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xpress34
02-18-2009, 08:50 AM
Thought this might be a fun thread... and maybe pick up some new quotes...

My favorite is in my signature from Don Drysdale when during an interview, he was asked about his record for most hit batters and why he hit so many...

Drysdale replied - "The skipper tells me he wants me to walk this next guy, so I plunk him. I figure why waste 4 pitches when 1 will do?"

Looking forward to hearing yours...

- Chris

ironmanfan
02-18-2009, 08:58 AM
Jim Palmer on Earl Weaver (who was a career minor league 2nd baseman).."The only thing Earl knows about pitching was that he couldn't hit it."

joelsabi
02-18-2009, 07:18 PM
"No one can ever see the ball hit the bat because its physically impossible to focus your eyes that way. However, when I hit the ball especially hard, I could smell the leather start to burn as it struck the wooden bat" -- Ted Williams.

gatorcollector
02-18-2009, 08:44 PM
The Ol' Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, when he heard about a fire in the Auburn library: " It's a shame because many of the books hadn't been colored yet." :p

karamaxjoe
02-18-2009, 09:38 PM
There are only two seasons - winter and Baseball.

Bill Veeck

Vintagedeputy
02-18-2009, 09:49 PM
Best story?

Hands down, this one....

In 1972, Bob Fischel of the Yankees was writing to a number of former Yankees asking what their greatest moment was in Yankee Stadium. The great Mickey Mantle wrote Fischel back and detailed his greatest memory of the Stadium......CAUTION! MANTLE'S RESPONSE IS FOR ADULTS ONLY!

http://snopes.best.vwh.net/photos/mantle.pdf

buc
02-18-2009, 10:08 PM
Best story?

Hands down, this one....

In 1972, Bob Fischel of the Yankees was writing to a number of former Yankees asking what their greatest moment was in Yankee Stadium. The great Mickey Mantle wrote Fischel back and detailed his greatest memory of the Stadium......CAUTION! MANTLE'S RESPONSE IS FOR ADULTS ONLY!

http://snopes.best.vwh.net/photos/mantle.pdf



Attention: No more posts please. We have a winner.

gingi79
02-18-2009, 11:08 PM
Agreed. How much would that go for at auction?

Instanton
02-18-2009, 11:19 PM
Ha, great story.

frikativ54
02-18-2009, 11:49 PM
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth." -Roberto Clemente

Quote says it all. I sometimes wonder if I waste my time on earth by collecting game-used, because I could use the money for something else.

Rob L
02-19-2009, 12:25 AM
"From his toes to his nose, anything goes" - Rex Hudler describing Vlad Guerrero at bat.

suave1477
02-19-2009, 12:37 AM
HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE QOUTES

Mickey Mantle
I like to date women with small hands, makes my %$^& look bigger

Yogi Berra
If you see a fork in the road, take it

Mike Tyson
Everybody's got plans... until they get hit.

Mike Tyson
I could feel his muscle tissues collapse under my force. It's ludicrous these mortals even attempt to enter my realm.

Sluggo
02-19-2009, 12:48 AM
"Petey called me up one time when he was in a slump saying, Dad, I'm down to .207, I'm 0-for-my last 17, and I haven't had a hit in six games. What do you think I should do?"

I told him, "How the hell should I know? I never went 0-for-17 and hitless in six games in my entire career!! Why don't you call (Dave) Concepcion and ask him what he thinks?!"

-Pete Rose recounting a phone call he got from his son Petey at some point in Jr's minor league career

gingi79
02-19-2009, 12:53 AM
"I'm fairly confident that if I died tomorrow, Don would find a way to preserve me until the season was over and he had time for a nice funeral."
-Dorothy Shula , on the career dedication of her husband, the Miami Dolphins' coach, Don Shula, 1981

As a fish fan, I agree.Win every game and kill anyone in your way. As a husband, who cares if I can't celebrate with her?

schubert1970
02-19-2009, 01:07 AM
Best story?

Hands down, this one....

In 1972, Bob Fischel of the Yankees was writing to a number of former Yankees asking what their greatest moment was in Yankee Stadium. The great Mickey Mantle wrote Fischel back and detailed his greatest memory of the Stadium......CAUTION! MANTLE'S RESPONSE IS FOR ADULTS ONLY!

http://snopes.best.vwh.net/photos/mantle.pdf

I can't stop laughing......WINNER! Was this for real?

David
02-19-2009, 03:02 AM
"If a contest had 97 prizes, the 98th would be a trip to Green Bay."
-- John McKay

aeneas01
02-19-2009, 06:11 AM
in a game in which the woody hayes led buckeyes crushed the wolverines, ohio state continued to pour it on throughout the game including a late 4th quarter td - but instead of kicking an extra point hayes opted to keep his offense on the field and go for two, which the buckeyes made. after the game hayes was asked why he went for two so late in the game, in such a rout - hayes responed: because they wouldn't ley me go for three.

just today i heard a great quote attributed to a politician (name escapes me) - to paraphrase: i have always read the sports page first because in the sports pages you find stories about man's triumphs, on the first page you find stories about his failures...

