Was he any good when you watched him?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nerkahia
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Was he any good when you watched him?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nerkahia
Yeah, I remember my Dad was pretty excited, and they won. Don't think I remember the score or stats.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Which is why I have never really liked WAR for comparing overall greatest, just doesn't seem fair. The fact Ford, Koufax and Marichal are as low as they makes me feel that way even more.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
They're in the top 100, which still puts them among the very best of the best. As previously said, WAR isn't a perfect stat, and neither are WAR-based stats such as JAWS -- but if you know of anything better for an overall career comparison, I'd love to see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonlainy
At the very least, WAR is good for measuring dominance. Babe Ruth may not necessarily be the best hitter of all-time, but he was surely the most dominant MLB player ever: over the course of his career, he was the best active player in the league by a larger margin than anyone else before or since. On the other hand, Gibson was great, but he wasn't that much better than his peers; he was "only" the best of a very successful bunch.
And there are times when WAR really does show all-time greatness, regardless of era, when viewed in context. Barry Bonds and Willie Mays are Nos. 4 and 5 on the career WAR list for all players, even though they had some amazing peers, which tells you how great they really were; Bonds and Mays were standouts year-after-year even against the likes of Mantle, Aaron, Snider, Jr. Griffey, Frank Thomas and A-Rod.
It makes the pitching on the 90's Braves look all the more impressive. Three of the top 40 all-time (#8, 28, 40) on one team at the same time, when the stat that measures how good they are is diminished by each others' presence?
To be honest, so would I. I know comparisons between decades, much less over several decades, is hard, too many things have changed, and without, say, Gibson being able to go head to head with Bonds, Trout, etc it's hard to picture what might have happened. I mean, rules have changed, ballparks have changed (a lot), players are (mostly) stronger overall, techniques have become more refined, and biggest of all there is a crap ton of data that can be used to determine tendencies and flaws.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
I know there will always be arguments between generations of who was better, and WAR does at least give some comparison, but, like you said, it's not the perfect stat, just another one used to create havoc.
That's a case where that particular rotation really was that much better than everyone else's in that time period. Maddux, Glavine or Smoltz won the Cy Young every year but one from '91 through '98 (the exception was Pedro in '97). In 1993, their No. 4 (Steve Avery) would have been the ace of almost every other team in MLB. There hasn't been a comparable starting rotation in our lifetimes, though there have been a few outstanding-but-not-quite-the-Braves groups, such as the Yankee dynasty of the late '90s.Quote:
Originally Posted by Delores Mulva
The most prolific base stealer of all-time until Rickey ripped it away from him:
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/l...er-dies-at-81/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg5X4zjwuMs
You've likely seen his face on late-night poker ads: Mike Sexton, poker commentator and player, 72, prostate cancer:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/07/us/mi...rnd/index.html
Brock was one of my favorite players to watch as a kid, because I love stolen bases, and he was a master. After watching him a few times I knew that was how I wanted to play baseball, and luckily as I got older I got really fast and was able to steal bases a lot, which is what got me on my college team as a walk on. Unfortunately my hitting wasn't great, but it was good enough for me to get on enough to be effective as a lead off. So yeah, Lou Brock is still one of my many baseball heroes. RIP to a great player.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Diana Rigg
sigh
she was awesome in Game of Thrones, still a powerhouse able to do more with a look and a sneer than nearly anyone else!
GoT, Avengers (no, not that Avengers), and a Bond girl.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/10/enter...ntl/index.html
WOAH! I thought she passed away 3 or 4 years ago!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Delores Mulva
Maaaaan. I did not know this.
