Robin Ventura: Timeline

Born: July 14, 1967

1987: 58-Game hit streak at Oklahoma State

1988: All American for third time at Oklahoma State

1988: Golden Spikes and Dick Howser trophy

1988: Won Olympic Gold Medal in baseball

1988: Drafted by Chicago White Sox

Debut: September 12, 1989

1993: First AL 3b with three consecutive 90 RBI seasons since Graig Nettles (1975-78)

1993: Beaten up by Nolan Ryan

1993: Sox win AL West

1995: Two Grand Slams in one game

1997: Broke ankle sliding into home

1998: Signed with New York Mets

1998: First player to hit Grand Slams in both ends of a double header

1999: Grand Slam single

2000: Mets win Pennant

2001: Traded to New York Yankees

2002: Mets lose ALDS

2003: Traded to Los Angeles Dodgers

2004: Hit two pinch hit GW HR

2004: Pitched in a game (1 inning, 1 hit, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 Ks)

2004: Dodgers lose NLDS

2004: Retired

2006: College Baseball Hall of Fame inaugural class

2009: Inducted into Oklahoma State Athletic Hall of Fame

2010: Fell off HOF ballot (1.3% of vote)

2012-Present: White Sox Manager (148-176, .457, 2 seasons)

Accomplishments:

2x All Star

6x Gold Glove

3x All American

Golden Spikes

Dick Howser Award

18 Career Grand Slams

Grand Slam Single

College Baseball Hall of Fame

Oklahoma State Athletic Hall of Fame

.267

294 HR

1182 RBI

1006 Runs

.362 OBP

.444 Slugging

.806 OPS

3133 TB

30+ Doubles: 4x

20+ HR: 9x

30+ HR: 2x

100+ RBI: 3x

105 walks (1993)

.301 (1999)

.500 slugging: 2x

300+ TB: 2x

Postseason: .177, 3 HR, 19 RBI, .614 OPS (37 games-8 series)

Sci Fi History: The Prisoner (1967)

The Prisoner lasted just 17 episodes, but had a dramatic impact on sci-fi. A British secret agent retires to an idyllic village that turns out to be a prison. His captors demand information from him, which he never devolves. Instead, he spends the series trying to escape his prison. The show combined the spy thriller with sci-fi and psycho drama. It contained counterculture themes and served as an allegory for society. It also included one of the most surreal settings in pop culture history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRPDO63rI1

1903 World Series Game 8

Game 8: Boston: 3 Pittsburgh: 0 (Boston wins 5 games to 3)
WP: Dinneen (3-1)

LP: Phillippe (3-2)

The Pirates had to win Game 8 or they would suffer the humiliation of losing to an American League team. They turned to Deacon Phillippe again for his fifth start in eight games. Boston countered with Bill Dinneen for the fourth time. Phillippe was worn out and it showed. The game was scoreless into the fourth when Hobe Ferris slapped a two-run single. Ferris knocked in the game's third and final run in the sixth with another single. Dinneen only needed one run. He tossed a four hit shutout, his second of the series, and struck out 7, including Honus Wagner to end the series.

If the writers' awarded a World Series MVP in 1903, then Bill Dinneen probably wins. He started four games, won three times, threw two shutouts, and struck out 28 in 35 innings. Cy Young won two games and had the key triple to turn the series around in Game 5. Hall of Famer Jimmy Collins hit .250 for Boston. Chick Stahl batted .303 with a .839 OPS and Patsy Dougherty had a two home run game and .827 OPS.

For the Bucs, Deacon Phillippe started five games and went 3-2. No other pitcher notched a victory. Jimmy Seebring hit .333 with a home run and .855 OPS. The great Honus Wagner managed just .222 with 3 RBI and .582 OPS against Boston pitching. Pittsburgh's other Hall of Famer, Fred Clarke, hit .265 with a .668 OPS.

