This weeks Sports Illustrated Regional Covers

This week Sports Illustrated has combined previews of the 2014 big league baseball post season and the 2014-15 NHL season preview on three regional covers.

The East Coast cover has Baltimore Orioles Gold Glove center fielder Adam Jones and Washington Capitals goal scoring great Alex Ovechkin.

In the Midwest its the St. Louis Cardinals ace right hander Adam Wainwright and USA Hockey and St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie.

Out West the cover features Los Angeles Dodgers Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and Stanley Cup Champion Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings.

Sports Illustrated points out that no team since the 1935-36 sports year have both the World Series and the Stanley Cup Champions resided in the same city.

That city?

Detroit, Michigan... The 1935 Detroit Tigers won the World Series and the following spring the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup.

With that very fact in hand, why didn't SI have a cover with Miguel Cabrera and Pavel Datsyuk on the cover representing the ONLY city to accomplish the feat?

Happy Baseball Birthday...Roger Bresnahan

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday! Is Hall of Fame player and manager Roger Bresnahan.

Roger Philip Bresnahan  was born in Toledo, Ohio, on June 11, 1879.

At the age of 16 Bresnahan played semi pro ball in Manistee, Michigan, and would make several minor league stops, including playing for his hometown Toledo Mudhens before getting to the big leagues.

Bresnahan made his debut in the big leagues on August 27, 1897 for the then Washington Senators of the National League.

In 17 big league baseball seasons Bresnahan played every position on the baseball diamond in 1,446 games, batting .276 in 4481 at bats.

In the 1905 World Series Bresnahan caught all give games for the champion Giants, including all three complete game shutouts by Christy Mathewson.

Brensnahan is most famous in baseball history not for any hit, throw, or play he made, but for what he popularized...catchers shin guards.

Brensnahan first wore shin guards in a ball game in 1907, and although several complaints were made, baseball allowed the equipment, and catchers all around baseball began using the protective guards.

Brensnahan also managed in the big leagues, as player/manager for both the St. Louis Cardinals (1909-12), and the Chicago Cubs (1913-15).

Brensnahan last big league appearance was a the Cubs player/manager, on October 3,1915.

Brensnahan stayed in baseball after his playing days, as a coach for the Giants and Detroit Tigers, before becoming the owner of the Toledo Mudhens.

Brensnahan passed away from a heart attack on December 4, 1944, in his hometown of Toledo, at the age of 65.

In 1945 the Veteran's Committee voted Roger Bresnahan into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Happy Baseball Birthday Roger Bresnahan!

PLAY BALL!

Happy Baseball Birthday....Johnny Oates

Today's Baseball Birthday is former big league catcher and manager Johny Oates.

I remember watching Johnny Oates catching in the big leagues in the 1970s, mostly for the Phillies and the Dodgers.

Johnny Oates was born on January 21, 1946, in Sylva, North Carolina.

Oates played baseball at Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round, pick , #10, in the 1967 Amateur MLB Draft.

Johnny Oates made his big league debut with the Orioles as a pinch hitter on September 17th, 1970, getting a single of the Washington Senators Dick Bosman in the 9th inning if a 2-0 Washington win.

Johhny Oates was a good big league catcher, playing with the Orioles, Braves, Phillies, Dodgers, and Yankees.

In 11 years, Oates collected 410 big league hits in 593 games, hitting 14 HR and 126 RBI.

Behind the plate Oates was a good fielding catcher.

In 533 games, Oates compiled a .987 fielding %,  playing 3, 955 innings, with 2,416 put outs in 2,729 on chances.

Oates only committed 36 errors, and collected 277 assists in his big league career.

Johnny Oates played his final game as a big leaguer on May 24, 1981.

In 1991 Oates took over as mananger of the Orioles, and in 4 years had a 291-270 record.

Oates took over the managerial reigns of the Texas Rangers in 1995, leading the club to thier first ever playoff appearance in 1996.

 Oates wad named Co-Manager of the year in 1996, sharing the award with the Yankees Joe Torre.

Oates managed the Rangers into 2001, compiling a 506-476 record.

Johnny Oates was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2001, and was given just months to live.

He passed away on December 24th, 2004.

Today we celebrate the life of Johhny Oates.

Happy Birthday Johnny!

Paul Blair

Paul Blair, the former Gold Glove center fielder of the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds, has passed away.

Paul Blair was 69.

Article... http://www.decaturdaily.com/sports/pro_sports/article_d367622f-be85-59d8-8238-e1fbe520880d.html?mode=jqm

In my 6 decades of watching baseball, there was no better center fielder in the American League while Paul Blair was roving the outfield for the Orioles.

Mickey Stanley, the Tigers CF in 1968, won a couple of Gold Gloves, the others always seemed to land in Blair's glove,  just like thousands of lost hits did.

My thoughts and prayers for the Blair family.

May God Bless Paul Blair.

Baltimore Orioles...60 years.

Just came across this on Twitter, released by the Baltimore Orioles.

60th Anniversary Patch.