Orange Duce

[Farfromgeneva]

I’ve fallen off over time, partly as my dad had passed in 2012 and partly as I think the business and operations displaced the “sport” elements. We love sports for Pete Rose crashing unto Ray Fosse at an All Star game, Red Schoendist scoring from first, Carlton Fisk wishing a ball go fair and George Brett nearly murdering an ump who Billy Martin strong armed into invalidating Bretts homerum over too much pine tar. It’s not about efficiency of having my third lefty middle reliever throwing two out pitches to the lead off guy who was replaced with a double switch because he hits righty’s 4x better than lefties. 4hr games, the analytics took the sport out of the game. Sad thing it’s the same highly educated guys building elegant mathematical models now who miss the fact that just like Wall Street and other areas of positive science/quantitative analysis they all can never be predictive only directional over large masses of data so it doesn’t even succeed like they think it should. Baseball the business stripped all the sport out of the game. Basketball and football are heading there with certain aspects too.

[cradleandshoot]

Pretty good podcast w George Will in the Republican Party and Trump. Hosted by a guy (I love) Russ Robert and his show EconTalk

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e ... 0449958658

Thanks.
George Will has been a steadfast conservative thinker and commentator for decades. I'll listen later today.

And an Orioles fan...once sat 4 seats away from him, he scoring the game on his lap.

4 seats away and you didn't get his autograph?? Shame on you. You must be a glutton for punishment with all the years Peter Angelos destroyed that baseball team. When our Rochester Red Wings were still their farm team Angelos took a beating from every sports writer in our town about his mis-management. I guess since it is his team he can run it however he wants.

Yeah, I still own 4 season tickets 11 rows back from third base dugout...and I'm not even a baseball lover...I grew up with the Orioles, my hero was Brooks Robinson, my little league position was 3rd base...I had the pleasure of shaking his hand and having a nice discussion with him about two-three years ago at a birthday party for a friend's dad. Didn't ask him for an autograph.

I continued to follow them into the Cal Ripken era, bought the season tickets when we came back to Balt and they came up from a friend, used them back then mostly for business (sell them now, but still holding...used to get double face value, would sell half the season and go to the rest or give away...no longer get more than face value)...baseball is such a slow game you can actually have a conversation...Got to know Cal a bit as his son was in pre-school with my son, then later in middle and high school. also got to know Mike Bordick as his two boys played soccer with my son when they were tykers. Good guys, we scrupulously treated them as dads not celebrities.

Yes, I track the slide of the O's to the Albert Belle signing and to the Brady Andersen massive bonus after the steroid home run season. Lost the 'Oriole Way'.

Funny...my son was in elementary school (round about 2000ish) and his geography teacher was trying to liven up the class... on a verbal quiz he asked the boys to name 5 Major League teams and their cities...my son named four and was struggling to come up with a 5th...the teacher then asked him why he didn't mention the Orioles...my son disgustedly said, 'they don't belong in the Major Leagues'...he was actually a fan, just disgusted with the way they were playing...

My 2 favorite Orioles were Bobby Grich and Cal. I am not a big baseball guy anymore. i played the game for years, wish i knew about lacrosse back then. Baseball just became too slow and boring for me. Every batter after every pitch spends 30 seconds readjusting themselves to get ready for the next pitch. I spent most of the time when my kids were growing up with them teaching how to throw a lacrosse ball. I thought I would be teaching them all about catching a hardball. If you were a die hard Orioles fan back in the early 70s you may remember a pitcher named Fred Beene. He played for the Orioles for awhile. My wife use to babysit for his kids when he was in Rochester. He gave her a baseball signed by a bunch of players on the team in I think 1970. I use to love the Orioles. What an example Earl Weaver use to teach as an example for good sportsmanship.

Yes, Earl definitely knew how to kick dust...

