Baseball fans

Angels won last night! Yay!!!!! (Joe Morgan and the white guy seemed to be more pro-Angel than pro-Yankee. They love Chone Figgins, and he's one of my favorites, too. I always like speedy, pesky, base-stealing lead-off guys - as long as they are on my team. However, the Yankees have neutralized him offensively and he hasn't been able to show off his skills on the base pads.)

Today is Kathy's big day! Have fun, girl! (Do I need to tell you that?) Kathy, you've done a good thing for me. I'm starting to like the Cardinals now that I "know" someone who is a fan of them. I don't know why I didn't like them in the first place. Maybe they're they're kinda the Yankees of the NL - they win too much. ;-)

Kelli you know someone that is a Brave's fan also. LOL
Hey I don't the Braves stand much of a chance against the Astros pitching staff. I guess it ain't over till it's over.

The Astros do have an excellent pitching staff, but their offense is very inconsistent. It was nice to see them hitting yesterday.

I grew up in the midwest - Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio, so I have a soft spot for the midwest teams, and particularly the Reds. But since the Reds couldn't make it to the World Series if they bought tickets this year, I'm voting for the Astros. Sorry, Jim! :-)

Kelli, how many years HAVE the Angels been the LA Angels?? I saw that the Yankees were going to play Los Angeles and it took me forever to figure out what American League team was in LA.... Obviously I didn't get that memo. LOL

~ Marylyn

Georgiaredclay, I already like the Braves. I used to "hate" them, but this year I learned to like them.

This year the Angels changed their name to the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim". I think it's kind of dumb. To me they'll still be the Anaheim Angels for a long time. The Los Angeles baseball team is the Dodgers. A lot of people don't like the new name.

Back home from the game, lots of fun. We won!

Kelli.. do you remember this guy? I love him!

Jim Edmonds at bat

oops... here he is

one more time

Pujols at bat

Retired numbers from Cardinal players.. should recognize some of these names...

Viewpoint from where I sat... Busch Stadium

Ozzie Smith, Red Schoedist, and Enos "Country" Slaughter are the first three.

Your good Georgia. I didn't doubt that for one minute though. LOL

Even remembered the "country" nickname they gave Slaughter.

Stan THE MAN Musial, Kenny Boyer, brother of yankee third baseman Clete, and Jackie Robinson that never played for the Cardinals but his number was retired because he was the first black to ever play in the majors. Then there is Dizzy Dean, that later was an announcer for CBS when TV was black and white, he always sung "The Wabash Cannonball" every Saturday like clock work and always told how good he was. And always told wonderful stories. One I remember was one he told of some one getting mad at an umpire and throwing his glove in the air and the umpire hollered if that glove comes down you are out. Apparently it didn't take much to entertain me. I know Pee Wee Reese, Brooklyn Dodgers shortstop, was one of his co-announcers and I believe also Tony Kubek, shortstop for the Yankees. Then there is Bob Gibson, probably the best pitcher of all time. And then the fast feet and good glove of Lou Brock. The Gussie I can't think of any one except Gussie Busch the owner. Not sure about that one.

Stan THE MAN Musial, Kenny Boyer, brother of yankee third baseman Clete, and Jackie Robinson that never played for the Cardinals but his number was retired because he was the first black to ever play in the majors. Then there is Dizzy Dean, that later was an announcer for CBS when TV was black and white, he always sung "The Wabash Cannonball" every Saturday like clock work and always told how good he was. And always told wonderful stories. One I remember was one he told of some one getting mad at an umpire and throwing his glove in the air and the umpire hollered if that glove comes down you are out of the game. Apparently it didn't take much to entertain me. I know Pee Wee Reese, Brooklyn Dodgers shortstop, was one of his co-announcers and I believe also Tony Kubek, shortstop for the Yankees. Then there is Bob Gibson, probably the best pitcher of all time. And then the fast feet and good glove of Lou Brock. The Gussie I can't think of any one except Gussie Busch the owner. Not sure about that one.

