Bill Rigney

Born on this date, Bill Rigney.

"I plead guilty to assigning Jay Johnstone and Jim Piersall as roommates. It was an easy decision. I didn't want to screw up two rooms."

Ralph Garr

Born on today's date, Ralph Garr.

"Ralph was one of the nicest guys you'll ever want to meet. He was the type of guy who always had a smile on his face. He enjoyed playing the game but when he put that glove on, he turned into Frankenstein. I just said on the air that he was a bad defensive outfielder. The next day I'm down on the field and he comes up to me and says, 'Hey blanket blank, why have you been saying I'm so bad? Didn't you ever make an error?' I said, 'Ralph, in 17 years, I made 39 errors.' He shut up quickly and walked away from me." - Jimmy Piersall   

Jimmy Piersall

Born on this date, Jimmy Piersall.

"I'm crazy and I've got the papers to prove it. - (Admitted to Westborough State Hospital in Massachusetts for seven weeks in 1962 for "nervous exhaustion")

Jimmy Piersall

On this date in 1963, Jimmy Piersall of the Mets runs around the bases backwards to celebrate his 100th career home run.

"I did it good too. I even shook hands with the third base coach."

Ralph Garr

Born on today's date, Ralph Garr.

"Ralph was one of the nicest guys you'll ever want to meet. He was the type of guy who always had a smile on his face. He enjoyed playing the game but when he put that glove on, he turned into Frankenstein. I just said on the air that he was a bad defensive outfielder. The next day I'm down on the field and he comes up to me and says, 'Hey blankety blank, why have you been saying I'm so bad? Didn't you ever make an error?' I said, 'Ralph, in 17 years, I made 39 errors.' He shut up quickly and walked away from me." - Jimmy Piersall

Jimmy Piersall

Born on today's date, Jimmy Piersall.

"I'm crazy and I've got the papers to prove it." - (Admitted to Westborough State Hospital in Massachusetts for 7 weeks in 1962 for "nervous exhaustion")

Jimmy Piersall

On this date in 1963, Jimmy Piersall of the Mets runs around the bases backwards to celebrate his 100th career home run.

"I did it good too. I even shook hands with the third base coach."

Billy Martin

On this date in 1952, Billy Martin gets into a fight with Jimmy Piersall of the Red Sox in the tunnel under the stands at Fenway Park.

On this date in 1979, Billy Martin issues a public apology to Reno sportswriter, Ray Hagar with whom he brawled last November. Hagar filed suit for assault, leading to an out-of-court settlement.

"I'm no fighter. I never started a fight in my life. But I've never walked away from one when someone jumped me."

Ralph Garr

Born on today's date, Ralph Garr.

"Ralph was one of the nicest guys you'll ever want to meet. He was the type of guy who always had a smile on his face. He enjoyed playing the game but when he put that glove on, he turned into Frankenstein. I just said on eh air that he was a bad defensive outfielder. The next day I'm down on the field and he comes up to me and says, 'Hey blankety blank, why have you been saying I'm so bad. Didn't you ever make an error? I said, 'Ralph, in 17 years, I made 39 errors.' He shut up quickly and walked away from me." - Jimmy Piersall

Jimmy Piersall

Born on this date, Jimmy Piersall.

"I did it good too. I even shook hands with the coach at third base." - on running the bases backwards in 1963 to celebrate his 100th career home run

Jimmy Piersall

On this date in 1963, Jimmy Piersall of the Mets runs around the bases backwards to celebrate his 100th career home run.

"I did it good too. I even shook hands with the coach at third base."

The struggles of Jimmy Piersall

On this date in 1962, Jimmy Piersall was knocked unconscious by a revolving door in a hotel in Baltimore.

I would sue that hotel for having that door go right to left!

You would NEVER expect that!

And they wonder why there was carnage by that door that day!

Jimmy Piersall

On today's date in 1963, Jimmy Piersall celebrated his 100th career home run by running around the bases backwards.

I don't even need to check to see who the pitcher* was but I know it was definitely NOT two guys.

It was NOT Bob Gibson and it was NOT Don Drysdale.

I know this because Jimmy Piersall is still alive.

No fool would hit a home run off either of those two guys and run around the bases backwards and then live to tell about it.

It just wouldn't happen.

Rule those two guys out as the pitcher in question on that date.

*I see it was Dallas Green of the Phillies.

Disco Demolition

So Computer Boy, Skate Kid and I were watching the 10 minute "look back" that ESPN had on Disco Demolition Night 30 years ago in Chicago. By a show of 3 hands, we say it was great!

Incredible video footage.

7 foot high flames in the outfield!

People climbing down the flagpole from the upper deck.

Riot police on the field.

A free win for the Tigers!

Both Computer Boy and Skate Kid said that they wished they were there.

Me too. (Though I would have been in the "watching from the stands/keeping an eye out for a stray thrown bottle" mode)

No drugs or alcohol either for me but with that show on the field, you don't really need any of that stuff.

One thing in the ESPN segment that I found interesting was the reaction of Jimmy Piersall who was the White Sox radio announcer at the time. Jimmy was still quite angry and bitter at the whole thing calling it a "disgrace to baseball" and scoffing at the interviewer who asked him if he saw anything other than negative in it and eventually telling the interviewer that he was "stupid".

As I recall in his playing days, Jimmy used to spontaneously climb fences at the ballpark in fits of craziness which if you think about it is not much different than what the anti-disco revellers were doing that night.

I guess it is ok when it is just you.