Reviews from

Baseball, Records and Heros

A love affair with baseball

29 total reviews 
Comment from karenina
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Am I a huge baseball fan? Well, no. If I had been I would not have bought all those packs of baseball cards--glance at and then throw away the Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris cards--because (wait for it) -- I just bought the cards for that extra-large piece of gum!

I have financial remorse...

In my defense, we moved to Massachusetts when I was a young teen, and hey, let's just say if it wasn't Red Sox it wasn't allowed to be spoken in our house!

I do remember the controversy over the liver transplant. I recall my dad stating that sports heroes and role models are not the same things ~ and cautioning my brothers and me to not fall into that trap. That same problem exists today...

I love your accounting of how you were a human dynamo with inside-the-park homers ~ while tongue-in-cheek describing the "Three Stooges" (my characterization, not yours) choreography of misthrows and errors that occur on most little league teams. It's half the fun!

All in all, a fine write! I wish I'd paid more attention. I wish I'd saved those darn cards!

(smile)

Karenina

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    LOL, what a great review! Thank you so much! Terry.
reply by karenina on 06-Oct-2022
    You're welcome!
Comment from estory
Excellent
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What I liked about your essay is that it really articulated how much baseball specifically has permeated our culture, how it lends it's shadow to our own particular lives, and how it's heroes have become our role models. Your relating of Mantle's history interspersed with that of your own gives us strong glimpses of how you looked up to him. Then you spoke of his failings, and we get a sense of how those failings seemed to let you down and at the same time, how you developed a sympathy and compassion for him as a human being. estory

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Estory, thank you for your very insightful review. I have lived in Dallas since 1970 and met Mickey on several occasions. I think you are right. Terry.l
Comment from Jannypan (Jan)
Excellent
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You did a great job with your story, Terry. I enjoyed reading it.
I admit, I'm not familiar with most of the info you provided. However,
your words were well-chosen, the fact ere great, and there was
good organization. I liked how you interwove facts with your
baseball info and the poem at the end. You gave readers much
to think about.
Thanks for sharing, Jan

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Jan, thank for reading my story, even though you're not baseball fan. My wife became a fan late in her life she would say, "I love those cute baseball players, but they need to quit spitting." She died four years ago, and now spitting is prohibited. I am thinking maybe she influenced to baseball gods or may be her ghost did! Terry.
Comment from nancy_e_davis
Excellent
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My husband was a big Baseball fan, so was my dad. They were
St Louis Cardinal Fans. I can remember going to sleep summer nights listening to Harry Carry on the Radio. I can still hear that ball hit the bat and the roar of the fans. My Lullaby. Thanks for the memory, Terry. Nancy:)

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Nancy, I too remember listening to Harry Carey broadcast Cardinal games when I was in college. Thank you for reading. Terry.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
Excellent
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However, each time the use of steroids tainted the history. (Please note that when Mark McQuire 'Big Mack' broke the record the drugs he used were not illegal at that time.)

I also noticed you neglected Albert Pujols and his 700 homeruns. He should not be slighted.

As you can tell I'm a baseball fan, from way back, but national league. That being said, I did enjoy reading your post, but had to interject a few things. LOL

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Barbara, thank you for reading my story. You do make good points about Pujols and McGuire. In my defense, I pointed out I was writing about the American League, both those guys are Nationals. Terry.
reply by barbara.wilkey on 06-Oct-2022
    So true, but I did have to say something. LOL
reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    LOL..I do understand.
Comment from Ric Myworld
Excellent
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I was only five years old when Roger Maris was traded to the Yankees from Kansas City and, six years later to the Saint Louis Cardinals. Mantle was the clean up hitter, and Maris spent time alternating between batting leadoff and third in the batting order. Making his home-run totals all the more impressive. But no one could blast a ball like Mantle. Thanks for sharing.

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Ric, you are absolutely right about those guys and Mantle may have been the guy who hit more over 500 ft. in his time. Terry.
Comment from Mary Vigasin
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Truthfully, while I have heard of Maris and Mantle, I grew up across the river from Boston so you know where my loyality lies. I did not know this about Mantle how sad!
Excellent job in baseball history, your playing years,and researching.
I enjoyed it inspite of it being about NY Yankees.
Best regards
Mary

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Mary, well getting six stars from a Red Sox fan about a story covering Yankees is like getting a 12!! Thank you! Boston finally broke the curse of trading the Babe.
    My wife became a baseball fan late in her life, "I just love those cute baseball players, but they need to quit spitting!" She was a Texas Ranger fan. A year before she died, I gave her and her best friend, A trip to see the Ranger play Boston at Fenway. They got the VIP treatment from both the Rangers and the Red Socks. Tour of ballpark, pictures with players, some dirt from the infield and some other cool stuff. She traveled the world, but that was a special trip for her. Terry.

reply by Mary Vigasin on 06-Oct-2022
    What a great treat and gift you gave her! Amazing!
    My husband just started to watching the Sox lately. Never knew much about the game.
    I did a tour also of Fenway but it was with a office outing.
    Fenway is the oldest baseball field in the country. (Older than Yankee Stadium)
    Mary
Comment from Debi Pick Marquette
Excellent
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Hi Terry Fun read! It really was as I love baseball .Now football that would be great too. The colors are great this Time s of year especially around are How would you like to fly up here for a Dallas/ Vikings game. I was little disappointed. In Mickey mantle. It's never good to hear that someone you loved as a kid is -. Isn't who your thought they would be. But it is good to face readies

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Debi, thank you for reading. It is sad when you find out your heroes have feet of Clay! I don't travel anymore, it is all big screen TV for me! LOL. Terry.
reply by Debi Pick Marquette on 06-Oct-2022
    I apologize Terry, I've been down w a bug and I fell asleep while writing and must have accidentally sent it before I was done. Lol, read it and wasn't tired, cause the story was great, but my review must have been boring. Haha!
reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    No it was all good, watch out for the bugs, Karenina had been fighting Covid and then her family got it, stay safe. Terry.
Comment from Wayne Fowler
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

I love you story. And it's very well written.
I grew up in Michigan and hated when my Detroit Tigers played the Yankees.
You are absolutely right about the steroid age. Wish they'd put asterisks beside records.
Best wishes.

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Wayne, thank you for the six stars! I remember Denny Mclain winning 30 and Mickey Lolic, great pitchers. Terry.
reply by Wayne Fowler on 06-Oct-2022
    Mickey won the series while Denny tried to throw it
reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Yep, I remember Gates Brown too, the great pinch hitter.
Comment from lyenochka
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Thanks for the baseball history, Terry! I was surprised you are a fan of the Yankees when you are a Texan but then you explained that Mantle lived in Dallas. So you watch both American and National league games. We used to go to the A's games when we lived near Oakland, saw Reggie Jackson's last game. Conseco and McGwire were the "bash brothers" until all came out about the steroids.
My favorite part of course was the poem you shared!

I would wack the ball down the (whack)

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2022


reply by the author on 06-Oct-2022
    Helen, I remember all those guys you mentioned. Thank you for reading and catching my typo. Terry.