I think I left Rogers Hornsby off my list.

Great pictures!

Yep, I remember Eckstein. We always make it a point to watch for him during Cardinals games.

Yeah, thats Gussie Busch, the old owner of the Cardinals. He was a true baseball fan, unlike his sons. He is still honered even though he is gone and the team no longer belongs to Anheuser Busch.

I personally don't remember alot about Bob Gibson, but to hear my brother talk, he was the greatest of the great. I should of paid more attention to it when I was younger!

Neat story about Dizzy Dean, isn't it funny that just a little story about a certain baseball player can be remembered and treasured.

My brother told me that Bob Gibson use to sit with his elbow in an ice bucket full of ice when he wasn't on the mound. He got hit with a line drive that broke his leg, and he stayed in the game and pitched to 3 more batters before he came out. LOL

Well Smoltz came throught in a great game. I still can't believe we beat Clements. He must have really been in a lot of pain. When they get as old as Smoltz and Clements and go out threre and pitch in pain as both did tonight it just shows how much love for the game they have and a great desire to win. Smoltz hadn' t pitched in two weeks because of a bad shoulder and Clements had a pulled groin muscle. Two great pitchers giving it their all. I still think the Braves have a chance If Sosa does his usual good job of pitching. They said on TV a while ago that Smoltz had started 16 games during the regualr season after the Braves had lost and in those 16 games they were 14-2.

Kathy I didn't realize that the stadium there was being razed at the end of the season and a new one is being built. Think of all the memories that the stadium must hold for a lot of people. Those pictures you have there will be priceless to you someday. They might be already but with the stadium being replaced that will probably add a lot to the pictures in years to come.
Hey the Braves built a new stadium a few years back, I'll trade you that new stadium for Edmonds and Pujols.

I remember some of that story about Gibson and his leg He was so tough pitching in afternoon games when the sun on the stadium roof would put the plate in the shade and the pitching mound in the sun. He was just a good pitching anyway.
Now the reason I know all about the Cardinals and some other teams is that the Braves had never come south at that time. Now I remember the Braves when they always finished last every year
Back in the earlier days there wasn't any playoffs as there are now. The American League played the National League winner. I think then there was 8 teams in each league Then thet started going west and south and brought more teams in.

I remember Smoltz had a real rough outing the first time this year, wasn't he converted from a reliever back to a starter just this year? I was thinking he wasn't going to make it back as a starter. But it sure looks like he proved me wrong with a 14-7 record and 3.XX era! Thats a real respectable record for a man Smoltz's age. I always dreaded when he pitched against the Cardinals. I also dreaded "the big unit" until we got his number. I remember many times Randy Johnson making us look like fools at the plate as he just wiped us on us. The last few years he isn't what he use to be though and he doesn't get to us nearly like he did. One thing with Randy is, if you can hit a phatty on him, you get him rattled up enough to take ahold of the game.

Our next game is Saturday with Morris pitching against our x-Cardinal pitcher Woody Williams. Morris is having a tough time and this game will set us on the edge of our seats. However, their records and era are pretty much matched because Woody didn't have such a great season either. I just hope LaRussa doesn't pull what he has throughout the year and leave a pitcher in TOO long and let him dig us in a hole we can't dig out of. He's converted Marquis to a reliever, I'm anxious to see how that will work out. So if Morris starts to fall apart, I'm betting Marquis comes in to relieve him fast. I'm thinking these two are a package deal, Morris/Marquis .

"wasn't he converted from a reliever back to a starter just this year?" Yes, I think so.

Tonight is is the Angels' Paul Byrd against The Big Unit. Talk about David and Goliath - but we know what happened to Goliath. :-)

I think this Randy Johnson spoof article is funny. http://www.sportsgoons.com/volume2/Vol2_Iss12/randy_johnson_ugly.htm

hahaha, I always said Randy Johnson looks like he needs to be dipped. He just had a manegy look about him. :)

Yeah Georgia, this is the last days of Busch Stadium built in 65. Here are a couple of photos of how close the new construction is to the old stadium. They had planned on imploding Busch, but now they have decided to wrecker ball it because they are so far ahead of schedule on the new one.

