Unlike some other failed two-sport athletes, John Elway’s stats in the minors were actually pretty good. That said, I’d say he probably made a good decision focusing on the NFL.
Famous For Something Else: John Elway
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Category Archives: Non-Baseball
Famous for Something Else: Ricky Williams
Before he played twelve seasons of professional football, Ricky Williams played baseball in the Phillies system, reaching as high as short-season low-A Batavia. Here are his stats from his time on the diamond:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Lev | Aff | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | TB | GDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 18 | Martinsville | APPY | Rk | PHI | 36 | 121 | 113 | 19 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 32 | .239 | .289 | .248 | .537 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 19 | Piedmont | SALL | A | PHI | 84 | 288 | 266 | 30 | 50 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 17 | 8 | 18 | 87 | .188 | .245 | .259 | .504 | 69 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997 | 20 | Piedmont | SALL | A | PHI | 37 | 149 | 136 | 12 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 44 | .206 | .268 | .265 | .533 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998 | 21 | Batavia | NYPL | A- | PHI | 13 | 55 | 53 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 16 | .283 | .309 | .283 | .592 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 Seasons | 170 | 613 | 568 | 68 | 120 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 40 | 46 | 17 | 35 | 179 | .211 | .265 | .261 | .526 | 148 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| A (2 seasons) | A | 121 | 437 | 402 | 42 | 78 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 27 | 12 | 27 | 131 | .194 | .253 | .261 | .514 | 105 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Rk (1 season) | Rk | 36 | 121 | 113 | 19 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 32 | .239 | .289 | .248 | .537 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| A- (1 season) | A- | 13 | 55 | 53 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 16 | .283 | .309 | .283 | .592 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
The PED Double Standard
As you all definitely know, baseball was hit by a steroid scandal yesterday.
You may have also heard that such a thing struck the NFL, where news again surfaced that Ray Lewis had used a type of “deer-antler spray” that contained a type of illegal hormone for muscle growth. I say “again” because this actually isn’t news, it had first been reported in 2011.
Of course, you probably never heard that, because use of PEDs in the NFL is usually overlooked, or just dismissed, or, in some cases, openly rewarded. Yesterday, for example, Ray Lewis simply said that he’d “never tested positive” and then that was it. ESPN did cover it, but it was nowhere near the level of what would have happened if, say, the same thing had happened to a MLB player the day before the World Series were to start.
(Also, they don’t test for the PED that Lewis is accused of, since the NFL doesn’t have blood tests, so Lewis’ denial, while technically true, isn’t exactly a declaration of innocence.)
It doesn’t stop there (go below the jump):
Learn words through baseball news: Cacique
In the Miami New Times article, it was revealed that one of Alex Rodriguez‘s code names was “Cacique”.
So what does Cacique mean?
Well, according to Dictionary.com:
ca·cique
[kuh-seek] Show IPA
noun
1.
a chief of an Indian clan or tribe in Mexico and the West Indies.2.
(in Spain and Latin America) a political boss on a local level.3.
(in the Philippines) a prominent landowner.
4.
any of several black and red or black and yellow orioles of the American tropics that construct long, pendent nests.
…
So now you know!
Bizarre Baseball Culture: The Little Wise Guys and the Absent-Minded Natural
In Bizarre Baseball Culture, I take a look at some of the more unusual places where baseball has reared it’s head in pop culture and fiction.
There is nothing new under the sun. That is one way to sum up the tale of “The Trick Baseball Bat” by Charles Biro (story) and Norman Maurer (art). It stars the comic sidekicks of a superhero named Daredevil (who’s name was later taken up by a Marvel character), it involves a magic bat (you know, like The Natural, only in this case it’s actually magic) and said magic bat is made out of a special type of wood that is incredibly bouncy (like Flubber in The Absent-Minded Professor). Oh, and that wood? It got it’s amazing powers from being nuked.
