Baseball's play-offs start tomorrow. For anybody interested, I'm gonna predict a World Series winner for ya, right here & now.

I realize that the Cards have won more than 100 games, but they don't have a big-time star pitcher to match up with the kind they'll meet in the postseason. And I realize that some of you know that my spring training dark horse pick was the Angels, who had added Vlad Guerrero to the same basic team that won in '02.

But I'm picking the Astros. The reason is manager Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner, who played 2B on the Pirates' 1979 World Series champion team. Like the '79 Pirates' manager Chuck Tanner, "Scrap Iron" is managing to win games, not to stroke players' egos or to satisfy the second-guessing fans & media. Astros all the way.

Thanks for the warning. Now I know what Mike will be doing the rest of the week LOL! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/wink.gif" width=15 height=15>

And lets not forget "Scrap Irons" team-mate, Wille Stargell (Series MVP), who hit his third World Series homer to lift the Pirates to a 4-1 win and their fifth World Championship!!
Only 9 sleeps to go!!!

louise, for someone who is NOT a baseball fan, ya sure coulda fooled me! You do seem to know alot about the sport!
Ok Joe, am I wrong or was the 1st World Series in 1886? & Who played in the 1st Series?
aahh I love trivia, but (i'm probably wrong 'bout the year!) so I'll defer to the Sports Master!

The 1st World Series was in 1903---Boston Pilgrims defeated Pittsburgh Pirates.

October 1st 1903,first World Series game in Baseball history. Pirates 7, hometown Boston (then Americans) Pilgrims 3.

October 6th 1903, first World Series game played in Pittsburgh. Pirates 4, Boston (then Americans) Pilgrims 2.

8 sleeps to go Joe!!!!

One more week!

Seven Days.

Joe, I think you've created a Monster! My Dad became a teacher when he retired from the U.S. Army and then became a teacher and now an Historian so is a stickler for facts and dates. He has drummed it in to me all my life!!!! So now I will be lookin' up Pirate stuff cos for some reason its caught my interest. Probably because of the way you feel about October 13th. and because I know what you mean about how some people are interested in something or other but they really don't quite get it or people that don't understand how you may have a passion about something that is akin to a spiritual or religious expericence. There are few, I think that have really ever felt that!!!
My thing for dates is so bad that I have a thing about movies and T,V. shows etc. where I always have to see the credits to see things like where it was filmed etc. and especially the year it was made (I'm always the last to leave the movie theatre while the cleaners wait impatiantly to clean up for the next session)
I even look for licence plates if an American film cos I like to try and guess which state it's filmed in! So call me crazy! Here I go rambling again!
Thanks for the little bit of Bob it was great!!
I think I'll have to put The Forbes Field Wall and PNC PARK on my list of places to visits on one of my trips to the states!!
I'll be watching your countdown and don't forget to post a story after the big day when you've had time to digest it all!!!

Louise, thanks for your interest in this topic. Of course, I'll give ya'll a report on how the big day goes. Don't expect to see it the same day, as I'm also going to a concert that night.

In the meantime, you might like this little story about a gentleman I met at last year's event. He came all the way from California & claims to have the cap worn by Roberto Clemente when Maz hit the homer. If he can prove it's the cap, it will worth some big money. His search for evidence took him to my favorite shopping place, Jerry's Fine Used Records.

The references here to Clemente (by me) & Stargell (by Louise) remind me that I was lucky enough to have grown up when the Pirates had 3 Hall-of-Famers in their everyday line-up, & each of 'em hit a home run in game 7 of a different World Series won by the Pirates---Bill Mazeroski (1960), Roberto Clemente (1971), & Willie Stargell (1979).

Of the 3, only Maz is alive today. Clemente died heroically in 1972, on a mission to deliver relief supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua. Stargell passed away in 2001, on the day before his statue was to be dedicated at PNC Park.

Maz retired from playing in 1972 & remains one of the most beloved characters in Pittsburgh history. In 1982, the Pirates acquired Lee Mazzilli in a preseason trade. In Mazzilli's first game, the radio announcers constantly referred to him as "Maz." The Pirate offices & the radio station were flooded with irate phone calls. Callers stated in no uncertain terms that there will only ever be one Maz!

Oh, yeah---one more thing:

6 more days to go!

Louise & Joe, I am sure enjoyin' your baseball stories! I still dont know why I thought the 1st series was so wrong, & by so many years! However, I knew ya'll could set the record straight for me! I dont like to watch the games, but I do enjoy the Athletes!
'The Mic' (Mantle's)hometown was only 3 miles up the road from my hometown. I went to school w/lotsa his kin-folk. And when I was young he & Billy Martin came home & attended Church w/us! That was a big Sunday! But thats a waaay different team <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/wink.gif" width=15 height=15>! Anyway, thanks for the trivia & news! Keep it up!

Great story Joe! I love stuff like that.
5 more sleeps!!!

Thanks, Louise, for taking yesterday's countdown in my absence.

4 more days to go!

Ruthie, you were really in church with the Mick?? That's so cool! I'm a fan of the Mick & wear a Mickey Mantle watch that's not gonna go over real big on Wed. My only problem with the Mick is that to his dying day, he never gave the Pirates any credit for winning the 1960 Series. As I became more well-read on him, I found that Mick was a doer of countless unsolicited good deeds toward less fortunate people, without the public knowing about it. It was sad seeing the Mick, dying of cancer coz of a lifetime of addiction, hold a press conference where he explained his problems & then pointed his thumb to his chest, saying, "Kids, this is a role model. Don't be like me." Ruthie, did you ever check out the street named after Mick?

Joe, Yeah, I was in Church w/Mickey, altho I dont remember all that much about the day! I was more interested in getten OUTTA Church & getten into Mischief!
The street to which you refer, in Commerce, Ok? that one? Yeah, travelled it lotsa times, mostly B/4 it was named after him! & Yes, he was a very warm-hearted good-natured man, & did do so many good things for folks less fortunate. His entire Family was /is that way!
His Daddy is buried right next to my Grandma & Grandpa, in Miami, Ok.
Sorry he didnt give ya'll the credit for winning, but I dont know anything 'bout that!
Miami, Ok. has several semi-heros. You do remember Lynrd Skynrd? Steve & Cassie Gaines were from there, B/4 Steve was in the band, Cassie sang back-up, & when they werent touring, she'd come home & subsitute teach at our high school!, She'd even hang out w/us BEHIND the shop bldg... & ya know what happened BEHIND the shop bldg!!{in the mid-70s} Glad ya enjoyed The Mick Story!
Four more to go!!!!
Edited twice, coz I caint spell, t'day!

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 2 times, lastly by aka ruthie on Oct 09, 2004 ---</FONT></center>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by aka ruthie:
You do remember Lynrd Skynrd?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I sure do! Not that I was a fan, but Pittsburgh radio stations play them constantly. It's as tho' nothing else happened afterward.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by aka ruthie:

Sorry he didnt give ya'll the credit for winning, but I dont know anything 'bout that!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, it's not as if it's scarred me for life or anything like that, but he made numerous statements for public consumption to the effect that the best team lost, & even said so in his book, All My Octobers. I talked to a guy at the Wall one year who told me about giving one of the Yankees broadcasters a ride to the hotel after the big game 7. The broadcaster invited him in where the Yankees were having a little gathering. When the Mick found out that the guy was from Pittsburgh, he threw him out.

3 more days!

Admit it. You can't stand the excitement.