Comments on: Steve Carlton in . . . The Nagging Question

By: shealives

shealives — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:05:03 +0000

This comment is for Philly area fans but it is not about baseball. For those fans who might remember the Philly-based rock band “Witness” from the 70′s and 80′s and their great lead guitarist, Steelman, I am actually doing some work on his house this week. I haven’t yet had the guts to ask him about the glory days but I have seen the maroon Gibson guitar he was always seen playing.

By: frankenslade

frankenslade — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:43:00 +0000

Steve Carlton, during his 15-game winning streak and 27-win season in 1972, was a thing of beauty to this young, lefthanded pitcher with minimal skills and almost no composure. If that’s wishing for too much, I’d like to be Ralph Garr in his prime, about whom I first heard the baseball cliche, “He could wake up at 3:00 am and hit a rope.”

By: Brent T

Brent T — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:57:06 +0000

76. Late to the game, but here it is – strangely concurrent with the first post:

Ken Griffey, Jr. at his youthful peak

I’m not a Reds/Mariners fan, but I’d get to feel not only that effortless swing – seeing the ball explode off the bat into the right-field seats, but I’d also glide smoothly and swiftly to track down any ball hit anywhere near my zone. What a day that would be.

In real life (softball or lineball games), I love playing the outfield, have great instincts of where the ball is going off the bat, and catch absolutely everything I can get to – even on dives/slides/Willie Mays-style over-the shoulder catches. The problem is: I’m painfully slow, so I just don’t get to nearly as many balls as I’d like.

My day as young Griffey couldn’t go long enough. I’d want to play two extra inning doubleheaders.

By: Jeb

Jeb — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:51:50 +0000

75. For one day, I'd be Mickey mantle that day in 1953 when he hit that long homer in Griffith (or when he almost hit one out of Yankee Stadium.

By: geb4000

geb4000 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:09:55 +0000

74. I think 95% of male perms were ill-advised during that era.

By: Josh Wilker

Josh Wilker — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:26:05 +0000

73. 71 : Yes, yes, yes. All great choices. 72 : Kerry Wood in October '08: The first choice that looks to the future! Very interesting. (I think it's going around. This morning my co-worker, a Cubs fan, said that the "weirdest thing" was that when the Cubs fell behind yesterday he had no doubt they'd come back and win.) Magic's a great non-baseball choice. I have to say I wasn't very Magical on the night in question. I only had (laser) eyes for the basket.

By: cubsin07

cubsin07 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:09:50 +0000

72. Josh- first you blow our minds with one of your most awe-inspiring posts ever, and then you pique the living shit out of our collective curiosity by dropping this question on us. I wanted to say Magic Johnson, but then I realized we were only talking baseball so i'll say Kerry Wood in October of 2008. But I thought it was funny that you mentioned you uh, channeled Doc Ellis while playing pickup ball because I bet you felt a little like Magic himself that night. Eyes in the back of your head, putting the ball wherever you wanted it, creativity flowing through your fingertips like Jimi at Woodstock. That childlike enthusiasm, that incredible improvisation, that contagious creativity, where has that gone in professional sports?

By: brer Ian

brer Ian — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:39:00 +0000

71. A flood of names come to mind:

- Jackie Robinson, for his ability to joyously upset the applecart, especially on the basepaths;

- “The Bird,” 1976. Again, it’s the joy thing that’s the draw.

- Bob Gibson

- The Goose. (I couldn’t actually pull the trigger on this one if I’d wanted to, due to pinstripe prohibition.)

- Rollie Fingers

- El Tiante

- Jim Rice (even more than the tape-measure shots, Monster-denting ropes, checked-swing bat-breaking, and penitentiary-face batter’s-box ability to intimidate, O to be Jim Rice legging out a triple. I loved his triples.)

Then the memory of the millenial Pedro Martinez resurfaces. Damn, it must have been fun to have total command of all that junk, and, when bored with toying with someone, dismiss him with a 97-mile-an-hour tailing fastball with insane movement, thrown to within millimeters of the intended location.

Then, finally, the topper: All that Pedro had, plus measureless joy. Satchel Paige.

By: Ennui Willie Keeler

Ennui Willie Keeler — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:47:28 +0000

70. That Virile Lit blog looks interesting. I made his first anonymous comment.

By: Josh Wilker

Josh Wilker — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:49:33 +0000

69. 66 : I've had similar thoughts to that about why the left-handed swing often seems to look better. One big exception being late-career Rich Gedman. Oh my GOD did his swing look brutal near the end. 67 , 68 : Too lazy to look for the exact year, but I think Walter Johnson hit over .400 during one of his customarily dominating pitching seasons.