FR Canteen: "Play ball! A salute to baseball firsts" March 30, 2006

Colonel_Flagg

[trussell]

Serving the best troops in the world - welcome to the FR Canteen!

Welcome to all who support our troops!

Play ball!

It’s time to put on your caps and get ready for America’s true national pastime – despite what the NFL would have you believe. It’s baseball season, and with it we see the coming of spring! And in the part of the nation where I live, spring is a godsend!

Former Pittsburgh Pirate great Willie Stargell achieved a measure of fame when he observed, “The umpire doesn’t say “Work ball”. So let’s get ready to play – and enjoy the coming of spring!

Today’s thread will focus on openings and firsts … who is your favorite to win it all this year? Tell us who, and why!

But first, some baseball tunes …

King Curtis - Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Carly Simon - Take Me Out to the Ball Game

National Pastime Orchestra -You Better Play Ball With Me (1936)

Les Brown and His Orchestra - Joltin' Joe Dimaggio

The Treniers - Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)

National Pastime Orchestra - If You Can't Make A Hit In The Ballgame, You Can't Make A Hit With Me (1912)

National Pastime Orchestra - The Curve Ball Blues (1987)

Nancy Faust at the Comiskey Park Organ – Take Me Out To The Ball Game (1973)

Okay, now on to the good stuff, courtesy of baseball-almanac.com … enjoy!

June 19, 1846
Alexander Cartwright

The first baseball game using the Cartwright Rules is played. The first baseball game between two different teams was played on June 19, 1846 at Elysian Field in Hoboken, New Jersey. The two teams, the 'Knickerbockers' and the 'New York Nine,' played with Cartwright's 20 rules. Cartwright’s team, the Knickerbockers, lost 23 to 1 to the New York Nine club in four innings. Some say that Cartwright's team lost because his best players did not want to make the trip across the river. Cartwright was the umpire during this game and fined one player six cents for cursing. Don’t believe anyone who tells you Abner Doubleday invented the Great American Game – as the famous saying goes, “the only thing Abner Doubleday ever started was the Civil War.” Doubleday fired the first Union shot at Fort Sumter, as a matter of historical record.

----

1871
Baseball’s second statistic (right after the final score) is invented – the batting average, after a game between Boston and Cleveland.

----

May 12, 1876
Ross Barnes

Baseball’s first great hitter, secondbaseman Ross Barnes, hits the first home run in the history of the National League. Barnes was a lifetime .359 hitter whose career was cut short due to illness.

----

September 10, 1881
Roger Connor of Troy hits the first grand slam in National League history off Worcester's Lee Richmond.

----

May 1, 1884
Moses Fleetwood Walker

Moses Walker becomes the first African-American player to appear in a major league game with the Toledo Blue Stockings of the American Association. His brother Weldy also played in the major leagues, 63 years before Jackie Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

----

September 10, 1885
A gentleman named Joe Harrington becomes the first big-leaguer ever to homer in his first at-bat.

----

June 6, 1892
Benjamin Harrison

President Harrison makes history by becoming the first Chief Executive to attend a major league game.

----

April 17, 1901
The first game in the history of the American League sees the White Sox win 8-2. The Sox take the first AL flag that season with a record of 83-53.

----

May 1, 1920
Let’s play three: Brooklyn’s Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger of the Boston Braves duel to a 1-1 tie in the longest game in big league history – 26 innings.

----

August 5, 1921
The first radio broadcast of a baseball game is heard on Pittsburgh’s KDKA radio. The Pirates beat the Phillies 8-5.

----

March 5, 1922
Babe Ruth

The Bambino becomes the first ballplayer in history to make $50,000 per year. How times have changed!

----

June 9, 1946
Let’s play none: Nearly 100 years to the day after Alexander Cartwright fined a player six cents for cursing. New York Giants manager Mel Ott becomes the first manager ever to be thrown out of both ends of a doubleheader. Cartwright might have been perturbed.

----

April 15, 1947
Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson re-breaks the color barrier in major league baseball. He goes on to win the 1947 Rookie of the Year award and changes the game forever.

----

September 8, 1965
Bert Campaneris

Kansas City’s Bert Campaneris becomes the first player to play all nine positions in a single game.

----

June 15, 1976

The “Eighth Wonder of the World”, the Houston Astrodome, makes history as the first domed stadium ever to host a rainout. The roof didn’t leak – but the roads leading to the park were impassable after torrential rains.

----

July 17, 1990
My beloved Minnesota Twins become the first and only team to turn two triple plays in the same game, at Fenway against the Red Sox. Gary Gaetti is the lucky thirdbaseman who started both triple killings. The next season they became the only team ever to go from last place in one season to World Series champs the next.

----

The evolution of the baseball salary
Upthread we saw that Babe Ruth became baseball’s first $50,000 man in 1922. Since the advent of free agency in the 1970s, however, the top salaries have zoomed higher and higher. How many of these players do you remember, and how many were worth the money?

First $500,000 player – Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia, 1977
First $1 million player – Nolan Ryan, Houston, 1979
First $5 million player – Roger Clemens, Boston, 1991
First $10 million player – Albert Belle, White Sox, 1996
First $15 million player – Kevin Brown, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1998
First $20 million player – Manny Ramirez, Boston, December 11, 2000
First $25 million player – Alex Rodriguez, Texas, later that same day (he’ll make $27 million in 2007)

[beachn4fun]

I'll show you an mood swing later! bwahahahahaha

[beachn4fun]

[beachn4fun]

LOL.

