@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

Smart.

About 15 years ago a friend gave me a book on Mickey Cochrane (Mickey Cochrane: The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher). Up until then I had never heard of him. So the name caught my eye.

::useless trivia:: Mickey Mantle was named after Mickey Cochrane.
Source: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mickey-cochrane/

@RuthODay @tabletopmania @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

It would be so cool if Mickey Rivers were then named after Mickey Mantle. If that's not true, it should be.

@YusufToropov @tabletopmania @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

Good one.

Just offhand: Lolich and Tettleton, too.

I think with a bit of research there could be a decent All-Mickey team.

Of course the national anthem singer would be Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees!

@YusufToropov @tabletopmania @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

I started thinking about the “All-Mickey” team (there’s another couple of “All-Whatever” teams that I have in mind, I think they are fun to muse about).

The Mickeys have a pretty potent batting order.

On the field they are very deep at catcher but very weak on the left side.

And some nifty pitching. I had expected Mickey Lolich to be the staff Ace, but Mickey Welch (who pitched in the 1880’s; never heard of the guy before) was a clear choice: carrying a 1.2 WHIP at a 0.593 winning percentage over 500 decisions.

Thanks to free wi-fi on airplanes, the next post has my version of the All-Mickey team.

@YusufToropov @tabletopmania @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

The “All-Mickeys” team:

Batting Order (Assigned position, player, reported positions, WAR, slash line, HR)

CF Rivers CF 32.7 .295/.397/.724 61
LF Hatcher OF 1B 3B 2.9 .280/.377/.690 38
C Cochrane C 49.7 .320/.478/.897 119
DH Mantle CF, 1B 110.2 .298/.557/.977 536
1B Vernon 1B 35.4 .286/.359/.787 172
RF Tettleton C RF 1B 29.3 .241/.449/.818 245
2B Morandini 2B 9.8 .268/.359/.697 32
3B Witek 2B 3B SS 7.5 .277/.347/.670 22
SS Doolin SS 2B 13.7 .230/.306/.585 15

Starting Rotation (WAR, W-L, ERA, WHIP)
Welch P 62.3 307-210 2.71 1.226
Lolich P 48.0 217-191 3.44 1.227
Harris P 8.6 59-71 4.18 1.478
Hughes P 1.3 39-28 3.22 1.329

Bullpen:
McDermott P PH (!) 18.2 69-69 3.91 1.518

Bench (guys nicknamed “Mickey” but not commonly known by it):
Willie Randolph 2B 65.9 .277/.351/.724 54
Phil Weintraub 1B OF 8.9 .295/.440/.838

@RuthODay @tabletopmania @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

And for the drummer leading the crowd chants, I nominate the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart.

@RuthODay @tabletopmania @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

"From the start of the Dodgers series (on Aug. 31) through Friday’s first at-bat, #Acuña homered 11 times in 85 at-bats. That is one homer every 7.7 at-bats." -- MLB.com

File Under: Very Dangerous Men

@YusufToropov @tabletopmania @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

Are you worried that he’s getting hot a bit early?

@RuthODay @tabletopmania @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

I'm sure hoping he is! And cools down in playoffs. #Dodgers

@YusufToropov @RuthODay @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

6-25-22
Venezuela strikes early against Tom Seaton and cruises to an 8-6 win over Nebraska!

VEN(40-39) 8 11 1
NEB(25-54) 6 9 0

W: Zambrano 8-3 3.40 ERA
L: Seaton 1-8 5.71 ERA
S: F. Rodríguez 17 3.48 ERA

3B:VEN- Abreu(3)

SB: VEN- Vizquel(6) NEB- Bennett(3)

CS:NEB- Crawford(5)

@YusufToropov @RuthODay @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

6-25-22
Red hot Cubs stave off the 9th inning Toro rally to win 10-8!

DOM(48-31) 8 14 3
CHC(46-33) 10 10 0

W: McHugh 10-4 3.96 ERA
L: Rijo 9-6 3.92 ERA
S: Gregorson 17 2.67 ERA

HR: DOM- Ortiz(14) CHC- Gaetti(6)

SB: CHC- Henderson(62)

@YusufToropov @RuthODay @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

6-25-22
McGriff is on both ends of a pair of back to back HR’s as the Marlins pop the Kernels 6-1!