Dude, she was a hot young lady, and kept that seering look and turned it into tenacity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverblade-T-E
Gayle Sayers, running back Chicago Bears, but probably mostly remembered by most for the movie Brian's Song.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...nna-story.html
*nods!*Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinthalas Tigris
Charisma is a LOT more than mere "looks"
He deserves to be remembered for his work on the field though. He was Barry Sanders before Barry Sanders:Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonlainy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hudnhfOg0Jg
Oh definitely! Still holds the record for TDs in a game (6), TDs by a rookie (22) and youngest player inducted into the Hall of Fame. Pretty damn good resume there.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Now he can go head-to-head with Seaver again:Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonlainy
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/base...63f29fb4d.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onhuDgrXCgw
I saw it this morning, and was coming to see if anyone had posted. He was one of the fiercest players ever, and one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
Speaking of fiercest player of another kind:
Eddie Van Halen dies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_lwocmL9dQ
Not surprising really, but still very sad. He had it all at one time, one of the best rock guitarists ever, VALERIE BERTINELLI, fame, fortune, VALERIE BERTINELLI!
The greatest pitcher for the greatest franchise in baseball has died:
RIP Whitey Ford
https://youtu.be/vaagkV4py18
Would have loved to have heard him tell stories about his and Yogi Berra's mound discussions, I bet there were some interesting ones.
This whole generation is going down at once, it seems like. Now it's Joe Morgan:
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/j...er-dead-at-77/
I'm more familiar with him as a broadcaster than as a player. But advanced stats suggest he was the best second baseman of the past 90 years, so I wouldn't argue against the case for his excellence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGG7dnyLEXg
Oh man, I hadn't seen that yet. I've always been a big Morgan fan, even after he left the Astros for the Reds. I always thought it was cool how he jerked his back elbow when waiting for a pitch, I tried to emulate it while I played, but never had the same look that he did.
Conchata Ferrell (Berta)
Not a huge star I know, and while I was never a fan of the show Two And A Half Men my ex-wife and daughter were. The times I did actually sit and watch with them Berta was the only part I found really funny, so for that I think she deserves an RIP.
Spencer Davis, 81, pneumonia:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54619718
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POCUgBSVENQ
The Amazing Randi, 92, natural causes:
https://boingboing.net/2020/10/22/ja...ead-at-92.html
Alas I found Randi crossed the line in his scepticism, into zealotry :/
Sure, charlatanism and pseudo-science are HUGE problems, oh don't I bloody know it, ick!
But...he went too far.
Interfering in a genuine scientific experiment showed that yes, it could be faked, but, he screwed up other folks' work doing that who were not unethical so that was outrageous, fine if he exposed charlatanism but that wasn't the case.
and, he showed any son of a bitch could twist most research projects very damn easily, which would be acceptable if that was done ethically and put out a huge warning to all on this, but, it was egotistical
Anyone who doesn't get the terrible threat that last bit is:
so, oil companies, ya think they didn't hire ex-CIA operatives, at a loss and out of a job when the Cold War ended (they actually DID by the way long with many other corporations hence the huge explosion in industrial espionage end even sabotage),
and then, perhaps get them to interfere with say, Climate Change research, as Randi had shown, scientifically, it was possible, hm?
and that's just the start
The grand dame of Chinese cooking in America has died:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...00/ar-BB1aueGn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oQzaS6-Z3I
Thanks for expanding our collective palate.
The writer of Mr. Bojangles, Jerry Jeff Walker. Huge in Texas, but not so much outside I think. Probably his biggest hit he performed is Sangria Wine, but he had lots of great songs. Grew up in South Texas listening to him with my cousins, so his songs always make me nostalgic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT6BzKftZkE
Also another great Texas song writer, Billy Joe Shaver, also passed away this week. Willie Nelson called him "the greatest living songwriter" at one point. Below is my favorite song by Billy Joe, although he has a bunch of good ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzcaehkPJDo
Oh shit, my best friend and bandmate is going to be SERIOUSLY sad about Jerry Jeff Walker.
That guy is his go-to for "comfort music".
Sir Sean Connery, 90, natural causes:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54761824
Quote:
Originally Posted by Delores Mulva
2020 really really fucking sucks, sigh
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u42Svz2A7J0
He wasn't the best Bond (Moore will always own that one), but props to him for giving the role a solid foundation on film, and for transitioning well into parts that suited him as he aged.
