but you do wanna get to that thing before your pal, the former deadhead, gets to it. thats all i got to say. a 27 guitar solo? did you also key in a symphony by mahler? fucking deadheads.

Do you feel strongly about this, portland? Maybe even people who like the Grateful Dead can agree that 50 year old Deadheads shouldn't dance.

everybody should dance baby. everybody. just not at wedding receptions or when you don't want to. and i say again - fucking deadheads.

What would this blog be like without you, portland?

Thats baseball, right?

Better All-Star lineup?

Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Santo, Rose, Bench, Seaver, Jenkins and Gibson pitching, and you and me, or any other two human beings, in the remaining spots. And people why the NL dominated for so long. The best all-star lineups ever, in any sport.

Actually, people WONDER why the NL dominated for so long. Haw.

...friggin' pros...know it all smartie pants professional journalists...man...

Missing one, T-bo: Nolan Ryan pitching too.

No, not with the NL during those years. He wasn't much in his first NL stint with the Mets, before finally hitting his stride with the Angels for eight or nine seasons. He was dominant upon his return to the NL, with Houston, but the senior circuit's glory years were coming to an end by then.
The player I DID forget was Ernie Banks.

T-bo--I remember a Mets rookie card with 2 or 3 guys from I think 1969--Nolan Ryan, who were the others? Tom Seaver?
Worth a fortune.
Hmmmm, glad to see Pete Rose up there. But then I start to ask Wille Stargell? Dave Parker? Keith Hernandez? Duke Snider? Tug McGraw? Who's that guy, Bonds, plays for San Fran?

Nolan Ryan and Jerry Koosman were on the rookie card in 68. Not bad. Wish I still had my baseball cards, could have used the 300 bucks.

Stargell, Parker, Hernandez came later, Snider, earlier. McGraw was a great reliever then, but not the best, and I also forgot Billy Williams.......(geez, Banks, Williams, Santo, Holtzman, Jenkins, Kessinger - the '69 Cubs DID choke, apparently)........Bonds, meh. The late '60s-early '70s NL stars were, as I said, the greatest groupings of professional athletes in one unit ever. The 1992 US Olympics basketball squad was maybe close; we all know the turn that concept has taken recently.
I had the complete sets of 1967 and '68 Topps cards but sold them for pretty good profits way back when. They would be worth more today, but I was happy.
I saw Bonds hit a couple of home runs (with the Pirates) in Montreal that still might be rolling if they weren't hit in an enclosed stadium. But all I need to know about him I learned from once anecdote in "Game of Shadows." It seems that, with the tying tun on second for Atlanta in the bottom of the ninth of the decisive NLCS game in 1992, center fielder Andy Van Slyke (whose cousin graduated from high school with me, appropos of nothing) signalled Bonds to move over for the next hitter. Bonds waved him off, the hitter singled to the exact spot Van Slyke had indicated, Bonds' throw was just late, series over.

I gotta come back to Nolan Ryan. I'm in my 40s now, and Nolan still had good stuff when he was over 40. Amazing stuff for most pitchers, ever. There is another great pitcher down in Texas now, in his 40s and often retired, but I think he's got a lousy personality, although he had a good career. Nolan is a pretty cool guy and great pitcher.
For 40 year olds, I enjoyed Doug Flutie's last season in football with the Pats last year, and his last play: the drop kick. He was, ahem, of compact size, like me, had a lot of luck, no fear and was a smart player and likely would make a great coach.
For me at 40, the brain is mush, the body aches, the energy level is low, I admire those guys.

My favorite old-guy athlete ever is Gordie Howe. That dude was tough to the end of his career and probably still is. I remember that at the inaugural game for the AHL's Syracuse Crunch he and boxing champ Riddick Bowe collaborated for the first-puck ceremony. When he was introduced Bowe made a jabbing motion at Howe. The press box consensus was that even then Howe would have cleaned his clock. The game began, and Gordie came up to the press box. The PA, as is the trend these days, was much too loud, and Gordie shouted to the public relations man, "Tell them to turn the fucking music down!" It was never as loud again.....

A year later I went to one of Howe's book signings in Montreal. I was last on line and we got to talking, and he wouldn't stop. It lasted a good 10-15 minutes after everyone else was gone. It was like talking to a neighbor over the side fence. Talented, cool and unassuming.

You got it T-Bo. And would a guy like that wear a helmet? What kind of superman takes all that punishment for decades?

I can't remember who it was but some guy who recently retired spoke of playing against Howe when Howe was over 50 and deciding to take a run at him. When he regained consciousness, Howe was over him smiling as in "not a chance, kid..."

Some Canadian college player went against a team Howe (again, over 50) was on in a charity game, and decided to do something he could tell his grandkids about.

He'll have a nice story. He went into the corner with Howe, elbows flying, and in no time was on the seat of his pants. He put his hand to his profusely bleeding nose, looked at the red stain and exclaimed, "Good God, Mr. Howe!"