Club Diamond Nation Announces Its Pre-Launch with a Charity Challenge

Club Diamond Nation Announces Its Pre-Launch with a Charity Challenge

Fans Get the Chance to Support Their Favorite Star’s Charity and Win a One-On-One Training Experience

Flemington, NJ, May 17, 2012 – Club Diamond Nation (www.clubdiamondnation.com), a virtual baseball and softball academy, premieres with the first-ever Club Diamond Nation Charity Challenge. The site’s resident stars will compete to win $25,000 for their selected charities.

Club Diamond Nation will launch Summer 2012 offering playing tips, personalized feedback and fully-produced webcasts from Major League Baseball players, Olympic softball players and coaches.

In a sneak peek to the site’s launch, Club Diamond Nation is asking fans to vote for Barry Larkin, Tom Glavine, Jennie Finch, Kevin Long or Jack Cust Jr.’s aligned charity, simultaneously entering for a chance to win a one-on-one training experience with that star.  The five are affiliated with Club Diamond Nation and will be the hosts of the site’s webcasts.

“I firmly believe success in baseball is dependent upon a strong foundation of fundamental skills,” said Barry Larkin. “I’m looking forward to working with the Club Diamond Nation community to offer unique player development opportunities, educating players and fans.”

Today through July 15, 2012, fans can visit Club Diamond Nation (www.clubdiamondnation.com) and vote for the site’s stars. The star that receives the most fan support will win $15,000 for his or her selected charity, while the other four charities will each receive a $2,500 donation. The selected charities are:

• Barry Larkin – The David Maus Foundation (www.davidmausfoundation.org)
• Tom Glavine – CURE Childhood Cancer (www.curechildhoodcancer.org)
• Jennie Finch – Women’s Sports Foundation (www.womenssportsfoundation.org)
• Kevin Long – Jorge Posada Foundation (www.jorgeposadafoundation.org)
• Jack Cust Jr. – American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)

“Part of our core mission at Diamond Nation is giving back to the community, so we feel there’s no better way to launch the new Club Diamond Nation site than with a good-natured competition among the site’s sport stars for charity,” Keith Dilgard, President of Club Diamond Nation said.

The site is designed to improve the quality and enjoyment of baseball and softball by providing its members with an online social experience that is both educational and entertaining.

To vote or for more information, visit www.clubdiamondnation.com, follow Club Diamond Nation on Twitter at @clubDN, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/clubdiamondnation.

###

About Club Diamond Nation: Club Diamond Nation is a virtual baseball and softball academy that looks to take a player’s game to the next level. Club Diamond Nation offers:

• Inside tips on how the pros excel at every aspect of the game

• A social platform where players can share their passion for baseball and softball

• An entertaining and educational environment that caters to a participant’s desire for competition, improvement and achievement

From its starting lineup of instructors to informative videos and webisodes, Club Diamond Nation gives users access to expertise not found at any other site. 

About Diamond Nation: With its indoor and outdoor turf field facilities that can house 12 games simultaneously, Diamond Nation has become a prime developmental destination for amateur players throughout the Northeast and is the largest turf complex in the nation. Its domed facility is believed to be the largest amateur indoor field in the world. Diamond Nation is home to both the Jack Cust Baseball Academy and the Jennie Finch Softball Academy.

About Barry Larkin: The newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame was the National League’s MVP in 1995. After batting a career high of .342 in 1989, he hit .353 in the 1990 World Series as the Reds won the world championship.

About Tom Glavine: One of only six left-handed 300-game winners in the history of MLB, Tom twice won the NL Cy Young Award and was the MVP of the 1995 World Series, the Atlanta Braves’ only world championship.  He’s a 10-time All-Star.

About Jennie Finch: The most famous softball player in history, Jennie was 119-16 as a pitcher for the University of Arizona.  She earned a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and a silver in 2008, and went 36-2 for the US National Team.

About Kevin Long: The New York Yankees hitting coach since 2007 Kevin is respected as one of the best in the game.  He’s the author of Cage Rat: Lessons from a Life in Baseball, which tracks his journey to the majors.

About Jack Cust Jr.: The number one draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1997, Jack went on to star for the Oakland Athletics, with six home runs in his first seven games and 97 over the next four seasons. 

About David Maus Foundation: The David Maus Foundation focuses on helping children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through contributions to charities in Central Florida.

About Cure Childhood Cancer: CURE Childhood Cancer in Atlanta, GA is a nonprofit cancer research foundation dedicated to finding cures for childhood cancer.

About Women’s Sports Foundation: Founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King, the Women’s Sports Foundation is dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity.

About Jorge Posada Foundation: The Jorge Posada Foundation provides families and children affected by Craniosynostosis with emotional support and financial assistance.

About American Cancer Society: The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.

