The 10th Inning

"Baseball was one-hundred percent of my life."...Tyrus Raymond Cobb

Tuesday night was the debut of Ken Burns 10th Inning, the sequel to his fantastic PBS series "Baseball" from 1994. 

It covers they many ups and downs of our National Pastime the past 16 years, including plenty of discussions on the steroid era, and the 1994 players strike.

On the positive Burns discusses the great fans who continue to pack big league parks, the legend of Ichiro Suzuki, the greatness of Ken Griffey, Jr., and the Boston Red Sox World Series win in 2004, including their coming back from 3 games down in the A.L. Championship Series against the hated New York Yankees.

The movie also celebrates baseball's help in the national healing of our country after the terrorist attacks of 9-11.

There are some things that were left out, like the 2005 Chicago White Sox ending decades of futility  by winning the World Series, or the remarkable Albert Pujols, the best hitter in baseball for 10 years.

None the less, this is a fitting addition to the original, and the steroid era talk is very powerful.

This 2 part series is a must see for baseball fans of all ages. I hope you enjoy it.

Here's the link to the Tenth Inning.

My favorite players from all 30 Big League teams...Vol. #6...Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves

There's just something about certain players that makes them catch your eye. The way they stand up at the plate, the way they play the field, the way they run, or throw, or maybe just the way they approach the game.




All the above statements can be said of Dale Murphy, my favorite player to ever wear the uniform of the Atlanta Braves.

I know, a lot of people will be asking hey, what about Hank Aaron?




Yes, there is no doubt Aaron is the greatest Brave off All-Time, and I respect that, but I got to watch Murphy much more than Aaron, who was ending his career as I was starting to really understand baseball.





Dale Murphy could do it all, a fantastic five tool player who patrolled center field for the Braves in the 1980's, winning 5 straight Gold Gloves from 1982-1986, and was the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1982 and 1983.

From 1981 to 1990,  Murphy led the entire Major Leagues in Home Runs and RBIs.





Murphy also lead the National League in runs, games, at bats, hits, extra base hits, RBIs, runs created, total bases, and plate appearances during the decade of the '80's.

Not bad for a guy who began his big league career as a catcher before moving to 1st base, and then to the outfield.

With all the accolades that Murphy collected for his play in the big leagues, he's also  considered as one of the good guys in baseball, a player who thinks about the game first, and not himself.





Dale Murphy, simply put, was the best player in baseball for most of the 1980's, and, in my opinion, he belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Play Ball!

From the JBLBB Desk

"The one constant through all the years Ray has been baseball..."

James Earl Jones Field of Dream speech 

That is just part of the great line by James Earl Jones, as Terrence Mann, in the 1988 movie Field of Dreams. You can listen to the entire speech at the link above.

The one constant for me this year is my constant battle with my health issues, including my arthritis and my diabetes.

My lack of writing anything on a constant basis is because of my health, and I appreciate my loyal readers for your understanding.

There are many days when I simply cannot write because of a lack of energy, even though the thoughts are constantly running through my head.

I hope September brings me better health, and a better chance to post new articles, which will include my favorite players from the National League East, the Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals.

Remember, when it comes to the Braves it's the Atlanta Braves, and not the entire franchise.

Same for the Nationals. 

The Montreal Expos will be a separate article,  on teams that no longer exist, as will both the Milwaukee Braves, and the Boston Braves.


I'm also going to be featuring a few new things, such as my All-Time team lineups, my favorite baseball books, movies, and some posts on collecting baseball cards,


If you collect baseball cards, and simply cannot wait, just go to MyDetroitTigersbaseballcards blog site.


I blog about my collection, and I have links to other baseball fans blog sites. These guys are great baseball fans, so check 'em out.


Thanks for following my writing.


God Bless.


John

The Greatest Little Leaguer Ever

Every year the town of Williamsport, Pennsylvania hosts the Little League World Series, the culmination of 11 and 12 year old ball players all over the world.

