Thanks Dad

This week has been full of some special moments that you can only enjoy as a son and then as a father.   It will also be a little bittersweet because this week also should have been the 45^th birthday of my best friend who was taken to soon.  The one common thread that completes this circle is baseball.

American sports history is full of stories where father’s play catch with their son’s in the backyard and I am happy to be one of those lucky kids who is just a small chapter of that history book.  Not everyone is as fortunate.   Not only did my dad teach me the game of baseball, he took me to my games, he took me to major league games including treks across the state of Missouri to see my beloved Red Sox take on the Royals (when the Royals were good by the way) and of course to games close by at Busch Stadium.    Although basketball was his sport, he knew plenty about baseball and I thank him for the love he instilled into me. 

From there I took it upon myself to also learn the history of the game and most importantly learned the little details of the game itself by playing all of the time.  I even collected baseball cards before it was big business which also taught me great math skills,  I turned that love of baseball into a nice career of working in baseball when I couldn’t play any longer. Some of my fondest memories come from those sixteen years of working in baseball and moving from Illinois to Iowa to Kansas to Ohio to North Carolina/South Carolina to Florida to Iowa and now Maryland working my way up the ladder (and few other odd jobs in between).    Saying I was fortunate would be an understatement.  I worked for teams that won championships, as well as teams that were horrible.  I saw players who became stars and phenoms when they were teenagers in the minors.   I worked for coaches who used to be MLB players that I watched as a kid and my final job was working for Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.  I even became friends with a future Heisman Trophy winner who spent his summers playing baseball.    

None of the above was said to brag about my fortunate job perks, only mentioned to show the impact that baseball has had on my life.   This week I was able to take Sam to a post season game between the Nationals and Cardinals which by itself would have been enough.  Especially since the kid loves baseball too.  He is also a magnet when it comes to getting baseballs, pucks or footballs at sporting events and yes he was given a baseball by Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly.  That one ball made the pain of an 8-0 loss for the Nats seem not so bad to seven year old. Father and son enjoying an awesome October afternoon at the ball park, is pretty special.  

Well it’s get better, because tonight, I get to take my Dad to the deciding Game 5 of the same series between the Nats and Cards.   Baseball has allowed me to have access to certain things and also to games that we were not able to go to as a kid and tonight is just one more way to say thanks to my dad for my love of baseball and for always taking me to the game I have loved for forty plus years.   As a neutral fan, it really doesn’t matter to me who wins tonight because it’s all good, but this Red Sox fan will be pulling for the Nats much to the chagrin of my Cardinal loving family and friends.   To see him excited about going and texting his friends that he will be at the game tonight makes me smile.    

Jonny Ray, I wish you were still around for many reasons, because if the Nats win tonight, you and I would have been hangin out at Game 1 of the NLCS on your birthday.  Keep up those Cubbie conversations up there in the sky with Santo and Caray.   Thanks to fellow Illinoisan Jayson Werth for giving us a Game 5 to attend! 

By the way, Joe Kelly's number for the Cardinals is #58 which also happens to be Sam's hockey number....(insert Twilight Zone music)

That's what it is in the world of the Sports Grapevine .......

OctoberFest

 

Not everyone knows that traditional OctoberFest events actually happen in September per their origins in Germany.  With that said, my version of OctoberFest will be referring to the month of October and the Major League Baseball post-season.    No slight to good beer and hot females in short skirts as that can be mixed into the conversation as well! 

There are two really great times of the year if you are a sports fan.  Two periods of time where you can get just about any flavor you prefer, with the exception of soccer because I do not acknowledge that sport so it will not be mentioned further. 

In the March-April time period you have March Madness ( yes I am allowed to use that term legally since I am from Illinois), Spring Training/beginning of the MLB Season, NHL playoffs getting ready to begin along with the NBA playoffs.  Not to mention spring college football games and the NFL Draft.

In September-October, College Football and the NFL are in full swing, the NHL and NBA are just getting started and the MLB Post-season is upon us.  For the gear heads out there, you also have NASCAR finishing up its chase and every two years, golf has the Ryder cup drama.