Ha, I win this round! Only took 11+ years
I would have added "and knowing when to quit" to PPatty's list, since I thought he'd left the industry on a high note, but no, he went one film too far and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was his last film.
RIP Alex Trebek
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What is "a sad, sad, day"?
Alex Trebek, likely pancreatic cancer, 80:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/enter...rnd/index.html
He mentioned on show recently that Ken Jennings had joined production in some capacity. I would not be surprised to see him take over hosting duties.
Fuck 2020, Seriously Fuck You 2020.
Here I thought this would be a great weekend, One where we celebrate the events that it opened with and then you come and take Trebek from us.
Also Fuck Cancer with a rusty iron dildo covered in razor blades heated white hot.
Filan
and dementia needs catheterized with razor wire dipped in acid and wired up to a 400 volt mains industrial line ;)
Chris Hardwick got the phone call today to come in tomorrow and have a sit down. Sad that they are moving around it so quickly, but Hollywood does that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Delores Mulva
Terrible loss for Trebek and his family. I truly hoped that he would be our beacon of hope for Pancreatic Cancer. It is very sad that the struggle continues on.
While I am excited at the prospect of Hardwick taking the helm, I feel that Jennings would be more "on brand" for the show.
He was in a class by himself. Jeopardy will still be fun to watch, but not near as much as with Alex Trebek at the helm.Quote:
Originally Posted by Delores Mulva
Obviously there can never be another Alex Trebek, but I think Ken Jennings would be a fantastic replacement.
I'll second that, I have a mother and a good mother in law lost this year to cancer. (one month separating)Quote:
Originally Posted by FilanFyretracker
Also I was sad to hear of Alex Trabek. He was a great host for the show. Also a good person outside the show from what I heard.
My mom in October, also from cancer. Words simply don't do it.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosL01I'll second that, I have a mother and a good mother in law lost this year to cancer. (one month separating)Quote:
Originally Posted by FilanFyretracker
Sorry to hear. Take care and be well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mileron
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mileron
ack! :(Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosL01
sorry, losing yer Mum sucks like half the world falling away
Dunno how I missed this one, but apparently the man behind the Mystery Machine will no longer think he would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those kids:
Ken Spears, co-creator of Scooby-Doo, dies at 82
Yes, it was a cheesy, silly, formulaic, clumsily written cartoon -- and all of that was a big part of the appeal. I enjoyed it back in the day and so did millions of other kids.
LOVED it. I'm sure I've seen every original episode multiple times. I did stop watching when they introduced Scrappy lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Yep, it was one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons back in the '70s, at least until Scrappy Do came along :hulk:Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
The best player that Vince Lombardi ever coached (according to Vince Lombardi) and one of the most prominent athletes to get caught in a gambling scandal has died:
Hall of Famer Paul Hornung, Packers and Notre Dame legend, dies at 84
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q0CGYkhECw
I heard he is the only Heisman winner that played for a losing team.
https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2...lGMft-Mt7xvwak
The bar that is responsible for the creation of "cheers" is on its last breaths. The building should still be there, but it doesn't look good. I've been driving past it about once a week since this whole mess, and I was shocked they were able to do takeout orders (honestly, :::chuckling thought:: I've never heard their food is any good) It is definitely our town's second favorite DIVE watering hole. Maybe first favorite depending on how you look at the town. Just down the street and around the corner from where I live.
Interesting, I had always thought Cheers came from Boston's Bull&Finch Pub.
on an interesting note the town its in must have been formed by some Welsh, PA also has a Bryn Mawr with welsh origins. It means "Big Hill".
Yes. Most folks are not even aware that it is called Bryn Mawr, because no one uses it as the mailing address. Most people use Loma Linda which means, "beautiful Hill."Quote:
Originally Posted by FilanFyretracker
When I first moved over here, I kept seeing dilapidated signs around every couple of corners. There is even an exit off the freeway that points to Bryn Mawr, but I had never seen a sign stating anything similar to "welcome to Bryn Mawr."
