TV Broadcast Interesting tidbits

[CampWest]

Interesting series of conversation on tonight's Royals broadcast.

Sideline reporter kicked it off with a discussion about Mike Aviles using Rick Ankiel bats tonight. Ankiel thought the shipment of bats was too heavy and started passing them out to any teammates that wanted one. Aviles took one and put his sticker #30 on it. They then talked about how Aviles will use anybody's bat that he likes, except Jose Guillen who is kinda particular about other people messing with his bats. And that Aviles has Olivo bats, John Buck bats, and bats from just about everyone in his equipment.

Frank White and Ryan Lefebvre then discussed a bit about bat lengths and weights now vs back in the 70s-80s.

That led to a more interesting conversation from Royals HOFer Frank White, who said they used to trade bats all the time back in the late 70s and early 80s. Frank did not always like the bats he got because he felt the wood was inferior to the wood that the sluggers got. Frank then said when he felt like he was getting inferior "batting practice wood", he would place orders under John Mayberry's name, because Big John always got better wood.

Commercial break ended and the broadcasters were joined by a surprise guest who was in a nearby suite, former Royal Greg Pryor. Greg said he always liked Frank's bats and he borrowed a few from Frank.

One day, George Brett was sitting at 1,999 hits and asked Greg if he could borrow a bat, the only time George asked to borrow one of Greg's bats. So naturally, Greg obliged and told George to take whatever he liked and George selected the bat Greg Pryor borrowed from Frank White. Low and behold George gets career hit 2,000 and in the game breaks the Frank White bat. After the game Pryor notices the bat sitting in with a pile of stuff on the floor of the dugout and grabs the bat and takes it to George at his locker. Greg says, "Hey George, here's your 2000th hit bat, don't you want it?" George replied, "Nah I hated that bat, piece of junk, I don't know what I was thinking ever using it." George then told Greg to keep it.

So now, Greg Pryor has George Brett's 2,000th hit bat hanging in his house, that is a Frank White model T141, that Greg borrowed from Frank and loaned to George.

Crazy... At least it gave me a reason to watch the Royals for a couple innings.

Anybody catch any good conversations on their local broadcasts straight from the mouths of former players?

[Mark17]

I sent a 1961-64 H&B Johnny Goryl game bat to him to sign a few years ago. This was the exchange:

Dear Mr. Goryl, A couple of weeks ago I wrote you, asking if you'd be willing to autograph a bat and ball for me, and you said you would. I appreciate this very much. Enclosed are pens to use (blue for the ball, black for the bat), as well as my return address label and return postage.

Can you verify for me whether this is one of your game bats?

Thanks very much for your time in doing this for me.

P.S. It was very generous of you to do this for no charge. I hope you are not offended thatr I'm sending a little money to you anyway. It's the best way I can think of to show my appreciation for your doing this. You fellows gave us fans so much joy when you played, and still today, with all the memories of going to old Met Stadium.

His reply (along with the beautifully signed bat and ball):

Dear Mark,
Yes this was one of the bats I used. It was a Model bat that Earl Battey used and I liked the Model as well, did do some damage with it in 1963.

Johnny

P.S. Thank you for the offer, but I can't accept it. Just don't feel right doing that. (and he returned the $10 bill with the signed items.)

So, Goryl was trying out Battey's bats. I also have a Vic Power bat used by Bob Allison, and I once had a Cesar Tovar bat that was used by Rod Carew. And there's the famous story of reliever Bill Dailey hitting a rare home run using Allison's bat and Killebrew's batting helmet.

I'll bet players trying out each others' bats happened all the time. How else would guys be ordering so many different models throughout their career if they didn't try them out to see which ones they did and didn't like?

[gingi79]

Thanks Wes, that was a great read and makes you really think if these guys just borrow everyone else's bats at times. Watch A-Rod hit #600 with a Colin Curtis bat.

It reminds me of a great story Tim McCarver once told. Yankee fans older than 30 may remember obscure utility man Mike Fischlin Well, in 1986, Don Mattingly agreed to use one of his bats in the All Star game. Seeing as Mike knew he would never make the game, he'd at least like one of his bats to.

Tim finished the story by saying to Al Michaels who was doing play by play that "This is probably the only time Fischlin will be mentioned in an All Star Game."

Without missing a beat, Al replies:

"What do you mean probably?"

