April Banter 2020

[showmethesnow]

8 minutes ago, yoda said:

Since we are talking baseball, my dad got to bat against I believe it was Greg Maddux in a league when he was living in Michigan. This was just before he got into the MLB at age 18/19 years old.  Watched 3 pitches go by he said at what looked like 100 mph and then went back to the bench lol

Your father is a brave man. I myself would have an unfortunate hammy injury as I was walking up to the batter's box. 

[HighStakes]

28 minutes ago, showmethesnow said:

@losetoa6 Remember Moose Haas, believe he played for the Brewers in the 80's and he was from Franklin? Actually was friends with his sister Dawn Haas and got to meet him on several 

Yes I remember as well.

[yoda]

Just now, Baltimorewx said:

Should be able to at least toe one off the end of the bat against him lol. Just kidding. What a difficult pitcher to square up though. 

He said he would take his practice swings, get in the box, and then zoom the pitch would go right by before he could even think of swinging lol

He played baseball for quite a while in college and Lower level minors... he was one of those pitchers who threw submarine style, which was kind of new at the time I believe since not many threw that way.  His arm angle was pretty low too.  But he was one of those pitchers who hated giving up HRs and would drill you the next time you came up if he thought you were celebrating too much lol

One of my other favorite baseball stories with my dad was also when he was living in Michigan... he wasn't pitching that night but had a good buddy who was, and he was sitting on the bench.  1st inning starts, and an opponent player absolutely crushes a HR to left field.  He tosses the bat and runs around the bases slowly.  My dad tells his buddy next time to fire the ball at his ribs.  4th inning, guy comes up again.  Curveball catches too much of the plate, ball again destroyed to right field.  Guy starts dancing down first base line and stuff.  My dad charges out of the dugout and plants the guy and starts a brawl in the field.  Think he got something like a 5 game ban at the time

[showmethesnow]

23 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

Funny story.  Walter Youse (Johnny's ) would have our practices at a mental hospital in Catonsville and I would be playing centerfield and patients in gowns would walk through the field on the regular lol. They'd also wave from there windows lol.

Are you familiar with Rosewood Mental Institute in Owings Mills? Closed down quite a few years ago? Had a friend in Elementary school that I would visit who lived on Rosewood Lane. It was nothing to see the patients strolling on down the road with attendants following behind a few minutes later trying to catch them. Don't know how many strolled through the yard waving to us as we played. The site was actually very depressing though. You were always hearing scream and moans and cries coming from the institute. They got hammered hard after an investigation and were forced to close if I recall correctly.

[showmethesnow]

6 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

And Greg Maddux wasn't a real hard thrower for Major league standards . He was routinely in the 86-90 range...less at the end of his career but one of the best control pitchers of all time. 

Fire Baller. Nolan Ryan. He was fun to watch.

[showmethesnow]

4 minutes ago, yoda said:

He said he would take his practice swings, get in the box, and then zoom the pitch would go right by before he could even think of swinging lol

He played baseball for quite a while in college and Lower level minors... he was one of those pitchers who threw submarine style, which was kind of new at the time I believe since not many threw that way.  His arm angle was pretty low too.  But he was one of those pitchers who hated giving up HRs and would drill you the next time you came up if he thought you were celebrating too much lol

One of my other favorite baseball stories with my dad was also when he was living in Michigan... he wasn't pitching that night but had a good buddy who was, and he was sitting on the bench.  1st inning starts, and an opponent player absolutely crushes a HR to left field.  He tosses the bat and runs around the bases slowly.  My dad tells his buddy next time to fire the ball at his ribs.  4th inning, guy comes up again.  Curveball catches too much of the plate, ball again destroyed to right field.  Guy starts dancing down first base line and stuff.  My dad charges out of the dugout and plants the guy and starts a brawl in the field.  Think he got something like a 5 game ban at the time

Think Kent Tekulve was the premier submarinier back in my day. People just couldn't hit him. 