How cute!

Not beachn yet! This morning there was frost on my windshield. This afternoon it is suppose to be 70s. Go figure!

[luvie]

[El Gran Salseron]

Well, Mouse Gordon had pulled the same thing on him earlier in the race so it was just payback but Mousey got his feelings hurt. Poor, sweet baby.

[Lady Jag]

Bless the Irish


Osama bin Laden was sitting in his cave wondering what country to invade next when his telephone rang.

Hallo, Mr. Laden," a heavily accented voice said. "This is Connor, down at the Harp Pub in County Cork, Ireland. I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you."

"Well, Connor," Osama replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?"

Right now," said Connor, after a moment's calculation, "there is meself, me cousin Sean, me next door neighbor Seamus, and the entire dart team from the pub. That makes eight!"

Osama paused. "I must tell you, Connor that I have one million men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Begorra!" said Connor. "I'll have to ring you back!"

Sure enough, the next day, Connor called again. "Mr. Laden, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry equipment!"

"And what equipment would that be, Connor?" Osama asked.

"Well, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Murphy's farm tractor."

Osama sighed. "I must tell you, Connor, that I have 16,000 tanks and 14,000 armored personnel carriers. Also, I've increased my army to 1-1/2 million since we last spoke."

"Saints preserve us!" said Connor. "I'll have to get back to you." Sure enough, Connor rang again the next day. "Mr. Laden, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We've modified Harrigan's ultra-light with a couple of shotguns in the cockpit, and four boys from the Shamrock Pub have joined us as well!"

Osama was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat. "I must tell you, Connor, that I have 10,000 bombers and 20,000 fighter planes. My military complex is surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites.  And since we last spoke, I've increased my army to TWO MILLION!"

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!", said Connor, "I'll have to ring you back."

Sure enough, Connor called again the next day. "Top o' the mornin', Mr. Laden! I am sorry to tell you that we have had to call off the war."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Osama. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well," said Connor, "we've all had a long chat over a bunch of pints, and decided there's no way we can feed two million prisoners."

[Lady Jag]

Same here. It is 60º now and very pleasant, but the wind off the water at the beach will be a tad chillier. I have spring fever really bad, and you?

[GodBlessUSA]

Hey, I can't believe it. 500 came up to fast. How did that happen? Well, Neener Neener to you

[beachn4fun]

Sour-puss


bwahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Lady Jag
It is beautiful today isn't it. :) How are you? I'm ok. I'll have to sit out in the sun this afternoon. That will be so nice. :) Hugs!

[beachn4fun]

Yeah, well IMO, those are the ones who should be fined. I mean, some of those "taps" were SO obvious, for god's sake. And, I don't normally watch racing.

[blackie]

Play Ball!

Be Ever Vigilant!

[Lady Jag]

Remember when you ran away and

I got on my knees and begged you

Not to leave because I'd go berserk?

Well, You left me anyhow and then the

Days got worse and worse and now you

See I've gone completely out of my mind.

And --

 

They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!

They're coming to take me away, ho ho, he he, ha ha,

To the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time

And I'll be happy to see those nice young

Men in their clean white coats and

They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!

 

You thought it was a joke and so you

Laughed, you laughed!

When I had said that

Losing you would make me flip my lid -- right?

You know you laughed, I heard you laugh,

You laughed, you laughed and laughed, and then you

Left, but now you know I'm utterly mad.

And --

 

They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!

They're coming to take me away, ho ho, he he, ha ha,

To the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds

And basket weavers who sit and smile

And twiddle their thumbs and toes

And they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!

 

I cooked your food, I cleaned your house

And this is how you pay me back

For all my kind, unselfish loving deeds? Huh?

Well, you just wait--they'll find you yet

And when they do they'll put you in the

ASPCA you mangy mutt!

And --

 

They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!

They're coming to take me away, ho ho, he he, ha ha,

To the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time

And I'll be happy to see those nice young

Men in their clean white coats

And --

 

They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!

To the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds

And basket weavers who sit and smile

And twiddle their thumbs and toes

And they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!

To the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time

And I'll be happy to see those nice young

Men in their clean white coats and

They're coming to take me away!

 

[Mrs.Nooseman]

LOL.

This is a great poem.

[blackie]

Thanks Kathy!

Be Ever Vigilant!

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Hi GB! I am well thanks! How are you today? *hugs* back! :]

[GodBlessUSA]

Huh, did you say something, I can't hear ya.

[EyeGuy]

How can you have a fielder's choice if the batter did not hit the ball?

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Hi beachie- from what I understand- Jeff Gordon got a fine for pushing another driver after the race.

It seems as tho there was a good deal of frustration about blocking and passing during the race.

I don't really know much about it- but as far as I am concerned blocking is not racing. I guess someone could make the case that it is.

I have always been of the school of thought of - "get out of the way of racin".

Hope that makes sense. :]

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Diva
I always seem to miss you. It's good to see you. I'm fine. It's a gorgeous spring day today. Just love it. :) Do you have daffodils up yet?
Hugs!