Injustice in The Queen City

Gambling. For some, the word carries a negative connotation. “Oh, gambling. What a great way to ruin your life.” For others, the word carries hope. This is where the practice can become dangerous. For all, the word contains a sense of thrill. Putting the money that belongs to you (hopefully it belongs to you) on the line with only two possible outcomes: You win more, or you lose it.

In the past 50 years, the United States has undergone a massive expansion in legalized gambling. You can seemingly bet money on anything these days. However, it is a little known fact that sports betting has been on a holdout during this time. What? Doesn’t Vegas hold millions in terms of Superbowl bets each year? Aren’t there sites dedicated for building a team in hopes of generating cashflow? Yes. There are.

(2015’s emergence of online fantasy gambling is led by sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel. FanDuel collects around $1 million daily.)

In the establishing ages of the American sports entertainment system, there was a lot of corruption when money and political power became involved. There were figures lurking in the shadows, offering cash sums to players to perform in a certain way or lose on purpose. There is not a more famous example of this than the Black Sox scandal in 1919, where a number of players of the Chicago White Sox conspired with gamblers to intentionally lose World Series games. Ironically, they were playing the Cincinnati Reds, the team of which our subject of discussion played for during his Hall of Fame worthy career. We’ll get to that soon.

Whether you’re betting on a Seabiscuit or the Seahawks, there are two types of wagers when it comes to sports. These categories would be legal and illegal. Company regulated gambling where taxes can be drawn are legal. The “black market” bets involving the exchange of money on personal terms is illegal. This is the basis for fans. For the individuals who actually participate in these sports, however, the terms are much more strict. The Major League Baseball association forbids it’s players and coaches from wagering money on the outcome of any regular season or postseason games. This is to prevent scandals such as the 1919 World Series. Peter Edward Rose had one of the most consistent and successful careers ever seen in the game of baseball. He is in the conversation for being one of the best hitters to ever play. However, it was his involvement with gambling during his tenure with the Cincinnati Reds that would lead to him being banned from baseball, restricting him from any Hall of Fame access.

charlie hustle

image by Sportsrants.com

I know this blog is to contradict the idea that sports are nothing but numbers, but I am going to throw some stats your way. Pete Rose holds the all-time Major League record for hits with 4,256. To put this into perspective, a “good” season for a hitter contains an average of about 170 hits. At this pace, it would take 25 years of playing in the pros to reach Rose’s mark. Pete reached this number in 23 seasons. During these 23 seasons, he also won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one MVP award, two Gold Gloves, Rookie of The Year, and made 17 All-Star Game appearances. Even if you don’t know what all of these accolades mean, the mouthful that they produce when listing shows evidence of the kind of caliber player that Pete Rose was.

Rose was championed “Charlie Hustle” by Whitey Ford during Spring Training of his rookie year. He never took a play off. During the 1970 All Star Game, Pete collided with American League catcher Ray Fosse at home plate and ultimately separated Fosse’s shoulder. Rose scored on the play, winning the game in walk off fashion. The MLB All Star Games aren’t quick as relaxed as the NFL Pro Bowl, but they certainly don’t see any players colliding into each other intentionally very often, either. This kind of play was what gave Pete Rose his reputation of playing at one gear: full speed.

every rose has it’s thorn

Establishing a way of playing the game that people still attempt to emulate to this day, Pete gained the respect and admiration of baseball fans, players, and coaches everywhere. If you asked anyone today that knew a thing or two on the topic of baseball, they would tell you that Pete was one of the best. He played a huge role in bringing back to back World Series titles to the city of Cincinnati in 1975 and 1976, helping coin the team the “Big Red Machine” during this decade for their dominance. As far as the game of baseball and the city of Cincinnati is concerned, Pete Rose’s name is immortal.

Rose began his managerial career in 1984, where he acted as a player/coach until 1986 when he unofficially retired as a player and performed took the sole role of a manager. This may seem like an odd combination, managing and playing at the same time, but the practice was more common in this age of the game.  Pete was just as colorful as a manager of the Reds as he was as a player. Late in the 1988 season, he was suspended for 30 games for making physical contact with an umpire regarding a questionable call that helped decide the outcome of the game.

(image by The Starting Nine via wordpress.com) Rose is the last example of a player manager in the MLB.

