.

Still, the determination that drives both father and son continues, as you typically will find Pat and his wife, Susan, working the spiritwear table at Moeller home games. Not backbreaking work, granted, but work nonetheless.

"This is such a great place," Susan said. "We just love helping out."

No big-timing from this big-league family.

Pat, who at 48 still looks as youthful as he did in his playing days, is the tall red-haired guy who greets passersby with a big smile at Moeller games. He and Susan will help your kids find just the right size Moeller shirt, shorts or jacket. He's glad, too, to sign the occasional autograph.

But when the varsity game tips off, there are Pat and Susan in the front row at midcourt.

"When I played, all I had to do was play," Pat said. "As a parent, all you can do is watch and you have no control. I get a little emotional sometimes watching Troy, but I try to enjoy it."

Troy said having a famous father was more blessing than curse. Some kids can live up to it, some don't like the pressure.

"I was 4 when his (baseball) career ended, so I really don't remember a lot of that," Troy said. "I just know I've always been proud of him."

The perks of being Pat Tabler's boy didn't always hurt, either.

"I know it's given us opportunities to go to games and do other things we might not have been able to do," Troy said.

Susan Tabler said it may have been easier on Troy because he had an older brother, Ty, who now is 24. Ty played baseball and basketball at Moeller and went on to a solid baseball career at Miami University.

"Troy is a pretty confident kid," Susan said. "I think he and all his siblings enjoy the fact that their dad was a baseball player."

Troy is the middle kid, following Ty and Catherine and now serving as a mentor to 8-year-old twins Jake and Jaret Tabler.

Troy, 6 feet 4 and 185 pounds, is second on Moeller in scoring at 14.3 points a game. He is a combination shooting guard/point guard and also averages 4.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals a game.

As a junior, Troy averaged 14 points and was first-team Enquirer all-area. He also started for Moeller as a sophomore and averaged just less than 10 points, making him a rare three-year varsity starter for the powerhouse Crusaders' program. He started for the Crusaders' 2005 state final four team.

"He's one of the most well-rounded players we've ever had here," Moeller coach Carl Kremer said.

"His teammates really look to him."

Quinn McDowell, a junior forward who is Moeller's top scorer (15.7 ppg), said Tabler is the unquestioned leader of the team.

"He drives us," McDowell said. "We know he's been there, having played in the state tournament. He wants to get us back there again."

Troy Tabler has signed with Wright State for next season, making him the latest in a long line of Moeller stars to go D-I. He just passed 700 career points and is on track to finish in the all-time Moeller top 10 in several categories.

Pat Tabler was headed to Virginia Tech to play both baseball and basketball in '76. Jerry Doerger, who coached Tabler his senior year at McNick, recalls Knight making a personal visit to McNick that winter to try to lure Tabler to Indiana.

"I'm teaching a class one day and this guy is out in the hall walking back and forth, and he looks familiar," Doerger said. "It was coach Knight, and he really wanted Pat Tabler. Pat was the kind of tough, hardnosed kid that Knight loved."

In the end, it didn't matter because the Yankees drafted Tabler high and he went straight to the minor leagues. He broke into the bigs with the Chicago Cubs in 1981, and his 12-year career included stops with Cleveland, Kansas City, the New York Mets and finally Toronto. He was far from an ordinary player, with 1,101 career hits and a .282 career batting average.

Pat became known for his uncanny ability to hit with the bases loaded, batting just under .500 in such situations (43 for 88 in his career).

Pat recently was named No. 67 on the Enquirer's list of all-time Top 100 area high school basketball players. Since his baseball retirement, he has been a color analyst for the Toronto Blue Jays' TV broadcasts.

"Just like when I played - home in the winter and gone in the summer," Pat said.

Troy gave up baseball when he was a freshman at Moeller.

"He says it's too boring," Pat said, smiling. "I've been trying to talk him back into baseball, but he's always loved basketball. Whatever he wants to do, I'll always try to help him."

Pat coached Troy in basketball during the latter's days in elementary school. Troy and his dad sometimes will analyze Troy's games now, but always after a cooldown period that might take a day or two. Sometimes the discussion gets animated, most times not.

