|
CHIEFS
CRUISING
Through
eighteen
weeks
of
play,
the
vaunted
Lincoln
Chiefs
continue
to
lead
the
way
in
the
2009
Hot
Stove
League
season,
threatening
to
capture
B.T.’s
second
HSL
Crown
after
a
long
drought
following
that
glorious
1996
Campaign.
With
his
eldest
son’s
wedding
behind
him
and
his
brief
stint
as a
volunteer
house
painter
almost
complete
(just
a
few
areas
of
touch-up,
Scott,
nothing
that
one
more
weekend
can’t
take
care
of),
B.T.
has
the
time
and
the
resources
available
to
devote
maximum
efforts
to
completing
a
title
run.
Despite
stiff
competition
from
the
Cubs,
Skipjacks,
Butterflies
and
Wahoos,
smart
money
is
on
the
Chiefs
to
hold
off
these
pretenders
and
finish
the
season
atop
the
HSL
standings.
Standings
in
the
league
through
eighteen
weeks
are
as
follows:
|
1. |
|
Chiefs |
8561.20 |
|
2. |
|
Cubs |
8350.00 |
|
3. |
|
Wahoos |
8346.60 |
|
4. |
|
Monarchs |
8336.80 |
|
5. |
|
Tribe |
8173.00 |
|
6. |
|
Skipjacks |
8168.00 |
|
7. |
|
Bombers |
8107.90 |
|
8. |
|
Redbirds |
8029.40 |
|
9. |
|
Highlanders |
7879.90 |
|
10. |
|
Blues |
7527.30 |
|
11. |
|
Bears |
7421.90 |
|
12. |
|
Tigers |
7056.60 |
|
13. |
|
Senators |
6557.70 |
Point
totals
for
Week
18
look
like
this:
|
1. |
|
Bombers |
554.0 |
|
2. |
|
Wahoos |
544.3 |
|
3. |
|
Highlanders |
536.9 |
|
4. |
|
Chiefs |
514.4 |
|
5. |
|
Tribe |
466.1 |
|
6. |
|
Monarchs |
458.2 |
|
7. |
|
Bears |
455.2 |
|
8. |
|
Tigers |
453.9 |
|
9. |
|
Cubs |
434.0 |
|
10. |
|
Skipjacks |
424.7 |
|
11. |
|
Redbirds |
419.4 |
|
12. |
|
Blues |
328.1 |
|
13. |
|
Senators |
263.6 |
KAUFFMAN,
REVISITED
A
fortnight
and
three
days
ago,
the
Hot
Stove
League
quartet
of
Itchie,
McJester,
Big
Guy
and
Skipper
paid
a
visit
to
newly-refurbished
Kauffman
Stadium
to
assess
the
Royals’
$400,000,000-plus
reclamation
project,
and
to
watch
Zach
Greinke
pitch
a
7-inning,
3-hit,
1-earned
run,
10-strikeout
gem
that
resulted
in a
Royals
loss
to
the
visiting
Texas
Rangers
by
the
score
of
2-0.
Future
Hall
of
Famer
Scott
Feldman,
the
Rangers’
starting
pitcher,
was
simply
too
overpowering
for
the
impotent
Royals
offense,
holding
them
to 5
hits
and
yielding
nary
a
run.
Alex
Gordon
demonstrated
quite
convincingly
that
if
you
can’t
hit
a
major
league
curveball,
you’re
probably
not
going
to
be
able
to
hit
over
the
Mendoza
line.
A
sad
sack
of
an
organization,
these
Kansas
City
Royals.
As
McJester
proudly
showed
off
the
capital
improvements
to
his
beloved
Kauffman
Stadium,
his
three
visitors
from
Omaha
exchanged
raised
eyebrows
as
their
daft
host
proclaimed
the
new
and
improved
Kauffman
Stadium
to
be
worthy
of a
Top
Ten
Ranking
among
major
league
baseball
venues,
a
major
stretch
even
for
Major
Stretch.
As I
took
in
the
sights,
sounds
and
smells
of
Kauffman
Plus,
I
did
some
mental
calculations
and
gymnastics
to
see
if I
could
possibly
elevate
an
improved
Kauffman
from
its
previous
ranking
of
25
out
of
30
ballparks
to
Top
20
Status—primarily
to
please,
mollify
or
appease
McJester—but
came
up
short.
The
best
I
could
do
for
our
old
friend
was
to
rank
new
Kauffman
Stadium
as
my
23rd
favorite
ballpark.
Sorry,
Big
Jon,
but
as
Dizzy
Dean
used
to
say,
“Them’s
facts.”
This
isn’t
to
say
that
Kauffman
II
is a
terrible
place
to
watch
a
ballgame.
It’s
not.
And
the
renovated
stadium
is
definitely
an
improvement
over
Kauffman
I.