I played Little League baseball in Portage, Michigan in the early 1970's. I never even knew there was a World Series for us kids. We just loved playing baseball as much as possible.

My brother Robert and I played on a team together, and we were the best right side of the diamond in the Portage Little League. Me at 1st base, and Robert at second. If you hit a ball to the right side on the infield, you made a right turn, and went back to your dugout.

I did play one game of All-Star baseball in Little League, but I was out matched by the older, more talented kids. 

That was as good as I got. Time to move on.

The reason for this look back to my Little League days is this article I saw in the Detroit News about the 1959 Little League World Series Champions from Hamtramck, Michigan.

1959 Little League Champions from Hamtramck. Michigan

The link above to the article tells the story of Pinky Deras. considered the "Greatest Little Leaguer there ever was."

Today Deras, 64, is a retired police officer, and father of a Little League ball player. He is a humble man, who reluctantly talks about those days over 50 years ago, because he, like the boys of that era, know that it takes a team to win.

Please take the time to read this story. Yes, I admit, I read the article because the team is the only Little League winner to ever come from the state of Michigan, my home state.

I hope you will forgive my bias this once, and take a few moments to read about a time when kids played baseball for the love of the game.

Bobby Thompson passes away

Today the world of baseball lost one of the great men who ever put on a big league uniform as Bobby Thompson, who hit one of baseball's most famous home runs, died at the age of 86.

 Baseball fans growing up in the Metro New York area will always remember where they were on October 1st, 1951, the day that Bobby Thompson became part of big league baseball lore.

In Game 3 of the National League Playoff between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants, Thompson hit the second pitch he saw from Dodgers relief pitcher Ralph Branca into the left-field bleachers at the Polo Grounds, putting the Giants into the 1951 World Series.

That home run is know in baseball history as "The Shot Heard 'Round The World."

 Bobby Thompson's Shot Heard 'Round The World

The Giants win in the playoff completed an improbable comeback as New York came roaring back in the second half of the season.

The Giants trailed the Dodgers by as many as 13 1/2 games during the 1951 season before tying Brooklyn on the final day.

Thompson was as an unlikely hero as there has ever been, but isn't that what makes the game of baseball so special?

Baseball honors men like Thompson, a good player during his 15 year career, who shied away from the limelight, always giving his teammates the credit over the things he did on the field.

Bobby Thompson was a gracious man, a Scottish born lad who hit .289 his rookie season in 1946, while belting 29 home runs, and driving in 82 runs for the Giants.

Thompson also played for the Milwaukee Braves, the Chicago Cubs, and the Baltimore Orioles, where his career ended, in 1960.

#600 for Alex Rodriguez

Today at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Alex Rodriguez hit a two run home run in the bottom of the first inning, becoming the youngest player in big league history to hit 600 home runs. 

Alex Rodriguez's 600th HR 

Rodriguez joins Barry Bonds,(762) Hank Aaron(755), Willie Mays(660), Ken Griffey Jr.(630), and Sammy Sosa(609) as the only players to hit 600 home runs in the big leagues.

There was a time when the thought of someone hitting 600 HR would be a national, crowning achievement by baseball fans everywhere, instead Alex Rodriguez's milestone HR has been welcomed with mild, and to some, even melancholy interest, at best.

Rodriguez's admittance of using steroids while playing for the Texas Rangers has soured many fans, including myself, on Alex, because I truly believed that he was a talented player, with God given talents, who didn't need any help in playing, and excelling at baseball.

The state of the game, with the continued revelation of players who have tested positive for HGH, steroids, etc., has taken milestones such as Rodriguez's 600th HR, and made them a non-factor for the majority of baseball fans.

Only die-hard Yankee, or Rodriguez fans are really ecstatic today, and that's a shame.

I can still see #715 like it was yesterday. 

I sat in front of my TV, a 14 year old boy who loved baseball, and was ready to witness history. 

