Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency yesterday. In so doing, he also relinquished the coveted title of WMBOD, which of course is short for world’s most baseball-obsessed dictator — a lofty perch for which he had no serious competition.
Although Castro dabbled in a number of sports, including table tennis, basketball, golf, and boxing, his first love was always baseball. The oft-repeated story about him supposedly having gotten a tryout with the Washington Senators is total bunk, but it’s true that he long harbored a fantasy of playing for the Yankees (where El Duque and Jose Contreras would no doubt have greeted him by saying, “Dude, did you defect too?!”).
Baseball-related photos of Castro — and there are a lot of them — break down into three primary categories:
1. Castro in a baseball uniform. Most of these date back to the late 1950s through the mid-’60s. As you can see, his stirrup style left a bit to be desired, and I think we can safely say he wasn’t doing steroids, but dig those eyeglasses! And El Presidente had the whole facial hair thing going on long before before Rollie Fingers’s ’stache was a glimmer in Charlie Finley’s eye.
2. Castro in military fatigues. Loads of these pics floating around. Fidel loved to throw out the first pitch or take the ceremonial first swing (a quaint Cuban custom, not unlike slaughtering a chicken upon the birth of your neighbor’s first child). El Comandante also appears to have gotten some actual game action whilst attired in olive drab, as seen here, here, here and here. (Those last two shots, of course, are from Castro’s little-known beatnik phase, when he was prone to reciting painfully bad poetry and reading Jack Kerouac.)
3. Castro looking like your grandfather who belongs on the shuffleboard court, not the baseball diamond. More recent photos document El Jefe Maximo’s descent into baseball self-parody. Like a meddling team owner who can’t resist the urge to play dress-up, he’s donned all manner of embarrassing get-ups, sometimes while in the company of other world leaders. If only the Bay of Pigs plan had succeeded, we could have been spared this.
(It’s worth noting that Fidel also tried his hand at managing the Cuban national team in an exhibition game against Venezuela in 1999. But as reader Eric Trager points out, “Of course, among Latin American dictators, Castro barely holds a candle to Hugo Chavez, who pitched four semi-stirruped inings in that same game.” A rematch in 2000 was embarrassing for all concerned.)
Two best Castro pics I found: Fidel checking out a young prospect, and checking out a really young prospect. I believe he was telling the tyke, “No signing bonus for you, kid — that’s only for capitalists. And don’t even bother learning the words ‘free agency.’ ”
Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em: Yesterday’s entry on smoking prompted a flood of good responses. The very first one came from Todd Radom, who pointed me toward this game-used Earl Weaver jersey, complete with a little cigarette pouch sewn into the inner lining! “Examine photos of him over the years and you’ll see the seams on the exterior of his jersey,” says Todd. Later on, Paul Wiederecht sent this shot, with the pack of coffin nails visible in Earl’s inner pocket.
Turns out this was a Baltimore phenomenon: Eric Stengel sent pics of a Cal Ripken Sr. jersey with the same pocket accessory and clearly visible outer stitching. Eric also notes that according to a small note on this page, Jimmy Dykes used to have a cig pocket as well, which means at least three O’s skippers had this secret compartment. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Baltimore, humidor to the American League.
Also of interest: T.J. Zaremba checked in to inform me that Mexican soccer coach Ricardo Lavolpe’s smoking habits actually earned a FIFA rebuke in 2006.
Meanwhile, here’s a whole respiratory ward’s worth of additional smokers (many featured in yesterday’s comments): Red Auerbach, Dave Parker, James Hunt, John Daly, Angel Cabrera, Pirates-era Jim Leyland, Babe Ruth (rolling his own!), some unidentified cyclists, a rogue’s gallery of MLBers, Paul Hornung (and holy shit do I want that jacket!), Roger Maris again (I’ll take that Yoo-Hoo T-shirt, too), Jerry Coleman, Bob Cousy, Mario Cipollini, Derek Sanderson, Sparky Anderson, Vince Lombardi, Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan, Ricardo Mayorga (who I mentioned yesterday, but I didn’t have a photo), Nellie Fox (who appears to be smoking while also chewing!) Joe Torre, Phil Bengtson (could someone please get me that patch?), Pee Wee Reese, Jack McKeon, Ugueth Urbina, Yogi Berra, Bobby Cox, Fuzzy Thurston, Miikka Kiprusoff and Dion Phaneuf (”as well as a few puck bunnies,” in Jeff Ives’s words), and Frick and Frack.
