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View Full Version : How you know your brain's been warped by baseball (in a good way).



RichRed
05-24-2012, 10:20 AM
Tip of the cap to the "Stream of Consciousness" thread for prompting this idea. I was thinking about all the factoids, trivia, and minutiae rattling around in my head, all because I'm a hopeless baseball junkie.

Here's an example of this wonderful affliction:

When you hear the name Mike Tyson, is anyone else just as likely to think of the utility infielder for the Cubs and Cards of the '70s and '80s, as you are to think of that guy who won a few boxing matches?

http://images.addoway.com/items/2934/164634/2934_1_853a04.jpg


Feel free to contribute your own.

westofyou
05-24-2012, 10:28 AM
How do you know you have a baseball problem?

Start with this, every book in this room except two on the History of the NFL and the ABA is a baseball book

George Anderson
05-24-2012, 10:42 AM
My brain kind of works in a weird way in that if I have to remember numbers I use baseball to help remember. For example if I need for some reason to remember the number 41 I will associate it with Tom Seaver and wont forget it. My daughter was born on May 14 and my son June 27. So if I happen to have trouble remembering the days they were born I will think of Peter Rose for my daughter and the 27' Yankees for my son

My 5 year old son has just about memorized the starting lineup of the BRM. He has a hell of a time saying Concepcion though.

_Sir_Charles_
05-24-2012, 10:44 AM
I know I'll screw up the phrasing of it, but there was a stand up comic who was a baseball junkie too and he had some line about when you're having sex, men try to increase their staying power by thinking about baseball, his problem was that thinking about baseball got him aroused and made him not want to think about sex but rather go and watch a game. :O)

RichRed
05-24-2012, 10:52 AM
How do you know you have a baseball problem?

Start with this, every book in this room except two on the History of the NFL and the ABA is a baseball book

Nirvana.

I know that Nolan Ryan's real first name is Lynn, the Griffeys' real first name is George and so is Tom Seaver's, and Connie Mack's real name was Cornelius McGillicuddy.

I remember that Rickey Henderson's birthday falls on Christmas and that I share a birthday with Lastings Milledge.

I remember that Bob Watson just beat out Davey Concepcion to score the one millionth run in MLB history. And that Davey's middle name is Ismael.

redsmetz
05-24-2012, 11:07 AM
I know I'll screw up the phrasing of it, but there was a stand up comic who was a baseball junkie too and he had some line about when you're having sex, men try to increase their staying power by thinking about baseball, his problem was that thinking about baseball got him aroused and made him not want to think about sex but rather go and watch a game. :O)

How do I recount this tale in a family forum...

A friend is very much a baseball fan. His wife told us about the time, having finished, that she rolled over on to his pillow and heard the radio playing the ballgame.

Did I put that delicately enough?

RollyInRaleigh
05-24-2012, 11:09 AM
My brain kind of works in a weird way in that if I have to remember numbers I use baseball to help remember. For example if I need for some reason to remember the number 41 I will associate it with Tom Seaver and wont forget it. My daughter was born on May 14 and my son June 27. So if I happen to have trouble remembering the days they were born I will think of Peter Rose for my daughter and the 27' Yankees for my son

My 5 year old son has just about memorized the starting lineup of the BRM. He has a hell of a time saying Concepcion though.

When my son was little, he knew famous Reds players and their numbers. #18 was "Ted Agooski."

redsmetz
05-24-2012, 11:10 AM
Pretty much, everyone who knows me and knows my family is aware that I'm a huge fan, as are all of my kids and my wife. It galls my wife to no end though when folks ask her if she became a baseball fan when she married me. She takes umbrage and tells them she grew up a baseball fan, with her Dad listening to the Cardinals games during dinner if the game was on.

westofyou
05-24-2012, 11:18 AM
Nirvana.

I know that Nolan Ryan's real first name is Lynn, the Griffeys' real first name is George and so is Tom Seaver's, and Connie Mack's real name was Cornelius McGillicuddy.

I remember that Rickey Henderson's birthday falls on Christmas and that I share a birthday with Lastings Milledge.

I remember that Bob Watson just beat out Davey Concepcion to score the one millionth run in MLB history run. And that Davey's middle name is Ismael.

