People will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door, innocent as children, longing for the past. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come
Rumpole- way off topic- can your readers help? Is there a hotel on the beach that will just rent you a beach cabana without a room for the day?
ReplyDeletedelano.
ReplyDeleterumpole, have you had a change of heart. you love bonds dont you.
Actually I don't care for B Bonds that much. Give me Hammmerin Hank any day. But 755 is 755. Give the man his props. A-Rod gets 800 in 2014-2015.
ReplyDeleteBaseball??? Baseball??? Rump- NFL FOOTBALL STARTS TONIGHT.
ReplyDeleteTHE MIKE TOMLIN ERA BEGINS
Uhhh..did you read Rumpole's post? It's baseball that has remained timeless. Not football. Not a sport with a bunch a over grown steroid induced lumoxs who break records and change their bodies based on the chemicals they ingest. Hmm...wait a minute. never mind.
ReplyDeletebonds will get 800 first.
ReplyDeleteroids were a must if you wanted to keep pace. + no mlb rule against them at the time.
bonds is the best hitter ever.
not too charming though.
costas is a midget.
Hank Aaron didn't have to face much Latino pitching in his day. Bonds has faced the best from all over the world. Give it up, Rumpy.
ReplyDelete"Latino pitching"
ReplyDeleteIts coming soon watch your judicial mail box - check your E-mail for "THE OFFICIAL RUMPOLE WEB PAGE".
ReplyDeleteAlso "THE BEST OF RUMPOLE" a paperback book with all the best postings made by Rumpole and responses by the bottomfeeders. Plus a special pop up section so that Phil. R. can follow along.
Yes folks we have taken the funniest and best post and responses and put them into one book.
We do not have Rumpoles permission and we will not pay Rumpole a dime because heck who is going to sue us for copyright infrigment? David O', The Big O', Brian T, Phil R, ummm the cash is ours!
The book will cost $5 for robed readers and $0.99 cents for bottomfeeders. Roy Black and others in his rank will pay $250.00 per copy. Phil. R. gets a free copy for obvious reasons.
2007 Copyright, "THE BEST OF RUMPOLE" illegal publishers of America.
Lets see who were some of the NL picthers in 1974
ReplyDeleteTom Seaver
Nolan Ryan
Jerry Koosman
Oh yeah, some Stiff named Gibson. Bob Gibson or something like that.
Rumpole. You started this. I'm going to finish it.
ReplyDeleteUhho....another colleague bites the dust.
ReplyDeleteSAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5 — For the last 14 months, high-tech insiders have been eating up the work of an anonymous blogger who assumed the persona of Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive and one of the world’s most famous businessmen.
The mysterious writer has used his blog, the Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, to lampoon Mr. Jobs and his reputation as a difficult and egotistical leader, as well as to skewer other high-tech companies, tech journalists, venture capitalists, open-source software fanatics and Silicon Valley’s overall aura of excess.
The acerbic postings of “Fake Steve,” as he is known, have attracted a plugged-in readership — both the real Mr. Jobs and Bill Gates have acknowledged reading the blog (fakesteve.blogspot.com). At the same time, Fake Steve has evaded the best efforts of Silicon Valley’s gossips to discover his real identity.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Daniel Lyons, a senior editor at Forbes magazine who lives near Boston, has been quietly enjoying the attention.
“I’m stunned that it’s taken this long,” said Mr. Lyons, 46, when a reporter interrupted his vacation in Maine on Sunday to ask him about Fake Steve. “I have not been that good at keeping it a secret. I’ve been sort of waiting for this call for months.”
Mr. Lyons writes and edits technology articles for Forbes and is the author of two works of fiction, most recently a 1998 novel, “Dog Days.” In October, Da Capo Press will publish his satirical novel written in the voice of the Fake Steve character, “Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs, a Parody.”
Unlike the off-the-cuff ramblings on his blog, “Options” is a well-plotted satire that imagines Apple’s chief executive grappling with his real-life stock option backdating troubles and getting help, and bad advice, from friends like Larry Ellison, Bono and Al Gore.
The book, in part, led to Mr. Lyons’s unmasking. Last year, his agent showed the manuscript to several book publishers and told them the anonymous author was a published novelist and writer for a major business magazine. The New York Times found Mr. Lyons by looking for writers who fit those two criteria, and then by comparing the writing of “Fake Steve” to a blog Mr. Lyons writes in his own name, called Floating Point (floatingpoint.wordpress.com).