Albeit these rough interactions, he was heavily admired for his tenacity on the field. To no surprise, Rose made plenty of enemies throughout his career for this kind of choppy play. Also, the destined Hall of Fame player couldn’t resist the urges of gambling toward the end of his career. This illegal practice would result in the strain of his legacy.

In 1989, there were reports that Rose had bet on baseball. Some slight efforts were made by the commissioner of baseball position to question Pete, but a real investigation would not be put into effect until lawyer John M. Dowd was assigned to the case. Long story short, Pete accepted a permanent place on baseball’s ineligibility list under the terms that MLB would make no formal finding with regard to the gambling allegation. This was the best way of saying, “Alright, I screwed up and am accepting the consequences. Just don’t ruin me by listing everything that I did.”

Just what did he do? Dowd documented Rose’s day-by-day alleged betting on baseball games in 1987 in his report. In these allegations, the documents accounted for a total of 52 games during this season that Rose placed wagers on. The monetary number per day that he would put into these bets ranged from $2,000-$10,000. Pete denied accusations until August of 1989, where the agreement was made for him to be banned from baseball.

(image by cincinnati.com) Pete Rose’s ban from baseball still stands today and has produced a tug of war between his following and Major League Baseball for 26 years.

where is he now?

To this day, Rose remains banned from the game. In each decade since the agreement was made, there has been an attempt to reinstate him. The end result has usually been that the current commissioner of baseball has not taken any action on it. Fortunately, this year has seen the most headway made for Pete’s return to the game. 26 years later, on September 25, 2015, Rose met with current Commissioner Rob Manfred to discuss his request for reinstatement. A verdict is expected to arise before the year ends.

Here’s my two cents.

The act of gambling on games that your team plays in as a manager should not ever be allowed and was dealt with in the right way in this situation. This helps prevent the fixing of games and lowers the value of political hands in baseball. But are we really not going to allow someone who had this much value and impact to the game be reinstated during his lifetime? Are we going to let 4,256 hits rot in banishment? The fact that the MLB has not taken action during multiple reinstatement events is unfortunate to say the least.

Pete Rose should be able to get off the banishment list and be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player. Say what you want about him as a coach, but no amount of money got him all of the accomplishments that he obtained throughout his career. Those came from his sheer will and determination. The history that Rose is working against is that no one has ever been reinstated from the ineligibility list. If he is successful, it will truly be a first for the game of baseball.

Oh, the irony.

(image by MLB.com) A graphic from MLB Network’s “Daily Picks” segment regarding player’s monetary worth on DraftKings for this specific day.

As I said before, gambling on major sites is a legal practice. If you’ve watched an MLB game in 2015, you cannot miss the DraftKings commercials that air on seemingly every break. You can’t watch a game without being encouraged to go throw your money into these sites. That is because DraftKings is now the MLB’s “Official Daily Fantasy Game.” In other words, the site is thriving and owns a huge monetary partnership with Major League Baseball now.

Maybe it’s just me, but I get a bad taste in my mouth when I compare the process that Rose has gone through and this mega million dollar partnership. He is obviously under different circumstances than the people who participate in this sites; yet, for the same thing that he is held from the Hall of Fame for, people are making millions on today. And this is being advertised heavily by the same league that keeps Pete from the game? I just don’t think that’s right.

Hopefully, following the World Series, we will see the return of Pete Rose. It is only right.

other articles worth reading

Argument for Rose’s place in the Hall of Fame: https://thestartingnine.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/why-pete-rose-belongs-in-the-hall-of-fame/

Washington Post’s 2015 article on prosecutor lawyer John Dowd on his thoughts about the Pete Rose situation, 25 years later:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/03/10/fairfaxs-john-dowd-investigated-pete-rose-in-1989-responds-to-sports-illustrated-push-for-rose/

Let’s Get Belligerent

I’m going to start by saying something that is blatantly obvious: without fans, sports would cease to exist. For one, it’s not fun to practice or play for no public recognition. Although sports contain a large internal battle within each athlete, the external factors play just as big of a role. If no one is watching, what is the relevance? You can ask the 2015 Baltimore Orioles that question. When there was social unrest in Baltimore earlier this year, a 10 P.M. – 5 A.M. curfew was set in place throughout the entire city to help control riots. This resulted in a game being played at Camden Yards between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox with no fans in attendance. You can imagine that the video is pretty bizarre.

