I was doing a long home improvement project today (well, the last few days) in an impossibly hot attic and I stumbled on a radio show on 88.9 FM in New York. It was 31 straight hours of Louis Armstrong in honor of his true birthday and it was AMAZING! The guy handling most of the mike work was a walking encyclopedia of Armstrong and Jazz knowledge. I tuned in while they were keying on the Hot Five and Sevens. I learned that it’s a misnomer and most of what we think of is the quintet and they really only did a few septet and sextet recordings. It made the project a lot easier to do and I actually bagged baseball and the Mets game and the dopey Yankees rout of poor old KC.
Speaking of the Yankee game: What’s with the breathless countdown to 500 homers for a healthy 32 year old? That’s like standing outside McDonalds and waiting for the sign to change. Historic? Don’t make me laugh. And don’t compare this guy to Jimmy Foxx, either. Foxx was the youngest to 500 before this guy. If I were choosing up sides in a game for my life and I could choose anyone, Foxx would be a starter. This guy Rodriguez would have to buy a ticket. Foxx would kill people today if he was hitting this rabbit ball in these bandboxes.
And if I was managing a game for my life, who would I pick? Hmm…let’s see. Off the top of my head:
Grover Cleveland Alexander RHP, Bob Feller RHP, Bob Gibson RHP, Grove LHP, Plank LHP
OF Ruth, Mays, Williams
1B Bill Terry
2B Hornsby/Frisch
3B Foxx (played 1B, 3B, C, OF and P)
SS Jeter
C Bench
Subs: Stan Musial, Ty Cobb
Pick again only you are not allowed to take anyone you didn’t see/don’t remember playing. I assume you don’t want the Mets tix for Tuesday night (5 rows off the field)
Comment by PJ — August 5, 2007 @ 7:54 am
I just emailed you. No, unfortunately, I can’t use the Mets tix with the baby and all, but thanks for thinking of me.
The all time team is such a slippery slope. I took flak already that I didn’t choose Koufax and I didn’t choose him because if I’m playing a game for my LIFE, I don’t want any chance that the 1959 Koufax shows up! If you guarantee me 1965 or 1966, then, sure, he’s a no-brainer lefty. In fact, if we take a little further and I can cherry-pick a year out of a guy’s career, then I might start Smokey Joe Wood from 1912. One thing these game-for-your-life scenarios do, you don’t pick compilers, you know what I mean? No Niekros or Bert Blylevens in there. You know, the guys who people get all weepy about but just weren’t ever blow-you-off-the-field good.
Realize that I did this very fast after 13 hours in a hot attic. I wanted to go to bed and just ripped it off. My point was just to show no Rodriguez (and no Bonds–no Pedro or Clemens either). Later, I was looking at the team and I thought, “…how do you leave Gerhig or Sisler or Tris Speaker off this team?” But it’s real exclusive so tough decisions have to be made. Remember, there’s no right or wrong answers: It’s a game to save your life, and only YOU know who YOU would like to do that job. That’s why Jeter is on my team. When a game if for money (or my life), this guy shows up! Just “gets” it. Comes to play. Not intimidated by the big stage. It super-charges the sob.
Comment by mcgonnigle — August 5, 2007 @ 10:18 am
Guys I’ve seen? Well, I-Rod on steroids a few years back instead of Bench, I saw that. Keith Hernandez at first as he’s all time with the glove and clutch, clutch, clutch. Bases loaded 2B off Bob MacAuliffe to break open Game 7 1982 and a bases loaded single off Bruce Hurst in Game 7 1986 when the Mets were down 3-0.
2B, you have Ryno. You have Jeff Kent (jerk), you have Robbie Alomar (jerk). As much as I hate his recent “work”, if you can even call it that, I remember as a kid, how awesome Joe Morgan was so he gets the nod.
SS Ozzie Smith, Jeter, A-Rod, Tejada, Ripken, Nomah…some pretty good guys. Jeter wins it.
3B Brett or Schmidt…hmm…Ok, Mike Schmidt.
C Juicing I-Rod over Bench & Carter but in a few years, I may take Russell Martin~
OF Stargell played first for the last 7 years but he played OF before that.
This is too hard. I am having back-to-back senior moments and can’t think of guys and if I’m not careful, I’m going to have Lenny Dykstra out there with Joe McEwing. And the end result is just going to be a lot of folks commenting on “how can you not…so-and-so?”
The super old timers are better. It’s a pure numbers game and there are some staggering numbers. –fog
Comment by mcgonnigle — August 5, 2007 @ 10:34 am
I’m a little late getting in on this one but you must have been listening to Phil Schaap on WKCR FM at 89.9. He is AMAZING. They have been doing a week of Max Roach as he just passed away at 83 last week. a very good listen always. Every afternoon - not sure about evenings or weekends for attic work tho.
Comment by Tom — August 24, 2007 @ 10:10 am
http://www.yehoodi.com/basie100/phil_schaap.php
Comment by Tom — August 24, 2007 @ 10:33 am