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A Sports Blog

Chicago White Sox Home Opening Day 2020

7/24/2020

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“You always get a special kick on opening day. You look forward to it like a birthday party as a kid.”  ~ Joe DiMaggio
 
Today is the Chicago White Sox Home Opener; finally! This post should have been written months ago, but as we all are painfully aware, life changed dramatically.  But let’s put THAT aside.
 
As a fan, the White Sox home opener was always a holiday in my family. We went to the game, were called out of school as “going to the game”, never sick. A tradition that I carried on with my own three kids. No matter what the weather, we went to the game.
 
Opening Day is like your birthday, Christmas and family vacation all rolled into one. It takes on what Spring means, rebirth. This year it comes on the 24th of July, so that “rebirth” has definitely gone past it’s “due date”; but nonetheless, still a welcomed celebration. And since my birthday is tomorrow, it’s a “dual” celebration!
 
Opening Day is full of promise. Every team is in a tie for first place. (I know, with the games beginning last night, the Yankees and the Dodgers are in first, but you get the idea). Every player has the potential to have an awesome season. Every team may go to the World Series. We may see no hitters or even perfect games. There will be walk off home runs or even better, clutch hits down the line. We will see amazing defensive plays. We may see our favorite players be the hero all season long.  We may see some rookie have the start of a long, successful career. Ah, the possibilities are endless.
 
I am not thrilled with the abbreviated season, some of the lame rules that have been put in place, not being able to attend the games, nor the “playoff” structure; but BASEBALL IS BACK!!!
 
So whichever team has your loyalties and love, I wish you the best! I will be rooting for the White Sox at 7:10pC tonight! Have a dog and a beer, kick back and enjoy the season.
 
~ Coach Mike
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No Ketchup

7/15/2020

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​“A hotdog at the ballpark is better than a steak at The Ritz.”
~ Humphrey Bogart


There used to be a car commercial with a jingle that went, “Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.” It was about the “American Experience”. Today we will examine half of that jingle. 

Baseball is a traditional game, it was (and in my heart, still is) “America’s Game”, “The National Past Time.” And what is more traditional than having a ‘dog and a beer while enjoying a game at the park? 

​When did the hotdog, become entwined with the game? One story says that German immigrant Chris Von de Ahe started to sell pork sausage wieners at the St. Louis Browns ball field, which at various times was called “New Sportsman’s Park” or “Robinson Field”. Another story says, Harry M. Stevens a Britain began selling the sausages on a cold day when his ice cream wouldn’t have had many takers. Either way, they went over with the fans.

Enter Chicago; at some point the popular fare made it north to Chicago, and the pork sausage by now also had beef added to the mixture. By 1929, a “kosher-style” all beef frankfurter hit the market by a company named Fluky’s. Eventually becoming what is lovingly called the Chicago Dog, or Chicago-style hot dog, some also call it the Chicago Red Hot. 

So, what exactly is The Chicago Dog? It is a steamed hot dog (usually Vienna Beef), served on a poppy seed bun (The Mary Jane) and topped with yellow mustard, green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices (or wedges), chopped white onions, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt. This configuration is known as “dragged through the garden”. This is the perfect dog! Other condiments that are acceptable, but not necessary are cucumber slices, lettuce and jalapeños peppers. Cheese and chili may also be added, but those are sold as a Cheese Dog, a Chili Dog and when combined, A Chili-Cheese Dog.  

What is NOT acceptable on a Chicago Dog is Ketchup. Where I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, in the McKinley Park area, it was a sin and the vendors didn’t offer it, period. Ketchup is believed to cover up the taste of spoiled meat and is not needed on a fresh dog. Ketchup has more sugar than all the other condiments that go on a Chicago dog and makes the taste redundant, it hides the flavors of the other condiments as well as the dog itself. In a few short words, it’s just not done. Some disagree on this point.

The debate has and will continue forever. Which is why it’s fitting that the hotdog is so closely related to baseball. In just one example, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers stole home in the 1955 World Series against the New York Yankees, he was called safe by home-plate umpire Bill Summers. Until his dying day, Yankee catcher, Lawrence “Yogi” Berra swore he got the tag down prior to Robinson touching the plate. Many fans agree with Yogi; even fans that weren’t alive when it happened thanks to see films of the games on highlight reels. The debate on both goes on, it’s part of the beauty of the game. 

What’s your preference?

Enjoy your ‘dog and beer, either at the ballpark whenever we can attend again or at home while watching a game!

~ Coach Mike
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Amazing Stats

7/13/2020

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 “We count everything.” ~ Billy Chapel in “For Love of the Game”
 
Baseball is famous for keeping statistics on everything. History is such an important part of the game. The history of the sport is passed down from generation to generation; it’s a living history. While it is hard to compare players from one era to another, some things just stick out. Here are three players with amazing stats.  
 
Greg Maddux was a right-handed pitcher, 6 foot, 195lbs, who played in the majors from September 3, 1986 to September 27, 2008. He finished his career with a win / loss record of 355-227, an Earned Run Average of 3.16 and 3,371 Strike Outs. He played for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, back to the Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego padres and finished back with the Dodgers. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014.  
 
Amazing Stat: He faced 20,421 batters during his career and saw only 310  3-0 counts. 177 of those were intentional walks.
 
Stan “The Man” Musial, was a 6 foot, 175lbs outfielder / first baseman who played his entire 22-year career for the Saint Louis Cardinals, from 1941-1944 and 1946-1963. He threw and batted left-handed. His career stats, Batting Average .331, Hits 3,630, Home Runs 475 and Runs Batted In 1,951. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969.
 
Amazing Stat: Of his 3,630 career hits, 1,815 were at home and 1,815 on the road.
 