...

Vintagedeputy
02-19-2009, 07:52 AM
The Mantle letter surfaced around 1986 I think. Mantle was known for stuff like that.

I remember a ball that he signed "F#$% Y%$ Mickey Mantle"

GarkoCollector
02-19-2009, 08:02 AM
Best story?

Hands down, this one....

In 1972, Bob Fischel of the Yankees was writing to a number of former Yankees asking what their greatest moment was in Yankee Stadium. The great Mickey Mantle wrote Fischel back and detailed his greatest memory of the Stadium......CAUTION! MANTLE'S RESPONSE IS FOR ADULTS ONLY!

http://snopes.best.vwh.net/photos/mantle.pdf

Thanks. Theres cornflakes all over my computer screen now.

GarkoCollector
02-19-2009, 08:10 AM
"Throwing a knuckleball for a strike is like throwing a butterfly with hiccups across the street into your neighbor's mailbox." ― Hall of Famer Willie Stargell (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Stargell)

"Trying to sneak a fastball past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak a sunrise past a rooster."-Joe Adcock

allstarsplus
02-19-2009, 08:17 AM
Yesterday provided this great line which I highlighted in red:

Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten confirmed in a conference call on Wednesday that shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez, one of the best prospects in the organization, falsified his name and age.

Gonzalez's real name is Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo and he is 23 years old. The Nationals had listed him as 19. SI.com was the first to report the story late Tuesday night.

Kasten didn't know what to call Gonzalez when he talked to the media, so he referred to him as the "player to be named later."

godwulf
02-19-2009, 08:40 AM
Umpire Bill Klem, responding to the protests of a rookie pitcher, facing the great Rogers Hornsby, about a couple of called balls: "Son, when you pitch a strike, Mr. Hornsby will let you know."

GarkoCollector
02-19-2009, 08:52 AM
"Half of the plate belongs to the batter and half of it belongs to me. I just don't let the batter know which half is mine. -Don Drysdale.

allstarsplus
02-19-2009, 09:07 AM
Willie Stargell on Koufax: "Trying to hit Sandy Koufax was like trying to drink coffee with a fork".

Koufax on pitching: "I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it."

otismalibu
02-19-2009, 09:12 AM
Michael Ray Richardson


REPORTER: What do you think is happening to the team?
RICHARDSON: The ship be sinking.
REPORTER: How far can it sink?
RICHARDSON: Sky's the limit.

suave1477
02-19-2009, 09:55 AM
A few more qoutes I thought were pretty good/funny



What does a mama bear on the pill have in common with the World Series? No cubs.
-- Harry Caray

Sandy's fastball was so fast, some batters would start to swing as he was on his way to the mound.
-- Jim Murray

During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.
-- Mickey Mantle

You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the goddamn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all.
-- Earl Weaver

This one I thought was perfect for all of the members here on the forum
A baseball fan has the digestive apparatus of a billy goat. He can, and does, devour any set of diamond statistics with insatiable appetite and then nuzzles hungrily for more.
-- Arthur Daley

MY FAVORITE QOUTE OF ALL TIME

WHY IS IT CALLED A WORLD SERIES? IF IT IS ALWAYS PLAYED IN THE BRONX

LOL LOL LOL:D

Vintagedeputy
02-19-2009, 10:33 AM
Former pitcher Joe Magrane was on MLB the other night and did a Haray Caray impression where Caray said "That guy couldnt hit water if he fell out of the boat!"

xpress34
02-19-2009, 04:24 PM
During the 1996-97 NHL Season after the Av's had won the Cup their 1st year in Denver (giving G Patrick Roy his 2nd Ring), the Av's got crushed by the Blackhawks in Chicago.

After the game in interviews, J Roenick told reporters. "I left Roy's jock hanging in the rafters tonight."

When asked about the comment later, Roy replied, "I'm sorry, what did Roenick say? I had my ears plugged with my two Stanley Cup rings."

xpress34
02-19-2009, 04:34 PM
These two both came from my ALL TIME favorite player - Nolan Ryan - during his speech at the Weld County Friends of Baseball Breakfast last February in Greeley, CO....

1st, Nolan was telling a story about Gene Autry and an event they had attended together during Nolan's time with the Angels... there was an open bar and apparently Gene didn't hold his liquor well (much to Ms Autry's chagrin)... anyway, when Gene got to the micrphone, he looked out at the audience and said, "My. It looks like a garden out there. Looka t all the beautiful Roses... but like with any garden, there are certainly some Weeds as well. Don't look around - you know who you are."

