Baseball Savvy: Koufax statue

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No profanity, please. If you absolutely must, use bleeps. Like this: “Those bleeping, cheating, performance enhancing drug taking ball players. Bleep them!"

Yes, Vinny took the high road, but let's not take his words solely at face value. His words, "the way," inject the degree of disrespect Yankees fans showed Brooklyn, compared to the degree of disrespect Dodger fans show Anaheim.

He did not say Dodger fans do not look down their noses at Anaheim, only that they don't do it "the way" Yankee fans looked at Brooklyn. Don't forget that Vinny is one of few people alive who was not only there, but so close to both organizations. He is a master of the English language, and, I believe, meant exactly what he said in his innuendo.

If Vinny never makes another intelligent baseball comment in his life, he will deserve the statue [see Statue for Vinny] simply for the brilliant use of innuendo you have reported here.

Loved the blog right up to the point where you took off on the Angels, yet again. You know how it feels to be at the ass' end of the east coast media bias towards any team east of the Mississippi and now you are replicating it with your ongoing comments regarding the Angels.

As someone born in Brooklyn, the Dodgers are my first love, but I live in Anaheim Hills and we have season tickets for the Angels, and yes, you can love them both unless they are playing each other. As of a few minutes ago I knew I’d be rooting for the Dodgers if the dreamed of I-5 freeway match comes to fruition. After reading your “Dodger fans absolutely look down their noses at Anaheim” et al comments I may have to change my mind.

The Angels had at least as miraculous a win over Boston [October 11th] (maybe more since it was at Fenway) as the Dodgers did against the Cardinals, and hearing you write crap like this makes you sound pretty small. I think the Angels, thanks to ex-Dodger Mike Scioscia, play a pretty damn good brand of baseball. Instead of putting down the Angels you ought to be the biggest cheerleader ever and let the east coast “experts” as you adeptly put it, eat their words many times over.

So in summary, I will probably still root my heart out for the Dodgers in a red vs blue match-up, but if the Angels win I will be happy too, and part of it will be the satisfaction of knowing Dodger fans like you, who look down their noses at the Angels will have to do it from a prone position.

Thank you so much for telling the truth about Cox. Ever since that incident happened, I can't stand the man. I never liked him much before, but wife beaters are way low on my list. It's ridiculous that the press and the law can just sweep it under the rug. Poor Mrs. Cox. Did she divorce the creep? At least we won't have to see him in the dugout much longer.

We've got to shake off these last three games and get back to being the championship Dodgers we know we are.

"One night of Charlie Steiner and Steve Lyons together again showed what's been missing."

Not that it's THAT big a deal, but it's "Charley" Steiner.

I agree completely about Eric Collins. I doubt he's set foot in L.A., his
comments seem to be cliches about the area, and he seemingly has little
knowledge of the Dodgers' history. On several of the AFLAC trivia question answers, he seems dumbfounded as if he's never heard of the guy (even if it's a Dodger of common knowledge among real fans). His play-calling is also suspect.

All of the above are reasons why the Dodgers should be happy to clinch away from Pittsburgh so Vin can call it. Also, so I can be there. :)

What the Dodgers are doing to O-Dog is unconscionable. He’s by far the better player and should not be playing caddy to Ronnie Belliard.

James McDonald? Please! He’s an Edwin Jackson clone. Get something for him while you can and let another team hope that he finally blossoms into the “potential” others think he has. If he makes the NLDS roster it will be a short post-season for our men in blue.

And yeah, as is being suggested elsewhere, Ramirez has got to talk to kids and amateur athletes about drugs, and he's got to be sincere about it. Really serious about it.

I have never understood why this is the prescribed penance for these offenses. Kids should hear from guys who didn't take the easy road, get paid millions, and then get taken back after a 50-game vacation. If MLB and the Dodgers had real cojones, he would be kicked out. But we both know that will never happen.

In the regular workplace, you don't keep a job when you break the rules.

Lasorda in Italian means "The deaf one."

Steve

Do you know what I really hate about Manny, Bonds, A-Rod, etc.? The fact that I care.