Although it doesn’t actually show any athletes smoking, this 1959 Marlboro commercial features some truly amazing NFL content. If you haven’t already seen it on the Kissing Suzy Kolber site, where it was recently featured, stop whatever you’re doing and watch it right now. Trust me.
And as a bonus, here’s a young Ernie Banks lighting his father’s stogie. Hell, it’s such a nice day, let’s smoke two.
(Big thanks and an iron lung to the many readers who contributed pics on this one.)
Uni Watch News Ticker: More than a decade after the fact, the Ravens’ original logo is still generating litigation. … Andy Chalifour notes that Clay Buchholz has the Texas flag inside the heel of his glove. … Bizarre line of helmet-styled woolen ski hats available here (with thanks to Andy Castle). … The Chicago Rush are looking for fan input on a new uni design (with thanks to Matt Olson). … Sean Millican plays on an adult baseball team with Colt .45s-inspired uniforms. He says they’re getting white jerseys this year. … The Army hockey team traditionally wears white at home and black on the road, but on Friday they wore a gold third gold jersey,” writes Ryan Yanoshak. “The three stars on the sleeve and the star on the shoulder are different than the home and away jerseys, as is the third logo on the chest. Director of Hockey Operations Tom Doran and Head Coach Brian Riley helped design the unis.” … Lots of interesting details in this photo of the Judge Memorial Catholic High School girls’ hoops team in Salt Lake City, as described by Jon Alviani: “First, it says ‘Catholic’ underneath, which isn’t on any of the school’s other uniforms. Second, there’s the cross at the neckline. Next, the ‘WE’ on the waistband. And finally, No. 25 either has a well-placed fold or she’s missing an ‘I.’ ” … An old pair of Pepper Martin’s pants is Cooperstown-bound (thanks, Vince). … Cool. … Took me a while to find photos of this, but the Sabres wore green buffaslug helmet decals on Sunday, as part of an environmental initiative. … Classic spring training sights: Josh Fields wearing one of those little no-pocket gloves, to improve his fielding skills (with thanks to Scott Schaaf), and Ian Kinsler wearing one of those paddle mitts. … Matt Englander’s parents recently dug up an old summer camp photo of him wearing a Phillies jersey and an Expos cap. “Be kind with your comments,” he says, “those were some awkward years.” … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: As you know, MLB base coaches will have to wear helmets this season. According to the “Helmets” section of this page, they’ll have the option of wearing earflaps or going flapless. … Another MLBer wearing someone else’s glove: Francisco Cordero, with glove on loan from Juan Castro (good spot by Michael Smith). … Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov took a slapshot in the mask the other night, which broke part of his cage (here’s an isolation view) and left him with a gash on his nose (screen grabs courtesy of Paul Cook). … The Capitals will be wearing autism awareness jerseys on Sunday. Details here (with thanks to Michael Alper). … Yesterday’s Ticker item about military ribbons reminded James Yeh of an unusual element in British military uniforms: the stable belt, as seen here. … I really hate the prevealing trend of animal mascots being depicted in fierce, brow-furrowed poses. Case in point: South Dakota State’s new logo, which was unveiled yesterday. I mean, come on — a tough, badass jackrabbit? Just make him look cool and smart (like Bugs Bunny!) and call it a day. Actually, that’s what the old logo looked like. … Jean Beliveau is auctioning off an old jersey (with thanks to Jon Hanson) … Yankees without pinstripes! … According to a little quiz that ran on NPR’s All Things Considered the other day, the first U.S. president to wear trousers instead of knee breeches was James Madison, which means we may ultimately have him to blame for the pajama look on the baseball diamond. … Here’s a good close-up view of this year’s Giants sleeve patch (with thanks to Mark Snider). … From yesterday’s comments: Check out Gregg Zaun’s backplate. … The Mavs’ new players will wear these numbers. … I was looking at