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Coach Piazza
Since his retirement, future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza has been involved in coach for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. I don’t know enough about the former catcher to form an opinion about his abilities on the sidelines, so I’m asking you…do you think Mike Piazza would be a good major league manager or coach?
The card above is from the 2013 TWJ series that is being posted daily on tumblr. This past week has been a mixture of cards from the WBC (including Brandon Phillips, Robinson Cano, and Miguel Cabrera) and players in spring training (including Troy Tulowitzki and Gavin Floyd). There is even a special WBC card immortalizing the Canada/Mexico feud. Feel free to follow (I almost always follow back) and let me know if you have any requests for future TWJ subjects!
Long Shot by Mike Piazza with Lonnie Wheeler (2013)
Long Shot
by Mike Piazza with Lonnie Wheeler
Simon & Schuster, 2013
384 pages
Spring training is underway, and new baseball books are starting to hit the store shelves. Mike Piazza released his highly anticipated memoir Long Shot a couple of weeks ago, and in it he tells of his upbringing, relationship with Tommy Lasorda, and love for the city of New York. He deals with some of the big stories of his career, including the steroid suspicions, homosexuality rumors, the Roger Clemens incident, and breaking Carlton Fisk’s record for most home runs by a catcher. The first eight chapters, which focus on Piazza’s early life through the minor leagues, capture the catcher’s personality best as he tells of meeting Ted Williams and convincing his college coaches to let him catch instead of play first base. Once he makes the big leagues in chapter nine, however, the story becomes a bit dry. We do see the evolution of the innocent, sheltered Pennsylvania boy into a hardened, cynical Californian and later New Yorker (granted, that evolution began in the minor leagues, but became much more pronounced as he was ushered out of Los Angeles). But Piazza’s recollection of specific games, at-bats, and even pitches can be a bit tedious.
Many players make a big splash by publishing “tell-all” biographies, exposing the shortcomings of former teammates and coaches. While he does take a few jabs at Pedro Martinez and Clemens, for the most part Piazza shies away from such an approach. Unfortunately, that makes the major league portion of the book more difficult to get through. There are interesting stories here and there, but the best part of Long Shot is definitely found in the first eight chapters.
Does Mike Piazza belong in the Hall of Fame? Only 57.8% of the voters showed support in his first year on the ballot, despite his staggering offensive numbers. That number is expected to rise in the coming years, and Piazza himself believes he belongs. “Election to the Hall of Fame would, for me, validate everything.” One look at his statistics, coupled with the fact that he has never been accused of steroid usage by any reputable source, answers the question quite clearly. The man worked hard for what he achieved, accomplishing great things despite the odds. If you are not familiar with his career, Long Shot is a good recollection. For those who remember his career well, read the first eight chapters and skim the rest.
Why is Greinke getting so much dough?
Let me say this upfront: I don’t hold Zack Greinke‘s salary against him. It was offered, and anyone with half a brain would accept what the Dodgers threw his way. This is not a post about the insane amounts of money athletes make (although, you have to admit, it is insane that athletes are paid that much money).
What I don’t understand is this: it’s Zack Greinke. The guy is a modern-day Alex Fernandez. Good at what he does, but far from an elite player. The highest-paid players should be those who are truly great, not #2 or #3 starters. Josh Hamilton I understand. Alex Rodriguez, cheater though he is, I get it. These are guys who produce runs and win ballgames. Greinke isn’t that guy.
Are the MVPs in the World Series?
Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers and Buster Posey of the Giants are both in the conversation for their respective league’s Most Valuable Player awards, and they are playing against each other in the World Series. Surely it’s not a rare occurrence for the MVP winners to both appear in the World Series, is it?
Actually, yes. It hasn’t happened since 1988, when Kirk Gibson and his Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against Jose Canseco and the Oakland A’s.
The above “fun cards” originally appeared on the TWJ cards tumblr; new cards are being posted every day.
Fun Cards: 1965 Topps Herman Munster
In 1965, Leo Durocher was hit on the head by a baseball that was hit from a park eight blocks away. The ball was launched by the resident of 1313 Mockingbird Lane: Herman Munster. Durocher was very excited and invited Herman to try out for the Dodgers. After the try-out, however, Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley declined to offer Herman a contract because it would cost too much to repair the stadium after each game, and the insurance premiums would go through the roof with him on the field.
When someone asks you, “Who is the greatest hitter of all-time?”, your answer should be, “Someone who never got the chance to play in the big leagues.” No, not Josh Gibson. Herman Munster was the man’s name.
“Herman The Rookie” aired on April 8, 1965. Purchase The Munsters: The Complete Series.