I coached my son's teams simultaneously in baseball and lax...what a relief when as a 10 year old he told me he wanted to focus on lacrosse in the spring...that happened about two years into kid pitch rather than coach pitch...either the big kid would rip the ball past everyone or the next pitcher was lucky to hit the backstop...games dragged on and on with no hits, no action on the field, kids picking daisies; he played first base or catcher or pitcher simply because there was something to do (the A travel experience was better, but still slow)...my son was also ticked off with pitches called strikes thrown above his head...he said, 'at least in lacrosse there's always something to do'...a lot easier on me!

Your son sounds like me as a pitcher, great speed and no control. There was never a backstop built I could not throw a pitch over. I spent my little league career in center field. Not alway the best accuracy but i could get the ball to home plate or somewheres very close.

[MDlaxfan76]

Pretty good podcast w George Will in the Republican Party and Trump. Hosted by a guy (I love) Russ Robert and his show EconTalk

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e ... 0449958658

Thanks.
George Will has been a steadfast conservative thinker and commentator for decades. I'll listen later today.

And an Orioles fan...once sat 4 seats away from him, he scoring the game on his lap.

4 seats away and you didn't get his autograph?? Shame on you. You must be a glutton for punishment with all the years Peter Angelos destroyed that baseball team. When our Rochester Red Wings were still their farm team Angelos took a beating from every sports writer in our town about his mis-management. I guess since it is his team he can run it however he wants.

Yeah, I still own 4 season tickets 11 rows back from third base dugout...and I'm not even a baseball lover...I grew up with the Orioles, my hero was Brooks Robinson, my little league position was 3rd base...I had the pleasure of shaking his hand and having a nice discussion with him about two-three years ago at a birthday party for a friend's dad. Didn't ask him for an autograph.

I continued to follow them into the Cal Ripken era, bought the season tickets when we came back to Balt and they came up from a friend, used them back then mostly for business (sell them now, but still holding...used to get double face value, would sell half the season and go to the rest or give away...no longer get more than face value)...baseball is such a slow game you can actually have a conversation...Got to know Cal a bit as his son was in pre-school with my son, then later in middle and high school. also got to know Mike Bordick as his two boys played soccer with my son when they were tykers. Good guys, we scrupulously treated them as dads not celebrities.

Yes, I track the slide of the O's to the Albert Belle signing and to the Brady Andersen massive bonus after the steroid home run season. Lost the 'Oriole Way'.

Funny...my son was in elementary school (round about 2000ish) and his geography teacher was trying to liven up the class... on a verbal quiz he asked the boys to name 5 Major League teams and their cities...my son named four and was struggling to come up with a 5th...the teacher then asked him why he didn't mention the Orioles...my son disgustedly said, 'they don't belong in the Major Leagues'...he was actually a fan, just disgusted with the way they were playing...

My 2 favorite Orioles were Bobby Grich and Cal. I am not a big baseball guy anymore. i played the game for years, wish i knew about lacrosse back then. Baseball just became too slow and boring for me. Every batter after every pitch spends 30 seconds readjusting themselves to get ready for the next pitch. I spent most of the time when my kids were growing up with them teaching how to throw a lacrosse ball. I thought I would be teaching them all about catching a hardball. If you were a die hard Orioles fan back in the early 70s you may remember a pitcher named Fred Beene. He played for the Orioles for awhile. My wife use to babysit for his kids when he was in Rochester. He gave her a baseball signed by a bunch of players on the team in I think 1970. I use to love the Orioles. What an example Earl Weaver use to teach as an example for good sportsmanship.

Yes, Earl definitely knew how to kick dust...

I coached my son's teams simultaneously in baseball and lax...what a relief when as a 10 year old he told me he wanted to focus on lacrosse in the spring...that happened about two years into kid pitch rather than coach pitch...either the big kid would rip the ball past everyone or the next pitcher was lucky to hit the backstop...games dragged on and on with no hits, no action on the field, kids picking daisies; he played first base or catcher or pitcher simply because there was something to do (the A travel experience was better, but still slow)...my son was also ticked off with pitches called strikes thrown above his head...he said, 'at least in lacrosse there's always something to do'...a lot easier on me!

