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April Banter 2020


George BM
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20 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

Finished my outdoor portable pitcher's mound except for the rubber . I might just install a piece of pvc white trim board for a temporary rubber since it'll be a while before I get one .

 

20200418_175003-1209x1612.jpg

For a kid? Not sure how long it is but it doesn't look like that would have accommodated my stride when I pitched. 

And maybe you should put a deep patch of dirt in front of where the rubber will go? That was one of my favorite things as a kid. Digging a deep hole there. Made me feel like a professional. :) 

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1 minute ago, losetoa6 said:

Its 8 foot . Plenty for a adult. I'm 6'1" or so and its plenty trust me.  I plan on using for lessons some day and for me ofcourse :D. I'm in my mid 40s but I can still throw pretty hard . I tore up the last wooden bat league I played in 2 falls ago . And many are in their 30s in that particular league . But I trained very hard before I played year and half ago and I was also a very hard thrower when I was young . Much harder for a position player especially outfielders to play into there 40s hitting throwing and running . Either way it's hard on the body at this age . I can usually throw just an inning or 2 .

Between my back stride and then push forward I probably would have pushed that 8 ft. Couldn't do it now though. Last time I tried throwing I blew my shoulder out at a carnival. Not that I trust their radar guns but it was only registering 65-70. Kind of embarrassing actually. In my prime I was pushing 90 mph.

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4 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

Its 8 foot . Plenty for a adult. I'm 6'1" or so and its plenty trust me.  I plan on using for lessons some day and for me ofcourse :D. I'm in my mid 40s but I can still throw pretty hard . I tore up the last wooden bat league I played in 2 falls ago . And many are in their 30s in that particular league . But I trained very hard before I played year and half ago and I was also a very hard thrower when I was young . Much harder for a position player especially outfielders to play into there 40s hitting throwing and running . Either way it's hard on the body at this age . I can usually throw just an inning or 2 .

How fast can you still bring it?

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Just now, showmethesnow said:

Any pinball machines? Not a game room without them. :)

No unfortunately. I actually grew up with one in our basement. My mom got it as she liked to play while waiting on the laundry. We do have an air hockey table though. My girls wanted one and I grew up with that also. The price was more manageable than a pinball machine. 

When we are able to got out we do have a place in Frederick called Spinners. They have a butt load of pinball machines there. They fix them up and then put them on the floor. Awesome place as you can bring in food and they sell adult drinks. :)

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22 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

My old college teammate who played with me in the wooden bat league thinks I was throwing around 80 or so . Plenty hard enough when the average is 70 -75 in those over 30 leagues . Another difference is I had chronic elbow problems from age 17- 22 which I probably needed tommy John surgery but didnt get it . I hid it well but scouts and colleges new something was up because I was only pitching an inning of relief here and there when I used to be a starting pitcher throwing many innings. I Still was able to get a full ride at Catonsville CC and then a Independent minor league team took a chance on me but ultimately the injury  caught up with me . But now years later I no longer have that pain which is another reason i can throw as well as i can at my age .

Were you basically a pitcher? Or did you also play elsewhere? 

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2 minutes ago, Mrs.J said:

No unfortunately. I actually grew up with one in our basement. My mom got it as she liked to play while waiting on the laundry. We do have an air hockey table though. My girls wanted one and I grew up with that also. The price was more manageable than a pinball machine. 

When we are able to got out we do have a place in Frederick called Spinners. They have a butt load of pinball machines there. They fix them up and then put them on the floor. Awesome place as you can bring in food and they sell adult drinks. :)

I almost bought a pinball machine for our basement. Unfortunately the maintenance on them is horrible as they are constantly breaking down. Miss them myself. Especially loved playing in the bars years ago where I would win many a free beer. :) 

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Welp I think it’s time to pop open my Dewey beer co marshmallow stout growler...I’ve had it unopened for about 5 days now, I’ve read various results about how long unopened growlers last, don’t want it to go to waste so here goes.  64 oz’s of 9.4% should create a solid buzz

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Just now, losetoa6 said:

Center fielder and pitcher.  Loved playing outfield especially without a fence . I was very fast and enjoyed running down bombs.

Nice. I played baseball for about 18 years myself. From about 5 to 23. Played in a travel league, I’d say my biggest highlight was playing in the Atlanta Braves spring training stadium in Disney. Was a great experience. I too in my later years was an outfielder, CF/RF. Didn’t have a lot of power but my nickname was “the cat”, I guess because I was fast lol

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1 minute ago, losetoa6 said:

Center fielder and pitcher.  Loved playing outfield especially without a fence . I was very fast and enjoyed running down bombs.

Pretty much was a jack of all trades with positions. Could play and did play every position, though the outfield was definitely not one of my stronger suits. Just didn't have the speed. But I was primarily a 3rd baseman (for my hero Brooks Robinson), a catcher (until I got a fastball into a place I will not mention and then I became gun shy, this guy was consistantly clocked in the low 90's) and a relief pitcher (could throw hard, had a very good slider, but I also had no control. Think the coach would insert me in just to beat the other team into submission :whistle:)

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13 minutes ago, Baltimorewx said:

Nice. I played baseball for about 18 years myself. From about 5 to 23. Played in a travel league, I’d say my biggest highlight was playing in the Atlanta Braves spring training stadium in Disney. Was a great experience. I too in my later years was an outfielder, CF/RF. Didn’t have a lot of power but my nickname was “the cat”, I guess because I was fast lol

Travel league? In MD? You aren't talking about Johnny Cake are you? Tried out for them when I was in 10th grade. Those older players just smoked me away.

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Just now, showmethesnow said:

Travel league? In MD? You aren't talking about Johnny Cake are you? Tried out for them when I was in 10th grade. Those older players just smoked me away.