I just joke that the two places are the same and are catering more to the Spanish speakers.
I chuckle a bit when I see names from the east. CA has a Norwalk, Which I am guessing is named after the one in Connecticut. (CT also has a town called Stamford, So my brain thinks Stanford the school is spelled incorrectly).
A sporting legend, one of the few soccer players that even non-soccer fans could name, has finally died after decades of hard partying:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soc...60/ar-BB1bma5M
I'm one of those non-soccer fans who knows this name well, it ranks close to Pele as far as soccer goes. I do follow scores from the World Cup, but there is no way I can sit and watch a soccer game, just not for me. Maradona was, obviously, a huge star that kind of transcended soccer, like Babe Ruth.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Dave Prowse, the "Body" under Darth Vader's costume
sigh, remember him as a kid doing the Green Cross Man road safety commercials
2020, sucks
Two individuals who probably had significant effects on American taste are now peddling junk food in the Great Beyond:
Lon Adams, Slim Jim recipe creator, dies of COVID in Raleigh
Pizza Hut co-founder Frank Carney dies at 82
Pizza Hut, Snow day staple as a kid. Or professional development day too. Pizza Hut as hopping any day the schools were closed. I can still remember those pan pizzas brought out in an actual pan and pitchers of pepsi, red plastic cups.
Come on, you're from Jersey, you couldn't find a better alternative? Even a mediocre local pizza parlor in NJ is better than anything Pizza Hut has to offer.Quote:
Originally Posted by FilanFyretracker
im originally from CT, grew up in a small town called Danbury.
Now since moving to SNJ in 07, We havent eaten chain pizza since then.
Ok, all is forgiven. Although I had heard that pizza in CT is pretty good, and I've eaten pizza billed as New Haven style (though I was not in CT, so could not verify) and enjoyed it.Quote:
Originally Posted by FilanFyretracker
One of the more influential figures in the development of pro wrestling over the past 40 years:
Pat Patterson passes away at 79 years old
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVDkBfVyF74
Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
My favorite of McMahons stooges
He was the last living of the notable figures from The Right Stuff. Tom Wolfe nailed what might be his real legacy — being literally the voice of an entire profession:Quote:
Originally Posted by FilanFyretracker
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Right Stuff, Chapter III
The best writer the spy genre ever produced:
John le Carré, author of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, dies aged 89 | John le Carré | The Guardian
His work could be uneven, but the top of his game was dazzling: elegant and observant prose; fully realized characters, even bit players; and memorable-yet-believable dialogue. Even if you think you don't like espionage novels, you should try, at the very least, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; and The Russia House.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOfmgFT4KuU
Ppatty
I was surprised at how good the Gary Oldman version of "Tinker Tailor" was :)
the old BBC version is absolutely top notch and gets the grubby feel of the actual Cold War crap very well
I enjoyed the Oldman movie, but love the two BBC miniseries starring Alec Guinness. If you want to be immersed in that Cold War atmosphere, watch the 1965 film version of Spy Who Came in from the Cold, with Richard Burton, who is just about perfect in the role.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverblade-T-E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4QGhyZXvbo
https://ew.com/music/charley-pride-dies-at-86/
A black country & western singer who made it big during a time when you simply wouldn't think it could happen. As a kid he was one of my favorite country singers (that was all my dad listened to in the truck), and one that my dad liked as well, despite his race. For a black country artist to be big in South Texas back then was pretty impressive. Doubt too many here really listened to his music, but 'Is Anybody Goin's To San Antone' and 'Kiss An Angel Good Morning' are my two favorites of his, but he had quite a few big hits.
