Comments on: Mike Beard

By: redsoxeveryday

redsoxeveryday — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:14:48 +0000

Congrats on the book press! Can’t wait to read it!

By: sthek

sthek — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:54:31 +0000

Nice post. Of course any discussion of the phenomena of ‘having it, then losing it” brings to mind former Tiger reliever Kevin Saucier who lost it, big time.
Here’s a link to a lengthy but good old article about Saucier
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121162/index.htm

Congrats on the early good press, Josh.

By: serpentbox

serpentbox — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:15:22 +0000

Wonderful post. So inspirational. As I was telling my friend blankmon, it’s a launchpoint for a short story that’s swirling through my head. And to tie it in with That Feel is a stroke of grace. Keep ‘e, comin’ Josh. You make me want to take my own box down from the shelf…

By: johnq11

johnq11 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:46:24 +0000

Spot on blankemon, I didn’t notice it at first but he does have a Rocky Dennis look about him. I don’t know if it’s because his head is just long or the photo it’s because the photo seems to be taken at an odd 75degree angle.

I think Seaver41 brings up an excellent point. For every Willie Stargell home run or Sandy Koufax strike-out on a highlight reel, there’s a player on the other end that may have just thrown his last pitch or batted for the last time.

By: blankemon

blankemon — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:07:48 +0000

This is one of my favorite posts in a while, Josh. I can’t quite explain why, it just nails a certain feeling…much like the song, which has been a favorite since it came out. I was at NYU, and I remember walking down to Tower Records on 4th Street to go get a copy of Bone Machine, and then anxiously playing it with my roommate. Richards had memorably guested on Waits’ Rain Dogs album, and since we were (and are) big fans of both Waits and the Stones, we were seriously stoked for another collaboration. It didn’t disappoint.

This sounds awful, but doesn’t Mike Beard look a little Rocky Dennis-ish?

By: johnq11

johnq11 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:04:50 +0000

Beard was pretty good in 1975, 4-0 with a 118era+. Then it just seemed to go away form him by ’76 & ’77.

What Mike Beard reminds me of is how much luck and timing play in a person’s life. As a left-handed relief pitcher, he probably would have had a much longer career if he had come up during the 80′s or 90′s instead of the mid ’70′s. Seriously, there are guys today who stay in the majors just because they can pitch and are left-handed. Oliver Perez is at best a #3-#4 pitcher and he got $36 million because he is left-handed. Orosco and Franco pitched until they were about 45 years old because they were left handed.

By: Josh Wilker

Josh Wilker — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:00:40 +0000

seaver41:
Nicely put.

sb1902:
Thanks for that heads-up. Rob also has an interesting link to a Times article that speaks directly to the recent Dawson v. Murphy discussion:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/sports/baseball/03score.html?ref=baseball

By: seaver41

seaver41 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:54:34 +0000

as much as i might love to watch my team absolutely batter an opposing pitcher, it’s a different feeling depending on who that pitcher is. if it’s roger clemens, nolan ryan, or randy johnson, then bring it on, and don’t stop; we know they can take it and will be back to beat us the next time around.

but when it’s some journeyman, or a youngster making his first appearance, or a washed-up former all-star aching for that last comeback, there’s always something sad about it, like this might be their last time gripping a major league baseball, and the schadenfreude slips away and i find it hard to take total pleasure in the ass-whooping.

i’m glad beard got to experience a save, capture that feel at least once, but baseball was his life, and in the end, he just didn’t have it. and that’s sad.

By: sb1902

sb1902 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:49:16 +0000

In case modesty prevents Josh from linking it, here is a link to a review of his book, via Rob Neyer’s blog today;

http://waswatching.com/2010/01/10/cardboard-gods-an-all-american-tale-told-through-baseball-cards/

By: Josh Wilker

Josh Wilker — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:21:19 +0000

Makes sense. Beard had indeed been drafted previously but presumably chose to keep playing college ball at Texas.