some photos of old ballparks the other day and noticed an odd zigzag-ish chalk pattern in between the baselines and the dugouts in several of the images. Check out these shots of Crosley Field, the Polo Grounds, and South End Grounds — what is that? It’s sort of like an exaggerated coach’s box, but the contours make no sense. Anyone..? … Ontario Hockey League teams are wearing an “18″ memorial decal in honor of Windsor Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud, who died on Monday. Details here (with thanks to Brian Thompson). … Jason Maggiora scored a pair of Nick Swisher’s cleats at a memorabilia charity sale. “It seems the A’s had to take a decidedly low-tech approach to customizing their trademark white shoes,” he writes. “As you can see in these close-ups, they used a yellow marker/highlighter to color in the trim.” … The Texas Rangers, who’ve never been able to decide whether their primary color is red or blue, are considering going back to red, at least according to the third major item on this page. … Ben Nickerson and I both want to know what the deal is with the weird little black-and-white sideway NBA logo shoulder patch that appears on many NBA practice jerseys. … The new $5 bill goes into circulation later this month. Click on the “See back” link and you’ll discover why I’ll be using five singles instead of a fin from now on (that depressing news brought our way by Marcus Ramsey, who adds, “Remember when money was green?”).
#1 by alex on 02.20.08 8:17 am |
NHL Playoff teams will get to chose their jersey (sweater) color when playing at home.
Last item in the article.
#2 by Mike on 02.20.08 8:35 am |
I was plowing through the pictures a couple of people posted from Yahoo! yesterday and see a lot of players/coaches not going with the new style BP hats. Last year a number of peole drew the “earflap” onto their hats, but this year, they are not even trying to hide it. Most interesting of all the groups was the Angels, who apparently, as a team, have decided to go with their old hats link
#3 by Pete on 02.20.08 8:41 am |
RE: Helmet Ski Hats
There’s an entire line of NFL-themed ski hats, too, available at several places, including HERE.
It seems logical for the Steelers, Eagles, Giants, Jets, Packers, etc. But why would you want one for the Rams, Saints, Falcons, or Vikings, who play home games indoors?
You might also notice that neither the Cowboys nor the Jaguars have a hat available.
#4 by Cork on 02.20.08 8:47 am |
I don’t want to minimize the importance of base coaches wearing helmets. But this is being done in reaction to the death of minor league first base coach Mike Coolbaugh. It wasn’t widely reported, but the autopsy report shows that he was killed after the ball struck him in the neck and burst an artery. According to THIS ARTICLE it was on the back of the next just below the ear. An ear-flapped helmet might have helped (hard to tell). But the coach would have still been killed if he were wearing a flapless helmet.
#5 by Paul Lukas on 02.20.08 8:51 am |
This was already discussed at length in yesterday’s comments. Let’s please not have another go-round. Thanks.
#6 by Original Jim on 02.20.08 8:51 am |
Request:
I’m hoping someone here can help with this. I am looking for a good closeup of the 40th Anniversary Rose Bowl patch worn by Indiana against Purdue this season.
I have searched extensively but all the photos were obscured or not close enough.
Thanks in advance.
#7 by Mike on 02.20.08 8:53 am |
Nice to see George still suiting up. Now, about that dip in his back pocket……
#8 by Adrian N on 02.20.08 8:53 am |
Taken from this site:
http://www.windsorsp...
The league (OHL) in conjunction with the Spitfires are developing a suitable video tribute that will be utilized before the next home game in each OHL city and that a commemorative #18 sticker will be worn on the helmet of every OHL player for the remainder of the season. The Spitfires are also planning to wear a special commemorative jersey crest until the conclusion of this season.
#9 by Joey Guns on 02.20.08 8:54 am |
Paul, you must like the Mets pinstripes on the new SI cover:
http://www.nydailyne...
The jersey is too baggy, but still. At least it’s not black!
