The Tickr

Scroll to Info & Navigation

Tag Results

162 posts tagged mlb

I was saddened to hear of the passing of baseball great, Gary Carter. Three weeks ago I posted that the Hall of Fame catcher was one of my first baseball idols.Michael Baron of MetsBlog shares a memory of meeting his childhood idol in Carter’s final season with the Expos.”Carter was my childhood hero – the ballplayer I looked up to as a kid and made me want to play. I remember wanting to be him; my dad had a jersey made for me with his name and number screened on it, and I wore that jersey everyday to school during the playoffs and World Series in 1986. I even wanted curly hair like Carter had. Unfortunately, my hair is straight. And as stupid as it may sound, I would take my book bag and pretend it was a chest protector, and wear two mesh hats – one as a hat on backwards and the other as a catchers mask over my face.It may have been stupid, but Carter was my hero, and I think many of us always pretend to be and fantasize about our heroes and their moments of glory, as much as we don’t always admit it.I didn’t get to meet Carter while he was with the Mets. I met him in 1992 when he was with the Expos for his 19th and final season in Major League Baseball. I don’t remember the conversation I had with him; I just remember looking at him as he was speaking with me and being absolutely floored by the moment. How many people get to meet and speak with their ultimate hero? I guess I’m luckier than I think I am. I walked away with an autographed ticket, and a memory I will cherish forever.I’m especially saddened by the news of his passing and that he had to suffer the way he did. Your heroes aren’t supposed to suffer and they’re not supposed to die, right? After all, that’s why they’re heroes. I will always have 1986, 1992, and my front yard…

I was saddened to hear of the passing of baseball great, Gary Carter. Three weeks ago I posted that the Hall of Fame catcher was one of my first baseball idols.

Michael Baron of MetsBlog shares a memory of meeting his childhood idol in Carter’s final season with the Expos.

”Carter was my childhood hero – the ballplayer I looked up to as a kid and made me want to play. I remember wanting to be him; my dad had a jersey made for me with his name and number screened on it, and I wore that jersey everyday to school during the playoffs and World Series in 1986. I even wanted curly hair like Carter had. Unfortunately, my hair is straight. And as stupid as it may sound, I would take my book bag and pretend it was a chest protector, and wear two mesh hats – one as a hat on backwards and the other as a catchers mask over my face.

It may have been stupid, but Carter was my hero, and I think many of us always pretend to be and fantasize about our heroes and their moments of glory, as much as we don’t always admit it.

I didn’t get to meet Carter while he was with the Mets. I met him in 1992 when he was with the Expos for his 19th and final season in Major League Baseball. I don’t remember the conversation I had with him; I just remember looking at him as he was speaking with me and being absolutely floored by the moment. How many people get to meet and speak with their ultimate hero? I guess I’m luckier than I think I am. I walked away with an autographed ticket, and a memory I will cherish forever.

I’m especially saddened by the news of his passing and that he had to suffer the way he did. Your heroes aren’t supposed to suffer and they’re not supposed to die, right? After all, that’s why they’re heroes. I will always have 1986, 1992, and my front yard…

Way back when I was a kid Gary Carter was one of my first baseball idols. From what I recall, Carter wasn’t the most talented, wasn’t the fastest, wasn’t the strongest, or the flashiest. Carter was all about hustle and determination.Former Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez on Gary Carter:“He was a human backstop back there. Early, before his knees went bad, you couldn’t steal on him in Montreal. When he wasn’t able to throw because of his knees, that never affected his performance. He was running on and off the field after three outs. This guy played in some pain and it was hustle, hustle, hustle.”photo: SI Vault

Way back when I was a kid Gary Carter was one of my first baseball idols. From what I recall, Carter wasn’t the most talented, wasn’t the fastest, wasn’t the strongest, or the flashiest. Carter was all about hustle and determination.

