Random Baseball Musings

[Derwood]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

[MSG T]

I'm not sure what it says, but no matter which team I seem to do much better at naming 80's and 90's players but I forget guys in say, 2005. Maybe because I was younger and was able to watch baseball every day. For example, I remember vividly the guys like Ray Lankford, Bernard Gilkey or Tom Pagnozzi but I totally miss on an Edgar Renteria.

 

 

That's where I'm at. From the time my mom and dad first got cable in the late 70's until I graduated from HS in '87, I probably watched 300 games each summer. Over those years I could watch, at various times, the Royals, Braves, Cubs, Cards and Twins on a daily basis. Plus watching This Week in Baseball all the time, reading Baseball Digest cover to cover 4-5 times with each edition and playing Strat-O-Matic 4-5 times every day with my friends, my brain was full of baseball.

 

By the time I had a family, I had so many other things going on that I haven't had near the amount of baseball exposure that I used to. I still love the game, but I can't pay attention as much as I used to. That's why I come here so much.

[jersey cubs fan]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

[Andy]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

I didn't really get into baseball until being sucked into Cubs fandom by a friend of mine at age 13. My parents didn't watch it, so I never saw much of it before then.

[Guest]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

 

 

I think I was primarily sucked in because there was nothing else on tv before cable. Then, 1984.

[Derwood]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

 

moved to Chicago for college, started going to Wrigley (back in the days when you could just walk up on game day and get great/cheap seats) and it rolled from there

[MSG T]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

 

moved to Chicago for college, started going to Wrigley (back in the days when you could just walk up on game day and get great/cheap seats) and it rolled from there

 

 

When my wife and I lived in Joliet, we would head up 5-6 times per month and get either Terrace Box or Terrace Reserved seats for around $10 each at the ticket window. Bleacher seats were $5 and readily available. Those were a good couple of summers.

[Clem Fandango]

Jay Z off to a great start...

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9931457/jay-z-gift-robinson-cano-investigated

 

The Major League Baseball Players Association is investigating whether Jay Z might have violated the union's agent regulations for giving Robinson Cano a $33,900 watch during a recent birthday party for the New York Yankees second baseman in Belgium, sources told ESPN.com.

 

Section 5(B)(5)(a) of the Players Association regulations states: "No Player Agent or Applicant shall provide, cause to be provided or promise to provide, any money or any other thing of value to any player, or any person related to or associated with such player, the purpose of which is to induce or encourage such player to use or continue to use any person's or firm's services as a Player Agent, Representative, or Draft Advisor.''

 

There is a clause allowing certain gifts if the player was already a client of the agent; however, any gift exceeding $500 must be disclosed to the union in writing. Players Association officials say the seven paragraphs of rules are meant to ensure that players choose their representatives on merit rather than what the union calls "improper inducements.''

 

Sources said that the Players Association has interviewed several of the principals and that Jay Z could be subject to unspecified discipline if he is found in violation.

[Guest]

It's been a while since I read Matt Sosnick's book, but while that specific gift might be a touch excessive, I think the rule being broken is broken by everyone all the time.

[NOLA]

Haters gonna hate.

[Clem Fandango]

http://i.imgur.com/Wqp7CEP.jpg

[imb]

@TBTimes_Rays 6m

#Rays @wilmyers insists way hair looked on TV last night unintentional: "When I saw it I couldn't believe it. ... That was embarrassing.''

[Clem Fandango]

I refuse to believe any of that.

[Guest]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

 

I didn't care at all about sports until the rumors of Jordan coming back in spring of 95 got me amped up to watch the Bulls. The game he came back against the Pacers was the first sporting event I really watched and was interested in watching (I remember other games being on in the house but I didn't care all that much). That was when I was 12.

 

Then the Bulls' season ended and the Cubs were having an OK year and the 95 season sucked me into baseball. Football was next that fall, with Kramer having that huge year throwing to Conway and Graham.

[jersey cubs fan]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

 

I didn't care at all about sports until the rumors of Jordan coming back in spring of 95 got me amped up to watch the Bulls. The game he came back against the Pacers was the first sporting event I really watched and was interested in watching (I remember other games being on in the house but I didn't care all that much). That was when I was 12.

 

Then the Bulls' season ended and the Cubs were having an OK year and the 95 season sucked me into baseball. Football was next that fall, with Kramer having that huge year throwing to Conway and Graham.

 

I don't know which is more weird, getting into baseball late or being drawn into the Cubs during the mid-90s.

[Guest]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

 

I didn't care at all about sports until the rumors of Jordan coming back in spring of 95 got me amped up to watch the Bulls. The game he came back against the Pacers was the first sporting event I really watched and was interested in watching (I remember other games being on in the house but I didn't care all that much). That was when I was 12.

 

Then the Bulls' season ended and the Cubs were having an OK year and the 95 season sucked me into baseball. Football was next that fall, with Kramer having that huge year throwing to Conway and Graham.

 

I don't know which is more weird, getting into baseball late or being drawn into the Cubs during the mid-90s.

 

Well the 95 team was in the wild card race until the last weekend...and then a couple years later the whole Wood and Sosa thing in 98 probably helped reel me in for good.

[Banedon]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

 

I didn't care at all about sports until the rumors of Jordan coming back in spring of 95 got me amped up to watch the Bulls. The game he came back against the Pacers was the first sporting event I really watched and was interested in watching (I remember other games being on in the house but I didn't care all that much). That was when I was 12.

 

Then the Bulls' season ended and the Cubs were having an OK year and the 95 season sucked me into baseball. Football was next that fall, with Kramer having that huge year throwing to Conway and Graham.

 

I don't know which is more weird, getting into baseball late or being drawn into the Cubs during the mid-90s.