[Baltimorewx]

1 minute ago, showmethesnow said:

Fire Baller. Nolan Ryan. He was fun to watch.

My favorite all time player is Griffey. Makes sense since that was when I was growing up (90s). My favorite pitcher I would have to say was Mike Mussina. Shame the dude played for such bad Os teams 

[HighStakes]

32 minutes ago, showmethesnow said:

Ahhhhh.... My mistake. Just realized that Johnny Cake was actually a HS we played while I was at Owings Mills.. So yeah, it would be Johnny's travel team. 

Johnny Cake was a middle school in Woodlawn . It hosted the Edrico Tournament for many years. I played on the Owing Mills travel team and we played in that tournament every year. Tough tournament too. We were part of the Northwest area colt league for ages 15-17.  We had a solid team and I played with a lot of good players from Franklin. When I was 18 I played for Pikesville in the Baltimore Metro league.  Another great league with real tough teams. Played against the yankee rebels, Essex bedouins, putty hill and liberty road squads. No weak players. Pretty much every team was filled with local all stars.

Johnny's also maybe called Leoni's was a very good team in Baltimore . Always had great players on that team. They used wooden bats when everyone else didnt.

[showmethesnow]

2 minutes ago, Baltimorewx said:

My favorite all time player is Griffey. Makes sense since that was when I was growing up (90s). My favorite pitcher I would have to say was Mike Mussina. Shame the dude played for such bad Os teams 

No arguing that Griffey was a very good player. Musina was a beast during his prime but he lost a lot of my respect when he went to the Yankees for more money.

[showmethesnow]

3 minutes ago, HighStakes said:

Johnny Cake was a middle school in Woodlawn . It hosted the Edrico Tournament for many years. I played on the Owing Mills travel team and we played in that tournament every year. Tough tournament too. We were part of the Northwest area colt league for ages 15-17.  We had a solid team and I played with a lot of good players from Franklin. When I was 18 I played for Pikesville in the Baltimore Metro league.  Another great league with real tough teams. Played against the yankee rebels, Essex bedouins, putty hill and liberty road squads. No weak players. Pretty much every team was filled with local all stars.

Johnny's also maybe called Leoni's was a very good team in Baltimore . Always had great players on that team. They used wooden bats when everyone else didnt.

When I tried out for Johnny's when I was 16/17 I went in with a cocky attitude despite being several years younger then most of the players. They knocked that cocky attitude out of me so quick my head was spinning. It really showed to me how much more maturing I had to do to compete at these players level. They were just that good.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Nice day for a good walk and to take photos.  Here's a red-copper Japanese maple, against a brilliant blue sky.

[HighStakes]

1 hour ago, losetoa6 said:

Funny thing is I never played little league of any kind.  In Baltimore up to age 13 we played pick up ball or wall ball . My Parents had no money or interest for that matter to get me on a organized team. I finally got on a team at age 12 1/2 or 13 from the urge of a family friend who talked my parents into it and that was Reisterstown's 15/16 team at the time . I was playing 6-7 days a week age 13-18

There were a lot of really good players from reisterstown. I cant remember the guy who ran that team. He died some years back.  They had the 15/16 league like you played in and at one time had 17/18 team. Back in the day it was a priviledge to play under the light at Hannah Moore. You're a couple years younger than me so you may not know some of the guys I played with since they were a little older than me.

[Baltimorewx]

5 minutes ago, showmethesnow said:

No arguing that Griffey was a very good player. Musina was a beast during his prime but he lost a lot of my respect when he went to the Yankees for more money.

Yeah but at the end of the day I can’t blame him. The Orioles really went in the doldrums after he left, and he would have had no chance of winning with the Os. As much as it hurt to see him leave, I’m glad he did what he did as a Yankee 

[HighStakes]

15 minutes ago, showmethesnow said:

Are you familiar with Rosewood Mental Institute in Owings Mills? Closed down quite a few years ago? Had a friend in Elementary school that I would visit who lived on Rosewood Lane. It was nothing to see the patients strolling on down the road with attendants following behind a few minutes later trying to catch them. Don't know how many strolled through the yard waving to us as we played. The site was actually very depressing though. You were always hearing scream and moans and cries coming from the institute. They got hammered hard after an investigation and were forced to close if I recall correctly.

Hell yeah. I used to hang at the arcade at garrison Forrest and the patients were always coming around. No doubt a very depressing institution for even back in those days. Actually scary.

[showmethesnow]

Just now, HighStakes said:

Hell yeah. I used to hang at the arcade at garrison Forrest and the patients were always coming around. No doubt a very depressing institution for even back in those days. Actually scary.

Owings Mills Arcade? Wasn't during the late 70's early 80's by any chance? That was our hangout during our HS years. God I have some stories from then.

[showmethesnow]

3 minutes ago, Baltimorewx said:

Yeah but at the end of the day I can’t blame him. The Orioles really went in the doldrums after he left, and he would have had no chance of winning with the Os. As much as it hurt to see him leave, I’m glad he did what he did as a Yankee 

Yeah, I understood his reasons for leaving but still it hurt. I have always been one who is loyal to a fault and it just felt treasonous to me for going to our arch rival the Yankees.

[HighStakes]

Just now, showmethesnow said:

Owings Mills Arcade? Wasn't during the late 70's early 80's by any chance? That was our hangout during our HS years. God I have some stories from then.

Yup, that's the one. My mom would give me a couple bucks while she went to the library. It stayed open til around the late 80's early 90's but the early 80's were its heyday. I probably went in there from like 79 to 86-87.

[Chris78]

12 minutes ago, showmethesnow said:

No arguing that Griffey was a very good player. Musina was a beast during his prime but he lost a lot of my respect when he went to the Yankees for more money.

Hated to see Muss go but I dont blame him. O's were so dysfunctional and they low balled his offer so much that they basically were saying we dont want to sign you.

[showmethesnow]

3 minutes ago, Chris78 said:

Hated to see Muss go but I dont blame him. O's were so dysfunctional and they low balled his offer so much that they basically were saying we dont want to sign you.

The O's since 93 when Angelos took over bear no resemblance to the team I grew up with. Lost respect for them and then lost respect and quite following baseball in the late 90's after watching one too many strikes. Baseball was my passion and money basically ruined it. And I can tell you when it started. Basically with Reggie Jackson and the games he played with the O's.

[Maestrobjwa]

Just now, showmethesnow said:

The O's since 93 when Angelos took over bear no resemblance to the team I grew up with. Lost respect for them and then lost respect and quite following baseball in the late 90's after watching one too many strikes. Baseball was my passion and money basically ruined it. And I can tell you when it started. Basically with Reggie Jackson and the games he played with the O's.

Angelos is singlehandedly responsible for the irrelevance of the O's for years (and for the current situation we're only just starting to dig out of...Angelos finally finds some success from 2012-2014, and still managed to find a way to screw it up!). I am thankful that the sons are not taking after the father--and that gives me hope!

[Baltimorewx]

1 minute ago, Maestrobjwa said:

Angelos is singlehandedly responsible for the irrelevance of the O's for years (and for the current situation we're only just starting to dig out of...Angelos finally finds some success from 2012-2014, and still managed to find a way to screw it up!). I am thankful that the sons are not taking after the father--and that gives me hope!

Hindsight is 20/20 but signing Chris Davis and letting Nelson Cruz walk was one of the major downfalls after the 2014 season 

[CAPE]

Just now, Maestrobjwa said:

Angelos is singlehandedly responsible for the irrelevance of the O's for years (and for the current situation we're only just starting to dig out of...Angelos finally finds some success from 2012-2014, and still managed to find a way to screw it up!). I am thankful that the sons are not taking after the father--and that gives me hope!

Angelos did go all in when he first bought the team, competing with the Yankees for big name free agents, and had a decent couple of years including going wire to wire and winning the division. It was the Albert Belle signing imo that started it all unraveling after he got hurt, then Angelos seemed to become very frugal, and the minor league system was pathetic.

[showmethesnow]

10 minutes ago, HighStakes said:

Yup, that's the one. My mom would give me a couple bucks while she went to the library. It stayed open til around the late 80's early 90's but the early 80's were its heyday. I probably went in there from like 79 to 86-87.

Remember one Friday night 4 of us scrapped together enough money to buy a case of Natty Boh. We were sitting in the back of the parking lot behind the arcade drinking it when I spotted a cop pulling into the parking lot. Told everyone to play it cool and pointed the cop out to them. My one friend's idea of cool was to duck down behind the seat and hide the beer. Needless to say this attracted the cops attention. Things went downward from there.  We get out of the car and the cop notices the beer and tells my cool friend <sarcasm> to get rid of the beer. My friend proceeds to grab the case of beer and gently place it in the dumpster like a new born babe. Needless to say the cop and I look at each and we just started busting out in laughter. Anyway, the cop finally gets him to open every beer and pour it out. I was kind of in tears at that point to be honest with you. No money and no beer and it was still only 8 pm. But as the good soldiers we were, we headed to the fountain at the gas station on Morning Side Drive and proceeded to find enough loose change there to buy another case. Though the beer teller looked at us kind of funny when he saw we were all soaking wet and had handfuls of pennies, nickles and dimes to pay for the beer. I do give him credit for never asking us about it.

[CAPE]

3 minutes ago, Baltimorewx said:

Hindsight is 20/20 but signing Chris Davis and letting Nelson Cruz walk was one of the major downfalls after the 2014 season 

Yeah after years of futility, Buck had them competitive again, but those were just terrible decisions, and along with screwing up on every young pitcher with potential, it largely triggered the latest debacle.

[Baltimorewx]

3 minutes ago, C.A.P.E. said:

Yeah after years of futility, Buck had them competitive again, but those were just terrible decisions, and along with screwing up on every young pitcher with potential, it largely triggered the latest debacle.

Yeah, the #1 draft picks we squandered are terrible. One can only hope Rustchman pans out, but I don’t love taking a catcher as the #1 pick but we’ll see. 

[CAPE]

9 minutes ago, Baltimorewx said:

Yeah, the #1 draft picks we squandered are terrible. One can only hope Rustchman pans out, but I don’t love taking a catcher as the #1 pick but we’ll see. 

Three names- different "issues" with each one, but proof the Orioles have a deep seated organizational problem with developing pitchers: Arrieta, Gausman, Bundy. And there are many others in recent years.

[Maestrobjwa]

31 minutes ago, Baltimorewx said:

Hindsight is 20/20 but signing Chris Davis and letting Nelson Cruz walk was one of the major downfalls after the 2014 season 

That's precisely what I mean, lol 2014 was a golden opportunity to build something...but the departures of Cruz and Markakis...and the Davis Contract...and not investing in the international market...it all went down the toilet!

[Chris78]

I loved Buck Showalter. Did more with less. One of the best in baseball at managing a bullpen. With the exception of letting ubaldo face Encarnacion with the season on the line. You cant let the best closer in baseball that season sitting.

[Baltimorewx]

Just now, Chris78 said:

I loved Buck Showalter. Did more with less. One of the best in baseball at managing a bullpen. With the exception of letting ubaldo face Encarnacion with the season on the line. You cant let the best closer in baseball that season sitting.

Yeah unfortunately that will always be a mark on his career. But otherwise I agree. 2014 was nothing short of amazing with the roster and injuries that were present. I watched the 2014 division clinch game just a few days ago. The celebration was awesome with the players on the field with their kids and all that stuff and Adam Jones pieing fans 

[Chris78]

Lack of developing there high draft pic pitchers and not investing in scouting , especially international scouting has really hurt them over the past 20 years or so.