Jim Barbieri 1966 Dodgers

Mr. Barbieri sent a kind note about he brief playing experiences in Kentucky. He says that the only thing he remembers about playing in Louisville was that it was hot and humid.

He mentions that one night, after a game, the team went out for dinner. They were having a good time, and forgot about curfew. Right after getting back to his room at the hotel, there was a knock on his door. It was his manager checking on him.

"I think he knew that I just barely made it because of my heavy breathing" Jim says.

Jim says that he remembers everything about the World Series, and that the lose was the biggest.

He does remembers meeting Boog Powell, as they played against each other in the 1954 Little League World Series. Boog played for Lakeland, FL. and Jim played for Schenectady, NY. Boog was the pitcher and Jim's team beat him 16-0. Boog got his revenge sweeping Jim's team in the 1966 World Series.

Thanks for the fun stories Jim!

Larry Colton- 1968 Phillies

Larry Colton sent me a note recently!

"In 1968, the Phillies traded Jim Bunning to Pittsburgh, supposedly because they thought I was ready to move up to the big team and take his place."

He goes on to say that he got hurt and taking Bunning's place did not happen.

Larry mentions that Bunning went on to be a Senator.

He sent me this note in response to my question about having any Kentucky related stories.

Mr. Colton also mentions that Jim Bunning was very involved in the MLB player's Union. He mentions that Jim seems to have forgotten his Union past... and that he has forgotten a lot of other things!

I would like to thank Larry for his honest (and darn funny) letter. Also, Larry sent me a promo for his book that he wrote! I just got a copy for myself, so I am sure that I will get a review up soon after I read it.

Wild Pitches

There is a very nice, and honest article in this week's Sports Illustrated about one of my favorite teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I have talked a lot about how great of a town Pittsburgh is. PNC Park is a perfect baseball venue. The skyline is perfect, and catching a game here is very relaxing. Go out and check out the photo inside of SI, it will give you an idea.

Unfortunately, the Pirates have not had a winning season in almost 2 decades. It is a very sad situation for one of the greatest franchises in sports history.

I know Cleveland sports fans are feeling bad... again. You saw it coming a mile away though.

Reds fans can be happy though. Our boy Joey Votto is an All-Star! And all of Ohio knows that baseball is the only sport that matters. OK, and football.

CD: Gary Pressy "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"

I don't know about you, but around November, I am itching to here some organ music!

I was at a few games recently with my baseball buddies Nate and Holly. Holly commented that if someone could bottle and sell the smell at a baseball game, she would buy it.

I love that fresh mowed grass smell, mixed with ballpark food smells. That is very "baseball". It is part of the whole experience.

So is the organ music at some of the classier parks.

I picked up this CD and I have been listening to it at work a lot. I swear, when I listen to it, I can smell that ball park smell too!

The CD is what you would expect. It is fun songs played by Wrigley Field organist Gary Pressy. This will be perfect in November when I am really missing going to the park.

I contacted Gary through the Cubs and ordered this CD directly from him. He sent me my copy for $15 including shipping!

Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium- Kannapolis Intimidators

Kannapolis has an interesting team and park. We stopped by on a non-game day and checked the place out.

I am sure it is exciting on game day, but our time there was brief. It was hot and we did not have a lot of time.

I did like the info on the team that was posted inside of the stadium by the booster club. I like the information on the home areas of the team players.

An interesting item offered in the gift shop was a very long panoramic photo of the park made by a fan. You can buy a copy for $15!

Obviously, there is a lot of emphasis on racing here. To be honest, the place almost felt more like a racing shrine than a ballpark. I do appreciate that though. Baseball and racing fans both can stop here on their pilgrimages.

L.P. Frans Stadium- Hickory Crawdads

The Hickory Crawdads proved to be a very classy organization when we came through town. We knew we would be there on an early Saturday morning. We called a couple of weeks ahead of time to make sure the gift shop would be open, and that they would be able to let us see the place. They assured us that they would be around when we would be there.

