Baseball Card of the Day...Tom Brady, Montreal Expos

Like all kids of his, and my generation, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady played more than one sport.

Besides getting drafted by the Patriots with the 199th pick in the 6th round of the 1999 NFL Draft, Brady was also a good baseball player growing up, good enough to be drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round of the Amateur Player Draft.

If you follow Brady on his Facebook page  you know he loves to have fun with the social media outlet, and yesterday's post by the 4 time Super Bowl Champion is today's Baseball Card of the Day.

Tom posted this picture of him dressed like an Expos player on a 1995 baseball card.


Okay, the card isn't real, we know that...Tom used a 1974 Topps Baseball Card design as the base...he was born in '77...but we loved the effort by Tom to give him props here on the blog.



And, as far as Tom's question on the posteoporosis yesterday...NO, Tom, you didn't make the wrong choice...football was the right choice.




PLAY Ball!

Baseball Bulletin...June 2, 2016

Here's a few things I've come across lately in the baseball social media world...

⚾ 75 years ago today baseball lost it's Iron Horse, Henry Louis Gehrig, to the fatal disease that now bears his name.

Lou Gehrig was a truly honorable man and ballplayer, who's record setting 2,130 consecutive games played stood as a big league record six decades until broken by Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr.

To find out more about ALS, a.k.a, Lou Gehrig's Disease, go here...


⚾ 125 years ago, on June 2, 1891, future Hall of Fame pitcher Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn won his 300th baseball game pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, at the old South End Grounds against his old ballclub, the Boston Beaneaters.

Radbourn won a big league record 59 games pitching for the 1884 Providence Grays., a pretty good chunk of his 309 career victories.

Radbourn would be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.



⚾ I posted about how a Hot Dog isn't a sandwich...

....please VOTE in the poll on the top of the right hand page...



⚾ The first ballots for this year's All-Star Game in San Diego were released this week.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez leads all American League players  with 1, 094, 942 votes, and in the National League the honor belongs to Chicago Cubs 1st Baseman Anthony Rizzo, with 874, 471 votes.

2016 American League All-Star Game vote.

National League All-Star Game vote totals.

I've been a voter for the All-Star Game since I was a kid in the 1970s, filling out paper punch ballots at old Tiger Stadium, and I've voted again this year.


The 87th All-Star Game will be played in San Diego, California, on July 12th.

I hope you will all vote for your favorite ballplayers this year.


⚾ The very best thing I saw all week was this 92 year old World War II Veteran throwing out the first pitch in Seattle on Memorial Day.

⚾ Finally today, another big league player, Marlon Byrd of the Cleveland Indians, was suspended 162 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for use of PED's.


Byrd is the 6th player suspended by MLB this year.


This really made me mad, because, as you saw in the link, he hit a game winning home run off the Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander that cost the team, and Verlander, a 2-1 loss.

The Indians should be stripped of every single win in which Byrd played, period.

This player, a guy who's played 1,573 baseball games since 2002, when he broke in as a rookie with the Phillies on September 8th, a player I've watched play baseball a lot of those years, a player who always seemed a likable guy, a player who enjoyed playing baseball.

Anything I once liked about Byrd is now gone, as it is with every ballplayer that's been busted for cheating the game of baseball.

These players know they can sign a contract for millions of dollars, and they can keep getting paid until he gets caught.

Byrd will forfeit a years pay, and his career, at age 39, is probably over, but does that matter to a man who's made $38,015,000 dollars playing baseball.


Baseball still has a serious steroids and PED problem, but it seems the testing is working...now, we have to start punishment of the players money, as well as the team he's playing for.


Until next time, enjoy our great game of baseball.


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Baseball Card of the Day...2009 Obak Tristar Madison Baumgartner

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Baumgarner is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he's also a outstanding hitting pitcher as well.


The 2014 World Series Most Valuable Player has won 91 career games since making his big league debut at the age of 20 years old on September 8, 2009.


My 2009 Obak Tristar #14 Madison Bumgarner is today's Baseball Card of the Day. 

It's not very clear, but that's Madison Bumgarner batting for the Giants on my TV In the next at bat after his homer today.


This card shows Bumgarner pitching for the 2009 Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League.

Bumgarner was 9-1, with a 1.93 ERA in 107 IP, in 19 starts for the Defenders...and...clubbed 1 home run batting.


In his career Baumgarner has shown the ability to not only hit the baseball, but hit the baseball for power as well, with 11 home runs coming into the 2016 season.


Today in Atlanta, Bumgarner hit his second homer of the season, a tremendous clout about a dozen rows into the seats in left field.


Looking threw the baseball cards I have of Madison, they're all of him pitching, so I found this 2015 Topps card of him swinging a bat on Google...and it's a beauty of a baseball card that I'm going to need to get.