Although I remember baseball playoff games prior to 1975, it was Oct 21 of that year that really left a lasting impression on how much the post-season really means.  If that date doesn’t ring a bell with you, maybe Carlton Fisk waving a ball fair in Game 6 against the Reds will help.    It is easy for many people of my generation and the generation prior to say that moment left an impression on them, but since it is my blog, here is my story.

By the time the fall of 1975 had rolled around, I was already a very young Red Sox fan who was enjoying the success of the Boston Nine that year. Especially the success of their two rookie outfielders named Fred Lynn and Jim Rice who were enjoying historical first years.  Combined those two with the veteran Yaz and some other young players like Carlton Fisk, Dwight Evans, and Cecil Cooper, I was all about being a Sox fan much to the chagrin to my Cardinal loving family….and I didn’t even really know about the painful history that came with this new found love.  One final thought. How can you not love a team that has shortstop whose nickname is “Rooster” and whirling dirling pitcher nicknamed “El Tiante”?

The Sox and Cincinnati Reds rolled through their respective league championship series against defending champ Oakland A’s and Pittsburgh Pirates, to claim their pennants and move on to what would be a historical series that put baseball back at the forefront of American sports.  Both teams swept their series and featured average pitching, but great offense and defense.  Cincy was known as the “Big Red Machine” and was the favorite to win even though the teams seemed to be pretty evenly matched on paper. 

For five games, the two squads full of future hall of famers played close, pressure packed games including three one-run games with the Reds taking a three games to two lead heading back to Boston.   Then came the rain and bad weather.  I don’t recall if it was three or four days, but to me it seemed like it was about ten days before game six rolled around.   When it was determined that the next game would be played it fell on Oct 21^st, the day my family was supposed to celebrate my brother Scott’s birthday (Whose birthday was actually on Oct 22^nd) by going out to get pizza with some family and friends, there was a deflating feeling of not getting to see the game played.  Keep in mind this is before ESPN, cell phones and social media.  One Channel on TV or Radio….that’s it.    

As only a 7 year old could do, I begged and pleaded to let me stay home and watch the game as it might be their last.  Games didn’t start as late back then and being in the central time zone was also bonus so I was intent on doing what I could to see this game.  All of the statements below were said with the saddest face I could come up with 

·         “I will mow the yard for the rest of my life”

·         “it’s not really his birthday so do I have to go?”

·         “it might be six months before I get to see them play again”

·         “Scott has a ton of birthday’s left, I can miss one can’t I?”

And it worked!  Hello babysitter and welcome to Game of 6 of the 1975 World Series!!!!!!!

By the time the family got home, the game was in its late stages, not looking good for the Sox, but not quite over although doomsday looked inevitable and the fat lady was warming up her opera voice.  I was fearful that dad would say “Mark it’s late and they are losing so it is time to go to bed.”  and quite honestly, I would have agreed with him.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to see the Sox lose.  But he didn’t say anything at all.  I Iaid still on the couch trying not to bring attention to myself hoping he had just forgotten about me as I continued to watch.  

Thanks to Bernie Carbo, I could not lay still any longer.  His pinch hit three-run blast over Cesar Geronimo’s head in centerfield tied the game and sent me flying off the couch.  Then I realized that this might be a long game and my pending bedtime appointment would ultimately win out over watching a baseball game.   Wrong again little Mark Viniard, as dad said since I had stayed up this long that he and I would keep watching what seemed to be a classic baseball game.  And watch we did and oh how right he was!

I am not gonna a lie, it was a struggle for me to keep my eyes open as the game went on.  I tried all of the tricks that kids try when they have sleep overs and want to stay up all night.  Cold Water on the eyes…Well it was really just cold water on the eyes as that is the only trick I knew at the time.  But I do know that I was wide awake when Fisk hit a ball that my dad said was going foul but all of the fans in Fenway Park were going crazy and then I went crazy.  Still alive, one more game, one more night of classic fall baseball and a memory that seems like it was yesterday. 

The Sox lost another close one in Game 7 in what was one of the best world series ever played, and yes I was a sad that my team didn’t pull it out.  One feeling I remember though was how proud I was of them for how hard they tried and that they did their best.  And that is all really anyone can ask of their teams.  I wasn’t jaded and focused on another historical loss in the postseason, quite honestly I didn’t know any better.  But I did know that baseball in October was about as good as it gets. 

