Baseball's History and little known facts

[DylanBradbury]

Really? When did this happen?

Hey, my mistake. He was traded from the Blue Jays to Detroit for cash. Detroit later sent him to Toronto for cash.

[krawhitham]

I like it. Very nice idea for a forum.

I would like to mention the Negro Leagues, simply because very few baseball fans know much about it, and to be honest, I don't know a great deal myself.

Until further notice (Or until I have more time), the only things I would like to pass on are:

Satchel Paige: Greatest pitcher of all time.

Josh Gibson: Greatest power hitter of all time. He isn't the black Babe Ruth, Babe Ruth is the white Josh Gibson!

Bow down.

I agree about Satchel, but not on Gibson.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Gibson#Career_statistics

and Ruth was white?

[CircleChange11]

Like I mentioned before, one of th eproblems with the Negro Leagues was organization. THey played so many "league" games and "exhibition" games, that it's hard to know how many total games and total stats they had. Wiki shows Gibson with 115 HRs in 510 games.

Tomorrow, I'll dig out my Bill James Encycolpedia and see what Gibson's (and Paige's) estimated stats are. If memory serves, James rated Gibson around the #3-#5 best all-time player.

But, if we're going to count Negro League stats or reputed stats, then one would certainly have to concede to Sadahara (sp?) Oh, and Japanese baseball during the years he played were most certainly more organizized, formal, and accurate than the Negro Leagues.

THe way I understand the Negro Leagues, is that at times, even during their season, they'd go on week-long trips and play multiple exhibition games per day. It's hard to know how to count those "stats" since we don;t know how good the opponents were.

and Ruth was white?

I'm not touching that Pandora's Box. *grin*

[Yankee4Life]

The origin of the box score.

Every time you look at a box score in your newspaper or on the Internet, you can thank one man for coming up with this idea. His name was Henry Chadwick.

Chadwick was a sportswriter, baseball statistician and historian. He is credited with devising the baseball box score (which he adapted from the cricket scorecard) for reporting game events. The first box score was a grid with nine rows for players and nine columns for innings. The original box scores also created the often puzzling abbreviation for strikeout as "K" - "K" being the last letter of "struck" in "struck out." The basic format and structure of the box score has changed little since the earliest of ones designed by Chadwick. He is also credited with devising such statistical measures as batting average and earned run average. Ironically, ERA originated not in the goal of measuring a pitcher's worth but to differentiate between runs caused by batting skill (hits) and lack of fielding skill (errors). He is also noted as believing fielding range to be a superior skill to avoiding errors.

[Yankee4Life]

Ty Cobb almost a St. Louis Brown?? Read on. First of three parts.

Link to article

Ty Cobb and the St. Louis Browns

by Dave Heller

After the 1926 season, both Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker were involved in a gambling scandal – alleged by Dutch Leonard that they, along with Joe Wood, bet on and fixed the Sept. 25, 1919 game between the Tigers and Indians.

After a hearing by Commissioner Landis, who also was dealing with another gambling scandal involving Black Sox shortstop Swede Risberg, who told of more gambling fixes than just the 1919 World Series, he declared Cobb and Speaker not guilty of any wrongdoing and placed both players back on their respective rosters (they had been released by the Tigers and Indians), although put on the reserve list.

Further, Landis stated that Cobb and Speaker were free to sign with any other American League club and their current clubs, the Tigers and Indians, would allow the players to leave without any compensation. They weren’t true free agents, as they were property of their clubs technically, although this seemed to matter very little.

Landis’ decision came on Jan. 27, 1927. On Jan. 31, Speaker announced he would sign with the Senators.

Cobb’s case was a little more complicated. The Browns wanted him badly and immediately the speculation was that’s where Cobb would end up.

The Browns acted quickly. On Jan. 28, just one day after Landis’ ruling, team president Phil Ball sent Cobb a telegram asking the star outfielder if he was interested in playing for the Browns.

New manager Dan Howley, who was hired in the offseason to replace George Sisler, was to head to Florida to check out the Browns’ spring training site, but he put that on hold to turn his attention to Cobb.

Howley coached with the Tigers in 1919 and from 1921-22 and claimed that Cobb was one of his best friends. The Sporting News described the pair as “Siamese twins.”