Well, we drove to the area, and the place was packed! We wondered if maybe they were having some college game or other event going on. We hoped it was not some sort of private event.

We went to the front game entrance. People were mingling everywhere- there was a lot of excitement.

We went on in and noticed that Crawdads posters, magnet schedules, and pocket schedules were being handed out to everyone that would accept them! Pretty cool! Really, any team hosting a non-baseball event at their venue should be doing this sort of thing.

The team shop is near the front of the park, and we noticed that it was not open for business. There was a very kind young girl handing out posters up front. I told her that we had called about stopping by and were told the team shop would be accessible. She went to see if someone could open it up for us and came back giving me a thumbs up.

The Crawdads have a smaller gift shop, but they have many more unique items than other teams. We picked up a cool t-shirt with one of their logos (it is a claw holding a baseball). they also sold game used balls!

The stadium was hosting a 5K run on the day we were there. We actually stuck around to watch some of it. They had a good crown and a full parking lot. The race ended at home plate.

The park has a nice rural feel to it. This is a park I hope to catch a game at some time. A nice community feel is going on in the area.

Wild Pitches

The weather has cooled a bit, and there is no excuse for not catching a game this weekend!

I don't have a lot on my mind right now (if you have read my other posts, you know that this is nothing new).

I did watch a few games on TV recently. I have heard an organ rif of "Blister in the Sun". I always got a kick out of hearing the song when Burger King was using it in commercials. It was cool hearing it come from the organist at Wrigley.

War Memorial Stadium, Greensboro, NC

Here are a couple of photos I took while on my trip through the Carolina's. The Greensboro franchise used to play here, and the park has a brief feature in Bull Durham.

I was not able to get inside, but that was OK. We only had a couple of minutes to look around. It still looks like a nice park, but see my previous entry on the new park. A change was needed.

Durham Athletic Park- Durham NC

We drove by historic Durham Athletic Park after visiting the current park for the Bulls. It is still a very nice park. While we were there, they were prepping it for the upcoming game the current Bulls would be playing here.

Pete Rose Jr.

Last year, we took a road trip to catch some games in Pennsylvania. I was really excited to catch the York Revolution near Gettysburg. This is an exciting park with some notoriety, but they also had Pete Rose Jr. covering 1st!

This year, one of my favorite local teams added Pete to their coaching staff.

I asked several players for the Florence Freedom how their new hitting coach was working out, and they all expressed pure joy at having the minor league/indy league legend with them. The players I talked to seemed really proud to have him.

I asked him to sign a couple of items for me and he very politely did. I hope he is able to hang out in the area and work with the team for some time.

Bear Bay- Jack Hammers and Aeros

Ronald "Bear" Bay pitched in the Cleveland Indians system for a few years, in addition to a couple of other teams.

When I lived in the Cleveland area, I got to see him pitch a few times with the AA Aeros. He was one of those guys who had "it" and you really thought he was close to making it to the majors.

He played with style and talent, and he was one of those guys we were always cheering for.

Unfortunately, things didn't quit work out with the Tribe, and Bear found his way out of affiliated baseball.

I was excited to catch the the Jack Hammers recently, and to see that Bear has hooked up with this fun independent league team.

I sent him a note asking about his career, especially relating to the Akron Aeros and the Cleveland Indians.

Bear responded, letting me know that he is still very connected to the Akron/Cleveland area.

Bear says that he is in Cleveland a lot in the off season.

Also, he met his wife in Akron!!! So, Akron may not have been the next step to the majors, but I think Bear is still proud of the fact that he spent some time in the Tire City!

Congrats to Bear and his exciting professional baseball career.

Durham Bulls Athletic Park, NC

The Durham Bulls are in my books one of those exciting elite minor league franchises. If I was going to rank the most significant historical minor league franchises, this one would be top 5.

That would be a hard list to make up though, and an argument could be made for several teams. I would rank the Toledo Mud Hens at 1, the Columbus Clippers at 2, and the Bulls would probably be number 3. Then again, ask me tomorrow, I will rank those teams in a different order (and possibly even name 3 different teams).

