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Friday, July 06, 2012

Tommy Lasorda: If you believe in pitch counts, read this:

Bah! The Rugmakers were an upper layer of pile, if ever.

On this date in 1948 I was pitching for the Schenectady Blue Jays in the Canadian-American League. Pat Riley’s father, Lee Riley, was the Manager of that team. We were playing against the Amsterdam Rugmakers. None of that is out of the ordinary, but what happened that night is.

In that game I struck out 25 batters over the course of 15 innings.

And although I walked 12 and hit one batter, I drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 15th inning.

Bobby Valentine and I tried to figure it out once and we think that I must have thrown about 300 pitches in that game. If I were following today’s rules Riley would have pulled me in the third inning.

Repoz Posted: July 06, 2012 at 06:54 AM | 19 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. Jolly Old St. Nick Done Jumped The Ship

Posted: July 06, 2012 at 07:10 AM (#4174289)

It took him 300 pitches to beat the Amsterdam Rugmakers?

2. AndrewJ Posted: July 06, 2012 at 07:57 AM (#4174294)

On this date in 1948 I was pitching for the Schenectady Blue Jays in the Canadian-American League. Pat Riley’s father, Lee Riley, was the Manager of that team.

At least the Blue Jays' coiffures would have led the league in something.

3. Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: July 06, 2012 at 08:14 AM (#4174296)

In that game I struck out 25 batters over the course of 15 innings.

And although I walked 12 and hit one batter, I drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 15th inning.

Time of game: 37 hours and four minutes.

4. Benji Posted: July 06, 2012 at 08:55 AM (#4174311)

Amsterdam! The nicest old mill town in America! Birthplace of Kirk Douglas! The Rugmaker park now hosts the Amsterdam Mohawks, a first class college player team.

And, if you didn't already guess, my home!

5. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 06, 2012 at 09:12 AM (#4174317)

After the game he bedded Rita Hayworth and then he caught a fish this big!!!!!

6. The elusive Robert Denby Posted: July 06, 2012 at 09:21 AM (#4174322)

And that game had no effect on his career as a 300 game winner and a Hall of Fame pitcher!

7. RMc and His Roster of Rubbish Posted: July 06, 2012 at 09:27 AM (#4174327)

Ladies and gentlemen, your 1948 Schenectady Blue Jays!

How old is Tommy Lasorda? He had a minor league teammate who was born when Teddy Roosevelt was president. (OK, Lee Riley was 41 years old in 1948, and a player-manager, but still.)

8. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

Posted: July 06, 2012 at 09:27 AM (#4174328)

Is there any way to get a boxscore for this game? I mean, I just assume Lasorda is a liar but I guess I should give him the benefit of the doubt in this very specific, verifiable case.

9. Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: July 06, 2012 at 09:47 AM (#4174337)

I can't find the box score, but there's a fairly detailed account of the game here.

10. The Long Arm of Rudy Law Posted: July 06, 2012 at 09:50 AM (#4174342)

That's why Tommy always asks for "The Amsterdam Rugmaker" when he hires his dates.

11. Famous Original Joe C Posted: July 06, 2012 at 10:02 AM (#4174349)

How old is Tommy Lasorda?

Older than ten dogs?

Nah, you're right, didn't work.

12. The District Attorney Posted: July 06, 2012 at 10:13 AM (#4174362)

If you believe in pitch counts, read this.

13. Flack42 Posted: July 06, 2012 at 11:31 AM (#4174460)

Re #7 and being around when TR was President: my father's father was born in 1885, so he conceivably met people who were around when Jefferson was president.
Conclusion 1: old people
Conclusion 2: young country

14. The Long Arm of Rudy Law Posted: July 06, 2012 at 12:01 PM (#4174534)

Two of John Tyler's grandsons are still alive, as of a few months ago. Tyler was born in 1790 and was president 170 years ago.

15. Edmundo got dem ol' Kozma blues again mama

Posted: July 06, 2012 at 12:22 PM (#4174569)

Both Tyler and his son remarried late in life and apparently were still fertile.

My mother's father was born in 1875. He died within a couple of months of when I was born.

My M-I-L was born during WWI, which is kind of hard to comprehend.

16. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: July 06, 2012 at 12:35 PM (#4174598)

At least the Blue Jays' coiffures would have led the league in something.

And would explain why the Rugmakers were their arch-rivals.

17. Fernigal McGunnigle has become a merry hat Posted: July 06, 2012 at 12:44 PM (#4174612)

Re #7 and being around when TR was President: my father's father was born in 1885, so he conceivably met people who were around when Jefferson was president.
Conclusion 1: old people
Conclusion 2: young country

My favorite one of these -- Lafayette was of course a hero of the Revolution. In 1824-25 he made a tour of the US, stopping in Brooklyn to lay the ceremonial cornerstone for the new public library. While working the crowd afterwards he kissed the 5-year-old Walt Whitman on the forehead. Whitman was later great friends with Thomas Eakins, who helped prepare Whitman's death mask* in 1892. Eakins painted a woman named Helen Montanverde Parker. Parker died in 1975. Plenty of people who knew her will still be around.

I'm 40, and as a little kid I knew my great-grandfather, who was born during Chester Arthur's first year as President.

*the original has some of Whitman's beard hairs stuck in it and is kind of gross

18. GGC don't think it can get longer than a novella Posted: July 06, 2012 at 05:51 PM (#4174923)

Thomas Hudson Jones was one of the designrers of the Tomb of the Unknowns and lived until 1969. He worked in the studio of Daniel French. Daniel Chester French died in 1931. He was a friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emerson met John Adams.

19. Everybody Loves Tyrus Raymond Posted: July 06, 2012 at 06:01 PM (#4174931)

I remember Davey Johnson once derisively saying in the 80s he wasn't going to "Tommy Lasorda" Dwight Gooden - the reference being to the supposed ruination of Fernando at Tommy's diabolical hands. It should be noted Fernando ultimately threw 130 more innings in the majors than Gooden.

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Friday, July 06, 2012

Tommy Lasorda: If you believe in pitch counts, read this:

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