Fun Cards: 2012 “Taco Bell Softball” Steve Garvey
Still a ladies’ man at 63 years old, Steve Garvey gets a peck on the cheek from supermodel Chrissy Teigen.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Baseball’s Greatest Games Collector’s Edition DVD boxed set (2011)
Baseball’s Greatest Games
Collector’s Edition DVD boxed set
New Video, 2011
11 discs; 29 hrs., 56 mins. total + extras
What are the greatest baseball games ever televised? While every baseball fan may give a different answer, there are a few games that will certainly appear on the majority of lists. In this 11-disc collection, New Video makes available ten of the greatest games ever played, dating back to the 1960 World Series and coming into the 21st century with playoff games between the Yankees and Red Sox.
Let’s make one thing clear: these videos are not “highlight reels” of the featured games interspersed with interviews. No, these are the actual games as they were originally televised (minus commercials), complete with the original television announcers and graphics associated with the broadcasts. The number of Hall of Famers that played in these games is astounding, from Roberto Clemente and Mickey Mantle to Roberto Alomar and Paul Molitor. Couldn’t get any better, could it?
Actually, yes it could…and it does. Perhaps there is a television announcer that you do not like. What do you do? Mute the TV and watch in silence? You could do that, or you could go to the “audio set-up” of the DVD and choose “radio call” to hear the game as hometown fans heard it, such as the legendary Jack Buck on the 1985 NLCS game (Cardinals vs. Dodgers, featuring Ozzie Smith‘s bottom of the 9th homer), synced up to the action on the screen.
The ten games featured in this collector’s edition include nine playoff games (five of those from the World Series) and one regular season game.
- 1960 World Series Game 7 (Pirates vs. Yankees, Bill Mazeroski‘s walk-off homer to win the Championship)
- 1975 World Series Game 6 (Red Sox vs. Reds, Carlton Fisk waving it fair in the bottom of the 12th)
- 1979 Wrigley Field Slugest (Cubs vs. Phillies, a regular season game with a final score of 23-22, multiple home runs from both Mike Schmidt and Dave Kingman)
- 1985 NLCS Game 5 (Cardinals vs. Dodgers, Ozzie’s walk-off)
- 1986 World Series Game 6 (Mets vs. Red Sox, Mookie Wilson‘s dribbler that went in between Bill Buckner‘s legs to send the Series to a seventh game)
- 1991 World Series Game 7 (Twins vs. Braves, proof that Jack Morris belongs in the Hall of Fame)
- 1992 NLCS Game 7 (Braves vs. Pirates, amazing come-from-behind win sending Atlanta to the World Series)
- 1993 World Series Game 6 (Blue Jays vs. Phillies, Joe Carter‘s dramatic bottom of the 9th blast)
- 2003 ALCS Game 7 (Yankees vs. Red Sox, the 11-inning nail-biter featuring Aaron Boone‘s heroic blast)
- 2004 ALCS Game 4 (Red Sox vs. Yankees, the beginning of Boston’s historic comeback after losing the first three games of the ALCS)
In addition to these complete broadcasts is an eleventh disc featuring interviews from players and coaches, many of them involved in the contests. Hall of Famers Whitey Ford, Mazeroski, Fisk, Gary Carter, Kirby Puckett and Rickey Henderson, as well as legends Pete Rose, Fred Lynn, Tug McGraw, and Dave Stewart are included in these interviews.
This boxed set is a fantastic addition to any baseball lover’s video collection, highly recommended to those who love to relive the classic moments from baseball’s history.
Taco Cards: Steve Garvey
You will never be able to convince me that Steve Garvey should not be in the Hall of Fame.
Never.
This wraps up the “Taco Cards”…hope you enjoyed them.
Gypsy Queen – Dusty Baker
I’m not a fan of Dusty Baker the manager. And I came to baseball too late to be a fan of Dusty Baker the player. But I know there are people out there that think he is a genius, and for you I made this GQ card of the former Dodger.
Gypsy Queen – Davey Lopes and Bill Russell
Since the Reds are playing the Dodgers this weekend, how about a couple of Dodger GQ’s? It’s the double play combo of second baseman Davey Lopes and shortstop Bill Russell!
The Reds and Dodgers have been through a lot together, especially since they used to be in the same division. The Reds in the NL West..wasn’t that crazy?
Man, I miss those days.
Original Carter Sketch Card: Ramon Martinez
I don’t remember how I found out that Ramon Martinez was on the Dominican Republic’s baseball team in the 1984 Olympics. There was probably an article in the paper, and I got the idea to make a card in the style of the 1985 Topps USA Olympic subset. I’m sure the uniform is not right, and he may not have had any facial hair back then either. But I thought it was a decent idea, so I ran with it.
I know there are “bootleg” cards of Will Clark and Barry Larkin, since they were not included in the Topps set, but I’ve never seen another Ramon Martinez card in the style.
Gypsy Queen – Steve Garvey
Growing up, I always thought Steve Garvey would be a Hall of Famer one day. But in his 15 years on the ballot, he never received more than 42.6% of the vote. He joins Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Alan Trammell and Jack Morris as the guys who I was sure would be in Cooperstown, but were rejected by the BBWAA.