TALKIN' YANKEES: Quips, Quotes, Asides, Philosophy and More (Part I) - by Harvey Frommer

    They are baseball's greatest franchise, a team of legends, ghosts, marker moments, odd characters. So much has been written about them and the talk stream stretches out through many decades. Herewith, a small sampling of some of the more memorable observations, enjoy. 
        On the Yankees
 "I would rather beat the Yankees regularly than pitch a no-hit game." - Bob Feller
 "It was a death struggle every day being a Yankee ­ you either won or you lost. There was no second place. Half of us were nuts by the end of a season." - Jerry Coleman
 "When I was a player and we would play the Yankees in spring training, even though the game didn't mean anything, it was a special day." - Joe Torre
 "I wish I'd never see them again. I wish they'd disappear from the league." Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox  
 "Hating the Yankees is as American as pizza pie and cheating on your income tax." - Columnist Mike Royko
 "Hating the Yankees isn't part of my act. It is one of those exquisite times when life and art are in perfect conjunction." -  Bill Veeck
  "Going north from spring training, we'd pass through small towns and people would be out there early in the morning as the train went by, waving to us. I don't know how they got the word ­ but we'd be having our breakfast in the diner and they'd be there." - Jerry Coleman 
 "You kind of took it for granted around the Yankees that there was always going to be baseball in October." -  Whitey Ford
  "This isn't just a ball club! This is Murderers Row!" ­ sportswriter Arthur Robinson, 1927
 "There has never been anything like it. Even as these lines are batted out on the office typewriter, youths dash out of the AP and UP ticker room every two or three minutes shouting, 'Ruth hit one! Gehrig hit another one!' "   - sportswriter Paul Gallico 
 "I was known as a Yankee killer. My best year against them was 1953.  I beat them five times and shut them out four times.  You just played a little harder against them." - Mel Parnell
 "Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for U.S. Steel." - Joe E. Lewis 
 "Rooting for the Yankees is like owning a yacht." - Jimmy Cannon
 "The majority of American males put themselves to sleep by striking out the batting order of the New York Yankees." - James Thurber
 "They have, what, 26 World Series titles? But that doesn't 
mean they are going to beat us. We deserve to be here as much as they do. I'm not trying to get Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig or Mickey Mantle out. I'm trying to get the Yankees' lineup out today." - Curt Schilling of Arizona, before Game One, 2001 World Series 
 "Somebody told me that we beat the Yankees in the bottom of the ninth! I still don't believe it!" - Mark Grace, 2001 World Series
 "When my Yankee career is over I'll play anywhere, but I'm positive that I'll never find a team quite like the Yankees." -Bernie Williams 
 "These are your Yankees. They leave their hearts on the field for you."  - Joe Torre 
    
 
 
   Yankee Stadium
 "When I come here, it's like standing on hallowed ground." ­Cal   Ripken 
  "It was so large and the fans there were so rabid. It was amazing for me to go out there and stand on the mound and look around and realize that was the place that Ruth built." -Bob Feller
 "Most guys won't admit it, but it can be an intimidating thing your first few times there. All the lore of the stadium and the mystique can be difficult to deal with."  -   Al Leiter 
 "It is the most magical ballpark ever built. Playing there as a Yankee was like being in the Marines, the feeling that you were in a special ballpark, special town, special uniform, special history." ­ Phil Linz 
 "When I went to the American League as an umpire, I had never been to a major league ballpark . This was 1963. You went out of the umpire's dressing room and down the hallway and up the ramp and stepped out onto the field. Here's this kid from Little Rock, Arkansas standing in New York City in Yankee Stadium. It was a pretty incredible thing."  - Bill Valentine
  "I loved Yankee Stadium because I was left-handed. I usually faced mostly right-handed hitting teams there. The fence in centerfield was 461 feet away, and left centerfield was 457 feet. As long as you kept the hitters from hitting the ball down the line, it was a great park to pitch in." - Whitey Ford
 "Being from New York, it meant a lot for me to play in my hometown. I knew every nook and cranny there, and we had the fans behind us. Back then, you had the monuments in the outfield and that was unbelievable." - Phil Rizzuto
 "The cathedral of baseball." - David Cone
 "Baseball heaven." - Randy Johnson
 "The stadium is a part of the Yankees and the Yankees are a part of the stadium. That will never change." - Chuck Knoblauch 

