I recently wrote my newspaper column about a diversion we enjoyed when we were kids, long before the days of video games. You can read it here:
"Bored? Try this for cure"
Our version of "Dice Baseball" comes straight from an essay by the same name, written by D.J. Michael, that appeared in "The Second Fireside Book of Baseball," published in 1958. (We didn't start playing until 1975.)
Click here for a PDF version of the essay.
Back to real-life baseball, the world is returning to normal: The Pirates are sinking like a lead balloon, and the Yankees are about to give the Red Sox a run for their money.
Every few years, Pittsburgh will give fans a false sense of optimism. This summer, it came right before the All-Star break, when the Pirates went on a 9-4 run to pull within eight games of .500. (That might not seem so great, but in Pittsburgh, the big goal is to finish above the break-even point once more in our lifetime.)
After a four-day layoff, the Pirates returned to action by getting swept in Atlanta and at home by Colorado. On Tuesday, yet another mediocre ex-Buc, Josh Fogg, confounded his old team on his way to 6-2 win, lowering his ERA to 5.15 in the process.
The Pirates' worst pitching performance during the losing streak (so far) was turned in Monday by John Van Benschoten, who fell to 0-4 in a 10-8 loss. Van Benschoten -- at least one local sports talk type has tried to give him the handle of "JVB" -- started the game by plunking Willy Taveras with a pitch, then gave up five runs before Pittsburgh even came to bat. In surrendering nine earned runs in two innings, JVB saw his ERA rise to 8.17. All this from a former No. 8 overall pick in the draft, a stud hitter at Kent State whom the Pirates decided would make a better pitcher.
Good call.
As for the Yankees ... hey, when you can afford to pay Roger Clemens about two hundred grand per inning, you should be winning.
Trivia question 50: Who was the oldest player to win his first batting title? (courtesty of Bruce Brown, Society for American Baseball Research)
You cringe when you hear it: "Baseball ... it's so boring." Don't tell that to the people who help set new records each year attending games in the majors and minors. There's something about baseball that keeps folks coming back for more, even if football is harder-hitting, basketball is faster-paced, and you might see a wreck at a NASCAR race. Join me for various observations and history lessons about America's pastime. -- Harry Funk
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The man beyond third base
- Harry Funk
- • Online editor, The Observer-Reporter, Washington, Pa. • Member, Society for American Baseball Research • Guitar & bass player
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Protecting the Allegheny River during the 2006 All-Star game
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- Dice baseball
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- Barry's blues
- Adios, Julio?
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- 9,999 and counting
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- Hear, hear!
- Were all of them stars?
- The amazing Mr. Gibson
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Trivia answers
- 56. Dallas and Chicago
- 55. On Oct. 1, 1933, Babe Ruth pitched a complete game for the Yankees against the Red Sox. According to Boston Post writer Paul Shannon, "though hit hard at times, and seemingly very tired toward the end, [Ruth] was able to steer his hard-hitting teammates to a 6-5 win in the season's final contest."
- 54. Gaylord Perry, San Francisco Giants, April 27, 1971
- 53. Rolando Arrojo went 14-12 for the Devil Rays in 1998, the team's first season. That represented 22.2 percent of the Rays' total victories.
- 52. Chester "Red" Hoff (1891-1998), who pitched for the New York Highlanders from 1911-13 and St. Louis Browns in 1915
- 51. George Steinbrenner, New York Yankees, 1974
- 50. Barry Lamar Bonds, 2002, age 38, breaking the previous record held by another ex-Pirate, Al Oliver
- 49. Manny Trillo, George Vukovich, Jay Baller and Jerry Willard
- 48. Dean Stone. In the eighth inning of the 1954 All-Star Game, the Washington rookie came in to pitch with two outs and runners on first and third. As Stone wound up, Red Schoendienst raced toward home. Stone threw to the plate to catch Schoendienst stealing. The American League scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to take an 11-9 lead, and Stone got the win in his only All-Star appearance.
- 47. Carlton Fisk, 1972
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