Spoke at length with the Swami this morning. He was up late waiting out the game on the coast so he was slow getting started, but with the McCourt thing cleared and new owners there and the super-hot-start they have going, I expected the Swami to be all made up about things and he wasn’t. He was nervous about needing another pitcher at the break and that certain things weren’t right. Oh sure, he said some positive things but he was cautious overall.
He ripped Uribe’s hitting, especially his apparently unorthodox foot movements in the box, and that lead to the inevitable comparison to the Boys of Summer all-glove, no-hit 3rd baseman, Billy Cox. “But that team was loaded”, was the refrain, and that led to “Hodges should be in the Hall”, which made me think, “why don’t they just put the whole 1953 Dodgers in the Hall and get it over with?”, which led to the old idea that one pitcher, either way, would have made the Dodgers win all those world series in the era (1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956 I include 50 because with another pitcher, they would have beaten the Philly Whiz Kids and in 1951, they would have beaten the Giants with one more arm). And that led to the agreement that the worst trade for the Dodgers of that era was when the Yankees traded Joe Gordon to Cleveland for Ali Reynolds, which, he and I agreed on finally, but, that he added, of course: “…but they had Raschi…”
And the takeaway is how great it is to have this discussion at all. Most of it well before I was born but Swami doesn’t care about that if you know your stuff and can keep up with him. Like last Summer when he casually added to a discussion an anecdote about a Chinese home run he saw hit at the Polo Grounds off Rex Barney? Or was it Karl Spooner? He was there with the CYO. He probably remembered the count too.
Taking my sons to Citizens Bank Park the other day made me realize that they will never see Shea Stadium and to them, it will be as The Polo Grounds was to me: just this ancient and unattainable thing that you see pictures of. Thinking about it from my new perspective makes me realize that it isn’t all that. It’s just a concrete bowl of seats more or less, give or take. Like when you go to your first world series game or playoff game and sit down and realize, “it’s just another game”.
It was great talking to the Swami, but I have to say I was a little disappointed that he wasn’t happier about things. He was crying when the team was in a funk and now he’s nervous. Fandom. He did admit to spending like all his time in the garage. That’s the man-cave where the XM radio is and the hotplate and the beer. The he-man woman haters club, basically, for the neighborhood guys. I’ll have to get down there to see it.
My brother was in the box seats for the intros and he sent me over a couple of grainy screen grabs, and I’m very glad that he did because I had no photos of this as my wife had to be with the statue, and my youngest, in left field.
I was told to be behind the plate on the concourse at 12:50pm for a radio spot on the Phillies pregame. I had done that last year, so I knew where I had to be and what would take place. Just before heading down there, a Phillies employee with a clipboard, came up to me and asked if I was Brian etc.? I was then being whisked to the area by the dugout and told I was going to be introduced on the field. This was a surprise as no one had mentioned it, but I was willing.
I thought I could make the radio spot and still get back down there but they literally wouldn’t let me leave! Then, another Phillies person came and got me and I did the radio spot and still got back to the plate.
No sooner had I reached the holding area by the end of the screen beside the Mets dugout, they said “go out there” and pointed to a spot on the field and I did as directed and a cameraman took a closeup for a few moments as they did the intro, which was a spoken introduction followed by my 2 minute movie playing on the Phanavision. To add to the surrealness of it, I am standing on a big league field getting intro’d and listening to my voice blare out of the PA and seeing shots of my crummy shop on the Phanavision. Look close behind the head sequence, and you’ll see my Mickey Mantle statue in the background. He has since been beheaded, as he is getting a face…er…headlift.
It was a lot of fun and a nice surprise as I never imagined that it would go that way. I was also very grateful to my brother, because he collected my oldest boy, who’s 4, and brought him down close to where he could see everything from the box seats nearby, so you love that. Thanks Bob! And Thanks Kenny!