In years that followed, especially living close to St. Louis, there were a lot of post-season memories and historical broadcast calls that I will never forget:

·         Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs in the clinching game of the World Series in 1977

·         Rick Monday’s home run against Montreal  in the deciding game of the Division Series

·         Ozzie Smith’s walk off homer in 1985 (followed by Jack Clark’s blast the next day)

·         The NLCS and ALCS in 1986 (later chronicled in a great book called One Pitch Away)

·         Painful, but Games 6 and 7 of the 1986 Series

·         Kirk Gibson in 1988

·         The Reds beating the mighty A’s in 1990

·         Kirby Puckett in 1991 and the entire 1991 series.

·         The Giants and Braves both winning 103 games in 1993 and my boy Solomon Torres being given the ball to try and win the NL West in only his 5^th start as a big leaguer.  Can you imagine winning 103 games and not going to the playoffs!

·          Joe Carter’s walk off series winning blast in 1993

And so many more in the last 20 years including the #1 and #2 moments of all….being down 3-0 to the Yanks before winning four straight and then sweeping the Cardinals (sorry Viniard Family….not!) for the first world series title in 86 years for the Sox.

The fall always has heroes like Cody Ross, David Eckstein and David Freese and you never know when any one player will step up to make his mark in the history books.  Enjoy the ride, enjoy the games and if your team is playing in the post-season, get plenty of rest and Rolaids and take time to enjoy the playoff run your team is making.   I also recommend Sam Adams Octoberfest beer. 

By the way here is a link to the book I mentioned above about the entire 1986 post season.  It is a good read.... http://www.amazon.com/One-Pitch-Away-Players-Championships/dp/0028608461  

That's what it is in the world of the Sports Grapevine .......

Words and Music

Since this will be the first rambling that I will make public following all of my past posts from the previous twelve months that stayed in my own little part of cyber space but are still viewable, this edition will be somewhat of a generational thing, because of the musical topic, but it’s my musing so it’s all good, right?

Recently I stepped back into the iPod time warp machine to listen to some Alan Parson’s Project (APP) tunes from the early 80’s and I was quickly reminded of how certain songs have had an impact on the sports world.  This lead to a mind-less , never-ending train of thoughts that kept me up for a few hours, but it was a fun train ride. 

For those of you unfamiliar with APP’s work’s  and are wondering why my mind suddenly switched to sports mode, you need to only look at the Chicago Bulls of the 90’s.  Sirius was the first song from the Eye in the Sky album, but was more famously used as the starting five intro music for the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls during the run of titles with MJ and the gang.   Never has a song been so ingrained with a generation of NBA fans as that song was for a dozen or so years.   As the song came through my earphones, I kept waiting for Ray Clay to say “from North Carolina….Michael Jorrrrdan!”   Sort of glad he didn’t though since I actually liked the tune long before it was commercialized and still do to this day. 

Let the fun begin with that starting point of useless knowledge, because Sirius was not the only song used from that album by a sports entity, albeit the second song is not quite as famous and its use was less glamorous.   The early 80’s were also the toddler years of a new sports network called ESPN.  During this time, the four letter network showed everything from Australian Rules Football , mountain climbing and also a late afternoon show called Mazda Sports Look hosted by Roy Firestone.  Sportscenter came twice a day at 6pm and 10pm and the programming was anything they could get, unlike today’s cable monster of multiple channels and live events around the clock. 

About 2 minutes before the top of the hour on ESPN, a sports host would come on to give a brief update on the news of the day followed by a legal message stating the use of satellite dishes to receive ESPN’s signal was illegal and punishable by law.  While this message scrolled from the top of the screen to the bottom, with images of satellite dishes in the background, a song called Mammagamma played during the thirty second spot.  Yes, you guessed it, song number two from the Eye in the Sky album.   I can hear my wife Rocky saying right now, “How in the world does he remember stuff like this?”   If Jon Ray were alive today, he could vouch for my stupid amount of useless knowledge and I am sure there are others out there that do remember this little piece of musical history.  At least I hope so.    

