Thursday, August 31, 2017
I Kept them in Stitches
“I
Kept Them in Stitches”
Ken
Carson with Larry Millson
Ken Carson
keeps pretty busy these days as the president of the Class-A Advanced
Florida State League of Baseball. That position is a long way from
his early days pushing a broom as a rink rat in The Barrie Arena, on
Dunlop Street in Barrie. He was born in 1941, and experienced many of
the adventures that I have known, and perhaps you as well.
He was
around the rink when the Barrie Flyers reigned supreme in Junior
Hockey. But he was also there for the professional wrestling, noting
in the book that Yukon Eric once chased him out of the ring! The rink
was home to roller skating in the summer, and he tightened skates. He
sold programs, and worked his way up the ladder to become the Flyers'
stick boy. During those years, he worked for “Hap” Emms, not
always an easy task.
Carson moved
with the Flyers to Niagara Falls when he was still in high school.
From there, he moved on to train the Rochester Americans, the Toronto
Maple Leafs' AHL farm team. They trained in Peterborough, and Carson
worked with Bob Haggert and Tommy Nayler. He moved on to Pittsburgh
to work for the Penguins in 1967, hired by 'Red” Sullivan.
In 1976, he
took the trainer's job with the Toronto Blue Jays. Spring training
for the first year in 1977 was held in Dunedin. Incidentally, the
minimum salary for a player was $ 19 000, and the total payroll for
the team was $ 750 000.
A couple of
years later, a young lad who was studying athletic training at
Sheridan College, joined the crew. Mike Knuude had played a little
Junior hockey with the Brampton Warriors and the Dixie Beehives
before becoming more interested in the game behind the scenes. He
signed on with the Jays, went to training camp, and was assigned to
Medicine Hat his first year.
The
following year, 1981, he was in the dugout at Exhibition Stadium with
the parent club. He worked with many of the early Jays: Buck
Martinez, Ernie Whitt, Jesse Barfield, George Bell, and Dave Stieb,
to name a few.
There were
many young players arriving from “The Islands”, when baseball was
becoming more international. Knuude remembers that they learned
English quickly. He also remembered that the team collected their
passports at the beginning of the season, kept track of them for
travel purposes, and returned them to the players afterthey
had handed in their uniforms and equipment, for obvious reasons.
Just
before the start of the 1982 hockey season, Knuude was working with
Ken Carson when he got a call from “Doc” Vaughan at Exhibition
Stadium. Vaughan and Coach Larry Mavety wanted to hire Knuude to go
to Belleville as the trainer for the Bulls. Knuude thought it was a
good fit for him personally at the time, and he moved on. Nowadays,
you will find Mike prowling the showroom as a sales guy for Peter
Smith, in North Belleville.
In
1987, Ken Carson took over as Director of Florida operations for the
Jays, eventually becoming the president of the Florida State League.
He also keeps busy with seven children, 15 grandchildren, and six
great grandchildren.
Carson'
book will be on the shelves of the Wellington Library in a week or
so. I promised Mike Knuude a read before I turn it in to the library.
A fine read, by Larry Millson.
James
Hurst
August
21, 2017.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Reflections on the 2017 CP Women's Open
If you happened to be
in Smiths Falls last weekend, and you were looking for great service
at a restaurant or a garage, you were likely disappointed. The town's
Number One daughter, a certain Brooke Henderson, was not far away in
Ottawa, playing a few rounds of golf. At least half the town was
there to cheer her on. After her final round, she signed autographs
for at least an hour.
Brooke Henderson
Brooke readily admitted
that she was a bit disappointed with her final round, “Today didn't
go quite as well as I would have liked. But still, having that
support around me was amazing, and I am going to remember this week
forever”.
Henderson started the
CP Women's Open slowly with a round of 74. She shot a 69 on Friday,
then tore up the course on Saturday with a record round of 63. The
Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club is Brooke's home club, and it was her best
ever tournament round at the Club. That round moved her into
contention, just three strokes off the lead. She trailed Nicole Broch
Larsen and Mo Martin.
