Holy Cow, it's 2 a.m.
Sorry I missed Bloggy Friday – woke up at 4:30 a.m., flew to St. Louis/Detroit, ate fast food Chinese, signed books, wrote about Hank Aaron, watched Billy Butler get four hits, followed Barry Bonds via internet, it was all very exhausting. I’ll try to throw a couple of blog items up this weekend (no promises – the Bonds chase begins in earnest Saturday).
First, though, I want to thank all of you who showed up for the signing at Comerica (Dave Hogg, in particular) and all of you who promoted it (Blue Collar Baseball, the Detroit Tigers Weblog, Ron Wade at the Detroit Tigers, etc).
And of course we throw all sorts of love at our regular brilliant readers – you in particular Charlie Kerfeld. Loved you in ’86. Meet George Jetson.
As for the book signing, we probably didn’t draw the same line of people that stores probably had for the new Harry Potter book. But we did sell a few books, and we got the word out about Buck, and we made a few bucks for the Negro Leagues Museum, so it was all very worthwhile. Thank you for reading.
We will try to get some blogs up while we're on the Barry chase, but for now, for your amusement, we offer two little bonuses. First, here are three hitters’ career numbers adjusted to a different time and place (by the genius of Baseball Reference):
-- Babe Ruth (had he played his entire career in Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, 1971):.324 average, 690 homers, 2084 RBIs, 2016 walks.
-- Hank Aaron (had he played his entire career in Pac Bell, 2001): .311 average, 788 homers, 2,436 RBIs, 653 doubles.
-- Barry Bonds (had he played his entire career in Yankee Stadium, 1927): .313 average, 780 homers, 2,127 RBIs, 2,596 walks.
The other thing I want to point you to (courtesy of one of the people who showed up for the book signing) is this website. All I can say is that it's about time the man got his due.
6 comments:
I would have loved to make it out for your signing, Joe, but my partial season tickets are the Saturday plan. I've enjoyed reading your work over the years, and I especially enjoy the blog. Keep up the great work.
It was great to have a chance to come down, and a true honor to be in the same press box with you as Tony Pena Jr. chases immortality.
And the book, which I started reading at 2:45 pm, moments after finishing Harry Potter, has been every bit as good as I expected.
During the Yankees-Tigers series last year, I happened to be the person who broke the news of Buck's death to Reggie Jackson.
The genuine expression of unfiltered pain on Reggie's face, and the quote about "proving that angels walk among us" only proved everything I had ever heard about Buck, and everything I had come to think after reading I Was Right On Time.
I wish I could have met him, even once.
Any word of when you'll be in the DC area for a book signing/talk? XP
Kerfeld is greatness. He's also expecting a daughter tomorrow. So wish him luck. I'm sure the name check will make his day.
Joe,
Thanks for the "Shout out"! Yeah, I've got my first kid due is probably under 24 hours. Exciting stuff.
Keep up the great work on this blog. Also, you should do more book signings at ballparks and work in some minor league stadiums if you can. I know the local SABR chapter in Round Rock usually has guest speakers before their games at Dell Diamond once a month. One of my all-time favorite baseball books is "Doger Dogs to Fenway Franks." Maybe you could do a trip to all the stadiums like Bob Wood did and promote your book at the same time.
Has anyone realized how much we need a second Dodger Dogs? Since he wrote that book MLB has added four new teams and I think only about 7 or 8 of those stadiums are still in use. Maybe even less? Dodger Stadium, Fenway, Shea, Yankee? Any else? Metrodome. Anymore?
Here's photographic evidence that Joe didn't spend all day alone in Detroit.
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