The Bulls really pushed things in baseball and thanks to the movie, they helped put the excitement of minor league ball in the minds of Americans again.

The park is in the very urban Durham downtown area. It fits well. The old park, featured in the film, is only a few miles away. I will get to that park in a later post. I really hate to see nice parks abandoned but in this case it was necessary.

People went to see the movie "Bull Durham" which became huge. As the movie became huge, so did the actual team. They needed a bigger park to support the new larger fan base!

This is a nice, shiny new park, with a polished feel to it.

I did ask about the bull from the film, which I heard was on display here at the new park. One staff person told me that it was damaged, and had been placed in storage to preserve it. Another staff person told me that it had been totally destroyed.

They do have a cool new bull hanging over the fence in the outfield.

We only had a short period of time in Durham, and we had to make the most of it. We stopped by the Bulls park and their gift shop. They have a nice, well stocked gift shop (as was expected). the staff there was great too, giving us some access to the park. They also gave us some directions to the old park. I talked to several staff at this park who seemed proud of their job, and who talked about what was going on with the team.

It seems the team has made a bit of a tradition out of playing a game at the old park. One guy working here at the current park seemed very excited about this event.

The Bulls organization takes a lot of pride in what they do, and they play in a nice area. Check out my pictures. They skyline is beautiful, and they keep their entire facility clean and in order even on non-game days.

This organization and its current management is aware of the legacy it manages and it is doing justice to that legacy.

Knights Stadium- Charlotte Knights SC

I am not sure what to say about Knight's Stadium.

I enjoyed my visit to this park and the area.

I went to the digitalballparks site to get some information on this one before going (that site, by the way, gets my highest endorsement, they cover everything). They mention that, when this park went up in the 90s, they were kind of hoping and expecting that a major league team might be lured to the area. The stadium was built with the thought that it might be expanded some day to something bigger.

The place never quit fulfilled those expectations. It is a nice place for a game, but it has that feeling, that maybe it could have been something more.

I almost want to compare it to a city. Some small towns start out as nice small towns. They were never expected to be big thriving towns, and they have small town charm. Then there are towns that feel like something more was supposed to happen there, and it never did. I can think of some Pennsylvania and Ohio towns specifically where industry has moved out, and that feel of some bigger expectation lingers.

Some small ballparks start out as nice little parks, and they keep that charm. Dayton's park comes to mind. The West Virginia Power, in my opinion, play is a very attractive little park. They have exceeded their expectations.

Then you have big parks that were built with something even bigger in mind.

Still, this is a great area with a great park. There was a big, enthusiastic crowd there when I went. The locals do seem to support it, thank goodness. I do hear a lot of friendly banter about the game and the players.

Still, with team rebuilding their parks in downtown areas, and some abandoning adequate, young parks in the process, you do ponder how long this park can continue.

I hope this place has some life left in it, as it has become a bit of a novel park. As mentioned, it was built with great expectations. Also, it is in the wrong state. If you are a fan of oddities in baseball, you must visit this park.

They have one of those cool baseball water towers near by too, which fits in with the skyline nicely.

Wild Pitches

There are a couple of cool things going on in baseball in this area right now!

This weekend, the Lexington Legends are selling box seats for their games against Rome for $2! I think that is great, but, it is also one of the reasons I will likely never buy a season ticket.

In Florence, the Freedom have added PJ Rose (the player formerly known as Pete Rose Jr.) to their coaching staff!

Book: "Ty and the Babe" by Tom Stanton

I almost passed on picking this book up, as there are a ton of books on both Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. I read the intro and some parts scattered through the book, and quickly knew I had to read it.

Tom Stanton does bring up a lot of well known information on both players. However, his discussion of those facts is relevant, and needed for the book. Any reader unfamiliar with the players and the details of their lives will appreciate their inclusion. Those familiar with the details will appreciate Stanton's context.

Stanton makes a case that Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth become friends after a rough professional rivalry. After they both retire, they agree to a friendly golf game after the famous first induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During this time, Ty makes a comment about considering the Babe a friend.

