Second Basemen, A to Z: Johnny Evers

Player: Johnny Evers
Born: 7/21/1881 in Troy, New York
Died: 3/28/1947 in Albany, New York
Major League Career: 1902-29
Games Played at Second Base: 1,735
Most Games Played For: Chicago Cubs

Photo via Baseball Fever

Johnny Evers, inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946, is most famous now as the second baseman in the poem, "Baseball's Sad Lexicon" by Franklin Pierce Adams:

These are the saddest of possible words:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,

Tinker and Evers and Chance.

Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,

Making a Giant hit into a double –

Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

I have written previously about the poem here.

Evers had a fine career, winning three World Series, including two with what were then the juggernaut Chicago Cubs (1907 and 1908). He was the National League MVP in 1914. In that same year, he was ejected nine times - a single-season record.

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For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.



Be sure to visit my new friends:

word cut
My Creatively Random Life
Yes, This Will Be On The Test Leslie S. Rose

Second Basemen, A to Z: Bobby Doerr

Player: Bobby Doerr
Born: 4/7/1918 in Los Angeles, California
Major League Career: 1937-51
Games Played at Second Base: 1,852
Most Games Played For: Boston Red Sox


Photo via Power Play Sportscards

Bobby Doerr was an All-Star nine times in his career. He is one of eight players to have his jersey number (#1) retired by the Boston Red Sox, for whom he played his entire career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1986.

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For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.


Be sure to visit Kathleen at Living 2012. In addition to her A-Z adventures, Kathleen is taking on my 12 Books in 12 Months Challenge! Care to join her? Details on the challenge are here. The books I read are listed and linked here. The books other people have read are here.

Please also visit another new friend at InspiringAlways.

Second Basemen, A to Z: Eddie Collins

Player: Eddie Collins
Born: 5/2/1887 in Millerton, New York
Died: 3/25/1951 in Boston, Massachusetts
Major League Career: 1906-30
Games Played at Second Base: 2,650
Most Games Played For: Chicago White Sox


Photo via Grandstand Sports

Eddie Collins is the all-time Major League leader for games played at second base. He ranks tenth on the all-time hits list and sixth on the stolen bases list. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.

So... guess who tweeted me on Sunday to thank me for my A post. Roberto Alomar, himself! I kid thee not! Okay, so it's not technically a verified account but it links back to his official website, which links back to the Twitter account. So, I think it's legit. It was either Alomar or his public relations guy. It's not the first time I've written about someone and then had them contact me but it's the first time that person was a Hall of Famer! If Collins tweets me from beyond the grave, I'll let you all know.

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For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.



Be sure to visit my new friends:

Far Away Series
Weaving a Tale or Two
Film Sketchr
I Think; Therefore, I Yam
Journaling Woman

Second Basemen, A to Z: Craig Biggio

Player: Craig Biggio
Born: 12/14/1965 in Smithtown, New York
Major League Career: 1988-2007
Games Played at Second Base: 1,989
Most Games Played For: Houston Astros


Photo via Larry James' Urban Daily

Craig Biggio began his Major League career as a catcher, even making the All-Star team at that position. He switched to second base in 1992. While not yet eligible, he compiled career numbers which would suggest he's a lock for the Hall of Fame: 3,060 hits, 668 doubles (fifth all-time and first among right-handed hitters), 291 home runs and 414 stolen bases. However, the mere suspicion of steroid use may hold him back, as with many of his contemporaries. Among his many interesting career distinctions, Biggio holds the modern-era record for most times being hit by a pitch.

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For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.


Be sure to visit:

Mrs. Mock at Exclamation Point (!)
My new friend Mark K at The New DM's Screen.

Family Adventures: A Kid's First Bike

Our Girl is eight-and-a-half, probably on the older side for a kid getting her first bicycle. We've thought about it before but we live on a dirt road at the bottom of a fairly steep hill - not exactly ideal for a beginning cyclist. However, summer plans are already in the works and bike riding with cousins is a strong possibility. As such, getting her off of training wheels is a worthy goal.