I loved the Dodgers of Gil, Campy, Pee Wee, Jackie and Newk; and the Dodgers of Sandy, DD and Wills; and the Dodgers of Lopes, Garvey and the Penguin; and the Dodgers of Gibson and Oral. But Strawberry? Kevin Brown? Sheff? Lo Duca? Ramirez?

All of baseball sold its soul to steroids. Well, not all, but everyone at the top, the executives and the stars. The game was ruined, and the Dodgers were no better - maybe among the worst. This is the epitome of a bad relationship.

That is what I hate - knowing what baseball is, and still caring.

Lee Caryer
Columbus, OH

Manny who? I'm predicting Juan Pierre will provide a tremendous
contribution to the Dodgers during Ramirez's absence. When July rolls
around, we Dodger fans will appreciate what Pierre has stepped in and
done. I'm thrilled that we have him.

David Snipes
Loris, SC

You know what? I wish you would really go away for ever (sic)! Leave the Dodgers alone! We don't need you or your kind! Cheaters, they are everywhere! We will still be there to greet Manny when he's back! So please go.

Anonymous

Listened to Vinny (and Jerry Doggett too) on KFI 640 for pre-game show and the games from 1958 to 1971 until moving to Oregon. Now listen to his home game broadcasts on XM radio during first 3 innings.

Vinny has created more Dodger fans and brought more fans to Dodger Stadium than anyone else in the world. Who could possibly object?

I had an opportunity to meet Mr. Scully while the Dodgers were staying at "my" hotel during a series with the Giants. He was the same gentleman in person as he presents on the radio and television. It'd be great to get this statue presented next year. Funny thing about this is that both Mr. Scully and Mr. Koufax are so modest and humble with the public.
Congratulations on your own recent announcement!

Yes, please cast my vote for a statue of Vin Scully!

Vin Scully is one of the greatest gifts baseball has ever had. It's the right thing to do.

Yes, please cast my vote for a statue of Vin Scully!

Vin Scully is a broadcaster with the rarest of combinations: the highest
levels of professionalism blended with acute knowledge of the game and a
baseball lover's heart. And THEN the voice - he is a master, one for the ages.

Put a statue up of Vinny, while he's still around to appreciate how much he is loved, and how much he has meant to baseball.

I can’t think of a better representative for the Dodgers and baseball in general than the marvelous Mr. Scully.

Just read your rant on pronouncing Johannes (Hans) Peter Wagner's modern moniker "Honus" correctly. I'm with you, brother.

I suppose the tendency to use the long 'o' sound arises from the similar-looking word "bonus." Unfortunately, it sounds like a word used to describe the quality of being like Paris Hilton. And yes, I further agree with the irritation that ostensibly knowledgeable sportscasters are the ones mispronouncing it (Bob Costas' smug idiocy is captured forever in Ken Burn's "Baseball," and Keith Olbermann's had it wrong for years).

I understand there aren't any archived broadcasts from Wagner's era to listen to, but it seems a pretty simple connection if you just know his first name is "JoHANNES" (and that early on, he was commonly called "Hans"). Keep preachin' it--

I love the article, however I am a defender of Fred Claire. I know he wasn’t the “most qualified,” not coming from the background of scouts and an ex-ball player, but I don’t see where he did a horrible job. Comparing him to Ned is a tough one for me.

Ned’s ratio of free agent busts are way higher than Claire’s. Granted, Strawberry and Davis didn’t pan out the way it should have, but that was no fault of Claire’s. The Pedro trade is over-hyped considering our greatest need at the time was a second Baseman, and [Delino] DeSheilds was really the best out there at the time.

It is like you said in today’s article; you can’t keep them all, and at the time [the Dodgers] had a strong core of pitching. Say what you will about Claire, but the 1988 championship had his finger prints all over it. When we had needs as a ball club, they were addressed more times than not. After the 1987 season, adding key guys like Mike Davis, Jay Howell, Alfredo Griffin, and a guy you may remember, Kirk Gibson. That was a tremendous off season.

Tell me Ned has done as well in a single off season. I know Fred Claire isn’t a hall of famer, by any means, but for all of Ned Colletti’s experience and pedigree as a “baseball guy,” he is no Fred Claire.

