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Post by alfuso on May 31, 2006 9:55:53 GMT -6
alfuso: I was in Tarpon Springs back in the 70s . . . went to a sponge diving show (the diver had the old types of suit with the enclosed helmet and went underwater and "brought up" sponges) We went to a Greek restaurant (forget the name) whose intereior decor was like the Acropolis and had beautiful murals on the walls. Great food and Greek music in the back ground.[/quote] Did it look anything like this? This is Hellas, across from sponge docks. And I don't think this restaurant has changed much in 35 years. static.flickr.com/46/150932953_f73ec18dc7.jpg
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Post by crzhrs on May 31, 2006 11:08:54 GMT -6
alfuso . . .
Hellas! That's it! Glad to know it's still there . . . thanks.
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Post by d o harris on Jun 2, 2006 9:45:55 GMT -6
First, El Crab, I did not ridicule your choice so much as disbelieve it. Somewhere in this happy land of ours I am sure there is someone, somewhere who believes JD and WD-40 a proper mix, or JD and kerosene, for that matter. And as for indoctrinating toddlers, I suggest you withhold comment until you have a two year old granddaughter of your own. If you feel such as these are without resource or guile you are uninformed or naive, possibly both. Nonetheless, Molly, my granddaughter, has a father, my son-in-law, who is a Pirates fan. My duty was clear, and I did it. And I have no regrets on this matter whatsoever.
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Post by d o harris on Jun 2, 2006 12:02:19 GMT -6
Fred, there are three threads now available to those who would discuss MLB. This may, or may not be the proper place, but I'd like to answer a question you posed. Barry Bonds would have been entitled to a first ballot nomination to the Hall Of Fame, pre-steroids. This guys numbers were exceptional. He didn't need the juice to make him an all-time great. In fact, steroids may keep him out of the hall of fame. But, to keep things in perspective. The year Ruth hit 60, Gehrig delivered 47. The third leading omerun hitter in the American League that year was Tony Lazzeri. He had 18. Does that say something? Pete Reiser was my first baseball hero. I've always thought there should be a special wing in the hall for players like Reiser. If not for the injuries he would have been among the very greats, but if it hadn't been for the wall-crashing injuries, the absolute victory or death approach he took to the game, he wouldn't have been Pete Reiser. There are many, many others that should be so recognized. Tony Conigliaro, of the Red Sox, who but for a pitch to the head--Herb Score, of the Indians, at age 23, the best pitcher in baseball, and a line drive to the head,--Don Black, a full-blood Indian from Iowa, who in his rookie season was a 19 game winner, and then a fastball to the head and career over. But the one I remember most is a kid whose last name I cannot recall. His first name was Karl, and he had the misfortune to pitch in the Dodger organization when Branch Rickey ran things. At age 19, after winning more than 20 in AAA, 1949, I think, Karl was brought uo at the end of the season and pitched one game. He shutout the Giants while striking out 15, and was sent back to triple A. Rickey said Karl would never come to the majors until he learned to throw an overhand curveball. At the end of the next season the young man was brought up again, mpitched 2 games, complete game wins against the Giants and Pirates. He shutout the Pirates, striking out 14. Again, Rickey returned him to the minors, because he couldn't throw an overhand curve. (In my early days that was referred to as a drop ball.) The following season in AAA the kid tore his arm up trying to throw an overhand curve. Three starts in the majors, three complete game wins, two shutouts, 40 Ks, and today nobody knows his name. Karl something. His last name I think began with an R, a German name.
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Post by crzhrs on Jun 2, 2006 12:24:52 GMT -6
Re: Tony Conigliaro (Tony C)
I remember when he first came up (age 19) and hit a home run in his first at bat at Fenway!
He had a bright future in the big leagues only to get beaned in '67. He made a comeback and ended up winning a HR title one year and then got traded. He had a brother Billy, who also played for the Sox but was no where as good as Tony C.
In a even more sad aspect, Tony C ended up dying of a heart attack at an early age. What a tragedy!
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Post by fred on Jun 2, 2006 12:39:56 GMT -6
DO--
This may sound ridiculous, but every time I think of my old Dodgers I think of Karl SPOONER & what might have been. He was a fabulous flash & I loved him. He was among those childhood heroes. I agree w/ you as well, about Herb Score. And don't forget Bobby Schantz.
Don Black... I cannot remember. JOE Black, who died a couple of years ago, was also a one-year wonder, what '53? He was a phenominal reliever, winning 15 games I think, then started & won the first game of the World Series, lost 2 others, hurt his arm & was never the same.
But Karl Spooner... my goodness! I'm glad you remember him, DO. It is a tribute to how great he could have been; he at least deserves to be remembered. Beautiful job!
Very best wishes, Fred.
