Observations: What Is The Name Of The Game McElroy Plays?

By Hal McCoy

UNSOLICITED SOLICITATIONS from The Man Cave, watching the Masters to pass the time until baseball time. . .call it puttering around.

—THE ROAR OF RORY: The only thing pro golfers fear is lightning. . .and Rory McElroy.

Is McElroy human or is he playing a golf simulator in his basement? First, I saw him hit his drive on the first hole Saturday 371 yards. The only way I would have ever carried a golf ball 371 yards is if I sent it UPS.

Then he scored six straight threes — six holes, 18 shots. The only way he could be scarier is as if he took a chain saw to the tee instead of a golf club.

—THE WILLIE CURSE?: The Boston Red Sox won the 1918 World Series, then owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000, a box of scuffed baseballs and a dirty rosin bag.

After that, the Red Sox lost the next four World Series in which they appeared, all in seven games — 1946, 1967, 1975 (To the Cincinnati Reds) and 1986 (On Bill Buckner’s through-his-legs error).

It became known as ‘The Curse of the Bambino.’

Hall of Famer Ernie Banks said, “Nope, that’s not it. The curse came when the Red Sox gave Willie Mays a tryout and said he couldn’t hit the breaking ball. That’s the curse.”

Could you imagine Willie Mays and Ted Williams in the same outfield?”

Whatever the curse, it was broken in 2004 when the Red Sox, managed by Terry Francona, swept four straight from the St. Louis Cardinals.

And speaking of the 1986 World Series, won by the New York Mets over the Red Sox, the Mets’ GM at the time was Frank Cashen. He was asked a few years later who was his favorite all-time player.

He smiled broadly and said, “You won’t believe who it is. It’s Bill Buckner.” Now that’s cruel.

—TAKING A CUT: This will never happen again. Never. After the 1949 season, Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller was making $80,000 a year, most in the majors.

After going 26-15 in 1946 and 20-11 in 1947, he ‘dipped’ to 19-15 in 1948 and 15-14 in 1949.

So what did he do before the 1950 season? He suggested that his pay be cut by 20%, down to $60,000. The Tribe gleefully took him up on it.

He actually requested a bigger cut, but 20% was the maximum allowed. But he did relinquish an attendance bonus that was in his contract since 1939

When he retired after 17 years with the Indians he had made $503,800 in base salary.

Then he was 16-11 in 1950 and 22-8 in 1951.

—QUOTE: From baseball lifer Rich Donnelly, who managed in the minors but spent 25 years as an MLB coach with Pittsburgh, Miami, Milwaukee, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas, Colorado and Seattle: “I once managed a team that was so bad that we thought a 2-and-0 count on a hitter was a rally.”

—TERRIFIC TWOSOME: A couple more goodies from ‘contributor’ Jeff Singleton concerning two players I love writing about — Tony Gwynn and Nolan Ryan.

***Gwynn batted .302 with two strikes. What’s so great about that? The next best, since they begin following such matters, was Wade Boggs. His two-strike average? .262.

***Ryan faced the three players who established single-season home runs records — Roger Maris, 61 in 1961, Mark McGwire, 70 in 1998 and Barry Bonds, 73 in 2001.

Those three prodigious home run hitters were a combined 5 for 28 against Ryan with zero home runs.

—A LONG STRETCH: Cal Ripken Jr., holds one of baseball’s unbreakable records — 2,632 consecutive games played. He surpassed the 2,130 straight games played by Lou Gehrig.

But there was someone who was on the field for more consecutive games than Gehrig and Ripken later passed his number. It was American League umpire Bill McGowan, who umpired 2,541 consecutive games without a day off.

—QUOTE: From former National League umpire Tom Gorman: “Any time I got those bang-bang plays at first base I called ‘em out. It made the game shorter.” (With replay/review these days, Gorman couldn’t do that.)

—QUOTE: From former manager Leo Durocher: “I never questioned an umpire’s integrity. His eyesight, yes.”

—WHY THE HAND SIGNALS?: Speaking of umpires, there is a reason that they make hand signals for all their calls — strikes, safe or out, fair or foul. They scream out their calls so the players hear them, so why the hand signals?

It goes back to the period between 1888 and 1902 when William Hoy played, mostly with the Cincinnati Reds. Hoy was deaf, which led to his now politically incorrect nickname — Dummy Hoy.

Because Hoy couldn’t hear their calls, the umpires began giving hand signals and it stuck.

And speaking of names, what an unfortunate name for a pitcher, the name of Atlanta Braves pitcher Aaron Bummer. What a bummer, eh? And how about Pittsburgh pitcher Barry Falter? So far, he has done just that.

My favorite was a turn of the 19th century outfielder named Chicken Van Winkle Wolf, who played for the Louisville Colonels and St. Louis Browns. So did that make him a frightened, sleepy wolf?

—BY THE DOZEN: Do you know what the MLB record is for most consecutive hits by a player? It’s 12 and amazingly has been done four times

The first time was in 1902 by catcher Johnny Kling with the Chicago Orphans, now the Cubs but some believe the Cubs are still orphans.

Then it was Pinky Higgins for the 1938 Boston Red Sox, then Walt Dropo for the 1952 Detroit Tigers and last year by Jose Miranda of the Minnesota Twins.

That’s 12 hits in 12 straight plate appearancs. And the only way they can get into the Hall of Fame is through Ticketmaster. That’s right, no player in the Hall of Fame ever did it.

And in a clear cut message of what have you done for us lately, the Twins sent Miranda back to the minors last week.

—TRIVIA TIME: This is one that will stump any and all baseball aficionados.

One player, and one player only, broke up 81 no-hitters with a home run. Eighty-one! Who was it?

If you said Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Barry Bond or Albert Pujols you are wrong seven times.

It was Rickey Henderson. Huh? He led off games 81 times with a home run, thus breaking up a no-hitter.

—ANOTHER UECKER-ISM: From catcher/broadcaster comedian Bob Uecker: “Baseball hasn’t forgotten me. I go to a lot of old-timers game and I haven’t lost a thing. I sit in the bullpen and let people throw thing at me. Just like old times.”

—PLAYLIST NUMBER 162: As a huge Elvis Presley fan, these are my Top Ten Elvis songs. . .and I can hear him clearly when I listen to my good friend, Ryan Roth, a fantastic Elvis Presley Tribute Singer.

And as Elvis once said, “Tomorrow is too late. It’s now or never.” Didn’t he sing about that?

1-American Trilogy, 2-In The Ghetto, 3-Suspicious Minds, 4-Always On My Mind, 5-The Wonder Of You, 6-Kentucky Rain, 7-Amazing Grace, 8-Can’t Help Falling In Love, 9-If I Can Dream, 10-And I Love You So.