"I listen to him," Troy said. "He's taught me a lot. He knows what it takes."

[Guest Edgy DC]

Lindsey lives.

Columbus resident to get honor from Tennessee

Baseball stadium to be named for his financial donations

BY DAVID CHING

Staff Writer

The University of Tennessee will announce plans today to rename its baseball field in honor of Columbus resident Robert M. Lindsay, whose financial contributions will help the school renovate 14-year-old Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Although a former baseball player at Vanderbilt himself, Lindsay is a longtime supporter of both schools thanks to a strong family connection. His father, Russ, played fullback at Tennessee between 1911 and 1914 and was an All-Southern selection his senior year, also the year the Volunteers won their first conference championship.

"I am honored to be able to support Tennessee baseball," Lindsay said in a statement. "Because of my father's influence, the University of Tennessee and UT baseball has always been very special to me."

Lindsay's contributions spearheaded an effort to fund the renovation project, originally estimated to cost $6 million. Construction on the plan's first phase will begin in June and will include new clubhouse, locker room, weight room, batting cages, coaches office and additional seating on the first-base side of the stadium.

It is expected to be completed prior to the 2008 baseball season.

Pending funding approval, the second phase will see construction of a new press box with elevator, resurfacing of the playing field and new permanent seating built on the stadium's third-base side.

"The improvements to Lindsey Nelson Stadium are going to help take UT baseball to the next level in player development, practice capabilities and recruiting," Tennessee coach Rod Delmonico said. "I am thankful to our fans, donors, administration and especially Bob Lindsay for keeping Tennessee baseball a priority."

The renovation plans will be announced today at the Volunteers' annual baseball leadoff banquet in Knoxville. Delmonico and athletic director Mike Hamilton will also announce plans to rename the playing field in Robert Lindsay's honor, pending formal approval from the school's Board of Trustees.

Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is set to appear as the event's guest speaker and former Tennessee All-SEC catcher

Mike DiFelice

, who played last season for the New York Mets, will be inducted into the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Lindsey Nelson Stadium:





Tim McCarver Stadium:

[Guest Edgy DC]

Covenant To Play First Official Baseball Game In 25 Years
posted January 31, 2007

The Covenant College baseball team is back after 25 years.

The Scots will be in action Saturday at 1 p.m. playing in the first Mayor's Cup against Tennessee Temple.

The game will be played at Engel Stadium.

There is free admission. Lunch is $5.

The team began as a club sport in the fall of 2005 under Coach Doug Simons.

Simons was a left-handed relief pitcher for the New York Mets and Montreal Expos and was later a scout for the Texas Rangers.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A major league interview of John Stearns in a minor league town.

Manager aims to stay on even keel

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Craig Merz

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

New Clippers manager John Stearns will be introduced to fans tonight at the team’s Winterfest in the Arena Grand Theatre. Stearns, promoted from the Washington Nationals’ double-A affiliate in Harrisburg, Pa., in December, played college football and is a former majorleague catcher who retired in 1984 and started his coaching career the next year.

He spoke to The Dispatch before boarding a flight to Columbus from Orlando, Fla.

Question: Who is John Stearns, the person?

Answer: I’m single, been divorced five years. I have a son, 26, and two stepsons, 28 and 31. They’re mortgage brokers for the same company on the West Coast. They’re doing very well. They make more money than me. I moved to Florida about four years ago. I live in Port St. Lucie (Fla.), about a mile from the Mets complex. I like to golf, work out and run.

Q: Now, what about manager John Stearns?

A: I try to be upfront and honest with the players and treat them with respect. I don’t get too high or too low. The game of baseball is a marathon. I try to be positive and whether they’re having a good day or a bad day they’ll know what to expect from me. It’s too long a season to come to the ballpark and have it feel like a job. The only two rules I have are to be on time and play hard.

Q: Your thoughts on coming to Columbus and the Clippers organization?

A: I can’t wait to get started. I hope the people don’t feel they’ve taken a step back losing the Yankees because we (the Washington Nationals) are committed to winning at the triple-A level. My goal is to win the championship and provide backup firepower to the bigleague club.