For the 2nd straight year, we were guests of the Philadelphia Phillies on the occasion of Jackie Robinson Day, April 15, 2012. The statue is a one-of-a-kind, hand-carved, solid-wood statue, depicting Robinson in a 1955 home Dodger uniform. Everything you see on that statue is wood; the shoes, shoelaces, hat, skin, uniform: everything. Fans enjoyed taking photos with it all game long. It was a great experience and I want to thank the Phillies, particularly Kenny Johnson and Deb Rinaldi, for their work in making this come off so easily.
Jackie’s next stop is scheduled to be the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO, in time for this Summer’s All-Star game, which is in KC this year.
The Phillies crew gets some close ups of Jackie right off the bat.
The boys eat lunch behind the sign. It’s a long drive down for them and they need some fuel.
The boys each got a Phillie Phanatic from the guys at the Phillies. It was a very generous gift for them and they loved them! All day, they were our constant companions.
Here’s Gregg Murphy of the Phillies going over our in-game spot in the 5th inning. They could not get a camera to show the statue live, so they used the shots they had gotten earlier and we did the spot from the standing room section behind the left field foul pole. Murphy was very nice and put me at ease and the spot came off nice and relaxed.
The boys were tired but rallied in the suite. We only had an inning or two up there, because we have to be with the statue mostly, but we did get up there. The two gentlemen in the background are the fellows who played for the Phildelphia Stars in the early 1950′s. They signed the ball we got last year and we were glad to see them again. The Tuskegee Airmen were in a different suite and I got over there in time to speak to a few of them and that was a real nice treat. They are great guys and the country should be aware of their sacrifices under trying conditions.
The boys pose with their Phanatics.
The boys loved the doughnut car and even got some freebies.
All in all, it was a wonderful day. Both boys were old enough to go and really enjoyed it. The Phillies’ staff was just great as always and we hit all of our marks during the day. Many, many people said very nice things about the statue and it’s always great to get the statue out in front of baseball fans and hear their comments. It makes all the hours spent covered with sawdust seem worth it. Thanks, everybody. Hope to see you next year.
Yankee fans: This is why you lost. You made the guy take his big, facial band-aid off. Bad Kharma. Big loss.
If I were the promo guy in Detroit, I would work a deal with J&J to give every fan in attendance a big, square facial band-aid when the Yankees come to town. Great promo. Love to see it.
I have been in discussions with the curator of that museum to have my Jackie Robinson statue displayed out there this Summer in conjunction with the All Star game. It is a great museum. There is also a Jazz museum near that (16th & Vine) and that is very appropriate as KC was a huge hub of Jazz; as much as New Orleans and Chicago certainly. All Jazz roads led to, or through, KC at one time.
Please support this worthy and most excellent museum with whatever you can. Every little bit counts in preserving some important chunks of our history.
Heard the sad news that Gary Carter has changed worlds. A few thoughts in no particular order.
I still recall the thrill of reading in the NY Post while at college, one cold winter night, that the trade had been made. It was Carter for Hubie Brooks, Mike Fitzgerald, Herm Winningham and a pitcher, I believe. Surely, this was the missing piece!
It was fun to be a Met fan in 1984-85 and it had not been fun for 10 years. My whole life to that point. I barely remembered 1973. In between? A dessert. And worse, the Yankees were buying up pennants like it was nothing with George’s money.
Fast forward to opening day. I recall going to a guy’s house to watch it. I was really happy to see the game, because I was away at college. In the 9th, Carter hit a game winning homer. It was great. I can still recall this vividly. You have to understand that Mets fans just did NOT have this kind of thing to cheer about! EVER!
Now we had Keith Hernandez driving in runs and a top, top catcher with power and Gooden and Darling and Sid and on and on. It got better. 1985 was my favorite year. I wen to the most games and I really enjoyed the battle with the Cardinals that ended in the 3 game set in St. Louis, that had Strawberry’s homer off the clock.
