Old Friends

Thirty years, two baseball gloves. Got a Mike Schmidt autograph model a size or two too big at age 8 and used it for 20-odd years, then replaced it with a Ken Griffey, Jr. when Mike's webbing broke in too many places. No one cares that my current glove is almost a decade old, and frankly, I'm not sure anyone would remark if I mended the Schmidt one more time and flashed it again.

Tuesday, I hit the slopes with my 1989 Atomic Arcs, and I barely went 10 minutes without getting a comment. The skis are 200 centimeters long and straight as Sam Malone - no one uses these anymore. It's as if I hit the courts with a wooden racket and a pair of Stan Smiths - it's almost like taking grounders at third with a Pie Traynor (if there were such a thing).

The skis are no Old School affectation ... they're closer to Old School inadvertance. I don't ski enough to buy new skis right now. If I've got a day of major bump skiing ahead, I'll rent something current. But I spend a lot of time cruising with family, and on those days, the Atomics are it.

What's funny about the reactions is how positive most of them are. Sure, there are a few people who just think I'm black-socks-with-flip-flops backward, but most give me a verbal pat on the back. They remember that once upon a time, these skis were state of the art, these were the skis that got through the rough bumps, these were the skis that held speed like few others.

New skis can make a good skier great and a newcomer plenty good. It's this generation of skis that, short of installing an electric eye or something, might massage as much out of a mountain as any possibly can. Baseball gloves have been there for a while. Put someone in the field, and there isn't much you can do with the leather to help them. You get one glove, and you might as well stick with it.

And I like that. I like growing attached to my equipment. I'd like a new car every year as much as the next guy or gal, but I don't need one. My skis, my glove - if they do the job, they're my friends for life.

Comments

[D4P]

1.  I had two gloves: a Fernando Valenzuela and a Darryl Strawberry.

I had two pairs of skis: 1987 Atomic Arcs (which got stolen), and 1989 Pre's (which I didn't like).

My golf clubs (which I haven't used in over two years) are 1990 Ram Laser FX's.

Our car is a 1990 Acura Integra.

[Marty]

2.  I've only rented skis.

I own a Rawlings glove right now that's stiff from non-use. As I look at it, I realize it has no autograph. I thought that was illegal.

My golf clubs are Cleveland ta4 irons, about 8 years old now. I've got a big bertha driver that's about 2 generations old.

[Bob Timmermann]

3.  Old friends, old friends,
Sat on their parkbench like bookends
A newspaper blown through the grass
Falls on the round toes
of the high shoes of the old friends

Old friends, winter companions, the old men
Lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sunset
The sounds of the city sifting through trees
Settles like dust on the shoulders of the old friends

Can you imagine us years from today,
Sharing a parkbench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy

Old friends, memory brushes the same years,
Silently sharing the same fears

---

Sorry, not a parody, I just like that song.

My two cars are a Prius and a Packard.

[Bob Timmermann]

4.  http://cmdr-scott.blogspot.com/2006/02/change-insights-2-of-3-2006-dodgers_22.html

The Management by Baseball post is of interest.

Sorry if this deviates from people talking about old sports equipment.

[Jacob L]

5.  I wear my Stan Smiths almost every (non-work) day, and I do occasionally hit the court with a wooden racket.

A few years back, I bought one of those old 50s pillow style mitts, the kind that doesn't close all the way around the ball. It was a blast to play catch with, a whole different skill. Frankly, the idea that you always have to use 2 hands is kind of an anachronism dating to these old gloves. Problem was, the laces kept popping out, even after I had them all replaced.

If anybody wants some really cool old golf irons (1960 something MacGregor blades in near mint condition) let me know.

[bagg4]

6.  I've got my Ed Kranepool first baseman's mitt.
I've got a 1984 Miyata mountain bike that I like to ride long downhills on once in awhile.
I still listen to LPs now and then...
and we've all got Vin Scully for a couple more years...Life is good.

[Penarol1916]

7.  I still use the Ted Williams mitt that was my dad's until he gave it to me in middle school after I outgrew my George Brett mitt.

[Bob Timmermann]

8.  My oldest brother had a really nice and soft Brooks Robinson mitt which let me borrow to take to school one day. But I left it behind in a school assembly and it disappeared.