This absence of crowd noise and 40,000 bodies was striking to say the least. Fans have been such a vital part of the sports world for so long, that when they were removed from a single game, people didn’t really know how to react. In response to this, we will be tipping our hats to the people that make these games so great. The tailgaters who show up before dawn to reserve a spot in the parking lot. The college students who get their semester tuition’s worth from one Saturday football afternoon. The family who watches their team from the couch every Sunday, as well as all the other categories these people might fall under. For today, we will be talking about the more extreme examples of this community. This post is in dedication to the young and the old; the humble and the belligerent; the fair weather and the dedicated. This post is dedicated to the fans.

m-i-z

It really is phenomenal to see what lengths people go to in attempts to get in the other team’s head. If we used the same amount of brainpower in class as when constructing a clever sign to hold during a game, the educational advancements made as a result would be unprecedented. I’m at your service today to provide you with some tales that may make you cringe. They may make you laugh. Either way, they’re those kind of stories that are connected to college that you can’t help but remember. Let me give you a little more background before we get to the good stuff.

All of my mother’s immediate family lives in Missouri. My father was an undergraduate in broadcast journalism and earned a Master’s degree in Advertising from Mizzou. My cousin is currently enrolled there. What I’m trying to get at is that my family has substantial history in the state and the school. For this reason, I’ve been to Missouri numerous times throughout my life and heard all kinds of stories from my folks. My dad is always game for comparing stories about the Mizzou he knew and the Mizzou that my cousin is currently attending. One of his favorite aspects of the University of Missouri in the late 70’s/early 80’s was a group of individuals that served as a student section labeled “The Antlers”. Although these guys weren’t the largest student section in the nation, they might go down as the most notorious of all time.

the antlers

The Antlers were founded in 1976 by Jeff Gordon (no, not the racecar driver) after a section of 11 courtside seats opened up for all students at the Hearnes Center. This was where Mizzou’s basketball games at the time were held. A lottery was held and students “won” the seats. To celebrate their winnings, Gordon and four other students decided to go all out with their cheering. More on that in a second.

Why are they called the Antlers? The name has no affiliation to the University of Missouri at all. In fact, the name is based off of a Saturday Night Live skit where Lily Tomlin dances with her hands at the side of her head, fingers outstretched as if she had Antlers. I couldn’t seem to find the video for this skit anywhere, otherwise I would have provided it for you. Anyways, Gordon saw this skit and implemented it into the first game the Antlers attended as an official group. When a member of the press saw the section performing this dance, he dubbed them “The Antlers”. The name is now legend.

(image by VOX Magazine) The Antlers perform the Antler dance before a 1993 home game against Cal State Northridge.

The antics

Since 1976, the goal of the group has been to be as untraditional and obnoxious as possible. Before most home games, they undergo intense research in order to dig up dirt on the opponent’s coaches and players. Anything is up for grabs in this realm of relentless support.

However, the Antlers are most notorious for the folklore that has been spread about their actions off the field. Any organization that is significant enough to be relevant to a number of people has an event they can be remembered by. The Antlers’ history contains many of these events. Some of the instances I am about to mention are a combination of stories that my father has told me and information that has been passed down online. Whether every detail is true can be left up to speculation. Just keep in mind, however, that the preposterous actions described in these stories weren’t just thought up; something similar or equally as ridiculous had to happen in order for these actions to become immortal. Let’s begin.

Porkchops

Mizzou and Arkansas have played each other in basketball 45 times since 1950. The results have been pretty even-keeled; Mizzou has leads the series 23-22. If you didn’t already know, the mascot for Arkansas is a razorback. There are several written reports of Antlers members at one point swinging a severed pig’s head from a chain in front of the Arkansas bus as their players stepped off before a game. Imagine that welcoming. It was also recorded that the Antlers once dumped a vat of pig’s blood on Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson. As you can tell, this is not your average run of the mill type trash talking. This is a level above.

(image by Columbia Daily Tribune)

Another story that my dad told me also involves a dead pig. One year, the Antlers figured out which hotel the Arkansas basketball team was staying at overnight. They did the courteous thing and sent their regards via a set of pizzas to the Arkansas’ players rooms. The catch was that the toppings on the pizzas were bloody chunks of pig that had been sprinkled on from the local slaughterhouse. Delicious? No. Unnerving? Undeniably.

chickenhawks

The rivalry between Mizzou and Kansas is not a pretty one. These two schools have no love lost toward each other. Think of Texas and Oklahoma; Michigan and Ohio State; this is the level of circumstance that we are talking about. I grew up a Longhorn, but I’m on the Mizzou side of this MU-KU rivalry. The official mascot of The University of Kansas is the “Jayhawk”, but my dad called them the “Chickenhawks” one time when I was younger, and the name stuck.