 "I was in the right place at the right time." -- Mel Allen

   
    Ed Barrow
  "You ought to know that you're making a mistake." ­ to Red Sox owner Harry Frazee on the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees 
    Yogi Berra 
 "Congratulations on breaking my record last night. I always thought the record would stand until it was broken." ­to Johnny Bench who broke his record for career home runs by a catcher.
 "I didn't say the things I said "
 "The other teams could make trouble for us if they win." 
 "If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else."
 "If you come to a fork in the road, take it." 
  "He must have made that before he died." --on a Steve McQueen movie, 1982
 "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." 
 "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." 
 "The future ain't what it used to be."
 "A home opener is always exciting, no matter if it's home or on the road."
 "I take a two hour nap between 1PM and 3PM." 
 "90% of the putts that are short don't go in." 
 "Baseball is 90-percent mental. The other half is physical." 
 "You have to give 100 percent in the first half of the game. If that isn't enough, in the second half, you have to give what is left." 
 "Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded." 
 "It gets late out there early," referring to the bad sun conditions in left field at the stadium.
 "He is a big clog in their machine."
 "I've been with the Yankees 17 years, watching games and learning. You can see a lot by observing."
 "Baseball is the champ of them all. Like somebody said, the pay is good and the hours are short."
 "All pitchers are liars and crybabies."
 "Bill Dickey learned me all his experience."
 "I want to thank you for making this day necessary." -- to fans in hometown St. Louis for giving him a day in 1947 at Sportsmen's Park.
 "I've known this guy so long. Can't he spell my name right?" -- after receiving a check that said "Pay to the order of Bearer"
 "I think Little League is wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house." 
   "If the people don't want to come out to the ballpark, nobody's going to stop them."
 "Pair off in threes." 
         "The other teams could make trouble for us if they win." -- as Yankee manager 
 "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours." 
 "We have very deep depth!"
 "It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much."
 When asked what time it is -- "Do you mean now?" 
 When asked what he would do if he found a million dollars - "If the guy was poor, I'd give it back" 
 When asked by a waitress how many pieces she should cut his pizza into -- "Four. I don't think I could eat eight." 
 When asked why the Yankees lost the 1960 series to Pittsburgh--
"We made too many wrong mistakes."
 When told by Yankee manager Bucky Harris to think about what was being pitched to him  -- "Think? How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"
 When told Ernest Hemmingway was a great writer -- "Yeah, for what paper?"
 When asked what his cap size was at the beginning of spring training -- "I don't know, I'm not in shape.""
 "It's deja vu all over again." 
 "It ain't over until it's over." 

    On Yogi Berra
 "You can't compare me to my father, our similarities are different." - Dale Berra 
 "They say he's funny. Well, he has a lovely wife and family, a beautiful home, money in the bank, and he plays golf with millionaires. What's funny about that?" - Casey Stengel
 "He'd fall in a sewer and come up with a gold watch." - Casey Stengel
 "Where he was especially dangerous was in the final two innings. You couldn't pitch to him. He had no weaknesses. He was the most dangerous hitter ever." ­Jerry Coleman 
 "Not only was he lucky, he was never wrong." ­ Whitey Ford
 "Yogi's face is his fortune." Mike Stanley

Harvey Frommer Reviews: Duke vs. Kentucky, Hack Wilson, Summer of '68 & More

Harvey Frommer Reviews: Duke vs. Kentucky, Hack Wilson, Summer of '68 & More


Who would have thought about it? The Irish and their impact on the national pastime? I did in my book Old Time Baseball. Now along comes The Emerald Diamond by Charley Rosen (Harper, $25.99, 305 pages). Its subtitle says it all: "How The Irish Transformed America's Greatest Pastime."

Rosen, known for his writings about the NBA, is in top form here dishing out data and passing out anecdotes about many of the known and under-publicized facts and factoids as well as another area of important Irish contributions in sports.

The Last Great Game: Duke vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds that Changed Basketball by Gene Wojciechowski (Blue Rider Press, $26.95) is a riveting inside look at the legendary game in 1992. The gang's all here and we can all enjoy the flashbacked, riveting read and the talented writing of Gene Wojciechowski. Especially for college hoop fans.

Hack's 191 by Bill Chastain (Globe Pequot Press, $24.95) is a look back to the epic 1930 season of slugger Hack Wilson and his Chicago Cubs team.  A good friend of Al Capone, an imbiber of booze and good times, Wilson was one of baseball's most colorful all-time characters. The "Hacker" comes to life in this splendid book, as does his day-by-day RBI record exploding to a still-unbroken 191.

