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Terp, I can feel ya on the last comment. I was born and raised a Yankee fan - though I am admittedly not the biggest baseball fanatic in the world. I loved Yankee Stadium hotdogs.
Now I am fortunate enough to live in Chicago and I regularly (5-10 times a year) get to go to Wrigley to watch fantastically mediocre baseball in "the firendly confines." There is nothing like Wrigley. Old school stadiums are hard to come by. The Wrigley dogs are pretty good (nothing like a Sabrettes at Yankee Stadium though), and for the old style baseball feel, you can't beat Old Style beer sold by the can.
posted by
smartdog_670
on May 15, 2005 at 8:21 PM
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You wanna hear something worse, Mandinka,
I've been to two games at Camden Yards. I threw a totally hissy fit with the end of Memorial Stadium. I started out wanting to be a sportswriter in high school. I spent a lot of time in the "tombs" underneath Memorial Stadium. My teacher's husband was the assistant GM for the Orioles. He went on to the Mets. Each spring we got to work for him, if you want to call it that. That was back in 1977. We were paid $8 an hour to wear short, baseball caps and drive around (paid mileage), handing out calendars. Or, we gave away those free things at the front door. Then we were given the best seats and all the hot dog and soda coupons we could use. What a gig for a high school kid!
On my second visit to Camden, I know my husband thought I was a lunatic. I kept going from food stand to food stand looking for a hot dog...not a Kosher, not a foot long...a regular, wrapped in tin foil hot dog. There are none. They thought I was nuts. I've never gotten over that. Some people smuggle in alcohol. I'd have to smuggle in hot dogs. :)
There isn't a bad seat in the place, however. Funny, but that was one of the charms of Memorial Stadium for me, too. You never knew if you'd be getting a seat behind a beam or something. Always exciting.
My husband and brother work about a block away from the Stadium now. My brother is the GM for the Baltimore Arena now, and I love that area with all its overhanging lights. It's a neat atmosphere. It's not incredibly touristy around there.
Kim
posted by
terpgirl30
on May 15, 2005 at 4:49 PM
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Hey Terp
I have actually been to the BAbe ruth museum it is right down the street from camden yards. IT is awesome. MY brother and I went before an Orioles game. He was kind of in a rush because he wanted to get to the park to see his kids. I was only there about 1/2 an hour but I could have stayed a lot longer looking at the memorabilia and reading about his homeruns and who he hit them off of. It was nice to go though but I wish I could have soaked it up a bit more.
posted by
mandinka
on May 15, 2005 at 3:42 PM
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Chair Throw
The funny thing is Lefty never got the press for his antics that Bobby Knight did. I think it was because most people couldn't understand him. He was fun to watch though.
posted by
mikea18
on May 15, 2005 at 3:02 PM
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Mike
Okay, you're forgiven. I missed you correcting me...you did it in such a nice way. I missed the rule book thing. That's a keeper.
posted by
terpgirl30
on May 15, 2005 at 2:37 PM
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King
Loved Robin Yount, too. I don't know if it's because he was good or because I was a teenager girl.
posted by
terpgirl30
on May 15, 2005 at 2:35 PM
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Earl
Dang, you know I typed that twice and didn't catch it. It was Lefty who had the chair throw. Got my Marylanders mixed up. He was throwing a chair in his mind though. He would turn his hat sideways, finally rip it off and throw it (not a chair) to the ground, then kick dirt around home plate that was meant or the umpire.
I'm sorry. Mike, you didn't call me on that. Yeah...I thought not.
posted by
terpgirl30
on May 15, 2005 at 2:34 PM
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Kingmi
If Earl didn't throw a chair it's becuase there wasn't one to throw in the dugout. Not only did he throw things at umpires but on at least one occasion he threw catcher's gear at Rick Dempsey. His classic fit was the time he ripped apart a rule book. Later it was found out that he borrowed the book from one of his coaches.
posted by
mikea18
on May 15, 2005 at 2:08 PM
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Frank and Brooks
That is how I remember the commercial but then Brooks and Frank where both rolling on the floor with that line. It was hard to tell who was taller.
Don Mattingly is another who I remember as being great but injuries hurt him in the end.
Thinking of Mark Belanger, he couldn't hit but he owned Nolan Ryan. Put him up against a journyman pitcher he couldn't hit, put him up against a hall of famer and he was on base all the time.
I prefer the older relief pitchers like Rollie Fingers and Dan Quisenberry. Both had to pitch more innnings to get their saves then Rivera. The change in that roll makes it hard to compare the relief pitchers of today to the ones of yesterday.
posted by
mikea18
on May 15, 2005 at 2:06 PM
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Kim, didn't know that Earl Weaver had a classic chair throw. My all time favorite team was the Milwaukee Braves with Red Schendeinst, Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Torrie, Al Torrie, Warren Spawn. Also, the Big Red Machine. I lived in Lexington and got to go up to Cinnci to see some of the playoff games. Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Yatzee, George Foster, Pedro Borbon, Ken Griffey (Sr.).
Thanks for the memories!
posted by
kingmi
on May 15, 2005 at 1:02 PM
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Mandinka
See I told you! I started laughing at the Cy Young entry! Duh. Would you believe Babe Ruth's house is in Baltimore, I've been in the media for umteen years, asked to see it, and not once did I go. Now that the stuff is traveling, I'll probably see it.
You had some great picks. It made me wonder about some of the old players and how they'd fare today.
Mike touched on Weaver moving Ripken. Mark Belanger was the shortstop. He won all sorts of awards. EVERY news item I've read on him nowadays says that given the need to hit in today's game, he wouldn't have lasted more than a few years...yet he is always remember as being among our best.
Another good one that hurt himself and couldn't come back was Frank Tanana.
The one who always struck me as a little sad was Steve Garvey. He was really, really good in a consistent way. Then all the scandal came out about him, then he turned into a sort of caricature of himself. I can't separate the baseball side of him from the commercial side.
Mike, are you sure Frank was the taller one? I'll have to change the captions on the photo I got. I think I messed it up.
You'll notice I left out Jim Palmer which would have seemed like a natural. Again, now that I hear him all the time, he grates on me. It has so twisted the image for me.
posted by
terpgirl30
on May 15, 2005 at 12:41 PM
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My Team
Starting Pitcher CY young- they did name the award after the guy
CLoser-Mariaono RIvera-Awesome in the regular season, greek god like in the postseason
First Base-Lou Gehrig-outstanding power hitter and average hitter and he'll show up everyday
2nd Base-Robbie Alomar- great glove, high average good power and a great base stealer.
Short Stop-ALex Rodriguez-strong arm, great fielder and best power hitter ever at that position.ALso had a 40/40 year
THird Base-MIke SChmidt- one of the great fielding 3rd basemen of all time. 3 time MVP, outstanding power
Catcher-Ivan ROdriguez-Greatest defensive catcher ever with 11 gold gloves- good for average hitter as well who could run a little and hit for power a little
LEft Field-Barry BOnds- 703hr, 500 plus steals, 8 gold gloves and career average around 300
Centerfield-Willie Mays-Even better than bonds defensively, career 306 hitter with 660 homers and 300 plus steals
Babe RUth-342 lifetime hitter with 714 homers, wasn't a bad pitcher either
posted by
mandinka
on May 15, 2005 at 11:55 AM
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Cal Ripken
Overall I think of Cal as a shortstop, even though he did finish his career at 3rd. Moving Cal to short was Earl Weaver's idea and again shows his brilliance.
Of players I have seen, I would have to say Roberto Clemente from the Pirates. Brooks and Frank Robinson from the Orioles. According to their Miller Lite commercial Frank was the taller one.
Due to my own lack of talent I always gravitated to the utility players. The guys who would play out of position just to play. I still remember Lenn Sakata coming in to catch one inning and Tippy Martinez walking three batters and picking each one off of 1st that inning.
Mike
posted by
mikea18
on May 15, 2005 at 11:47 AM
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