“Cobb has done more for me in baseball than any one man in the game,” Howley told the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. “He is one of the best friends I have and I believe the Browns will sign him to a contract, if suitable arrangements are made.”

Howley managed Toronto of the International League from 1923-26 and kept in contact with Cobb by having his Maple Leafs play Cobb’s Tigers in exhibition games. It was expected that because of this friendship, Cobb would indeed be a Brown.

“I think Cobb would come with me if we get an even break for his services,” said Howley, “and I do not believe he would hold the club up for an enormous salary. I certainly would like to see him with the Browns.”

The Globe-Democrat then reported in its Feb. 1 edition that, according to a source, the Tigers had asked waivers on Cobb. This was good news in St. Louis. It was also quite unexpected.

Landis’ decision had made it so only American League teams could bid for Cobb’s services. But if Cobb was waived, and all teams passed on him, he would then be free to sign with any club, including those in the National League.

But there was no way Cobb would clear waivers. American League teams had first claims. The Red Sox finished in last place in 1926 and thus would have the first chance to claim Cobb. However, team president Bob Quinn had already stated they weren’t interested, saying that signing a 40-year-old outfielder wasn’t in their plans for rebuilding a franchise which had finished last in every season since 1922 – except 1924, when the Red Sox were seventh.

The next claim belonged to the team which finished seventh in 1926 – the Browns. And they were ready to pounce on that claim.

However, as it turns out, things were a bit murky in this waiver claim regard. Even Cobb would be perplexed, as this went against the ruling handed down by Landis. As it turned out, the report was either erroneous or waivers just outright ignored. Cobb could make his own deal – even, as it seems, receiving offers from National League teams.

Howley departed for Cobb’s home in Augusta, Ga., but Cobb wasn’t home, instead on a hunting expedition in Ridgeland, S.C. Howley headed there on Feb. 4 to talk with Cobb. He again sent a wire to the Globe-Democrat: “Five clubs dickering with Cobb. Do not expect a decision for a few days.”

With only eight teams in the American League and two – Detroit and Cleveland – definitely not bidding for his services, another in Washington also out, having signed Speaker, and the Yankees saying they weren’t interested, it was plainly obvious that National League teams were trying to negotiate with Cobb (and it turns out, they were; the Giants and Robins for certain making him offers, as did Baltimore of the International League).

Howley then followed Cobb to New York, where Cobb was being feted by sportswriters.

On Feb. 7, Howley sent a telegram to the Globe-Democrat indicating he offered Cobb $50,000 to play for the Browns, the same salary Cobb earned as player/manager for the Tigers in 1926 (actually $40,000 + $10,000 season-end bonus; St. Louis’ offer supposedly was $30,000 + $20,000 signing bonus), and that Cobb would give his decision tomorrow. Charles Alexander’s biography on Cobb has the offer being a salary of $30,000 + gate receipts (according to Cobb).

The gate receipts clause certainly seems plausible. Besides Howley’s friendship with Cobb, the Browns were after him as a gate attraction. The Browns finished last in the American League in attendance in 1926, losing more than 178,000 customers than the previous season and drawing roughly 400,000 less fans than their co-habitants of Sportsman’s Park, the St. Louis Cardinals, who won that year’s World Series.

With this news of Howley’s offer, speculation from sportswriters around the country was still that Cobb was expected to sign with the Browns.

However, Howley wasn’t the only one who had Cobb’s ear. A’s owner Connie Mack also visited Cobb down south and in New York.

Eventually – much like today – friendship went so far and Cobb ended up signing with the highest bidder, agreeing to a deal on Feb. 8 with the A’s.

Contemporary reports at first had the deal being for $60,000 and then a later report claimed the salary being around $70,000-$75,000. According to Alexander’s book, Cobb claimed the salary was $70,000 plus a portion of gate receipts while Mack said it was for $80,000.

Cobb certainly didn’t need the money – he had been getting nice salaries from the Tigers and also invested his money quite well. Alexander offers a theory that Cobb wanted to play for a winner (the A’s were better positioned), he respected Mack, and, perhaps most importantly, the salary fed his ego of being the highest-paid player in the game and vindicated him after the gambling accusations.

With Cobb, certainly the Browns wouldn’t have won a pennant. St. Louis would win just 59 games and finished in last place in 1927 (they might have done a little better, as the plan was to trade Ken Williams for a front-line starter if Cobb was signed).