I like Columbus. I went there when I played (football) for Colorado against Ohio State. It was 1971. We beat them the second game of the season. We finished 10-2 and third in the country. When I was managing Norfolk a couple of years ago, I got up one morning and rented a car and went to the campus. I hadn’t been back since the game. I tried to get into the stadium, but it was locked.

Q: You’ve managed more than 700 minor-league games. Are you frustrated at not having a chance to manage in the majors?

A: My goal is to manage in the big leagues. It’s the one goal in athletics and sports that I haven’t reached. I’m 55 and in shape. I’m committed to that goal.

Q: The Denver Post last year listed you 15 th among the top 20 athletes to have an impact on Colorado sports (Stearns was a high school star and an All-Big Eight safety for Colorado before his big-league career). How does it feel to be ahead of Peggy Fleming but behind, among others, swimmer Amy Van Dyken (14) and golfer Hale Irwin (10)?

A: I don’t know why Hale Irwin wasn’t number one (John Elway was). I was a big jock in high school. I loved football, basketball and baseball.

Q: You were drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1973 but opted for baseball. Any regrets now?

A: I was a physically marginal player. I was 5 (feet) 11, 195 pounds and not great speed. The Bills drafted me in the later rounds. I was drafted second in the country by baseball. That cinched it.

Q: Staying on the topic of football, do you have a prediction for the Super Bowl?

A: Peyton Manning is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen and I’ve been watching football for 50 years. It’s his time.

Q: You were a baseball analyst for ESPN in 1993. Did you do your own makeup?

A: Nope. Somebody airbrushed me (laughs). I didn’t work as hard at the job as I should have. I regret that.

Q: The Clippers will be in a new ballpark in 2009. Where do you hope to be in two years?

A: A lot of big-league coaching jobs don’t lead to being a major-league manager. This is a good job for me. It will be exciting when the new park opens in ’09. I guess I have to have two good years and hope they invite me back when it opens.

Q: The International League offices are here and I’m sure president Randy Mobley is reading. Do you have any kind words for the umpires that may help if you run into trouble with them at some point this season?

A: I respect what the umpires do. My whole philosophy is I’d rather not get thrown out. I had one season when I had none and usually I have two or three ejections a season. Umpires are going to make mistakes. They don’t do it on purpose. I tell the players the best way to deal with it is to get on their good side.

cmerz@dispatch.com

Reports have Mel Stottlemyre getting offered the pitching coach job in Arizona. Maybe Randy Johnson liked him better than Guidry. It's probably irrelevant, but his numbers suggest it.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ex-Mets are everywhere this morning:

Big Pay Day for KBO Hurler

Southpaw Koo Dae-sung of the Hanwha Eagles became the best paid pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization on Wednesday after signing a 630 million won ($671,000) contract.

The payout is also the second best in the league after outfielder Shim Chong-soo of the Samsung Lions, who will receive 750 million won in 2007.

Koo, 38, who has played with Japan’s Orix Blue Waves and U.S. Major League’s New York Mets, was 3-4 with 37 saves with a 1.82 ERA and had more than 20 saves six seasons in a row up until last year.

[seawolf17]

I miss Mr. Koo.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Jim Frey: Pool Shark

ABACKUS COLUMN: The man who beat Willie Mosconi

By Larry Backus /

dfbackus@aol.com

Members of the Boys Club have heard this yarn, directly from the subject of this story, Jim Frey. Jim is married to my cousin Joan, a vivacious and classy lady. I met Jim when I was 12. He had married Joan, his high school sweetheart, and my job was to babysit their first son, Jim Jr., while they played cards with my and Joan's parents. Joan and her parents loved cards and baseball as much as my parents. Me, I loved the stories Jim told as a minor league player for baseball's Milwaukee Braves about his experiences in winter ball; revolutions and baseball, what a mix.