Mr. Lyons said he invented the Fake Steve character last year, when a small group of chief executives turned bloggers attracted some media attention. He noticed that they rarely spoke candidly. “I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if a C.E.O. kept a blog that really told you what he thought? That was the gist of it.”
Where's my book deal?
ReplyDeleteMe too:
ReplyDeleteHe said that he never intended his blog to be mean-spirited and that he is a fan and customer of Apple. “If I really thought the Apple guys were going to find this guy and kill him, I wouldn’t want to do it. I was kind of hoping it would be puckish and fun. I think the guys in the Valley like the fact that it makes them into fictional characters. It’s a comic strip.”
Oh...I think the Best of Rumpole is a hilarious idea. You have my unofficial official blessing. It was something I was considering, but I am a bit too busy with other matters. Best of Luck. Take your earnings, and go buy a six pack.
ReplyDeleteForget 1974. Aaron played from about 1955 through the mid 70's. The bulk of his home runs were hit in teh 1960's, the decade when pitching dominated. Here is a list of who he faced in that era:
ReplyDeleteBob Gibson
Don Drysdale
Sandy Koufax
Juan Marichal
and remember, this was a time when pitchers completed games. And another point: Aaron hit a lot of home runs in the late 50's when he had another psychological obstacle to overcome: racist bantering from the fans and being treated like a second class steppin fetchit when on the road. And think it was easy playing in Atlanta in 1965?
Bonds is a tremendously talented player who would have had a better chance of being remembered as one of the top 5 hitters of all time if he had NOT taken steroids. He still would've hit 500-600 home runs and put up incredible numbers. He'd be making God only knows how much money in marketing deals. He blew it. The majority of real fans think his record is bullshit. If any of you really believe he hasn't taken steroids, please call me. I'm selling the McArthur bridge. I'll give you a great deal. Honest.
ReplyDeleteim no fan of bonds, but the previous comment....
ReplyDelete'and remember, this was a time when pitchers completed games'
strikes me odd. pitchers that went complete games had arms like linguine by inning 8. bonds has had to face situational specialists and closers who threw shit that was unhittable.
i dont have the stats, but i'd be interested to know how many intentional walks each has endured on the road to 755? i bet in the last 5-7 years bonds beats out aaron during that time frame in their careers. he would have beaten the record sooner if not for all those iws.
A few observations:
ReplyDeleteShould Sadaharu Oh and Josh Gibson be left out of the discussion of the greatest homerun hitters ever?
Interestingly, Henry Aaron had his greatest homer-hitting years between age 35-40. Was this due to great longevity? That played a part, but these years also coincided with the Braves move from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Despite the Braves' reputation for a home run-hitting team (Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Adcock, Joe Torre, et al.), Milwaukee County Stadium was consistently an unfriendly venue for home runs. Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium was known as "The Launching Pad" for good reason. It would have been interesting to see how many Henry would've hit had he played in a home run friendly - or at least neutral - home ballpark during the prime of his career.
Henry Aaron played a large part of his career in the pitching-dominant 1960s, too.
Who is the greatest home run hitter ever? It largely depends on how one defines the question. But it's obviously difficult to compare players and playing conditions of different eras. We can't (yet) put Babe Ruth or Josh Gibson in a time machine and bring him up to today and see how he would do. So, all we can do is engage in speculation.
I want my gladiators hopped up. I want a roid-raging linebacker roaming the middle of the field, and if Shaq would use the needle, we could get five more seasons out of his flabby ass.
ReplyDeleteWoes anybody really think that the government has any business telling me what kind of plants I can grow in by backyard, roll in my paper or stick in my veins?
Why not have a society in which a person is free to choose what to put in his, or her, body; we could call it a free society. Then, we could let those who were interested, take whatever they wanted and we could see what substances improved human performance and which ones were harmful. Too bad we live in a police state.
I think Josh Gibson would definately have to be included in any discussion of greatest home run hitters. If I had one guy I needed to hit one dinger in one situation, B Bonds would not be in my top five. You would have to include Reginald Martinez Jackson in any discussion of greatest CLUTCH home run hitters. In the final analysis I would still go with the Babe and Hammerin Hank as one and one A.
ReplyDeletethis is 2:17 again.
ReplyDeleteSo, Mr. Rumple, who now is the greatest living ballplayer? Joe DiMaggio was the self-annointed wearer of that crown until his death.
Leaving aside active players, I would vote for the largely-forgotten Stan Musial.