Your son sounds like me as a pitcher, great speed and no control. There was never a backstop built I could not throw a pitch over. I spent my little league career in center field. Not alway the best accuracy but i could get the ball to home plate or somewheres very close.

you must have misunderstood...my son had plenty of control, decent speed, rarely hit...but you have to rotate the pitchers out after a couple of innings...and then some poor kid struggles to get the ball near the plate. His issue was that so much of the time either it was three strikeouts and out or lots and lots of walks, no hits...or umps calling out of reach balls strikes...nothing to do for fielders...

I absolutely hated being in the outfield...something about the depth perception of ball in the sky...it was an area of terror for me! Give me a hot ground ball though and I was in my element, attacking the bounce, taking the hit with the body if necessary...goalie later in lax...

[cradleandshoot]

Pretty good podcast w George Will in the Republican Party and Trump. Hosted by a guy (I love) Russ Robert and his show EconTalk

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e ... 0449958658

Thanks.
George Will has been a steadfast conservative thinker and commentator for decades. I'll listen later today.

And an Orioles fan...once sat 4 seats away from him, he scoring the game on his lap.

4 seats away and you didn't get his autograph?? Shame on you. You must be a glutton for punishment with all the years Peter Angelos destroyed that baseball team. When our Rochester Red Wings were still their farm team Angelos took a beating from every sports writer in our town about his mis-management. I guess since it is his team he can run it however he wants.

Yeah, I still own 4 season tickets 11 rows back from third base dugout...and I'm not even a baseball lover...I grew up with the Orioles, my hero was Brooks Robinson, my little league position was 3rd base...I had the pleasure of shaking his hand and having a nice discussion with him about two-three years ago at a birthday party for a friend's dad. Didn't ask him for an autograph.

I continued to follow them into the Cal Ripken era, bought the season tickets when we came back to Balt and they came up from a friend, used them back then mostly for business (sell them now, but still holding...used to get double face value, would sell half the season and go to the rest or give away...no longer get more than face value)...baseball is such a slow game you can actually have a conversation...Got to know Cal a bit as his son was in pre-school with my son, then later in middle and high school. also got to know Mike Bordick as his two boys played soccer with my son when they were tykers. Good guys, we scrupulously treated them as dads not celebrities.

Yes, I track the slide of the O's to the Albert Belle signing and to the Brady Andersen massive bonus after the steroid home run season. Lost the 'Oriole Way'.

Funny...my son was in elementary school (round about 2000ish) and his geography teacher was trying to liven up the class... on a verbal quiz he asked the boys to name 5 Major League teams and their cities...my son named four and was struggling to come up with a 5th...the teacher then asked him why he didn't mention the Orioles...my son disgustedly said, 'they don't belong in the Major Leagues'...he was actually a fan, just disgusted with the way they were playing...

My 2 favorite Orioles were Bobby Grich and Cal. I am not a big baseball guy anymore. i played the game for years, wish i knew about lacrosse back then. Baseball just became too slow and boring for me. Every batter after every pitch spends 30 seconds readjusting themselves to get ready for the next pitch. I spent most of the time when my kids were growing up with them teaching how to throw a lacrosse ball. I thought I would be teaching them all about catching a hardball. If you were a die hard Orioles fan back in the early 70s you may remember a pitcher named Fred Beene. He played for the Orioles for awhile. My wife use to babysit for his kids when he was in Rochester. He gave her a baseball signed by a bunch of players on the team in I think 1970. I use to love the Orioles. What an example Earl Weaver use to teach as an example for good sportsmanship.

Yes, Earl definitely knew how to kick dust...

I coached my son's teams simultaneously in baseball and lax...what a relief when as a 10 year old he told me he wanted to focus on lacrosse in the spring...that happened about two years into kid pitch rather than coach pitch...either the big kid would rip the ball past everyone or the next pitcher was lucky to hit the backstop...games dragged on and on with no hits, no action on the field, kids picking daisies; he played first base or catcher or pitcher simply because there was something to do (the A travel experience was better, but still slow)...my son was also ticked off with pitches called strikes thrown above his head...he said, 'at least in lacrosse there's always something to do'...a lot easier on me!

