Quick Hits

I swear, I could listen to interviews of old ballplayers all day and night. What with the All-Star game being in town the vets are roaming around; I just watched Mike and the Mad Dog interview Tim McCarver and then Fred Lynn. I get lulled in like a moth to light - hell, I know I've prolly heard these same stories 100 times, but I get fired up every time. These dudes talk about games from 40 years ago, and they remember pitch counts and defensive substitutions, everything. Amazing. The greatest guest of all time being, of course, Moose Skowron, the old Yankee from the 50's. He should have some sort of rig where no matter where he's at in the country, when he starts telling stories he cuts into Mike and the Mad Dog's show. Some sort of trip wire thing.

The best story I've heard today was of the late great Bobby Murcer. Apparently Bobby had visited a terminally ill kid in the hosptial, and in a Ruthian moment promised the kid he'd hit a home run in the game that night, a game that was the National Game of the Week with Keith Jackson broadcasting. Well, Bobby didn't hit one homer, he hit two. Jackson had heard about the sick boy and Bobby's promise and told the viewing audience after Bobby's second home run. A heartwarming story, no?

Turns out the kid had no idea that he was dying until he heard it from Keith Jackson on tv. Total freakout all around. Can you imagine? Three weeks later, kid was dead. Yeesh. But what a story!!

Speaking of interviewing old ballplayers, and declaring myself Mr. ACC Basketball, I can't believe it hasn't occurred to me to get my ass over to Tracy J's Watering Hole in the city and interview Art Heyman before he, you know, dies. I don't think I've set foot in that place in 7 or 8 years; you'd think I'd be in there every weekend nagging him to tell me stories. Course, maybe I was skeeved by him hitting on Watty. Hmm.

And finally, Jonathon Papelbon should be ashamed of himself. I hope for his own sake he's kidding. Fucking douchebag.

And I can't believe they're ditching Billy Packer from the NCAA Tournament. Great. One more reason for me never to watch a Final Four again. Fucking douchebags.