I knew Hank Aaron would hit that magic HR off the Dodgers Al Downing, you could just sense it.

The NBC Monday Night Game of the Week was as highly anticipated as any game in baseball history, as it should have been, and when Aaron hit the blast that sent him past Babe Ruth, a nation of baseball fans across the country celebrated the grand achievement.

Hank Aaron's 715th HR

I love the great game of baseball, and have always respected the players for how hard they play the game. Baseball is a hard game to play, and it's now a fact that because of the steroid era, the game has been damaged. 

Milestone's like 600  home runs, or 300 wins, or 3,000 hits, should be celebrated as great achievements in  a players career, and I hope baseball gets the game turned around to that again.

Anyone who starts hitting home runs at an alarming rate will have fans asking if that player is using a banned substance, and that's just unfair to the tens of thousands of players who have played the game the right way, the honest way.

Next up...the Chicago White Sox DH Jim Thome, who has 577 hrs. Thome will next have to pass Mark McGwire, who hit 583 HRs, and finally, this year, admitted that he to, had taken steroids. 

After McGwire, Thome will then have to pass Frank Robinson, who hit 586 round trippers in his big league career.

How will you feel about Thome, a guy who has never been even remotely rumored to have taken any substances at any time?

For me. I've always like Thome, and like the way he has approached, and played the game, and so I will cheer on Thome as he nears 600 dingers, I just hope he doesn't hit the magical HR against my Detroit Tigers.

Stan the Man

Big league baseball fans, check out the article in the current issue of Sports Illustrated about Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial.

 Joe Posnanski wrote a terrific article about the legendary Cardinal, who at 90 years young still takes the time to sign fan autographs, and upon request, will play "Take me out to the Ball Game" on his harmonica.

Musial, to me, is simply the greatest ball player that ever put on a uniform for the Redbirds.

This is a must read for both old school, and young baseball fans alike.

My favorite Brooklyn Dodger

Another in a continuing series looking at my favorite players from every big league team, past and present.

The Brooklyn Dodgers haven't played a game since September 29, 1957, and yet their legacy is still entrenched in baseball's glorious past.

Today's I write about my favorite Brooklyn Dodger of All-Time, Jackie Robinson.

The Dodgers move to the West Coast and Los Angeles left baseball fans in Brooklyn without a big league team to root for, and as the team left, the souls of Brooklyn's fans left to.

Growing up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I was of course, a Detroit Tigers fan, but I was also a baseball fan in general, and I loved reading about the game's glorious past, and listening to my Uncle talk about the game, and the teams of his youth.

My Uncle would tell about my Grandmothers dislike for the Yankees, and how she would root for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Yanks in the teams epic World Series match ups of the time. I soon started reading books on the Dodgers, and what I found was just terrific. 

Part of the charm of the Brooklyn Dodgers is Ebbets Field, the beloved stadium that the Dodgers called home. 


Built by owner Charlie Ebbets, the ballpark is steeped in baseball lore. It opened in 1913, and stood as the cornerstone of the Dodgers franchise until the team left in 1957.

The Brooklyn Dodgers are my favorite team that no longer exists. Yes, the franchise still plays on in L.A., and I do like the Dodgers, but there is just something special about the team when they played in Brooklyn.

Jackie Robinson is the Greatest Dodger of All-Time!

I just love Jackie Robinson. 

If I were to ever get a Throwback Jersey of any team other than the Tigers, I would buy a Brooklyn Dodgers #42 of Jackie Robinson.

Jackie was as beloved a player as the Dodgers had, even amongst the racial hatred of the time. Dodger fans were soon taken by their great ballplayer, that's what they saw, a ball player, not a black man, a man, and he was a Brooklyn man.

He was a great ballplayer, yes, but he was also a great man, who endured serious racial attacks when he broke baseball's color barrier when he made his debut with the Dodgers on April 15, 1947.