Lastly, a lot can be said of Claire for respecting the fans of the team even now. How easy would it be to trash the organization and all that remains with it, especially Tommy. And yet he stays classy as ever “biting his tongue,” right? Why is there no outrage against Lasorda for pushing out Bill Russell and Fred Claire, along with a disaster of a trade costing us Paul Konerko, the latter giving us the likes of Carlos Perez?

Lasorda thought he was entitled to the GM spot and he was the only one who could fill Al Campanis’s shoes. Rather than casting stones, does Tommy ever say it was tougher than he thought?

Tommy is a legend and I love him, as all fans do. But for a guy from the old days (when the Dodgers were a family organization) he should keep his criticisms of the other family members inside the family. The pointing of the fingers only goes to give the rumors all those years about Tommy thinking he was bigger than the organization type guy. What good is it to publicly call out Fred Claire now when he kept his big mouth shut back then?

It is not enough for Mark McGwire to apologize for his steroid or other illegal substance using. That is not enough to make him a hero. His use of performance-enhancing substances enabled him to break what is probably the most prestigious record in all of professional sports. All of his 60-plus HR seasons should be nullified, as should those of SS and BB. The record should be restored to its rightful owner. In the alternative, a separate HRs in a season list should be devised, effective 1998, which would be called "Most Home Runs in a Season by a Performing-Enhanced Cheat." We'll start with the numbers 73, 70, 66 and work our way down from there.