So I bought a new one at our local Gemco. The only one available that would fit my hand was a Greg Luzinski model glove.

[Brent is a Dodger Fan]

9.  Dammit. You just brought back a painful memory.

My second glove, circa when-I-was 9, was also a bit too big. It was, I think, a Ron Cey model. I used it through college intermural softball.

The most distinguishing feature, however, was that I had collected a few autographs on the glove itself. My dad used some sort of coating to preserve the autographs. I can't remember who all signed it, but I know one of the autographs was Dusty Baker, and I think another was Bill Russell, perhaps Steve Yeager, too. (I believe there were three Dodgers from that era.)

The painful part is that, coming back from college after my senior year, I mailed a bunch of boxes back home. The one box that didn't show up included my most expensive textbooks and my glove.

It hurts to have lost that glove.

[Bob Timmermann]

10.  Hope for George-Michael and http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/cousins.htm

[Brent T]

11.  (9) - I didn't know there was another Brent in the group. Nice to meet you.

[Bob Timmermann]

12.  I left out "Maeby" in 10, completely ruining the joke.

[Brent T]

13.  Jon - I have always loved my old skis, but seem to be tough on them to keep them alive. My 1988 Head Trapezoid skis split, and my 1997 Volkls bent just bent this December.

Too cheap (or too pragmatic) to buy the latest and greatest, I found 2003 Atomic R11's (top of the line) for $125 at my local Sportmart.

I didn't believe all the hype about the new generation of skis. I was wrong.

They are so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking some up. (A Ferris Bueller quote, if no one caught it)

Try the bargain rack at your local sports warehouse.

[D4P]

14.  10,12
I got the joke, but was hoping the link would take me to some news along the lines of "AD picked up by another network."

[Sam DC]

15.  Anyone see Rick Barry's somewhat surprising comments in USA Today:

USA TODAY: What you would change about the NBA?

Barry: If every player had money on the line in every game based upon a victory, you'd see some unbelievable competition. Sports and team concept would change dramatically.

No comment, just passing it along.

He also had this one (I expected his answer to be that foul shots should be worth three points each):

USA TODAY: The league has instituted several rules in recent years aimed at increasing scoring and making the game more attractive. Has that been a good thing?

Barry: What they need to do is force coaches to make teams run. . . .

[Bob Timmermann]

16.  If I made a list for basketball people, Rick Barry would be on it. I might just add his sons to be on the safe side.

[DXMachina]

17.  My first glove, gotten when I was eight, was a Sears "Bob Clemente" model (although the autograph said "Roberto Clemente"). I used it long after I out grew it. When I started playing softball in grad school, I bought a Wilson "Ron Cey" model, which I loved beyond all reason. I had it some fifteen years. I restrung it a couple of times, and at the end the leather inside the glove had worn through. I lost it by leaving it on top of the dugout one night when I left the field. I replaced it with an unsigned Rawlings, but it was never quite the same.

I also have a Rawlings "Keith Hernandez" first baseman's mitt.

[DXMachina]

18.  I also have a Wilson T-2000 tennis racquet, which amuses the hell out of my friends on the rare occasions I play tennis.

[D4P]

19.  If every player had money on the line in every game based upon a victory, you'd see some unbelievable competition. Sports and team concept would change dramatically.

That's funny. I was just thinking to myself yesterday how sports would be improved (from a fan's standpoint) if (1) every player on a team made the same salary and (2) the total team salary was determined by the team's success.

[Bob Timmermann]

20.  19
That's an odd combination of socialism and capitalism.

[Marty]

21.  I have no interest in tennis, yet I have a tennis racket. The only reason I have one is that the girl I was interested in at the time liked to play tennis. So I liked to play tennis.

[D4P]

22.  That's an odd combination of socialism and capitalism.

So am I...

[Woody]

23.  My Gil McDougal model from 1960 is small, but still does the job. Unfornately, after rotator cuff surgery I can't throw worth a damn. Wish the body was as durable as the glove.

[Ken Arneson]

24.  19 And every free agent would go to the Yankees from now until forever.

[Penarol1916]

25.  20. Like an Israeli kibbutz.

