Results tagged “Mike Schmidt” from The Southpaw

Sure, Ryan Howard is exciting, and Mark McGwire held our attention, but no player made our jaws drop with the regularity of Ken Griffey Jr.
Some players change you.
You stop what your doing - even halting your breath - when they're on the field.
The way they move, be it the uncanny precision and frightening velocity with which they hurl a baseball, the way they scamper about the basepaths, making the outfielders irrelevant, or they way they can pummel a baseball into the farthest reaches of reality, grips your soul.
And when their careers pass on you sort through your collection of memories and find that their exploits make you smile. Maybe even bring a tear to your eye.
They are the most exciting players you ever saw.

Only Major League Baseball can screw up something as glorious as the All-Star game. There's no competition during the summer, it's just the marathon that is the Major League Baseball season. The highs and lows that are the backbone of our sports' culture happen then.
And the summer high is the All-Star Game. From May to August, nothing comes close to the drama. Consider, in the last four years, each game has been decided by two runs or fewer. Since 1980, the games have been decided by three runs or fewer in 22 of 28 games.
Yet, it could be so much bigger.
Here are three ways baseball could make the All-Star game the second-most watched sporting event.
1. Play it on Sunday, with the game starting at 7 p.m. This way, fewer people have to go to bed and miss the final innings. This could help make it a cultural event, much like the Superbowl.
2. Announce the Hall of Fame inductees at the game. Sure, there's a shorter turnaround between the game and the induction, but this will get more people paying attention.
3. The Home Run Derby is fantastic. Who doesn't enjoy seeing the big mashers bash the ball into insane reaches. Now, add to it. Have the derby on Saturday, and an alumni derby on Sunday, before the game. It should include some of the biggest stars of yesterday. Think about it, we could watch Mike Schmidt and Mike Piazza go at it. It would be a great warmup.

The always entertaining and insightful Rob Neyer takes a great look at what the all-time NL All-star team would be.
Imagine a team with Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench or one with Roy Campanella and Jackie Robinson or Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt.
Oh, they were on teams together.
Well, anyway, imagine Schmidt, Carlton and Henry Aaron. Or Bench, Morgan and Doc Gooden.
Anyway, it's fun to look at.

Our prayers are with Scott Schoeneweis and his family.
Is the future of the Nats injured?
What's going on in Manny's mind?
Is Nick Johnson returning to New York?

Harry Kalas calls the final strike of the 2008 World Series.
Harry Kalas, the Hall-of-Fame voice of the Philadelphia Phillies, has died.
For those who followed the Philadelphia Phillies, Kalas was the best part of being a fan. Sure, you admired Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton; you watched Darren Daulton and John Kruk, hoping they would come through in the clutch; awaited Scott Rolen's next great play at third or Bobby Abreu gunning a runner out at second.
But, more often than not, they let you down. After all, they were parts of the first franchise that lost 10,000 times.
But their biggest win wasn't when Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson in 1980, when Richie Ashburn gunned down Cal Abrams at the plate in 1950 or when Brad Lidge whiffed Erik Hinske last year.
The franchise's biggest victory was in the offseason of 1971, when they signed the Naperville, Ill., native to be a part of their broadcast team.
Thanks to that move, the Phillies radio booth featured Kalas and his best friend, Richie Ashburn.
The duo's affection for each other and the game was magical. You grew up on them, even if you were an adult the first time you heard them together.

Houston Astros' Jeff Keppinger gets a broken-bat, game-winning single as the Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in 10 innings in a baseball game Tuesday.

Jim Thome homered and the Red Sox won. Of course, that's happened a lot this decade.
No booze in Toronto.
Happy anniversary, Hank.
Oh, and we have some words from Joba the Drunk.