 

Well the 95 team was in the wild card race until the last weekend...and then a couple years later the whole Wood and Sosa thing in 98 probably helped reel me in for good.

 

Yeah, I loved the Cubs as a kid because I was taught to, but it wasn't really something that I decided to get into until the mid-90's and Sosa.

[NOLA]

I had an irrational love for Shawon Dunston as a kid. My dog was even named Dunston. I swear that Grace became a Gold Glover because he had to dig all those wild throws.

[jersey cubs fan]

Well the 95 team was in the wild card race until the last weekend...and then a couple years later the whole Wood and Sosa thing in 98 probably helped reel me in for good.

 

Coming off the lockout, shortened season, extremely mediocre, they weren't really in any race due to dropping 20 games in June. They had one long streak very late to erase the sub .500 season. 90-97 was pretty much the trough of my Cubs fandom prior to this current dismal run. They were boring and not good at all.

[UMFan83]

In the 70's, I was just a little kid. In the 80's, I was more or less 100% a football/hockey fan. I didn't really start following baseball until the early 90's.

 

How does somebody get into baseball late? If I wasn't obsessed with baseball as a kid in the 80s I probably never would have paid attention in my teens.

 

I didn't care at all about sports until the rumors of Jordan coming back in spring of 95 got me amped up to watch the Bulls. The game he came back against the Pacers was the first sporting event I really watched and was interested in watching (I remember other games being on in the house but I didn't care all that much). That was when I was 12.

 

Then the Bulls' season ended and the Cubs were having an OK year and the 95 season sucked me into baseball. Football was next that fall, with Kramer having that huge year throwing to Conway and Graham.

 

I don't know which is more weird, getting into baseball late or being drawn into the Cubs during the mid-90s.

 

Well the 95 team was in the wild card race until the last weekend...and then a couple years later the whole Wood and Sosa thing in 98 probably helped reel me in for good.

 

I'll be honest, the 95 team pulled me away from the White Sox for good. I was kind of in the middle and really liked those early 90's Sox teams. Then the Cubs won me over with a strike shortened 73-71 season for some reason.

[Guest]

Well the 95 team was in the wild card race until the last weekend...and then a couple years later the whole Wood and Sosa thing in 98 probably helped reel me in for good.

 

Coming off the lockout, shortened season, extremely mediocre, they weren't really in any race due to dropping 20 games in June. They had one long streak very late to erase the sub .500 season. 90-97 was pretty much the trough of my Cubs fandom prior to this current dismal run. They were boring and not good at all.

 

I didn't even really watch a baseball game (or at least care about one) until 95, so the strike meant nothing to me.

 

They still weren't eliminated until the second to last day of the season, and that winning streak in late September was fun as hell.

 

They also made that trade for Todd Zeile, which, at the time, I thought was awesome.

[jersey cubs fan]

Well the 95 team was in the wild card race until the last weekend...and then a couple years later the whole Wood and Sosa thing in 98 probably helped reel me in for good.

 

Coming off the lockout, shortened season, extremely mediocre, they weren't really in any race due to dropping 20 games in June. They had one long streak very late to erase the sub .500 season. 90-97 was pretty much the trough of my Cubs fandom prior to this current dismal run. They were boring and not good at all.

 

I didn't even really watch a baseball game (or at least care about one) until 95, so the strike meant nothing to me.

 

They still weren't eliminated until the second to last day of the season, and that winning streak in late September was fun as hell.

 

They also made that trade for Todd Zeile, which, at the time, I thought was awesome.

 

Well you were 12 so you can be excused for poor taste. I was actually living down the street from the park that summer, and while that was awesome, I have no fond memories of that team. (with the exception of taking my now wife to a game for the first time).

[Guest]

Things I remember from that season...

 

That crazy Dunston walkoff game that someone posted a video of a few months ago.

 

Todd Haney hitting a HR in his first AB after being called up, which led me to think he was going to be awesome.

 

Guy coming out to attack Randy Myers.

 

Turk Wendell tossing me a piece of Bazooka gum.

 

Howard Johnson hit some home runs, which led to me noticing that we had a guy on the team named Howard Johnson.

 

Having tickets to the last game and having wild card hopes be eliminated the day before, after I had already made a sign that said, "Go Giants." I ended up writing something else on the other side and using it and some lady at the game had no idea why I made a sign that said, "Go Giants."

 

Also, Brian Mcrae was my favorite player...because I don't know why. But I did at one point IM with him on AOL and he remained on my buddy list for like 10 years after that.

[Sammy Sofa]

Man, some of you were weird kids, and I say this as someone who was definitely a weird kid. At least I had the excuse of my dad being a huge Cubs fan and the 1984 season being the first one I really got into.

[UMFan83]

Things I remember from that season...

 

That crazy Dunston walkoff game that someone posted a video of a few months ago.

 

Todd Haney hitting a HR in his first AB after being called up, which led me to think he was going to be awesome.

 

Guy coming out to attack Randy Myers.

 

Turk Wendell tossing me a piece of Bazooka gum.

 

Howard Johnson hit some home runs, which led to me noticing that we had a guy on the team named Howard Johnson.

 

Having tickets to the last game and having wild card hopes be eliminated the day before, after I had already made a sign that said, "Go Giants." I ended up writing something else on the other side and using it and some lady at the game had no idea why I made a sign that said, "Go Giants."

 

Also, Brian Mcrae was my favorite player...because I don't know why. But I did at one point IM with him on AOL and he remained on my buddy list for like 10 years after that.

 

Hah thats funny, I also had tickets to the last game of that season, and forced my dad to take me thinking/hoping the Cubs would still be alive in the WC race. Had a fun time at the game though. Went to the last game in 2004 as well hoping the same thing only to be eliminated the day before.