(image by kusports.com) A satisfying picture from KU Sports featuring Mizzou’s Leo Lyons celebrating a 62-60 victory over Kansas in 2009.

As legend is told, sometime in the 80’s, the Kansas basketball bus was departing from their campus in Lawrence. They were headed toward the Hearnes Center to play Mizzou in a Big 12 Conference match up. Around 15 minutes into their ride on the highway, they were boxed in by a caravan of Antlers vehicles. They could not switch lanes; they could not exit when they needed to. This continued until about an hour after they missed the exit for the Mizzou campus. As a result, the Jayhawks missed all of warm ups and showed up close to when the game was about to start. The outcome of the game was lost in history; the caravan of Antlers was not.

what’s your take?

(image by Getty images via CBS St. Louis) Along with the Antler’s antics comes one of the coolest mascots in college sports, Truman the Tiger.

In 2013, The Antlers were kicked out of a Mizzou home game for their uncensored cheering. This would be the second straight game in which they would be asked to leave. This came as no surprise. The Antlers have pushed the envelope both on and off the court since their humble beginnings in 1976. The players of the Mizzou teams have always backed them up. The university as a whole has enjoyed their presence, but has seemed to tighten down on them as of late.

We certainly are not talking about a 12th Man style cheering section here. However, the sentiment is just the same: get in the other team’s heads to benefit your own team. For me, I find the Antlers entertaining to say the least. It is these stories that involve everyday people off the court that help bridge the fans to the athletes. Whether you love or hate the Antlers, you cannot deny them. I encourage you to read some of the links that I will provide below.

links

2015 Antlers article in VOX Magazine: http://www.voxmagazine.com/2015/02/antler-antics/

Antlers 2013 ejection: http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2013/12/4/antlers-deserve-chance-improve-conduct/

Mental Floss’ 10 Famous Basketball Student Sections: http://mentalfloss.com/article/27086/quick-10-10-famous-student-sections-college-basketball

Drizzy Drake and The Sports Scene in The 6

Image by Lucas Oleniuk via Toronto Star

WOW. What a series we just witnessed between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Specifically, Game 5. If you happened to miss this instant classic of a game, I STRONGLY encourage you to watch these highlights before reading any more (skip to 2:05 for the really exciting stuff). It was just one of those games that you will forever remember where you were when you watched it. I was in my dorm room eating up the entire scene. Now, I’ve been working on this piece for the past week to fit the theme of Drake performing at ACL and the Blue Jays being in the playoffs. Never would I expect, however, for such an insane series to erupt just in time for my posting. For that reason, I’m writing this introductory paragraph last. I just had to fill in my thoughts of what happened in Toronto this past week. That being said, let’s continue.

Before we go any further, I’d like to clear something up regarding the title of this post. As of late, a lot of Drake’s lyrics involves “The Six”. Many thoughts and speculations have been put into effect as an effort to solve what “The Six” may be referencing to. The answer is actually pretty simple: “The Six” is a hint to the city of Toronto, the birth city of Drake. The area codes in Toronto are 416 and 617. It’s all coming together now, isn’t it?

Drake’s famous logo “6 God” prefacing his 2014 mixtape, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late”. 

Now that we’ve figured that out, I’d like to outline the subject of discussion for today. Since the dawn of entertainment, the collaboration of two entities that specialize in different methods of human amusement has proven to produce a greater appreciation for both parties involved. In short, when people that do different things to make people happy come and work together, both of their fan bases benefit and ultimately grow. In this instance, we are talking about one of the biggest icons of the 21st century and his support for his home town’s professional sports. This would be none other than Aubrey Drake Graham himself.

