IF the now-retired pitcher Curt Schilling is deserving (says many) of getting voted into the Hall of Fame, then former Tiger hurler Jack Morris better be ahead of him.
Let's go to the videotape and numbers:
Schilling 20-year REGULAR SEASON CAREER:
216-146,
3.46 ERA,
83 complete games,
20 shutouts,
3,261 Ks;
20-game winner 3 times;
6-time all-star;
no Cy Youngs.
Morris 18-year REGULAR SEASON CAREER:
254-186,
3.90 ERA,
175 complete games,
28 shutouts,
2,478 Ks;
20-game winner 3 times;
5-time all-star;
no Cy Youngs.
Schilling POST SEASON CAREER:
11-2,
2.23 ERA,
4 complete games,
128 Ks;
3 World Series titles (Ariz., Boston)
Morris POST SEASON CAREER:
7-4,
3.80 ERA,
5 complete games,
3 WS titles (Det., Tor., Minn.).
Jack Morris' numbers are absolutely comparable. He was the premier starting pitcher of the 1980s, having won MORE games as a starter than any other pitcher. Yet he gets NO respect.
Schilling MIGHT get in because of this reputation for his post-season performances, which were superb. But so was Morris - 3-for-3 on WS teams.
I rest my case!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Great acting year ever
I was watching Turner Classic Movies the other day and began to think about what year should be considered the greatest year for actors in the male category.
Most movie buffs consider 1939 the best year for movies when Gone with the Wind, Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights, The Women, Gunga Din, Beau Geste, Destry Rides Again, The Young Mr. Lincoln, Stagecoach, Of Mice and Men, Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Dark Victory led a parade of great films.
Among male actors, it would have to be a battle between these three years – 1962, 1946 and 1982.
Just look at the various best actor nominees:
In 1982, the field included Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie” (truly his best role aside from “Midnight Cowboy”), Jack Lemmon in “Missing” (a stunning underplayed role in a powerful Costa-Graves film), Peter O’Toole in “My Favorite Year” (hilarious and heartbreaking as aging actor Alan Swamm), Paul Newman in “The Verdict” (robbed of his Oscar as the alcoholic lawyer given one last case) and eventual winner Ben Kingsley as “Ghandi” (brillaint but not like Newman).
In 1946, the field was led by Laurence Olivier as “Henry V,” Larry Parks in “The Jolson Story,” Gregory Peck in “The Yearling,” James Stewart in his career-defining role of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but the winner was Fredric March, earning his second Oscar, for “The Best Years of Our Lives.”
All were brilliant performances.
But in 1962, look what was up for the Academy Award (and consider the movies themselves):
Marcello Mastroianni in the classic Italian farce, “Divorce-Italian Style;
Burt Lancaster's moving protryal of Robert Stroud, known as “Birdman of Alcatraz;”
Jack Lemmon's gut-wrenching Joe Clay, devastated by alcoholism in Blake Edwards’ “Days of Wine and Roses" (yes – the man who did “The Pink Panther” did this as well);
Peter O’Toole's stunning movie debut as T.E. Lawrence in “Lawrence of Arabia;”
and the deserved winner – Gregory Peck as the screen’s most beloved lawyer, Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Can think politics and sports ALL the time.
Most movie buffs consider 1939 the best year for movies when Gone with the Wind, Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights, The Women, Gunga Din, Beau Geste, Destry Rides Again, The Young Mr. Lincoln, Stagecoach, Of Mice and Men, Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Dark Victory led a parade of great films.
Among male actors, it would have to be a battle between these three years – 1962, 1946 and 1982.
Just look at the various best actor nominees:
In 1982, the field included Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie” (truly his best role aside from “Midnight Cowboy”), Jack Lemmon in “Missing” (a stunning underplayed role in a powerful Costa-Graves film), Peter O’Toole in “My Favorite Year” (hilarious and heartbreaking as aging actor Alan Swamm), Paul Newman in “The Verdict” (robbed of his Oscar as the alcoholic lawyer given one last case) and eventual winner Ben Kingsley as “Ghandi” (brillaint but not like Newman).
In 1946, the field was led by Laurence Olivier as “Henry V,” Larry Parks in “The Jolson Story,” Gregory Peck in “The Yearling,” James Stewart in his career-defining role of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but the winner was Fredric March, earning his second Oscar, for “The Best Years of Our Lives.”