And the thing is, this story was from 1951. That was a year before Malamud’s The Natural hit bookshelves, a decade before The Absent-Minded Professor was in theaters and at the start of the 1950s, where every B-Movie ended up having some sort of monster mutated by atomic radiation, although to the best of my knowledge none of them were bouncing wood. It is a stretch to say that this story (in the public domain, originally printed in Daredevil Comics #77, found here) is the inspiration for those works (it has a significantly different ending), but it is a interesting coincidence. Too interesting to have been ignored up until now.
(more after jump)
Dear MLB Network: Steal these three ideas
In 1928, sliced bread hit the market. Presumably, the phrase “best thing since sliced bread” was started shortly after. Amongst the things better than sliced bread: MLB Network.
But MLB Network isn’t perfect, so, if anybody from MLB Network is reading this, here are some suggestions:
1. Bring back Baseball IQ, open it to fans.
Baseball IQ was a tournament on MLB Network last offseason where representatives from the 30 MLB teams as well as organizations like the Hall of Fame had a trivia tournament, with the winning team getting money for charity.
Bring that back, only open it up for fans. Scour the Internet and SABR for people to play it. The winner of the whole thing would win a “golden pass” that allows them to attend any MLB event free of charge (these are normally given only to presidents and Hall of Famers, although they were also given to the Iranian hostages, Charles Lindbergh, etc.)
2. During the season, occasionally have “breakfast baseball” by showing games live from Japan.
Would give early-risers something to watch, and increase the exposure of international baseball to an American audience. The announcers would be in New Jersey calling it off of a Japanese feed. Wouldn’t cost all that much.
3. Have a minor league show
Most people have no idea what is going on in the minor leagues, and to most fans, even the best prospects are just names on paper. Why not have a show that showcases Minor League players and games, a sort of mini-version of MLB Tonight for the most extreme baseball aficionados who want to know how well the number seven prospect for the Royals is doing, or what’s going on in the Eastern League pennant races.
I mean, it can’t hurt, right?
Picture of the Day: 44 and 24
In the days leading up to the Presidential Inauguration (which is today), the Baseball Continuum will be posting pictures celebrating the relation between the presidency and baseball. These are not meant to be an endorsement of either side of the political aisle nor the policies of any of the men featured within, merely a celebration of the close connection between America’s leader and America’s game.
President Obama threw out the first pitch of the 2009 All-Star Game, but on the way Air Force One had another distinguished passenger: Willie Mays.
This image is from the White House Flickr stream and is a work of the US Government, making it free to use with this caveat:
This official White House photograph is being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
One-sentence prediction for the NFC and AFC Championship round.
The Patriots and 49ers will win today and meet in Super Bowl XLVII. No further analysis needed.
(Oh, crud, that’s two sentences. Sorry, everyone!)
Picture of the Day: President Bush at the World Series
In the days leading up to the Presidential Inauguration, the Baseball Continuum will be posting pictures celebrating the relation between the presidency and baseball. These are not meant to be an endorsement of either side of the political aisle nor the policies of any of the men featured within, merely a celebration of the close connection between America’s leader and America’s game.
Before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series, the first game of the World Series in a New York still clearing wreckage from Ground Zero, George W. Bush took the mound to throw out the first pitch.
This image is from the U.S. National Archives’ Flickr feed and has no known copyright restrictions.
Picture of the Day: JFK throws out the first ball
In the days leading up to the Presidential Inauguration, the Baseball Continuum will be posting pictures celebrating the relation between the presidency and baseball. These are not meant to be an endorsement of either side of the political aisle nor the policies of any of the men featured within, merely a celebration of the close connection between America’s leader and America’s game.
Opening Day, 1961- President Kennedy throws out the first ball at Griffith Stadium.
(Oh, LBJ is there too, but he, obviously, was Vice President at the time.)
This photo is from the U.S. National Archives’ Flickr stream, and there are no known copyright restrictions attached to it.
The Baseball Continuum 