Wheels of Change by Sue Macy (National Geographic, $18.95, only 98 pages) is a slim volume that packs a lot of charm and content. It offers the point of view that before the bicycle in the 1880s, the lives of women were restricted. With "wheels," women became emancipated. They set records cycling and explored the world. Page after page of archival images and apt observations make this tome terrific--HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Tim Wendel's Summer of '68 (DaCapo ($25.00, 272 pages), like the Hack Wilson book and many others, is a look back at one specific baseball season and the events in the culture surrounding it. The year was one of tragedy, broken dreams, horrible events and turning points--rioting in major American cities, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. It was also the "Year of the Pitcher" (Tiant, Gibson, Drysdale, McLain and others). The times today are fraught with peril. Back then, things were even worse, but baseball was a constant support for many. Full disclosure: As the author of Remembering Fenway Park: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Boston Red Sox, I was looking ahead to read Richard A. Johnson's Field of Our Fathers (Triumph, $35.00, 288 pages). It does not disappoint. Whereas my book focuses only on baseball at Fenway, the Johnson tome includes non-baseball events. I leaned heavily on oral history with 140 individuals telling the story of the oldest MLB park. Johnson features clippings, ephemera and mini essays from folks such as Bob Ryan and Glenn Stout. 

Wilt, 1962 by Gary M. Pomerantz (Three Rivers Press, $16.00, 267 pages) is a slim tome that slam dunks the story of the much misunderstood and unappreciated Wilt Chamberlain. 

Quiz for Yankees Die-Hard Fans

Check out:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1051373-yankees-of-new-york-sort-of-ultimate-quiz-for-diehard-fans

Good luck!

Super Bowl 2012: What's in the Giants, Patriots, 49ers and Ravens' Name? by Harvey Frommer

NFL

Super Bowl 2012: What's in the Giants, Patriots, 49ers and Ravens' Name?

With football in the air for a few more weeks, with phrases like Super Bowl, New York Giants, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens occupying headlines for a while now—the back story of these names and a few others have a lot of history and a lot of interesting sidebars.

SUPER BOWL:  The merger of the American Football League and the National Football League created a need for a championship game. On January 15, 1967, the first contest was played. As the story goes, at an owner’s meeting there had been a discussion as to what to call the contest. Agreement was reached on “National Football League Championship Game.”

But one of the owners had no fondness for the long, and in his view, unexciting name. He had a “super ball” in his pocket that he had taken away from his youngster earlier that day.

Squeezing the super ball, he came up with an idea. Call the big game—“Super Bowl.”

So although the National Football League Championship Game was the official name. The “unofficial” name, the Super Bowl, was used in the media, fans and the players.The name stuck. The name has remained through all the decades and has even gotten glossier, grander and more glamorous.

From the beginning, each Super Bowl was designated with a Roman numeral rather than by a year. This was a brilliant idea on the part of National Football League Commissioner Pete Rozelle to give the ultimate game a sense of class, a feeling of continuity.

That first Super Bowl saw the first dual-network color-coverage simulcast of a sporting event in history and attracted the largest viewership ever to witness a sporting event up to that time. The Nielsen rating indicated that 73 million fans watched all or part of that game on one of the two networks, CBS or NBC.

The game was a contest between the two leagues and two television networks. The CBS allegiance was to the NFL, and NBC was allied with the American Football League, which it had virtually created with its network dollars.

How other names in the news as the world awaits Super Bowl 46,oops, XLVI , came to be are also interesting.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Back in 1925 owner Tim Mara adopted the name “Giants” from the baseball team of the same name that played in New York. It was a common practice back in the day.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: A  group of sportswriters from New England came up with the name Patriots, a tip of the cap to Patriot’s Day, celebrated in Boston for Paul Revere's ride. The team, which moved to Foxborough, Mass., was originally located in Boston. It began life on November 16, 1959 as the eighth and final club in the American Football League.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers: The franchise entered pro football in 1946 as a member of the All-America Football Conference. Their name originated from the gold diggers during the gold rush in northern California of 1849.

BALTIMORE RAVENS: The poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, who lived the last few years of his life in Baltimore, was the inspiration for the nickname for the Baltimore team. The name was chosen in a contest among fans in 1996. The three Ravens' mascots include “Edgar,” “Allan,” and “Poe.”

**A noted oral historian and sports journalist, Harvey Frommer has written many sports books, including Fenway Park: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Boston Red Sox.  His work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, New York Daily News, Newsday, USA Today, Men’s Heath, The Sporting News, and of course Bleacher Report among other publications.
Visit his website and purchase books here: http://harveyfrommersports.com/remembering_fenway/

JSA & PSA in Hall of Shame for $41k Blunder on 1939 HOF Induction Sigs of Babe Ruth, Larrry Lajoie and Others - by Peter Nash

In response to Peter Nash's latest article, I posted the following.....