Bob “Gibby” Gibson, a 6-foot 2 inch, 195lbs right-handed pitch who made is major league debut on April 15, 1959 and pitched his last game on September 1975, all 17 years with the Saint Louis Cardinals. His career win / lose record was 251-174, Earned Run Average 2.91 and had a total of 3,117 Strike Outs. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1981.
 
Besides playing Major League Baseball, Bob played with the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. Bob was an outstanding athlete and was fiercely competitive. He once told his battery mate, catcher Tim McCarver when he came out to the mound to talk with him, “The only thing you know about pitching is that it’s hard to hit.” He is currently fighting pancreatic cancer. I wish him well and personally think his cancer doesn’t stand a chance! 
 
Amazing Fact: Gibson, while pitching against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 15,1967, was hit on his right leg by a Roberto Clemente line drive. Bob faced three more batters before collapsing, he had been unaware that his lower leg had fractured, his right fibula snapped above his ankle. 

Amazing Stat: In 1968, Bob Gibson had 34 starts, 28 complete games, and was removed for a pinch hitter six times. His manager, Red Schoendienst did not remove him from the mound the entire season. His record that year, 22-9 with an unbelievable 1.12 ERA.
 
We will re-visit this theme from time to time I ‘m sure.
 
~ Coach Mike
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"Shucks"

7/6/2020

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If you quizzed a causal baseball fan, chances are very high that they would recognize the name, Babe Ruth. Perhaps, not George Herman Ruth, but most likely they’d know The Babe! Well, why not, he was bigger than life. Even today, comparisons are made between modern players and “The Big Fella” as Casey Stengel used to refer to him.  

People remember the home run records of 714 for his career and 60 in a season, the infamous “Called Shot” (True or not), his career .342 batting average, the large salary ($80,000 in 1930)and his other feats in the game. He is also remembered for eating copious amounts of hotdogs, drinking large quantities of beer and his large appetites in other, more personal areas. True fans remember his early career pitching exploits. Babe Ruth is remembered. 


How many fans remember Hubert Shelby “Shucks” Pruett? I‘d venture to say, not many especially since his last appearance in a major league game was in September of 1932. 

 
Hub Pruett (September 1, 1900 - January 28, 1982) was a left-handed pitcher who played professionally for the St. Louis Browns (AL), Philadelphia Phillies (NL), New York Giants (NL) and the Boston Braves (NL). His major league debut was on April 26th, 1922 and his final game September 20th, 1932. His career pitching record was 29-48 with an ERA (earned run average) of 4.63 and 357 strikeouts. He was 5’10 and weighted 165lbs - wore number 21. His nickname, “Shucks” came about because that was about the most “colorful” language that he’d use.

 
By all accounts, Hub was an ordinary left-handed pitcher that bounced around the majors with four teams for a seven year career over ten seasons. If you examine rosters through the years, most of baseball is made up of the “Hub Pruetts”. The average guy, that plays, reaches the end of the line and moves on with his life, either in baseball or some other pursuit. In Hub’s case, he used his baseball salary to put himself though college and medical school. He followed in his late father’s footsteps as a practicing physician, and his son and grandson also went into the profession, alas, without stops in the majors. I’d say without knowing the man, it was a life well spent. An interesting story as well. But lets look at what Hub did as a 21 year old rookie in 1922 in his encounters with the aforementioned George Herman Ruth.


In 1922 Babe Ruth was suspended by Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis for 39 days. Ruth’s infraction was breaking the rule that players who had played in the World Series were not allowed to “barnstorm” afterwards to make additional money (most players worked off season jobs up until the time of free agency) that players at the time were allowed to do. Ruth did it anyway. So his year didn’t start until over a month of the season had past. Ruth’s season’s stats were:


Games: 110 - At Bats: 406 - Runs: 94 - Hits: 128 - Doubles: 24
Triples: 8 - Home Runs: 35 RBIs: 96 - Walks: 84 - Strike Outs: 80
Batting Average: .315


Pretty good numbers for missing 44 games (he had two other suspensions that year). But here is how Babe fared against Hub:


On May 22nd Pruitt in relief stuck Ruth out the first time they met and walked him the second time. He got the “save.


On June 10th Pruitt in relief stuck Ruth out.


On June 12th as the starting and winning pitcher, he struck Ruth out three times and walked him once.

On July 12 Ruth hit a weak tapper to Pruitt and was put out at first 1-3. Ruth then proceeded to strike out three times, the last time with the bases loaded.

On August 25th, with the bases load, Pruitt was called on in relief and struck him out again.


Then on September 17th, Pruitt walked Babe his first time up, struck him out in the third inning, in the fifth Babe finally connected and hit a home run and finished off by hitting a single in the eight inning.


Babe Ruth hit .153 off Hub that year with a single, a home run, 3 walks and 10 strike outs. Not bad for a rookie. 12.5% of Ruth’s strike outs came at the left arm of Hub.


Hub’s magic against the Babe wore off in 1923 and 24. His career numbers as I mentioned weren’t Hall of Fame worthy, but he earned a living as a “journeyman” lefty.


In 1948, just a couple weeks before Ruth died, Hub visited with him and thanked him for “putting him through med school” as he felt the Browns kept him due to his success against Babe. Apparently he said, “If it wasn’t for you, no one would have heard of me.” Babe is said to have smiled and said, “If I helped you get through medical school, I‘m glad of it.” (1)


Both the stars and the ordinary players make up the rich history of baseball.

 
​~ Coach Mike

 
References:
 1 - “Babe: The Legend Comes to Life” By, Robert Creamer, Simon and Schuester, April 1992
 Stats: Baseball-Reference.com 
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