Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Midweek Time Killers: Baseball Old and New

The latest issue of Sports Illsutrated has this profile of legendary Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver. The piece readily references the two classic (and obscenity laiden) Earl Weaver clips that are posted for posterity on YouTube and that have been featured here on Shedd's Spot, the Manager's Corner radio program and Weaver's 1980 argument with an umpire at Memorial Stadium. But more importantly, the piece describes how Weaver was a forerunner in using statistical analysis to judge player performance and match ups.

The same Sports Illustrated issue also features a couple of other profiles most old time Orioles fans may want to skip, a story on the 1969 Miracle Mets and a "where are they now" piece on former Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Kent Tekulve.

Meanwhile, today's Harrisonburg Daily News Record includes this article on the first ever meeting between the Cal Ripken, Sr. League and Valley League All Stars. Both leagues are summer leagues for college baseball players. The Ripken League operates teams in and around Baltimore and Washington, D.C. while the Valley League operates teams in the northern half of the Shenandoah Valley. The game ended shortly before I began writing this post with the Ripken League winning 2-1.

And, if you haven't had enough baseball and Earl Weaver, you should be able to hear the Rhodes Tavern Troubadours musical tribute to Earl Weaver here.

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