About 3 years ago, Carter signed my nephew’s baseball card at the Newark Bears game. It was neat. We got to talk to Tim Raines (a stone hall of famer, to me) and got the Carter autograph. Max’ mom was a huge Carter fan so she was happy he got it. Now, he’s gone. He was, by all accounts, a good man. He took flak for doing interviews but hey, that was part of his job and the rest of the Mets in that era weren’t choir boys, so I’m guessing that a lot of that flak was misplaced, er, let’s just call it, “lifestyle bias”.
Kid, you made a lot of people you never met, happy. If I could bottle up one moment, it would be that opening day homer. It symbolized the change in the Mets. The hope of the season (finally) to come. It was fun to be a Mets fan again and that embodied it. Thanks.
Recently completed: a solid-wood, hand carved, life size statue of Curt Schilling’s leg (yes, leg). The sculpture will be auctioned off to benefit ALS at a future date to be determined.
I had a ball making this item and I really like it although it generates some interesting responses, from bemused to, “who’s Curt Schilling?” from the non-sporting crowd. I have had it in front of people and the responses have been nice.
I got so tired of people not understanding that my art was 100% wood, even, at times, when they were standing in front of it and being told by me that it was wood. You would be surprised. So with this piece, I put it right out there and I plan on doing that with all of my pieces from now on.
* And before anyone asks me, I’ll tell you. ALS is handling the auction. It’s not on any fast track right now. Yes, I have tried to contact Curt Schilling through social media to propose the idea that he sign it to give it legs in the auction. Since I’m not making a dime off of it, I figured that I’d at least be acknowledged and to date I have not been. Am I disappointed in that? Well, to be completely honest, I am a little, I have to admit, but, I know he’s doing this huge launch to a product that his company has sweated blood to produce, so I understand the busyness.
I know he has people coming at him from all angles with his gaming company and on and on, so I do respect the demands placed on him, however, when someone spends the time I did, meticulously creating an art object for a charity auction for a cause that he champions, then I would hope for an acknowledgement at least. Even if the answer is “no”, which it could easily be. He may be uncomfortable getting too close to something that might appear self-serving. I would totally respect that. But I would like to at least hear, “message rcvd. great work. sorry, no can do good luck”. That’s it. Would that be too much? I read 10 tweets a day from him about the video games and sundry so it’s not like he’s not plugged in. Oh well, everything happens for a reason. So don’t ask me this question again! Got it? haha. Thanks.
Addendum: The Jackie Robinson statue looks like it will be appearing at Citizens Bank Park for the Mets-Phils on Sun April 15, 2012, but I do not have confirmation on that as of right now. It’s a strong possibility however. Love to see everyone there. Day game! Very pleased that the schedule makers did that.
Also, I am in talks with the Negro League Baseball Museum to have Jackie shipped out to Kansas City and displayed at the museum through the All-Star Game period. I’m very happy about that as well. Jackie belongs there and I hope a lot of folks get to see him.
The Cards just look ready and centered for this. Seeing Ron Washington send up Esteban German, who had not had an at bat since Sep 15, and he strikes out with a man on second…brutal.
Cards in 5 or 6. I have rarely or ever seen a team so poised to play postseason as LaRussa’s group is. They KNOW they will win. They conduct themselves like that. Baseball is mental and the Cards have that conquered.
I loved Joe Buck comparing LaRussa to John J. McGraw. McGraw was hated in his time. Edd Roush didn’t want to go play for him. He lost the 1908 pennant because he was hated. Good analogy for Tony? haha. I can not deny, however, the degree to which I feel the Cards are READY for this. They are out ahead of the game. You want to use the phrase dujour? The game “slows down” for them.
I actually find that “slowing down the game” to be a very apt description of it. Since I have started playing soccer again, for the first time since the mid 80′s, I really feel that is very descriptive.
When you are not confident, you tend to feel that there is LESS TIME to do something, than in actuality. The great clarinetist and bandleader, Artie Shaw, had one of my favorite quotes. I read it 30 years ago and still dredge it up from time to time. Folks gushed about his playing and he downplayed it by saying something along the lines of [I'm paraphrasing] “There is more time than you realize between things that seem to happening very fast”. He was talking about “fast” in a musical setting of course, but his point is that with practice, you can gain familiarity and effectively LENGTHEN the time that you have to make decisions, between closely spaced events.