However, Cobb likely would have helped at the gate. He certainly wasn’t the player he once was [Cobb hit 343/419/460 in 229 games with the A's], but would have been a nice draw for a team which was struggling and had to share a field with the 1926 world champs. As it was, the Browns’ attendance was down another 36,000 fans in 1927.

Ironically, the A’s would win three straight pennants after Cobb’s retirement following the 1928 season.

But for Cobb being allowed to be put on waivers – or perhaps the Browns ponying up more money – the Georgia Peach would have ended his illustrious career in St. Louis. But, as usual, the Browns ended up on the short end of the stick.

[Yankee4Life]

This is the second of three installments on famous players who almost played for the Browns. This one involves Lou Gehrig at the start of his career in 1923.

Lou Gehrig spent about half of the 1923 season with the Yankees, albeit mostly watching from the bench (he actually debuted against the Browns on June 15, entering on defense in the ninth inning and handling a Johnny Tobin grounder).

Miller Huggins wanted to send Gehrig, who was still only 20, back to Hartford of the Eastern League for more seasoning in 1924. But because he played in the majors in '23, he'd have to pass through waivers. Such things could be a formality in the early part of the century when collusion ran rampant.

However, when the Yankees tried to pass him through waivers in December at least two teams claimed him, one of those reportedly being the Browns (later reports had up to five teams putting in a claim).

The Browns had George Sisler at first base, but he had missed the entire 1923 season and there were still doubts whether or not he could hit, nevermind even play first. In September 1923, the Browns reportedly offered in excess of $30,000 to Toledo for their first baseman, but were informed that the player - Bill Terry - was already property of the New York Giants. (Yes, another future Hall of Famer who "nearly" was a Brown.)

So it should be no surprise that the Browns would put a claim in on Gehrig, although business manager Bill Friel denied the report.

"Nothing to it," Friel said of the Browns supposedly claiming Gehrig. "I have heard good reports about the youngster, but I have not refused to waive on him."

The Yankees tried to pass Gehrig through waivers again in January, and again he was claimed (by up to seven teams, reportedly), and again the Browns were involved.

Again, though, the report was mixed.

The St. Louis correspondent in The Sporting News wrote:

"The Browns might be able to use Gehrig as an understudy to Sisler, but after inspection of his work in the Eastern League last season, after the Yankes let him out, Bill Friel is not so impressed. Bill may make up his mind shortly and tell the Yanks he’ll pay around the waiver price for Gehrig, but not more. Gehrig looked like a bear in a few games with the Yanks, but playing regularly in the Eastern, where nearly everybody hit .300, he was able to negotiate a batting of only .304. Ball players never thought of as major league possibilites did many points better than that in that league."

Gehrig did hit .304 in 1923 for Hartford (as did 59 other players who had at least 61 at-bats), but the correspondent failed to note that the Columbia University product also slugged .749.

However, in the same report, the correspondent did note that the Yankees "have been feeling out the management of the Browns about [Gehrig], but Bill Friel, sensing that that Yanks are anxious, has been teasing them by pretending indecision."

At the same time, Friel had another matter to deal with. During the 1923 season, he displeased Urban Shocker by enforcing the Browns' rule that wives couldn't go on road trips - something that Friel's predecessor Bob Quinn evidently let slide. But Quinn left earlier in the season to take over as president of the Boston Red Sox and Friel decided to rule with an iron fist over this.

Shocker was fined and suspended, and now in the offseason was looking to become a free agent, saying his rights were infringed upon.

The matter still wasn't solved in January, and commissioner Landis was to be involved in the whole mess.

The Yankees always regretted trading Shocker to the Browns and it nearly a yearly offseason rumor that New York would try to get him back. The Bridgeport Telegram speculated that Shocker could be the key to a Gehrig deal: "… it is not likely that the Browns will be able to woo [Gehrig] away from the Yanks. However, the rumor as to their claiming of the youngster has revived the rumor of a trade for Urban Shocker, the famous pitcher. The Yanks might be interested under these circumstances."

As it turned out, Shocker eventually agreed to a new contract with the Browns - with Quinn being the intermediary.

Finally, in April, the Yankees put Gehrig on waivers and no team claimed him. He was off to Hartford for the majority of the season and then, well, you know.

