Bill James tells in one of his books how in polls taken among fellow players in both the 1940's and the 1950's, Stan Musial was chosen as Player of the Decade. Some would argue it was because everyone loved Stan and Ted Williams spent time in both decades in war and he was not very well liked till he retired and Joe Dimaggio thought highly of himself. Joe used to advertise coffee makers on TV and was always called "world's greatest living player". A sports writer (can't recall who) told of a time they had Mickey Mantle day or something at Yankee Stadium and he emceed. At the end, he was to introduce Joe and Joe would make a short speech. He ended with "and now here is Joe DiMaggio.". Joe told him he wasn't going to talk and walked over with the other dignitaries. Later, Joe caught the writer alone in the hallways of the stadium, punched him in the stomach and said, "it's Joe DiMaggio worlds greatest living player."
Beautiful image!It is a pleasant 57° and clear and our high should reach 85° with no chance of rain. I have more PT today on that dad gum left shoulder of mine. We are trying to get it in shape without the need for surgery. I am resisting surgery because I have been cut enough for one lifetime.
I am not convinced the UK football team has the guts to come back and beat Mississippi State. The coaches have a lot of work to do. They were not ready to play Saturday night and if you can't get up for an SEC game and give your all in front of a sold out stadium, bless your heart. Stoops better take a hard look at that coaching staff. He has some slackers around him with no fire in their belly.
And forget about life time contracts. We have had one coach burn us on that deal so a lesson learned.
I trust all are well.![]()
I don't want to make this happy post sad, but here is my final destination. This is where my cremains will be buried.
People in Mantles family often died early. He expected he would die early to. He said the breakfast of champions was a steak sandwich and a six pack.Always love the history @berniecarbo...never heard that particular story of DiMaggio but always heard about his demand to be labeled the world's greatest living baseball player. Ted Williams on base percentage was incredible...I think Musial was just such a great guy, I remember when they did a documentary of him, there was a flight that Musial wasn't going to be on and a few of the Cardinal players were concerned...a little bit uneasy about a flight without Stan cause they felt Stan was 'protected' by the Almighty haha.
Speaking of Mickey Mantle, I do remember a piece about him and Stan spending some time together late in Mickey's life and Mickey admitting later if he had lived like Musial he probably would have put up way bigger stats.
People in Mantles family often died early. He expected he would die early to. He said the breakfast of champions was a steak sandwich and a six pack.
Ted could hit. As a kid, he used to pay the neighbourhood kids to let him hit. He said he wanted to someday walk down the street and have people say, there goes the greatest hitter who ever lived. He came awful close if he didt make it Btw when he was playing, he said if he wasn't the best hitter in baseball, then Stan was. Ted said his biggest regret in baseball was he didn't put more effort into defense. When in a mood, he'd turn his back to the CFer signifying anything behind me is yours. Jim Piersall, his CF said he should get two salaries because he had to play two positions.
Anyone who loves baseball should buy the Bill James 2000 Baseball Abstract. Lots of great stories. He tells a story about the young Ted Williams as a minor leaguer. Ted got mad over something minor and didn't put out any defensive effort, causing his team to lose. an older teammate proceeded to beat the crap out of him. His manager had to pull the player off of Ted.Yeah, I think I read when Billy Martin got married Mickey admitted he was so drunk he didn't remember it...I do think he was a fatalist who thought he would die young and thus he lived life fast and hard. I wasn't judging him, imagine if you were Mickey Mantle in New York...endless temptation, plus the history of the Mantle men dying early...that is a recipe for some wild good times.
It may sound weird, but for someone far to young to see or read about those guys when they played...Ted Williams seemed like John Wayne, Mickey Mantle seemed like this amazing hero/anti-hero type, and Stan Musial seemed like an underrated great one who was the ultimate gentleman.
Yes, the years Ted gave up for his country in his prime would have given him even more amazing stats.Hadn't heard that, I guess my Ted Williams/John Wayne image was rooted more in his war pilot stuff.
During his time as captain of the Marine Corps, Williams earned a number of prestigious awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, three Air Medals for Aerial Flight Operations, Navy Unit commendation, American and Asian Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and more.
