Friday, October 30, 2009

A Short Story of a Eccentric Baseball Promotor

Terry Murray, who is currently the LA Kings head coach, played for the California Golden Seals hockey club in the Bay Area in the early 70's. He passed along a funny story about team owner Charlie O. Finley, who happened to own the Oakland A's at the time.
“It was a playoff game, but not the World Series. There was a TV timeout, and they had the usher walking down, and they had the Oakland A’s banner on a stick, and they passed it out to all of us. Charlie Finley stood up and turned around to all of us, and he said, `So, you see that TV (camera) down there? When that light comes on, on that TV, I want everybody standing up and waving that Oakland A’s banner.’ So we did. Some didn’t. I was a kid, so I was the first one up, but a bunch of the veteran guys said, `Shove it.’ The funny part about it was, now play starts, the camera turns and the usher came back and made us pass them all back.”
Baseball history is filled with characters like this. Where have they all gone?

From Rich Hammond LA King Insider Blog. BTW, if your a Kings fan and don't already know of this blog go and check it out right away. It's a daily must read.

Congrats Mr. Clutch

Our very own Andre Ethier has been named the 2009 Major League Baseball's Clutch Performer of the Year. He had 6 walk-off hits that included 4 walk-off home runs. In fact, his 4 home runs tied a Major League record. Read all about it right here.

Here are videos of all 4 of the bombs found on YouTube through DodgerFilms.

June 6, 2009

YouTube Link: DodgerFilms:

June 29, 2009

YouTube Link: DodgerFilms:


August 6, 2009.

YouTube Link: DodgerFilms:

September 15, 2009

YouTube Link: DodgerFilms:

Great Museums: The National Baseball Hall of Fame

This is a must see. For the Baseball fan, it is our Mecca. I've only been once, in 1999, when I visited Cooperstown during the Induction Ceremony for Robin Yount, George Brett and Nolan Ryan. It was crowded and packed with far more people than the little town could hold. Still, I would have gone anyway if I had known it would be such a zoo. (At the time, that weekend was the largest crowd to ever visit Cooperstown.) Hopefully, I'll have an opportunity to visit again during a normal weekend. This is an episode of Great Museums, Season 3, Episode 6.

Hat Tip: Pure Science with a Splash of Black Cat: