he even pitched for the Cubs in 1993. Not to get all preachy, but shouldn't baseball players at least have a rudimentary understanding of the game's history?

Julian Tavarez's career isn't included in a rudimentary understanding of baseball history, but a little research would have been real nice here.

He must have typed the wrong thing - Tavarez pitched for the Cubs in '01.

he even pitched for the Cubs in 1993. Not to get all preachy, but shouldn't baseball players at least have a rudimentary understanding of the game's history?

Julian Tavarez's career isn't included in a rudimentary understanding of baseball history, but a little research would have been real nice here.

1993, 2001. Same difference. Still, I kind of suspect that Tavarez actually MET Ernie Banks at some point in 2001.

According to Tavarez, he never went to school a day in his life. I'm guessing he missed out on a lot of stuff. Tavarez also appears (to me) to be completely nuts.

“I don’t know who Ernie Banks is, but I hope he was a good guy,” Tavarez said. “I’m like him, I hope.”

at least he was respectful about it.

Ernie Banks just called. He asked, who is Julian Tavarez?

While talking to Julian Tavarez the other day about his impoverished upbringing in the Dominican -- he never went to school, sold newspapers, cleaned shoes and helped his dad, a construction worker -- Tavarez sheepishly admitted he had an odd ambition as a kid. If he couldn't be a baseball player, he said, he thought he might have a future as an adult movie star.

We're not talking about aspiring to be the next Gary Cooper, either. The way Julian explained it, he was exposed to a lot of that stuff as a kid, and saw it as a way to a better life. Can't say I pursued that narrative line...but another unexpected dimension to quite a character.

Julian, I'm not sure you are like Ernie, but you sure are entertaining.

"According to Tavarez, he never went to school a day in his life. I'm guessing he missed out on a lot of stuff. Tavarez also appears (to me) to be completely nuts."

If there's a school that taught Ernie Banks, I'd have loved to attend it.

Not that being a baseball player isn't a horse of another color, but how many of us have a rudimentary understanding of the history of our chosen profession?

"If he couldn't be a baseball player, he said, he thought he might have a future as an adult movie star."

God, that'd be even scarier than Ron Jeremy.

You probably can't appreciate this until Tavarez has pitched for your team, but his head is absolutely terrifying when seen from up close.

You probably can't appreciate this until Tavarez has pitched for your team, but his head is absolutely terrifying when seen from up close.

have to agreee with that, he's one of those space cases that you only appreciate when they are on your side, but those space cases sometimes make the game fun to watch.

Sounds like Clambake Yancey needs to visit Fenway.

"Not to get all preachy, but shouldn’t baseball players at least have a rudimentary understanding of the game’s history? Call me crazy."

I'll call crazy. I was born in 1970, and got into baseball around '78 or '79. I don't give a #### what anybody did in baseball prior to that. It's fine that some people do care -- it's cute, like how some people are really interested in the lindy hop or the charleston -- but it's ridiculous to expect players to know or care about baseball history.

“I don’t know who Ernie Banks is, but I hope he was a good guy,” Tavarez said. “I’m like him, I hope.”

Hilarious.

I was born in 1971, and got into baseball in 1989, and I know something about the sport's history. Then again, I'm a historian.

I try to study the history of my profession (musicology), though it's a little different from most in that it involves being familiar with a backlog of classic literature; that alone means that I at least recognize the names of my more illustrious predecesors, and have some idea what they did.

Now, I'm an historically-minded person, so if I was an accountant or an airline pilot or anything else, I'd also have an interest in my profession's history. Obviously, however, people in those professions aren't necessarily going to be historically-minded; musicologists are self-selected for that trait. Baseball players aren't self-selected that way, so I wouldn't expect them to be historically aware.

Not that being a baseball player isn't a horse of another color, but how many of us have a rudimentary understanding of the history of our chosen profession?

Does a rudimentary knowledge of the game really cover Ernie Banks? Maybe if you're a Cubs fan. But I think if that is the standard, then I might not qualify for a "rudimentary" understanding of my own profession's history (cooking). And there are certainly websites full of amateurs that know much more than I do - even if they couldn't do my job.

Not that being a baseball player isn't a horse of another color, but how many of us have a rudimentary understanding of the history of our chosen profession?

You can count me as one of those who has at least a rudimentary understanding of the history of my profession. But when I played ball I could not care less about the history of the game or even the game at the major league level. I probably knew the name Babe Ruth because of the candy bar and that was about it in terms of history of baseball. It wasn't until Ken Burns came along that I discovered a lot of the old timers of baseball. Plus Earl Weaver Baseball came out at or around that time and for my B-Day I got a baseball card kit that came with 100 reproductions of old time cards. It wasn't until I was an adult and no longer playing baseball that I became interested in the history of baseball. If somehow I had managed to have any kind of talent for the sport and made it professional I seriously doubt I would know much about baseball's past.

I met Ernie Banks once and can verify that he is in fact a good guy.

I think baseball history is a little different than a chef or computer programmer type of history.

This is a profession that usually gets people interested in it when they are very young, involves a lot of current names and is steeped in tradition.(who growing up in the 70's didn't hear garveys name mentioned with gehrig for consecutive games- pete rose with ty cobb, reggie jackson with babe ruth) I would imagine that anyone who grew up in the united states and played competitive baseball of any sort, should be able to name about 50 past major league ball players. If you were born and raised in another country? I think it would be a little much to expect you to know more than Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente.

Having seen Banks play near the end of his career, I guess I have to cop to knowing who he is. :-) But great as he was, he doesn't really own any records. He did win a couple MVPs and that's a big deal. But even with Ripken or AROD, I don't remember hearing anything about how they were the best hitting SS since Banks.

And Banks was retired before Tavarez was born (god I'm old!). And Tavarez of course didn't grow up in this country and probably didn't get to watch too many WGN rain delay highlight reels.

Now, if he doesn't know who Roberto Clemente or Cesar Cedeno or Julio Franco or Juan Marichal are, then you can call him ignorant of baseball history that he probably "should" know.

I think Julian is still better off than Rickey who doesn't even know his own teammates. I don't think its a big deal him not knowing Banks. Not knowing Ruth would probably be a big deal. Not knowing guys like Aaron, who was a big name in his childhood might be odd. Not knowing Jackie Robinson who was pervasively iconic would also be strange.

Not knowing a guy that played years before he was born that is not one of the top 1 or 2 all time names in the sport isn't that huge. I bet you could find a large number of players that don't know Mel Ott, Ducky Medwick, etc. A player, even a HOFer, that was iconic to a single team isn't huge. I doubt that forty years from now, many baseball players will know Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn. They probably will know Barry Bonds.

They probably will know Barry Bonds.

Mostly from his latest book, "If I had taken Steroids, Here's how I would have done It."

I think Julian is still better off than Rickey who doesn't even know his own teammates. I don't think its a big deal him not knowing Banks. Not knowing Ruth would probably be a big deal. Not knowing guys like Aaron, who was a big name in his childhood might be odd. Not knowing Jackie Robinson who was pervasively iconic would also be strange.

Not knowing a guy that played years before he was born that is not one of the top 1 or 2 all time names in the sport isn't that huge. I bet you could find a large number of players that don't know Mel Ott, Ducky Medwick, etc. A player, even a HOFer, that was iconic to a single team isn't huge. I doubt that forty years from now, many baseball players will know Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn. They probably will know Barry Bonds.

He doesn't need to know who those people are, because he's JULIAN TAVAREZ, BIOTCH!!!

Still, you'd think he'd know how to google/wiki/B-ref

But I think if that is the standard, then I might not qualify for a "rudimentary" understanding of my own profession's history (cooking).

I bet you know the greats though, like Julia Childs and Bernal Diaz.

Misirlou

They probably will know Barry Bonds.

Mostly from his latest book,
"If I had taken Steroids, Here's how I would have done It."

LOL, I choked on an orange... you should give a warning

Tavarez sheepishly admitted he had an odd ambition as a kid. If he couldn't be a baseball player, he said, he thought he might have a future as an adult movie star.


Okajima and Matsui are viewing "scouting videos" one day:

Matsui: Why does that dude look familiar?
Okajiam: Dude, that guy's the real deal, I can tell you that.

... Tavarez said. “I’m like him, I hope.”

You're not.

but shouldn’t baseball players at least have a rudimentary understanding of the game’s history? Call me crazy.

You're crazy.

Baseball players are baseball players because they're good at baseball, not because they have vast knowledge or even any particular knowledge of the history of baseball.

This doesn't strike me as all that unusual - with the exception of people with a passion for the history of their profession, a knowledge of the history of one's occupation isn't exactly high priority. Artists, musicians, and (duh) historians know a lot about the history of their occupations because at least some portion of that knowledge is frequently required for their jobs.

But take lawyers. While lawyers who take cases in a particular field should know the case history and the historical application of a law, they won't necessarily know which congressman wrote the law or the role of lawyers in Roman and Byzantine society. I doubt many mayors of cities or congressmen could name who was in charge of their city or their district in 1850. And I'm virtually certain that most people working at banks don't have a lot of knowledge about the Panic of 1819, the Second National Bank or how much a talent of gold weighed.

Obviously, in any profession, there will be some people with a particular passion for the history associated with the profession. As it is in baseball - some players will be familiar with the players while a helluva lot will not. Knowing who Ernie Banks is has zero impact on Tavarez's - or any other player's - job. Now, if they go into broadcasting after careers, then some level of historical knowledge becomes a prerequisite, though from hearing some of them, not an absolute necessity.

I bet you know the greats though, like Julia Childs and Bernal Diaz.

But so do non-cooks. I'm sure a lot of sauciers can make fantastic mother sauces without knowing much about the life of Auguste Escoffier.

I normally don't find it particularly bizarre that a foreign born player hasn't heard of an MLB player that retired before he was born, even if the player was one of the all-time greats. Back in (2002? 2003?) when Luis Castillo had his hitting streak, someone asked him about Joe Dimaggio and Castillo said he had never heard of Joe D. I didn't find that particularly strange.

However, Tavarez played for the Cubs for a season and has visited Wrigley Field as a visitor many times. How oblivious do you have to be to look up at the left field foul pole and never once think to yourself or ask anyone "Hey, who's 'Banks - 14'"? I am sure Ernie made an appearance or two at Wrigley during the 2001, as well. Probably sang the Seventh Inning Stretch and visited the clubhouse once or twice, too.

I'm an expert on the repairs of Oxygen-Acetylene Welding equipement...but I don't know much about the history of Oxyg.....*wheez*

I got into the biggest argument with my spouse once because she didn't know who the Amazing Kreskin was.

Not knowing any 2 time MVP for a team you once represented is just willful ignorance.

I got into the biggest argument with my spouse once because she didn't know who the Amazing Kreskin was.

Last nite, while clicking thru the horrific "Hendrix" movie...my 53-year old brother-in-law (who happens to be a HS teacher) sez..."I didn't know Jimi Hendrix was black"

After that...I was so confuded...I set my lighter fluid on fire with a guitar!

And, yes,...then I bashed his nimerrodian skull in.

"I didn't know Jimi Hendrix was black"

Your brother-in-law is Stephen Colbert?

But so do non-cooks. I'm sure a lot of sauciers can make fantastic mother sauces without knowing much about the life of Auguste Escoffier.

Well that is because Escoffier didn't come up with mother sauces. That and a two year old could make a good mother sauce. Roux and milk isn't exactly rocket science. Nor is butter and egg yolk, which okay I'll give you was Escoffier's addition to the classification. Though today some people have removed from the classification. So nowadays the only contribution to the mother sauces for Augie might very well just be Tomato sauce.

Does a rudimentary knowledge of the game really cover Ernie Banks? Maybe if you're a Cubs fan. But I think if that is the standard, then I might not qualify for a "rudimentary" understanding of my own profession's history (cooking). And there are certainly websites full of amateurs that know much more than I do - even if they couldn't do my job.

DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM??????

I bet you know the greats though, like Julia Childs and Bernal Diaz.

But so do non-cooks. I'm sure a lot of sauciers can make fantastic mother sauces without knowing much about the life of Auguste Escoffier.

That's my point, when you reach the truly great, like Julia Childs and Bernal Diaz, you transend the history of your profession.

John Holmes, I don't know who he is but I hope he was a good guy. I'm like him I hope.

Did anyone follow the Fanhouse link to the Harrford Courant?

Some guy got hurt named Charles Nagy back then and I offered to take the ball.

Priceless. He doesn't know who Ernie Banks is but he's presumptious enough that we wouldn't know who Charles Nagy was.