All were brilliant performances.
But in 1962, look what was up for the Academy Award (and consider the movies themselves):
Marcello Mastroianni in the classic Italian farce, “Divorce-Italian Style;
Burt Lancaster's moving protryal of Robert Stroud, known as “Birdman of Alcatraz;”
Jack Lemmon's gut-wrenching Joe Clay, devastated by alcoholism in Blake Edwards’ “Days of Wine and Roses" (yes – the man who did “The Pink Panther” did this as well);
Peter O’Toole's stunning movie debut as T.E. Lawrence in “Lawrence of Arabia;”
and the deserved winner – Gregory Peck as the screen’s most beloved lawyer, Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Can think politics and sports ALL the time.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Chrysler: a legacy of problems
Back in the time of my youth, I spent several summers in my teens working for my father at his company, which was in commercial printing. It did everything from major advertising posters, to colorful boxes for toys – you name it; it printed it.
But the backbone of the firm’s financial existence, in Detroit, Mich., was the automobile industry and the biggest client was Chrysler Motors. The biggest annual job for his company was printing the hundreds of thousands of handbooks for each new car owner, found in each vehicle’s glove department. And while Chrysler was the three in the Big Three, and not nearly as big as Ford or General Motors, it was the lifeblood of that company – the blood that each worker in that plant – from printer to stockman to executive – depended upon.
Dad’s company was no different than thousands of businesses across southeastern Michigan and the Midwest. One was interlinked with another and one small crack in the chain was felt all the way down the line. It was true in the late 1960s and it is true today – except the chain is much smaller and the links break MUCH easier than back in the day.
Even then, Chrysler was always in “trouble.” There was always talk of it closing down, being gobbled up by either Ford or GM; going the way of American Motors and Studebaker (remember the Rambler and the Avanti?). Somehow, Chrysler always survived because it knew its place and knew its strengths – engineering. Chrysler ALWAYS was known for having the best BUILT, best engineered cars – only they were NOT the most popular and never the cheapest (unlike Chevrolets or Fords).
The major developments in a car’s engineering and handling were usually developed by Chrysler – the hemi engine came from Chrysler, advanced in transmissions came from Chrysler (I learned to drive on a Chrysler “3000” which had PUSH BUTTON automatic transmission, located on the dashboard). Its power cars – the Dodge Charger and Plymouth Roadrunner and GTX – were TRUE muscle cars, not “sports” cars like the Mustang, Corvette or Camaro. They represented POWER, not meant to entice women for sex.
Chrysler first introduced air conditioning and torsion-spring suspensions (instead of air suspensions) and the 1961 Plymouth Valiant was the first car ever to have an alternator. The minivan was a Chrysler concept introduced to the public, and suburbia, in the 1980s to help the company through one of its many criseses.
Most police fleets were outfitted with Plymouth Furys or Dodges because they ran like tanks and lasted forever. When Elwood Blues tells his brother, Jake, about the new Bluesmobile in the movie “The Blues Brothers,” (“It’s got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It’s got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters, so it’ll run good on regular gas ...”) he’s talking about a Chrysler (1974 Dodge Monaco) product.
But trouble has always followed Chrysler. Lee Iacocca had to save Chrysler in the 1980s from closure after the government passed a controversial bailout at the end of 1979. Eventually it survived but never thrived, like it did from 1936-49 when it was the second largest car company in America.
Chrysler has always thought gobbling up other failing companies would make it stronger; it assumed AMC, Jeep and others. It was sold to Daimler (Mercedes-Benz). But that German firm couldn’t keep it profitable before turning it over to Cerberus, which ran Chrysler into a zero worth company this past year.
Now the Obama Administration has essentially given Chrysler 30 days to either buddy-up with the Italian carmaker Fiat, or its curtains for Christine (which was a murderous red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury in Stephen King’s book and movie).