Bumgarner is one of my favorite pitchers in baseball, and, like today, if I can, I tune into the Giants game to see him pitch...and hit.


⚾ As I'm writing this post, Madison has just struck out his 11th batter of the game...it's going to the 8th inning, and the Giants have a 6-0 lead.


Until next time baseball fans... PLAY BALL! 

Baseball Card of the Day....2016 Topps Mookie Betts

Last night in Baltimore the Boston Red Sox beat the Orioles, 6-2,  behind outfielder Mookie Betts, who smacked three home runs for the BoSox.


Those three dingers gets Mookie the Baseball Card of the Day, my 2016 Topps Series One #84.

⚾Leading off last night, Mookie went 3/5, with those 3 HRs, with 3 runs scored and 5 runs batted in.


Mookie is hitting .285 on the season, and has become the sparkplug for the first place Red Sox offense.



⚾Markus Lynn Betts was born on October 7, 1992, in Louisville, Kentucky.


Mookie was a 5th round selection by the Red Sox in the 2011 Amateur Baseball Draft, and made his big league debut for Boston on June 24, 2014 vs the New York Yankees.


I wanted to use three different Mookie cards in honor of his 3 homer night, but could only find this year's card...I know I have more Betts cards somewhere.



I think I need to take Mookie to get a base hit tonight in Beat the Streak.


⚾⚾⚾Congratulations to Mookie Betts, today's Baseball Card of the Day! 


PLAY BALL! ⚾

My Mailbox today...

Today's Mailbox find was a very cool piece that I had ordered a few weeks ago.


I just had to have this awesome Tiger Stadium blueprint poster.

Of course  it came rolled up in a tube, so I am using some books to straighten it out...Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers Media Guide are helping.


I absolutely love old Tiger Stadium.


It was the stadium that I first went to back in 1967, the first ballpark of my youth, the place where my heroes, the Detroit Tigers played baseball, it was special.


The 1971 All-Star Game was played in the old ballpark, and, as expected, the Grand Ole Lady of the Motor City put on a spectacular display of baseball in the American League's 6-4 victory.

⚾If you're interested in this, here's the link I shared on my Facebook page.

⚾Here's a link from Etsy...


⚾⚾⚾And here's the page for artist Charles Kee... who's grew up in Michigan and loved the Tigers and Tiger Stadium as well.

Until the next mailbox wonder...Play Ball!

Baseball Card of the Day... 1983 Topps Ned Yost

Over the Memorial Day weekend the defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals regained the lead in the Amedical League Central Division by sweeping the series from the Chicago White Sox.


Manager Ned Yost has the Royals playing terrific baseball again, and are 8-2 in their last 10 games.


The Royals re-claiming of the A.L. Central makes my 1983 Topps #297 of Ned Yost today's card of the day.

*

Edgar Frederick Yost was the 1st RD. draft pick, the 7th player selected overall in 1974 by the New York Mets.


Yost was an average big league catcher, at best, who played six years in the big leaguescreen for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, and the old Montreal Expos.


In 1983 Yost played in 61 games for the Brewers, batting .224, with 6 home runs and 28 RBI.


In the field Yost made 8 errors in 252 chances as the Brewers catcher, a fielding percentage of .971.


Yost became a big league managerial in 2003 with the Brewers, managing the team until he was fired in 2008.


In 2010 he became the Royals manager, replacing Trey Hilman on May 14th.


Yost has led the Royals to a fantastic turnaround the past 4 years, from a club that was floundering into back to back American League pennants in 2014 and 15, and last year's World Series victory over the Mets.

It's going to be a fun summer of baseball, and a terrific race for the A.L. Central between the Royals, Indians, Tigers, and ChiSox.


Play Ball!

BaseBall Bulletin...Memorial Day 2016

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

Once again all 30 MLB teams will wear special camouflage designed caps and uniforms today, as has become customary every Memorial Day in baseball.

Many big league ballplayers have served America in war time, including Bob Feller, Ted Williams, and Hank Greenberg.


I wanted to post this picture of Ted Williams in a Navy baseball uniform because, one, I've never seen it before, and second, well, it's awesome!


Ted Williams was Marine pilot who served in both World War II, and the Korean War.

Many stories are written on Memorial Day about baseball and service, here are a couple I thought you'd like, I know I did...



⚾ 12 Big League ballplayers never made it back home serving during war, and they're remembered today by MLB.com columnist Lindsay Berra.


⚾One of those ballplayers was Eddie Grant.


Eddie played for the Phillies, Reds, and the old New York Giants, and after retiring from baseball, was killed in Word War I.


This picture is from the Facebook page of Lost Ballparks, who have notated with that blue arrow the plaque honoring Eddie Grant in centerfield at the old Polo Grounds.

