The banter about the phone which lead to the under ground railroad banter have been a popular topic. Tonight, while doing taxes with dad, I mentioned the Zabriskie house and the UGRR legend. He told me that his sister Sue, baby sat in the 1930’s for a family (Hollister I think) in an old house on Godwin between Crescent by Farrier’s and Ralph Ave. It’s up next to the road and the word was that there was a tunnel of sorts out the back to the swampy, railroad cut back behind it. This was for the UGRR. Dad is very skeptical normally, and yet he didn’t think it was altogether unlikely and he clearly remembers Aunt Sue going on about this. He thought that perhaps Quackenbush family had owned the thing going back and thus the connection to the Zabriske house. Dunno. The house is certainly predating the civil war. Who knows? –fog
PS-My number 1 draft pick Carpenter, got lit. Anyone want to tell me why a major league left fielder can not catch that ball DelGado hit? I thought the Jap players were fanatics for fundamentals. Later in the game, he drops a ball that’s in his glove. I was better off last year starting Taylor J. Buckholz.
And Glavine is amazing, isn’t he? Watching him isn’t thrilling like when Smoltz or Schilling is going right at guys. It’s so anti-climactic. But for 20 years, this guy has consistently made the best hitters on oith look silly. The arm action must be unreal because you KNOW is going to soft-away/soft-away/soft-away. Why aren’t guys just diving over the plate and shooting that crap to right? It must be hard but my point is that it doesn’t look hard from the center field shot.
And I was burying Mariano earlier in the spring but I have seen him lately and his 2-seamer is remarkable. I think you’ll see it a LOT more this year. He’s got the same bite and location on the sinker that some guys who make their living at it have. And it’s just a pitch to take your eye off the cutter but now I think he could get by on it. He is something, that guy. Even with the three postseasons he has tossed away (1997, 2001, 2004). -
And congrats to Liverpool for the 4-1 beating they put on Arsenal. Crouchy had himself one of those Robbie Fowler days. Of course, it doesn’t mean much if they’re flat on Tuesday. Tuesday is everything.
-fog
99% of the time, at least in these parts, when a house sits close to the road-
A. It’s old.
B. It’s awesome.
C. It’s stone. (Brown or Field)
D. It’s built by the Dutch.
E. My wife want’s it.
F. You say, “Too bad it’s so close to the road.”
I know the house you’re speaking of B. It fits the above. I’d love to see the inside.
Speaking of the Dutch, whenever my brothers and I play together at High Mountain and someone bombs one out of bounds- the line is-
“Think that one careened off of Van Gendren’s backhoe..” or “I believe that hit Van Vreesma’s stone wall..” “Might’ve broke some stained glass at Dutch/Reformed/Ebenezer Church there, Buddy..” Something along those lines. Damned Woodshoes.
My dad’s Dutch. Stubborn and proud. An Amsterdamer. He was/is critical of the Dutch in these parts. Whenever he’s cheesed off at some old Hollander he’ll say “Damned Woodshoe”.
Cracks me up.
Comment by chris — April 2, 2007 @ 8:34 am
I agree with the Glavine thing. Truly, he is a remarkable pitcher, and of course the older I get, the more I admire and root for the geezers to perform.
I gotta ask though. Do Met fans feel the same way I did about Clemens and Boggs becoming Yanks? I mean I rooted for the uniform, and sure they were great players- but they’ll always be Red Sux to me, just the same as Glavine is a Brave.
Can you love him? Certainly not like Seaver or even Gooden. Right?
Really though, I don’t care. It’s only the Mets.
Gil Hodges. Jeez… what a woodshoe……
Comment by chris — April 2, 2007 @ 8:58 am
Then maybe you want to give back the titles won with Boggs and Clemens and his HGH?
To me, Glavine is a pro. A craftsman. I am not typical but as the years go by, I become less and less of a fan of a particular team and more a fan of the overall game. The rivalry stuff is mostly noise to hype the gate and done by writers to sell papers. Besides, in the free agent world of today, WHO are you going to have left to root for if you stick to the laundry with your stuff on it?
Comment by Brian B — April 2, 2007 @ 9:49 am
B- I’m with you. Years ago I would never watch or root for the Mets, but I too soften with age. And Glavine is a pro for sure. (And their shortstop is the s***).
I’m feeling less “Yanks only” and hope just to see a good game.
That said, no I wouln’t give up the Rings. But still, and believe me I really don’t get too worked up about this, I still like having at least a little of my tradition of hating The Sux and ripping Mets fans. When Boggs and Clemens split I was, “Thanks, now beat it”.
Soooo.. in a traditional sense, Glavine is a Brave. Which hat will he wear in the H.O.F.?
Some players are just identified with a team more than others.
I always like the farm boys over the buy guys.
Comment by chris — April 2, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
No question, even if the Mets win the series this year, Glavine goes in with a Braves hat. The ‘worst-to-first’, the string of half-pennants. The WS in 1995 and don’t forget, 1994 coulda been one as well. And incidentally, he reeeeeeaaally wanted to go back to Atlanta this off season but they blew him off straight away. He’s now an elder-statesman, hired-gun. Not a Met like Jerry Koosman or anything…hahaha.
But ask this: If the Mets win with Glavine as a one or two, both of the next two year–two WS in a row…then perhaps he’s thinking “Mets” hat in the hall.
I always didn’t like him because the old umps were out of control on their “personal strike zones” like the one Livan Hernandez enjoyed in the 1997 Woil series when the fat-a**d guy was working the plate. I always felt that the umps MADE Glavine with that extra (let’s face it) 8 inches outside that they got. But honestly, Glavine survived the revamping of the zone and so you have to tip your cap. –fog
Comment by mcgonnigle — April 2, 2007 @ 1:21 pm
Ya think the reason for the change from “yankee fan” to “baseball fan” has anything to do with the fact that we watched
“classic” (at least to us- we were kids) Yankee
champ. teams in the 70’s to that WTF!!! is GEORGE doing era in the 80’s through ‘95 and then WHAM! DYNASTY! WITH the farmboys.. (well, a lot of ‘em were) and now that big spend=no results/we’ve see it before/oh boy… era is back and you’ve just had enough? And just maybe you say…wouldn’t it be cool if say, The Pirates won with that $3.14 payrole?
Comment by chris — April 2, 2007 @ 3:15 pm
Amen to the Pirates, brother. They have such an amzing ballpark there with PNC–best views in the game. Pitt is such a strong and old line NL city, you hate to see them be patsies. When I was young, they had Stargell, Madlock, Stennet, Saungien, Tekulve, Hebner, Candeleria, Clemente before that. Strong, strong teams. Tradition. Pitt with Wagner played Boston Pilgrims in the first WS in 1903.
I often wonder (really do) if Big Stein knows that he rakes in that geld partially BECAUSE there are fans out there in towns like KC and Pitt that make the whole thing go? Does he GET it? Whattayathink? –fog
And besides, any excuse for Tim H to relive those golden Van Slyke years…
Comment by mcgonnigle — April 2, 2007 @ 5:01 pm