Results tagged “Babe Ruth” from The Southpaw

It's tough to be the greatest Yankee of all time when you have to compete against these two.

For the past few days, The Southpaw has tried to find a reason to defend Chris Rose, the host of Fox's pregame show during the World Series.
You see, Rose made a mistake of monumental proportions and we here at The Southpaw can't figure out why.
Maybe Rose got caught up in the moment.
Maybe a producer fed him the line and he didn't think about it before speaking aloud.
Maybe he was dropped down a flight of stairs at birth.
Even if all three of those things happened, there's no excuse for what he asked during the Game 5 telecast: Is Derek Jeter the greatest Yankee of all time?
Even if Rose hadn't heard of Lou Gehrig or Joe DiMaggio, the question still wasn't defensible.
He has to have heard of Babe Ruth. Right? Otherwise, would he be qualified to even be on the set?
Asking the Jeter question is like asking if the Earth rotates around Venus.
So, this Top 10 list is dedicated to Chris Rose.
It is the 10 greatest Yankees of all time.

Historically, if you grew up a Philadelphia Phillies fan, you developed an inferiority complex along the way.
You looked to the north and saw the Yankees perennially winning pennants and the Mets occasionally pulling off the trick. You looked to the west and saw that the Pirates, until recently, were always in contention. Down south, the Orioles were always the class of the American League off the field and often on it.
You were surrounded by success. Just not a part of it.
The Braves, whether in Boston, Milwaukee or Atlanta, had plenty of reasons to cheer. They had Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Eddie Matthews, Dale Murphy, The Four Aces and division crowns in 14 straight seasons. Below them were the Marlins. They came around in 1993 and won it all four years later. It took your Phils 97 years to do that.
Then the Fish rubbed it in your face and won it all again in 2002. They'd done in 10 years what you hadn't been able to pull of in more than a century.
And let's not talk about the Cardinals or the Dodgers. But I guess we have to, at least to give the kiddos a lesson. In 64, the Cardinals did to the Phillies what the Phillies did to the Mets two years ago. The Dodgers beat the Phils in the playoffs twice in the 70s, giving Black Friday a totally different meaning in the City of Liberty.
The Phillies were't lovable losers like the Cubs or tragically cursed like the Red Sox.
Your team just lost in unlovable ways that meant they didn't even need a curse.
That's not the case now.

The Hammer whacks another. Hank Aaron holds so many spots in the record book, but his impact in the game has never been truly respected.

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of posts on the 10 most underrated players in Major League Baseball history. Some might are players who never stood in the spotlight of stardom. Others are players whose whole careers were never fully appreciated because of one achievement or controversy.
He walked toward the batter's box, swinging two heavy sticks with his strong his right arm.
The wooden bats didn't just cut rhythmically through the thick Atlanta night. They swung back behind his head and through racial hatred that continued to sting a southern city and state, then whip in front of him beating back Jim Crow's dying grip on a region. And, finally, the bats reach the top of their arc and ran across the scars of a country that is moving in the right direction.
His left hand holds his protective batting helmet near his Braves blue belt that not only fit him, but the time, 1974. He twists to spit at the ground. It lands in an area that was once toiled on by slaves.
He takes his final steps toward the plate, through the fog created from so many memories and accomplishments amassed over a long career. To be sure, this is not the Hank Aaron of 1955. That was a lean young man with a ferocious swing that attacked the ball with the force of a howitzer.
This was also not the Hank Aaron of 1964, whose seasoned eye, quick stroke and sharp mind caused teammate Ernie Johnson to marvel, "Hank Aaron is simply smarter than all pitchers. ... (h)e puts all pitchers to sleep."
This is the Hank Aaron of 1974. With the end of the 1973 campaign, he'd had his last great season. His talents are waning.
This is the Hank Aaron with the slight paunch.
Yes that's right. Gods can have a pot belly.
And, yes, they can be underrated.

There have been three players in Major League history with four straight seasons of 40 homers and 120 runs batted in.
Who are they?