Your son sounds like me as a pitcher, great speed and no control. There was never a backstop built I could not throw a pitch over. I spent my little league career in center field. Not alway the best accuracy but i could get the ball to home plate or somewheres very close.

you must have misunderstood...my son had plenty of control, decent speed, rarely hit...but you have to rotate the pitchers out after a couple of innings...and then some poor kid struggles to get the ball near the plate. His issue was that so much of the time either it was three strikeouts and out or lots and lots of walks, no hits...or umps calling out of reach balls strikes...nothing to do for fielders...

I absolutely hated being in the outfield...something about the depth perception of ball in the sky...it was an area of terror for me! Give me a hot ground ball though and I was in my element, attacking the bounce, taking the hit with the body if necessary...goalie later in lax...

I absolutely hated being in the outfield...something about the depth perception of ball in the sky.

I spent a lifetime shagging fly balls. You do it a thousand times and you get very good at it. When we did not have enough people to play a sandlot game we would play home run ball. 3 people spaced out at different intervals. Over the first persons head in the air was a double. Over the second persons head was a triple, over the 3rd persons head was home run. All ground balls were a single if they got by you, if you snagged the ball on the ground it was an out. We use to play that for hours. We were not lucky enough to have video games to entertain us.

BTW, my ability to snag fly balls and my horrible control is why I always played the outfield.

[Farfromgeneva]

Catcher, in every play. My primary position, along w pitching and 3rd base. I used to even run halfway up third and initiate contact w a runner. Totally disrespectful but yeah little league up until babe Ruth and American legion I could pretend to steal a base (foot on base until pitch is thrown rule) and force picked because eventually a kid would throw the ball away and I could take extra bases. Very sloppy and the better kids could manipulate the game to their advantage because of it.

[ggait]

It’s not about efficiency of having my third lefty middle reliever throwing two out pitches to the lead off guy who was replaced with a double switch because he hits righty’s 4x better than lefties. 4hr games, the analytics took the sport out of the game.

Since you guys are talking about the O's, check out the box scores from the 1969 World Series, which the O's lost to the Amazing Mets.

Five games. Four games were complete games. Elapsed game times: 2:13; 2:20; 2:23; 2:33; 2:14.

While George Will would correctly tell you that today's game is played at a much higher level, it has become unwatchable. If you are going to play today's style, the games should be shortened to 6 or 7 innings.

[Farfromgeneva]

That was a pitchers series between:

Palmer
Cuellar
Two others in spacing in now and

Seaver
Koosman
Etc.

Not a ton of hitters in that series on a relative basis and it was also the tail end of a pitchers era before they lowered the mound and made 1-2 other tweaks to benefit hitters. Bob Gibson sporting a 1 something era. Denny McClain winning 30 games then going to jail for gambling. Also about 6-7yrs before free agency as well.

[DMac]

Catcher, in every play.

Yup, best position on the field.
DMac in the Moose uniform, front row (with the catcher's mitt)
All Star Team catcher two years in a row, led the league in HRs
two years in a row too. Loved baseball, grew up around good
baseball. One of the guys in this pic went on to become a NY
Senator. Today's game is different for sure but I don't find it
unwatchable, baseball is still a great game, IMO.

[Farfromgeneva]

Look at that ‘tude. And the flat brimmed cap. You would’ve fit right in with this millenial/denial crowd with that mug and ball cap style. Gotta break that cap in baby. I used to throw it under the car a few times, chuck it into the ground a few times. Beat it down.

But great pic. Love all black and white pics. No disrespect but remind me of pics of my dad either playing baseball or hunting as a kid. Look at those a lot more than the color ones from my lifetime it seems since he’s passed.

[MDlaxfan76]

Catcher, in every play.

Yup, best position on the field.
DMac in the Moose uniform, front row (with the catcher's mitt)
All Star Team catcher two years in a row, led the league in HRs
two years in a row too. Loved baseball, grew up around good
baseball. One of the guys in this pic went on to become a NY
Senator. Today's game is different for sure but I don't find it
unwatchable, baseball is still a great game, IMO.