The Pirates experienced a World Series hangover in 1904 and finished fourth. They returned to the Fall Classic in 1909 where Wagner redeemed himself at a .333 clip. Boston repeated as AL Champs in 1904, but New York Giants dictator John McGraw refused to play the junior circuit in the World Series. As a result, the Sox did not get the opportunity to defend their crown. They would appear in their next World Series in 1912.

1903 World Series Game 7

Game 7: Boston: 7 Pittsburgh: 3 (Boston leads 4-3)
WP: Young (2-1)

LP: Phillippe (3-1)

Pittsburgh was bleeding and desperately needed a win after blowing a 3-1 series lead. They turned to Deacon Phillippe who authored all three of their series victories. It was the fourth and final game in Pittsburgh, with the series looking to return to Boston for Games 8 and 9. Boston handed the ball to Cy Young. The game was not a piece of art as both teams combined for seven errors.

The Americans jumped on Philippe for two in the first. Jimmy Collins and Chick Stahl hit back-to-back triples and Stahl scored on a grounder. Boston added two in the fourth to pretty much put the game away. They led 6-1 in the sixth and 7-2 in the ninth. Pittsburgh scored a slop run in the ninth. Five Boston batsmen slammed triples against the Pirates. Both starters pitched complete games. 

1903 World Series Game 6

Game 6: Boston: 6 Pittsburgh: 3 (Series tied 3-3)
WP: Dinneen (2-1)

LP: Leever (0-2)

Sam Leever managed to pitch more than a solitary inning in his second start of the 1903 World Series. Leever made it the whole 9 innings in his second start, but took another loss. Bill Dinneen bested him for the second time in the series with a complete game of his own. Both starters allowed 10 hits, but Dinneen limited the damage to three runs while Leever surrendered four earned.

The game was scoreless until the third when Boston put up three on three singles, a walk, and an error. The Americans put the game away in the fifth with two more runs. They scored their final run in the seventh on a Candy LaChance double. Pittsburgh tallied three in the bottom of the seventh on a Ginger Beaumont single and a 2-run double by Fred Clarke. Beaumont had four hits, Clarke and Jimmy Sebring had two each. Chick Stahl and Hobe Ferris had two knocks each for Boston.

1903 World Series Game 5

Game 5: Red Sox: 11 Pirates: 2 (Pirates lead 3-2)
WP: Young (1-1)

LP: Kennedy (0-1)

The Pirates decided to start someone other than Deacon Phillippe in Game 5. Brickyard Kennedy got the ball for the Bucs despite having a bad year. The 35-year-old was at the end of his career. He appeared in just 18 games, but completed 10. Kennedy carried a high 3.45 ERA into the postseason.

The Sox desperately needed a victory and turned to Cy Young. Amazingly, Kennedy matched Young for the first five innings. Then, the Red Sox offense awoke for 10 runs in two innings off Kennedy. They scored six in the sixth before recording an out and then four in the seventh. In fairness, the Pirate starter allowed only 4 earned runs in 7 innings. The Sox blasted five triples in the game, including one by Young and two by Patsy Dougherty. Young's triple blew the game open in the sixth. Boston scored another in the eighth inning while the Pirates posted two meaningless tallies late. The win brought the Sox back into the Best-of-Nine World Series. In fact, the Sox sixth inning rally seemed to turn the series around. The Pirates never recovered from Young's triple or dominant pitching performance.

1903 World Series Game 4

Game 4: Pirates: 5 Red Sox: 4 (Pirates lead 3-1)
WP: Phillippe (3-0)

LP: Dinneen (1-1)

Deacon Phillippe returned for his third complete game of the series to help the Bucs take a 3-1 series lead. Game 2 winner Bill Dinneen was Phillippe's latest victim. Pittsburgh scored in the first on a Kitty Bransfield single. Boston tied it in the fifth on a Lou Criger single and the Pirates retook the lead 2-1 in the bottom half on Tommy Leach's RBI safety. The Pirates seem to put the game away in the seventh. Leach tripled in two and then scored on Honus Wagner's hit. Pittsburgh took the 5-1 lead into the ninth and held on for dear life. The Sox scored three with a furious rally that fell just short. Both starters finished the game despite wobbly moments.