When the dust finally
settled on late Sunday afternoon, a young South Korean golfer from
Seoul took the championship. Sung Hyung Park is a rookie on the tour,
although she is a little older that most of the kids. She is 23 years
old. Brooke will be 20 on her next birthday. No matter. Park 's win
was her second on the tour this year, coupled with a major victory at
the U.S. Women's Open a few weeks ago. She fired the best round of
the day, a 7 under par 64, to win the title by 2 strokes over Mirim
Lee. Five players tied for third at 274. Henderson tied for 12th
at 277,
On Monday, Brooke took
a flight to Portland, Oregon, to compete in the Cambria Portland
Classic, a tournament she has won the past two years.
There were several
supporters at the first tee on Friday for Hannah Hellyer. The
Stirling native, who is an assistant pro at St. George's in Toronto
earned the right to play in the national championship by shooting a
69 to qualify for the Open. She was thrtilled to be there. After her
first round, she took a moment to summarize her thoughts. “It was
pretty exciting. I don't think I was really thinking straight. My
heart was pounding out of my chest. But I just had to kind of focus
and try to get the ball in the fairway.”
Hannah has given some
thought to leaving the game, but her persistence paid off last week,
with a chance to play with the best players in the world. Another of
her comments after her first round, when discussing her result, made
me smile. “I couldn't find the fairway, so that was fun! And I had
lot of diverse shots, so that was really good. Hopefully tomorrow
will be a little more down the middle and on the green, maybe
one-putt, two putt, a little boring golf. We'll see how it goes.”
Brooke Henderson and
Brittany Marchand were the only Canadians to make the cut for the
final two rounds. Augusta James from Bath was in the hunt after the
first round, but slipped to a 76 to miss the cut.
Playing conditions were
ideal throughout the week, with a few gusty afternoon winds to make
life interesting for the golfers. The course held up well, and, I
dare say, the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club has never entertained that
many people. They wisely decided to use the Uplands Air Base across
the road for parking, employing shuttle buses. All in all, a
wonderful experience.
And yes, the RED/BLACKS
won as well, a bit of a squeaker. More on that nest week.
James Hurst
August 28, 2017.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Carlton Stuns Alabama
Carleton University has done it again.
The Ravens, winners of seven straight Canadian titles, defeated Alabama, 84-71, on Wednesday night in the 2017 Can-Am Shootout.
Yasin Joseph led all scorers with 19 points off the bench for Carleton. Eddie Ekiyor, a former Xavier forward, posted a double-double of 16 points and 11 boards.
Alabama was led by the freshman backcourt of John Petty and Collin Sexton, who scored 16 and 15 points, respectively.
“This was one of the games that we, as a coaching staff, had circled on the schedule because this team has historically done really well against some of the most high-level American universities that have come over here to play,” Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said in a statement released by the school following the loss.
“We knew they were going to play physical, rebound the basketball and shoot threes, and they did all of those things. This is strictly an evaluation trip. We had the chance to play six or seven different lineups, play a lot of different guys and look at a lot of different matchups. We didn’t do as good of a job on both ends of the floor that we are capable of, but this was a great learning experience for our team.”
The Crimson Tide are projected as a top-25 entering this season. But this shouldn’t worry those in Tuscaloosa. Aside from dominating the Canadian college scene, winning 13 of the last 15 national titles, the Ravens have made a habit of defeating some of college basketball’s best programs. It’s also worth noting that the game is played on Canadian soil, meaning the game was played under international rules such as 10-minute quarters and a shortened shot clock.
Wednesday night was Carleton’s 28th victory over an NCAA Division I program.
Last summer, Wichita State fell to Carleton. The Shockers went on to finish the 2016-17 season ranked in the top-10, according to kenpom.com In 2013, Wisconsin was upended by the Ravens. Seven months later, the Badgers appeared in the first of two straight Final Four. If you’re the Crimson Tide, a loss to Carleton is hardly an omen for how this season will unfold.
Alabama concludes its tour of Canada on Thursday against the University of Ottawa. Carleton, which previously lost to Towson, has another chance at a Division I upset, taking on Vanderbilt on August 14 in the Bahamas.