I played for a team called the Essex Express...lots of travel type tournaments. in later years it was apart of the susqeuhanna semi pro league. The highlight I mention playing at the Braves spring training stadium was when I was 16

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2 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

I played for several  travel leagues between 88 and 96 in Baltimore area. And I was lucky enough to travel all over the country .

Joe Palmer - (Yankee rebels ) Baltimore 

Walter Youse - (Johnny's/Coregans insurance ) Baltimore 

(Reisterstown )

(Columbia) 

 

 

Yeah I’m a little younger lol. I’m 32, most of my baseball played that wasn’t just peewee type crap was from 99-2010’

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2 minutes ago, Baltimorewx said:

I played for a team called the Essex Express...lots of travel type tournaments. in later years it was apart of the susqeuhanna semi pro league. The highlight I mention playing at the Braves spring training stadium was when I was 16

Essex Express? Not familiar with them. But it's been since the late 70's and 80's since I really followed so that doesn't surprise me any. Trying out for Johnny Cake was a wakeup call for me about my abilities though. They were pretty much the premier travel team in the East if not the whole USA at that time. Granted the players were several years older then me (think most of them were in the low twenties) but I still thought I could hang with them. It wasn't even close. They pretty much put my ego into place and hard. Got other invites to tryout in later years but by that point I was really starting to focus on College so I passed. Had nothing to do with the total humiliation I experienced. Nope, that wasn't it. :whistle:

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8 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

I played for several  travel leagues between 88 and 96 in Baltimore area. And I was lucky enough to travel all over the country .

Joe Palmer - (Yankee rebels ) Baltimore 

Walter Youse - (Johnny's/Coregans insurance ) Baltimore 

(Reisterstown )

(Columbia) 

 

 

Johnny's isn't the old Johnny Cake team is it? And Yankee Rebels might ring a bell.

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Just now, losetoa6 said:

Funny thing is I never played little league of any kind.  In Baltimore up to age 13 we played pick up ball or wall ball . My Parents had no money or interest for that matter to get me on a organized team. I finally got on a team at age 12 1/2 or 13 from the urge of a family friend who talked my parents into it and that was Reisterstown's 15/16 team at the time . I was playing 6-7 days a week age 13-18

Played since I was six. Probably the first 6 year old to get thrown out of a game. Had a habit when I was batting to release the bat on my back swing taking out the umpire and the catcher. Needless to say they weren't really enthusiastic on having to dodge the bat after every pitch. :lol:

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2 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

Funny thing is I never played little league of any kind.  In Baltimore up to age 13 we played pick up ball or wall ball . My Parents had no money or interest for that matter to get me on a organized team. I finally got on a team at age 12 1/2 or 13 from the urge of a family friend who talked my parents into it and that was Reisterstown's 15/16 team at the time . I was playing 6-7 days a week age 13-18

Played a lot of pickup ball ourselves growing up. Football was also another sport we did as well. The good old days.

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2 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

Johnny's is the most recognized travel team in the Baltimore area.  Reggie Jackson,  Al kaline  and many others played and Yankee Rebels also very well known 

Okay,I am pretty sure that is the one I am talking about. But weren't they called Johnny Cake years ago? Or am I just having a senior moment?

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23 minutes ago, showmethesnow said:

Essex Express? Not familiar with them. But it's been since the late 70's and 80's since I really followed so that doesn't surprise me any. Trying out for Johnny Cake was a wakeup call for me about my abilities though. They were pretty much the premier travel team in the East if not the whole USA at that time. Granted the players were several years older then me (think most of them were in the low twenties) but I still thought I could hang with them. It wasn't even close. They pretty much put my ego into place and hard. Got other invites to tryout in later years but by that point I was really starting to focus on College so I passed. Had nothing to do with the total humiliation I experienced. Nope, that wasn't it. :whistle:

Yeah, Essex Express got real big in the late 90s and 2000’s. Basically it was a bunch of us who grew up together in the same neighborhoods (Essex, Dundalk, Perry Hall) and we were all pretty good. A lot of us also played for Eastern Tech. I played with a guy named Ryan Rivers who was drafted by the Angels back in like 2013 or so. We were basically the team, so you wouldn’t have heard of Essex Express before 1998 or so or after 2010 or so lol

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Just now, Baltimorewx said:

Yeah, Essex Express got real big in the late 90s and 2000’s. Basically it was a bunch of us who grew up together in the same neighborhoods (Essex, Dundalk, Perry Hall) and we were all pretty good. A lot of us also played for Eastern Tech. I played with a guy named Ryan Rivers who was drafted by the Angels back in like 2013 or so. We were basically the team, so you wouldn’t have heard of Essex Express before 1998 or so or after 2010 or so lol

We used to play quite a few HS games out your way. E Vo tech, dundalk, sparrows point are a few I remember.

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I'm running out of "likes" in this thread.  Good stuff.  And @losetoa6, that pitcher's mound is pretty cool! 

Like just about every other kid, I played baseball, but each year I was either the last cut for the county team and a star on the scrub t-shirt teams, or I made the county team, rode the bench and never got my cool uniform dirty.

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Since we are talking baseball, my dad got to bat against I believe it was Greg Maddux in a league when he was living in Michigan. This was just before he got into the MLB at age 18/19 years old.  Watched 3 pitches go by he said at what looked like 100 mph and then went back to the bench lol

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3 minutes ago, yoda said:

Since we are talking baseball, my dad got to bat against I believe it was Greg Maddux in a league when he was living in Michigan. This was just before he got into the MLB at age 18/19 years old.  Watched 3 pitches go by he said at what looked like 100 mph and then went back to the bench lol

Should be able to at least toe one off the end of the bat against him lol. Just kidding. What a difficult pitcher to square up though. 

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