It was in Korea where Williams met John Glenn, the future astronaut and U.S. senator. They quickly became good friends, and Williams flew half his missions as Glenn's wingman.
“I had been a baseball fan since I was a boy, and meeting Ted was a thrill,” Glenn recalled in his autobiography, John Glenn: A Memoir. “He was tall, genial, and easy to like, and he developed a voracious taste for the chocolate fudge [my wife's] sister, Jane, would send from home. … He was a fine pilot, and I liked to fly with him.”
Williams flew 39 combat missions in Korea and experienced his share of harrowing moments.
“Ted got hit on one of his first missions,” Glenn noted in his memoir. “He was streaming smoke and fire from around the engine, which in a Panther usually signaled an explosion that would blow the tail off.”
Williams' radio was out, so the other pilots flew close and signaled for him to eject. But Williams decided to attempt a return to Seoul instead. It was a shaky trip, made all the more so because Williams' plane had no landing flaps, and its landing gear wouldn't come down.
“He bellied in at 150 miles an hour or more, slid up the runway for two thousand feet, came to a stop, jumped out of the cockpit and off the wing, and ran until he was out of danger,” Glenn wrote. “Then he turned around and stood there watching the plane burn on the runway.”
Williams received a hero's welcome when he returned to baseball at the end of the 1953 season, but he refused the title.
“I was no hero,” he once told reporters, according to a report on MLB.com. “There were maybe 75 pilots in our two squadrons and 99 percent of them did a better job than I did. But I liked flying. It was the second-best thing that ever happened to me. If I hadn't had baseball to come back home to, I might have gone on as a Marine pilot.”
In a column Williams wrote for The Boston Globe in1962, following Glenn's historic orbit around the Earth aboard Friendship 7, he said: “[Glenn] was a man destined for something great; it was an intuitive feeling I had. John always had exceptional self-control and was one of the calmest men I have ever met, no matter how perilous the situation.”
The respect was mutual. Upon hearing that the only thing Williams wanted out of life was to walk down the street and hear people say, “There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived,” Glenn wrote. “In my book, he made that hands down. And there was certainly nothing 'bush' about him as a Marine combat pilot; he gave flying the same perfectionist's attention he gave to his hitting.”
He'll be held in contempt of court and fined, sent to jail, or both. He just needs his employer to write a letter for him and he should be able to get out of it. That's what I had to do earlier this year.Interesting. Was just walking the dogs and the neighbor was getting his mail. He showed me a 3 by 5 post card that was for jury duty. It said he had a week to reply to the notice. What happens if he doesn't reply? He was saying, and I kind of agree, that it could easily be shuffled up with junk mail and thrown out without him looking at it. Wonder what they'd do if he didn't respond?
It's a beautiful drive up from Phoenix to Sedona.Good morning D-League. It's clear and 42° here in Eastern Kentucky. This afternoon will bring mostly sunny skies and a high of 74°.
Everyone stay safe on this Tuesday.
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Ted Williams was an avid fisherman, the warrior_cat of baseball. He came to this area of Florida in 1950 and became a familiar face the next 50 years. He loved fishing the Florida flats. He also was instrumental in the development of Citrus Hills a very nice community in Citrus County.People in Mantles family often died early. He expected he would die early to. He said the breakfast of champions was a steak sandwich and a six pack.
Ted could hit. As a kid, he used to pay the neighbourhood kids to let him hit. He said he wanted to someday walk down the street and have people say, there goes the greatest hitter who ever lived. He came awful close if he didt make it Btw when he was playing, he said if he wasn't the best hitter in baseball, then Stan was. Ted said his biggest regret in baseball was he didn't put more effort into defense. When in a mood, he'd turn his back to the CFer signifying anything behind me is yours. Jim Piersall, his CF said he should get two salaries because he had to play two positions.
I am watching a Press Conference at this moment and in the back ground is a very long caravan crossing over into Sanibel Island. This caravan consists of 100's of utility trucks and other service vehicles to wrap up the restoration of power and other items for the residents and businesses in Sanibel and Captiva Islands.An update from the FDT. If you visit Sannibel Island you may be interested in the repairs of the causeway and bridges, They are progressing nicely and there is a good chance they can have it opened by the end of the month.
