>>13243111 Steve Carlton, Truth "Suppressed"? (PB)
I remember the slack he caught for this, but didn't pay it much, if any, attention. Also remember the longtime Phillies' beat writer/columnist/exposed PEDO Bill Conlin calling Lefty "Ichabod” in reference to some scarecrow thing.
Spent a lot of time at the Ballpark back then, including Senior Prom night watching him pass Walter Johnson on the all-time Strikeout list. Remember him with the cotton in his ears to drown everything out. Although position players were personal favorites, one thing appreciated about Lefty, even back then, was how he despised the media - would NOT speak to them on the record. Ever. Only shot may have been if someone wanted to talk about Wine.
As his 300th win drew closer in Sept. of '83, the big, BIG story was that he'd finally break down and grant an interview regarding it with very close friend, Phillies' Play-By-Play man, Harry Kalas. (THE greatest PBP in that team's history, especially on Radio, and among the tops all-time.)
With "The Interview" getting more attention from the "press" than the team on their way to a World Series vs. Baltimore, Lefty called it off. More “controversy” ensued.
Was actually thinking just the other day about him & baseball pitchers in general, how they've always been labeled (warranted or not) "flaky". Richie Ashburn spent his playing AND broadcasting career dumping on pitchers as a whole. He thought they were just flat-out weirdos and would never let a daughter date one, no matter who it was….
Reckon we know why now. They're just "wired" differently… more perceptive, "in tune"? Look at the "controversial" Schilling, Trevor Bauer, Goose Gossage … wonder if Aubrey Huff was a pitcher at first, or wanted to be?
oh and Andy "Pennant" Pettitte. How is Andy Pennant not a HOF shoo-in? How does Roger Clemens giving him a shot of something to help with ONE injury, and Andy never doing it again, lump him in with A-Roid who was busted TWICE, LIED on TV … only to be excessively rewarded and fawned over? Have no idea of Andy's political leanings, but would sure but a bunch of $$$ on it!
And then there’s MO. Glad MLB can’t mess with him now. He was “In” before he was in the HOF. He was, however, denied his LIFELONG dream to play Centerfield at YS for just one lousy half-inning. Was there, arguing with other Yanks’ fans about it. Weren’t the “Enter Sandmans” for all of those Title-Winning games (most started by Pettitte) enough for you fans?
Girardi/Cashman/whoever denied him this despite his last YS game being an 0-4 SHUTOUT vs. Tampa Bay; Game had NO bearing on playoffs/standings. Utterly meaningless game aside from MO and they brought him in, in the 9th, down by FOUR runs.
As with everything else, Communists fvcked baseball up BIGLY. Saw it begin with the crackheads in the ‘80s, then the all-out pussifying of players — World Class Athletes - as though they’re freaking ballerinas, then the influx of players wearing PINK everything when (then-National) Bryce Harper caught shit for RW&B on his cleats for 4th of July… FUBAR!!