RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY: TO BE YOUNG

On this day in 1944, Joe Nuxhall signed with the Cincinnati Reds and the age very young age of 15.

Now, even to this day it is not uncommon for high school kids to sign with an MLB squad, but at 15? That is still pretty much unheard of, even in this day an age! In fact when Joey Nux took the hill for 2/3 of in inning in June of that year he became, and still is, the youngest player ever to appear in a Major League Baseball game at the age of 15 years and 316 days! This appearance was due in large part to a player shortage during WWII and he would not be called upon again until 1952, but nevertheless still impressive! He wasn't even old enough to drive for pete sake! I mean what were you doing at that age? Obviously, it wasn't pitching to major league hitters in a real live major league game!

"I was pitching against seventh-, eighth-, and ninth- graders, kids 13 and 14 years old.....All of a sudden I look up and there's Stan Musial and the likes. It was a very scary situation."- Joe Nuxhall

Joe Nuxhall is also one of my favorite baseball names ever and that's a fact!

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY: BABE, BUT NOT THE ONE YOU THINK

Today's baseball fact of the day is about the Babe, but, as you may have gathered from the title of this post, not the one that is probably in your mind. You see it was on this day in 1937 that the Babe went from the Red Sox to the Yankees. Babe Dahlgren that is. Dahlren was purchased by the Yankees from the Red Sox, making him the second Babe to go from the Sox to the Yankees. But of course this is not what makes Dahlgren a bit of baseball trivia. No, no, no what makes him trivial, or whatever, is he the man who played in Lou Gehrig's spot in the lineup when the Iron Horse finally took a day off after playing 2130 consecutive games.

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY

For today's fact of the day, since we are not that far removed from the Grammys and the Academy Awards are not far off, I thought today's fact should be about none other than former Angels owner, and entertainer extraordinaire, Gene Autry.

Autry is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was also the first person to have a certified gold record. So, the fact of the day is Gene Autry is the only person with a certified gold record or star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to have a number retired by a Major League Baseball team!

That is, of course, until Wilson Betemit shows off his all his talents!

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY: VALENTINE'S DAY

Bobby Valentine's most memorable game as a manager occurred on June 9, 1999. In the 12th inning of a 14 inning marathon with the Toronto Blue Jays, Mike Piazza was called for catcher's interference on Craig Grebeck. Valentine was ejected by home plate umpire Randy Marsh for arguing the call, and returned to the dugout an inning later in a disguise (a fake moustache). Unamused, Major League Baseball fined Valentine $5,000 and suspended him for three games. The Mets went on to win the game 4-3

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY: A LITTLE BIT MOORE

On February 13, 1954, Donnie Moore is born. Of course Moore is best known for his performance in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS. The Angels were up three games to one in the best-of-seven series against the Red Sox. The Angels held a 5-2 lead going into the ninth inning, when Boston scored two runs on a home run by Don Baylor and cut the lead to 5-4.

The Angels brought in their closer, Moore, to shut down the rally. There were two outs and a runner on first and the Angels were one strike away from advancing to the World Series for the first time ever. But then all of a sudden Hendu (Dave Henderson) hit a 2-2 pitch off of Moore for a home run, giving the Red Sox a 6-5 lead.

What most don't remember is the Angels were able to score a run in the bottom of the ninth, pushing the game into extra innings. Moore stayed in the game and was able to stifle a 10^th inning Red Sox rally. The Sox, however were able to score off Moore in the 11th inning on a sac fly by Hendu and the Angels would end up losing the game 7-6.

The Angels were still up 3-2, but were trounced in games 6 and 7 in Boston. Much like Bill Buckner would become forever linked to, and unfairly blamed for, the Red Sox loss in the World Series that year, so was Moore linked to the Angels not winning the pennant.

For the next 2 years, every time Moore walked onto the field, the Angels fans booed him. They were relentless, and it wore on Moore.

Less then three years after Game 5, on July 18, 1989, during an argument with his wife Tonya, Moore shot her three times, the incident occurring in view of their three children. Tonya and their daughter Demetria, then 17 years of age, fled from the house and Demetria drove her mother to the hospital. Both survived the shooting.

Back inside the house, still in the presence of one of his sons, tragically, Moore then fatally shot himself.

"While it is easy to say that had Moore recorded the save, his life would have been much better and probably much longer, it is just as easy to say that the one pitch the Times describes was far from the only factor in his eventual death."- Steve Hostetter

While Game Five and the way the fans would go on to treat Moore certainly contributed somewhat to his eventual suicide, there were clearly other things going on as well. Still, makes you think about the emotional toll your boos can take on professional athletes.