Why did the Browns (and other teams) suddenly pass on any waiver claim? Because of Sisler.

At one point in the offseason, Sisler said he would pitch if he could not play first base. But as soon as he arrived at training camp in Mobile, Sisler was hitting, not pitching, and he (as new manager) placed himself into the starting lineup.

Truth of the matter is that the Yankees likely would have kept rescinding waivers on Gehrig and let him sit on the bench the entire season rather than lose him. It would make sense that other clubs were aware of this - or were told this - and thus gave up their claims as well.

In the end, just another oh-so-close story for the Browns, who saw Sisler's play tail off (in comparison to his pre-1923 days) before being dealt prior to the 1928 season while Gehrig would terrorize St. Louis pitching perhaps more than any other team over his career.

[Yankee4Life]

Finally, in part three, Tommy Lasorda was almost a Brown in 1953 and Babe Ruth - after his playing days were over- applied for the manager's position in St. Louis.

A lot of ball players over the years were almost a Brownie. Most of these individuals were unknowns trying to make the big leagues. Often a young player would be signed by the Browns (or another team) and assigned to a minor league team but were never called up to the Majors. Sometimes a player signed a contract but never fulfilled it for a variety of reasons – health, military, family, etc.

Some of these individuals had not yet proved their worth. Some others were almost too valuable. Quite often when one hears that a certain player or individual was “almost a Brownie,” they do a double-take. Or say something like “You’re kidding.”

Here are two particular individuals with a connection to the St. Louis Browns. One wanted to manage the Browns (Babe Ruth). Another was acquired by the Browns but sent back to the selling team (Tommy Lasorda). Here are their stories.

Tommy Lasorda. A St. Louis Brownie?

Before spring training in 1953, the last year the Browns played in St. Louis, the Brooklyn Dodgers sold Lasorda, a 25-year-old, left-handed pitcher, to the St. Louis Browns for $50,000.

Lasorda was tagged as being the fourth starter behind Don

Larsen, Bob Turley and Gene Bearden. Larsen and Turley went on to fame with the New York Yankees with Bearden coming from the Cleveland Indians.

Near the end of spring training, the Browns prepared to break camp to play the Pittsburgh Pirates in Arizona before coming north. On the train, Lasorda encountered Harry "The Cat"

Brecheen, the Browns' pitching coach, who informed Lasorda he was going to be in the rotation.

When the train arrived in Arizona, Lasorda said, "Who's waiting for us but Bill Veeck, the Browns' owner. We go to our rooms, we change in the hotel and we're going to play the game and I get a call from (manager) Marty Marion who says, 'Come up to my room. I want to talk to you.'"

But also waiting for Lasorda in Marion's room was Veeck. The controversial, financially taxed owner told Lasorda he had been promised $2 million to move to Baltimore but that the New York Yankees had blocked the move at that point.

Veeck went on to tell Lasorda that he hadn't paid the $50,000 for Lasorda or the $70,000 for shortstop Billy Hunter to the Dodgers, among other debts. "I've got to send you back to the Dodgers," said Veeck.

But, what if . . . ???

What if Lasorda had stayed with the Browns, who eventually were sold and moved to Baltimore the next year? Would he have become a famous Oriole and gone on to manage that team instead of fellow Hall of Famer, Earl Weaver?

"Imagine pitching in St. Louis . . . that would have been great," said Lasorda, who then ticked off the names of his teammates, even if they were so ever so briefly. "Roy Sievers. Don

Lenhardt. You talk about some great guys. Dick Kokos. Clint Courtney. Babe Martin.

"Then there was Satchel Paige. Satchel Paige taught me not to worry." Tommy Lasorda. Almost a Brownie.

Babe Ruth

What can we say that has not already been said about Babe Ruth.

Ruth led the Yankees to seven championships, including four World Series titles. He was the game's perennial home run champion, and the 60 he hit in 1927 set a record for the 154-game season (Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961, but on the extended game schedule). His lifetime total of 714 home runs is unsurpassed. With a .342 lifetime batting average for 22 seasons of play, many rate him the game's greatest player.

Living the Wild Life

There are nearly as many stories of Babe Ruth off the field as there is on it. Some people described Babe Ruth as a boy that never really grew up; while others just considered him vulgar.