Fast forward nearly 50 years to recent occasions when my wife and I had opportunities to visit with Jim and Joan. Through that time Jim had retired from a 40-year career in baseball during which he had been batting coach of the great Baltimore Oriole teams of Earl Weaver, won a pennant in his first year as manager for the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago Cubs, prior to becoming general manager and EVP of the Cubs. When we got together at Jim's winter home in Florida, Jim regaled us with stories about the humor and the icons of major league baseball. The Freys visited with us in Fairfield Glade the next summer when Jim was 74 and demonstrated that he was no slouch on a golf course. Hall of Fame Chicago Cub second baseman Ryne Sandberg credits Jim with making him the all-time leader in home runs at his position. Jim is one of the premier storytellers of baseball lore along with such peers as Joe Garagiola, Tommy Lasorda and Bob Uecker. I learned that, during rain delays with the Orioles, Jim led a group that played pinochle and compiled a world class list of baseball clichés. It was no surprise to hear that Jim, as a NY Mets coach, asked a slumping pitcher why he wasn't doing better. When the player replied that it was God's will, Jim suggested he ask God if it's OK to throw strikes.

My wife and I are graduates of Western Hills High School in Cincinnati, the same school that Jim and Joan attended. I first heard this tale at a West High sports banquet where Jim and his good friend and boyhood compatriot, Don Zimmer, were featured speakers. When Jim was growing up in a western suburb of Cincinnati he spent many hours at Ernst's Pool Hall on Harrison Ave. in Cheviot, a small town suburb of Cincinnati, where I also spent my formative years and sold newspapers at Hader's Hardware across the street from Ernst's. Jim had a part-time job there to make spending money while in high school. Like Don Zimmer and later Pete Rose, also West High grads, he learned a bit about wagering, but he also became an excellent billiards player.

When he managed the Chicago Cubs to the National League Pennant in 1984 he was the toast of Chicago. He received a call from a friend who asked him to appear at an exhibition that Willie Mosconi would give that evening in Chicago. As a pretty-fair billiard player Jim would never turn down a chance to meet the dapper Willie Mosconi, the greatest billiard player who ever lived.

That evening Jim was summoned from the huge audience to a rousing ovation. Willie, taking note of Jim's popularity, asked if he would like to play a game of billiards. Jim replied in the affirmative. Willie gave Jim the break and Jim claims he sank a fair number of balls in rotation before a miss. It was Willie's turn and he promptly dispatched a run of balls but atypically missed before clearing the table. Jim claims he will never know if Willie missed on purpose or not, but it was Jim's turn and he took full advantage. He cleared the table and won the game.

Willie turned to the audience and asked if they would like to see he and Jim play another game. The audience roared their approval. When Willie turned to Jim he was shaking his head. "No way am I playing you again, Willie. I'm going to my grave as one of the few men who ever beat Willie Mosconi in a game of billiards."

Kudos, gripes, suggestions? E-mail

dfbackus@aol.com

.

[Guest Edgy DC]

We've got double-Rico action here.

You'd think they could get more out of an Al Freakin' Schmelz sighting.

Somebody smack young Jake Hirshman.

Ex-major leaguers pitch life’s lessons to Scottsdale students

By Stephanie Berger, For the Tribune

February 10, 2007

Baseball players can’t always hit home runs. But at Scottsdale Stadium on Friday, nine retired major leaguers did score points with more than 300 Scottsdale students.

The former players met with selected students at an annual event hosted by the Scottsdale Charros community service group. The Scottsdale Unified School District students from all grades were chosen for their academic excellence, leadership and involvement in campus athletics.

Both baseball enthusiasts and not-so-sporty students rounded the bases, stopping at stations to learn about pitching, catching and base-running. They also learned life skills, said Wayne Botkin, Charros president.

“The goal is that they’ll all come away with something, whether it’s a fundamental baseball skill, (an interest to) start playing or life lessons,” Botkin said.

Al Schmelz, a former New York Mets pitcher, gave the students a pep talk.

“People say I’m lucky to have played in the big leagues, but the definition of lucky is when preparation meets opportunity,” he said.

Kevin Kobel, a former Milwaukee Brewers and Mets pitcher, threw a few balls from the mound before adding his own words of wisdom.

“(Pitching) is not that easy,” he said. “It takes a lot of practice. Most people have to work to be successful.”