#10 by Jeff E. on 02.20.08 8:54 am |
Paul, I think the link you have for the Polo Grounds goes to the postcard picture of Crosley Field.
#11 by Pete on 02.20.08 8:55 am |
RE: Five Dollar Bill
…and now the purple aversion borders on something warranting therapy. Are you kidding? It’s a 5-dollar-bill. Nobody WEARS it. Nobody stares at it.
And yes, Marcus, I remember when money was green. Do YOU remember when U.S. currency was the most-counterfeited on the planet? Lay off the BEP and the Treasury–theire design concerns are security first, aesthetics second.
The fact that a purple five on the back of a $5 bill would send anyone into a fit says more about the person having the fit than it does about any of the designers…kind of like people who get upset because the new presidential dollar coins say “In God We Trust” on the edge instead of the face.
#12 by Chris on 02.20.08 8:57 am |
Philadelphia 76ers fans have stared a grass root effort to petition the Sixers organization to change the team’s uniforms from the hideous current design to the classic red, white and blue uniforms the team wore the last time they won a championship in 1983. Check out this blog.
#13 by Adam on 02.20.08 8:58 am |
I was looking at some photos of old ballparks the other day and noticed an odd zigzag-ish chalk pattern in between the baselines and the dugouts in several of the images. Check out these shots of Crosley Field, the Polo Grounds, and South End Grounds — what is that? It’s sort of like an exaggerated coach’s box, but the contours make no sense. Anyone..?
Could that be where the photographers were allowed? Perhaps the extended area near first and third base were for close plays? The void in between the corners and home allowed for players to make plays on foul balls? Just a guess…
#14 by Shaftman on 02.20.08 9:00 am |
Why would Chavez be wearing an entirely different uni than the catcher (looks like Gustavo Molina as the Molina Catching Trio is from Puerto Rico).
The numbers and font are different as well as the trim around the armholes and the piping on the cathers neck.
I would assume that they are on the same team as they are both wearing blue caps and the Cubans wear red caps.
#15 by Josh Petty on 02.20.08 9:00 am |
The hat in that photo is the only BP style hat for the Angels listed in their store on MLB.com.
http://shop.mlb.com/...
#16 by BuckeyeMark on 02.20.08 9:01 am |
Re: Helmet Ski Hats
Whether you think those are cool or not, it cannot be denied that Ohio State does not, I repeat does NOT, have a logo on the side of the helmet!!! The beauty of the Buckeye helmet is just that: it’s perfect silver gleaming w/o any logo, to be filled up with Buckeye leaves as the season goes along. The ski hat folks are butchering one of the great helmets in college sports. Do they really think folks won’t recognize the silver helmet with the red, white and black stripe? It is truly amazing how many Buckeye products like this are sold. Let’s get it right people!
There. I feel better now.
#17 by Gabe on 02.20.08 9:03 am |
‘free angency.’
Typo alert! That’s what happens when you type before 9AM…
#18 by teamcinnamon on 02.20.08 9:06 am |
El Dictator was clearly not wearing regulation golf shoes here.
#19 by LI Phil on 02.20.08 9:06 am |
maybe you’d wear one someplace besides a game?
/just a thought
#20 by CraigD on 02.20.08 9:08 am |
AMEN!! As a Buckeye and Browns fan I get antsy when “clever” marketing types decide that we cant figure out who a plain silver or orange helmet belongs to. By the way, do they sell Notre Dame ski masks? Did they defile that with a big blue “ND”?? Is it too much to ask to leave things alone?
#21 by Dane on 02.20.08 9:10 am |
I really hate the prevealing trend of animal mascots being depicted in fierce, brow-furrowed poses.
Then you aren’t going to like the logo for my undergrad alma mater, the Stevens Ducks of Hoboken, NJ.
#22 by CraigD on 02.20.08 9:10 am |
Re: the ski masks….Didn’t see Notre Dame…but Penn State is there…and boy are the Nit fans gonna love that!
