Frilly Mazzilli

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I finally after a long period of not doing anything did something.

Two z's as in Dazzling; two l's as in Brilliant. Thanks to Gfafif for an early lookover.

http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/e0629b8b

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Excellent job!!!!

[G-Fafif]

This bio should get its own poster day at Shea, preferably a Saturday against the Padres.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, I love it.

I have a few questions for the biographer. I'll send them offline.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

uh oh

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Bulging with goodness, like a speedskater's thighs.

[Edgy MD]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: uh oh

No really, just want to know what other treasures you saw inside the cave that is the Life of Mazzilli.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I started with the question of how a kid from Sheepshead Bay becomes a champion speed skater. In just about every interview he gives, he has the same answer and only makes it more confounding ("it was just something I did with my cousins."). So finding that coach was a bonus, although I used what he gave me very sparingly.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, congratulations, as you gave that part of his life more coverage than just about anybody. What I couldn't get is how he could put enough into it to become such an elite champ at such a boutique sport and just walk away from it. The idea that he had a baseball playoff game conflict with an important skating tournament, so it was a "no-brainer" to give it all up remains confounding. And I speak as his biggest fan.

[ashie62]

Sports Extra..Mazur Mazilli Sunday night channel 5..For years..pre espn.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: Yeah, congratulations, as you gave that part of his life more coverage than just about anybody. What I couldn't get is how he could put enough into it to become such an elite champ at such a boutique sport and just walk away from it.

I can understand it. Something similar happened to me. I think I have mentioned it before.

Later

[Zvon]

Excellent article JCL! I didn't now anything about Maz's life before he became a Met save for that he was a kid from Brooklyn. Very informative for me. I'm reading the Collins write up next.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I got the idea from talking to the coach that the skating life required some intense dedication, lots of weekend car trips to places like Lake Placid, practicing at odd hours of the nite and morning etc. For a teen who was also excelling at a sport he could play in his neighborhood, I could understand that.

Anyway thanks for the support. There are a lot of good bios on the site and more subjects than we'll ever get to, so you should consider participating if you like.

I'm working on 2 others at the moment, hopefully the next one comes out fairly soon. The one after that one is gonna be awesome, but I can't reveal the deets yet.

[Theoldmole]

Great piece.

[metirish]

Excellent , I can't believe I never knew about the speed skating stuff.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Great read, Lunchie.