⚾⚾ Gary at the Infinite Baseball Card Set tells us the story of Bill Niemeyer a young ballplayer in the Chicago Cubs minor leagues, who's dream of playing for the Cubs ended in a German battlefield in 1945.

As a former Navy Petty Officer, I'm happy to see big league baseball celebrate the military each year, and I think it's great that people like Lindsay and Gary remind us that ballplayers have sacrificed in order make American safe, some who've paid the ultimate price with their lives.


⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾



Memorial Day is a traditional milepost for baseball teams and it's fans.


The baseball standings on the last Monday in May is the first eye test to see how your favorite team is doing, and if the summer looks promising.

This year's MLB Division leaders are the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers in the American League, while the Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, and San Francisco Giants lead in the National League.


It doesn't guarantee that your team will win the division, it's just a thing that's been handed down generation after generation by fans.


The other milepost baseball fans look for are July 4th, July 31st...the baseball trade deadline, and Labor Day weekend.



To see how your team is in the big league standings, Mlb.com has you covered right here.



I hope your holiday weekend has been a good one, a safe one, and I hope you have taken time to remember that although it's a holiday, Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, on May 5, 1868, and hope that you always remember the fallen soldiers that this day is celebrated for.



May God Bless all who have given their lives in battle.

Play Ball!

Thanks so much.

A special Thank You! to all of you baseball fans who read this blog, it's very much appreciated.

This weekend my blog crossed  200,000 page views. 

I write the blog as something to do, I'm not professional writer, that's for sure.


I love baseball, our country's greatest game.


Have a safe, happy, and healthy Memorial Day tomorrow, and take time out of your day to remember those service men and women who gave their lives so that we could be a free nation.

Play Ball! ⚾

Baseball Card of the Day... Julio Urias

Julio Urias of the Los Angeles Dodgers made his big league debut last night vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York.

Urias's 2014 Bowman Prospects #BP6 is today's Baseball Card of the Day.

The young pitcher has been tough to beat in the minor leagues, and because of an injury to the pitcher Alex Wood, Urias was caled up to the big league to help the starting rotation.

At Oklahoma City of the Pacific Coast League Urias was 4-1, with an era of 1.10.

Friday night didn't go as well, as the 19 year old pitcher from Mexico ended his debut allowing 3 runs, 5 hits, and walking 4 batters in just 2 2/3 innings pitched.

As usual, I didn't even know I had the young man's rookie card.

I found it going through a box of cards looking for today's selection.

I don't get to buy many cards, and if I do, it's the Walmart cards...the Retail version w/o any autographed cards or memorabilia cards.

None the less, finding this rookie pitchers card was kinda cool, like when, as a kid, I'd open up packs of Topps cards looking for Bill Freehan cards and cards to build a complete am set of Tigers cards.

Urias, the first teeanger in 11 years to start a big league game, was optioned back to the Oklahoma City Dodgers today.

I'm sure we'll see the young pitcher again, continuing rotation injuries to the Dodgers staff, or maybe in the September call-ups.

Good Luck to Julio Urias, and congratulations on making it to big league baseball. 

Play Ball! 

A Hot Dog is...

The fine folks over at the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has somehow come to the ridiculous conclusion that a Hot Dog is a sandwich.

Now, I have been hearing this argument since last year, and it makes little sense.


A hot dog isn't a sandwich.


In my 56 years I've never answered "hot dog" when asked what kind of sandwich I wanted to eat.



In all the ballparks... Tiger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, or Yankee Stadium...never have I heard a fan say the words "sandwich" and "hot dog" in unison with each other.


Have you ever heard a hot dog vendor yell out "...peanuts, popcorn, cracker jacks, sandwiches..." at a ball game?

Absolutely not.

I doubt this young fan asked his Dad for a sandwich at Fenway Park.



The dictionary folks are saying because you "split" the bun to place the dog inside, that makes it a sandwich.

Nonsense.


The hot dog is not a sandwich, it is a entity all itself, and delicious mixture of meats on a casing that snaps when you bite into it.



The only time a slice of bread for a sandwich snaps is if the bread is stale.



Hot Dog buns at the ballpark are steamed, soft buns, with a delicious frankfurter inside, ready to be dressed with mustard, ketchup, relish...some fans even put the evil onion of their dog...yuk!



The hot dog is a food eaten by baseball fans at ballparks all across the country, and American staple handed down by 100 plus years of baseball families...you don't hand down ham and cheese sandwich recipes for 100 years.

I will never call a hot dog by any other name...it's a name earned since before the American League started playing baseball in 1901.



This is the 100th Anniversary of Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs on Coney Island, New York, and I betcha that not once in all the millions of customers that ordered a hot dog ever called out... " give me 2 hot dog sandwiches all the way."

So, remember,  a grilled cheese sandwich...delicious...is a sandwich, and a juicy, fresh made hot dog is... a hot dog. 


Play Ball!