Category: Sports

Dock Ellis

On June 12, 1970, Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter while he was on LSD!  It was an incredible achievement!

A documentary about him was released in 2014.

update 9/6/18:

Tweets on Trump vs. Eagles 2

 

Tweets on Trump vs. Eagles 1

 

 

I support the Eagles

Trump’s behavior over the canceled Eagles visit to the White House is a disgrace.
Trump only cares about himself. He pushes the anthem issue because his base likes it. This is all about “winning”, not doing what is right.
Let’s review:
• Trump is a racist. I can give you many examples but the most prominent ones since he became president are calling some bigots in Charlottesville “very fine people” and not criticizing Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets. I’ll never forgive him.  I wouldn’t go to see him.  I support the players.
• No Eagles player kneeled during the 2017 regular season or postseason.
• Fox broadcast photos of Eagles kneeling but it was in prayer before the game. They later apologized
• Trump has a grudge against the NFL because of his USFL failure and not getting the Buffalo franchise.
• No Eagles players stayed in the locker room in 2017.  That was the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• The NFL caved in with their new policy but, with a bully like Trump, it is never enough. Now, he doesn’t want the players to be able to stay in the locker room.
• Trump said kneeling players were SOBs. He recently said that maybe they didn’t belong in the country.   That’s no way to talk about people expressing ideas.
• Trump has lied about the reason for the protests. It’s not against the military, it’s against racial injustice. Shouldn’t we believe the players who protested? They know why they did it. Trump is just trying to avoid discussing racial injustice and appeal to the many bigots who support him.

Here’s a video with a good summary.

 

 

10 Cent Beer Night – June 4, 1974

10 Cent Beer Night was a promotion by the Cleveland Indians that was such a fiasco they had to forfeit the game!

Overview

Video

Commemorative shirt from Homage

1968: Year of the pitcher starring Bob Gibson

1968 in baseball was the year of the pitcher.  

Denny McLain won 31 games.  Nobody has done that since then.

Don Drysdale pitched 58 2/3 scoreless innings in a row.

Hall of Famer Bob Gibson led the NL (and MLB) with a 1.12 ERA.  According to this excellent profile by Roger Angell, Gibson was never taken out during an inning for the entire season.

Gibson pitched three World Series Game Sevens (1964, 1967, 1968) and won two.  In 1968, he lost to Mickey Lolich of the Tigers.  Lolich was overshadowed by McLain during the season but won three games in the World Series.  Lolich was rather plump and ran a doughnut shop after he retired.  You can’t make that up.

Great article on Bob Gibson by Roger Angell

Barbaro

Remember Barbaro, the horse that broke his leg at the Preakness in Baltimore?  I think he’s a victim of Baltimore.  Why should we expect the race track to be in better shape than the streets or sidewalks?

I broke bones twice in falls in Baltimore.  I would like to point out I was sober and they were during broad daylight with no precipitation.  The difference between Barbaro and me is that they put him down eventually and they fixed me.