At this point, Tom Stanton gives a great history of the rivalry between the two icons. He talks about how Ty is the established star in the game when Babe comes along. He gives a vivid account of their first on field match up as a an unremarkable Ruth of the Red Sox pitches to the Tiger's star.

Tom goes on to talk about Ruth's rise through baseball and his passing of Cobb in star power. Most knowledgeable of the game respected Cobb for his technical skills. The masses, however, were coming to the park to see Babe hit them out as he averaged smashing one over the fences about every other game. Even the fans in Detroit would cheer for Babe and applaud him when his team came to town.

The two have a very legitimate rivalry, trash talking each other at times, and throwing insults around the ballpark.

Cobb gets involved in an ugly gambling situation. He insists that he is innocent. Many of Ty's friends and even his rivals come to his defense, including Ruth. During this rough time in Cobb's life, Ruth has nothing but praise for Cobb's character.

The two legends eventually leave baseball and they seem to spend a lot of time playing golf. They decide to have a series of 3 golf matches against each other for charity.

I am not a golf person. I just don't get it. Still, Stanton does a great job of discussing the matches, the fans, and both player's attitudes. Reading about the two playing a very close, two out of three contest is a lot of fun, even for someone with no interest in the sport.

This book is a a fun read and a great resource. Tom lists all of the meetings between Cobb and Ruth by date in the back, mentioning how each player did. Even if you know everything about the two legends, you will find something new in this one.

Burlington Athletic Stadium- Burlington Royals NC

We drove through Burlington NC to check out Burlington Athletic Stadium. What happened here was a bit of a first in our travels to parks. We went when a game was not scheduled (as the Burlington Royals have yet to start their season) but a college game was going on!

I must admit that I do not follow college baseball. I know I am missing out, but I am just so fascinated with the lower levels of professional baseball in general. There is really no way to follow minor league ball, in general because there is so much going on. If I even attempted to try to follow college baseball too my head would explode!

Anyway, these two teams were going at it, and there was a small crowd during this weekday game event.

We asked the person taking tickets if it was OK to go in and take a few pictures. The park was very nice and let us in. I do not know if this was a ticketed event or not, but they were very nice about it.

I did ask if there was any sort of a gift shop. I was told that there really wasn't, but I was told that hats were for sale at the concession stand.

Helen Rauner AAGPBL

I got the idea to do some sort of baseball blog some time before I actually started it.

I have loved baseball forever, and I really appreciate the odd footnotes in the sport. In fact, I get more excited reading a book about an obscure player form the 50s who only played a few seasons than I get about reading a book about a superstar of today.

My original idea was to have a blog mostly about the players who never made it to the majors, or the ones who had their cup of coffee. Often, their stories are the most fascinating.

I sent letters to all of the girls from the All American Girls Professional Baseball League some time ago. I thought their stories would be a great starting point for this web site.

I received MANY great responses. The girls are a great group to write to. Many sent some very kind and lengthy notes. I think I might try to get some of their responses up at a later time. Obviously I changed the topic of what my blog would become (though, in all honesty, this thing is not very focused).

I did get a very kind response recently from Lisa Harrington, the daughter of Helen Rauner. Helen was the chaperon for the Fort Wayne Daises from 45-46.

From Lisa- "Thank you for your request, however, my mother passed away on July 22, 2003. She really enjoyed receiving these cards and answering questions about the League."

Lisa also sent her mother's baseball card along. It is very sweet of Lisa to respond to such letters, and to send the polite response that she sent.

I will get around to some more information on this great league later.

Sue Nelson- Minnesota Twins Organist

I have received some great responses from the organ players at the parks!

Sue Nelson shows a fun sense of humor in her note she took the time to send.

"My favorite Twin is whoever gets the run to win the game or the winning pitcher... or maybe Michael Cuddyer (because he's the cutest- he could be my grandson...)"

She goes on to say that the "new Target Field is fantastic."