#23 by Josh Petty on 02.20.08 9:13 am |
To follow up on my earlier comment, I just looked through the official stores for every team on MLB.com and the Angels are apparently, the only team not wearing that ear thing on the BP hats. The only other one close is the Red Sox, who have the red ear panel and piping on a red hat, so it’s not noticible unless you look close. I looked close at the Angels BP cap and it’s not there. The only other exception are the Rays, who don’t have a BP cap with their new logo and colors up yet, but their old ones had different colors in the ear area.
#24 by SpartyCuse on 02.20.08 9:15 am |
FYI…The Capitals will only be wearing the Autism Awareness jerseys for their morning skate today. They will be auctioned at the game on Sunday.
#25 by Justin B on 02.20.08 9:19 am |
So the question remains…are there good logo makeovers…
#26 by Brian on 02.20.08 9:22 am |
We have two full articles on athletes/coaches with tobacco and not one picture of Red Auerbach?! Did we all overlook the obviousness of the most famous victory cigars in history?
#27 by Ryan Burns on 02.20.08 9:26 am |
In the picture marked “left a bit to be desired” you see Fidel and another player sporting nice beards. The word on their uniforms, Barbudos, means bearded men. I wonder if beards were required to play on the team? Or perhaps the team adopted that name because of the facial hair of the players.
#28 by todd krevanchi on 02.20.08 9:30 am |
those swisher 2k5 cleats are awesome…
metal cleat pattern with mcs cleats.
i need a pair of 2k5 cleats either conversion or mcs in an 11 for softball this year.
anyone work in the equipment room for a team that would be able to help me out?
all black
black w/ gray
black w/ white
they are all acceptable colors i could go with.
#29 by adrian on 02.20.08 9:31 am |
Didn’t Dutch Masters Cigars sponsor The NFL Today on CBS back in 70’s? I think I remember one of the dutch dudes blowing a smoke ring in the ad.
#30 by todd krevanchi on 02.20.08 9:31 am |
uni watch blog dot com
good makins’
i still go with larry laoretti in 1992.
#31 by u2horn on 02.20.08 9:34 am |
Hey Paul,
That Polo Grounds pic link points to the Crosley Field photo.
#32 by Mike on 02.20.08 9:35 am |
Since its college hoops season - I was wondering if anyone could help locate a picture of a University of Kentucky basketball uniform (dating to mid-80s I think) that featured a very distinctive (and wide) diagonal zig-zag stripe pattern across the jersey and trunks. I remember the stripe(s) passing across the front, sides, and back of the jersey and shorts, and was probably used only for one season, or perhaps part of a season. I think it met with near-universal derision at the time, but I always thought it was pretty cool. Anybody got a lead for me?
#33 by Johnny O on 02.20.08 9:36 am |
I can’t remember if it has been mentioned before, but the D-Backs are sporting a 10 year Anniversary pacth this year to obviously celebrate 10 years as a franchise.
Didn’t we talk last year about the Rays wearing a “10 year patch” last season, and it was stated the new D-Backs owners were not going to do this so they could get away form the past and move forward? Looks like they just waited a year.
Forgive me if this was brought up already…if it has been mentioned, please press on to the next comment.
#34 by Kenny on 02.20.08 9:40 am |
I do believe they never had the ear flap. I want to say it was covered last year when the new BP hats came out. Shit, I can’t remember last week, let alone last year, so I don’t blame you
And since the helmet hats came up, who would need this in the hump dome?
#35 by Rene on 02.20.08 9:41 am |
ABSOLUTELY NOT a Molina brother, he has the venezuelan flag patch on his right arm, just a venezuelan with the same last name…Chavez being the commie he is, just decided to wear his own uni i guess
#36 by hott rodd on 02.20.08 9:44 am |
Hmm that is interesting in that the D-Backs discontinued use of left sleeve patch because of legal action threatened by david blaine (who has a similar logo). This was discussed on this board and prompted my purchase of an authentic eric byrnes road grey for about 75% off. Anyone have any other info, or is this just a case of the mlb not updating a stock photo?
#37 by interlockingtc on 02.20.08 9:49 am |
The Marlboro ad is like a dream.
Did we not all draw similar cartoon characters based on team mascots as kids?
