No More Spring Baseball in Sarasota !

That's right, Thursday April 2nd marked the last major league spring training game played at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida the now former home of the Cincinnati Reds, since 1988. Major League spring baseball had been a tradition in Sarasota since 1924 (when John Ringling of the circus fame, lured the New York Giants here) and next year will be quite different.

In the last couple of years this "little" town has lost the battle to retain the Reds (they will now make Goodyear Arizona their home) and our city never really made a strong enough case to win over the Red Sox, Orioles or Cubs (the only prospects on the immediate horizon).

The last game was quite the non-event; only 2935 people were in attendance (stadium capacity is 6500 and was the lowest of the spring). The Reds lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 and the game itself was overshadowed by the mixed emotions.

Our towns Mayor, Lou Ann Palmer presented the key to the city to Reds owner Robert Castellini, who inadvertently dropped it. There were many boos for our cities officials and much applause for the players.

While spring baseball may not be on the top ten list of attractions for Sarasota, it has been part of this city for 85 years (and no the average age of our residents is not 85 ! ). To be perfectly honest, since moving here, from Chicago, in 2002, I have attended less than ten games (family, work, school, life took precedence) but am sad that this town has lost some of its historical connection.

As an aside . . . we still have the whitest and bestest beaches, culture and restaurants, theatre and concerts, the history of the Ringling Bro's and the circus, not to mention our 350 days of sunshine and beautiful weather. I wake up every morning saying: "just another day in paradise" (with or without spring baseball).

Maybe within the next few years Sarasota can attract a new major league team to make their home here but for now . . . there is no more spring baseball in Sarasota.

Topps 1970: card # 11 Nate Colbert

Being the first San Diego Padre star it is very appropriate that he is the first Padre to show up in this 1970's set.

Colbert was an expansion team draft pick for the Padres (from the Houston Astros, having played in only 39 games in two years) but in 1969 (the Padres inaugural year) Colbert led the team in home runs (24), triples (9) and RBI's (66). The Padres only won 52 games in 1969 but Colbert was an emerging star first baseman.

A three time all-star (1971, 72 and 73), Colbert had his career day on August 1, 1972 - belting 5 home runs and driving in 13 runs in a doubleheader (tying Stan Musials HR record and breaking his previous record of 11 RBI's). His 1970's card shows his intense look and a very young clean shaven face; both of which would change drastically over the years.

Nate Colbert is the all-time leader in San Diego team history for home runs (163) and is in the top ten in many offensive categories including; 5th in total bases, 5th in at bats, 4th in slugging percentage and 7th in games played. The San Diego Padres have since recognized Colbert by inducting him in the team Hall of Fame in 1999.

Colbert's career spanned 11 years with his only productive years coming in San Diego (1969 - 1974); playing in 866 games and hitting 163 of his career 173 HR's and driving in 481 of his 520 career RBI's whle in a Padre uniform.

Nate Colbert . . . the first San Diego Padre star . . . the first Padre in 1970 . . .

Playing with cards

Back in the day of buying baseball cards to "play with" I remember many an afternoon or early evening (always before the dinner bell rang) playing the traditional games of flipping, tossing or even colors (variation of war) until the parents would break "us kids" up and hop on my bicycle to ride home. Invariably the cards I "won" were strategically placed in my bike spots to "show off" to anyone who noticed.

As we got older, early teens, the game of poker came into our lives and many of us "invented" other games to play with our baseball cards and then the real playing cards came out. One of the first poker games we played with these new cards (of the 52 suited card) was indeed a game called "baseball". A variation of seven card stud with all cards face down had three's (outs) and nine's (innings) wild and if you get a four (walks) you have the option of getting a additional card.

Baseball cards were now stored away in the traditional shoe box of the day, rubber banded for security and shoved in the closet . . . poker and "real" card games took over our lives.

Today "playing with cards" involves sorting, placing in plastic (pages or holders), logging them into a catalog (or want list spreadsheet) and storing them carefully among many other rituals of collecting.

Interesting to note is that Topps began in 1951 issuing two 52 card sets, red and blue backs as they were called; simulating a deck of playing cards. The connection between baseball cards and playing cards has a long history.

For me, as some of you may know, I "play" with both. I still collect and now store properly the baseball cards of my youth (and now some "modern" cards) but I also am a blackjack and texas hold'em "dealer".

Every once in a while I get nostalgic and think of those days when both hobby's were taken less serious and "playing with cards" meant something very different.

"It's a beautiful day for a ball game . . .

. . . lets play two". That is only one of so many "happy" quotes from Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks.

Today is April 1st (no pranks planned) and marks the 101st day of my blog. I do know 101 days is nothing to "shout about" in the world of the blogsophere but 101 is an important number (this year) for Cub-dome.

So I thought I would revert back to the reasons why I started this blog and do a post on a Chicago Cub of my youth, the one and only Ernie Banks.

This 1964 card, # 55 has several things I like about it. First, the 1964 set is appealing to me; the traditional white border and large team name offset by the usual portrait (or posed) photo of the day. This thoughtful head shot of Banks makes me think "what is he thinking about" ? Could it be that he is staring out to the horizon as he just completed his tenth year in the majors and saying to himself "awards mean a lot, but they don't say it all. The people in baseball mean more to me than statistics" (yes another quote from Banks himself).