Sue even mentions that she is in section 213, behind home plate during the games!

Wild Pitches

I made an error last week. The new Negro League baseball stamp from the US postal services has been delayed until the middle of next month.

I used to live in the Cleveland area, and I followed their farm system faithfully. I still do some. There were some fun players who I really thought had "it" and I expected that they might make it. For some reason or another, they find their way outside of affiliated ball.

On a recent road trip, I saw the Kansas City T-Bones at home play the Jolliet JackHammers. As I looked over the rosters, I realized, as I often do, I had watched many of these players play on other teams.

The T-Bones pitching staff included Reid Santos and Ryan Knippschild. I have watched these two guys pitch more than once in the Indians farm system. I am glad they are still playing pro ball, but I hope they get back in with the affiliated teams. Still, it was good to see them again.

For the jack Hammers, the lanky Bear Bay was on their pitching staff! I caught him in Akron a few times! I really thought he had it- and he still might.

Checking out the website for the Jack Hammers, I realise that I really want to visit their park, Silver Cross Field.

http://jackhammerbaseball.com/field/silvercross/



They have roof top seats AND a converted Muffler Man!!!

Kentucky Hustlers

http://www.leaguelineup.com/miscinfo.asp?menuid=35&cmenuid=35&url=lexingtonhustlers&sid=987446327

There is a new Summer College League team in Lexington! They have taken their name from a team that played in the area in the 40s! Here is a link to a great article explaining the team's history. They were one of the first mixed race teams around!

Tyler Stampone-Delmarva Shorebirds

Tyler Stampone, currently covering 3rd for the Delmarva Shorebirds, answered a few questions for me recently!

I asked him about his favorite parks. He mentions the one in Greenville, South Carolina.

I like that one too! See my previous bog entry on it. It is very attractive.

I asked Tyler about his favorite teams, and he says the Phillies and all Philadelphia teams are his favorite. He then adds, "Go Flyers!"

I asked him about playing in the Gulf Coast League, and he says, "Imagine playing baseball in a sauna!"

Thanks for the great response Tyler!

Nancy Faust- Chicago White Sox Organist

The legendary Nancy Faust sent me a great note, and an awesome picture of herself at the stadium!

"Baseball has been a wonderful life with numerous experiences, as the organ is among the fans. Hope you can visit during a day game, this is my final season!"

Gary Pressy- Chicago Cubs Organist

I received a very kind response from the Cubs organist, Gary Pressy.

Gary says that these days he still enjoys listening to the oldies, big band music, and music from the 70's until today. "I can say I like most music and play that type of music at the park."

Gary also mentions that he has a new CD out! I have ordered a copy, and I will get a review up of it soon!

Nancy Bea- Los Angeles Dodgers Organist

I recently sent letters out to organists around the majors. These musicians are really underrated contributors to their team, their park, and their city.

Nancy Bea was the first one to respond to my letter.

I asked Nancy about her favorite players. She specifically mentions Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. She says they are nice young men.

I asked her about her favorite music. Nancy says that she listens to classical music away from the park.

Thank you for your note Nancy!

Wild Pitches

There is so much going on in baseball right now. I won't even touch the main stories going on right now. You can read about that stuff anywhere!

I know the new Negro Leagues Baseball stamps were due to come out several days ago, but I haven't seen them yet! I went to my post office this morning, and they said they had not seen them!

Also, and I will cover this more later, but I was at the Kansas City museum this past weekend, when they were supposed to be released. I asked the staff if any events or ceremonies were planned there for the release of the stamps, but they were not aware of any special events to coincide with the release (WHAT??!!).

I do know that several towns are offering special cancels to go along with the release. A couple of the cancels are listed at the USPS website. Check them out here:

http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2010/pb22286/html/info_005.html

There is usually a month or so grace period to request the cancels. Keep checking the USPS website for other related cancels.

Here is a great article from the Birmingham News about a former Negro League player in Birmingham, who now works for the postal service:

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/06/negro_league_player_gets_stamp.html

Anyway, watch out for the stamps and buy them!