In soccer recently, I have seen this in spades. Even though I haven’t played in 30 years with people, (except for a handful of pickup games), I have spent hours hitting the ball, two footed, off of walls. It’s a form of cardio exercise that I have always enjoyed. So my footy skills are decent, but my game vision is not!
When I first started back up, I would feel that I had no time to do things, ergo, I rushed them and had really bad results. I resorted to consciously trying to slow myself down–slowing down my decision making; picking up my head and looking around. All of a sudden, I wasn’t forcing passes that weren’t there. The great Jan Molby, of Liverpool, once said to Jamie Rednap, “…you can’t play what you don’t see”. And he’s right. It’s not enough to have a hunch that a blur in your peripheral vision is a runner with the right color shirt on, you have to SEE it and KNOW that they are there.
So it’s counter intuitive, but by slowing down YOUR reactions, you actually have better results, because your brain needs an extra beat to take in information and process it before you act on it. Now in soccer, you might make 30 or 40 key decisions in a game, if not more. But a fielder in a world series baseball game? Maybe he makes 3 or 4 key decisions; maybe even just one per game. You don’t get the chance at redemption in pressure baseball, is my point. You better get that decision right.
One step in on a ball over your head? Throw to the wrong base in a bunt situation? Very little room for error, so the team that can slow it down enough to make the correct decision, is, like Artie Shaw, aware that there is a beat more time to make these decisions than the inexperienced panicking player THINKS there is.
And bear in mind that the ability to calm yourself and remain in this “calm-but-centered” state is difficult to maintain! It’s not as easy as just THINKING it! It’s a well-honed discipline. For me, in soccer, sometimes making an early dopey decision can actually SHARPEN it! And sometimes, it can wreck it. While you can “find” it mid-game, I feel that more often, it’s a product of your mental attitude before the game. How do you feel? Do you feel strong? Are you excited to play? Or did you just look at the forward you will be covering and get that sense of dread, as in, “…I can’t go step-for-step with that guy!”
What I’m saying is that it’s a mental approach that can not be faked or manufactured and yet it is so important to performance, particularly under pressure. The team that can generate this feeling of confidence and maintain it, will prevail–it is often the difference. It can also be said, I believe, of managers and coaches and gaffers. It can also be contagious among team mates and coaxed at times among team mates.
Look for this in the games that are left. Ask yourself which team seems more confident in the moment? And realize that it doesn’t always mean that the player with this feeling will always get a hit–always succeed. It just means what Bobby Thomson told himself on Oct 3, 1951, before he hit “The Shot Heard Around the World”. He went up to hit thinking, “…give yourself a CHANCE to hit”.
After 3 hours of sleep, it was up at 3am and driving down from NY with the Jackie Robinson statue to do the first of many interviews and appearances at Fox. Ably assisted by Kenny Johnson and Deb Rinaldi of the Phillies, we hit our marks out in front of Fox at 7:20am. A few teaser shots and then a short interview with Fox 29′s John Anderson. Click here to see the interview in a new window
Here’s a small clip my brother took from a little way away during the Uke Washington interview:
Then it was on to a community Jackie Robinson Event at the Philadelphia Stars Memorial at Belmont and Parkside Aves, in Philadelphia. That crossroads was the location of the Philadelphia Stars ballpark. The Stars were Philly’s entry in the old Negro League. Later this day, my family would get to meet two of the last surviving members of that franchise.
There were many groups attending and special promotions from the Phillies. The children were having a ball and posed for this photo.
There were several groups and this particular group did a dance number before posing.