Ppatty
I remember watching the Alec Guinness ones back in the day :)
very different writer but did some good stuff that got filmed, Desmond Bagley
love this one, love to see a re-work with higher production standards but it gets the grimness well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zVJ-3iS3j8
I was never a country music fan, but damn, he had a great voice. I've heard he caught COVID at a recent country music award ceremony. I didn't think anyone was doing those right now?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonlainy
He's been described as the most devastating mole of the Cold War:
George Blake: Infamous British-Soviet double agent dies in Moscow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfh1ocb9gZA
Dunno, but he no longer has the chance to create any:Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, famous for signature knuckleball, dies at 81
I guess he had enough for a highlight reel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyMk1za8Cps
I was a bigger fan of his younger brother, Joe, but really only because he pitched for the Astros.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
That's sad. I always chose her in the Ginger vs. Mary Ann debate. I used to watch the show all the time, while it was goofy I thought it was funny.
It was one of the dumbest shows on television. But even so, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.
The very first creative thing I ever did start to finish was a puppet show made brown paper bag puppets of Gilligan, Skipper, Professor and Thurston, and I will never forget the classroom laughing their asses off.
Even though it was extremely sophomoric in its humour, I loved it.
I would also have ridiculously difficult time deciding between Mary Anne and Ginger, but wow. That movie where they get off the boat. Yowzaz.
A baseball fixture of my childhood and teen years:
Hall of Fame Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda dies at 93 (espn.com)
I wasn't a Dodger fan, but it seemed like I was always seeing Lasorda on TV. And he did win two titles without having overwhelming talent, so he must have known something.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKUmQQl5SWA
Hey, moved this here from the Super Bowl thread. Let me know if that's not OK and I'll move it back.
yeah, thanks, I hit the wrong thread.
I'll go so far as to say I hated the Dodgers back when they were in their heyday with Lasorda, but I really never hated him. He was definitely one of the biggest names ever when it came to managing.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
RIP Mr. Lasorda. He was very much woven into the fabric of the So Cal sports world.
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Same lol. R.I.P.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/14/enter...bit/index.html
Siegfried of Siegfried and Roy at 81
With this one, more Baseball Hall of Famers have died since last January than in any previous 12-month period:
Dodgers Hall of Fame ironman pitcher Don Sutton dies at 75 (yahoo.com)
Another article pointed out that the afterlife can put together a killer 5-man rotation just with the pitchers lost over the past year: Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Phil Niekro just a few weeks ago and now Sutton to round it out. And Tommy Lasorda can manage them.
I wouldn't take it as a sign of anything, though, other than that the guys from that era -- all of the aforementioned individuals made their MLB debut in the '50s or '60s -- are now old.
Wow, Hammering Hank passed away. RIP
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A link:Quote:
Originally Posted by Merkus
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb...?ocid=msedgntp
I have always cherished the memory I have of watching him hit a homer in the Astrodome when I was a kid playing Little League. Even though I was rooting for the Astros we all still cheered loudly when he hit it. He was a classy guy, too, and will be missed.
For all of his acknowledged greatness, Aaron might have been underrated as an overall player. We all know about the home runs, but he also has a .305 career batting average and he's seventh on the all-time WAR list. Hell of a player.
Larry King, talk show host, 87:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/23/us/la...rnd/index.html
No cause given, but he was in hospital for COVID at the start of the month.
2020: I'm the king of the world!
2021: Hold my beer...
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Mira Furlan, who played "Delenn" in "Babylon 5"!
fuck FUCK FUCK!!! :angry: these two years so far have been FUCKING SHIT!!
so many great folk gone
she was awesome in that show, sigh :(
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55763658
Cloris Leachman, Oscar Winner and Sitcom Star, Dies at 94 | Vanity Fair
Another one of those performers who seemed like she was in everything. A very small sampling:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_iOqFjzOJk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4uvLXCUhVg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn8pDEPbWFc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcgEN3CaqXs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6jhfBo09cU
Seems like I've been watching her in shows forever, and it really has been for almost my entire life. I really liked her role in American Gods and Young Franenstein, but another role that she was great in was the mother/grandmother in Raising Hope, which I found to be a hilarious sitcom and her a standout in it.
Cloris Leachman was wonderful. RIP
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