But
as
they
say,
you
can
put
lipstick
on a
pig,
but
it’s
still
a
pig.
Thanks
again
to
Itchie
for
lining
up
our
quick
junket
to
Kansas
City
for
baseball
and
a
round
of
golf.
We
need
more
of
these
short-order
trips
in
our
future.
NEW
BALLPARK
RANKINGS
With
this
summer’s
trip
to
the
Big
Apple
and
our
visits
to
new
Yankee
Stadium
and
Citi
Field,
as
well
as
our
recent
visit
to
Kauffman
II,
I
figured
it
was
high
time
to
re-rank
our
30
baseball
cathedrals,
and
I
have
done
so,
as
you
will
see
on
the
website.
I
hope
Mouse
and
Screech
aren’t
too
ticked
off
about
my
demotion
of
the
new
home
of
the
Yankees
from
7th
place
to
13th
place,
but
I
had
to
go
with
my
gut
here.
Even
though
it
was
a
dilapidated
old
relic
that
cried
out
for
replacement,
the
House
that
Ruth
Built
had
so
much
history
and
character
that
it
was
impossible
to
recapture
this
with
the
new
ballpark
in
the
Bronx,
although
valiant
efforts
were
made
to
do
so.
I
was
actually
quite
impressed
with
new
Yankee
Stadium,
especially
the
huge
banners
which
pay
tribute
to
Yankee
stars
of
the
past,
and
the
manifold
black
and
white
blow-ups
of
players
and
scenes
from
the
various
decades
of
Yankee
prominence.
It
is a
beautiful
new
structure,
and
will
likely
stand
the
test
of
time,
but
there
was
something
missing
that
I
can’t
quite
put
my
finger
on.
Perhaps
it
was
all
of
the
sterile
concrete
in
the
outfield
bleachers,
which
were
empty
during
our
June
18
visit,
or
as
B.T.
pointed
out,
perhaps
it
was
the
lack
of
gingerbread
and
panache
in
such
areas
of
the
ballpark
as
the
retired
Yankee
player
numbers
and
the
World
Series
championship
banners.
Perhaps
these
areas
will
be
dressed
up
in
the
future,
enhancing
the
visual
experiences
of
the
fans.
Turning
to
Citi
Field,
although
I
read
good
things
about
this
new
home
of
the
Mets
before
our
trip
to
the
Big
Apple,
I
was
not
prepared
for
what
happened
as
we
entered
the
interior
of
the
ballpark—that
is,
for
my
jaw
to
drop
as I
saw
the
inside
of
this
beautiful
new
baseball
gem.
It
reminded
me
of
the
sensation
that
I
had
when
B.T.
and
I
first
walked
into
The
Ballpark
in
Arlington
on
April
11,
1994,
just
before
Van
Cliburn
tickled
the
ivories
in
his
stirring
rendition
of
the
Star
Spangled
Banner.
The
feeling
that
I
had
on
both
occasions
was
of
being
in a
true
baseball
cathedral,
a
place
where
the
architecture
of
the
ballpark
was
a
perfect
melding
of
brick
and
steel
to
the
colorful
bleacher
seats,
the
scoreboards,
the
signage,
and
the
field
of
play
itself.
To
be
sure,
it
is a
difficult
feeling
to
put
into
words
in
such
a
way
as
to
do
it
justice,
but
it
was
a
feeling
that
I
was
in a
good
place,
a
very
right
place,
to
watch
our
beloved
National
pastime.
I
loved
almost
everything
about
Citi
Field,
save
its
location
in
Queens,
New
York,
directly
adjacent
to
the
largest
assemblage
of
automobile
chop
shops
and
auto
repair
and
parts
graveyards
that
I
have
ever
seen.
It
will
be
interesting
to
see
if
these
unsightly
neighboring
properties
will
be
replaced
by
bars
and
restaurants
and
shops
in a
way
similar
to
the
LoDo
area
around
Coors
Field.
I
wouldn’t
bet
against
it,
but
it
is
Queens,
after
all.
In
any
event,
although
I
was
initially
inclined
to
reward
Citi
Field
with
a
Top
5
ranking,
upon
further
reflection
and
consideration,
I
have
given
it a
ranking
of
No.
6,
just
behind
PNC
Park.
I
would
love
to
hear
from
the
rest
of
the
boys
who
saw
Citi
Field
with
me
on
the
2009
Trip
as
to
their
evaluation
of
this
new
ballpark.
I
know
there
was
a
lot
of
buzz
on
game
day
when
we
were
all
seeing
it
for
the
first
time
together,
although
some
of
this
was
no
doubt
due
to
the
premium
seats
behind
home
plate
secured
by
Tricko,
including
the
magic
of
wait
service.
And
finally,
as
aforementioned,
my
revised
rankings
now
have
Kauffman
II
listed
at
23,
up
from
No.
25.