For many years, sports and music have always gone hand in hand with many different looks and listens.   Local radio stations in the 50’s used to make up fun songs about their sports heroes like “Say Hey, Say Willie”, “Joltin Joe DiMaggio” and a favorite of Cleveland Browns fans in the 80’s “Bernie, Bernie”.  Who could forget the “Super Bowl Shuffle” from the Chicago Bears in 1985?

Music within sporting events themselves crept further onto the scene as  top 40 hits made their way into the mainstream of stadium/arena musical libraries like “We will rock you”, “Car Wash”, and more recently “Sweet Caroline”.  Each venue rushed to find the perfect intro song whether it was “Enter Sandman”  at home games in Blacksburg,  “Back in Black” for da Raiders or “Sweet Home Alabama” in Tuscaloosa.  The evolution went even further with individual players requesting their own walk up music for baseball games.  My son thinks of Stephen Strasburg every time he hears the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” and personally it is tough to not think about Matt Witkowski when “Never Gonna Get it” is played on the radio.  The latter song is only something that a few people in Wichita might understand.    

What would a game be without the Rolling Stones’  “Start Me Up” being piped throughout every stadium across the country as the game begins, a few rock anthems in between to keep the fever pitch and then finished off with a playing of “Closing Time” as fans exit and return home or if you are in Fenway Park, the playing of “Dirty Water” after a Sox victory.   

For the last 17 years or so, all of this music could be played with the touch of a mouse thanks to a program called Click Effects which also included various sounds effects, the obligatory playing of ”Run Forest Run”  as an opposing pitcher came out of the bullpen ( A minor league favorite) or the Law and Order theme when the umpires were announced.

All of the above is a far cry from Ernie Hayes banging on his organ at Busch Stadium with such tunes like “Game Time “for the exchanging of lineup cards or “Here Comes the King” (a.k.a. the Budweiser theme song) during big rallies.  Ernie also had his own person songs for certain Cardinals players so that no matter where you were in the stadium, you knew who was coming to bat.  My personal favorite organ song was played at the Mecca in Milwaukee during Bucks games and the home team would bring the ball up the court, in the background was the organ player playing “Bennie and the Jets”.  Don’t know what that had to do with anything, but I remember it like it was yesterday.     

Yep, that is pretty much a review of the train wreck that was in my head a few nights ago and now it is in your head as well.  I am not the best writer and I am sure my grammar teacher might faint if she could read this, but it is what it is and it is for fun.   As the quote from Eddie and Cruisers goes (great music flick by the way) ….”Words and Music”.

You might notice that my ending phrase from each post is a mixture of Walter Cronkite and a former ESPN reporter from the early days whose name I can’t recall and I can’t find it on the web, not even wikipedia…hmmm.

That's what it is in the world of the Sports Grapevine.......

I promised to do a better job at updating this but since I haven't really told anyone about this blog, it really doesn't matter.  Should probably change that right?

Well the dog days of August are here and my annual dismay over the NFL pre-season getting more time than the baseball stretch run is officially here too.  There are always great story lines this time of year in MLB but the lack luster play of a fifth string football player who will never make the team seems to be more important.

With that said, there is nothing better than being in a baseball market with a team who has something to play for in September and the Nats, along with Baltimore, are both in the hunt.  I have never been able to get into the O's broadcast as I just can't stand their announcers plus they are a long time A.L. East rival of the Sox.  But since we moved to D.C. I have enjoyed the Nats broadcasts (radio and t.v.) especially since I have connection to a couple of them, so I tend to know more about the Nats and their trials and tribulations.  Because of those tough seasons, it is fun to see Nats fans enjoying this season so much, as well they should.  Hopefully it will last for a couple of years for them, as that tends to be the cycle of MLB teams lately that don't have the endless payrolls. 

In the last couple of weeks the Nats have had three signature moments that they should be able to look back upon and realize that things finally went their way instead the way it has been the last six seasons.  First in Milwaukee battling back constantly to finally win, then again against the Marlins and finally Roger Bernadina's remarkable catch to end the game in Houston last night.  Every successful season has them and the Nats are filling up their end of season DVD with some memorable moments.  I remember those moments with banner Red Sox years and I know that Nats fans are storing these away in their own memory bank.