Just like that story, it was a beautiful car but eventually had to die. And some of us will shed a tear …
But the backbone of the firm’s financial existence, in Detroit, Mich., was the automobile industry and the biggest client was Chrysler Motors. The biggest annual job for his company was printing the hundreds of thousands of handbooks for each new car owner, found in each vehicle’s glove department. And while Chrysler was the three in the Big Three, and not nearly as big as Ford or General Motors, it was the lifeblood of that company – the blood that each worker in that plant – from printer to stockman to executive – depended upon.
Dad’s company was no different than thousands of businesses across southeastern Michigan and the Midwest. One was interlinked with another and one small crack in the chain was felt all the way down the line. It was true in the late 1960s and it is true today – except the chain is much smaller and the links break MUCH easier than back in the day.
Even then, Chrysler was always in “trouble.” There was always talk of it closing down, being gobbled up by either Ford or GM; going the way of American Motors and Studebaker (remember the Rambler and the Avanti?). Somehow, Chrysler always survived because it knew its place and knew its strengths – engineering. Chrysler ALWAYS was known for having the best BUILT, best engineered cars – only they were NOT the most popular and never the cheapest (unlike Chevrolets or Fords).
The major developments in a car’s engineering and handling were usually developed by Chrysler – the hemi engine came from Chrysler, advanced in transmissions came from Chrysler (I learned to drive on a Chrysler “3000” which had PUSH BUTTON automatic transmission, located on the dashboard). Its power cars – the Dodge Charger and Plymouth Roadrunner and GTX – were TRUE muscle cars, not “sports” cars like the Mustang, Corvette or Camaro. They represented POWER, not meant to entice women for sex.
Chrysler first introduced air conditioning and torsion-spring suspensions (instead of air suspensions) and the 1961 Plymouth Valiant was the first car ever to have an alternator. The minivan was a Chrysler concept introduced to the public, and suburbia, in the 1980s to help the company through one of its many criseses.
Most police fleets were outfitted with Plymouth Furys or Dodges because they ran like tanks and lasted forever. When Elwood Blues tells his brother, Jake, about the new Bluesmobile in the movie “The Blues Brothers,” (“It’s got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It’s got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters, so it’ll run good on regular gas ...”) he’s talking about a Chrysler (1974 Dodge Monaco) product.
But trouble has always followed Chrysler. Lee Iacocca had to save Chrysler in the 1980s from closure after the government passed a controversial bailout at the end of 1979. Eventually it survived but never thrived, like it did from 1936-49 when it was the second largest car company in America.
Chrysler has always thought gobbling up other failing companies would make it stronger; it assumed AMC, Jeep and others. It was sold to Daimler (Mercedes-Benz). But that German firm couldn’t keep it profitable before turning it over to Cerberus, which ran Chrysler into a zero worth company this past year.
Now the Obama Administration has essentially given Chrysler 30 days to either buddy-up with the Italian carmaker Fiat, or its curtains for Christine (which was a murderous red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury in Stephen King’s book and movie).
Just like that story, it was a beautiful car but eventually had to die. And some of us will shed a tear …
Thursday, March 26, 2009
George Kell dies at 86
Another symbol from my youth has disappeared. George Kell, a Hall of Famer player and great Detroit Tiger broadcaster, died earlier this week at the age of 86 at his home in his native Arkansas.
Long before Al Kaline and Kell existed as a TV broadcast unit, he had teamed with legendary Ernie Harwell on the TV side, and was at the microphone during the 1968 World Series championship season.
My favorite Kell quote came during a road trip to Comiskey Park (the OLD Comiskey) on a Sunday when George looked over the left field wall and saw this horrific storm cloud gather.
"Ooooooo," he said. "That's some kinda ugly comin.'"
He never overspoke, never talked over the action and if it needed "'splainin'," he took care of it from personal knowledge.
George Kell was a great Detroit Tiger and a credit to the community and the organization.
His kind will never be seen again!
Long before Al Kaline and Kell existed as a TV broadcast unit, he had teamed with legendary Ernie Harwell on the TV side, and was at the microphone during the 1968 World Series championship season.
My favorite Kell quote came during a road trip to Comiskey Park (the OLD Comiskey) on a Sunday when George looked over the left field wall and saw this horrific storm cloud gather.
"Ooooooo," he said. "That's some kinda ugly comin.'"
He never overspoke, never talked over the action and if it needed "'splainin'," he took care of it from personal knowledge.