We went to Earl's Cyclery & Fitness on Saturday morning, not necessarily planning to buy - just a preliminary exploration. Wouldn't you know, the store was having a sale this weekend so we took the plunge. Here's Our Girl's sweet new ride:


Yesterday was bright, sunny and unseasonably warm - a perfect day to go for a spin. We found a public tennis court that suited our needs just fine. It's an odd thing teaching a kid to ride a bike. I found it nearly impossible not to pump my legs in sympathy as I watched her work the pedals. She overcame initial frustrations and I did my best to stay out of the way, only stepping in when she asked. She more or less had the hang of it by the time we left, though I think it may be a little while before she's willing to try without the training wheels. No rush. She'll be ready when she's ready. It was a very successful first day.

If you're looking for today's A-Z entry, it's two posts down. Or just use the link here.

On the Coffee Table: The First Apostle

Even though Apostle starts with A, this is not my A post for A-Z. Scroll down for that one or try the link here.

Also, even though this is the beginning of Holy Week, my post is not about those apostles. It's about...

Title: The Drops of God, Volume 3: The First Apostle
Writer: Tadashi Agi
Artist: Shu Okimoto


Image via THE MANGA CRITIC

If you are new to the Drops of God series, please read my previous post on Volumes 1 and 2 first.

The Apostles, in this case, refer to the twelve wines which Shizuku must identify from his father's will in order to win his inheritance. The first of these is revealed in Volume 3, though I'm certainly not going to spoil the surprise as you really should be reading the series yourself! For me, The Drops of God has become the standard, not just for how I judge manga but for comic books in general. The combination of words and images in telling the story is masterful. My Wife is as hooked as I. In fact, she insisted on reading it first and upon finishing, expressed great dismay that we'll have to wait until June for Volume 4.

We've planned a couple of wine-themed vacations over the years. We spent our honeymoon in Oregon's Willamette Valley, visiting every winery we could and made it back home with about nine bottles of Pinot noir. A few years later, still pre-parenthood, we made a trip to Alsace to sample Gewürztraminers and Rieslings.

Our wine adventures are far more modest these days, usually limited to what we bring home from the grocery store. My Wife generally makes the selections but yesterday at the store, she handed me the wine bag and sent me to choose. The Drops of God focuses mainly on French wines but, as I wrote in the previous post, we've found one gets a lot more bang for the buck from South American wines. Also, I prefer a spicy red and Cabernets and Malbecs from Chile and Argentina are quite satisfying. So, I grabbed what was on sale from that section, plus a Portuguese Vinho Verde. The books do renew my curiosity about the French bottles, though, so I might at least pay a visit to that section next time.

Second Basemen, A to Z: Roberto Alomar

Player: Roberto Alomar
Born: 2/5/1968, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Major League Career: 1988-2004
Games Played at Second Base: 2,320
Most Games Played For: Toronto Blue Jays


Photo via Padres Nation

For last year's A-Z Challenge, I featured players of the Baltimore Orioles/St. Louis Browns organization, my favorite baseball team. As I noted in my wrap-up post, I managed to cover every position on the field except for one: second baseman. While the franchise has had several long-tenured shortstops, including Hall of Famers Cal Ripken, Jr. and Bobby Wallace, the turnover on the other side of the bag has been more frequent. As such, I decided to devote this year's challenge entirely to the second base position, honoring the individuals who earned their keep playing one of the game's most demanding defensive positions. We begin our alphabetical journey with one of Cooperstown's most recent inductees...

Without a doubt, Roberto Alomar ranks among the best ever to play the second base position. He won more Gold Gloves (10) and made more consecutive All-Star Games (12) than any other second baseman in history. He was one of the most consistent hitters of his generation, batting over .300 for a season in nine separate years. He was the first player ever to enter the Hall of Fame as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, where he played for five years. Alas, my Orioles only enjoyed his services for three.

While Alomar's induction was a no-brainer, the occasion was notable for the fact that second base is an under-represented position at Cooperstown. To a point, this is not surprising. Players make the Hall primarily on their offensive credentials and second base, one of the most crucial defensive positions, is an unlikely place to hide a bat. Also, it is a position occupied almost exclusively by right-handed players. Historically, a disproportionate number of the game's great hitters have been left-handed, suggesting an advantage at the plate. This was not a problem for Alomar, a switch hitter.

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Head on over to Blogging from A to Z April Challenge to find others joining the adventure.



In particular, please visit:

My Wife at Wikes! Hikes on the Long Trail
Mock at Stay on target...