That ad is so wonderful. And so politically incorrect. Strange and beautiful. A snapshot of U.S. geography and social mores in less than a minute.
#38 by DZ on 02.20.08 9:51 am |
Nice to see Yogi going “two-handed” with the smokes — a stogie and a smoking butt in the ashtray.
#39 by Shaftman on 02.20.08 9:54 am |
Right. Like I said, it looks like the catcher could be Gustavo Molina, a Venezuelan catcher in the Mets system and NOT A MOLINA BROTHER.
#40 by Mark on 02.20.08 9:55 am |
Nice to see Bob Vila out to send Matt Englander off to camp!
#41 by Pat on 02.20.08 9:55 am |
That was my first comment yesterday. I don’t know how he can go without comment from anyone else… until now. The man invented the victory cigar. Yet Jack McKeon gets a mention? After 1 world series win. Auerbach won 8 championships… IN A ROW! 9 overall. But Jack McKeon is the coach/manager that gets mentioned as a cigar smoker?
#42 by Mike on 02.20.08 10:02 am |
Absolutely. If you look close at those Caps jerseys, they are the practice ones, not game ones.
#43 by art on 02.20.08 10:07 am |
Re: $5
I guess now that the US and Canadian dollars have roughly the same value, they might as well both look fake.
#44 by Mark D on 02.20.08 10:08 am |
Paul-
Allen was correct in stating earlier that the lines were the “Media Lines” that were painted in to tell the reporters and most notably photographers were they could go. This was in response to the habit photographers started to get of moving to within mere feet of the batter and setting off the old giant flashes as they swung.
#45 by Paul Lukas on 02.20.08 10:12 am |
Now fixed.
#46 by chance on 02.20.08 10:12 am |
There was at least one pic of Red in the comments yesterday….
#47 by MJ on 02.20.08 10:13 am |
“But why would you want one for the Rams, Saints, Falcons, or Vikings, who play home games indoors?
you’ve never been to a saints game in the superdome apparently. you could hang meat in there most of the time
#48 by Paul Lukas on 02.20.08 10:15 am |
My bad. Meant to add him to today’s list. Will do so now.
#49 by todd krevanchi on 02.20.08 10:15 am |
probably these…
http://farm2.static....
in fact they werent used for a full season. this period of kentucky basketball was the transition time with apex one, followed by its relationship with converse. apex one had some interesting shorts patterns during this era.
#50 by Hank on 02.20.08 10:17 am |
Re: Judge Memorial Catholic High School and the missing “I”. It really isn’t missing/folded over because player #25 knows that there is no “I” in “TEAM”.
#51 by Shaftman on 02.20.08 10:20 am |
Is this the uni you were speaking of?
#52 by Justin Scott on 02.20.08 10:25 am |
RE: Tough Looking animal mascots
The University of South Dakota did the same thing as SDSU a few years ago going from this to this.
#53 by LI Phil on 02.20.08 10:25 am |
stop it! … NO! YOU STOP!
you CANNOT wear nike boots with your 3 stripes!
#54 by AL on 02.20.08 10:30 am |
A quick question regarding that next to last Castro picture (the one he’s watching a young propect pitch one in there):
Could that have been a young El Duque ?
If you work out the years…. it might just be, no?
#55 by Hank on 02.20.08 10:30 am |
“Two best Castro pics I found: Fidel checking out a young prospect“
El Jefe Maximo’s thoughts on the pitcher: his curve has a good bite, fastball is excellent, but can he fire an AK-47?
#56 by Casey on 02.20.08 10:38 am |
Well, the Portland Beavers went from a meaner-looking Beaver to a happier one (an improvement, in my opinion–now if Oregon State would only go back to their old Benny Beaver).
#57 by Al on 02.20.08 10:44 am |
Speaking of smoking, there was a film clip shown on Bowie State University’s local-access cable channel showing Jesse Owens doing a long-form commercial for Chesterfield cigarettes.
Owens, who courageously stood up against Hitler, but had a hard life afterwards … even having to do stunt racing against horses and baseball outfielders … and to get money from a product that kills people.