“if i die, i’m a legend”

As you music lovers might know, the Austin City Limits music festival concluded this past weekend. Personally, I went to Saturday of Weekend One. On this day, Drake was the final act on the Samsung stage (the biggest platform of the festival). I had already been a fan of his music for some time, and seeing him perform live only added to my enjoyment. After seeing him in person, I felt inclined to look back on his career. Although most of you will know that he is highly successful, I think you will be astounded by the accomplishments this man has obtained. These include:

• “Best Ensemble in a TV Series” for his role of Jimmy in Degrassi (2002)
• Platinum status for all 3 of his studio albums (at least 1 million copies sold)
• BET “Rookie of the Year” award (2009)
• BET “Best Male Hip-Hop Artist” (2010)
• 100+ Hot 100 Hits
• $75 million net worth
• 45 total awards won from 252 total nominations

(By the way, he is only 28 years old)

Now, if you’ve lived through the 70s and the 80s, please do not be offended by what I am about to say. For this generation, the Millennials,  Drake takes on the social figurehead similar to that held by Michael Jackson in his prime. Before you spite me, hear me out. There are certain artists that come across each generation that will forever help paint the picture of that time period of their youth and early adulthood. They are forces that are impossible to ignore. For Generation X, this would involve icons such as Michael Jackson, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, etc. The ballots and classic hits of these musicians have earned their rightful place in most of this demographic’s 2015 iTunes library, am I wrong?

(Image by NY Post) MJ during a 1988 performance.

Carrying this same thought process, riddle me this: Will we, the Millennials, NOT be seen playing the sing along that everyone loves in “Legend” when we are fifty years old? Are we not going to show our kids the anthem that is “Know Yourself”? (Notice the Parental Advisory: Explicit Content tag for these songs) I don’t know about my peers, but I look forward to still getting hype to Drizzy well into the process of me becoming a grandparent. I’ll be that grandfather. The point is, each new generation has a new style and main acts that exhibit that style. For our generation, I can’t think of a more prominent face on this style than Drake.

(image by Jay Janner via Austin American Statesman) Drake performing at Austin City Limits on October 3, 2015.

but… sports?

I’m not just rambling or being a fanboy, I promise. I wanted to set the preface of just how much of an impact that Drake has on today’s world of entertainment. With this kind of power, let’s be honest, you can do a lot of things that others can’t and behave in a way that most people can’t afford to deal with. Too many times, I believe that we as a society witness sources of success in the entertainment industry that are completely engulfed with themselves. Any seemingly noble or generous gesture appears false as a ploy to build credit and a fanbase. Sources of authenticity can be hard to find from these big names.

That is why I would like to credit Drake with being one of the most genuine artists of this day in age. His effective use of collaboration has broadened his fanbase to unbelievable heights. Since becoming the figurehead that he is today, he’s helped a number of rappers and hip hop performers gain credibility. These acts of reaching out have all but given him a label of “Big Brother”. We are going to specifically talk about his role in the sports world.

We all know that guy who likes teams that are 2,000 miles from where he is living for no apparent reason. I won’t lie, I am one of them. I’ve been a Detroit Lions (cue the internal groaning) fan since my freshman year of high school. I also have no affiliations to the team whatsoever. In my eyes, this is a characteristic of sports that makes them so great; you can root for a team that is on the completely opposite end of the country from you.

However, the type of fan that I admire most and that I believe deserves the most credibility is the fan that lives and dies every year with their team. The person that doesn’t flip flop or go in the closet when their team has a losing season. In my case, I couldn’t think of better examples than my buddies Tommy and Robert, who go through the same heartbreak with the Dallas Cowboys every year with the same amount of zeal. There is nobility in choosing a team and sticking with them. In Drake’s case, he has decided to put the professional teams of Toronto on his back and piggyback them into mainstream media.

how does he do it?

I’m sure plenty of you have noticed the increase in Drake’s engagement with the sports teams of Toronto. It’s a large city, and in effect there are a number of professional sports to enjoy. In 2013, Drake became the global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors NBA team. His mission was to, literally, “make the team hip”. When you are called to be given the job of making a professional basketball team “cool”, you must be doing something right. This involvement has led to everything from debuting a new black and gold OVO style uniform at OVO Fest in Toronto to a connection in online trends interlacing Drake with the franchise. From now on, the Raptors will be closely associated with Drake’s success.

(Photo by George Pimentel/Rolling Stone)

Let’s explore other ways that Drake has integrated Toronto sports with his music. In his recent verbal exchange with rapper Meek Mill, he released perhaps the most brilliantly thought out diss track of this decade in “Back to Back”. The cover for this single was a picture of Joe Carter celebrating his walk off World Series winning home run for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993 against Meek’s hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Per convenience to the 2015 song title, this home run would mark the second World Series that the Blue Jays would win in a row. Back to back, if you will.