Jackie was exciting!

Look at the old clips of Jackie and you see one of the most exciting players in the history of big league baseball. Jackie was aggressive at the plate, he was aggressive running the bases, stealing bases, he was even exciting in the field, making spectacular plays with his glove, and his arm.

Jackie was a great all around player, who hit for average, for power, who could throw, field, and steal bases.

Before Brooklyn

Robinson came to the Dodgers late for a rookie, he was 28 years old in 1947, and one could only imagine what he could have done had he been able to play earlier.

Before he got to the big league Jackie also played in the Negro Leagues, for the Kansas City Monarchs, in 1945, and then played for the Montreal Royals, in the Dodgers farm system, in 1946.

Jackie Robinson...10 years as a Brooklyn Dodger

The 1947 Major League Rookie of the Year

The 1949 National League Most Valuable Player

Six time All-Star, 1949-50-51-52-53-54

A member of the 1955 World Series Champion Brooklyn Dodgers

Elected into the Baseball Hall of  Fame, 1962

.311 Lifetime batting average

1,518 hits

137 Home Runs

734 RBIs

187 Stolen Bases

Jackie Robinson was honored by Major League Baseball on April 15th, 1997, the 50th Anniversary of Jackie's breaking the baseball color barrier, by retiring his #42 throughout big league baseball.

Every April 15th Major League Baseball celebrates the life of Jackie Robinson. 

This year is the 63rd Anniversary of Jackie's big league debut at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, and his lasting memory is as great as it has ever been, as both a great ballplayer, and a great man.

 

It's time to change the HR Derby, starting with ESPN

Enough is enough is enough.

It's time to change the MLB Home Run Derby.

First, they way the players are chosen.

It's so simple, but maybe that's why baseball doesn't see it. We don't need a vote to decide the roster, all we need are the HR stats.

The top 5 HR hitters at the break should be the contestants, regardless if they've been there before.  

This would've been the A.L. lineup...Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton, Miguel Cabrera, Vladamir Guerrero.

This would've been the N.L. lineup...Adam Dunn, Joey Votto, Albert Pujols, Corey Hart, Prince Fielder, Mark Reynolds.

OK, I know there's 6 players from the N.L., but that's the beauty. That's 11 players, I know that, but with other changes, it's not a problem.

Using the top HR hitter in each league will create a much better buzz. The format would allow the best long ball hitters every year to face off...look at this year, and what could have been...ex-Angel and current Ranger Vlad Guerrero coming back to his old ballpark, in front of his old fans. Talk about a hometown favorite. 

How about an Adam Dunn-Joey Votto matchup. The ex-Red Dunn challenging his old teams new slugger Votto, the top 2 HR hitter in the N.L. going toe-to-toe.

Second, change the format.

Why do the players get 10 outs before they're done. It takes to long, way to long.

Cut the outs down to 5 per round, that will allow the extra players time to hit.

We don't need to sit there for 3 1/2 hours watching guys taking pitches they don't like, sweating profusely, and taking breaks to get a drink while we fans wait for those 10 outs. It's to long.

Let MLB pitchers throw to the batters

How cool would this be. We don't need batting practice pitchers, bullpen coaches, what the contest needs are real pitchers. Each contestant can bring a teammate to throw to him, but it needs to be an actual big league pitcher.

Get rid of ESPN.

I used to love watching Chris Berman, but the "back-back-back" is old, and needs to go, and we don't need the over whelming play by play of the homers like it's Game 7 of the World Series. 

Last night was horrible. Berman and Joe Morgan talked to various guest's all night long, talking over one another, and ignoring the actual contest. 

The ESPN coverage is awful, plain and simple.

Give the HR Derby to FOX, and use the local FOX affiliate as the co-hosts. This would allow baseball fans to be introduced to a fresh set of voices covering the game each year. I would have loved to have seen Rex Hudler, a former big league player, and current Angels commentator, cover the game on TV. 