Damn. Just damn.
#58 by LI Phil on 02.20.08 10:46 am |
and whom amongst us wouldn’t want a happy beaver?
#59 by Brad on 02.20.08 10:47 am |
The Marlboro spot may be 1959, as Chris Schenkel says the cigerettes are “sold in all 50 states.” Alaska and Hawaii came aboard in ‘59, and it was the last year the Cardinals played in Chicago.
#60 by Jim W on 02.20.08 10:57 am |
The back of the Canadian $5 bill is much better….
http://www.bankofcan...
#61 by LI Phil on 02.20.08 11:00 am |
can’t be el duque…he’s wearing stirrups
right age tho
#62 by dm00n [Doug] on 02.20.08 11:00 am |
One of my friends is telling me how she saw Bon Jovi at the Pistons game last night. Apparently the Palace was presenting him/them with a banner for having ten sell-outs. I asked her if they actually hung this in the rafters or what, but she has no idea. All she cares is that she saw Bon Jovi right in front of her. I’ve never heard of something like that though.
#63 by James Craven on 02.20.08 11:03 am |
Only fair thing to do is dump the black unis, recolor the current logo (keeping the silver and gold as trim colors) go to the reds as the roads and make a blue alternate.
#64 by hugh on 02.20.08 11:07 am |
When Fidel & his band of merry men were in the mountains working to overthrow Batista, they acquired the nickname “Los Barbudos” cuz o’ their facial hair. When the revolutionaries took power, the name stuck — and apparently spawned at least one set of sweet unis.
#65 by todd krevanchi on 02.20.08 11:10 am |
re: earl weaver.
if you want to seriously laugh, do a youtube search for earl weaver managers corner… play the 2:38 version… you’ll want to do this at home as well, not at work.
re: army hockey.
wow, those jerseys are really sharp. the color combination, the logo, not so much the font but the overall appearance is sharp.
#66 by Bryan S on 02.20.08 11:11 am |
Apparently Jason Kidd is wearing #2 because it’s his second tour of duty in Dallas.
#67 by Pat on 02.20.08 11:12 am |
Nice picture of him Paul. One of my favorites. Not one of the generic lighting it up pics. In mid celebration, with unlit cigar in his mouth… probably getting ready to light one up. Way past his coaching days but still celebrating the same way.
I wish I could have just been in his presence just once.
#68 by dm00n [Doug] on 02.20.08 11:14 am |
Here is a good shot of the field lines during a Detroit Wolverines game at Recreation Park in Detroit, July 4, 1887.
During the 1934 World Series the Tigers had weird foul lines that extended beyond the plate.
Here is Rudy York making a catch between these lines in foul territory in 1939.
#69 by Shaftman on 02.20.08 11:15 am |
Billy Joel had his “sports shirt” hung in the rafters of MSG for 10 consecutive sell outs.
He also has a “9″ hanging at the Nassau Coliseum for his 9 sold out shows there.
I can’t find any pictures though. Sorry.
#70 by callmejoe on 02.20.08 11:16 am |
TOG-you mentioned yesterday about some black alternate’s for the Redskins? Do you or anyone else have any info on that? Also another victory cigar
#71 by teamcinnamon on 02.20.08 11:18 am |
I’ve seen this before. They have a couple banners hung in the Wachovia Center for consecutive sellouts.
One for Bruce Springsteen (no pic) and one for Billy Joel.
#72 by callmejoe on 02.20.08 11:18 am |
Alsoanother victory cigar
#73 by callmejoe on 02.20.08 11:19 am |
Victory Cigar
#74 by the proper accompaniment to your morning oatmeal. « go northwest, young man. on 02.20.08 11:19 am |
[…] “The oft-repeated story about [Castro] supposedly having gotten a tryout with the Washington Senators is total bunk, but it’s true that he long harbored a fantasy of playing for the Yankees (where El Duque and Jose Contreras would no doubt have greeted him by saying, “Dude, did you defect too?!”).” [Uni Watch] […]
#75 by callmejoe on 02.20.08 11:19 am |
Sorry Link wasn’t working
#76 by habsrule on 02.20.08 11:20 am |
watching the habs rangers last night reminded me of a game i went to in early 2000 at the bell centre (then molson centre). they were celebrating the first game of the new century between 2 original 6 rivals, with the usual montreal ceremonial faceoff and legends in attendance. so they decided to have each team wear their dark jerseys, red vs. blue…looked awesome! i dont know why leagues dont do it more often…..