FLA(44-35) 6 10 2
IOW(28-51) 1 4 1

W: Carlton 11-3 2.85 ERA
L: McAndrew 3-6 4.32 ERA

HR: FLA- McGriff 2(10,11) Sheffield(12) Alonso(28) *WLB lead

SB: IOW- Stone(1) Hairston(2)

@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

Which Hairston Swiped a base?

I was thinking there were two Hairstons (Scott and Jerry-the-Father),

had forgotten about Jerry Junior,

then learned that they (Scott and Jerry Jr) are not the second, but third generation of Hairstons.

It started with Sammy Hairston, who played in the Negro Leagues of the time and broke the Chicago White Sox color line in 1951.

Enquiring minds want to know!

PS More useless baseball trivia: Johnny Hairstons’s wedding at the Hermosillo stadium was the basis for the raised-bats wedding scene in the movie Bull Durham.

@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

He played for Mexico in a World Baseball Classic. (I think that his mother is from Mexico).

@RuthODay @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

6-25-22
Frank Howard’s 9th inning grand slam put Braves fans on edge. The Reds couldn’t rally any further and fall 9-8!

ATL(51-28) 9 16 1
CIN(48-31) 8 12 0

W: Manning 10-5
L: Bassitt 6-2
S: Broxton 13

HR: ATL- Dixon(12) CIN- Howard(9)GS

SB: ATL- Cobb(51) Dixon(23)

CS: CIN- Larkin(4)

E: ATL- Terry 1

@RuthODay @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

Luke Easter collided with Gary Gentry on a play at first in the 5th and absolutely flattened Gentry. Gentry goes on the 21 day IL. The Diamondbacks have called up Tom Wilhelmsen. Easter had a mild ankle sprain and will miss 3 days. The Mudcats have called up Dmitri Young.

@RuthODay @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

Hit this in training today. Fastest as a 39 year old.

@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

Do the Gnats have any more games?

I wonder if anyone else in the league throws heat like you can.

@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

But maybe they are younger?

@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

Oh, and I forgot to ask: can any of those Nuke Lalooshes (sp?) hit like you do?
: )

@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

So this around the level of A-Ball?

@RuthODay @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

6-25-22
Drillers do just enough to edge the Lightning 3-2!

LOU(40-39) 2 7 0
OKD(45-34) 3 8 0

W: Barnes 7-3 3.44 ERA
L: Richard 5-6 3.01 ERA
S: Sadler 7 1.82 ERA

SB: LOU- W. Brown(17) OKD- Rogan(14)

Bullet Rogan 3-3 wk R RBI SB .361 avg.

@RuthODay @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

6-25-22
Miners break it open in the 4th and cruise to a 10-1 win over the Barons!

BIR(47-32) 1 7 0
SFM(48-31) 10 13 1

W: Garcia 5-6
L: Key 6-7

HR: SFM- DiMaggio(11) Lombardi(7) T. Williams(16) Murray(7) Trammell(3)

@RuthODay @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

6-25-22
White Sox get to Maddux in the 6th and go on to beat the Colt 45’s 5-3!

LVW(36-43) 5 12 0
TEX(49-30) 3 8 1

W: Bunning 6-7
L: Maddux 7-7
S: Clippard 8

HR: LVW- Buhner(13) TEX- Blackmon(5)

SB: LVW- Russ(12)

@RuthODay @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

6-25-22
1st inning homers by Betts and Helton carry the Stars to a 3-2 win over the Kookaburras!

NSH(40-39) 3 11 2
SYD(32-38) 2 7 0

W: Osteen 7-5
L: Iwakuma 1-2
S: Harvey 12

HR: NSH- Betts(9) Helton(9)

E: NSH- Johnston 2

@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

I tried to read the names and make due. I think that I correctly interpreted Vander Meer as one of the pitchers, but I really question your putting in The Dalai Lama at shortstop. At his age he should be the DH.

@tabletopmania @YusufToropov @APBAreplay @cardboardkarl @AlexanderRaine7

It’s actually better than mine. I can’t read my own handwriting.

Your hand at least throws heat and a curve!