2nd was a story about the Angels playing the Tigers in a game Nolan was pitching and the inning before, the Tigers pitcher had beaned one of the Angels players... in the next half inning, Norm Cash was the lead off hitter - and according to Nolan, one of his very dear friends - and before Nolan threw the 1st pitch, Norm stepped out of the box and told the catcher, "Please go remind Nolan that I didn't make the call to hit your guy... and I didn't throw the pitch that hit him." So, the catcher calls time and runs out to the mound... he tells Nolan what Norm had said. Nolan says he smiled and told his catcher, "Please tell Norm - I'm Sorry." And with that, Nolan siad he drilled Norm in the ribs - not full speed of course - and that Norm dropped to the ground, crawled to the dugout and told the Manager, "I'm done." , crawled down the dugout steps and disappeared into the locker room.

godwulf
02-19-2009, 06:12 PM
I read a good Drysdale story awhile back. He was pitching against the Phillies' Robin Roberts, and after Drysdale hit a batter, the Phils' Manager ordered Roberts to knock Drysdale down the next time he came to bat. Roberts demurred, so the Manager sent in Turk Farrell, whom he knew would have no reservations about doing it.

Farrell knocked Drysdale down, as instructed, but on a subsequent pitch, Drysdale managed to get his bat on the ball and made it safely to second. Not content with that, Drysdale taunted Farrell, saying, "There's your knock-down pitch!" A moment later, Farrell spun and made a pickoff throw to second, with no fielder there covering the bag, and the ball just happening to hit Drysdale in the thigh...to which Farrell added, "There's your two base hit!"

yanks12025
02-19-2009, 06:37 PM
Les,
I agree that quote by Clemente is really good. I just used it last week for a project in school.

frikativ54
02-19-2009, 07:53 PM
Les,
I agree that quote by Clemente is really good. I just used it last week for a project in school.

Sweet. Great quote for a school project. I know of Clemente mostly as a human being. I have read about his career, but since I never got to see him play, I haven't really collected his stuff, though I've thought about it.

gatorcollector
02-19-2009, 08:28 PM
From ex-umpire Ron Luciano's book:

Luciano was the home plate umpire in a minor league game. He rung up a batter and said to the player "When you learn to hit that pitch, you'll be in the majors." The kid looked back at Luciano and said "When you learn to call that pitch, we'll both be there."

godwulf
02-19-2009, 09:58 PM
For fans of Bob Brenly, his straight-faced, low key wit is legendary.

Manager Brenly, during a stretch when the Diamondbacks were having a problem keeping catchers healthy and off the DL, was asked by a reporter who the emergency catcher was. Brenly replied, "Well, it's Junior Spivey...but we haven't told him."

During his days as a broadcaster, Brenly's partner in the booth was Thom Brenneman, who would sometimes get a little too wound up and passionate and let his words outpace his thinking. Once, when he meant to say that a batter "missed a pitch", he said that the player had "pissed a mitch"...to which, with a straight face and without hesitation, his color man responded, "I agree with whatever you just said."

cohibasmoker
02-19-2009, 10:15 PM
For quotes from the master himself, check out

http://www.umpirebob.com/DATA/yogiisms.htm

Jim

godwulf
02-19-2009, 10:54 PM
In his book, Catcher in the Wry, Bob Uecker wrote about being traded to Philadelphia, "the city where, on Easter, they boo the little kids who don't find any eggs."

xpress34
02-21-2009, 01:43 PM
Back in the 80's my brother was part of the Rotoray Club of Garland, TX (suburb of Dallas) and Dan Reeves was their guest speaker.

He told them he was going to relay a story from an unnamed former player of his on Inspiration and Motivation.

This is the story he told them:

So this player goes out with some team mates one night after a game to blow off some steam. They're out a at a night club and he meets an attractive young lady - one thing leads to another - and they end up back at her place.

As things are getting hot and heavy at her apartment, he hears what sounds like someone coming in. He asks if it's her roommate and she freaks out and says, "Oh my God, it's my husband!"

The player says, "where's your back door?" to which she replies, "We don't have one!".

At that point, the player responds, "Okay. Well where do you want one?" ;)

Inspiration and Motivation.

island_style
02-25-2009, 07:16 AM
More Bob Uecker:

(This was on MLB Network as he was calling a Tigers vs. Yankees game on Monday Night Baseball back in the day)

"You know, when you're talking about hitting, you're talking about one of my favorite subjects. .200 lifetime batting average...tied me with another sports great averaging over 200 over a 10-year period. That was bowler Don Carter."

"But you know...a lot of people looking in tonight, I know what you're going to say. You're going to say, "Sure, you can talk that way you do because it was always easy for you. This is not true. I've had my problems...all incidents that happened during the game with me hitting. Coming up in the 9th inning of a ball game, bases loaded, two outs, down by a run, and look into the Visitor's dugout and seeing them sitting there with their street clothes on."

"But these are things that never bothered me. Maybe the look down at the third base coach for a sign...having him turn his back on me."

"I can remember ordering bats. Sometimes they'd come back with a handle on each end."

"I've had many people ask me a lot of times, 'Bob, how long will a dozen bats last you?' I would have to say, depending on what model, what weight the bat I was using...8 to 10 cookouts."

Kind Regards,

Ron.

Rsamiano@aol.com

Vintagedeputy
02-25-2009, 03:26 PM
In my earlier post, I mentioned that Mantle was known to be a bit salty at times, like in that letter I posted....

Here's another Mantle gem! Sorry for the language, but I didnt sign it, Mickey did! (pic from a Grey Flannel auction)

http://www.greyflannel.com/images/FYogiBall_A.jpg