Babe Ruth loved practical jokes. He frequently stayed out late, completely ignoring team curfews. He loved to drink, ate copious amounts of food, and was a womanizer. He often used profanities and absolutely loved to drive his car very, very fast. More than a couple of times, Babe Ruth crashed his car.

His wild life put him at odds with many of his teammates and definitely with the team's manager. It also greatly affected his relationship with his wife, Helen.

The 1930s showed an aging Babe Ruth. He was already 35 years old and although still playing well, younger players were playing better.

In 1935, Babe Ruth decided to switch teams and play for the Boston Braves with the hope of having a chance to be assistant manager. When that didn't work out, Babe Ruth decided to retire.

On May 25, 1935, Babe Ruth hit his 714th career home run. Five days later, he played his last game of major league baseball. (Babe's home run record stood until broken by Hank Aaron in 1974.)

Retirement

Ruth didn't stay idle in retirement. He traveled, played a lot of golf, went bowling, hunted, visited sick children in hospitals, and played in numerous exhibition games.

In 1936, Babe Ruth was chosen to be one of the first five inductees to the newly created Baseball Hall of Fame.

What Babe wanted to do was manage. Unfortunately for him, his wild life had caused even the most adventurous team owner to consider Babe Ruth unsuitable to manage an entire team. Ruth applied for the managers job with the St. Louis Browns on November 2, 1938, but the Browns passed on Babe as manager.

In November 1946, Ruth entered a hospital after suffering a monstrous pain above his left eye for a few months. The

doctors told him he had cancer. He underwent a surgery but not all of it was removed. The cancer soon grew back. Babe Ruth died on August 16, 1948 at age 53.

Just imagine - Babe and Tommy were “Almost Brownies.” All will be long remembered for their contributions to baseball.

[Yankee4Life]

Quick story about Ted Williams here on a early Saturday morning. Williams was known for having a keen eye at the plate, in fact his vision was even better than most people. This helped him become the hitter that he was.

Well, it seems as if he had other talents too. One time he got a new shipment of bats from the Hillerich & Bradsby company who made the Louisville Slugger baseball bats. H&B made them specifically for Williams according to his instructions.

Imagine their surprise when one day the bats were returned to them with a note from Williams telling them that the bats were "an eighth of an ounce too heavy." Williams went on to say that he didn't have to weigh them. He just knew. "Oh come on" the Louisville Slugger people said to themselves,"how can he even tell?"

They then picked up one of the bats and weighed it. To their amazement it was 1/8th of an ounce over of what Teddy Ballgame wanted. Williams knew this by just picking it up and holding it.

[Yankee4Life]

The story of Russ Hodges famous radio call.

Everyone who is a baseball fan is familiar with the events of October 3rd, 1951 at the Polo Grounds. Game three of the National League playoffs between the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. Bobby Thomson's home run in the bottom of the ninth turned a 4 - 2 Dodger lead into a 5 - 4 Giant win that gave them the 1951 National League pennant.

You've also heard the famous radio call by Russ Hodges describing the play. If not, you can listen to it yourself by clicking right here.

Youtube even has a video of it right here.

But what many people do not know about this saved piece of baseball history was that it was a shear stroke of luck that this audio is around today. You see, a Dodger fan was responsible for recording this. He was so sure that he beloved Bums were going to beat the Giants that day he wanted to record the end of the game to play it back so the Giant fans could hear it over and over.

Unfortunately for him it did not work out that way. When Thomson connected off of Ralph Branca in the ninth inning this Dodger fan was in such a state of shock that he never turned off his tape recorder, therefore letting it run and as a result a famous piece of baseball history was preserved.

[Yankee4Life]

The Brooklyn Dodgers are to blame for the Tampa Bay Rays fans who use cowbells.

Now how can that be? A team that played its last game in 1957 and a team that was not born until 1998 have a connection? And of all things, cowbells ?

Yes, those annoying things you hear in the background when you are watching a Rays game on TV can be directly traced back to the beloved Bums of Brooklyn. You'd have no problem hearing those cowbells in Tampa since there are almost enough cowbells there as there are people at a ballgame.

Here's the story.

