John Kruk

Born on this date, John Kruk.

"Ten beers would have been light. Chips were my downfall. By the bagful. In West Virginia where I grew up, if it wasn't fried, you didn't eat it."

Jim Eisenreich

Born on today's date, Jim Eisenreich.

"It just started the first day of spring training with (John) Krukkie and Jim Eisenreich. When Eisy walked into the clubhouse, Krukkie looked at him and said, 'Hey, you're that guy with Tourette's Syndrome, right?' and Eisy said, 'Yeah' and Krukkie said, 'Well don't worry, you're going to fit in great here because everybody else is a lot crazier than that, but they can't blame it on anything.'" - Darren Daulton

Kruk just said....

....."A lot of people don't know he's been very good for a long time."

Ummm.......who?

John Kruk

Born on today's date, John Kruk.

"If someone from Germany or somewhere, who had no idea what baseball was, saw Kruk play, he'd wonder what the beer truck driver was doing playing first base." - Andy Van Slyke

On this TBS post-game show....

....David Wells' voice and speech patterns sound really close to John Kruk.

But he's making sense!

Mind-bender!

Terry Mulholland

On this date in 1990, Terry Mulholland throws a no-hitter beating the Giants 6-0.

"I'm not gonna lie. I was scared to death. My first and second thoughts were, 'Please don't hit it to me.'" - teammate John Kruk

John Kruk

Born on today's date, John Kruk.

"Ten beers would have been light. Chips were my downfall. By the bagful. In West Virginia where I grew up, if it wasn't fried, you didn't eat it."

Ok, so you're "crazy" just like us? You will fit right in!

Landon Evanson at bugsandcranks.com has an interview with retired Phillies catcher, Darren Daulton.

Here is just one question and answer:

Evanson: It was a team full of characters (referring to the '93 Phillies) that late announcer Harry Kalas referred to as a "wacky, wonderful bunch of throwbacks." We are sure there were plenty, but give us your favorite, perhaps craziest story about the '93 Phillies.

Daulton: Geez, oh man. Not really, there were so many that I can't really pin any one in particular down. It just started the first day of spring training with (John) Krukkie and Jim Eisenreich. When Eisy walked into the clubhouse, Krukkie looked at him and said "Hey, you're that guy with Tourette's Syndrome, right?" and Eisy said, "Yeah," and Krukkie said "Well don't worry, you're going to fit in great here because everybody else is a lot crazier than that, but they can't blame it on anything." Eisy had a laugh and everybody else did too, and it kind of kicked everything off.

Classic!

It was only then that "Eisy" knew that he was at a place that he truly belonged.

There is an Ichiro Hall of Fame debate? Really?

I was reading an mlb.com article the other day and part of it touched on the "debate" apparently presently ongoing as to whether Ichiro is a Hall of Fame worthy player.

I guess my initial (well only) thought was: There is a debate?

He has 1940 hits in 8 1/2 seasons.

He has 9 straight (after this year) 200 hit seasons.

THE GUY HAS 437 INFIELD HITS IN 8 1/2 SEASONS! (I hate all caps but it is true, you know)

Not bad defensively (actually pretty good) so you cannot subtract points there.

In any debate, of course you need someone to argue the "other side". Who would do it? Who would they scrounge up to debate the "No-Hall" position here? Here are some candidates:

1. Chris Berman - Someone without credibility so maybe this is up his alley. He also seems to love the attention and people like this usually settle for negative attention if they cannot get it any other way. Berman would be a possibility. Ichiro then goes to the Hall.

2. Jay Mariotti - He hates everybody and is also not afraid to walk around with egg on his face. Of course Jay is quite unpopular and this also perhaps could insure a 100% vote for Ichiro. Let's do it. Ichiro then goes to the Hall.

3. John Kruk - Earlier in the week on ESPN's Baseball Tonight, I saw him arguing that baseball should adopt a football-like challenge system where each manager gets one "flag" to throw to challenge an umpire call and beyond that there should be no arguments between managers and umpires. This is mind-numbingly dumb for a number of reasons; one of which is fans really like manager/umpire arguments so why would you limit them. Actually, you know what? We have a winner. Kruk gets to argue the Ichiro "No-Hall" position. Ichiro then enters the Hall in his first year of eligibility.

THE GUY HAS 437 INFIELD HITS in 8 1/2 YEARS!