And for scoring that run Bob got one million Tootsie Rolls, which donated to the Girl Scouts

Sea Ray
05-24-2012, 11:25 AM
I remember that Bob Watson just beat out Davey Concepcion to score the one millionth run in MLB history.

Were you at Riverfront that day? I sure was. I remember hearing later that Bob Watson scored it ahead of Milt May's home run. Davey said that he knew that sort of thing might happen so he raced around the bases after his ball cleared the fence but it still wasn't enough. Might that have been bat day? I'm not sure about that

George Anderson
05-24-2012, 11:26 AM
Nirvana.

I know that Nolan Ryan's real first name is Lynn, the Griffeys' real first name is George and so is Tom Seaver's, and Connie Mack's real name was Cornelius McGillicuddy.

I remember that Rickey Henderson's birthday falls on Christmas and that I share a birthday with Lastings Milledge.

I remember that Bob Watson just beat out Davey Concepcion to score the one millionth run in MLB history. And that Davey's middle name is Ismael.

Concepcion also has Benitez in his name. I guess he has two middle names. Also both of his sons first names are David.

Other than the Milledge thing I knew all of the above but don't ask me directions on getting anywhere because I am completely clueless. Brians are a funny thing.

redsmetz
05-24-2012, 11:35 AM
Concepcion also has Benitez in his name. I guess he has two middle names. Also both of his sons first names are David.

Other than the Milledge thing I knew all of the above but don't ask me directions on getting anywhere because I am completely clueless. Brians are a funny thing.

In many Hispanic cultures, it's not uncommon for someone to have both their mother & father's last name as their formal name. Sometimes, it carries back several generations too. Not sure what the general rule of thumb is. So likely, Davey's mother's maiden name was Benitez (although it might be the other way around).

I always know one ballplayer was born on the exact same day as me, but I always have to look it up (Bob Sykes). I do know we both share our birthdate with Jermaine Jackson too.

When Dennis Eckersley retired on my 44th birthday, I knew as soon as I heard the news that he was the last ML player still older than me.

RichRed
05-24-2012, 11:42 AM
Were you at Riverfront that day? I sure was. I remember hearing later that Bob Watson scored it ahead of Milt May's home run. Davey said that he knew that sort of thing might happen so he raced around the bases after his ball cleared the fence but it still wasn't enough. Might that have been bat day? I'm not sure about that

No, I was only 6 at the time, plus having grown up in Virginia, I didn't actually make it to a game in Cincy until I was in my 20s. I've been back a few times since then. It's just one of those things I read about that always stuck in the ol' brain pan.

cumberlandreds
05-24-2012, 01:41 PM
I know that Pete Rose got his first MLB hit the day I was born, April 13,1963 and Rose's birthday is one day after mine, April 14th.
I could/can always remember Tony Perez's birthday was May 14th. I have no idea why I could always remember that one.
I just read recently in the book about Old Hoss Radbourne, that a pitcher named Sweeney was born exactly one hundred years(April 13,1863) before me to the day.

westofyou
05-24-2012, 01:58 PM
I know that Pete Rose got his first MLB hit the day I was born, April 13,1963 and Rose's birthday is one day after mine, April 14th.
I could/can always remember Tony Perez's birthday was May 14th. I have no idea why I could always remember that one.
I just read recently in the book about Old Hoss Radbourne, that a pitcher named Sweeney was born exactly one hundred years(April 13,1863) before me to the day.

Well I know that Old Hoss was also perhaps the first player who used performance enhancing items, as he admitted using Bull Testosterone in an elixer he drank

westofyou
05-24-2012, 01:59 PM
Oh and when you said Sweeny I knew you meant Charlie Sweeny

paulrichjr
05-24-2012, 02:06 PM
When I went to my 25th class reunion I was standing in line getting my food and the caterer's wife (who was my 5th grade teacher) was handing out the food and asked me about the Reds. I looked at her kind of funny and said why did you ask me about the Reds and she laughed and said everything you wrote about was about them. Then not even 1 minute later I take my food and walk outside and see a girl that I had gone to school with from 1st grade to 12th grade but hadn't seen in 12 years, look at me and screamed, "Paul Rich...where is the C"?...as she made a C sign on her forehead.

I knew at that point I was hopeless and had been all my life.

cumberlandreds
05-24-2012, 02:12 PM
Oh and when you said Sweeny I knew you meant Charlie Sweeny

Thanks. I couldn't remember his first name.