http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=10958#more-10958


Hi Peter,

Thank you for the article that you published here.  Sadly these "alleged" forgeries are and have destroyed the market.  You can simply see by the prices people are asking that the memorabilia market is near dead.  Some items are selling for 10-20% of their retail and book values.  It is easy to understand why people have abandoned the market and have moved on to other collectibles.  Sadly I see myself so many forgeries continue today and there are many buyers who simply are not educated or simply do not care.  As I always tell people looking for authentication services, the only true way to guarantee a signature is to see the athlete sign the item right in front of you.  That of course does not help with athletes who are deceased.  For those items, people must simply do their homework and at this point, hope for the best.  How sad that it has come to this.  What was once a great market is almost dead, and there are no signs of revival at this point.  The only company I buy from now is Steiner Sports. (No, I am not endorsing them or anyone else.  I am simply stating I trust their services and have had a chance to oversee their operations in New Rochelle, NY on several occasions in person) I cannot say anything negative at all about the company in terms of authenticating items.  I have seen too many items from 3rd party authenticators that are clearly fakes or at the very least "do not look right".  As a huge Emmitt Smith fan and very well versed on his signature and collecting him since his days at Florida, I am amazed at some of the items for sale on auction sites that bear his name.  So many of his "signatures" are not even close!  And still people bid on these items without hesitation.  At this point I tell people getting into the market to get educated about it and learn the "ins and outs" of the business before even purchasing their first item.  It is also sad to see many athletes charge so much for their autographs during signings, but at this point, I can see why.  Atleast you are paying to see the athlete sign the item right in front of you.  Most importantly hopefully you can have a short conversation with him or her and maybe even pose for a picture.   Thanks Peter for your continued articles.  At the very least, it is bringing attention to a subject that needs coverage and exposure.  Maybe it is time to "blow up" the entire industry and start over.  I am not sure that is the answer, but something needs to change and soon before the market as we know it will be dead forever.  This is not the way we would want to honor the great athletes that came before us.  They deserve better. 

Thanks for your time......Brad - www.HistoryOfTheYankees.com

BAGWELL CLOSEST, BUT IBWAA SELECTS NO ONE IN 2011 HALL OF FAME VOTE

BAGWELL CLOSEST, BUT IBWAA SELECTS  NO ONE IN 2011 HALL OF FAME VOTE

Los Angeles – In its third annual version of the Hall of Fame vote, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) did not tally the required 75% threshold for a single player this year. Houston Astros’ Jeff Bagwell was closest, with 61%.

The IBWAA selected Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven in 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Complete 2012 voting results are as follows:

Jeff Bagwell	60.87%
Barry Larkin	52.17%
Lee Smith	47.83%
Mark McGwire	43.48%
Jack Morris	43.48%
Tim Raines	43.48%
Dale Murphy	26.09%
Rafael Palmeiro	26.09%
Edgar Martinez	21.74%
Fred McGriff	21.74%
Don Mattingly	13.04%
Larry Walker	13.04%
Alan Trammell	8.70%
Bernie Williams	8.70%
Bill Mueller	4.35%
Jeromy Burnitz	0.00%
Vinny Castilla	0.00%
Juan Gonzalez	0.00%
Brian Jordan	0.00%
Javy Lopez	0.00%
Terry Mulholland	0.00%
Phil Nevin	0.00%
Brad Radke	0.00%
Tim Salmon	0.00%
Ruben Sierra	0.00%
Tony Womack	0.00%
Eric Young	0.00%

The IBWAA was created July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, Dodger blogger for The Orange County Register and editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
Among others, IBWAA members include Kevin Baxter, baseball writer for The Los Angeles Times; Tim Brown, YahooSports; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, Dodgers reporter, ESPNLA.com; Jill Painter, Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Roberta Shelburne, ESPNLA.com, Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register; and prominent baseball authors Peter Golenbock, and Dan Schlossberg.

Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $10. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.

For more information on the IBWAA, please contact Howard Cole.

Contact:
Howard Cole
Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com

Hall of Fame Voting Breakdown 2012 - From ESPN

Dear Readers,

I am curious, was the person who voted for Eric Young conscious when he made his vote?  Why are some of these writers allowed to vote?  How does Radke, Lopez, Mueller, or even Vinny Castilla receive votes?  What a joke....I do feel Lee Smith is worthy, but it looks more and more like he will not get in.  Another statement made against Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro with steroids.  Question is, what do the voters do when Alex Rodriguez is eligible?  Interesting.....

2012 Hall of Fame voting

Barry Larkin was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his third appearance on the ballot. A player needs at least 75 percent of the vote to gain election.

Player	Votes	Pct
Barry Larkin	496	86.4
Jack Morris	382	66.7
Jeff Bagwell	321	56.0
Lee Smith	290	50.6
Tim Raines	279	48.7
Alan Trammell	211	36.8
Edgar Martinez	209	36.5
Fred McGriff	137	23.9
Larry Walker	131	22.9
Mark McGwire	112	19.5
Don Mattingly	102	17.8
Dale Murphy	83	14.5
Rafael Palmeiro	72	12.6
Others receiving votes: Bernie Williams, 55; Juan Gonzalez, 23; Vinny Castilla, 6; Tim Salmon, 5; Bill Mueller, 4; Brad Radke, 2; Javy Lopez, 1; Eric Young, 1.