Different decades of Blue Jays players (Joe Carter, 1991-1997, and Marcus Stroman, 2014-present) tweeting in regards to Drake’s single, “Back to Back”. 

This would lead to responses from Joe Carter himself and members of the 2015 Blue Jays team, including Marcus Stroman. The Jays winning their division and making a post season run this year helps matters as well. (Just a quick fun fact, Joe Carter’s walk off home run in 1993 would mark the last playoff game that the Blue Jays had won at home before this past Wednesday, when they beat the Rangers in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.) When sports teams start receiving positive attention, they tend to generate positive output. Don’t be surprised if this increase in the interest of Toronto teams leads to a more prominent mark of their place in this time of sports.

Drake’s personal Instagram (@champagnepapi) response to the Blue Jay’s winning Game 5 on Wednesday. Check the number of likes on those. He has an insane following.

Before “Back to Back”, there was “Charged Up”, the set up song to the diss track. Inlaid in this beat are the lyrics, “I get a ring and I bring it home like I’m Corey Joe.” This is a reference to the Toronto Raptor’s basketball team signing free agent Corey Joseph this off-season to a 4 year, $30 million dollar contract. In these 13 words, a hype is created for a new dynamic to the team and the potential benefits that it could bring.

What we are seeing here is a bridge being formed of the new and the old Toronto sports icons through an alternative method of social connectivity. Drake’s lyrics and involvement is attracting the personnel and charisma that have shaped Toronto’s sports scene to this point. An epicenter is building in Canada, and we might be lucky enough to witness something special in the near future.

to wrap things up

The first personality to really connect all four corners of the nation in a truly American sentiment was Babe Ruth in the 1920s. People loved him for the attitude and enjoyment he would bring to the game. Since that time, sports have been shaped by the personalities that draw attention to the teams. Larger than life figures help create an icon and an image of successful figures for people of all ethnicities and interests to look up to. A new figure is growing in this sense that doesn’t even play sports. Drake is changing the game in the way that sports teams are represented and pushed out to the public. His massive success in the music industry is leaking to new horizons that, at this point in time, see no boundaries. Although he is advocating for a city in a neighboring country, the effects that he is having are influencing America heavily. Whether you’re a sports fan or a music fan, or just a fan of pop culture, you simply cannot avoid this new dynamic. I’m not sure why’d you’d want to. This partnership is highlighting the change in American consumer culture. Bridges are being formed between entertainment entities. Exciting things are taking place, and I hope that you’re as ready as I am to see what they bring.

Cinderella Dressed In Green

October is here, which means PLAYOFF BASEBALL. In this spirit, we’ll get a bit personal with this post involving one of my favorite playoff teams ever: the 2013 Connally Cougars. You might not have heard about this group on national headlines, but we were making it big in Pflugerville, Texas, I promise. It is often times said that the best stories are told and the strongest points are made when you’re speaking on a topic that proves close to your heart. As far as my philosophy goes, I like to speak of my experiences in a way that is entertaining and meaningful for my audience, whoever they may be. While this post won’t contain any larger than life names or events that will be recorded in history books, it will encompass a time and a team in which I will smile in remembrance of forever. If you’ll indulge me, I’ll attempt to show you why.

connally vs. everybody

I attended grades 9-12 at a school about fifteen minutes north of downtown Austin called John B. Connally High.  We were part of the Pflugerville Independent School District that consisted of three high schools: Hendrickson, Pflugerville, and Connally. I cannot express enough the amounts of negative sentiment that we would receive from these two other  schools (almost exclusively from the student body). While there is naturally always a rivalry between schools that share a district, it seemed as if we were the victims of a prejudice that was based on really a lack of knowledge of our school.

Connally was founded in 1996. The school’s districting map contained a number of neighborhoods with great variety, both ethnically and economically. For this reason, the John B. Connally I knew gave me insight to the personalities and rewards/challenges of many different kinds of people. Being there everyday and actively engaging in a positive way, I really enjoyed the atmosphere that my high school experience held. This same encouraging feeling toward Connally was not shared through the other two schools in our district, however. We were often called “ghetto” in ignorance. Albeit being in the same district as Pflugerville and Hendrickson, we were not viewed as equals.

