I have a great Hoffman story. Many years ago, I was at a MKE vs SD game in Milwaukee. I, being a proper WI sports fan, had been tailgating prior to the game and was properly lubricated (I.e. drank enough to kill fans from other states). Me and my compatriots made our way to our seats in the outfield and, lo and behold, we were seated right above the opposing team’s bullpen. We spent the next couple hours heckling the Padres relief pitchers, bullpen catcher, and support staff. Finally, the ninth inning comes around and Padres are up by a run or two so we start really going at Hoffman. Nothing terrible, mostly calling him washed up, etc. Hoffman gets the signal to come into the game, he gets up, walks towards the bullpen exit, turns around stares me in the eyes and does the finger across the throat, and heads out to the mound. He proceeds to sit down the Brewers in order with that absolutely filthy change up and my beloved squad lost. It was glorious.
Trevor is now my new, non-ChiSox, favorite ballplayer. Words cannot express how kind that legend was. And bad news for Matt: Coco is no doubt gonna be a full on Padres fan after that get-em-while-they're-young interaction.
High probability that the Blooshier clan will make it to Cooperstown in 2028 to see Albert Pujols and hopefully Yadier Molina inducted. Our eight year-old is a baseball fanatic.
Love that blurb about Freddy Cannon. Way before my time but I was fascinated by 50s culture growing up, and my hometown still had a hint of it 30 years later. It’s sad that old pop culture is dying out as the people who lived it fade away.
Ah, there was a hall of fame induction in Cooperstown! I make regular jaunts there on my motorcycle from my home in Connecticut near the NY border. It's some God damn beautiful country, so Cooperstown is as good a destination for lunch as any. I show up and start griping about the crowds. I just wanted some goddamn fish and chips, you know. Buncha nerds wearing jerseys were clogging up the place.
Hoffman sounds like Gordie Howe. As a young 4th grader with a broken wrist, Gordie talked to me for around the same 90 seconds during his book signing at a Fort Worth ice rink, signed my cast, and pointed out old battle wounds on his wrists.
Fast forward to being married and talking to my wife's grandfather where I learn my wife's cousins played hockey with Mr. Hockey's grandkids in suburban Toledo, OH.
I have a great Hoffman story. Many years ago, I was at a MKE vs SD game in Milwaukee. I, being a proper WI sports fan, had been tailgating prior to the game and was properly lubricated (I.e. drank enough to kill fans from other states). Me and my compatriots made our way to our seats in the outfield and, lo and behold, we were seated right above the opposing team’s bullpen. We spent the next couple hours heckling the Padres relief pitchers, bullpen catcher, and support staff. Finally, the ninth inning comes around and Padres are up by a run or two so we start really going at Hoffman. Nothing terrible, mostly calling him washed up, etc. Hoffman gets the signal to come into the game, he gets up, walks towards the bullpen exit, turns around stares me in the eyes and does the finger across the throat, and heads out to the mound. He proceeds to sit down the Brewers in order with that absolutely filthy change up and my beloved squad lost. It was glorious.
Great photo. Coco's smile is wonderful.
I love a good story about kids and baseball, and that was a banger. Thanks for the share.
Trevor Hoffman is in the HoF for picking up Saves, but this weekend in Cooperstown, he earned the Win.
Trevor is now my new, non-ChiSox, favorite ballplayer. Words cannot express how kind that legend was. And bad news for Matt: Coco is no doubt gonna be a full on Padres fan after that get-em-while-they're-young interaction.
High probability that the Blooshier clan will make it to Cooperstown in 2028 to see Albert Pujols and hopefully Yadier Molina inducted. Our eight year-old is a baseball fanatic.
Love the Trevor Hoffman story. He's such a good dude. My most prized possession is a ball with his signature as well as Archi Cianfrocco's.
Love that blurb about Freddy Cannon. Way before my time but I was fascinated by 50s culture growing up, and my hometown still had a hint of it 30 years later. It’s sad that old pop culture is dying out as the people who lived it fade away.
Ah, there was a hall of fame induction in Cooperstown! I make regular jaunts there on my motorcycle from my home in Connecticut near the NY border. It's some God damn beautiful country, so Cooperstown is as good a destination for lunch as any. I show up and start griping about the crowds. I just wanted some goddamn fish and chips, you know. Buncha nerds wearing jerseys were clogging up the place.
I’ll come to HoF weekend when they finally admit my boyhood here Dale Murphy.
Were a few Murph jerseys in attendance....
Boycotting the Hall until Schilling gets in.
Coco is a doll! Yay baseball!
Hoffman sounds like Gordie Howe. As a young 4th grader with a broken wrist, Gordie talked to me for around the same 90 seconds during his book signing at a Fort Worth ice rink, signed my cast, and pointed out old battle wounds on his wrists.
Fast forward to being married and talking to my wife's grandfather where I learn my wife's cousins played hockey with Mr. Hockey's grandkids in suburban Toledo, OH.
MFers! I can’t be the only one thinking of an annual Fif meetup at a VFW bar on Hall of Fame weekend?
Dang I leave Dallas in August, will miss yall!
I cherish these HOF weekends as much as I loath Welch's Tourette's Syndromey "he played for the Angels!" color commentary.
Ahem, it’s “Great Angel.”
Appreciate Kmele’s points about Trump’s corruption.
At the same time, if Trump and his kids weren’t running games, would governments’ fiscal pictures be significantly less bleak?
Remember Greenspan’s ‘irrational exuberance?’
The Pets.com founders had a lot less debt, and a lot fewer guns.