-- 

YANKEES BY THE NICK-NAMES (I) by Harvey Frommer

YANKEES BY THE NICK-NAMES (I)
 With the hot stove baseball season in full swing, fans are eagerly awaiting the next one still many months away. Some have moved over to follow other sports. Some Yankee fans scour the news for free agent and trade rumors and moves. Others read Yankee books. Still others soak up what they can of Yankee history, trivia, oddities. For the "still others," this partial list of New York Yankee nick-names is for you.
 Babe Ruth leads the pack in the number of nick-names attached to him.  First called "Babe" by teammates on the Baltimore Orioles, his first professional team because of his youth, G.H.Ruth was also called "Jidge" by Yankee teammates, short for George.   Opponents referred to him negatively as "The Big Monk" and "Monkey." He was also called "Two Head"  negative nick-name used by opponents to describe the size of his head which seemed very huge  to some.
 Sports writers glamorizing the big guy came up with these monikers: "The Bambino", "the Wali of Wallop", "the Rajah of Rap", "the Caliph of Clout", "the Wazir of Wham", and "the Sultan of Swat",  The Colossus of Clout,  Maharajah of Mash,  The Behemoth of Bust, "The King of Clout."
 Other Yankee nick-names, expressions, bon mots that caught on through the decades include: 
"Root" ­ Owner Jake Ruppert's mispronunciation of Babe Ruth's name.
"Babe Ruth's Legs" - Sammy Byrd, used was employed as pinch runner for Ruth.
"Bam-Bam" - Hensley Meulens could speak about five languages. His name was challenging to pronounce.
     "Biscuit Pants" - A reference to the way Lou Gehrig filled out trousers.
    "Billyball" - the aggressive style of play favored by Billy Martin.
      "Blind Ryne" - Ryne Duren's vision, uncorrected -20/70 and 20/200.
     "Bob the Gob" - Bob Shawkey in 1918 served in the Navy as a yeoman petty officer. 
   "Brooklyn Schoolboy" - Waite Hoyt had starred at Brooklyn's Erasmus High School.
     "Bulldog" - Jim Bouton was dogged.
     Bye-Bye"- Steve Balboni, the primary DH of the 1990 Yankees,  17 homers but .192 BA.
    "Chairman of the Board" - Elston Howard coined it for Whitey Ford and his commanding and take charge manner on the mound.
  "Commerce Comet" - Mickey Mantle, out of Commerce, Oklahoma.
 "Georgia Catfish" - Jim Hunter, name given to him by Oakland owner Charles Finley, shortened to just "Catfish."
""the CAT-a-lyst" -  Mickey Rivers given this name by Howard Cosell. 
  "The Count" - Sparky Lyle, handlebar mustache and lordly ways
"The Crow" - Frank Crosetti loud voice and chirpy ways.
"Daddy Longlegs" - Dave Winfield, for his size and long legs.
"Death Valley" - the old deep centerfield in Yankee Stadium.
"Dial-a-Deal - Gabe Paul, for his telephone trading habits.
"Donnie Baseball" - Don Mattingly was the only player in any sport to have a nickname with the actual name of his or her sport in it.
"Ellie"   - affectionate abbreviation of Elston Howard's first name     
"Father of the Emory Ball" - Rookie right-hander Russ Ford posted a 26-6 record with 8 shutouts, 1910, using that pitch.
 Flash" - Joe Gordon was fast, slick fielding and hit line drives.
Four hour manager" - Bucky Harris, who put his time in at the game and was finished.
"Fordham Johnny" - for the college Johnny Murphy attended.
"Gator" - Ron Guidry came from Louisiana alligator country.
"Gay Reliever" -   Joe Page for his night owl activity.
"Goofy" or "El Goofo" - earned by Lefty Gomez for his wild antics
"The Great Agitator" - for Billy Martin, self explanatory.
"Horse Nose" - Pat Collins via  Babe Ruth, a reference to a facial feature.
  "Home Run Twins" (also "M & M Boys") - Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, phrase coined in 1961.
"Iron Horse" - Lou Gehrig, for his power and steadiness.
"Joltin' Joe" - Joe DiMaggio, for the jolting shots he hit.
"Jumping Joe" - Joe Dugan, for being AWOL from his first big league club as a youngster.
"Junk Man" - Eddie Lopat, for frustrating hitters and keeping them off stride with an assortment of slow breaking pitches thrown with cunning and accuracy.
"Kentucky Colonel" - Earl Combs, for his Kentucky roots.
"The King and the Crown Prince" - Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, self evident.
"King Kong" -  Charlie Keller, for his muscular body type and black, bushy brows.
"Knight of Kennett Square" - Herb Pennock, for his raising of thoroughbreds and hosting of fox hunts in his home town of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
"Knucksie" - Phil Niekro, for his knuckleball.
"Lonesome George" - George Weiss, for his aloof ways.
"Lou'siana Lightnin'" - Ron Guidry, for his fastball and the state he came from.
"Mail Carrier "- Earle Combs, for his speed and base stealing skills.
 "Major" - Ralph Houk, for rank held in the Armed Forces and demeanor.
 "Man of a Thousand Curves" ­ for Johnny Sain and his assortment of curve balls.
"Marse Joe" - Joe McCarthy, for his commanding style.
"Master Builder in Baseball" - Jacob Ruppert, and that he was.
"The Merry Mortician" -Waite Hoyt, for his cheery soul and off-season mortician work.
"Man in the Iron Hat" - Captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Hutson, for the same squashed derby hat he wore over and over again.
"Man nobody knows" - Bill Dickey, for his blandness.
"Mighty Mite" - Miller Huggins, for his size and power.
"Milkman" - Jim Turner, for an off-season job delivering milk.