(image by pfisd.net)

Now, understand that I am claiming a general observation that I found through my four years of experience. I had plenty of friends from these two neighboring schools and there were an abundance of good people. The schools and students that attended them were not hostile. I just didn’t appreciate the negative vibe that would be more often times than not be sent toward our school. Of course, the most amplified examples of this behavior would come during sporting events. Sports make people act in colorful ways when defending the teams and people they cheer for. In our case, when we won, it was, “Well, you still go to Connally, and that’s a loss in itself.” When we lost, it was “Connally sucks, y’all wish you could compete at a level that other schools can.” When we would give our two cents back, it was, “Connally doesn’t know what they’re talking about, they’re ghetto and ignorant.” Can you see where that would get tiring after a while?

In this sense, the situation was simple: Connally vs. the world. We were out to get the respect we deserved. No one wanted to see us succeed, and that was why it was mandatory. Through this never ending struggle of attempting to prove ourselves, I forged some of the closest friendships and memories that I will hold until I die.

scrappers

Reflecting the demographic of the students at the school, the Connally baseball team I played on for four years involved a group of guys that had to work hard for everything they earned. No one was blessed with a 90 mile per hour arm. No one was bred to hit lots of home runs in the same season. For this reason, we had to make opportunities for ourselves. This led to a general overlooking of our baseball program. From the outside looking in, there was nothing special about the Connally baseball team. There is something about being in this forgotten underdog situation that can really make or break a team’s character. There are two options of action in this type of circumstance: either roll over and let what everyone says become reality, or do everything in your power to break the spell and forge an identity.

(images from my personal Instagram, @murphnesss)

This type of scrappy, underdog persona became the foundation of a team that I will always regard as being the most close-knit group of guys I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. The connectivity and charisma of this team is what took us from being a mediocre ball club to a playoff contender. I really wish that you, the reader, could understand the type of guys that we had on that team. The Jeremy Sanchez’s, the Cedric Robertson’s, the Ben Green’s, along with countless others. Not only were they some of the funniest guys I’ve ever known, but they were also idols of humility and appreciativeness. Together, we accomplished some pretty cool things. Somewhere along the way, we jumped onto the “Harlem Shake” bandwagon and made our own video, which received close to 70,000 views. (I urge you to click the link- it’s a pretty entertaining video)

Our 2013 “Harlem Shake” video.

Think about the people and events during your time in high school that leave a warm feeling in your heart; that was what these guys were to me. Perhaps that was just my looking up to them being seniors as a sophomore, but many of the qualities that they possessed shaped how I would grow as a ballplayer and as a leader. I am thankful for many things, and that 2013 team is very high on that list.

He did what?

As I stated previously, this team became a playoff contender. The idea that we would actually have a shot at making playoffs began forming in our heads during the first games of District, specifically during a very dynamic game at the brand new Eastview High School in Georgetown, Texas. This game contains my favorite baseball memory that I personally experienced on the field. It involves a grand slam hit by one of the best human beings I’ve ever met.

Erik Herrera quit baseball on the first day that I showed up to the class during Freshman year. Before our coach said a word, he stood up and addressed everyone, saying something very similar to, “Guys, I want to say how much I appreciate y’all and these friendships that I’ve made, but I have to take a step back and deal with some family and personal issues.” As he left, he had tears in his eyes, and the guys that knew him were in shock. My first thought was, “Oh s#%$, I wasn’t expecting that.” From the start, I was hit with how much the program and the bonds that were made in it meant. Progressively, Erik fixed whatever his issues he was dealing with off the field, and began to work back in with us in attempt to earn a spot back on the team. When coach asked us if we felt he deserved a chance, the answer was quick and unanimous: yes.

(The best picture I could find of Erik batting. Yes, that’s my 2012 yearbook)

Playing in that Eastview game during sophomore year, I already carried enormous amounts of respect and appreciation for Erik. In only a year I had grown to look up to him as a role model for dealing with life from a genuine standpoint.

The story of the game went as so: we were winning 8-3, then they came back and tied the score, 8-8. We were shocked. We came into the dugout after they scored five runs in a very questioning mindset. Would we be able to respond? 8 runs is plenty of scoring and should’ve been enough to win the game. Could we scrape across any more?