anyway, they played the first period like this, then in the 2nd period, the habs came out with red jerseys again but had changed their helmets to white!?!?! they played the rest of the game this way. turns out that apparently the refs found it confusing with all the blue helmets on the ice (not sure why that would be).
in any case, i have searched everyhwere for a pic but cant find any. only this box score of the game that references the uniform change.
#77 by AL on 02.20.08 11:21 am |
Nice campus, dane… can’t tell you how many sandwiches from Biancamano’s i’ve had at the ‘Lookout’ spot on the Steven’s campus. Great view of the Hudson and a wonderful contemplation spot.
#78 by dm00n [Doug] on 02.20.08 11:25 am |
Quoting myself, the behind the plate lines look to be just the boundaries of what we’re saying is the media box.
#79 by Dan on 02.20.08 11:26 am |
http://img.photobuck...
Nice stickers on the door!
I love tits and blowjobs too!
#80 by Fez Whatley on 02.20.08 11:26 am |
Wasn’t there a time also when the lines were just the extended 1st and 3rd base lines beyond home plate to the backstop?
Besides media boundaries, they too could have been used to keep the pitcher warming up in front of the dugout and not too close to the field.
I know that when the Vet first opened in Philly, there was a small mound directly in front of the players bench for the current pitcher to use while his team was batting.
#81 by Willy Billy on 02.20.08 11:45 am |
Paul–
I read your blog (almost) daily and enjoy it. I can respect that this is your blog with your opinions, and therefore its natural I don’t always agree with your opinions.
It seems to me that you have a natural aversion to new things in the uniform design arena. I’m right with you on the issues of logo creep and Nike-ization being bad for the sports world, but it seems like whenever a team introduces a new uniform or logo (such as the jackrabbits logo today), you show the new uniform and then say something like “why couldn’t they have stuck with this?” Again, this is your show and I’m just along for the ride so I’m not going to try to change your way of thinking, but have there been any recent uniform/logo changes that you have actually liked? Not just “that’s not bad”, but “Wow, I like that”?
I’ve been reading for about a year and the only one I can think of not bringing a negative reaction from you was the Chargers design change and it seemed that was merely a tepid response. What new stuff/trends out there do you prefer to older designs?
P.S. If you get this question often I apologize, but I don’t regularly read the comments.
#82 by JeffM on 02.20.08 11:52 am |
i think the Rangers should go back to this red and not this red
#83 by Mets/Jets Fan in Chicagoland on 02.20.08 11:58 am |
How about switching to black? This Texas Ranger looks good in it
#84 by Joe Drennan on 02.20.08 11:58 am |
I want a Canuck $5 bill now
#85 by allenjd on 02.20.08 12:01 pm |
Like skiing, maybe.
#86 by mike on 02.20.08 12:04 pm |
That’s a great photo!
I’m going to guess that the photo was taken in Cowboys, a Calgary western bar famous for its pneumatic waitresses and Stampede parties. The second sticker has the Cowboys logo and reads “Cowboys loves Alberta beef”.
Sadly the bar was torn down last year for an office development.
#87 by mike on 02.20.08 12:08 pm |
Re. Gregg Zaun’s backplate:
Backplate
How nitpicky is this - the way Skydome is oriented, the roof when retracted sits over centrefield. So the ball flying out of the Dome is really just a high foul ball, straight back.
#88 by Greg on 02.20.08 12:12 pm |
Check out this $5 bill from 1896. (Not uni or sports related.)
#89 by Jeff B on 02.20.08 12:19 pm |
Which a catcher would normally field…
#90 by Philly Bill on 02.20.08 12:19 pm |
Paul, please fix the spelling of “Hornung” and