Cal Ripken HR. in All star game

Subject: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 10:58 PM

Dog-gone it, what a decent guy! He's played hard, he's played hurt (obviously), he talks to the press, he doesn't get into the world series very often, and I guess if someone DOES think that pro athletes should be role models, this guy qualifies big time. He doesn't make negative headlines like so many other multi-millionare jocks, but I'll bet he's "quietly" admired by a lot of folks...at least I hope so.

The first little emotional moment was when A-Rod pushed him over to shortstop (from third, where he was supposed to start) and then of course, in his first at bat, he lit up Mr. Park with a homer.

Haven't seen the rest of the game...donated the TV to Heather to watch Doctor or Lawyer shows.

Way to go Cal. I don't get misty-eyed often.

Rick

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 11:10 PM

he's quite a guy...quite a contrast the "Neon Deon's" of the world....he is gonna have a lot of good memories!

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: GUEST,SDShad
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 11:10 PM

I'm not watching the game, but that's great, Rick. I agree completely with you about Ripken. He's already one of the classics of the Game, and for all the right reasons.

Okay, so I'll stop being grumpy about Brad Radke not being picked for the AL squad this year, given the year he's having.

Chris

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: catspaw49
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 11:25 PM

Yeah..............I love Cal Ripken and the part of baseball that's lost, the part he represents. I don't know what it takes to be him today. It's glorious and sad at he same time. Thirty plus years ago he might have been a stand out, but more, he would have been closer to the norm.

When we were kids in the 50's, teams were filled with Cal Ripkens, but there names were Colavito, Maris, Minosa, Fox, Berra, Killibrew, Williams, Snider, Koufax, Musial, and Mantle .................Men who played like boys when it was a game. I still love baseball and I too get a bit teary watching those special moments from Cal, or last year when the HR derby was on between men who still had some style, flair, and love of the game. You just have to look a bit deeper nowadays and sometimes you come up empty. Once in awhile though...............

Spaw

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: thosp
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 11:57 PM

here's a kleenex Spaw! --- guess i could have used one myself -- this was one game i don't expect to forget

peace (Y) thosp

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 11 Jul 01 - 07:46 AM

I'm not a huge baseball fan, but I saw the homer and had some of the same feelings as both Rick & 'Spaw. Ripken is a throwback to the time that most Pro athletes were someone that kids could look up to. He has always carried himself extremely well, has been a loyal team player and a class act. It drives me crazy reading the sports section now, it seems that there is almost as much in them about salary diputes, drug busts, murders, fights etc. as there is about sports. I'm sure Cal isn't perfect, but he never showed us anything but a professional ballplayer comporting himself with dignity.

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Fortunato
Date: 11 Jul 01 - 10:15 AM

It's a damn shame that Hollywood is what it is now. There ought to be a Cal Ripken Story. Lord knows the kids and all of us need a hero. But the currently requisite gratuitous sex, violence and scandal would ruin it. I love baseball. It my heart it still has a lot of Ripkens playing it.

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 11 Jul 01 - 11:46 AM

Actually there ARE some knocks against Ripken. He doesn't always travel with the team, and some call him "an aristocrat"!!!

Lemme see, how does that stack up against multiple drug busts, and dating (??) Madonna?

In yesterday's paper he headed the list of "Most over-rated players". Gimme a break!

Chris, you're right about Radke. There's a few others that got overlooked as well. Back in the "good ol' days" the sportswriters and players and Managers (I think) picked the all-stars. Seems the fans want their faves and aren't worried about stats....although the manager still picks the pitchers.

Rick

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Jul 01 - 02:33 PM

Would you believe we just gave up our cable the day of the game. That's a ton of $$$$$$$ per year that can do better paying medication bills. Should've waited a day longer.

Art

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: SDShad
Date: 11 Jul 01 - 02:41 PM

Thanks, Rick, and I guess it would've bothered me less if, as one of those people who follows one of the thirteen AL teams that aren't the New York Yankees, I hadn't noticed that there were so damn many boys in Bronx pinstripes on this year's team. Especially given that there were only what--3 or 4 from the Mariners, plainly the best team in baseball at this point, compared to, I believe, 7 for the Yanks.

Oh well, the Junior Circuit won the game, and Ripken was MVP, so I don't have too much to complain about.

Chris

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Robin2
Date: 11 Jul 01 - 07:59 PM

I got a hug from him once at a party I was playing for.
Nice guy, showed a lot of interest in the music I was playing, then said thanks and gave me a big hug!

My next thought, was "Sweet Jesus, I've just been hugged by Superman!"
I can see where he earned the name "Man of Steel" You could have bounced a hammer off his biceps

I've been in love ever since LOL

Robin

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jul 01 - 10:37 PM

Did anyone see Tommy Lasorda get hit by the bat? I know it's mean but I had to laugh.

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 12:01 AM

It's his SHAPE guest. Seemed sort of like a 3 stooges movie. Fortunately he was fine...but he rolled over real good!