Same age, I looked like the Legion kid next to you, black glasses, crew cut...

[ggait]

That was a pitchers series between:

Palmer
Cuellar
Two others in spacing in now and

Seaver
Koosman
Etc.

Not a ton of hitters in that series on a relative basis and it was also the tail end of a pitchers era before they lowered the mound and made 1-2 other tweaks to benefit hitters. Bob Gibson sporting a 1 something era. Denny McClain winning 30 games then going to jail for gambling. Also about 6-7yrs before free agency as well.

Three HOF pitchers in that series (which, as you can tell, I still remember like yesterday) -- Palmer, Seaver and a young Nolan Ryan, who was a spot starter and reliever for the Mets.

[Farfromgeneva]

That was a pitchers series between:

Palmer
Cuellar
Two others in spacing in now and

Seaver
Koosman
Etc.

Not a ton of hitters in that series on a relative basis and it was also the tail end of a pitchers era before they lowered the mound and made 1-2 other tweaks to benefit hitters. Bob Gibson sporting a 1 something era. Denny McClain winning 30 games then going to jail for gambling. Also about 6-7yrs before free agency as well.

Three HOF pitchers in that series (which, as you can tell, I still remember like yesterday) -- Palmer, Seaver and a young Nolan Ryan, who was a spot starter and reliever for the Mets.

Was going to mention Ryan but he wasn’t really known to be a future star at that point. Took until Houston basically before he started getting recognized. Guys still questioned how good he was in 1986 with their run w MIke Scott (whi Roger Craig had taught the split finger-scuffball pitch to).

Pretty sure Balt had 4 20 game winners on that team didn’t they? Edit: Dave McNally is one I forgot

[DMac]

Look at that ‘tude. And the flat brimmed cap. You would’ve fit right in with this millenial/denial crowd with that mug and ball cap style. Gotta break that cap in baby. I used to throw it under the car a few times, chuck it into the ground a few times. Beat it down.

But great pic. Love all black and white pics. No disrespect but remind me of pics of my dad either playing baseball or hunting as a kid. Look at those a lot more than the color ones from my lifetime it seems since he’s passed.

That might be the cleanest I ever was in a baseball uniform, I worked on getting dirty. Mask goes pads down when tossing it on the ground, good for dirt on the face. Gotta toss plenty of dirt on the hands and arms when in the batter's box, and a close play at home was a great excuse for rolling in the dirt. Hat definitely needs a little dirtying up there though, really is out of character.

[Farfromgeneva]

I used to throw my mask like a 100 ft as a show when id go after a foul pop up. All pomp and circumstance. I was a d**k, but I tried to make my teammates better. Just showed no respect to opposing teams or their coaches.

[DMac]

My father would have been all over you and told you to hang on to your mask until you've got a bead on the ball and know where it's coming down then toss the mask away from you. No concerns about tripping over it then. I get the whole show part though.

[Farfromgeneva]

My coach was like Bill Barr to my Trump in little league. As long as I showed up first and was last one at practice and taking care of my teammates I was allowed to more or less whatever I wanted. It's good to be the king!

[foreverlax]

Catcher, in every play.

Yup, best position on the field.
DMac in the Moose uniform, front row (with the catcher's mitt)
All Star Team catcher two years in a row, led the league in HRs
two years in a row too. Loved baseball, grew up around good
baseball. One of the guys in this pic went on to become a NY
Senator. Today's game is different for sure but I don't find it
unwatchable, baseball is still a great game, IMO.

Great photo...have mine around somewhere - need to dig it out and scan it.

Growing up on the Eastern Shore - Harold Baines was a true man, even in LL, by the time he got to Pony and then Legion play. BEAST.

[Farfromgeneva]

Loved Harold Baines. I’m an As fan and he had a short but successful run with them towards the back 1/3 of his career when the As were bash brothers and some underrated pitchers.

[Brooklyn]

tRUMP_Stupid gets his wall:





https://compote.slate.com/images/8a4c92 ... offset=0x0

[youthathletics]

I thought walls were a bad thing....all of a sudden you like them.