Students left with a mix of advice and techniques.

Daniel Levy, a senior third baseman at Arcadia High School, said he learned “focus and attitude that will help my game out.”

Jake Hirshman, a fourthgrader at Cocopah Middle School, said he “already knew everything” when it came to technique, but he liked meeting the players.

Even first-grader Ashley Craig from Aztec Elementary learned from the event. In between tossing a baseball glove in the air and pulling handfuls of grass out of the field, Ashley made a decision about her future in sports.

“I don’t want to play baseball. Baseball is for boys,” Ashley said. “When I’m older, I’m going to be in gymnastics.”

Contact Stephanie Berger by telephone at (480) 970-2339.

Bobby goes after a third continent.

Valentine in Geelong to spread a whole Lotte love for the game

Bobby Valentine, manager of the Japanese Pacific League team Chiba Lotte Marines, is in Geelong with his team for a series of matches against Australia's national side.

Martin Boulton

February 11, 2007

BOBBY Valentine has spent enough time in this country to know baseball sits some way behind football, soccer and netball as the most popular sports played by Australian children.

Still, that didn't stop the former New York Mets manager donating his time in Geelong yesterday to promote the game he's passionately dedicated himself to for nearly 40 years.

Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, San Diego Padres, the Mets and the Seattle Mariners before taking over as manager of the Texas Rangers in 1985.

His seven years as Mets manager included taking the team to the 2000 World Series against cross-town rivals and two-time defending champions, the New York Yankees.

As manager of the Japanese Pacific League team Chiba Lotte Marines , Valentine is visiting Australia for the second time ahead of the team's season, starting next month.

Next week, the Japanese team plays a two-game friendship series against the Australian national team in Geelong and Valentine is expecting some healthy competition.

"The competition should be good, we're a group that needs to play some games leading into next month and they (Australian players) will want to make a show of it ahead of the Olympics," he said. "Sure, they'll be friendly matches, but it's a new season for us and we're trying to come together as a team.

"We want to establish ourselves as a perennial contender and if we're not winning it (the Japan Series, which his team won in 2005), then we want to be in the hunt.

"We have a very good talent base, a good fan base and good ownership, so the stars are aligned for good things to happen."

Valentine was happy to pass on a few tips to young baseball players at the Geelong Baseball Centre yesterday.

"I can see baseball's not going to be your No. 1 sport, or even the No. 2 or 3 sport for a long time, but I see it is growing," he said.

"A lot of these young kids told me they just want to play, they just want to be on a team and that's good for the game of baseball."

With a gruelling 142 games of baseball ahead of them, Valentine said the opportunity to visit Geelong and train in a warm climate was a valuable part of the team's preparation.

"The weather has been very co-operative, the people are so friendly and the facilities are excellent …" he said.

Game one of the two-game series between Australia and the Chiba Lotte Marines will be held in Geelong at 7.30pm next Tuesday. Game two, also in Geelong, is on Wednesday at 3pm.

[G-Fafif]

As Jeff Fassero and Vinny Castilla hang 'em up for good -- and Bernie Williams is left to consider his options -- the Hartford Courant reports David Cone continues to attempt to embrace retirement and his kid:

]Cone Admits, Leaving Baseball A Difficult Proposition February 9, 2007 By DOM AMORE, Courant Staff Writer MONTVILLE -- There comes a point when athletes have to let go, but putting off that day has become fashionable. "It's tough," said former Mets and Yankees pitcher David Cone, who finally retired after a brief comeback in 2003. "You go through a panic. Self-doubt creeps in. `What am I going to do? I'm a baseball player. That's all I know.' You don't have any practical experience in the real world, and you panic. You're prone to mistakes." Cone, 44, who was honored Friday night at the Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer's 20th anniversary dinner at the Mohegan Sun, has been peripherally involved in several projects, but not until his son, Brian, was born last March 23 did he find his true post-baseball calling. He gave up a chance to work on Mets broadcasts last year to spend as much time as possible raising his son. "My wife [Lynn] and I had been trying for a long time, but we'd had problems," Cone said. "We feel blessed that it finally happened. That put a lot of things into perspective for us. You don't want to feel helpless; you want to learn how to change diapers, how to care for a baby. I really have an appreciation now for what mothers do. First thing I did was call my mom and say, `I'm sorry.'" Cone has a number of ideas, including an oral history project on Marvin Miller and the Major League Baseball Players Association, and is involved with several charities, including his own foundation. But he still misses the days when he was a top pitcher with the Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays and Royals. After a 4-14 season with the Yankees in 2000, he refused to hang it up. He pitched for the Red Sox in 2001, and after a year of retirement, came back in '03 with the Mets. "This time of year, with pitchers and catchers reporting, I still get the itch," said Cone, who had a 194-126 career record. "'How's my arm feel?' I miss being good at it. I don't miss the physical pain I had at the end of my career." David Wells, Cone's longtime teammate and close friend, nodded and smiled when he heard that. Wells intended to retire after last season, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He signed a one-year contract with the Padres, his career record at 230-148. "I should quit lying to you guys and just admit that I'm going to go until they kick me out," said Wells, who has had back and knee surgery in recent years and will turn 44 in May. "After last season, I was 99 percent sure I was going to retire. But I spend some time hunting and I start thinking, `What am I going to do?' I could play golf, but that must get tired after a while. All my friends work, so I'd be by myself. Finally, I asked my wife, `Is it OK if I play again?'" John Franco, who was also on hand to roast Cone, played 22 years before retiring two years ago, just weeks short of his 45th birthday. Brett Favre had twice dallied with retirement, but will return to quarterback the Packers. Bernie Williams, a Yankee since 1991, doesn't want to retire either, and is likely to accept an invitation to spring training as a non-roster player. That undisputed champion of retirement procrastinators, Roger Clemens, 44, said last week he was "failing at retirement," and kept the door open for a return to the Astros, Yankees or Red Sox. "I think Roger is reveling in all this," Cone said. "I think deep down he wants to return to the Red Sox. I think that would bring his career full circle, to go back to where it started. That's what I did [with the Mets]. There's a certain appeal to that." Wells, Cone and Don Larsen, the three pitchers to throw perfect games for the Yankees, were there Friday, along with Yogi Berra, who caught Larsen's gem in the 1956 World Series against the Dodgers, and Joe Girardi, who caught Cone's on July 18, 1999, against the Expos. The foundation, started by former Yankee John Ellis and his wife, Jane, was expected to raise more than $1 million for cancer patients and their families from the 2007 dinner. "I have a great deal of respect for what Mr. and Mrs. Ellis have accomplished here," said Cone, who was also to receive proceeds for his foundation and charitable endeavors. "I'm honored to be a part of it."

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sham flees shrew to join Designated Hebrew in Israel:

Holtzman, Blomberg, Shamsky to manage in Israel League

Feb. 12, 2007

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

NEW YORK -- Former Major League Baseball players Ken Holtzman, Ron Blomberg and Art Shamsky were hired Monday as managers for the first season of the Israel Baseball League.

Six teams will play in the league, which opens June 24. Each club will play 45 games over eight weeks, with no games Friday nights or Saturday afternoons because of the Sabbath.

Former Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette is the league's director of baseball operations and Daniel Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, is its commissioner. The league plans to announce cities later this month, spokesman Marty Appel said.

Holtzman went 174-150 and is the winningest Jewish pitcher in MLB history. Blomberg was the first designated hitter in MLB and Shamsky played for the 1969 New York Mets World Series championship team.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sham flees shrew to join Designated Hebrew in Israel:

Hebner Named As Hitting Coach For 2007

Posted on Feb 12, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Birmingham Barons are pleased to announce that hitting instructor Richie Hebner will round out the Barons’ 2007 field staff. Hebner joins manager Rafael Santana, and returning pitching coach Richard Dotson, to lead the Barons through the Southern League schedule this summer.

Hebner, a Massachusetts native, had an 18-year playing career in Major League Baseball from 1968 to 1985. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, all of the National League, and the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was a starter for the Pittsburgh team that won the 1971 World Series. Hebner compiled a lifetime batting average of .276 with 203 home runs and 890 runs batted in 1908 career games.