Rays owner Stu Sternberg was a big fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. And Brooklyn's most famous fan was Hilda Chester, who would bring a big loud cowbell to each game along with a very, very loud voice. The combination of the two made Hilda stick out in the Dodger bleachers. She attended every game. The reason why Chester eventually started bringing a cowbell to each game was that she suffered a mild heart attack and her doctor forbade her from yelling like she used to in the past. So, she improvised. She started bringing with her a frying pan and an iron ladle. (Try bringing those in a ballpark these days and see how far you get.)

She would bang on this frying pan from her bleacher seat that she made so much noise that eventually the entire park including the players took notice of her. And in the late 1930's the Dodger players presented her with the first of her now-famous brass cowbells.

In 1941 she suffered her second heart attack and by that time she was enough of a celebrity that she was visited in the hospital by manager Leo Durocher and some of the Dodgers. As a result, Durocher became Hilda's favorite and by the mid 40's she was almost the team mascot, even traveling with the team on short road trips.

So there you have it. That's why this fanatical Dodger fan who loved her Brooklyn Dodgers so much and the best way for her to show it was by going to all the games and clanging away on that cowbell influenced an owner down in Florida and that's why Rays fans bang away on cowbells today.

Hilda Chester

[Yankee4Life]

Larry MacPhail, baseball's great innovator

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Few executives had as profound an impact on the game as Larry MacPhail. In Cincinnati (1934-36) MacPhail introduced night baseball and commercial air travel to the majors. He laid the groundwork for the Reds' 1939-40 pennant winners, and he departed in controversy before they won, a trademark of his career. He went to Brooklyn in 1938. In his first year, the franchise made money for the first time since 1920. MacPhail hired Babe Ruth as coach to generate interest and, anticipating Charlie Finley years later, brought the "stitched lemon," a yellow baseball, to spring training.

MacPhail's presence inaugurated the modern era of Brooklyn baseball. In the 38 years before MacPhail, the Dodgers had won three pennants; in the 20 years following his arrival they won seven and lost in playoffs two times after finishing tied for first. MacPhail also brought Red Barber with him from Cincinnati to introduce daily game broadcasts in New York, ending a gentleman's agreement among the three local clubs not to do so.

In 1941, there was jubilation following the Dodgers' clinching of their first pennant in 21 years. In the excitement, MacPhail was left on a platform at the 125th Street Station, expecting to board the team train to meet a jubilant crowd at Grand Central Station. Manager Leo Durocher had decided to skip the stop in an attempt to keep the players on board. A furious MacPhail fired Durocher on the spot, something he did numerous times, many of which he seemed not to remember later. According to Durocher, "There is a thin line between genius and insanity, and in Larry's case it was sometimes so thin you could see him drifting back and forth."

MacPhail began as a protege of Branch Rickey, and Rickey replaced him in Brooklyn when MacPhail went into the army in 1942. MacPhail was a veteran of WWI as well, and had been in a group of plotters who had nearly succeeded in kidnapping Kaiser Wilhelm.

After the war, MacPhail joined the Yankees, and he had three managers (Joe McCarthy, Bill Dickey, and Johnny Neun) quit on him in 1946. He also came close to arranging what would have been one of the biggest trades in ML history while drinking with Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey. The pair allegedly agreed to swap Ted Williams for Joe DiMaggio, but when they sobered up Yawkey asked for Yogi Berra as well, and the deal was nixed.

Following the Yankees' victory over Rickey's Dodgers in the exciting 1947 Series, MacPhail upstaged the clubhouse victory party by unleashing a barrage of insults, punching a writer, and announcing his resignation in a drunken stupor. Topping Webb bought him out the next day.

The innovative, tempestuous MacPhail started a family baseball tradition. His son Lee became president of the American League, and his grandson Andy was general manager of the 1987 World Champion Minnesota Twins.

[Jim825]

She started bringing with her a frying pan and an iron ladle. (Try bringing those in a ballpark these days and see how far you get.)

This happens at every Yankees home game. Freddy Schuman (aka Freddy Sez) walks around the park with his frying pan and spoon drumming up support for the Yankees: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddy_Schuman

You can sometimes hear Freddy's banging in the background during Yankee broadcasts. I saw (and heard) him during a number of the games I attended at old Yankee Stadium.

[Yankee4Life]

Without even checking I am sure Mr. Freddy has special permission from the Yanks to do this. Can you imagine some nut, oh I don't know, someone like me for instance with a frying pan and I came across a Red Sox fan?

Use your imagination. :)