Former Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez on Gary Carter:

“He was a human backstop back there. Early, before his knees went bad, you couldn’t steal on him in Montreal. When he wasn’t able to throw because of his knees, that never affected his performance. He was running on and off the field after three outs. This guy played in some pain and it was hustle, hustle, hustle.”

photo: SI Vault

Henderson’s Neon Green Mizuno Batting Gloves When I was a little leaguer there was no one cooler to step foot on a baseball diamond than Rickey Henderson. Nicknamed “The Man of Steal”, Rickey had more showtime in him than all of Magic’s Lakers combined. He talked to his bats, wore his uniform as tight as possible, and his homerun trot was legendary. But for some reason it was Henderson’s neon green Mizuno batting gloves that I thought were the coolest thing—trumping my extensive micro machine collection. I searched high and low for a pair of those batting gloves, well, as hard as a kid with just a bike could search. I remember scoping out sports stores and Walmart-esque department stores but to no avail. I never did find that neon green pair, I had to settle for a red pair. I guess in the end it all worked out because our team colors were white and red. I don’t really play baseball anymore and have no use for a pair of brightly colored batting gloves. But, consider me still searching.

Henderson’s Neon Green Mizuno Batting Gloves

When I was a little leaguer there was no one cooler to step foot on a baseball diamond than Rickey Henderson. Nicknamed “The Man of Steal”, Rickey had more showtime in him than all of Magic’s Lakers combined. He talked to his bats, wore his uniform as tight as possible, and his homerun trot was legendary.

But for some reason it was Henderson’s neon green Mizuno batting gloves that I thought were the coolest thing—trumping my extensive micro machine collection. I searched high and low for a pair of those batting gloves, well, as hard as a kid with just a bike could search. I remember scoping out sports stores and Walmart-esque department stores but to no avail.

I never did find that neon green pair, I had to settle for a red pair. I guess in the end it all worked out because our team colors were white and red. I don’t really play baseball anymore and have no use for a pair of brightly colored batting gloves. But, consider me still searching.

The blue is back in the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays unveiled their new logo and uniforms on Friday going back to the original logo the team was founded on in 1977.“Updating our original logo, the strong affinity to go back to ‘Blue’ and returning the red Maple Leaf to the primary mark recognizes the classic look of which we feel baseball logos and uniforms should consist.” — Blue Jays President, Paul Beeston What do you think of the new logo?

The blue is back in the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays unveiled their new logo and uniforms on Friday going back to the original logo the team was founded on in 1977.

“Updating our original logo, the strong affinity to go back to ‘Blue’ and returning the red Maple Leaf to the primary mark recognizes the classic look of which we feel baseball logos and uniforms should consist.” — Blue Jays President, Paul Beeston

What do you think of the new logo?

Our friend John writes: Although last night’s baseball game was ‘the most interesting and entertaining game anyone has ever seen’, it’s funny that a game with so many errors and sub-par pitching makes for ‘best baseball game ever” for some. Yet a hockey game that changes leads 4 or 5 times and ends up 9-8 (record for goals in one game) was a brutal display of goaltending and defense. Thoughts?

Our friend John writes: Although last night’s baseball game was ‘the most interesting and entertaining game anyone has ever seen’, it’s funny that a game with so many errors and sub-par pitching makes for ‘best baseball game ever” for some. Yet a hockey game that changes leads 4 or 5 times and ends up 9-8 (record for goals in one game) was a brutal display of goaltending and defense.

Thoughts?

Who can forget Steve Bartman. You know, the guy who attempted to catch a foul pop fly during Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS and knocked the ball away from Cubs left fielder Moises Alou thus ruining the Cubs chances at making it to the World Series. Yes, that Steve Bartman. Well, set your VCR’s because tonight at 8 p.m. ESPN breaks down the whole Steve Bartman incident in ‘Catching Hell’.

“You know what the funny thing is? I wouldn’t have caught it, anyway.” — Moises Alou, five years after the incident.