After his playing career ended, Hebner was hitting coach of the Boston Red Sox from 1989 to 1991 and a member of the Philadelphia Phillies staff in 2001. He was most recently the hitting coach for the AAA Durham Bulls from 2002 to 2006. During his tenure as hitting coach, the Bulls were one of the best hitting clubs in the International League.

The Birmingham Barons will open their 2007 campaign with an exhibition match-up against their parent club, the Chicago White Sox, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on March 29th, 2007 at 6:05pm. For ticket information, please visit www.barons.com, or call the Barons’ office at 205-988-3200.

[Gwreck]

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/17/Rays/Devil_Ray_performs_un.shtml

Devil Ray performs under pressure

By Marc Topkin
Published February 17, 2007
St. Petersburg Times

ST. PETERSBURG - Infielder Ty Wigginton came through with a lot of big hits for the Devil Rays last season. But that was nothing like the way he delivered during the offseason.

When his wife, Angela, went into intense labor two weeks early, Ty ended up delivering their son in the bedroom closet of their new North Carolina home.

"He was out in less than a minute," Ty said Friday. "One or two pushes, and he was ready to see the world."

The baby was healthy. The delivery, given the circumstances, was smooth. But it was not without drama. And some chaos.

Angela lying on the floor of the walk-in closet. Their 3-year-old son, Chase, sick and scared, locked in the adjacent bedroom, screaming, "Is Mommy o-tay?" Ty getting step-by-step instructions from a 911 operator, then having to give Angela the phone so he could have both hands free to tie the umbilical cord with a lace he took out of his shoe.

"I think adrenaline took over. It's kind of all a blur," Ty said. "It was unbelievable."

"It was one of those things," Angela said. "I certainly never expected to have a baby in the master bedroom closet of my house."

The unforgettable episode started around 3:45 the morning of Dec. 20, when Angela woke with contractions about seven minutes apart. "I asked her, 'Do we need to go?' and she says, 'We're all right,' " Ty said.

A couple of hours of more intense contractions later, Angela - who went through a 14-hour labor with Chase - changed her mind. She began getting ready for a trip to the hospital, though expecting the doctors would simply send them home. Ty was already up with Chase, giving him medicine for a flu that had him vomiting and preparing to drop him off at Angela's parents' house.

"About 6 o'clock she's in the closet trying to get dressed, and I'm getting our son ready to go out the door and she yells, 'We're having this baby now,' " Ty said.

"I think she's kidding. Then I come around the corner and, sure enough. ... I called 911 and told them to get somebody over there. And like a minute later, I'm holding the baby in my arms."

It took about 10 more minutes for the paramedics to get there, though Ty said it seemed like an hour. Not that he had time to get too worried.

"The baby came out and he looked great," Ty said. "The scary part was that he never really cried until the EMTs got there, but he was breathing. His tongue was moving in and out of his mouth. I could feel his heart beating. They just told me to keep wiping his nose and mouth and keep him wrapped in a towel."

The baby weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces, measured 18 inches and seemed a perfect fit for the name they had already picked out: Cannon.

"He dropped just like a cannonball," Ty said.

Ty, 29, has had no medical training, unless you count the shows he has watched on TV. "I love Untold Stories of the ER," he said. "So maybe now we can have Untold Stories of the Closet."

Angela said the experience went as well as it possibly could. "He did great," she said. "He acted like it was his job."

"Actually," Ty said, "she was the bigger hero."

Ty, one of the Rays' most productive players last season, said he plans to stick to baseball. But he said they learned something from the experience.

"Next time, if she even sneezes or coughs, we're going to the hospital," Ty said. "I don't care if she is only two weeks pregnant."

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Holy shit!

[stevejrogers]

Great article G, but this is the former MLBers thread:

This is the Continuing Careers Of Ex-Mets thread

[Guest Edgy DC]

Three-year-old Chase Wiigginton:

"Is Mommy o-tay?"

It's funny, my friends Paul and Sara did the same thing on the bathroom floor. It was their fourth kid and you'd have thought they'd have figured it out by then.