"Mr. Automatic" - Mariano Rivera, for his virtually unflappable behavior and special skills as a Yankee stopper.
"Mr. May" - George Steinbrenner's sarcastic jibe at Dave Winfield because of his postseason struggles as compared to Reggie Jackson's successes and Mr. October nick-name.
"Mr. November" - Derek Jeter, for his World Series home run, the first of November, 2001.
"Mr. October" - In Game Five of the 1977 ALCS Billy Martin benched Reggie Jackson. In a comeback win against Kansas City Jackson returned to slap a single. Thurman Munson sarcastically called Jackson "Mr. October."  
"Moose" - Bill Skowron's, grandfather called him Mussolini because of a resemblance to Mussolini. As the story goes, the family shortened the nickname to "Moose."
"Murderer's Row" - Yankee lineup boasting powerful batters: standard version was the meat of the 1927 lineup of Tony Lazzeri, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Earl Combs and Bob Meusel.    Backup version was the 1919 entry of Ping Bodie, Roger Peckinpaugh, Duffy Lewis and Home Run Baker.
"My writers" - Casey Stengel's phrase for journalists he was close to.
"Nightrider" - Don Larsen called himself that because it reminded him of comic books heroes he read about and it fit with his late-night bar wanderings.
"Old Reliable" - Mel Allen gave Tommy Henrich that nickname after a train that made its way from Cincinnati through Allen's home state of Alabama and was always on time and could be depended on. Henrich was also called "The Great Debater" for his sometimes loquacious and argumentative ways.
"Ole Perfessor" -  Casey Stengel, for the time in 1914 when he had a spring training baseball coaching stint at the University of Mississippi.
"The Peerless Leader" - Frank Chance, for his keen baseball mind.
"Poosh 'em up, Tony" - Tony Lazzeri  was a magnet for Italian fans at Yankee Stadium who would scream out this phrase urging him to hit home runs.
 "Prince Hal" - Hal Chase, for his charismatic, elegant, royal quality. "The Principal Owner" - George Steinbrenner, no doubt here.
"Push Button Manager" - Joe McCarthy, for his by the book ways.
"Ragin' Cajun" -  Ron Guidry, for his Louisiana roots and fire.
"Rags" - Dave Righetti, abbreviation of his name
"Ruppert Rifles" - The Yankees, during Jake Ruppert's tenure.
"Sailor Bob" - Bob Shawkey, for his time spent mostly in 1918 in the Navy as a yeoman petty officer aboard the battleship Arkansas.
"Schoolboy" and  "Schoolboy Wonder" - Waite Hoyt, for his major league debut in 1918 when he was a teen ager. 
"Scooter"-  Nick-name for Phil Rizzuto coined by Mel Allen. "When Mel saw me run, he said: 'Man, you are not running, you're scootin'.  "And from scootin' I got "Scooter."
"Second Place Joe" - Joe McCarthy's three straight second-place finishes prompted this tag in the three seasons before the Yanks won four consecutive world championships, 1936-39. The name was also used when he was manager of the Cubs and had some disappointing second place finishes.
 "Silent Bob" - Bob Meusel, for his aloofness.
"Silent One" - Chris Chambliss, for his taciturn manner, name given by Howard Cosell.
"Solid citizens"- Name Joe McCarthy gave to players he relied on.
"Slick" - Whitey Ford used a spitter to strike out Willie Mays in the 1964 All-Star Game. That was just one of the reasons for the Yankee star's nick-name.
"Slow" - Joe Doyle, for his time consuming pace.
"Smash" - Gil McDougald, for the verve of his personality.
"Springfield Rifle" - Vic Raschi, after his arm and his birthplace in Springfield, Massachusetts.
"Spud" - Spurgeon Ferdinand Chandler was called that,easier for everyone.  
"Squire (or Knight) of Kennett Square" - Herb Pennock came from historic Kennett Square, PA an area of horsemen and fox hunters. Pennock himself was an expert rider and a master of hounds.
"Steady Eddie" - Eddie Lopat, for his consistency year after year as a Yankee pitcher, nick-name originated with Mel Allen.
"Stick" - Gene Michael, for his lean and long appearance.
"Superchief"  Allie Reynolds, for his one-quarter Creek Indian ancestry and winning ways on the mound.
 "Supersub" - Johnny Blanchard, home run hitter as a pinch hitter,. extraordinaire.   
"The Switcher" - Mickey Mantle, for switch-hitting par excellence.  
"T.J." - Tommy John.
"Tanglefoot Lou" - For Lou Gehrig, early days and fielding trials as a player.
"The Tabasco Kid" - Norman Arthur Elberfeld, for his liking of the stuff and his personality.
"Three Million Dollar Man" - Nick-name placed on Catfish Hunter when he signed with the Yankees as a free agent for that sum in 1974.
"Twinkletoes" - George Selkirk, for his running with his weight on the balls of his feet. 
"The Unholy Trio" - Billy Martin, Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford, for their devilish ways.
"The Weatherman" - Mickey Rivers, for his knack for predicting weather.
"The Warrior" - Paul O'Neill, name pinned on him by George Steinbrenner for the outfielder's pugnacious ways.
"The White Gorilla" - Goose Gossage, for the way he looked.
"Whitey" - Whitey Ford, for the tow head blonde hair he sported as a 50s hurler.
"Window breakers" - Name given to the 1936 Yankees for their slugging power.
"Winny" - Dave Winfield, affectionate shortening of his name.
"The Yankee Clipper" - for Joe DiMaggio for the way he glided about centerfield at Yankee Stadium.
"The Yankee Clipper" - A slap at George Steinbrenner who longed to see his players clean-shaven.
"The Yankee Empire Builder" - Ed Barrow was all of that.