As Sam gets older we continue to enjoy those father/son sports memories and hopefully Grayson will start to be able to enjoy them as well with age.  This year we have been to five Nats games, here in D.C. and a trip to Boston to catch the Sox while they were playing the Nats.  We have watched some of those signature moments with three Strasburg wins and his first home run, Edwin Jackson making Cincy look like a minor league team and the emergence of Bryce Harper into the line up as a nineteen year old.  Not to mention the fun of just being at the ballpark and teaching Sam to keep score and the little things that make baseball what it is.  And as always I try to capture these moments with my camera and even used some of the Strasburg pics to make a cool poster for Sam (Thanks Kodie Hayes for the graphic help!) Combine all of that with great memories at Fenway during it's historic 100th season and now with a consistently filled Nats Stadium with fans excited about their home team, it has been a fun summer regardless of how bad Bobby Valentine continues to screw up things in Beantown.

Being a Sox fan is never easy, but it an odd way, that is part of the fun.  Watching the Nats has taken a little bit of that sting away from a frustrating season that has seen Lester and Beckett pitch with no passion, Youk traded to a contender, Bobby V continue to stick his foot in his mouth and a massive amount of injuries players like Big Papi, Pedroia, Ells, etc. 

So Nats fans, enjoy the ride, continue to keep Phillies fans out of your stadium, and don't fret too much if they do shut Strasburg down as you have four quality starters behind him that can handle the job. 

That's what it is in the world of the Sports Grapevine.......

Hello my friends it's been a while....

To start off, if anyone can name what song the title of this post is from, I will send you a free coupon for a Shamrock Shake from McD's.

Multiple things to discus, first and foremost...Roll Tide.  They left no doubt, which they needed to do in order to eliminate the thoughts that anyone was better than Alabama this year.  The #2 team in the nation scored 9 points in two games against them.  Okie State would not have fared any better.  As for 2012, lots of holes to be filled especially on the defense but it looks like it could be a repeat of the 2010 season where things just never got in sync.  Their schedule will also be quite a test right from the beginning with a powerful Michigan offense against a young D.  We shall see!

NFL...don't watch it enough to really comment but the playoffs provided some great games, but the Super Bowl was overrated in regards to how well it was played.  Great ending, mediocre up until then.  Tony Romo is freaking joke, I will say that much.   

College Hoops...I am a lifelong UK hoops fan and no one can debate that....ever.   But I just can't jump on the bandwagon with Calipari as coach.  I keep thinking that they will win a title, then have it taken away because that is his history.  But this years team is very talented and man have they bought into playing defense.  They still need to make free throws when it matters come March and April, otherwise it will be just more of the same with Coach Cal.  Wide open dash for the title with many teams capable from what I have seen. 

NBA...ha yeah right...  Could have cared less had they come back or not.  Officially tired of Jeremy Lin and the media's overhyping again of something that isn't deserving....yet.   Give it time, but I still will not be watching.

Would really like to see one BIG snow before it is too late.  It would be fun to play outside with the boys and throw snow balls but don't think that is going to happen.

Did you think I wouldn't comment about the Blues?   Man I am jacked about how they are playing (with the exception of the loss last night in Columbus) and how they look heading down the stretch.  It is like old times, but hopefully there are some positive playoff results for this blue collar hard working team.  A deep run in April and May would be very cool. 

Because Sam is such a diehard Caps fan, I feel the need to say this.  What a bunch of stinkin' dawgs these guys are and their leader (Coach Hunter) just looks lost on the bench every night.  Talking about missing their opportunity, they have squandered away an unbollweevible chance to have done something special for hockey in D.C.   Sorry, any chance to refer to the Piedmont Boll Weevils is always a fun moment for me.  For Sam's sake I hope they figure it out because he is their biggest young fan.  

It is about that time for Sam to switch gears from Hockey to Baseball.  He is fun to watch and a good little athlete.  Grayson, I think is going to be the next Earl Campbell with the way he is built and plays around.  That should be interesting around the house.....oofta!

Will try to do a better job of updating this on a regular basis. 

That's what it is in the world of the Sports Grapevine.......