Donnie Moore

February 13, 1954- July 18, 1989

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY: MACK ATTACK

On this day in 1930 Cornelius McGillicuddy, aka Connie Mack is awarded the prestigious Edward W. Bok Prize, that recognizes distinguished Philadelphians for their achievements in education, industry, law, politics, science, medicine, philosophy, and the creative arts. Good ol' Connie won the award after guiding the Philadelphia A's to a world championship, becoming the first (and looks like the last) Philadelphian sports figure to receive what is now known as the Philadelphia Award.

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY: R.I.P. CHUCK TANNER

Today's random baseball fact if the day will honor Chuck Tanner, who passed away today. Of course for a baseball fan, such as myself growing up in the 80s, Tanner is best known as the skipper of many a hapless Braves team. He managed some Braves greats from my childhood- Horner, Murphy, Hubbard, Garber, Assenmacher, Mahler, Oberkfell, Virgil, etcetera, etcetera. Of course rabid baseball fans may also know that he also helmed the 1979 World Champion "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates. This was of course the last championship for the Buccos. BUT, our random Chuck Tanner fact is (drum roll).......

Before the 1977 season, the A's were in the process of trading off many of their stars of the great team that won three straight championships from 1972-74. They traded Chuck Tanner's services to the Pittsburgh Pirates for an aging Manny Sanguillen. This was only the second instance in Major League Baseball history that a manager was part of a baseball trade.

You were a wonderful man Chuck Tanner, rest in peace!

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY: CUPID THE SPIDER

On this day in 1891, four days before Valentine's Day, the Boston Reds trade Cupid Childs to the Cleveland Spiders.

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY: BANISHED BALLS

On this day in 1920, Major League Baseball banished the shineball













the spitball











the disco ball












the pinball











the foil ball











the monster's ball













the moth ball












the grease ball












and all other doctored pitches.

PUMPSIE UP THE JAM

On this day in 1956 the Red Sox purchased the contract of Elijah "Pumpsie" Green, making him the first black player for the Olde Towne Team

This signing meant every team in Major League Baseball was now integrated. The BoSox were, as many know, the last team to integrate their roster. After a fast start in Spring Training "Pumpsie" was sent down to the minors when his productivity began to decline.

The NAACP (if they are for the advancement of colored people, maybe they should change the name to include something more politically correct than "colored people") quickly charged the Sox with following an anti-Negro policy. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (suggestions to change this to Massachusettsans Against Discrimination, so they could be M.A.D., was never taken seriously) agreed the Red Sox were following anti-Negro policy.

The current Red Sox ownership has tried to shed the "racist" label that has been affixed to the franchise for, well, the history of the team. They have admitted that past owners and front office muckety-mucks were highly racist and even honored "Pumpsie" at a Sox home game.

Despite these efforts there are still those who believe the Sox and Boston are both very racist. The most notable and recent person to sate this publicly was none other than Barry Bonds. Um, Barry, they didn't want you because you're an arrogant a-hole, not because of your skin color. What has to really hurt the older members of Red Sox Nation is the Sawx passed on both Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. Ouch.

RANDOM BASEBALL FACT OF THE DAY

Well, now that the NFL season has ended, it's time to turn my attention to baseball! Well, at least until march Madness gets here. So, starting today I present to you the "Random Baseball Fact of the Day". Yes from here until this blogs ceases to exist, or until I get bored or lazy, there will be a "Random Baseball Fact of the Day!"

Today's "Random Baseball Fact of the Day is- On this day in 1949, Joltin' Joe Dimaggio became the first player to sign an annual contract of $100,000!


60 years later, in 2009, the average Major League Baseball player's salary was $2,999, 106 and the league minimum, yes minimum, was $400,000.

Based on the general increase of the median salary of the American male since 1950, the Yankee Clipper would be making $1, 537, 315 today. Obviously this is completely ridiculous, since this is far, far removed from the upper echelon of today's MLB salaries and would put him in the same MLB salary bracket as Greg Zaun, Oscar Villareal and Macier Izturis.

Dimaggio would most certainly be one of the highest paid players in the game, since the MLB salary is rising about 23 times faster than than that of the rest of America. It is tough to factor, but if Joe was currently in his heyday his salary would most assuredly be in A-Rod territory.