The back of this card is that unusual orange (this scan does not do it justice, sorry) with a clever rub off question / answer panel. This card asks "Who was the last AL man to pinch hit 2 consecutive HR's ?" A rather odd question for the two-time NL MVP (1958, 59) and "super star" but . . . the answer is Johnny Blanchard of the Yankees in 1961 (as an aside, Blanchard recently passed away on March 25th, 2009 at the age of 76).
I also like the back of this 1964 card of Banks for this reason; he just completed his tenth full year in the majors and the stats are easy to calculate his career year-to-year averages (just divide by ten or drop the last number, you can do the math): 1500 games, 1617 hits, 250 doubles, 353 HR' and 1026 RBI's. Not too bad for the first ten years of his career.

While Banks would keep this pace up until age and injuries hit him during the 1970 and 1971 campaigns, his career numbers are pretty impressive; 2528 games, 2583 hits, 407 doubles, 512 HR's and 1636 RBI's.

Banks ranks fourth all-time for most homeruns hit for one team and playing for one team only. Only Mike Schmidt (548), Mickey Mantle (536) and Ted Williams (521) who spent their entire careers with only one team and hit more homeruns.

It is only natural to end this post with another quote from Banks himself: "Work ? I never worked a day in my life. I always loved what I was doing, had a passion for it."

1970 Topps: card # 10 Yaz

Carl Michaal Yastrzemski, card # 10 in the 1970 set; the first Hall of Famer and true "super star" of this set.

The son of polish immigrants, bi-lingual, raised on a potato farm, star basketball player (yes basketball, attending Notre Dame for a short while on a basketball scholarship), then signing with the Boston Red Sox in 1959 to embark on his historic baseball career.

Historic it was as pressure mounted for Yaz to supplant the great Ted Williams in left field and have to deal with the famed "Green Monster" at Fenway. After a mediocre rookie campaign, batting only .266 in 1961, Yaz made it his mission to improve and improve he did.

(this is one of the first cards that I will upgrade after I complete the set, note the crease bottom right)

From winning he batting title in 1963 with a .321 average, leading the league in doubles and finishing sixth in the MVP voting that year to his Triple Crown {.326 BA, 44 HR, 121 RBIS} and MVP year of 1967, to his first ballot hall of fame induction in 1989 appearing on 94.6 % of ballots, Yaz certainly did not disappoint any.

With so many remarkable moments in his career and career numbers in the top ten in many offensive categories (except homeruns) Yaz spent his entire 23 year career in a Boston uniform (his #8 was retired in 1989 as well). That feat deserves repeating; Yaztrzemski played twenty-three years in the same city, no other player (besides Brooks Robinson of the Orioles) has had a longer career with one team - ever. A record I do not foresee being challenged in today's marketplace.

Yaz was the first player in the AL ever to be a member of the 3000 hit and 400 homerun club, eighteen (18) times an all-star, seven (7) gold gloves and receiving votes for the MVP in 14 different years.
As noted on the back of his 1970's card, Yaz was the only "regular" player to hit .300 or higher in "the year of the pitcher" 1968, winning his third batting title.

Known for holding his unique batting stance, keeping his bat unusually high, giving him a long and powerful arc with added power at the plate, Yaz was able to hit 452 career HR's, with 1844 RBI's, 1157 extra base hits (including 646 doubles) to go along with 1845 walks (ranking 6th all time).

Carl Yastrzemski . . . Topps 1970 card # 10 . . . Boston Red Sock . . . Hall of Famer . . .

Ted Lilly . . . the next Greg Maddux ?

Don't even get me started . . . the answer is a resounding NO !

To be be fair, there may never be another Greg Maddux (355 wins, 8x all-star, better than a 3 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio, 4 Cy Young awards, 18 x gold glove and 17 consecutive years with 15 + wins, future first ballot HOF'er) but . . . I just read an article, published by a "reputable" resource (to remain un-named for their safety) that compared Lilly to Maddux in this regard.

Yesterday's spring training game against the Indians (Cubs lost 7-5) where Lilly gave up two home runs to DeRosa (almost had a third if not for that tall wall) it was mentioned that Lilly was "setting up" DeRosa for later on in the season as Maddux had done throughout his career to perfection.

May I just suggest that Lilly is NO GREG MADDUX. Lilly might have been rusty, having pitched only 3 + innings in the WBC and DeRosa is a solid power hitter but Greg Maddux, is one of the greatest students of the game and in the top tier of smartest pitchers of this or any generation.

So to those "reputable" journalists out there . . . Dont insult Maddux . . . and don't put unrealistic expectations on any pitcher.

For the record, Ted Lilly is a solid pitcher; has three consecutive years of 15 + wins, hopefully will win # 100 this year, has a $ 10,000,000 contract and wears uniform # 30 (close to Maddux's #31) . . . but is NO GREG MADDUX !

1970 Topps: # 9 Checklist

Can you say boring ? Yes that is exactly what the 1970 checklists are . . . simply boring.

There are seven (7) of these boring cards, in this set, each having the same drawing of a batter in the upper left corner, each listing upwards of 132 player names.

The only one interesting note is the red/yellow header on the front with the players names printed in black ink whereas the backs are the "normal" blue ink and yellow background.

A traditional checklist with tiny tiny printing, minuscule boxes . . . the best thing you can say about the Checklists of 1970 is . . . well . . . maybe nothing. And growing up in the generation of "if you can't say something nice, just dont say anything" . . . enough said . . .

Onward to tomorrow and card # 10 . . . the first HOF'er (of this set) and true superstar of the Boston Red Sox . . .