Hudler has a great passion for the game, and would, again, introduce non-Angel fans across the country to Hudler, known in his playing days as "Rex the Wonder Dog."

Give baseball back to the fans.

Stop all the ridiculous promotions, we don't care about a new TV show, or a movie that's coming out. We're watching to see baseball players hit baseballs a long way, it's that simple...just give us baseball.

I don't mind seeing all the great players of the past, but showing them taking a picture with someone while a player is taking his cuts during the HR Derby is terrible. 

In the end, it's simple for me. The HR Derby is a great thing for the game of baseball, and it's fans, but the contest needs to be re-tooled, and it all starts with getting rid of ESPN, and giving the game of baseball back to the fans.

Time for the best All-Star Game in sports

Good Monday morning from here in beautiful Jacksonville, Florida.

It's time for the annual break in the big league baseball season, time for the 81st All-Star Game, this year being played in the home of the California, er, Anaheim, uh, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. 

I love the big league All-Star Game, it's the best, by far, of all the major sports annual classics. 

The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in 1933 @ Comiskey Park in Chicago. The game was created by a famous baseball writer of the time, Arch Ward. Babe Ruth hit the very first HR, and the A.L. beat the N.L., 4-2.

When the American League takes the field tomorrow night, I'll be sitting in front of my TV set to watch the game for the 41st time consecutive year, cheering on the boys from the A.L., after all, I'm a Detroit Tigers fan, and the A.L. is my league, as it has been since that first year, when the Cincinnati Reds Pete Rose bowled over A.L. catcher Ray Fosse of the Cleveland Indians to score the winning run for the National League.

What makes the baseball mid summer classic the best All-Star Game of the four major sports?

Quick, can anyone tell me what happened in the 1977 NBA game? The 1984 NFL Pro Bowl? The 1996 NHL game? Of course not. That's because those games are not played the same way their games are played in the regular season. 

You cannot blitz defensively in the Pro Bowl, and most of the best players refuse to play in it anyway, leaving the game for the back-ups, the NHL game is a wide open scoring showcase, which has nothing to do with the defensive minded way the regular season is played, and the NBA game, well, it's the NBA, a game that is the epitome of self promotion, "hey, look at me."

Baseball fans and the All-Star Game are different. I will always remember the 1970 game, not for the finish, but because it's the one game I got to watch with my Dad, who wasn't a baseball fan. We watched that game while on vacation, one of the few times I ever remember sharing a good time with my dad, who was a work-a-holic. He was a great billiards player, and he loved the Cousy/Russell Boston Celtics. He wasn't at home much, so spending some quality time with him any time I could get it was great.

The following year the All-Star Game came to Tiger Stadium in Detroit, and I was in baseball heaven. My Tigers were hosting the game, I would get to see my hero, Bill Freehan, and the great Al Kaline play in front of the home town fans.

The A.L. and the N.L. combined for a record 10 HR's in the game, and baseball fans will always tell you about Reggie Jackson's mammoth home run off the light tower in deep right center field as one of the great homers ever, regular season or not.

Year after year the big league baseball All-Star Game gives fans the best of the best, from the Montreal Expos Gary Carter wearing white shoes while hitting two HR's and winning the game MVP in 1981, to Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez striking out 5 of the 6 batters he faced while pitching in his home, Fenway Park, in 1999.

Baseball fans are also very forgiving when it comes to the annual game, as was the case with the 7-7 tie in 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

Because the teams ran out of pitchers to use after the 11th inning, changes to the game have been made.

The 2003 game was billed as "This time it counts," as baseball awarded the winning team home field advantage in the World Series. Since 2003, the American League has won every All-Star Game, and has won 4 World Series, to 3 for the N.L.

The NFL Pro Bowl, the NBA and NHL All-Star Games, they all have their appeal, they all have their place, but for myself, nothing measures up to the greatness of baseball's grand summer gem.