SOUPER BOWL FOUR

APPETIZERS

CHAD NACHO-CINCO- A heaping helping of nachos, topped with 85 different toppings including pizza! I know, PIZZA?! Now that's what I call nachos!

OLINDO "FRIED CALI" MARE- Fried calamari served with salt, lemon and a delicious Wellington Mara-nara sauce

RYAN MOATS-ARELLA STIX- Fried cheese goodness, with a side of that same old Wellington Mara-nara sauce for dipping!

DAVID QUESA-DIEHL-A- Chicken or steak grilled up and sandwiched in a flour or wheat tortilla with shredded cheese, peppers, onions, sour cream and pico de gallo.

BRIAN ORAKPO-TATO SKINS- Potato skins topped with sour cream, bacon, scallions and of course a large dose of cheddar and monterey jack cheeses!

VINCE ON-YOUNG RINGS- Onions fried to such a golden perfection that they will have you scrambling to grab some before they're all gone!

BUFFALO-GAN MANKINS WINGS- Stout and manly wings served BBQ, hot or inferno! Served with celery and blue cheese!

SPINACH ARTI-FOLK DIP- This is a dip with some kick! Served with pita triangles and chips for dipping!

CHARLIE LOADED FRYES- A pile of fries, covered in three, count 'em, three, cheeses as well as bacon and scallions! Served with a big, nay, SUPER bowl of Deion Branch dressing!

SOUPS AND SALADS

KEN T-AMATO SOUP

CHANNING CLAM CHOWDER

HARVEY CHICKEN NOO-DAHL

KARLOS DANS-BEEF STEW

JOHN CHILI CON CARNEY

KEVIN KOLB SALAD

ADAM CEASAR-CHULETA

RICHARD GAR-DENT SALAD

SANDWICHES AND BURGERS
All sandwiches and burgers served with a pickle and fries or chips.

MARION BARBER-CUE CHICKEN SANDWICH- A burger fit for a cowboy! Two grilled chicken breasts, smothered in Barber-cue sauce, topped with cheddar cheese and bacon all on a toasted wheat bun.

GEORGE B.L.-TEAGUE- A bacon, lettuce and tomato triple decker on white or wheat toast!

KEN HAMLIN CHEESE MELT- Ham and swiss grilled and delicious.

DAN KOP-PANINI- The biggest panini you have ever seen! Turkey, ham, cheddar and swiss, melted together in grilled panini wnoderment!

THE REU-BEN ROETHLISBERGER- A big ol' pile of corned beef, topped with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on rye!

MATT TRIPLE CHEESE BIRK-ER- Three half pound beef patties topped wit cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion!

KERRY RHODES-EO BURGER- Two half pound all beef patties, with barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, bacon and onion rings!

ENTREES

JOHN "BABY" BECK RIBS- Succulent, smothered in BBQ sauce, fall off the bone goodness! Served with Trent Cole slaw and cornbread!

ATARI-YAKI CHICKEN BIGBY- A chicken breast grilled in a delicious Atari-aki sauce served with a side of rice and mixed veggies.


JON CHICKEN CORTO BLEU- Breaded chicken stuffed with ham and swiss cheese!

STEAKS
All steaks served with mashed potatoes, green beans and a side salad.

JOEY PORTER-HOUSE- A 49 oz. piece of meat nirvana!

KEITH RIB-BYERS- A large strip of steak goodness!

BRIAN PRIME ROBISKIE- The primest of rib!

AKIN FIL-AYODELE MIGNON- A big, big piece of fine steak!

PASTA

RIGA-TONY GONZALEZ

SCOTT SHANLE-SAGNA- Six layers of pasta, cheese and meat! This saintly pasta dish, sure packs one heck of a wallop!

JEREMY MAC-LIN AND CHEESE- Baked mac 'n' cheese, just like mom used to make!

SPAGHETTI AND JACOB TAMME-TBALLS- A traditional pasta favorite, these are some spicy-a meat-a-balls!

LARRY FOOTE-UCINI ALFREDO- Fettucini tossed with parmesan cheese and butter, creating a delicious and creamy delight!

KEN HAMLIN-GUINI AND CLAM SAUCE- A somewhat spicy pasta dish served with tomato sauce and cooked clams!

DESSERTS

BERNARD BLUE-BERRIAN PIE

KEYARON FOX LIME PIE

LEMON MERIN-GAY PIE

LEGEDU BROW-NAANEE SUN-DAE