Dillon Carman- Canadian Heavyweight Champion
Dillon Carman
Reigning Canadian Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Big Brother Canada Contestant
Madoc, Ontario – Hastings CountyYou would think that the man with the heaviest fists in Canada would be a bit rough around the edges, but don’t let his size fool you: Dillon Carman is a friendly, funny guy with a big heart.
He’s the type of guy who sits at the same table at his favourite pub, the Barley Pub & Eatery in Madoc, and literally orders ‘the usual’ every time. The type of guy who brings his niece to her swimming lessons and spends his day off tubing with friends and hanging out around a campfire. For a man who has every reason to be a Big Shot, city slicker celeb, Dillon Carman is still a hometown country boy. Which is why his most recent stay in the Big Brother Canada House might’ve been his biggest challenge to battle yet.
After 62 days in the Big Brother house and in total, 88 days in isolation, what would you say is the first thing you wanted to do when you got out?
Just see my family! I needed that connection so badly. I see my mom all the time; she lives across the street from me, so not being able to talk to them, hug them, interact with them for that 88 days was hard. No TV, no outside world, no phone.
Wow! After that, do those things, your phone in particular, mean less to you now?
Totally! I leave it at the house all the time. I actually don’t even have it on me right now. I’d recommend it to anyone. Shut your phone off and take in the world that is around you. We are always taking for granted what we have; our friends, our family, our luxuries, our personal space.
As we all know from watching Big Brother, you have a new girlfriend now! When you brought her here for the first time, what was on the hometown tour?
Well, we spent a couple days on Moira Lake. Haven’t made it to the Chip Truck down there yet, that’s gotta be next on the list! We visited my Grandma up on Loon Lake and we’ve been over to Crowe Lake a couple times now, anchored down at the sand bar and spent the day chillin’. I guess I’ve been showing her all the natural beauty.
Just last weekend we went up to Eagle’s Nest in Bancroft. Possibly one of the best views in all of Ontario. I love going up there! We escaped for a bit; had a nice dinner. The whole time we were getting all sorts of texts and calls, but just ignored our phones, and had a great day.
No doubt your training and media schedule keeps you busy. It must be nice to leave it all behind for a bit. If you were to escape it for 24 hours, what does your ideal day off at home look like?
A day at the cottage! Sitting on the dock, tossing a few lines in, maybe having a couple pints. Honestly, just relaxing near water. That’s where I want to be!
That sounds like a perfectly chill day, for an otherwise busy guy. Now that you are training in the city and have been representing Madoc on a national scale, what would you say is the biggest misconception people have about a small town?
I wouldn’t say it’s a misconception, but I don’t think they realize how close-knit we are. Everyone in this town is so supportive. They’ve watched me grow up since I was a little kid. You become invested in people and their successes over time. They watched me play hockey; they watched me play baseball; they’ve been cheering me on for years. Being that close-knit, I don’t think you can understand that, unless you’ve experienced it.
Is it safe to say that the support of a small town has influenced your growth and career to a certain extent?
Absolutely, this place, Madoc Ontario, has built me into the man I am today. And because it gave me so much, I love giving back to my community. Whatever I can do for the kids around here, I do. Because I was one of those kids, you know? I was looking for someone or something to look up to, something to strive to. If I can be that for them, I am happy to do it!
Well it’s obvious that you mean a lot to this community too. What else do you think would surprise people about Hastings County?
There are tons of things to do, and for free! Go to the lake and spend some time on a dock, hang out at the Skate Park for the afternoon, take a hike at O’Hara Mill or anywhere really, there is so much green space. In the city everything has a price, but not around here.
Green space is definitely something we have an abundance of. You are lucky to have the best of both worlds right now.
Yes, but we all need nature, we need it so bad! Get out of the concrete jungle and get into the woods. Something I love to do is just park my car and hike into the woods – trail or no trail. I know it sounds corny, but I like to be one with nature; find a nice spot, sit down in the ground, look up at the trees, watch them move with the breeze. There is nothing better than peace and quiet.