Look, if the entire Pittsburgh Pirates roster were to be annexed by the Philadelphia Phillies, there isn't one player who would get significant playing time for the World Champs other than Zach Duke.
And even then, he'd be the Phils eighth starter.
But Vladimir Guerrero sure has put up some numbers in his career.

Which holds the record for most extra-inning home runs?
A. Cal Ripken Jr.
B. Willie Mays
C. Babe Ruth
D. Willie Stargell

Washington has the worst record, by far, in Major League Baseball. So why was firing the Nationals manager a bad move?
Breaking down the first half.

So, Joel Hanrahan was the winning pitcher for the Nationals yesterday. Thing is, he pitches for the Pirates. Go figure.

The All-Star game has given us many memorable moments. Pete Rose barreling over Ray Fosse, Pete Rose getting ambushed by Jim Grey in the 1999 All-Star game. OK, not every memory surrounds Charlie Hustle.
Reggie Jackson hammered a ball out of Tiger Stadium. Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio shared the outfield. As did Aaron and Mays.
So with all that history, what are the greatest performances in All-Star history?
Well, The Southpaw's done some work and here they are.

Randy Johnson doesn't look so dominant with the stick.
We've got All-Star news.
Is Mets-Phillies still a rivalry?

There should be a separate league for Albert Pujols. The rest of the Big Leagues just aren't good enough for him to compete with.
Now that Pujols has reached the 30 home run plateau, we need to reflect on how great his young career has been.
Caution, what you're about to see might shock you.
If toughness is measured in today's pop culture- infused world by Chuck Norris, well, Albert Pujols is much tougher to get out than the bearded fellow.

The Orioles completed a sweep of the Phillies.
John Gonzalez takes on The Herd.
And CC says Seeya in the second.

The title "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived" does not belong to Ty Cobb. Nor is it Barry Bonds to hold. It's hard to believe, but it's not even Babe Ruth's.
"The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived" is, however, a two-time Triple Crown winner, the last hitter to bat .400 in a single season, and the holder of the highest batting average of any member of the 500 home run club.
His swing was damn-near perfect.
He spoke in CAPITAL LETTERS.
He served his country during two wars, giving up, in all probability, at least 150 career home runs during that time. He was John Glenn's wingman and was honored by Douglas MacArthur.
He is Thumper, The Kid, The Splendid Splinter and Teddy Ballgame.
He is Theodore Samuel Williams.

Man was it a busy day in the Big Leagues.
Did David Ortiz right him self?
Manny Spoke to teammates.
Oh and there was the little thing of the draft.

Could Barry be the Mets' answer?
Chan Ho got the Heave Ho.
Seven wasn't the O's lucky number.
And you'd better get off the tracks. The D-Train is rolling, rolling rolling.

No, this packed house isn't because of the Orioles' play thus far this season. It's because of a torrential downpour.

Right now, Johan Santana could do anything he wants with a baseball. We're serious. He could split an atom, knock a fly off a dime, throw it through Fort Knox without it being seen.
The Orioles played a Little League game.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Justin Upton bunts and is eventually tagged out at first during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers

A tie. A tie. In baseball. Well, not quite.
Happy Birthday, Willie Mays.
And the Dodgers are still undefeated at home.

It's a tough task to scout Randy Johnson.
The Mid-Atlantic sweeps.
Carlos Zambrano takes some short hops at third.
And in the "Today in history" section we notice a trend. No-hitters. There have been five of them on this date.

We left early. We left early. Will we ever forgive ourselves.
Raul Ibanez blasted a come-from-behind, walk-off home run to cap a 4-run rally.
But we didn't see it. We left early from the Phillies 5-4 win over the Padres. And for what? Pizza and a Cheesesteak at the other end of town.
Well, we had a good time anyway. We did see Jimmy Rollins' pinch hit home run. And we also saw Ryan Howard play some spectacular defense.

With the rest of the first pitch, we revamp our daily updates.