MLB: Top 20 Players with the Most World Series Rings

Find the full article at: http://sportslistoftheday.com/2011/05/24/major-league-baeball-top-20-players-with-the-most-world-series-rings/

1.	Yogi Berra	1946-1965	10	Yankees: 1947, 1949-1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962
2.	Joe DiMaggio	1936-1951	9	Yankees: 1936-1939, 1941, 1947, 1949-1951
3.	Bill Dickey	1928-1946	8	Yankees: 1928, 1932, 1936-1939, 1941, 1943
3.	Phil Rizzuto	1941-1956	8	Yankees: 1941, 1947, 1949-1953, 1956
3.	Frankie Crosetti	1932-1948	8	Yankees: 1932, 1936-1939, 1941, 1943, 1947
3.	Lou Gehrig	1923-1939	8	Yankees: 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936-1939
7.	Hank Bauer	1948-1961	7	Yankees: 1949-1953, 1956, 1958
7.	Mickey Mantle	1951-1968	7	Yankees: 1951-1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962
7.	Babe Ruth	1914-1935	7	Red Sox: 1915, 1916, 1918; Yankees: 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932
7.	Johnny Murphy	1932-1947	7	Yankees: 1932, 1936-1939, 1941, 1943
7.	Tommy Henrich	1937-1950	7	Yankees: 1937-1939, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1950
7.	Herb Pennock	1912-1934	7	Philadelphia A’s: 1913; Red Sox: 1915, 1916; Yankees: 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932
13.	Whitey Ford	1950-1967	6	Yankees: 1950, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962
13.	Vic Raschi	1946-1955	6	Yankees: 1947, 1949-1953
13.	Allie Reynolds	1942-1954	6	Yankees: 1947, 1949-1953
13.	Red Ruffing	1924-1947	6	Yankees: 1932, 1936-1939, 1941
13.	Joe Collins	1948-1957	6	Yankees: 1949-1953, 1956
13.	Lefty Gomez	1930-1943	6	Yankees: 1932, 1936-1939, 1941
13.	Jerry Coleman	1949-1957	6	Yankees: 1949-1953, 1956
13.	Eddie Collins	1906-1930	6	Philadelphia A’s: 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930; White Sox: 1917
13.	Spud Chandler	1937-1947	6	Yankees: 1937-1939, 1941, 1943, 1947
13.	Charlie Keller	1939-1952	6	Yankees: 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1952
13.	Tommy Byrne	1943-1957	6	Yankees: 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1956
13.	Ralph Houk	1947-1954	6	Yankees: 1947, 1949-1953
13.	Bob Cerv	1951-1962	6	Yankees: 1951-1953, 1956, 1961, 1962
13.	Charlie Silvera	1948-1957	6	Yankees: 1949-1953, 1956