[Bob Timmermann]

26.  They're going to extra ends in the women's curling gold medal match. Sweden-Switzerland are tied 6-6.

The Arensons have the hammer in the 11th.

[Bob Timmermann]

27.  And there is great rejoicing in the streets of Stockholm! Sweden 7, Switzerland 6!

Annette Norberg for Prime Minister!

[Sam DC]

28.  Stone Cold Sweden!

[Bob Timmermann]

29.  From Annette Norberg's bio:

When she is not on the ice, she works as an actuary, but because of the sport, she says she has no time for hobbies.

She's an actuary and a curler? Wow, what an adrenaline rush!

[Sam DC]

30.  BTW -- Othen being half of the wave of the future, what is there to know about Robert Fick? DC is abuzz with hatin' the guy. Apparently he had some kind of run-in with Eric Karros.

And most damning, Jim Bowden says he has "flair."

[Bob Timmermann]

31.  Fick almost broke Karros's shoulder during the 2003 NLDS when he tried to bowl him over at first on a fairly routine ground out.

[Steve]

32.  Other being half of the wave of the future,

Jim Bowden is the New Alvin Toffler!

Since this came up yesterday, this says that Robles was third in the league last year in Plate Discipline (whatever that is)

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2006/02/swinging_taking.php

[Sushirabbit]

33.  k2 5500s, I will likely never ski again. :-(
Skis can get real beat up by the run of the mill numbskulls, which may be one reason you get compliments.

I always had hand me down gloves. I like Wilson for some reason. The Ron Cey was great, but I sucked at baseball as I got older, and foolishly gave up on it. Now I use my wife's softball glove. Yuck.

I had a great Stiga Power/Kill blade with Friendship rubber and Stiga Shoes stolen in college. I'm sure they all ended up in a dumptser. I almost cried.

SAAB 9000 CSE
Neon ACR for track and twisties

[Sam DC]

34.  32 Thank you for fixing half of my typos.

[Andrew Shimmin]

35.  My first (real) mitt was a Dale Murphy.

http://www.sportsartifacts.com/gmurphylht.JPG

[Steamer]

36.  Great post, Jon. Gloves and skiis are indeed old friends.

I retired my Wilson A2000-XL last season after 20 years of faithful (or sometimes unfaithful) service. The purchase of a new glove was more a nod to making sure I didn't lose the old one, which I am sentimentally attached to.

As for skiis, your 1989 vintage 200's are only slightly shorter than my 205's. In the case of the skiis, I think I'll opt for the "edge" of new gear, to avoid doing a "Jim Lonborg."

[Bob Timmermann]

37.  Skiing talk is to Bob as TV series talk is to xeifrank.

[regfairfield]

38.  I've gone through two gloves in my life. The first was a model by a company whose name I don't even remember. It wouldn't fit on my hand any more, but man was that thing broken in.

My current glove is a Brett Butler model which has the advantage of actually fitting my hand, but it still hasn't reached the net like quality of my first glove.

[Steve]

39.  34 -- Your line was so amusing that I only noticed the one.

[Linkmeister]

40.  37 Could be worse. They could all be bragging about the resorts they ski at.

My first time on skis was at Purgatory in Durango. My second time was somewhere in the Japanese mountains about 4 hours from Yokosuka. The first time was amusing more for the (legal) 3.2 Coors we could drink than for the skiing. The second time I strained the heck out of my knee and ended up in an ankle-to-hip cast for 3 weeks. Try using a flush-to-the-floor Japanese toilet (benjo) with a leg that won't bend.

[gcrl]

41.  my first glove was also a mike schmidt rawlings, circa 1977. since then i have had probably a half dozen fielder's gloves, with the latest being a griffey jr model. my 1st baseman's mitt is a garvey model louisville slugger, but my favorite mitt (and the one i use the most) is my dad's old jim lefebvre autograph rawlings.

i finally bought new skis this year, and am hoping to christen them next weekend on the minneapolin mole hills before heading back out to tahoe for some real skiing. i think i will buy a helmet for that trip.

[jasonungar05]

42.  On Jose Castillio:

Do I see characteristics at this point in time in this young man's career that are similar to an Adrian Beltre?

Yes, I do," Tracy said.