[tigerdale]

all great stories!!! Thank you!!

[cigarman44]

Interesting series of conversation on tonight's Royals broadcast.

Sideline reporter kicked it off with a discussion about Mike Aviles using Rick Ankiel bats tonight. Ankiel thought the shipment of bats was too heavy and started passing them out to any teammates that wanted one. Aviles took one and put his sticker #30 on it. They then talked about how Aviles will use anybody's bat that he likes, except Jose Guillen who is kinda particular about other people messing with his bats. And that Aviles has Olivo bats, John Buck bats, and bats from just about everyone in his equipment.

Frank White and Ryan Lefebvre then discussed a bit about bat lengths and weights now vs back in the 70s-80s.

That led to a more interesting conversation from Royals HOFer Frank White, who said they used to trade bats all the time back in the late 70s and early 80s. Frank did not always like the bats he got because he felt the wood was inferior to the wood that the sluggers got. Frank then said when he felt like he was getting inferior "batting practice wood", he would place orders under John Mayberry's name, because Big John always got better wood.

Commercial break ended and the broadcasters were joined by a surprise guest who was in a nearby suite, former Royal Greg Pryor. Greg said he always liked Frank's bats and he borrowed a few from Frank.

One day, George Brett was sitting at 1,999 hits and asked Greg if he could borrow a bat, the only time George asked to borrow one of Greg's bats. So naturally, Greg obliged and told George to take whatever he liked and George selected the bat Greg Pryor borrowed from Frank White. Low and behold George gets career hit 2,000 and in the game breaks the Frank White bat. After the game Pryor notices the bat sitting in with a pile of stuff on the floor of the dugout and grabs the bat and takes it to George at his locker. Greg says, "Hey George, here's your 2000th hit bat, don't you want it?" George replied, "Nah I hated that bat, piece of junk, I don't know what I was thinking ever using it." George then told Greg to keep it.

So now, Greg Pryor has George Brett's 2,000th hit bat hanging in his house, that is a Frank White model T141, that Greg borrowed from Frank and loaned to George.

Crazy... At least it gave me a reason to watch the Royals for a couple innings.

Anybody catch any good conversations on their local broadcasts straight from the mouths of former players?

Saw that too Wes. Great story on Brett.

Makes my job collecting Ankiel even harder! I dont think he has been using his this past week, but I can't get a good enough look to see whos they are. Guess it's working. He is hitting .333 in his last 10 since coming of the DL. If you follow Rick that is about .100 points higher than usual

[Dach0sen0ne]

Recently I was watching Strasburg pitch and Jeff Conine was in the broadcast booth. He was telling a story about how the bat he used to hit the pinch hit home run in the 1995 All Star game was supposed to be in the Hall of Fame. He said during a visit to The Hall he asked where he bat was located and they had no idea where it was. He then said he told this story days previously on the air during a Marlins game and a guy called the front office and said to have Jeff give him a call. The guy said he had the bat and won it in a charity golf auction. I don’t know if Jeff called him, but I thought that was a pretty cool broadcaster/player story.

[sox83cubs84]

More of a stadium artifact than a game-used item, but Len Kasper and Bob Brenly on WGN have brought up on the last two Cubs-Rockies telecasts that the Rox AAA affiliate at Colorado Springs (the Sky Sox) will soon be adding a humidor similar to the one at Coors Field that will make the game baseballs a little less lively.

Dave Miedema

[CampWest]

Kevin Millwood just got the hook in the bottom 6 2 outs in Orioles at Royals and tossed his fielders glove over the dugout to a family of Royals fans in the first row... kinda cool. Never happens when I'm there though.

[sox83cubs84]

Today's White Sox-Oakland game on WGN promoted Frank Thomas Day in late August at the Cell. Though Hawk and Stoney didn't specifically mention it, footage was shown from the Big Hurt's first game...a road tilt at the Metrodome in which he was wearing #15, not his usual #35. Great visual info!

[cigarman44]

Not really a broadcasting tidbit, but a funny Rick Ankiel story.

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-br...is-583573.html

Now, if Ankiel can just get some black spikes he’ll be all set. He arrived with blue New Balance spikes and used black marker to try to match his new teammates.
“They came out purple,” Ankiel joked. “This is the major leagues. You’d think I could get some black ones by now. They should be here soon.”