Random Thoughts

[BCubb2003]

I always buy a hotdog on Pitchers and Catchers Day, even if I have to shovel the driveway.

These springs are very different from Jim Bowden's cattle calls.

What is the metric for the cut of a player's jib?

And what's a jib, anyway?

Say what you want about Pete Rose, but he certainly had fame.

Cricket is just a bunch of 60-foot curveballs and runners caught in rundowns.

It's hard to keep players from pushing themselves to greater performances through PEDs, but would 100-homer-a-year hitters, three-no-hitters-in-a-row pitchers and 35-25 scores really be baseball?

A player who is said to lead by example probably doesn't.

A general manager needs to know what will happen in the next five years; a manager the next five games, at bats or pitches.

Shaking off the catcher is like representing yourself in court.

[mattfeet]

Love #1. Might have to make that a new tradition.

[bigredmechanism]

Shaking off the catcher is like representing yourself in court.

That is excellent.

[BoydsOfSummer]

That is excellent.

Thinking of that scene in Bull Durham where Nook keeps shaking off Crash always makes me smile.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Shaking off the catcher is like representing yourself in court.

Made me think of this story (true or not)...

In spring training of 1968, Bench’s first full year, he was catching veteran Gerry Arrigo, whose fastball was growing dim as his career went on. Arrigo, though, was in love with that fastball and insisted on throwing it, ignoring Bench’s signs for breaking pitches.

Finally, after Arrigo shook off another call for a breaking pitch to throw his fastball, when he released the pitch, Bench removed his glove and caught the fastball barehanded.

[BoydsOfSummer]

Made me think of this story (true or not)...

In spring training of 1968, Bench’s first full year, he was catching veteran Gerry Arrigo, whose fastball was growing dim as his career went on. Arrigo, though, was in love with that fastball and insisted on throwing it, ignoring Bench’s signs for breaking pitches.

Finally, after Arrigo shook off another call for a breaking pitch to throw his fastball, when he released the pitch, Bench removed his glove and caught the fastball barehanded.

I've heard that story several times but really wondered if it was true. If it is, it might be the coolest thing ever.

[mth123]

Made me think of this story (true or not)...

In spring training of 1968, Bench’s first full year, he was catching veteran Gerry Arrigo, whose fastball was growing dim as his career went on. Arrigo, though, was in love with that fastball and insisted on throwing it, ignoring Bench’s signs for breaking pitches.

Finally, after Arrigo shook off another call for a breaking pitch to throw his fastball, when he released the pitch, Bench removed his glove and caught the fastball barehanded.

Don't know if this is true of anyone or not, but my dad told me the same story when I was a kid, but the catcher who removed his glove was Ernie Lombardi and he told me about this before anyone had heard of Johnny Bench.

My guess is this is a baseball version of an urban legend.

[camisadelgolf]

Don't know if this is true of anyone or not, but my dad told me the same story when I was a kid, but the catcher who removed his glove was Ernie Lombardi and he told me about this before anyone had heard of Johnny Bench.

My guess is this is a baseball version of an urban legend.

Johnny Bench said it happened.
http://www.foxsportsohio.com/09/16/1...40&feedID=3725

In spring training of 1968, Bench’s first full year, he was catching veteran Gerry Arrigo, whose fastball was growing dim as his career went on. Arrigo, though, was in love with that fastball and insisted on throwing it, ignoring Bench’s signs for breaking pitches.

Finally, after Arrigo shook off another call for a breaking pitch to throw his fastball, when he released the pitch, Bench removed his glove and caught the fastball barehanded.

However, baseball-almanac.com claims it was Jim Maloney in a spring training game.
http://blog.silive.com/sportsspotlig...ball_myth.html

That account states the it happened in a Spring Training game in 1968. It says Bench, essentially a rookie catcher with the Reds (26 games in '67), was getting ticked off at then eight-year veteran Jim Maloney for continuously shaking off the breaking balls Bench called for.

It alleges that Bench went to the mound and said "Your fastball's not popping," to which, Maloney hurled the mother of all expletives at Bench.

[BoydsOfSummer]

I won't swear to it, but I believe I've heard the tale from Bench himself, either in an interview or in print.

[oneupper]

I've read that story when I was a kid. Not sure if it was baseball digest or Baseball Stars of 1970 (a book). It was always Arrigo who was mentioned.