The Bender story is interesting...there's a great moment in MLB Network's Maddux documentary (which is awesome, but the way, unlike the actual network) about him wanting to go home his first year. It's gotta be tough on these kids mentally to transition from home and high school to professional ball far from home.
I too, hope young Mr. Bender gets another chance should he want one.
I'm reminded of Jake Taylor in "Major League" telling the opposing batter while Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn is on the mound--"What do ya think the kid thinks about the ole' number one?!" Wouldn't have been quite as good an ending if Taylor was cut, and never got to walk off the field in celebration with Rene Russo.
Yes! I remember that scene. But Bender… omfg- and I wonder what the umpire thought of it, hearing him tell guys ‘ok, here comes a slider’ (he must have verbally communicated things, right? no signalling with his glove or banging on the plate or such like? 😂)
Technical note: I think that Samuel Aldegheri is the second Italy-raised player in MLB, although most sources seem to refer to him only as the first pitcher.
The first player was Alessandro "Alex" Liddi who played third base for the Mariners in 2011-13.
Looks like we will have to wait until 2025 for the dreaded Aldeghiri - Arrighetti matchup, as the Astros and Angels were not savvy enough to co-ordinate for either of their two remaining series.
Bender reminds me of Jonathan Johnson, or in not-real-life, La Flama Blanca, who both quit the sport while on the mound in the middle of a game.
How do you say "I quit" without saying "I quit?" you know?
I am certain that Bender will never get another chance, and I'm not really a hardass, but I wouldn't really spend my time advocating for one, either, not when much more deserving cases like Will Craig have yet to be welcomed back from their exile.
That is so bizarre I can’t help wondering about the guy’s mental health. Don’t know a thing about him and I’m in no way a mental health professional, but depression can look very weird in young men, and a reckless ‘fuck it, burn it all down’ kind of acting out is not uncommon in my experience.
(By which I mean, I sometimes did self-destructive things like that as a budding young depressive. And while I’m on the topic, a thought for Andrew Toles. Here’s hoping he’s doing as well as possible.)
With all due respect to Walter Haas, I seem to recall that his plan was for the A's to play in San Jose? Which, the last time I checked, was not Oakland.
As for the player tipping pitches, I hope he never plays professional baseball again. Now there IS a great story to be written about cases of players being tipped off. I think of Denny McLain teeing it up for Mickey Mantle--he told Bill Freehan to ask Mickey where he wanted it and Mickey was so shocked that he screwed up the first one. McLain gave it to him again and Mantle hit it to Saturn.
The Bender story is interesting...there's a great moment in MLB Network's Maddux documentary (which is awesome, but the way, unlike the actual network) about him wanting to go home his first year. It's gotta be tough on these kids mentally to transition from home and high school to professional ball far from home.
Maybe he'll get another chance.
Hello the Everybody!
I too, hope young Mr. Bender gets another chance should he want one.
I'm reminded of Jake Taylor in "Major League" telling the opposing batter while Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn is on the mound--"What do ya think the kid thinks about the ole' number one?!" Wouldn't have been quite as good an ending if Taylor was cut, and never got to walk off the field in celebration with Rene Russo.
Yes! I remember that scene. But Bender… omfg- and I wonder what the umpire thought of it, hearing him tell guys ‘ok, here comes a slider’ (he must have verbally communicated things, right? no signalling with his glove or banging on the plate or such like? 😂)
Technical note: I think that Samuel Aldegheri is the second Italy-raised player in MLB, although most sources seem to refer to him only as the first pitcher.
The first player was Alessandro "Alex" Liddi who played third base for the Mariners in 2011-13.
I am very curious as to whether Samuel Aldegheri crossed paths with Lenny Randle in Italy.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/lenny-randles-italian-baseball-renaissance-110474/
(Randle would be about 75 now, so likely not? Still, a fun read,)
"The White Sox have a team OPS of .616 this season. Former Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano had a career OPS of .636."
This, "the most unkindest cut of all!"
As a pained but jaded and numb Sox fan (Reinsdorf does that to you), all I can say is that the truth hurts.
“Former Dodger Cody Bellinger has now hit 6 homers in 13 games as a visitor at Dodger Stadium.”
One more and he’ll match his total from 2021 in 51 games in Dodger Stadium.
Looks like we will have to wait until 2025 for the dreaded Aldeghiri - Arrighetti matchup, as the Astros and Angels were not savvy enough to co-ordinate for either of their two remaining series.
Bender reminds me of Jonathan Johnson, or in not-real-life, La Flama Blanca, who both quit the sport while on the mound in the middle of a game.
How do you say "I quit" without saying "I quit?" you know?
I am certain that Bender will never get another chance, and I'm not really a hardass, but I wouldn't really spend my time advocating for one, either, not when much more deserving cases like Will Craig have yet to be welcomed back from their exile.
That is so bizarre I can’t help wondering about the guy’s mental health. Don’t know a thing about him and I’m in no way a mental health professional, but depression can look very weird in young men, and a reckless ‘fuck it, burn it all down’ kind of acting out is not uncommon in my experience.
(By which I mean, I sometimes did self-destructive things like that as a budding young depressive. And while I’m on the topic, a thought for Andrew Toles. Here’s hoping he’s doing as well as possible.)
With all due respect to Walter Haas, I seem to recall that his plan was for the A's to play in San Jose? Which, the last time I checked, was not Oakland.
As for the player tipping pitches, I hope he never plays professional baseball again. Now there IS a great story to be written about cases of players being tipped off. I think of Denny McLain teeing it up for Mickey Mantle--he told Bill Freehan to ask Mickey where he wanted it and Mickey was so shocked that he screwed up the first one. McLain gave it to him again and Mantle hit it to Saturn.