Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Countdown to Opening Day, by the Numbers, #2

We started the countdown to opening day with #1...the fastball, Richie Ashburn, Cookie Rojas, and Billy Martin.

Today we move on, we call the next pitch, #2...the curve ball, Uncle Charlie, oh, and a 2 seam fastball.


#2 is "What's on second...who? No, he plays 1st base.

"Let's play two..."  Ernie Banks

#2 doesn't take a back seat to the old #1, #2 stands on it's own.

#2 is the heart, the fire, the Soul of Tommy Lasorda, both as a lefty pitcher in Brooklyn, and as a manager in Los Angeles.

#2 is the Junior Circuit, the American League, who started playing ball in 1901, 25 years after the National League, making them #2 to the Senior Circuit.

Derek Jeter is #2, the last Yankee to wear a single digit number @ Yankee Stadium, both old and new.

#2 has been retired by...the Chicago White Sox, for Nellie Fox, by the Detroit Tigers, for "The Mechanical Man," Charlie Gehringer, and by the St. Louis Cardinals for the "Red Head." Red Schoendienst, and by the Dodgers for Lasorda.

Speaking of Gehringer, he wore #3 in 1931, the 1st year the Tigers began using numbers. #2 was outfielder Gee Walker.


#2 is Jerry Remy, Dalton Jones, Carl Everett, and Paul Blair... as a Yankee.

2 is two teams in Ohio, the Reds and Indians, 2 teams in Texas, Rangers and Astros, two Florida teams, the Rays and the Marlins, and 2 is the number of teams in the Windy City, Cubs on the North Side, White Sox on the South.
#2 is also how many teams remain in the Big Apple, New York City.

The Mets, the Metropolitan Baseball Club of New York, and the Yankees, always reliving the Subway Series.


There used to be three teams in Gothan City, led by Willie, Mickey, and The Duke, until 2 teams, the Dodgers, and the Giants, left, becoming the first 2 teams to play big league baseball in California.

#2 is for Randy Winn, the first #2 in Tampa Devil Rays history, and #2 is Gerald Young, the first #2 in the history of the Colorado Rockies.

#2 is 2 for the price for 1, an old school double header, a real twin bill, not same day, and a double play ball...Tinkers to Evers to Chance.

Number Two is 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth, 2 out, the 2-2 pitch on the way..fouled back into the 2nd deck.

#2 is the Cubs Leo Durocher, who was also #2 as a Brooklyn Dodger manager, and was wearing #2 when Bobby Thompson hit the "Shot heard 'round the World."

Bobby Murcer was #2, for the Cubbies, and for the Yankees the 2nd time around.


#2 is Heinie Manush, Brett Butler, and the great Mickey Cochrane of the Philadelphia A's.

Billy Herman, Ernie Lombardi, Red Rolfe, and Bobby Valentine were #2, but I'm sure to their Mom's they were #1.

Frank Crosetti, "The Crow." was #2 in Yankee Pinstripes  from 1947-1968.

Dick Dietz wore #2 as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Sam Rice was #2 for the old Washington Senators, and Sparky Anderson wore #2 for a cup of coffee for the 1959 Phillies.

#2 is the second man up, the guy in the on deck circle.

Second base is #2 as you round your way around the diamond, trying to stretch a double into a triple.

#2 is for the Twin Cities, Minneapolis, and Twin #2s, Denard Spahn and Zolio Versalles, the 1965 American League Most Valuable Player.

#2 is for 2 tickets, row 2, seats 1 and 2.

Back to back is #2, as in 2 straight MVP Awards for the Tigers Hal Newhowser, in 1944-45.

 #2 is the back to back World Series of the Big Red Machine in 1965-76, and back to back N.L. MVP's for their 2nd baseman, Hall of Famer, Joe Morgan.

2 is back to back, 2 Hall of Fame catchers, Bill Dickey, and Yogi Berra, of the Yankees.

Did I forget someone, or something?

Please leave a comment...or 2.













No comments:

Post a Comment