George Kell was a great Detroit Tiger and a credit to the community and the organization.
His kind will never be seen again!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
And they say there's NO good news today ...
Economy crashing? Darfur genocide proceeding? Homeowners tossed into teh street? Child abuse still rampant? What in the world is happening to us? Id everything going to hell in a handbasket?
By God, there IS good news in the world today. Exactly from the source you REALLY thought it would emerge.
---
WASILLA, Alaska (AP) -- Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin, the teenage daughter of Gov. Sarah Palin, have broken off their engagement, he said Wednesday, about 2 1/2 months after the couple had a baby.
Johnston, 19, told The Associated Press that he and 18-year-old Bristol Palin mutually decided "a while ago" to end their relationship. He declined to elaborate as he stood outside his family's home in Wasilla, about 40 miles north of Anchorage.
He also said some details of the breakup, rumors of which had been swirling on the Internet, were inaccurate.
Bristol Palin said in a statement that she was devastated about a report on Star magazine's Web site that quoted Levi's sister, Mercede, as saying Bristol "makes it nearly impossible" to visit the teenagers' infant son, Tripp. The baby was born Dec. 27.
"Unfortunately, my family has seen many people say and do many things to `cash in' on the Palin name," said the statement, which was issued through the governor's political action committee. "Sometimes that greed clouds good judgment and the truth."
SarahPAC spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton did not immediately respond to calls seeking further information. The governor's spokesman, Bill McAllister, declined comment.
Sarah Palin revealed her daughter's pregnancy just days after being named John McCain's running mate on the Republican presidential ticket. She had said in December that her daughter and Johnston "are committed to accomplish what millions of other young parents have accomplished, to provide a loving and secure environment for their child."
In an interview that aired on Fox News last month, Bristol Palin said her fiance saw the baby every day and described him as a "hands-on" dad.
Johnston and Palin had said they were considering a summer wedding.
"We both love each other," he told the AP in October. "We both want to marry each other. And that's what we are going to do."
----
God bless America and God bless the Palin family. It restores your faith and credit in what makes white trash America truly lovable and so damn predictable.
Tell me all you Republicans out there ... you REALLY REALLY want this woman as the NEXT President of the United States???? Please tell me you're serious.
Wait a minute, let me get off the floor from laughing so hard.
By God, there IS good news in the world today. Exactly from the source you REALLY thought it would emerge.
---
WASILLA, Alaska (AP) -- Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin, the teenage daughter of Gov. Sarah Palin, have broken off their engagement, he said Wednesday, about 2 1/2 months after the couple had a baby.
Johnston, 19, told The Associated Press that he and 18-year-old Bristol Palin mutually decided "a while ago" to end their relationship. He declined to elaborate as he stood outside his family's home in Wasilla, about 40 miles north of Anchorage.
He also said some details of the breakup, rumors of which had been swirling on the Internet, were inaccurate.
Bristol Palin said in a statement that she was devastated about a report on Star magazine's Web site that quoted Levi's sister, Mercede, as saying Bristol "makes it nearly impossible" to visit the teenagers' infant son, Tripp. The baby was born Dec. 27.
"Unfortunately, my family has seen many people say and do many things to `cash in' on the Palin name," said the statement, which was issued through the governor's political action committee. "Sometimes that greed clouds good judgment and the truth."
SarahPAC spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton did not immediately respond to calls seeking further information. The governor's spokesman, Bill McAllister, declined comment.
Sarah Palin revealed her daughter's pregnancy just days after being named John McCain's running mate on the Republican presidential ticket. She had said in December that her daughter and Johnston "are committed to accomplish what millions of other young parents have accomplished, to provide a loving and secure environment for their child."
In an interview that aired on Fox News last month, Bristol Palin said her fiance saw the baby every day and described him as a "hands-on" dad.
Johnston and Palin had said they were considering a summer wedding.
"We both love each other," he told the AP in October. "We both want to marry each other. And that's what we are going to do."
----
God bless America and God bless the Palin family. It restores your faith and credit in what makes white trash America truly lovable and so damn predictable.
Tell me all you Republicans out there ... you REALLY REALLY want this woman as the NEXT President of the United States???? Please tell me you're serious.
Wait a minute, let me get off the floor from laughing so hard.
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