Greatest or greatest living? Musial is still alive?
ReplyDeleteAny discussion would have to include Roberto Walker Clemente who could do it all. Hit, run, and nobody had a gun like he did. Take that turn at first on a single and bam! He would throw behind you. Name another right fielder who could throw behind the runner.
Willie Mays- just like Clemente with more home runs. How can you not put Mays in the discussion?
Yaz is right up there and also sort of forgotten.
Probably need to go by position.
Brooks Robinson at the hot corner, although I remember watching Nettles in the series and thinking I was seeing Robinson all over again.
Probably today A-Rod gets the nod. But Jeter is right up there as well.
You know Tony Gwynn would probably have hit 400 in the strike year- was it 94? He was hitting something like 394 in August.
Want a complete ball player? Pete Rose comes to mind. I'd take Johnny Bench as my catcher any day.
And the two greatest Pitchers I have ever seen? Well, there are three- no 4. Bob Gibson. 2.12 ERA in 1968 (and thats off the top of my head).
Louisiana Lightening Rob Guidry
and in his rookie year, the most unhittable picther I have ever seen: DR K. Dwight Gooden. What a waste of talent. He'd throw two at 98mph, and then snap off lord charles and leave the hitters just standing there frozen. What a curve to follow amazing heat. I have never seen anything like it.
And how can you leave the Rocket off the list. Has to be the most dominant picther of the last 20 years. How is he not the greatest? Jeeze.
Gosh, there are just so many. And my mind is dull by the Monday 4pm lull.
Until the day he died, Harry Caray said the best ballplayer he ever saw was Musial. Harry saw most all of 'em.
ReplyDeleteI could make the case for Musial, but time and space have limitations.
I'd have no problem with Mays, either. I saw Clemente play in person, and while he was absolutely electrifying, his numbers don't compare to Musial.
The best pitcher I ever saw (non-active, which leaves out Clemens, Maddux, etc.) - Tom Seaver. And this is from a lifelong Cub fan.
Tom Terrific. Hall of Famer. But I never felt he was over powering like Gibson or Gooden. Seaver was just all around very good.
ReplyDeleteNolan Ryan and Jerry Koosman were on that 69 Miracle Mets team. Tug McGraw was the reliever. Don Clendenon came over from the Pirates. Tommy Agee and Cleon Jones were in the outfield. And Bud Harrelson was the scrppy short stop. Jerry Grote was the catcher. It was quite a team.
I think If I had to pick one greatest baseball player, the Say hey kid would be my pick. But Hank Aaron and Clemente and Ruth and others would be right up there.
Is Bonds using a mechanical aid? See here.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT; THANK YOU JESUS. I WILL NO LONGER ADVOCATE THE WITHDRAWL FROM IRAQ OR HANDGUN CONTROL. 4 MORE SUCKERS WHO JOINED THE MILITARY KILLED IN IRAQ. HOOAH. IN A FEW WEEKS WE WILL BE AT 4000, ALREADY PASSED THAT NUMBER IF YOU INCLUDE AFGANISTAN AND CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS. MY BUDDIES IN THE COFFIN INDUSTRY ARE ECSTATIC. AND THERE WERE 3 KIDS KILLED IN NEWARK THE OTHER DAY. GOD I LOVE THIS COUNTRY. IF WE WORK HARDER WE CAN BECOME LIKE BRAZIL-80000 MURDERS IN 5 YEARS WITH GUNS FROM 1999-2003. ARE YOU WITH ME? WE CAN DO IT? WE ARE AMERICANS, WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE PUT OUR MINDS TO.
ReplyDeleteA ROD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BREAK THE HOMERUN RECORD BECAUSE THE U.S. IS GOING TO SUFFER GREATLY FROM OUR IMPERIALISTIC WAR IN IRAQ WHERE WE ARE AS BAD AS HITLER AND STALIN. WE HAVE KILLED 700000 IRAQIS BECAUSE OF OIL. WE WILL PAY DEARLY AND THERE WON'T BE BASEBALL IN THIS COUNTRY IN 10 YEARS, WE MAY NOT HAVE A COUNTRY WHEN THE WORLD GANGS UP ON US. IT IS INEVITABLE- ANY NEOPHYTE OF HISTORY CAN TELL YOU ALL REGIMES COME TO AN END. 100 YEARS AGO ENGLAND RULED THE WORLD AND NOW THEY AIN'T SHIT.
ReplyDelete