Rick

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Clifton53
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 01:50 AM

First off, I like Cal Ripken, I think he has been great for the game, a throwback, a loyal Oriole and all that jazz, but man was that pitch grooved! Keerist! I could have thrown it harder! Chan Ho Park? An 85 mile an hour fastball? Give me a break. Park is leading the majors in lowest batting average against! Lovely scenario, but wake up folkies, he gave it up!

Clifton53

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 01:29 PM

CLIFTON!!

Hmmmmm, ya know I never thought about that. But hold on a minute now...If this was in the last inning of a "laugher" AND the pitcher was a long time Major leaguer, who really was aware of Cal's history etc. I could see it. It's been done before of course........but.... I simply don't see Park (wasn't this his first all-star game?) with ALL of Korea hanging on his every pitch, doing that. Nope, now that I think some more, not a chance. Simply not enough historical significance in the first place, to warrant throwing a "fat one".

Now speaking of "historical significance", did ya notice who was there?

RALPH BRANCA

One bad pitch....a lifetime of notoriety. (even more than Tracy Stallard!)

Rick

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 01:42 PM

Rick,

I'll bite, who's Ralph Branca? For that matter, who is Tracy Stallard? Sorry, I'm a hockey, lacrosse and golf guy.

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Pseudolus
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 02:02 PM

I heard the pitch was clocked at 91 and to be honest, some of the best home run hitters in the game were going 3 for 13, and 4 for 14 in the home run derby where not only are the pitches grooved but they're coming in there at 70 - 80 mph. So even if Park laid it out there to be had, at 91 mph, Ripken still had to hit it. Having said that, I agree with Rick, I don't think he gave it up.....

Frank

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Clifton53
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 02:04 PM

Never thought of the Korean angle Rick and you're probably right, I'm not sure about the first all-star appearance , but he is a huge hero in his own country etc, but I just keep going back to the pitch itself, looked like a melon and right in the wheelhouse too, Park seems to keep the ball down all night when he's lumping up my Giants.

And speaking of Branca ( Steve, Branca's the guy who gave up the famous homer to Bobby Thompson back in '51, with a young Willie Mays waiting on deck, that clinched the pennant for the Giants in the biggest comeback ever in baseball), there's a big todo on now about the Giants stealing signs and how Thompson knew what pitch was coming. Really? Something new here? He still had to hit the ball under the pressure of going home for the winter or going to the World Series. And as long as people have been competing in anything, there has been cheating, only they call it, "looking for an edge".

Clifton

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 02:08 PM

Clifton53,

Thank you. That was before my time. I do know that a few years ago Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams could have run for Mayor here in Toronto and won by a landslide.

Come to think of it, he could do it today, but for different reasons.

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 02:12 PM

The history of baseball is full of the "bad moves by a good guy" thing........fat pitches, balls between the legs, otherwise fine players making that one slip. That said, I think Rick is right too and Park just fits into a long line. Sure was great timing!!!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Clifton53
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 02:47 PM

It was before my time as well Steve, but being from the east coast and a life long JINTS fan, I've heard the replay a thousand times through the years.

Funny you should mention "Wild Thing" Williams. What a sad story, the Philly fans ran the guy right out of baseball after that home run he gave up to Joe Carter. And how about poor Bill Buckner? The guy was a great hitter for years. One flubbed grounder and he may as well have been a rookie having a cup of coffee in the majors.

Clifton

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 12 Jul 01 - 02:54 PM

Yeah Buckner was a sad one too. As I said, I'm more of a hockey guy. Dave Reece was a Boston Bruin rookie goalie who was having a pretty decent season and had some success in the minors. Then one night Darryl Sittler of the Leafs had a ten point night, Reece let in at least ten goals, I think eleven. He never played another game in the NHL. All that hard work to get there, the previous successes ruined in sixty minutes.

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 13 Jul 01 - 01:20 AM

Ya know guys (no gals here yet?), both Carter's World series homer off Williams and Thompson's "shot heard round the world" were THAT close to being foul...I mean a couple of feet for each (and don't forget how SHORT Thompson's fly ball was) and the results were collosal for the four men involved. Funny world.

Oh Steve, Tracy Stallard threw the pitch that Roger Maris hit for his 61st home run.

The other biggest "goats" (although I think Buckner Williams and Tony Fernandez with Cleveland were the only serious blunders I've actually witnessed) were Fred Merckle, and Fred Snodgrass.....AND Fred Linstrom. Jeez, must be something about the name Fred!

Rick

Subject: RE: Cal Ripken HR. in All star game
From: Pseudolus
Date: 13 Jul 01 - 09:36 AM

Just a note.... Mitch Williams is now the pitching coach for the "Atlantic City Surf" in the Atlantic League which is a league started in 1998 and is not associated with MLB. He is a player coach and has actually played in several games.

Frank