There were many nice monuments marking the site and those who were a part of it. I really enjoyed meeting regular folks from this community and just listening to the older fellows tell me how much Jackie Robinson and Monte Irvin and Larry Doby meant to them growing up. You know, when you do an event like this, those dusty pages in a history book become real live anecdotes and recollections and it was amazing to take it all in. It was also very flattering to hear the very sincere compliments for the statue. When you spend that long covered with itchy sawdust, it is very gratifying to hear these things and see the sparkle in their eyes, as opposed to words on a page.
Here we are finally at The Bank. It’s early; well before batting practice and my amazing handlers with the Phillies (Kenny Johnson & Deb Rinaldi) lined up a couple of more interviews. The first was with John Mayberry, the man who’s hit won the exciting Phils opener. I don’t have any photos of that interview but it went very well and it was nice to see and hear John’s reaction to the statue. It was probably the first time I had spoken to someone who was directly in line with Robinson’s courageous work, so it was extra special for me.
After that piece, we did a short interview with Comcast out in dead center field. What a beautiful backdrop! I have been to 40 different major league ballparks in my lifetime and Citizens’ Bank Park is my favorite building. Everything about it just feels right.
All night it was the same thing: folks lined up in a semi circle around it, taking photos and asking questions. It never gets old. I met some really tremendous people and heard just an amazing array of stories and anecdotes about Robinson, Civil Rights, baseball, art and on and on. This part of it is easy and never feels like work.
By this point in the day, I’m feeling my 3 hours of sleep and nonstop itinerary pretty acutely, however, a great subplot was that my 3.5 year old son, Thomas, came to the game and it was his first time in a big league ballpark! What a way to break in! His uncle Bob, shown below, was holding him up to see the Phillies take batting practice and he caught a BP homer left handed while holding Thomas in his right hand! So on his first game day, Thomas gets a ball!
Later on this evening, Thomas got the ball signed by the last two remaining Phildelphia Stars and for that I am very grateful and want to thank both the Stars and again, my Phillies guardian angel, Kenny Johnson. Kenny is just a pro’s pro and he hit his marks (and kept me hitting mine) all day long with aplomb. He put on a clinic. It’s a pleasure to watch someone do something that they are so good at, whether it be art, or sports, or even business.
Below is Thomas showing off his baseball. How great is that?
Here’s the family; my wife Carol and Thomas (Jack Benny is too little and is spending the day with his grandparents). I’m looking a bit tired by this point and perhaps a bit cold as the temp dropped towards gametime, but on April 15th in the East, you are going to have that. I was just thanking God all day that there was no rain as that was the one thing that would have given us a problem.
Since my statues are 100% solid wood, they will not hold up to weather, so it was a concern. All around baseball, there are many life size statues that honor players but they are all bronze. Bronze is great for holding up to weather and can be outdoors permanently. But Bronze is one color. The great thing about the wooden statues is that I can show color and isn’t baseball a colorful thing anyway? Add to that the color component of the Robinson story and it makes a nice fit. There are currently no color statues such as this permanently residing in any major league ballpark. Wouldn’t it be nice (and somehow fitting) for this statue to be the first?
After a little breather, I did two more spots thanks to Deb Rinaldi and Kenny Johnson. The first was a spot right behind the statue that went very well. It was what they call a “talkback”, which means, I wore an earpiece and had to listen for a cue from an unseen host. It was hard to hear with the crowds and I was worried that I would miss the cue or not be able to make out what the host was asking me, but it turned out to be the best one all day just about. I think I was too tired to be nervous! I’ll tell you, I have new respect for anyone who makes their living with a mike and a camera. They make it look easy–it isn’t.
Here’s what it looked like. I sure look rigid in this shot, but I felt pretty loose, all in all.
After that, I had to run halfway around the stadium and do a pregame radio spot and that was fun and went really well. By then I suppose, it didn’t seem so strange to be doing this stuff.
On the way back to the statue from the plate area, I heard my voice on the PA and quickly ran down the tunnel to the seating area, so that I could see the Phanavision screen. They were showing my 2 minute video which I had narrated. It was the strangest sensation to hear my voice blaring around Citizens Bank Park like that, but there it was. It was a day of things like that and one that I’ll never forget.
