Fergie Turns 80

[Grizzled]

Ferguson Jenkins recently had his 80th birthday. His party was supposedly a blowout, with almost 200 attending (less than 100 were invited). Congratulations to one of my favorite Cubs of all time.

[karhu]

Ferguson Jenkins recently had his 80th birthday. His party was supposedly a blowout, with almost 200 attending (less than 100 were invited). Congratulations to one of my favorite Cubs of all time.

I've been a Sox fan my whole life and flat can't stand the Cubs. Never been to Wrigley, even when I lived on the North Side for a bit, and I only saw Jenkins at Comiskey when he was with the Rangers.

He's still my second-favorite Chicago athlete behind Walter. His book on pitching is magnificent. I must've had it checked out of my public library for 18 straight months or so, and it helped my game so much that I convinced my coach for a bright shining three-game stretch that I was a pitcher instead of a center fielder. I was a kid and all, and I got close to throwing as hard as Fergie did, but the other things about his game so completely eluded me that I ended up with a whole new level of respect for him. Glad to know that he's kickin' (and ranchin'?)

[Grizzled]

Ferguson Jenkins recently had his 80th birthday. His party was supposedly a blowout, with almost 200 attending (less than 100 were invited). Congratulations to one of my favorite Cubs of all time.

I've been a Sox fan my whole life and flat can't stand the Cubs. Never been to Wrigley, even when I lived on the North Side for a bit, and I only saw Jenkins at Comiskey when he was with the Rangers.

He's still my second-favorite Chicago athlete behind Walter. His book on pitching is magnificent. I must've had it checked out of my public library for 18 straight months or so, and it helped my game so much that I convinced my coach for a bright shining three-game stretch that I was a pitcher instead of a center fielder. I was a kid and all, and I got close to throwing as hard as Fergie did, but the other things about his game so completely eluded me that I ended up with a whole new level of respect for him. Glad to know that he's kickin' (and ranchin'?)

Didn't know about his book, I'll have to check it out for my grandson. He has a cannon of an arm at 13, he'd make a great pitcher.

[karhu]

Didn't know about his book, I'll have to check it out for my grandson. He has a cannon of an arm at 13, he'd make a great pitcher.

It's called Inside Pitching. Might be a bit basic for him--I was maybe 10 or 11 when I first read it, even though I kept turning back to it as long as I played baseball. As I remember it, it's really meat and potatoes, kind of like Ted Williams' book on hitting but written directly for kids.

[karhu]

I've been a Sox fan my whole life and flat can't stand the Cubs. Never been to Wrigley, even when I lived on the North Side for a bit, and I only saw Jenkins at Comiskey when he was with the Rangers.

He's still my second-favorite Chicago athlete behind Walter. His book on pitching is magnificent. I must've had it checked out of my public library for 18 straight months or so, and it helped my game so much that I convinced my coach for a bright shining three-game stretch that I was a pitcher instead of a center fielder. I was a kid and all, and I got close to throwing as hard as Fergie did, but the other things about his game so completely eluded me that I ended up with a whole new level of respect for him. Glad to know that he's kickin' (and ranchin'?)

Didn't know about his book, I'll have to check it out for my grandson. He has a cannon of an arm at 13, he'd make a great pitcher.

Just found a copy of the other pitching book I devoured as a kid: Tom Seaver's. Far more hardcore than Jenkins' (I still remember his advice on scar tissue adhesions), and maybe closer to a 13-year-old's speed.

And now I've got to find one for my eight-year-old. Something like:

Baseball: The Game That's Happening Right Around You Right This Moment, and That's More Interesting Than That Bug in the Grass

or

There's No Fighting in Baseball. Well, Sometimes. But Not Every Time You Get on Base

[Grizzled]

Didn't know about his book, I'll have to check it out for my grandson. He has a cannon of an arm at 13, he'd make a great pitcher.

Just found a copy of the other pitching book I devoured as a kid: Tom Seaver's. Far more hardcore than Jenkins' (I still remember his advice on scar tissue adhesions), and maybe closer to a 13-year-old's speed.

And now I've got to find one for my eight-year-old. Something like:

Baseball: The Game That's Happening Right Around You Right This Moment, and That's More Interesting Than That Bug in the Grass

or

There's No Fighting in Baseball. Well, Sometimes. But Not Every Time You Get on Base

On a different subject but in the baseball book vein, I really enjoyed Lou Boudreau's autobiograohy, , read it years ago. '8 Men Out'. David Halberstam has written several excellent baseball books.

[Otis Day]

40 or so games into the year and no posts. Lack of interest? Tired of either/both teams sucking?