Here Comes the Judge!
When the 2017 Major
League baseball season got under way, the New York Yankess were
thrilled to have Gary Sanchez behind the plate. A native of the
Domincan Republic, Sanchez had been signed as a non-drafted free
agent in 2009. He had worked his way through the system, and got into
53 games in 2016. He had 42 “runs bastted in” in his first 55 MLB
games, tying him with Mickey Mantle. He trailed Joe DiMaggio, Joe
Gordon, Tony Lazerri, and George Selkirk. Pretty impressive company.
He has not been a disappointment this year, still knocking the cover
off the ball.
And then along came
another rookie with potential. A huge kid, standing 6' 7”, weighing
upwards of 280 pounds, named aaron Judge. He got into 27 games last
year, had 4 home runs and 2 doubles. Nothing to write home about, but
not exactly out of place. He started the season in the minors this
year, then got the call up in April.
And that's when it
began. Aaron Judge has been the “Real Deal” for the Yankess this
year, and has revitalized the town. He has been adopted by the fans
throughout the league. His gap-toothed smile is familiar to every
baseball fan in North America. He is playing on the largest stage in
baseball, and he appears to love every minute of it. He has had some
“off' times, especially since the All Star Break. But with about 40
games left in the 162 game season, he is a lock for the rookie of the
year. He will end up batting around .300, with more than 40 homers.
He now has 36. He may fall short of the rookie record of Mark
McGwire, but he likely won't have an asterisk beside his name.
As is typival of any
out-of-town crowd, he was roundly booed in Toronto. When he struck
out, the cheers were the loudest. That is how superstars are
recognized in opposition ball parks. This is not the case in New
York. Fans in the Judge's Chamber, a section of Aaron's supporters,
wear white wigs and black robes in support of their favourite player.
At the Rogers Centrte, many fans wore Judge shirts. Even a group wore
their white bath robes with Judge written on the back.
It has been indicated
that veteran Yankee Matt Holiday has taken Judge “under his wing”
to guide him through the hills and valleys of the game in his first
full season. You can often see Holiday bending Judge's ear in the
dugout. Holiday broke into the Majors in 2004, and has a career
batting average of more than .300. A good guy to listen to for
advice.
Many of Aaron Judge's
home runs are tape-measure shots. They have some sort of computerized
device that tells the fan the actual distance of the shot. I would
expect he will consistently hit several in the five hundred foot
range.
He is also an
outstanding fielder who covers a lot of ground in right field for the
Yankees. His arm is well respected. He recently uncorked a throw to
home plate that hushed an opposing crowd. You could almost hear a
manager mumble, “Damn, he can do that too!”
The Yankees currently
trail the Red Sox by 4 games in the American League East. It will be
a dog fight until the end of the season. Of course pitching is
critical. Injuries have afflicted all teams in the league, at the
worst possible times. The Red Sox have their own phenom now in the
lineup, a certain Devers kid who has hit three home runs in his last
two games. The Boston Globe reporters will have plenty to say about
him down the stretch.
It will be up to
Holiday, and the rest of the Yankees to keep Aaron Judge focused for
the rest of the season. I cannot forsee it being a problem. He spent
three years at college, playing for Fresno State. He is now 24 years
old, and has experienced a year of the “Lights of Broadway”.
Never an easy place to play any professional sport.
You can expect many
years of great baseball ahead for the kid from California. Mark my
words.
James Hurst
August 15, 2017.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Braqd Richardson Ready for the 2017-2018 Season
Belleville's Brad Richardson eager to howl with the Coyotes again
That being said, he sometimes can't help recall the look of horror on a fan's face as he lay on the ice, writhing in pain with a fractured fibula and tibia.
"When I think about that night it's hard," Richardson said Thursday after an informal skating session with a handful of other players at the Ice Den in Scottsdale, AZ. "I kind of get hot and sweaty when I do because the pain was so unbelievable. When it happened I knew it was really bad right away. I could feel my leg snap.