I mentioned that two of the old Philadelphia Stars had signed Thomas’ ball and here are their names on the statue by their old stomping grounds which we had visited earlier.
The gentlemen who signed were Mahlon Duckett and Harold Gould. I also got a chance to meet some of the Tuskegee Airmen and that was a big thrill. My father and just about all of my uncles were WWII vets. Men of that generation shaped me more than any other and I have read a great deal about that war and so it was just tremendous to shake the hand of men who flew Jugs and P-51′s against the Germans in those dark days.
Guys like that gave us a lot of freedom and I think it gets taken for granted sometimes, unfortunately. The Tuskegee Airmen, not only had to deal with bombs and bullets, but the institutionalized racism of the day: a double whammy. They are great men for having done all of that and children should know their story.
And again and again, all night, folks stopped by to talk, take photos and ask questions. It was great.
April 15th 2011, a day in which the Jackie Robinson statue went many places and met many nice folks, hopefully, making them happy and spreading awareness of what went on, not that long ago. The statue is tentatively slated to visit the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City later this Summer but as of right now, there are no details.
I want to thank the Philadelphia Phillies for all of their support. I have worked with various organizations and baseball clubs through the years, but I have never seen the professionalism and can-do spirit that I did these past few weeks while working with the Phillies. As I have said, much of that was through the hard work of Kenny Johnson and Deb Rinaldi, who made it easy to do all of these things without one single hitch. As I look back at the itinerary and see all the marks we hit from 7am to 10pm, I am amazed that it went so seamlessly and that is a testament to their diligence. I hope to work with them again in the future.
Here’s my takeaway shot for the day: the first time my little buddy is at a big league game. It was filled with memorable things. I have to wonder, however, that at 3 and a half, will he remember it years from now? I hope he does. I know I will.
Thanks for all the kind words and stories! Enjoy the game.
“Collins resigned as Angels manager in 1999 after players petitioned the front office for his removal. But a major league executive who has worked with Collins said the player revolt in Anaheim should be considered just a blip on the radar.”
{The 1999 Angels had such trouble makers as: Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus, Garrett Anderson, Tim Salmon, Mo Vaughn, Jim Edmonds, Bengie Molina & Troy Percival.}
So the Mets are happy to go over the proven winner Wally Backman, to bring in a retread who’s players mutinied in Anaheim? 3 years before Anaheim won it all? Hahaha! And they say Backman can only work with “kids” and not the big egos of the Mets clubhouse? Ok, got it. Same old Mets. But don’t worry, this guy brings with him, ties to a guy who has ties to Sandy Koufax~
Here’s another one that I love:
“The 63-year-old Wallace, who was Mets pitching coach in 1999 and 2000, recently turned down an opportunity to join Milwaukee’s staff, and is tight with Fred Wilpon and Sandy Koufax – the Mets tried to hire Wallace for a front office position last year. Collins wanted Wallace as his pitching coach with the Astros in 1994, but Wallace accepted a promotion from the Dodgers instead.”
Whew! More of the Koufax comedy. “Ties to fred Wilpon and Koufax” in ONE GUY? Man, now I get why they would hire him! To get the pitching coach with the ties to Koufax and Wilpon.
And what a relief that the Wilpons have kept those Sandy Koufax ties alive! Koufax is a reclusive guy who’s done really nothing in baseball since he retired in 1966, yet somehow, keeps coming up in Metdom since fred Wilpon claims to be his pal, and somehow, that’s supposed to make a difference–just exactly how, I do not know. Maybe it was fred who steered Koufax to Bernie Madoff. I understand that the ’77 Mets had a guy with ties to Rube Waddell, so maybe there’s something there.
Oh yea, the Mets owe Omar Minaya $1,100,000 for EACH of the next two seasons. If that doesn’t say it all then I don’t know what does. Imagine the deal they’d have given him if he had ties to [hushed tone] Sandy Koufax… –fog