With
the
$400,000,000-plus
price
tag,
some
pretty
expensive
lipstick.
For
any
of
the
rest
of
you
who
have
been
to
Kauffman
II,
except
McJester,
who
can
save
his
breath,
am I
wrong?
I
don’t
think
so.
BOOK
REPORT:
GEORGE:
The
Poor
Little
Rich
Boy
Who
Built
the
Yankee
Empire,
by
Peter
Golenbock
 I
just
finished
reading
GEORGE:
The
Poor
Little
Rich
Boy
Who
Built
the
Yankee
Empire,
published
in
2009
by
John
Wiley
&
Sons,
and
written
by
Peter
Golenbock,
a
knowledgeable
sportswriter
on
the
subject
of
the
New
York
Yankees
who
has
previously
collaborated
with
former
Yankees
Sparky
Lyle
(The
Bronx
Zoo),
Billy
Martin
(No.
1),
Graig
Nettles
(Balls),
and
Johnny
Damon
(Idiot).
The
book,
of
course,
chronicles
the
life
and
times
of
George
Steinbrenner,
the
long
time
General
Partner
of
the
ownership
group
which
has
owned
and
operated
the
New
York
Yankees
since
1973,
when
this
little-known
shipbuilder
from
Cleveland
put
together
a
deal
to
buy
the
Yankees
from
CBS
for
the
now-laughable
sum
of
$10
million.
Although
Golenbock’s
writing
style
and
employment
of
the
English
language
falls
well
short
of
some
of
the
more
talented
baseball
wordsmiths
such
as
Roger
Kahn,
Tom
Boswell
and
Roger
Angell,
George
is
nevertheless
a
good
read,
primarily
because
of
the
fascinating
subject
of
the
book,
but
also
because
of
Golenbock’s
deep
fund
of
knowledge
about
him.
Getting
to
read
about
Steinbrenner’s
love-hate
relationships
with
Billy
Martin,
Reggie
Jackson
and
Dave
Winfield,
among
others,
and
about
Steinbrenner’s
constant
meddling
with
all
of
the
many
managers
and
general
managers
that
he
hired
and
fired
during
his
reign
of
terror
is
enough
alone
to
justify
the
purchase
of
this
book.
A
few
of
the
more
interesting
tidbits
about
Steinbrenner
which
are
contained
in
this
book
are
as
follows:
|
* |
Steinbrenner’s father, Henry, a stern and humorless Great Lakes shipping magnate, graduated first in his class at MIT in 1927, and was a star hurdler, one of the best in the country. Henry sent George to live and be educated at the Culver Military Academy in Ohio, where George was an average student but a star hurdler like his father. After being rejected admission to more prestigious universities, George attended Williams College in Western Massachusetts, where he starred on the track team.
|
|
* |
Although George made the school football team as a senior (but did not ever play), he reportedly later held himself out to be the captain of the football team, and even represented to some that he had made it all the way to the National Football League.
|
|
* |
After serving a two-year military obligation, during which time his wealthy and influential father was able to keep him stateside during the Korean conflict, George was a high school and college football coach for several years, including a one-year stint at Purdue University.
|
|
* |
George was the principal owner of the Cleveland Pipers ABA basketball team, and if he had been able to raise the amount of $200,000 (he only had commitments for half this much), he would have been able to have his team admitted to the NBA. Because he left a number of creditors—including coaches and players—hanging when the Pipers experienced a financial collapse, George had a black eye among Clevelandites in his first venture into sports team ownership.
|
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* |
Ravaged by dementia, George had to be driven around in a golf cart for the 2008 All Star Game celebration at Yankee Stadium. By this time, sons Hal and Hank had taken over from their famous father in running the Yankee organization.
|
|
* |
Hank Steinbrenner, who reportedly talks with a bad stutter, arguably because of years of abuse from his father, is said to be even meaner and more hateworthy than his father. Should make things interesting for years to come in the Yankee organization.
|
|
* |
When Billy Martin died in his one-vehicle truck crash on Christmas Day 1989, he was in line to manage the Yankees for the sixth time during the 1990 season.
|
|
* |
After being booed mercilessly by Yankee fans for his treatment of Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson and Dave Winfield, and for his constant meddling in the affairs of his managers, eventually Yankee fans came to love Steinbrenner for bringing them World Series titles in 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Everyone loves a winner.
|
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* |
The side of George that was not known to me was his charitable side, and the final chapter of the book talks about the munificent George Steinbrenner, who quietly funded school scholarships, raised money for the poor and hungry, and came to the aid of many people who were down on their luck, apparently with every effort made to keep his benevolence under the radar screen. The final chapter of the book gave me a whole new outlook on George Steinbrenner. |
In
the
end,
I
won’t
give
this
book
a
thumbs
up
or a
thumbs
down,
but
a
thumbs
sideways.