I didn't take these pictures, I found them on the internet...

and this one

Have you noticed, are people starting to take away little bits and pieces of Busch Stadium as souvenirs?

Anyone staying up to watch the cards play tonight.

I'm listening to them on the radio. :-)

I was lucky to be raised where I had access to Yankee Stadium. My dad was a hotel manager and the hotel had a box there. When guests didn't want the box, we got to use it free. That was most weekdays.
Oddly, we got to meet some of the players th rough Dizzy Dean who was announcing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He lived in the hotel during baseball season and met with a lot of the players in the lounge. I remember sitting in Phil Rizzuto's lap. I got to meet Yogi and others, too. Pee Wee Reese from the Dodger's. My sister has my Dad's large old gold-backed $1 bill with signatures of all the players on the back.
I still root for the Yankees but since I'm in the south, not far from Atlanta (lived there for 3 years), I also root for the Braves.

Betty, that would be something I would be telling everyone I met. They would get tired of me telling it. I bet you could write a book.

WOW woodspirit, now thats some memories!

We finished the series 3-0 and the Astros won tonight, so here we go again with the League playoffs with the Astros. They scare me. Maybe their mad from last year? Hope we're madder! LOL

4 more days and I'm on vacation for 2 weeks. Then I don't care what time the games come on, until then I will be catching what I can on the radio at work, get in the car and listen, until I get home. :)

You mean the Astros FINALLY won tonight. 18 innings! Wow! 8 pitchers and 4 first basemen... I was exhausted just watching! It was exceedingly kind of Chris Burke to hit that homerun and put us out of our misery just as we had to get out of the car at church. You've never heard such a noisy church parking lot! LOL

That was playing 2 games in 1. I watched it off and on, between getting my errands done. I saw both grand slams, you just can't leave ANY ballgame when the bases are loaded!

The Braves and the Astros boiled down to the R and R. The Braves had a Rookie and the Astros had Roger.
Great game pitched by Hudson into the 8th inning. Just no bulllpen for the Braves.

We're down to the White Sox/Angels Cardinals/Houston.

Cardinals are gonna have to be "on" to beat Houston at these playoffs. They've got some good pitching and power hitters. If our pitching holds like it did during the San Diego series, and our power hitters are "on", we'll roll over them. But thats always the big if's in a series!

I agree with kathys999, I would have felt more comfortable playing the Braves.

I will be listening to the game on the radio while traveling home tonight, should catch the final couple of innings.

This Angel fan is about ready to jump over a cliff. :-(

Kelli no clift jumping yet. It ain't over till it's over. But the Angels look as if they are getting cheated again tonight. I thought the Angels would win it hands down. Shows what I know.

Well my Braves are finished for the year but my grandson is playing in a charity double header game tomorrow. They are raising money for a playground to be built at the new fields that was built 2 years ago. Give the younger kids something to do while brother is playing baseball.

Good luck to your grandson in his double header. You may have mentioned it before, but what position(s) does he play?

It's just a dumb conspiracy theory, but the rumour is that Selig wants the White Sox to win the series because he thinks that more people would be interested in seeing the White Sox in the World Series.

MIL is originally from Missouri. She doesn't live there anymore but she's a casual Cardinals fan and watches whatever games she can get on regular non-cable t.v. She says that the umpires seem to be favoring the Astros.

Wait for me Kelli... I'm coming with you!

Kelli.. the one game Oswalt pitched for Astros, it seemed like he was getting calls that we weren't. He was pitching pretty low and getting strike calls. Other than that game, all seems like fair calls to me. Nothing drastic. Cardinals just aren't hitting when they need to, pitching is holding up, but your not going to win games without some runs. 2nd game they played really sloppy, and a really bad throw allowed a run in the third game. If we lose the series, they can only blame ourselves, for I feel the Astros have out played us so far.