Sid the Kid hits it out of the park

I know a guy who played high school hockey against Matt Stairs in Fredericton. Said he was a damn good player, tough too. He's another guy that could raise hell in a bench-clearing brawl in a ball game.

 

Learned in a conversation recently with some diehard fans that Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins of Chatham, Ont., felt pretty much the same way. He'd have rather played hockey.

 

And then there's Joey Votto who lived in the Centre of the Centre of the Hockey Universe in Mimico and NEVER played hockey.

To paraphrase Ray Liotta,"As far back as I can remember, I alway wanted to be a ballplayer"

 

I'm always surprised to come across a Canadian-born baseball player who didn't play hockey. Recently I found out Jeff Francis was more of a soccer player than a hockey player as a kid.

 

Stairs still coaches hockey at John Bapst High School outside of Bangor, Maine, where he lives. At least he did two years ago. Pretty sure he's still filling his time in the offseason on the ice.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/94092.html

 

"Hi, this is Matt Stairs, calling in tonight's results ..."

 

With the cost of hockey getting into the ridiculous nowadays, I think you will see more of this in the future.

 

That's why I never played. Parents said I could play volleyball, tennis, baseball, basketball, track and field, soccer, bowling and squash... or hockey. Easy choice.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Canadian joke:

Crosby hits the ball 360 feet ... and some guy out west will tell you Gilbert Brule hit 410 over the centerfield wall.

YHS, etc

 

Steve Simmons is reporting Phil Kessel hit the ball 370 feet.

 

I watched the video. Sid has a pretty good swing. How many NHL guys could do that...well, except for Gordie Howe?

I wonder how far Patrick Kane could hit it--even if Toews threw it to him underhand? Pop up to second base?

 

He clearly hits it just 20 feet.