"He has a lot of the same attributes."

[Sam DC]

43.  42 I think I see a new sport picking up steam at Dodger Thoughts . . .

It's a good thing, what with the "Alex Cora would have gotten that" event having fallen into disfavor and the Grabowski Principle having moved over to international competition. The "arm angles" challenge, one would, would apear to be still be with us, although its leading advocate and primary villain have both moved east.

[Sam DC]

44.  one would think, appears to still be with us . . .

[Brent is a Dodger Fan]

45.  17 That was the glove I had (and the postal service lost): Wilson Ron Cey model. Wow.

[Brent is a Dodger Fan]

46.  My current glove isn't associated with any player. Rawlings RGS3 ("Supe-R-Size", 'cause, well, I play softball now, and you need a larger glove to catch that thing, especialy in the outfield).

I wonder why the two most mentioned gloves on in this thread are from '70s era third basemen (Schmidt, Cey).

[Bob Timmermann]

47.  I realized that after one post about Jim Tracy's ramblings to the press be placed on The Griddle that I had to stop or else I would turn the Griddle into my own version of "Fire Jim Tracy" (no offense Steve).

Tracy will not make his triumphant return to L.A. until September 19 as the Dodgers have a weird end of the season schedule with many games out of the division.

I know this bothered Steiner and Monday a lot last year when they saw it. Apparently, they are unfamiliar with the fact that you can't divide five evenly by two so there has to be one team at all times playing outside of the division.

[Johnson]

48.  47 That's what split-squad games are for. Split-Squad Games Down The Stretch - NOW THEY COUNT!!!

[Bob Timmermann]

49.  Barring injury, Derek Lowe will have started more Opening Days for the Dodgers than Sandy Koufax.

http://tinyurl.com/hv9w7

[Colorado Blue]

50.  First g"love": Hank Aaron (I think it was a Wilson).
Skis: I'm a "knuckledragger"; i.e. snowboarder. My current board is an MLY and it is 5 years old. I bought it at overstock.com when I was first learning to ride in the mountains of New Mexico... now that I live in Denver I'm such a snob. I go about 4 - 5 times a year, almost always to Vail, and only after at least a foot of fresh powder. Life is good!!!

[King of the Hobos]

51.  On topic, I don't have a baseball glove, skis, or golf clubs. And other than maybe a cheap glove when I was 5, I've never owned any

However, the reason for my post is to provide a link to minorleagueball.com that some of you may be interested in (it involves a certain huge Korean)

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2006/2/23/165921/148

[natepurcell]

52.  i guess gagne developed a new pitch- a slider.

he never threw one before right?

[DXMachina]

53.  46 "I wonder why the two most mentioned gloves on in this thread are from '70s era third basemen (Schmidt, Cey)."

Well, I bought the Cey glove because I was a Dodger fan, because it fit my hand perfectly, and because I was going to be playing third. A year later I decided to move away from third to take advantage of the greater opportunities for self defense afforded by playing second and short.

They share a rookie card, too, something I was dismayed to find out, because Schmidt drives the price way up. All I was really wanted was Cey.

[Steve]

54.  Geez, Bob, go get your own obsession and stop stealing mine!

[gcrl]

55.  53
(warning - bb card nerd alert)
cey's rookie card is actually from 1972. he shares it with ben ogilvie and someone else. it's a high number, so it's tough to come by.

that card and the 1971 dick allen were the last two cards i found to complete my dodger team sets from 1970 - 1989. i found them in 89 (before ebay) and just about hyperventilated when i saw the dick allen card.

[King of the Hobos]

56.  The Hardball Times "Ten Things I Didn't Know..." feature presented this lineup generator (based on the 2006 Pecota or Marcel) that I had some fun with

http://shegel4.mybesthost.com/ProjectionLineupToy.html

Our "best" Pecota lineup would be (with Borders filling the pitcher's spot in the lineup):

Navarro, Mueller, Drew, Nomar, Kent, Cruz, Furcal, Lofton, Pitcher's Spot (or Borders)

As for our "best" prospect lineup, again with Borders as the pitcher:

Martin, Aybar, Guzman, Laroche, Kemp, Young, Ethier, Loney, Pitcher's Spot (or Borders)

[Robert Fiore]

57.  Saw this headline on Yahoo that read "Milton Bradley Recalls Chicken Limbo Game," and I opened it up thinking (honestly, swear on a stack of Bibles) that it might be our Milton Bradley exposing some hazing ritual the Dodgers put him through.