"But I can still see that fan in the crowd and see his face vividly. His expression was like 'Oh my God!' and I remember thinking 'Oh boy, I'm in trouble.' Even though I knew it was pretty bad, that fan's face summed up just how bad it really was."
Richardson underwent surgery in Vancouver the day after his injury. Fast forward nine months and Richardson can't wait to get back on the ice in an NHL game.
He tried to return to the Coyotes lineup late last season, but his body simply wouldn't allow it. He opted to have a second surgery in late March to "clean up some things" inside his leg.
"I wanted to play at the end of last year and I tried to come back, but there was just too much pain," Richardson said. "I tried to push through and some days I thought 'OK, maybe I'll play by this weekend or next week,' and then the next day I'd come in and I was so sore I could barely walk. It just wasn't worth the risk of further injury.
"It was tough to swallow because that was my goal, to get back and play at least a game or two. I did everything I could. It just didn't happen.
"When you have an injury like I did, your leg is sore after working out, but then that heals and other parts of your body get thrown off — your back gets sore or your hips are out of alignment. So, it's just a lot of work trying to get everything to work together again.
"It's a constant battle to make your body feel good again and get back up to speed."
Richardson has been in Arizona for most of the off-season and feels he's extremely close to being 100 per cent healthy, after basically having to learn how to walk again.
"If training camp started tomorrow I'd be out there," he said. "I feel night-and-day different than I did four months ago. I probably need a little more time on the ice and some reps, but I'm feeling really good and I'm ready to go.
"The hardest thing was trying to get my leg strong and to fire again and be normal. I put a lot of hours in doing that. Realistically it might take me a little bit of time just to get back in and feel confident, but I think it's going to happen.
"I want to get better and I'm planning on it. I've put the work in to get better."
Richardson has another month to get even more prepared for his 13th NHL season.
The Coyotes will be counting on him to help lead a young team. At 32 he's now the oldest player on the roster.
"I did notice that recently and I'm not too excited about that," said a smiling Richardson. "I don't feel old in any sense of the word. I believe I have a lot of years left in my career, but yes, right now I'm the oldest guy on the team. It is what it is. We have a very young team so we're going to need a bunch of the older guys to lead by example.
"I'll just fit in and do what I can in that aspect."
Richardson has spoken to new head coach Rick Tocchet and is embracing the numerous changes the Coyotes have made in the off-season — including the addition of fellow Belleville native, forward Nick Cousins, in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.
"It's going to be different, that's for sure, but I'm excited," Richardson said. "I think we're at that point where you have to try something different if you're not making the playoffs every year. I don't know Rick very well, but everyone I've talked to about him has had good things to say.
"He wants to play a fast-paced style, which I'm good with, and I think we have a lot of guys who will like playing that style. It's going to be interesting. I'm anxious for September to get here and to see what's going to happen."
Until then, Richardson will continue to skate regularly in the Valley and to work to make his leg stronger. He's found a new appreciation for playing in the NHL and he can't wait to do it again.
"I've been taking a one-hurdle-at-a-time approach," said Richardson. "I've passed every stage so far so I'm looking forward to progressing. The No. 1 person who has to push you is yourself. I have motivation. I want to keep playing and playing at a really high level and keep getting better every year.
"I've enjoyed every day of my career, but I think I'll enjoy it even more now."
• The above story was written by Dave Vest, the Arizona Coyotes senior director of news content, and appears on the NHL team's official website.
"When I think about that night it's hard," Richardson said Thursday after an informal skating session with a handful of other players at the Ice Den in Scottsdale, AZ. "I kind of get hot and sweaty when I do because the pain was so unbelievable. When it happened I knew it was really bad right away. I could feel my leg snap.
"But I can still see that fan in the crowd and see his face vividly. His expression was like 'Oh my God!' and I remember thinking 'Oh boy, I'm in trouble.' Even though I knew it was pretty bad, that fan's face summed up just how bad it really was."
Richardson underwent surgery in Vancouver the day after his injury. Fast forward nine months and Richardson can't wait to get back on the ice in an NHL game.
He tried to return to the Coyotes lineup late last season, but his body simply wouldn't allow it. He opted to have a second surgery in late March to "clean up some things" inside his leg.
