SI.com's "Things We Miss in Baseball."

[dixiehack]

I miss hearing Skip Caray say, "Time flies, Bulova soars."

(Or, in one case, "Time soars, Bulova flies.")

I miss Skip Caray doing Georgia Power commercials saying things like "Dave from Smyrna is the Braves No. 1 fan," because they gave me the chance to crack up coworkers by doing a dead-on impersonation substituting in little South Ga. hick towns they'd never heard of.

I hope Skip is in heaven, because if he went to hell it will consist of him doing having to explain the infield fly rule to callers on an eternal pregame show.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

I still have a pile of Mazeroskis. Big -- sized like the old school Life magazines.

Jayson Stark and Ringolsby did a lot of writing for those, but weren't bylined in the team reports.

 

[Huggy]

Sirs, Madames,

1. Sneaking beer into the Big Owe ... okay, it's not sneaking if the case is open and you're draining one when you walk through the turnstiles, but you get my point.

2. Bumping into the visiting players on the subway after games at the Big Owe.

3. Announcements in French.

4. Seagulls at Jays home games.

5. Coming out of Jays games at Exhibition Stadium and going directly to the midway or food building during the CNE.

6. Worrying about my car parked four blocks away from Tiger Stadium.

o-<

I haven't done the CNE in years, but I will again someday soon.

Along with the absence of Exhibition Stadium itself, the one thing that'll always not seem right - no more big Bulova clock tower.

When we were kids the Bulova Tower was always the place to meet if we got lost at the Ex. I'm sure it served that purpose for plenty of others too.

One thing I loved at the Ex was that bar outside (think it was on the Lakeshore side) that you could get stuck in at before going in. Can't rermember the name of it and it wasn't a big joint but it was a must stop before Jays and Argo games and concerts.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Another thing I miss: Kiner's Korner on WOR.

Ralph is in his 80s now and has slowed down considerably. But when I grew up in the early 80s, he was fun to listen to (his occasional strange one-liners not withstanding).

 

[Ben_Hecht]

I miss Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek together on Saturday afternoons. I also miss Joe telling a catcher to go practice catching foul tips.

Loved those Saturday NBC day games.

How Joe G. and Berra could share so many of the same origin facets and turn out so differently is one of the great mysteries of life.

God bless Yogi.

The other guy?

Uhhhhhhhhh . . . not so much.

 

[spnited]

How Joe G. and Berra could share so many of the same origin facets and turn out so differently is one of the great mysteries of life.

God bless Yogi.

The other guy?

Uhhhhhhhhh . . . not so much.

Joe G is not a bad guy.
Yogi is one of the greatest people who ever walked this planet

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

The funny part is you grow up on Joe telling those cornball G-rated "Baseball Is A Funny Game" stories. Then you meet him, get the real baseball stories and it's a jolt to hear the tales of drunkeness and debauchery coming from Mr. Gee Whiz.

 

[DanOregon]

Isn't Garagiola the guy who said about Dickie Thon: "That kid is really screwed up." And this was before Thon was beaned.

 

[cranberry]

I miss sandlot pick-up games, choosing sides by going hand-over-hand and on a bat to determine who gets to pick first. And "donkey kicks." And playing with a single cracked bat that had been nailed and taped back into use. I miss racing to get errant throws and foul balls before they rolled into the brook. I don't miss trying to hit a soggy ball.

 

[Steak Snabler]

The feeling of adventure when you "traded up" your seats at a game.

I still do that all the time. (Not at Dodger Stadium, though you can sneak down the stairwell from the top deck to the reserve level. But just about everywhere else.)

Ushers are far more vigilant about that since these guys:

 

[exmediahack]

LOVE the old "Baseball's a Funny Game" magazines. My first NBA literature was the 1979-80 "Basketball's a Funny Game". A great publication -- humor AND information.

From days at Royals Stadium...long ago.
- The White bullpen car to dump Renee Martin or Dan Quisenberry (RIP) at the edge of the mound. Shoot, back then, Quiz was usually good for 2 or 3 innings.
- The funky organ music played between EVERY inning.
- Overly deep baritone voice of the PA guy during those times. "And, now, leading off for Cleveland...Miguel Dilone."
- Being in absolute fear of Thurman Munson's sideburns whenever the Yankees came to town. Once made eye contact with Billy Martin as he was walking back to the dugout. I was 4. He squinted a bit and seemed to let out a sneer. I was scared and I think I peed in my shorts.

At least MY nostalgia is cheap. I found a 1979 "Grand Slam" program for the Royals - from a series I attended that year, no less - on eBay for $1.25. Even picked up about 40 of those Hostess baseball cards (the ones in the 3-card panel on the bottom of the box) for less than $10. Still amazed people had THOSE cards 30 years later -- I could understand the Topps sets but THOSE?!?

 

[Drip]

Passing your money down the aisle to get a beverage and actually getting your change and the beverage back untouched.

 

[Bubbler]

Passing your money down the aisle to get a beverage and actually getting your change and the beverage back untouched.

I've never not got my change or beverage untouched.

 

[finishthehat]

How does something get passed down an aisle untouched? (and yeah, I know what you actually meant.)

 

[ArnoldBabar]

17 degrees seems awfully cold for baseball. :)

 

[Huggy]

17 degrees seems awfully cold for baseball. :)

Not at the Ex!

 

[Drip]

17 degrees seems awfully cold for baseball. :)

Old Jarry Park wasn't much better.