2011 Fan Pack Challenge: Los Angeles Dodgers
In 2009, I couldn’t find a good e-mail address to contact the Dodgers. I’m glad I did this year, though, because they sent over a ton of awesome goodies. I’m also going to make an exception to the “only 1 point for pocket schedules, no matter how many a team sends” rule, because the Dodgers pocket schedules aren’t all the same! But the pocket schedules were only the beginning…this fan pack was loaded. Line Drives magazine is basically an advertisement to coming to the Dodgers games this year, but instead of a little brochure it’s more like a magazine. If I were traveling to LA this summer, I would definitely try to make it July 26 so I could get a Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead. The pencil and pocket steno pad notebook were nice touches, too. I might start doodling and posting my doodles to the blog. You would love that, wouldn’t you?
Here’s their score:
The inclusion of pocket schedule(s) = 2 points (one featuring James Loney, another featuring Don Mattingly)
Stickers = 0
Baseball cards = 0
High-quality promotional items = 10 (4 temporary tattoos, postcard of Andre Ethier, postcard of Brent Leach, fridge magnet schedule, pencil, notebook, Line Drives magazine)
Other stuff = 0
Timeliness = 10 points
TOTAL SCORE = 22 POINTS
Most Wanted!
When Night Owl speaks, I tend to listen.
He says do it, I do it.
My wantlists are in an awful, unorganized, unupdated, unmaintained mess, so it only makes sense.
These are the cards I want the most (at the time of making this list, after being awake for 17 hours and just over an hour until I have the opportunity to shut my eyes, so it’s a partially sleep-deprived list)…
* 2005 Topps Rookie Cup Chris Sabo 66
* 1985 Donruss Mario Soto DK 19
* 1987 Fleer Sticker Cards Eric Davis 30
* 1992 Dodgers Police Eric Davis 33
* 1988 Royals Smokey Kurt Stillwell 23
* 1988 Royals Team Issue Kurt Stillwell 31
* 1983 Quad City Cubs TCMA Shawon Dunston 20
* 1985 Cedar Rapids Reds TCMA Rob Dibble 6
* 1986 Vermont Reds ProCards Rob Dibble 7
* 1974 O-Pee-Chee Ken Griffey Sr. 598
I don’t have much to offer in return, but if you make an offer I will listen and will do my best to fulfill your request. I don’t know how difficult these cards are to obtain, as I have not really actively sought most of them, nor do I know what their “book value” is as I don’t really pay attention to “the book.” So just let me know what you’re looking for, or what you want in return, and we’ll see if we can work something out.
I’m going to try to stay awake now for another hour.
Ichiro’s pre-MLB days; a pantsless Psycho; a heated Hawk
While browsing YouTube this morning, I came across some neat videos of Ichiro Suzuki batting against MLB pitchers while still in Japan.
I also found Steve “Psycho” Lyons dropping his pants…
…and Andre Dawson going batty after a bad call…
I love how Dawson says the ump was being unprofessional during the post-game interview. Hello, kettle! Meet the pot!
YouTube is so awesome!
Does Jerry Reuss really need a website?
GCRL mentioned in passing that he received some Reuss autographs in the mail today, along with a sticker that said, “coming soon, jerryreuss.com!” Really? Is this a joke? Does Jerry Reuss really need a website?
Reuss was a decent pitcher, but never won any real awards. Comeback Player of the Year doesn’t count, because that just means he was either really really bad or injured the year before. Two-time All-Star. Does that make one website-worthy? If so, where is Chris Sabo’s .com? Or for that matter, future Hall of Famer Barry Larkin’s?
Am I just bitter that the Dud-gers get more press and have more success than my Reds and Cubs combined? Maybe.
OK, I am.
But at least I haven’t been featured on Baseball Card Bust.
Fun Cards – 1982 Donruss Don Mattingly
I remember 1982 Donruss included coach’s cards because I had a Vada Pinson card, who was coach for the White Sox. So I decided to make a Don Mattingly coach card for the Dodgers, since he hasn’t been pictured in anything but pinstripes previously. I’m no Dodgers fan (sorry Night Owl and GCRL), nor am I a Yankee fan (far from it), but I like Mattingly. Hopefully he’ll become a manager somewhere and have a spectacular career so he can go into the Hall of Fame (where he belongs as a player).
I have divested myself of Mets and Dodgers
Almost completely. With the exception of doubles and a few select cards, all of my Mets and Dodgers cards will be shipped out tomorrow to Mark, Jim, and Greg. I have Cardinals and Royals set aside for another, as soon as I hear how many Reds he can send. And you’re on deck. What’s your team? How many Reds do you have to trade?
(and here’s the back to that card)
(and here’s a 2008 Topps style card using a photo taken
the same day, designed by Paul’s Random Stuff)