"I wanted to play at the end of last year and I tried to come back, but there was just too much pain," Richardson said. "I tried to push through and some days I thought 'OK, maybe I'll play by this weekend or next week,' and then the next day I'd come in and I was so sore I could barely walk. It just wasn't worth the risk of further injury.
"It was tough to swallow because that was my goal, to get back and play at least a game or two. I did everything I could. It just didn't happen.
"When you have an injury like I did, your leg is sore after working out, but then that heals and other parts of your body get thrown off — your back gets sore or your hips are out of alignment. So, it's just a lot of work trying to get everything to work together again.
"It's a constant battle to make your body feel good again and get back up to speed."
Richardson has been in Arizona for most of the off-season and feels he's extremely close to being 100 per cent healthy, after basically having to learn how to walk again.
"If training camp started tomorrow I'd be out there," he said. "I feel night-and-day different than I did four months ago. I probably need a little more time on the ice and some reps, but I'm feeling really good and I'm ready to go.
"The hardest thing was trying to get my leg strong and to fire again and be normal. I put a lot of hours in doing that. Realistically it might take me a little bit of time just to get back in and feel confident, but I think it's going to happen.
"I want to get better and I'm planning on it. I've put the work in to get better."
Richardson has another month to get even more prepared for his 13th NHL season.
The Coyotes will be counting on him to help lead a young team. At 32 he's now the oldest player on the roster.
"I did notice that recently and I'm not too excited about that," said a smiling Richardson. "I don't feel old in any sense of the word. I believe I have a lot of years left in my career, but yes, right now I'm the oldest guy on the team. It is what it is. We have a very young team so we're going to need a bunch of the older guys to lead by example.
"I'll just fit in and do what I can in that aspect."
Richardson has spoken to new head coach Rick Tocchet and is embracing the numerous changes the Coyotes have made in the off-season — including the addition of fellow Belleville native, forward Nick Cousins, in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.
"It's going to be different, that's for sure, but I'm excited," Richardson said. "I think we're at that point where you have to try something different if you're not making the playoffs every year. I don't know Rick very well, but everyone I've talked to about him has had good things to say.
"He wants to play a fast-paced style, which I'm good with, and I think we have a lot of guys who will like playing that style. It's going to be interesting. I'm anxious for September to get here and to see what's going to happen."
Until then, Richardson will continue to skate regularly in the Valley and to work to make his leg stronger. He's found a new appreciation for playing in the NHL and he can't wait to do it again.
"I've been taking a one-hurdle-at-a-time approach," said Richardson. "I've passed every stage so far so I'm looking forward to progressing. The No. 1 person who has to push you is yourself. I have motivation. I want to keep playing and playing at a really high level and keep getting better every year.
"I've enjoyed every day of my career, but I think I'll enjoy it even more now."
• The above story was written by Dave Vest, the Arizona Coyotes senior director of news content, and appears on the NHL team's official website.
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Dem Bums-2017
The Brooklyn
Dodgers were affectionately known as “Dem Bums”. They moved from
Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1957, after winning their first and only
World Series in 1955. They won the World Series 5 times after the
relocation: 1959, 1963, 1965, 1982, and 1988. It has been almost 30
years since they won the crown.
It appears
as if they are making a serious move in that direction this year
Their record, for the past 50 games is astounding. They have won 43,
and lost just 7 of those games. No team has done that in more than a
hundred years, not since the Giants did it in 1912. They lead the
National League West Division by 14 ½ games. They recently acquired
Yu Darvish, one of the top pitchers in baseball. They have several
outstanding young players.
In a recent
interview, manager Dave Roberts outlined a few other reasons why the
Dodgers are in contention. “This team has won the Division
Championship four times, without going on to win the World Series.
They are hungry, and they have a chip on their shoulders. It is a
very unselfish group of guys who want to win. We play the right way,
and we are finding ways to win games.” Roberts won a Series as a
player.