The story was about the toy company, recalling a game that inspires children to injure themselves or something.

Speculation on how the hazing ritual version of Chicken Limbo would be played is welcome.

[Wayne Wei-siang Hsieh]

58.  Re: 52

I think Gagne's always had a slider, but it's supposed to stink. I think Lo Duca would tease him about how useless a pitch it was. Is he throwing it this spring? I'd be surprised if he actually uses it this season.

WWSH

[Sushirabbit]

59.  Is Dreifort's retirement official?

Sad. I still cringe at the guys name. Life ain't fair, I guess.

[willhite]

60.  58 -

He supposedly gave it up when he became a reliever, but is working on it again. Apparently it really impressed some of the guys he threw to today.

Nothing like being unhitable with two pitches and then adding a third.

[Improbable88]

61.  60 - In all fairness to Gagne, and in all unfairness to the rest of the league, he has three unhittable pitches, the overpowering 4 seamer, the decpetive and sinking two seamer, and the bugs bunny changeup/curve...

And those are just the unhittable ones

[natepurcell]

62.  izzy said gagnes slider was "nasty" today.

but izturis also stinks at hitting so who knows.

[willhite]

63.  62 -

I don't think you need to be a HOF hitter to know a really good pitch when you see one. After all, if Vinnie announced that Gagne had developed a "nasty" slider, we probably wouldn't question him.

Now that Gagne seems to be back, we can trade Baez for that outfielder we need.

[Steve]

64.  YES!

[natepurcell]

65.  baez for adam dunn! lets spread this "rumor" like wild fire.

[Steve]

66.  Who were we trading Gagne for again, Icaros?

[Bob Timmermann]

67.  Dreifort officially retired a couple of days ago:

http://griddle.baseballtoaster.com/archives/322634.html

[Steve]

68.  The names are going back on the uniforms, courtesy of one V. Scully.

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

69.  My first glove was a George Foster "MVP" model.
I want to say that's like having a Ray Oyler bat, but having researched Foster's fielding stats he looks fair, and not terrible.

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

70.  61 - Gagne throws a "Vulcan" change-up, so named for the position of his fingers on the ball. That's the mid-80s splitter you see.

[willhite]

71.  65 -

Afraid it's going to take more than Baez to get Dunn, Nate. Are you willing to throw in one or two of our prospects?

Who needs a closer? Baltimore, Cleveland, Atlanta, D'Backs? With all of the player movement lately, I can't keep track of who might be willing to give us something good.

[natepurcell]

72.  Afraid it's going to take more than Baez to get Dunn, Nate. Are you willing to throw in one or two of our prospects?

if it takes ty cob--- i mean, repko, then i guess sooo.

[willhite]

73.  72 -

Sorry, can't give 'em Repko. Steve would have to find someone else to pick on and he's developed such a fine relationship with Jason

[Icaros]

74.  66

Jason Bay

[Steve]

75.  YES!

[Bob Timmermann]

76.  Jason Bay will be begging to be let out of Pittsburgh after Tracy has had him sacrificing runners from 1st to 2nd to put the tying run in scoring position with two outs for Joe Randa.

[Steve]

77.  Bob cements his place on the Fellow Travellers List.

[Bob Timmermann]

78.  I am using my pulpit now to go after Frank Robinson. If I can make one Nationals fan hate me, it's worth it.

[Steve]

79.  And I'm loving every minute of it.

[Bob Timmermann]

80.  But I used to be nice. I used to be polite. But Bowden and Robinson bring out my dark side.

[Steve]

81.  Join the dark side. Let the hate flow through you.

[Strike4]

82.  My first glove was the cheapest mitt we could find, a black rubberish left-handed Sandy Koufax model. It was made in Japan, back when that meant garbage. In those days, nobody wanted a black glove, and we were laughed at alot. No matter, with Sandy's help they wouldn't laugh after striking out. Unfortunately, I pitched more like Charley Brown. I always thought I'd have pitched even worse without Sandy.