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Post by d o harris on Jun 2, 2006 14:31:37 GMT -6
Tony C. would have been one of the all-time greats. Period. Fred, many thanks for recalling the name, SPOONER. Karl, capital K, Spooner, capital S. Sometimes at my age I wonder if I'm remembering correctly, mixing memories, or is Alzheimers lurking about. You're pulling out the name convinces me I'm not yet daffy. Spooner would have been one of the all-time greats. That kid was unbelievable, a 95+ mph fastball that moved up or down as he willed and went where he wanted it to go. Add a changeup and you can take an overhand curveball and wrap it around a watermelon. Branch Rickey did a lot for the game, but ruining Karl Spooner wipes it all out, as far as I am concerned, except, except, bringing Jackie Robinson to the bigs. That act forgives all sins.
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Post by fred on Jun 2, 2006 15:51:38 GMT -6
DO--
I completely agree w/ you about Spooner. I actually think he could have been Koufax' equal, he was that good. I saw both of those shutouts on TV. End of the season stuff. He became one of my favorites right away. I never saw Reiser, however. Reiser is dead now, but I am positive Karl Spooner is still alive. He can't be a lot older than we are. Maybe 5 or 6 years.
Best wishes, Fred.
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Post by d o harris on Jun 2, 2006 16:09:53 GMT -6
Fred, is there anyone hereabouts beside you and I who remember Karl Spooner, and what might have been. I expect if he is still alive he is 74-75-76. He may have regrets, but, oh, God, what I wouldn't give for the memory of having stood on the mound at Ebbets Field and have thrown a single strike against a Giants' batter. I never saw Reiser either. I just heard. That was enough. Death before dishonor. Victory or death. It is very easy in the current age to disparage and denigrate these sentiments, and it is now nearly impossible to believe that the very best of a generation of Americans truly adhered to these aphorisms and put them into action. As it happened, Pete Reiser did it at Ebbets Field, not Guadalcanal, but for a guy like Pete it wouldn't have made a difference.
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Post by d o harris on Jun 2, 2006 17:01:46 GMT -6
One person in the Dodger organization I've felt was always under-rated was Walter Alston. He followed Charlie Dressen as manager. Dressen was not an ordinary human being. In Los Angeles once, at the airport for a flight back East, Dressen had a heart attack. He refused treatment and got on the plane. He had to transfer planes at Detroit, and had another heart attack. Again, he pushed the medics aside, flew to New York, coached 3rd base during the next Dodger game, after which he agreed to go to an emergency room, but was on the field for the next game. That is how tough the Jackie Robinson Dodgers were. They were Robinson tough, Dressen tough, and became Alston tough, which was quieter, but probably the toughest of all. Alston had a different style, but he really didn't change things. It was said when he took over the Dodgers that he was the strongest man in the national league. It was said he could arm wrestle Gil Hodges and Ted Klyzewski at the same time and put both of them down. Jim Murray, a leading sportswriter for the Los Angeles papers of the day wrote that Alston came from the poverty row of baseball, the lower minor leagues, that he was so unused to a decent meal allowance he still looked for restaurants that served a 95cent blue plate special, pie and coffee included. I remember him, hands in the pockets of a warmup jacket, casually sauntering to an umpire to have a short confab. I also remember from that point on calls did not go against the Dodgers.
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Post by queensown on Jul 17, 2006 14:35:23 GMT -6
Hi,
Not sure if this is the correct place to introduce myself, I've been lurking here for a while and finally decided to register. I'm from the UK and have been interested in Custer and his last battle ever since I can remember, mainly due originally (as you can probably tell from the user name) to Errol Flynn...
Time permitting I look forward to joining in with some of the other threads here.
Regards QO
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Post by d o harris on Jul 17, 2006 18:13:22 GMT -6
Queensown---welcome. Don't fail to act like an expert. Every one else does. Whether you have studied a thousand books or simply read a magazine article you qualify as an expert, if only you assert yourself. Refuse to ride in the back of the bus. Actually, I prefer The Charge of the Light Brigade to TDWTBO. In either case, Flynn did lousy death scenes.
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Post by queensown on Jul 18, 2006 14:32:25 GMT -6
Thanks for the advice D O, I've managed to read a fair amount of books on the man & his last battle but I don't know about been an expert.... COTLB was indeed a rollicking good adventure movie as they used to say once, possibly with even more disregard to historical fact than TDWTBO!! However Flynn did cut a dashing figure as Custer.
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Post by Melani on Jul 18, 2006 17:07:53 GMT -6
Queensown--remember--everyone has a different opinion about what happened. Yours is as good as anybody else's.
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Post by Tricia on Jul 18, 2006 17:53:53 GMT -6
However Flynn did cut a dashing figure as Custer. Well, as well as one could with a mullet! ;D Welcome aboard, Queen's Own, and feel free to step into the discussions at any time!
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