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For those of you who don't visit Rafters, the Cats' new road uniforms have been unveiled. I love them. I could quibble, but as I said on rafters, quibbling about these uniforms after the ugly ass checkerboards is like quibbling about your new girlfriend Margot Robbie after you've spent six years with Rosie O'Donnell.
I am watching a Press Conference at this moment and in the back ground is a very long caravan crossing over into Sanibel Island. This caravan consists of 100's of utility trucks and other service vehicles to wrap up the restoration of power and other items for the residents and businesses in Sanibel and Captiva Islands.
The causeway is now scheduled to be ready for residential and other traffic by October 21. That my friend shows what a government can do for the people when everyone sets aside their egos and works as a team. We are blessed with fantastic leadership in the state I call home.
Well, hopefully some of his hitting prowess rubs off on me tonight as I have two games starting at 7:30pm and 8:30pm. Last week's 2-6 will not cut it for me.Ted Williams was an avid fisherman, the warrior_cat of baseball. He came to this area of Florida in 1950 and became a familiar face the next 50 years. He loved fishing the Florida flats. He also was instrumental in the development of Citrus Hills a very nice community in Citrus County.
His influence was very significant. He sure did love to fish.
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I plan on going back out tomorrow myself. Today was not fruitful as I only hooked and caught 2. No other bites. Both were well under a pound. I jumped 3 ponds today too.Hello all,
Been at it for sure but took a break. My Darling and I plan to try fishing and crabbing again tomorrow. A place called Point Lookout in Maryland. We got our appetite right and are slobbering.
This is right on the bay.... We shall see...
I have a bunch of use or lose so we will use it. Hopefully not too cold but we have the itch so....
Talk to you later today if the Lord doesn't take me home....
For those of you who don't visit Rafters, the Cats' new road uniforms have been unveiled. I love them. I could quibble, but as I said on rafters, quibbling about these uniforms after the ugly ass checkerboards is like quibbling about your new girlfriend Margot Robbie after you've spent six years with Rosie O'Donnell.
Are you a Jeff Albert fan (Cards hitting coach for non Card fan readers)? I lOoked it up. His senior year of college, he hit .240. He played a little independent ball and hit .143.he's teaching major leaguers how to hit though.Always love the history @berniecarbo...never heard that particular story of DiMaggio but always heard about his demand to be labeled the world's greatest living baseball player. Ted Williams on base percentage was incredible...I think Musial was just such a great guy, I remember when they did a documentary of him, there was a flight that Musial wasn't going to be on and a few of the Cardinal players were concerned...a little bit uneasy about a flight without Stan cause they felt Stan was 'protected' by the Almighty haha.
Speaking of Mickey Mantle, I do remember a piece about him and Stan spending some time together late in Mickey's life and Mickey admitting later if he had lived like Musial he probably would have put up way bigger stats.
Are you a Jeff Albert fan (Cards hitting coach for non Card fan readers)? I lOoked it up. His senior year of college, he hit .240. He played a little independent ball and hit .143.he's teaching major leaguers how to hit though.
I know what is for supper tonight. All I need is a little okra and I can make this. I am in the mood.Good morning from ATX. Currently 72°F and mostly cloudy. Today's high expected around 96°F challenging a record. We may receive some rain next week.
Utility rate hikes coming our way. Abnormally hot summer and war in Ukraine are blamed. Options under consideration are either $240 spread out over 12 months or $15/mo spread over 36 months. I'm thinking they go with the latter for more $$. Bah!
Happy Hump Day.
Wishing happiness and health for all our fellow D-League members.
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TW was ahead of his time - a Conserve who knew CA would turn into Dim hellhole. So even though in grew up in SD, made FL home early in his career.Ted Williams was an avid fisherman, the warrior_cat of baseball. He came to this area of Florida in 1950 and became a familiar face the next 50 years. He loved fishing the Florida flats. He also was instrumental in the development of Citrus Hills a very nice community in Citrus County.
His influence was very significant. He sure did love to fish.
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