By the minors, I saved up for a real leather mitt, a Dean Chance model. It was hugely oversized for my 10 year old hand. Now I even looked like Charley Brown.

My gloves have been to countless Dodger and Angel games. My Sandy glove even got to see his namesake when the Dodgers retired his number in 1972. Both gloves are still in the closet, and my wife knows not to throw them out.

My old Olins are associated with white-out, and tire chains and frozen, wasted weekends. They're deep under the Eisenhower Course in the Industry Hills landfill. Maybe they'll contribute a little hydrocarbon to some future generation.

[Sam DC]

83.  78 Bob -- you know that fellah who pleaded with you for calm blogs the Nationals?

http://dcbb.blogspot.com/

[Colorado Blue]

84.  73 - Not to worry yet... there would still be one Ja(y)son left.

[Colorado Blue]

85.  And this from Jeff Moorad:
Moorad: We want to be like the Raiders
Please, oh please be like the Raiders!

Actually, he then caveated it and said "... like the Raiders of the 60's, 70's, and 80's..." Hopefully the D'Back players didn't catch on to the last part.

[Sam DC]

86.  Alert: Bill Plaschke's piece today is obnoxious.

[Jon Weisman]

87.  86 - I was just going to say to Bob and Steve, if Plaschke has a list, Sasha Cohen is on it.

[Bob Timmermann]

88.  Ahh Bill... You're so predictable.

He also doesn't understand figure skating's new scoring system.

[Steve]

89.  Plaschke likes lists because they don't have a lot of words complicating things.

[Vishal]

90.  [86] Alert: The Sky is Blue.

[Bob Timmermann]

91.  If Plaschke thought that us fancy computer-using baseball fans complained about him a lot, he has yet to encounter a ticked off figure skating fan. I'm sure Sasha Cohen has a lot of supporters in Southern California and they are going to bombard the Times with some really nasty hate mail.

[Daniel Zappala]

92.  Very late to the discussion, but ... I owned my first glove for 30 years. Bought a new one a couple years ago so I could teach my kids to play. I have never owned skis, but for the same reason I will be buying some at the season-end clearance sales. Living in Utah does have its perks, and one of the best is that I am about a 45 minute drive from world-class skiing.

[Vishal]

93.  [88] here's a good article about the scoring system and why it rewards risk-seeking:

http://www.slate.com/id/2136701/nav/tap2/

(not that i give a single iota of a darn about figure skating)

[D4P]

94.  Skating faces a Kwandry, er, quandry. The old scoring system was notoriously subjective and biased, but was conducive to "visually appealing, artistic" skating. The new system, while ostentisbly (though, not actually) objective and unbiased, produces formulaic, less visually appealing skating.

Given that both scoring systems are fundamentally subjective and biased, they might as well go back to the old system. That being said, I'm not sure the Olympic results would have been much different under the old scoring system...

[Andrew Shimmin]

95.  Nobody beats up on teenage girls like Bill Plaschke. Nobody.

[D4P]

96.  95
I think Sasha's 21...But your point remains.

[Vishal]

97.  [95] but, but.... "This is not about picking on the flaws of a little girl. It's about chronicling the finish of an elite professional"!!!

[MartinBillingsley31]

98.  Which 5 players make up the "jacksonville 5" ?

[bhsportsguy]

99.  For those of you couldn't get away from your computers anyway, here is the latest from Tom Hoffarth's Daily News Media column regarding those exciting spring training broadcasts...

"Meanwhile, part of the new arrangement for Dodgers' spring training games starting next Thursday is the elimination of weekday delayed broadcasts on KFWB-AM (980). Instead, those games called by Charley Steiner and Rick Monday will be heard only the Dodgers' Web site during the week. KFWB plans to carry weekend games live from Florida."

http://tinyurl.com/fw2rk

[bhsportsguy]

100.  98 - Though never confirmed by anyone, my best guess would be Chad Bilingsley, Russell Martin, Joel Guzman, Andy LaRoche and Jonathan Broxton. Those five have been generally the top five graded Dodger Prospects, its possible that since Broxton came up last year that they could also be referring to James Loney too.