Game Called by Grantland Rice
Game Called.
Across the field of play
the dusk has come, the hour is late.
The fight is done and lost or won,
the player files out through the gate.
The tumult dies, the cheer is hushed,
the stands are bare, the park is still.
But through the night there shines the light,
home beyond the silent hill.
Game Called.
Where in the golden light
the bugle rolled the reveille.
The shadows creep where night falls deep,
and taps has called the end of play.
The game is done, the score is in,
the final cheer and jeer have passed.
But in the night, beyond the fight,
the player finds his rest at last.
Game Called.
Upon the field of life
the darkness gathers far and wide,
the dream is done, the score is spun
that stands forever in the guide.
Nor victory, nor yet defeat
is chalked against the players name.
But down the roll, the final scroll,
shows only how he played the game.
As strong an arm as Jay Buhner?
Great player. IIRC he had a bit of an affinity for the nose candy at one point, though.
We Are Family. Thanks for the memories, Dave. RIP.
Pete Rose would often identify Parker as his favorite player. Pete once said in my presence, “I just like him.”
Sensational arm no doubt. Probably not as much appreciated as he should be because of throwing errors. Still the best of his era. RIP
Loved the Cobra. If he wasn’t a coke head he would have been Top 5. Strong. Bye Cobra.
Great ballplayer
An absolute cannon.
That guy should have been in years ago.
If he wasn't so testy with the press, I'm sure he would have been.
Parker’s last great season was with the Milwaukee Brewers. His introduction music when he approached the batter’s box was Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer.”
I also remember Parker’s unorthodox fielding technique on fly balls. He would simply swipe and the ball and snatch it. This made me shake my head. Later, he misplayed a ball with this method and the wound up hurling the ball away when the baseball wound up as a snow cone and flew away from him.
Borderline at best HoFer, never got more than 25% of the vote in 15 years on the ballot. Elected on his 4th try through the Veterans Committee.
They mentioned his passing at the Padres/Reds game this afternoon in Cincinnati. Before the game they had a ceremony featuring dozens of veterans of the 1975 and 1976 Reds teams which won the World Series (the Big Red Machine). Many of them are largely forgotten players now but when they introduced each player they made it sound like he had been a great player. They saved the best for last--Johnny Bench.
Joe Morgan and Pete Rose were part of that but have passed away. They would have been happy to have Joe Morgan there. Not sure about Pete Rose.
A very good player, but it’s the HOF, not the hall of very good.
He’s borderline at best.
He was a great ball player. RIP. All the players I watched in my youth are passing away. Hmm….