I associate my oldest neice's birthday with the Reds winning the World Championship in 1975. She was born the day after they won it on October 23rd.

klw
05-24-2012, 02:15 PM
When Rain Man came out, I saw it with a bunch of friends. In an early scene they asked Raymond who played first for the Reds on such and such a date. I leaned over to the girl next to me and said "Ted Kluszewski" before Raymond got his answer out.


Oh I know that Bernie Carbo was the first pick by the Reds when they took Bench in the 2nd round. Why do I remember that?

paulrichjr
05-24-2012, 02:22 PM
Since my son can't answer this post because he is a Sundeck member and not an ORG member I thought I would say this about him. His bedroom is painted red with black trim (back when the Reds used more black in their colors). Reds stuff is everywhere including a Brandon Phillips Fathead, which wouldn't be a big deal until you walk in my other sons room and see an Aroldis Chapman and Joey Votto Fathead....and oh yea my youngest son (7th grade) had a 10 page research paper this past year and it was written on Peter Edward Rose. I guess that means I warped them also.

RichRed
05-24-2012, 02:22 PM
I can't remember any of the basketball uniform numbers I wore as a teenager but I know without checking that Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Eric Davis, Adam Dunn, and Mike Leake (along with John Riggins, Chuck Foreman, and George Gervin) all wore or wear #44.

I can't find my keys but I know that Tinker, Evers, and Chance went by Joe, Johnny, and Frank.

I'm not an autograph collector but one of my prized possessions is a baseball autographed by the immortal pitcher, Steve Trout.

There are whole chunks of my life I can't recall but I remember that George Brett missed some playing time due to hemorrhoids.

cumberlandreds
05-24-2012, 02:36 PM
I can't remember any of the basketball uniform numbers I wore as a teenager but I know without checking that Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Eric Davis, Adam Dunn, and Mike Leake (along with John Riggins, Chuck Foreman, and George Gervin) all wore or wear #44.

I can't find my keys but I know that Tinker, Evers, and Chance went by Joe, Johnny, and Frank.

I'm not an autograph collector but one of my prized possessions is a baseball autographed by the immortal pitcher, Steve Trout.

There are whole chunks of my life I can't recall but I remember that George Brett missed some playing time due to hemorrhoids.

IIRC, Brett had those during the playoffs one year and could hardly run or walk. Gee I am really warped. :)

757690
05-24-2012, 02:41 PM
My grandfather listened to the Reds game through an earpiece connected to a transistor radio in the pocket of his tuxedo, as he walked my mother down the aisle. They lost that day, and in the middle of the ceremony, she heard him mumble, "God D$&@% Cincinnati Reds."

dfs
05-24-2012, 03:06 PM
My grandfather listened to the Reds game through an earpiece connected to a transistor radio in the pocket of his tuxedo, as he walked my mother down the aisle. They lost that day, and in the middle of the ceremony, she heard him mumble, "God D$&@% Cincinnati Reds."

That is priceless.

redsmetz
05-24-2012, 03:14 PM
When I went to my 25th class reunion I was standing in line getting my food and the caterer's wife (who was my 5th grade teacher) was handing out the food and asked me about the Reds. I looked at her kind of funny and said why did you ask me about the Reds and she laughed and said everything you wrote about was about them. Then not even 1 minute later I take my food and walk outside and see a girl that I had gone to school with from 1st grade to 12th grade but hadn't seen in 12 years, look at me and screamed, "Paul Rich...where is the C"?...as she made a C sign on her forehead.

I knew at that point I was hopeless and had been all my life.

On Mother's Day, my son wrote on his Facebook wall:

In 4th grade I told my mom she was "as beautiful as a the freshly cut grass on a baseball field" and that I wouldn't trade her for a Honus Wagner T206 baseball card (estimated at $1.2 million).

His first email address was mlbbound and the year he was born.

My wife's best friend, for my wife's 50th birthday, made her husband (an Ohio native and Reds fan) drive all over St. Louis looking for a Reds t-shirt. She then proceed to cut it in half, along with a Cardinals t-shirt and sewed them together for a front & back t-shirt for her. She's fully converted to being a Reds fan (much to her family's chagrin), so she doesn't wear it often.