"He missed the tag!!!"		LETTERS TO THE EDITOR *In this space your take can* suck. Please send your comments to baseballsavvy@aol.com. Give us your first name, last name or initial, city and state. No profanity, please. If you absolutely must, use bleeps. Like this: “Those bleeping, cheating, performance enhancing drug taking ball players. Bleep them!" Got it?** Hey Editor, Yes, Vinny took the high road, but let's not take his words solely at face value. His words, "the way," inject the degree of disrespect Yankees fans showed Brooklyn, compared to the degree of disrespect Dodger fans show Anaheim. He did not say Dodger fans do not look down their noses at Anaheim, only that they don't do it "the way" Yankee fans looked at Brooklyn. Don't forget that Vinny is one of few people alive who was not only there, but so close to both organizations. He is a master of the English language, and, I believe, meant exactly what he said in his innuendo. If Vinny never makes another intelligent baseball comment in his life, he will deserve the statue [see Statue for Vinny] simply for the brilliant use of innuendo you have reported here. Jim Cargill Carson City, Nevada Hi Howard, Loved the blog right up to the point where you took off on the Angels, yet again. You know how it feels to be at the ass' end of the east coast media bias towards any team east of the Mississippi and now you are replicating it with your ongoing comments regarding the Angels. As someone born in Brooklyn, the Dodgers are my first love, but I live in Anaheim Hills and we have season tickets for the Angels, and yes, you can love them both unless they are playing each other. As of a few minutes ago I knew I’d be rooting for the Dodgers if the dreamed of I-5 freeway match comes to fruition. After reading your “Dodger fans absolutely look down their noses at Anaheim” et al comments I may have to change my mind. The Angels had at least as miraculous a win over Boston [October 11th] (maybe more since it was at Fenway) as the Dodgers did against the Cardinals, and hearing you write crap like this makes you sound pretty small. I think the Angels, thanks to ex-Dodger Mike Scioscia, play a pretty damn good brand of baseball. Instead of putting down the Angels you ought to be the biggest cheerleader ever and let the east coast “experts” as you adeptly put it, eat their words many times over. So in summary, I will probably still root my heart out for the Dodgers in a red vs blue match-up, but if the Angels win I will be happy too, and part of it will be the satisfaction of knowing Dodger fans like you, who look down their noses at the Angels will have to do it from a prone position. Sherry Radmore Anaheim Hills, CA Thank you so much for telling the truth about Cox. Ever since that incident happened, I can't stand the man. I never liked him much before, but wife beaters are way low on my list. It's ridiculous that the press and the law can just sweep it under the rug. Poor Mrs. Cox. Did she divorce the creep? At least we won't have to see him in the dugout much longer. We've got to shake off these last three games and get back to being the championship Dodgers we know we are. Thanks for your great articles CeCe L. Hochheim, Texas "One night of Charlie Steiner and Steve Lyons together again showed what's been missing." Not that it's THAT big a deal, but it's "Charley" Steiner. I agree completely about Eric Collins. I doubt he's set foot in L.A., his comments seem to be cliches about the area, and he seemingly has little knowledge of the Dodgers' history. On several of the AFLAC trivia question answers, he seems dumbfounded as if he's never heard of the guy (even if it's a Dodger of common knowledge among real fans). His play-calling is also suspect. All of the above are reasons why the Dodgers should be happy to clinch away from Pittsburgh so Vin can call it. Also, so I can be there. :) Linda Wilson San Diego, CA What the Dodgers are doing to O-Dog is unconscionable. He’s by far the better player and should not be playing caddy to Ronnie Belliard. James McDonald? Please! He’s an Edwin Jackson clone. Get something for him while you can and let another team hope that he finally blossoms into the “potential” others think he has. If he makes the NLDS roster it will be a short post-season for our men in blue. Ron Y San Luis Obispo, CA If this is really the way you feel, Howard, change your site's name to Basketball Savvy. The team is being punished the proscribed period of time. Ramirez is being punished the proscribed period of time. You're turning into a one note harangue here. Rick L. Encino, CA And yeah, as is being suggested elsewhere, Ramirez has got to talk to kids and amateur athletes about drugs, and he's got to be sincere about it. Really serious about it. I have never understood why this is the prescribed penance for these offenses. Kids should hear from guys who didn't take the easy road, get paid millions, and then get taken back after a 50-game vacation. If MLB and the Dodgers had real cojones, he would be kicked out. But we both know that will never happen. In the regular workplace, you don't keep a job when you break the rules. Lasorda in Italian means "The deaf one." Steve Do you know what I really hate about Manny, Bonds, A-Rod, etc.? The fact that I care. I loved the Dodgers of Gil, Campy, Pee Wee, Jackie and Newk; and the Dodgers of Sandy, DD and Wills; and the Dodgers of Lopes, Garvey and the Penguin; and the Dodgers of Gibson and Oral. But Strawberry? Kevin Brown? Sheff? Lo Duca? Ramirez? All of baseball sold its soul to steroids. Well, not all, but everyone at the top, the executives and the stars. The game was ruined, and the Dodgers were no better - maybe among the worst. This is the epitome of a bad relationship. That is what I hate - knowing what baseball is, and still caring. Lee Caryer Columbus, OH Manny who? I'm predicting Juan Pierre will provide a tremendous contribution to the Dodgers during Ramirez's absence. When July rolls around, we Dodger fans will appreciate what Pierre has stepped in and done. I'm thrilled that we have him. David Snipes Loris, SC You know