Saturday, August 3, 2013

Dave Rozema: Detroit Tigers timeline


Born: August 5, 1956

1974: Drafted by San Francisco Giants, but did not sign

1974: Grand Rapids Community College

1975: Drafted by Detroit Tigers

Debut: April 30, 1977 (Detroit Tigers)

First win: April 21, 1977 (shutout Toronto)

1977: 15-7, 4th in Rookie of the Year and 8th in Cy Young

1977: TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year

1982: Tore his knee ligaments delivering a karate kick during a bench clearing brawl

1982: Had an accident with a flask in his back pocket requiring stiches. During his Tiger career, Rozema also shoved a shot glass in  Alan Trammell’s face resulting in stitches, missed the team bus because he overslept after judging a wet t-shirt contest, and once used brillo pads to wash a brand new car.

1984: Tigers win World Series

1984: Signed with Texas Rangers

1985: He and teammate Kirk Gibson married sisters in a double ceremony

1986: Released by Rangers

1986: Signed by Chicago White Sox

1989-90: Pitched for St Petersburg Pelicans in the Senior League

2006: SI listed Rosey as one of the 10 Greatest Characters in Tiger history

2008: West Michigan White Caps had Dave Rozema Karate Kick Bobbleleg Day

Accomplishments:

1984 World Champion

60-53 Record

3.47 ERA

248 games/132 starts/36 CG

7 shutouts

17 saves

448 strikeouts

1106 IP

1.250 WHIP

15 wins (1977)

Sub 4 ERA: 7x

Sub 3.50 ERA: 3x

10+ CG: 2x

200+ IP: 2x

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Quotes of the Month: July 2013


Quote of the Month: "He’s about as mean as a (expletive) kitten, I think he doesn’t realize he’s white and not black, that’s a huge problem."

-Sharon Osbourne on Justin Bieber

Bizarre Quote of the Month: “I was 'abducted by aliens' in the desert two weeks ago.”

-Baron Davis

Dumb Quote of the Month:

"Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago."

-Barack Obama (Martin was not raised by rich white parents)

"We killed people who are rats, and the two biggest rats were sitting right next to me."

-Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi referring to Whitey Bulger

"We hope everyone can exercise their First Amendment right to free speech, then get tired and go home."

-LAPD Spokesman Andrew Smith on the Trayvon Martin protests

"I think he has more reason now than ever to think that people are trying to kill him because they express they're trying to kill him, all the time, every day, on my Twitter feed, on the Internet."

- Robert Zimmerman Jr.

The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy.  Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America.  I know this case has elicited strong passions.  And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher.  But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken.  I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son.  And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities.  We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis.  We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this.  As citizens, that’s a job for all of us.  That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.

-Obama

“And so it was for a few weeks until the race-baiting industry saw an opportunity to further the racist careers of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the Black Panthers. President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, et al, who then swept down on the Florida community refusing to admit that the 17-year-old dope smoking, racist gangsta wannabe Trayvon Martin was at all responsible for his bad decisions and standard modus operendi of always taking the violent route.”

“The only racism on that night was perpetrated by Trayvon Martin, and everybody knows it."

-Ted Nugent

"As a matter of fact, I think he’s a white racist god with a problem. More importantly, he is carrying a gun and stalking young black men.”

--University of Pennsylvania Professor Anthea Butler

 “Enough was enough.”

-Governor Rick Snyder on Detroit

"I have made some mistakes."

-Ryan Braun

“He said ‘I don’t give a fuck’ and meant it!”

-Lars Ulrich on Ritchie Blackmore

“...we discussed the fact that Ho Chi Minh was actually inspired by the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and the words of Thomas Jefferson.”

-- President Obama talking to reporters alongside Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.

"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"
-Francis I

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Sci Fi History: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)


What could be better than a Godzilla film? A Godzilla film with King Kong! Toho Studios released this classic in 1962 and it remains the most successful Godzilla film to date. At this point, Godzilla remained a villain, so Kong emerged victorious after the climactic battle on Mount Fuji. For decades, rumors persisted that Godzilla won the Japanese version and King Kong the English version. However, this is incorrect. Toho Studios even announced Kong won the battle.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Willie Hernandez: Detroit Tigers timeline


Born: November 14, 1954

1973: Signed with Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent

1976: Drafted by Cubs in Rule 5 draft

Debut: April 9, 1977 (Cubs)

1980: Cubs unsuccessfully experimented with Hernandez as a starter

1983: Traded to Phillies

1983: Phillies lose World Series

1984: Traded to Tigers

1984: AL MVP and Cy Young

1984: Tigers win World Series

1985: Last MLB at bat

1986: Went by Guillermo and not Willie

1987: Loses closer’s role

1987: Tigers lose ALDS

1989: Released by Tigers

1989-95: Attempted a number of comebacks

1995: Received 0.4% of Hall of Fame vote and dropped off ballot

Accomplishments:

1984 World Champion

1984 AL MVP

1984 AL Cy Young

3x All Star

70-63 Record

3.38 ERA

744 Games (11 starts)

147 Saves

1044.2 IP

788 Strikeouts

1.245 WHIP

1.92 ERA (1984)

Led league 80 games (1984)

Led league 68 games finished (1984)

100+ IP: 5x

112 strikeouts (1984)

1.000 Whip (or less): 2x

Postseason: 0-0, 1.32 ERA, 10 games, 3 saves, 13.9 IP, 0.805 ERA (4 series)

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Sci Fi History: The multiverse is born: Flash discovers Earth 2 (1961)


A pair of physics students once approached Albert Einstein with their theory of a multiverse. Einstein blew them off. He thought the idea of alternate universes absurd. In the 21st century, many respected scientists advocate the idea as plausible and even probable. In 1961, DC Comics used the idea to explain discrepancies in continuity. The Flash vibrated into an alternate universe. The Flash #123 explains the theory of the multiverse in some detail. A few years later, Star Trek covered the idea in “Mirror Mirror” and “The Tholian Web.” In 1995, the television series, Sliders, devoted itself to the topic. J.J. Abrams loves the idea and incorporated it into Fringe and the Star Trek reboot. The multiverse allows every conceivable possibility to occur. So, in one universe, Donald Trump is president. In another, he is a pauper. DC Comics has used the idea to reset its universe more than once. The Flash introduced the concept into popular culture over 50 years ago.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Joe Medwick: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1968


Born: November 24, 1911

Debut: September 2, 1932 (Cardinals)

1934: Ejected in Game 7 of 1934 World Series for own protection

1934: Cards win World Series

1937: Won Triple Crown (.374, 31, 154)

1937: NL MVP

1940: Traded to Dodgers

1940: Suffered near fatal beaning

1941: Dodgers lose World Series

1943: Purchased by Giants

1944: Visited Vatican on USO Tour & met Pope Pius XII

1945: Traded to Braves

1946: Signed by Browns

1946: Released by Browns/signed by Dodgers

1946: Signed by Yankees

1947: Released by Yankees/Signed by Cardinals

1948: Released by Cardinals

1949-52: Played in minors

1968: Elected to Hall of Fame

1999: Finalist for All Century Team

Accomplishments:

1934 World Champion

1937 NL MVP

1937 Triple Crown winner

Last NL Triple Crown Winner

10x All Star

.324

205 HR

1383 RBI

1198 runs

2471 hits

540 doubles

113 triples

.362 OBP

.505 slugging

.867 OPS

3852 TB

Led League in games (156): 1937

Led league in runs (111): 1937

100+ runs: 6x

Led league in hits: 2x

200+ hits: 5x

Led league in doubles: 3x

30+ doubles: 11x

40+ doubles: 7x

50+ doubles: 2x

64 doubles (1936)

Led league in triples (18): 1934

10+ triples: 7x

20+ HR: 3x

Led league in HR (31): 1937

Led league in RBI: 3x

100+ RBI: 6x

Hit .300: 11x

Hit .350+: 3x

Led league (.374): 1937

.414 OBP (1937)

Led league .641 slugging (1937)

.500 slugging: 7x

1.056 OPS (1937)

300+ TB: 6x

Led league in TB: 3x

406 TB (1937)

Postseason: .326, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .811 OPS, 1 fight (2 World Series)

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Goose Goslin: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1968


Born: October 16, 1900

1917: Left home to play semi-pro baseball

1921: Purchased by Washington Senators from Columbia (South Atlantic League)

Debut: September 16, 1921 (Senators)

1924: Hit for cycle

1924: Washington won the World Series

1925: Senators lost the World Series

1928: Won Batting Title (.379)

1930: Traded to St Louis Browns

1932: Traded to Senators

1933: Senators lost the World Series

1933: Traded to the Detroit Tigers

1934: Tigers lost the World Series

1935: Had GW walk-off hit in Game 6 of World Series to clinch title for Detroit

1935: Goslin is one of three players to be the final at bat in two World Series (Edgar Renteria and Boss Schmidt)

1935: Tigers win World Series

1938: Signed by Senators

1938: Retired

1968: Elected to Hall of Fame

1969: Retired from a Boat Rental company

1971: Died

Accomplishments:

2x World Champion

1928 Batting Champion

Most home runs by a visiting player at Yankee Stadium (32)

1936 All Star

.316 Average

248 Home Runs

1610 RBI

1483 Runs

500 Doubles

173 Triples

176 SB

949 walks-585 strikeouts

.387 OBP

.500 Slugging

.887 OPS

4325 TB

100 runs: 7x

200+ hits: 2x

30+ doubles: 10x

42 doubles (1931)

10+ triples: 9x

15+ triples: 5x

20 triples (1925)

Led league in triples: 2x

20+ HR: 3x

37 HR (1930)

100+ RBI: 11x

Led league in RBI (1924)

20+ SB: 2x

Hit .300: 10x

.400 OBP: 5x

.500 slugging: 8x

.600 slugging: 2x

300 TB: 6x
Postseason: .287, 7 HR, 19 RBI, .836 OPS (5 World Series)