They have
the best pitching staff in baseball. They have a collective Earned
Run Average of 3.07, and have 34 Saves. The pitchers have struck out
1049 batters while only giving up 291 walks. They have the very best
pitcher in baseball, Clay Kershaw. He has won 15 games, losing only
2. Unfortunately, Kershaw is now on the disabled list, but is
expected back before the playoffs.
The Dodgers
are so far ahead of everyone else that they are gearing up for a long
post-season run. Much of their success comes from the tyeam's ability
to hit the “long ball”. Last weekend, they swept the New York
Mets. They hammered 5 home runs, en route to a 7-4 comeback victory.
It was their 32nd come-from-behind win this year.
They had the
good fortune to call up a rookie in late April who became an instant
star. Cody Bellinger, a son of former major league player Clay,
stands third in the list of home run hitters in the major leagues
with 32 dingers, trailing only Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins and
the Yankee rookie sensation, Aaron Judge.
Justin
Turner leads the team with a .349 batting average.
Yasiel Puig
is now ready to become serious baseball player. When he first joined
the Dodgers, after leaving Cuba, he was overwhelmed with the prospect
of becoming a major league player. Puig was suspended a few times by
the Dodgers for his poor play. He stands 6' 7”, and weighs about
260 pounds. He has all the tools to be an outstanding player.
Do not be
surprised if you happen to see the Dodgers hoist the World Series
trophy in October. They seem to have all of the pieces in place.
James Hurst
August 7,
2017.
Thursday, August 03, 2017
Baseball Hall of Fame Inductions-2017
They opened
the doors of the Hall, just slightly last weekend, to permit three
players and two executives to pass into the Hall. Each is honoured
with a plaque, a permanent reminder that each contribute
significantly to the game of baseball. The Hall is located in
Cooperstown, New York, an easy day's drive from this part of Ontario.
It is a wonderful place, and a delightful town, well worth the
effort.
Former
Commissioner Bud Selig and John Schuerholz were inducted. But this is
really about the players. The Baseball Hall of |Fame is the toughest
of all four major sports' halls to enter. They don't just induct you.
You become “enshrined”, almost like having your baby boots
bronzed.
Tim Raines
entered the Hall as a Montreal Expo. He played for the Expos from
1979 to 1990, with a brief stint in 2001. He also played for the
White Sox, the Yankees, the A's, the Orioles, and the Marlins.
During one
ten year stretch in his career, he was an elite player. From 1991
onward, he had more hits, more runs scored, and more times reaching
base than any other player. Tim Raines could run. He stole more than
70 stolen bases in 6 straight years. He finished his career with 808
stolen bases. He was an all star outfielder his first seven seasons
in the major leagues. He won the batting title in 1986. And he won
two World Series rings with the Yankees, but not with the Expos. That
is indeed a sore spot.
Ivan “Pudge”
Rodriguez spent most of his career with the Texas Rangers. He was
there from 1991 to 2002, also briefly in 2009. he also had stops in
Florida, Detroit, with the Yankees, the Astros, the Nationals, and
again with the Marlins. He won a World Series with the Marlins in
2003. He won 13 Gold Gloves as the best catcher in the league, and
attended 14 All Star games.
Pudge hit
.296 over the 21 seasons he spent in the major leagues. He finished
his career with more hits, doubles, and total bases than any other
catcher in the history of the game. He also caught 2 427 games to
establish a mark for other catchers.
Jeffrey
Robert Bagwell played his entire career with the Houston Astros from
1991 to 2005. He had a career batting average of .297. Other
impressive numbers? He scored 1 517 runs, he drove in 1 529 runs over
his 15 year career, and he hit 30 home runs in nine different
seasons. He even chalked up 202 stolen bases. He was a durable
player, with 160 or more games played in six seasons.
Bagwell was
the “Rookie of the Year” when he broke in in 1991, and was the
league MVP in 1994. He was an all star 4 times.
Expo fans
anxiously await the results of next year's ballot. There is a good
chance that Vladimir Guerrero will make the grade. Other potential
inductees include Trevor Hoffman and Jim Thome. Always a fine
occasion. See you there next July.
James Hurst
August 1,
2017.
