Grand day in Cooperstown

For Andre Dawson, Doug Harvey, Whitey Herzog, Bill Madden and John Miller, it was a grand day at the annual Baseball Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies at Cooperstown, NY. Dawson, the lone player being inducted, was a consistent player for 21 seasons. Harvey, a major league umpire for 31 seasons, was one of the best arbiters. Herzog was a crafty field manager for Kansas City and St. Louis, where he led three Cardinal teams to pennants in the 1980’s and won the 1982 World Series in seven games over the Milwaukee Brewers. For over 30 years, Madden has been a baseball reporter and columnist for the NY Daily News. Currently, his biography of late NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is on the shelves and doing well. Miller has been the radio play-by-play voice of several  major league clubs, including the Giants and Orioles and is currently the voice of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Congratulations one and all. Well deserved.

So long,”Major.”

A few days ago, former NY Yankees manager, Ralph Houk, passed away at age 90. “Major” was his nickname and for good reason: he rose through the ranks as an Army Ranger in WW II, reaching the rank of Major by the war’s end. A longtime Yankee coach, he succeeded Casey Stengel as Yankees’ manager in 1961. Houk led the Yankees to  consecutive World Series titles in 1961 and 1962. Of course, the ’61 Yankees were the team of Mantle and Maris. It was Maris’ 61-homer season and for many, the ’61 Bombers may be baseball’s greatest team ever. Houk managed other clubs but is forever associated with the Yankees. So long, Major.

So long, Boss.

To the surprise of some, but certainly not all, NY Yankees principal owner, George Steinbrenner, passed away this morning in Tampa, Fl from a massive heart attack at age 80. Yes, he was bombastic, rich and  volatile    but when he bought the Yankees from CBS in 1973 for the then princely sum of $10 million, he publicly stated that he would bring a championship back to the Bronx. Well, he did. In his 38 seasons  as owner, the Yankees have won 11 American League pennants and seven World Series Titles. Much criticism has been heaped upon him over the years, much of it deserved but every owner in every professional sport should want to win as badly as he did. He was no fool when it came to business. The Yankees, at present, are valued at $1.5 billion. Pretty good return on his initial investment. His sons run the show now and while they may know what they are doing, they don’t have the flamboyance of their father. Say what you will of George Steinbrenner and the Yankees, two things are clear: he was never dull and he was a winner. Rest in peace.

“Voice of God,” is stilled.

I have had the pleasure of attending a NY Yankee home game many times and I was a bit saddened, but not surprised(given his age of 99) that longtime Yankee PA Announcer Bob Sheppard passed away after a long and distinguished career. For over 55 years, his voice the voice of Yankee Stadium. It was Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson, who played with the Yankees from 1977-81, that gave him the nickname,’The Voice of God.” While he may have been a little uncomfortable with that label, it certainly fit. His voice was distinct and his diction was clear, concise and perfect. His voice would reverberate throughout the ballpark and unless there was a technical problem, everyone could understand what he said. He was as much a part of Yankee Stadium as any player or radio-tv broadcaster. He will be missed.

ONE FOR SPAIN!

 

With its 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the World Cup Finals, Spain is king of soccer for the first time in its history. Congratulations on a great accomplishment.

KING HEAT?

I must admit I am not surprised that LeBron James is moving on to Miami. With the moves the Heat made in recent days, it makes perfect sense that, barring injuries or a mutiny, the Heat will certainly be in the hunt for an NBA title next season and perhaps for the next three-to-five seasons. I was certain he wouldn’t go to the Knicks because they are a long ways from being a championship contender. Obviously, the lure of Madison Avenue didn’t phase James at all. He is, after all, a very wealthy man anyway. But, he is a wealthy man without a championship ring. That is something Kobe Bryant can brag about and James wants to add a few rings to his already impressive career. Good choice, LeBron. Now, bring home another title to Miami.

WHAT A WASTE!

With the arrest of JaMarcus Russell on drug charges in Alabama, it is another case of a wasted #1 NFL Draft Pick. Three uneventful years with the Oakland Raiders produced nothing but losing records for what used to be a proud NFL franchise. Ryan Leaf was considered the biggest draft bust in NFL history. Now, that distinction belongs to Russell. Makes you wonder what these scouts are looking at when they scout these potential players, doesn’t it?

HOW’BOUT THOSE RAIDERS

In its first year in the Greene County Adult Baseball League, The Unicoi County Raiders sit stop the league with an unblemished 5-0 record. Timely hitting, solid defense and solid pitching from Todd Caldwell, Nathan Fritz, Ryan Toney and Shawn Ray have kept the Raiders in first place. Manager Andy Slagle has a fine group of ball players and with more then a dozen games remaining, the Raiders will be in the mix for a league title.