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Yesterday I finally saw the movie "42," which was ironic it took me so long, because when it was first released I gave a lady in my office enough money to go see it with her mother and her daughter (they loved it). I really liked it, and it's chilling to remind ourselves what it was like in this country back in the 1940s and even 1950s. And of course the movie sugar-coated how ugly it really was back then! Really cried at the end when we read that baseball retired the number 42 so no player can have it again. Tears fill my eyes now just thinking about it.
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Yesterday I finally saw the movie "42," which was ironic it took me so long, because when it was first released I gave a lady in my office enough money to go see it with her mother and her daughter (they loved it). I really liked it, and it's chilling to remind ourselves what it was like in this country back in the 1940s and even 1950s. And of course the movie sugar-coated how ugly it really was back then! Really cried at the end when we read that baseball retired the number 42 so no player can have it again. Tears fill my eyes now just thinking about it.
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Posted: |
Dec 9, 2013 - 10:25 AM
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By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
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Former MLB managers Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and Tony La Russa were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the expansion era commitee yesterday. All three won more than 2,000 games in their managerial careers. Torre won 4 World Series Championships with the New York Yankees, Cox won one with the Atlanta Braves, and La Russa won one in each league, both in the National and American for the St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland A's.
One could argue that Bobby Cox should have had more rings given all the talent he had on those Atlanta ballclubs in the 90's (especially the pitching) but it was not to be. Most managers can only dream of a starting rotation of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz in their primes. Great pitchers all. All three of those guys will be together in the Hall one day joining Bobby Cox.
It's ironic how Glavine who is mostly associated with the other two mentioned above for his time as an Atlanta Brave won his historic 300th game as a New York Met. Just as NY Mets legend Tom Seaver won his 300th game with the Chicago White Sox wearing that silly looking White Sox pullover uniform jersey of the day but will always be associated primarily for his decade as a Met.
The Mets organization has been known throughout the years as a team that has developed good pitching from within. But it's interesting when I think back to all the good/great starting pitchers (Including some Cy Young Award winners) both in their primes and at the tail ends of their careers that have worn a Mets uniform fairly recently that had come from other organizations. What a treat it would have been to have some of these guys pitching together on the Mets staff at some point when they were in their mid to late 20's. Tom Glavine, Johan Santana, Bret Saberhagen, Frank "Sweet Music" Viola, Pedro Martinez, Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, Orel Hershiser, Randy Jones, and yes, even the 2012 NL Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey are just a few that come immediately to mind. Yes it's winter, there's currently no baseball at the moment so one can dream.  And Eric, before you bring him up, I purposely omitted Kenny Rogers from that group. (Can you blame me?) 
The MLB winter meetings are now upon us this week in Florida. And as usual when you get that many baseball GM's together all mulling around a fancy hotel lobby in one place talking trades, swilling their gin and tonics, and exchanging cell phone numbers it should make for an interesting week of hot stove talk.
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Posted: |
Dec 14, 2013 - 8:13 AM
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By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
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Probably because of his past with the Yankees. Before they took him out of the bullpen and tried to make him a starter he was a rising star with an explosive fastball. Chamberlain's stock has plummeted big time the last several years.
The hit parade continued against him all last year. He couldn't seem to get anyone out. He's still relatively young and Detroit is without a doubt hoping that a change of scenery will help here. It also isn't much of a risk financially because the Tigers are only giving him a 1 year contract at 2.5 million dollars. So, all in all not a bad signing. If Chamberlain doesn't turn it around this year in a new scenario sad to say his once promising career might be in jeopardy. It's interesting to note that not long ago Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy were supposed to form the foundation of the future Yankees pitching staff. Now they're all gone from the organization. Another example that illustrates how quickly things can change with the fortunes of young prospects in baseball.
I was as shocked as many Mets fans were that GM Sandy Alderson gave 41 year old former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon a 2 year 20 million dollar deal during the winter meetings. I'm sure Alderson only wanted to go for the one year at 10 million, but just as he did with the signing of Granderson, he had to compromise and add an additional year to get it done. The Mets usually pick up journeyman pitchers like Colon on the cheap in the offseason to fill in and help eat up innings but Colon opened a lot of eyes last year posting an impressive 18-6 record with a 2.65 era in a starting role for the Oakland A's. He posted these numbers in the American League which is a hitters league. He was in the drivers seat to command more money in the market and he got it. The guy is extremely overweight and a lot of questions remain on how much he has left. But he's managed to be durable, and still throws hard and locates his pitches well.
This was a move to help replace the innings that are going to be lost with young Mets ace Matt Harvey on the disabled list for the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery. Colon throws strikes, provides innings, and will be the greybeard presence on a mostly young but talented Mets starting staff this upcoming season. I knew the Mets were going to bring in a veteran to help fill Harvey's spot, but I wasn't expecting them to spend 20 million on Bartolo Colon to do it. Colon comes with a past of being suspended for PED use. No secrets there. Alderson was not going into this signing blind, and I'm sure he consulted his scouts at length before making the final decision. Colon is yet another on the list of users who are signing for big money after serving a suspension. The signing is done. I just hope he can stay clean and at least come close to duplicating the numbers he had last year.
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