Hot Stove #149 – George Toma – From Charlie Finley to Lady Gaga
Stats guru Bill James recently tweeted about an interesting milestone for the A’s franchise:
Hot Stove #148 – I Can’t Believe It’s Been Five Years
Hot Stove #147 – The Presidents and Ceremonial First Pitches – April 14 1910 to April 1 2021
Our divided nation just went through a hotly contested presidential election. The big question in Hot Stove land?
Will President Joe Biden throw out the first pitch on opening day in Washington? The Nationals open at home against the Mets on April 1, 2021. This past Saturday night, as Joe Biden was giving his first speech as President-Elect, the Nationals extended the invitation… Continue reading
Hot Stove #146 – 2020 World Series – Dodgers Win!
Three hours before Game 6, I posted Hot Stove #145. The Lonnie’s Jukebox section celebrated some #1 hits from 1970, and the final selection was “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross. I borrowed from the song and finished the post with this message to the Tampa Bay Rays:
And a final word to the Tampa Bay Rays…Ain’t no mountain high enough…to keep you away from winning the World Series. Well, maybe Mookie. Continue reading
Hot Stove #145 – The World Series – 50 and 100 Years Ago
As we stand in the virtual line awaiting Game 6 tonight…
Some nostalgia to occupy you between innings or while new relief pitchers are coming in. My post on the 2020 World Series will arrive later this week.
Go Rays! Continue reading
Hot Stove #144 – Coming Up – The World Series; Remembering Whitey Ford and Joe Morgan
The NLCS and ALCS did not disappoint. Both went the full seven games, and each ended with a tense and highlight-filled Game 7. Tonight, Game 1 of the World Series.
Hot Stove #143 – The Final Four (ALCS/NLCS); Remembering Bob Gibson and Eddie Van Halen
We have advanced from the Sweet Sixteen to the Elite Eight to the Final Four. Just can’t get enough of the March Madness terminology.
In the short 60-game season, the Royals played only nine teams – their counterparts in the Central Divisions of the AL and NL. The idea was to eliminate the amount of travel during the pandemic. Seven of those nine Royals opponents made it to the first round of playoffs, the Sweet Sixteen. None of the seven made it to the second round, the Elite Eight. Now we have the Final Four: Tampa Bay, Houston, LA Dodgers and Atlanta. Continue reading
Hot Stove #142 – September/October Madness – The Baseball Playoffs
Today feels like March Madness. Eight games being played by the 16 teams in the expanded MLB playoffs. Rita and I plan to have the TV on from noon to midnight, switching among the four channels broadcasting the games. Plus checking in on Game 1 of the NBA finals pitting the Lakers against the Heat in the Orlando bubble. It is a good day to be a sports fan. Continue reading
Hot Stove #141 – Spiders, Indians, Perfectos and Cardinals
Not actually today. It was yesterday, the first day of absentee voting in Missouri. Rita and I went to the election board offices at Union Station and used our “over-65” status to cast an early ballot. It was a breeze and safely conducted in an expansive area with mask-wearing and social-distancing. Highly recommended for those eligible.