Not
a
“must”
read,
but
a
pretty
darned
interesting
read,
particularly
for
all
you
Yankee
fans
out
there.
MEMORIES
OF
ISOTOPES
PARK
I
had
the
good
fortune
on
Thursday
evening
of
last
week,
August
6,
to
attend
a
Triple
A
baseball
game
between
the
Albuquerque
Isotopes
and
the
Portland
Beavers
at
Isotopes
Field
in
Albuquerque.
This
is
an
absolutely
gorgeous
ballpark,
as
you
can
see
from
the
pictures
below.
Isotopes
Park
is
located
just
across
the
street
from
the
University
of
New
Mexico’s
Lobos
Stadium,
and
this
beautiful
little
jewel
offers
a
spectacular
view
of
the
majestic
Sandia
Mountains
in
the
background,
reminiscent
of
the
beautiful
ballpark
in
Salt
Lake
City.
There
was
absolutely
nothing
that
I
didn’t
like
about
this
ballpark.
Some
of
its
best
features
are:
great
concessions
(The
Sweet
Spot
and
More;
the
Pecos
River
Café;
We’re
Bananas;
and
lots
more);
cold
Dos
Eckes
and
Tecate
on
tap;
a
multi-tiered
cheap
seat
berm
area
in
right
field,
with
kiddie
rides
and
all
kinds
of
family-friendly
features
behind
it;
a
big,
bright,
colorful
scoreboard;
irregular
outfield
dimensions,
400
feet
to
dead
center,
but
428
feet
to
deep
right
center
and
deep
left
center,
due
to
an
unusual
configuration;
terrific
organ
music
(can’t
believe
I’m
saying
that);
fan-friendly
music,
games,
contests
and
such;
and
of
course,
a
madcap
monstrosity
of a
team
mascot
by
the
name
of
“Orbit”
(see
pictures
below),
which
McBlunder
would
absolutely
love
to
hate.
Triple
A
baseball
in
Albuquerque
has
a
rich
and
long
history,
mostly
through
its
long-time
affiliation
with
the
Los
Angeles
Dodgers.
For
many
years,
the
Albuquerque
franchise
went
by
the
team
name
of
the
“Dukes,”
until
being
renamed
the
Isotopes
in
2003
after
fan
voting
elected
to
take
this
name
from
the
fictional
“Springfield
Isotopes”
of
The
Simpsons
fame.
After
being
connected
with
another
major
league
team
for
most
of
the
past
ten
years
or
so,
the
Isotopes
once
again
became
affiliated
with
the
Los
Angeles
Dodgers
in
2009.
Tommy
Lasorda
managed
in
Albuquerque
prior
to
taking
the
helm
in
Los
Angeles.
Numerous
future
Dodger
stars
(Ron
Cey,
Steve
Garvey,
Bill
Russell,
Mike
Marshall)
made
their
way
through
Albuquerque
before
starring
in
Los
Angeles.
Mike
Marshall
was
a
three-time
PCL
MVP
while
playing
for
the
Albuquerque
Dukes,
including
his
Triple
Crown
year
in
1981.
Many
people
consider
the
1981
Albuquerque
Dukes
the
greatest
minor
league
team
of
all
time.
Anyway,
if
you
ever
get
the
chance
to
visit
Isotopes
Park,
I
highly
encourage
you
to
do
so.
DUGOUT
CHATTER
|
* |
The night before my trip to Isotopes Park, I went with Joe Jackson to see the Omaha Royals play the Las Vegas 51s. It was a beautiful night for a ballgame at a beautiful minor league park, Rosenblatt, and it was fantastic to be able to spend the evening talking baseball with my oldest son. No better place on earth to be on that particular evening.
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Congrats again to Mouse for being in Chicago for Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, exactly 25 seasons after my own experience in Arlington, Texas, with Mike Witt. Pretty hard to believe that two people in the same fantasy league have now seen perfect games and unassisted triple plays. What are the odds of that?
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Thanks again to Possum for his Wahoo Warrior. Better late than never. I’m amazed at how Possum can throw together thousands of words on our Message Board on a nightly basis, but when given a deadline to submit a guest article, he absolutely refuses to be confined to said deadline. A great case study for the wig-picking profession.
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And thanks to Shamu for knocking himself out on The Whale’s Tale.
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I forgot to mention that Tim Wallach, former major league great, primarily for the Expos, is now the manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes. The pitching coach is Jim Slaton, a former major league pitcher of some renown.
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* |
I also forgot to mention that they refer to Isotopes Park as “The Lab,” and that they set a new attendance record at The Lab in 2008 (593,606).
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The Lab was my sixth PCL park that I have made it to for a ballgame, along with Omaha, Des Moines, Salt Lake, Tacoma and Sacramento. Only ten more to go.
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That’s
it
for
this
issue.
Thanks
for
tuning
in.
Skipper
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