what? I wish you would really go away for ever (sic)! Leave the Dodgers alone! We don't need you or your kind! Cheaters, they are everywhere! We will still be there to greet Manny when he's back! So please go. Anonymous Yes, please cast my vote for a statue of Vin Scully! Listened to Vinny (and Jerry Doggett too) on KFI 640 for pre-game show and the games from 1958 to 1971 until moving to Oregon. Now listen to his home game broadcasts on XM radio during first 3 innings. Vinny has created more Dodger fans and brought more fans to Dodger Stadium than anyone else in the world. Who could possibly object? Dan Marsh Eugene, Oregon Yes, please cast my vote for a statue of Vin Scully! I had an opportunity to meet Mr. Scully while the Dodgers were staying at "my" hotel during a series with the Giants. He was the same gentleman in person as he presents on the radio and television. It'd be great to get this statue presented next year. Funny thing about this is that both Mr. Scully and Mr. Koufax are so modest and humble with the public. Congratulations on your own recent announcement! P. Griffo Portland, OR Yes, please cast my vote for a statue of Vin Scully! Vin Scully is one of the greatest gifts baseball has ever had. It's the right thing to do. William Weible St. Charles, Illinois Yes, please cast my vote for a statue of Vin Scully! Vin Scully is a broadcaster with the rarest of combinations: the highest levels of professionalism blended with acute knowledge of the game and a baseball lover's heart. And THEN the voice - he is a master, one for the ages. Put a statue up of Vinny, while he's still around to appreciate how much he is loved, and how much he has meant to baseball. Tom Bentley Watsonville, CA Yes, please cast my vote for a statue of Vin Scully! I can’t think of a better representative for the Dodgers and baseball in general than the marvelous Mr. Scully. Sherry Radmore Anaheim Hills, CA Just read your rant on pronouncing Johannes (Hans) Peter Wagner's modern moniker "Honus" correctly. I'm with you, brother. I suppose the tendency to use the long 'o' sound arises from the similar-looking word "bonus." Unfortunately, it sounds like a word used to describe the quality of being like Paris Hilton. And yes, I further agree with the irritation that ostensibly knowledgeable sportscasters are the ones mispronouncing it (Bob Costas' smug idiocy is captured forever in Ken Burn's "Baseball," and Keith Olbermann's had it wrong for years). I understand there aren't any archived broadcasts from Wagner's era to listen to, but it seems a pretty simple connection if you just know his first name is "JoHANNES" (and that early on, he was commonly called "Hans"). Keep preachin' it-- Duane Grasse Salem, OR I love the article, however I am a defender of Fred Claire. I know he wasn’t the “most qualified,” not coming from the background of scouts and an ex-ball player, but I don’t see where he did a horrible job. Comparing him to Ned is a tough one for me. Ned’s ratio of free agent busts are way higher than Claire’s. Granted, Strawberry and Davis didn’t pan out the way it should have, but that was no fault of Claire’s. The Pedro trade is over-hyped considering our greatest need at the time was a second Baseman, and [Delino] DeSheilds was really the best out there at the time. It is like you said in today’s article; you can’t keep them all, and at the time [the Dodgers] had a strong core of pitching. Say what you will about Claire, but the 1988 championship had his finger prints all over it. When we had needs as a ball club, they were addressed more times than not. After the 1987 season, adding key guys like Mike Davis, Jay Howell, Alfredo Griffin, and a guy you may remember, Kirk Gibson. That was a tremendous off season. Tell me Ned has done as well in a single off season. I know Fred Claire isn’t a hall of famer, by any means, but for all of Ned Colletti’s experience and pedigree as a “baseball guy,” he is no Fred Claire. Lastly, a lot can be said of Claire for respecting the fans of the team even now. How easy would it be to trash the organization and all that remains with it, especially Tommy. And yet he stays classy as ever “biting his tongue,” right? Why is there no outrage against Lasorda for pushing out Bill Russell and Fred Claire, along with a disaster of a trade costing us Paul Konerko, the latter giving us the likes of Carlos Perez? Lasorda thought he was entitled to the GM spot and he was the only one who could fill Al Campanis’s shoes. Rather than casting stones, does Tommy ever say it was tougher than he thought? Tommy is a legend and I love him, as all fans do. But for a guy from the old days (when the Dodgers were a family organization) he should keep his criticisms of the other family members inside the family. The pointing of the fingers only goes to give the rumors all those years about Tommy thinking he was bigger than the organization type guy. What good is it to publicly call out Fred Claire now when he kept his big mouth shut back then? D. Romo San Bernadino, CA Just so you know your breath isn't entirely wasted when you get to the serious stuff, I never in my life carried an organ donor card until reading one of your columns on the subject about a year ago. And I was there the night of the Campy Tribute at the Coliseum. So these are some old - but very fine - organs. Richard Clayman Los Angeles , CA It is not enough for Mark McGwire to apologize for his steroid or other illegal substance using. That is not enough to make him a hero. His use of performance-enhancing substances enabled him to break what is probably the most prestigious record in all of professional sports. All of his 60-plus HR seasons should be nullified, as should those of SS and BB. The record should be restored to its rightful owner. In the alternative, a separate HRs in a season list should be devised, effective 1998, which would be called "Most Home Runs in a Season by a Performing-Enhanced Cheat." We'll start with the numbers 73, 70, 66 and work our way down from there. Don "The Judge" C. San Diego , CA
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