In a game where everyone was hitting, Erik had struggled. He was 0-4 (meaning he did not have a hit in four attempts) with three strikeouts, and after his third one, I remember vividly him coming to the dugout saying, “Man, me and district just don’t mix.” In the top of the seventh inning (we only played 7 innings in high school, as opposed to 9 played in a standard major league game), he came up to bat with the bases loaded with 2 outs and the score tied 8-8. In short, it was crunch time in a vital game. On the third pitch of the at bat, he hit one of the farthest balls I’ve ever seen. The problem was that it was foul; it didn’t count. In the dugout, we all groaned. “Man, if only that was fair!” “What a moonshot.” On the very next pitch, he straightened it out and hit it over the fence. This time, it was fair, and all the runs scored. He put us on top, 12-8. We rushed to home plate and bombarded him as he scored. It was some of the most fun that I’ve ever had.

you are not supposed to be here

We would go on to win, 13-8, and chant “4-0!” on the way back to our bus. We were undefeated thus far in district. This type of success had not been seen as of late for the Connally baseball program; we were the Cinderella story, and we were enjoying every moment of it. We would go on to be the only team from the Pflugerville Independent School District to make the playoffs that year. I would be lying if I said that didn’t feel damn good.

We also sent two seniors to play in the Central Texas All Star game at the Dell Diamond that year. Our coach, Ryan Burns, was selected to coach that team as well. We made multiple headlines for our successful season. We had numerous all-district selections. In other words, we had made a name for ourselves. That was the biggest accomplishment of all.

Three years later, I still look back to that team and those guys frequently as models for how sports shape a group of people. We started with only ourselves and the support of our loved ones, and that proved to be all we needed. That year, Cinderella made it to the ball. She wasn’t wearing glass slippers, though; on her feet were roughed up Nikes.

It Runs In The Family

The first ever jersey I remember owning was a Ken Griffey Jr., #30 for the Cincinnati Reds. I was no older than probably six years old and he was the coolest person I could imagine. He was the Kid. I would always pick him for my Backyard Baseball team and wear his jersey while I played. Jr. was the first icon I had when it came to my baseball career. It was this childhood glorification that urged me to write about one of the greatest bonds ever shared on the field in the game of baseball.

Sports have seen their fair share of successful families. You have the Mannings, who have produced three excellent professional football careers in two generation’s time. There are the Williams sisters (Venus and Serena), who have provided the most dynamic duo that the sport of women’s tennis has ever seen. But perhaps the best of all of these “in the family” type sports combinations is the playing of Ken Griffey, Jr. and Ken Griffey, Sr. on the same Seattle Mariners team in 1990.

(image by the Seattle Times)

The making of history

You don’t have to be a sports expert to figure that the odds of a father and son playing on the same professional team are very slim to none. To put into perspective, here is an abridged list of everything that would have to go right in order for this to happen:

1. The father must play well enough and stay healthy to play professionally for decades, until his son is old enough to at least have the chance of playing in the MLB. (According to Lookoutlanding.com, The Mariner’s average player age is between 28 and 29 in 2015. Griffey, Sr. was 41 when he played with his son).
2. The father must have a son at a relatively young age who is an absolute beast at the game; a phenom, if you will. We are talking about needing the talent level of a modern day Bryce Harper to even have a shot of making the Big Leagues by your early 20’s.
3. A team would require the need for the positions that both the father and son play. A team doesn’t just give out spots based on how good a potential player is; a roster is constantly shifting with injuries and contracts. The chance that a single team would even have the spots available to accommodate both members of the family would be hard to come by. Fortunately for the Griffey duo, they both played outfield. There are three outfield players on the field at a given time; this would give the father and son the ability to play simultaneously.

Meeting all of these requirements, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Ken Griffey, Sr. landed on the same Seattle Mariners team in 1990. On August 31st of this year, they trotted to the outfield together in what became the first father-son duo to play on the same team in baseball’s 112 year history.

(Image by sportsencyclopedia.com)

icons of the 90’s

This combination gave America a taste of an ideal that had never been thought possible. When you say the words “American Dream”, a very common picture that is associated is a father and son playing catch. The image that Griffey, Jr. and his father gave to the nation was one that transcended time and would have ultimately left even Hunter S. Thompson sastisfied. All of a sudden, the impact of a sport was in the forefront of one of the most iconic father-son relationships in American baseball’s history.

Jr.’s role as the “emerging” Griffey and Sr.’s role as the “fading” Griffey during their playing time together really served as a metaphor for this time period. As far as baseball was concerned, the game was beginning to be taken over by the youngsters. Numbered were the days where the game was mostly played by men in their 30’s. Griffey, Jr. was 20 years old when he played in his major league debut in 1990. He was appropriately branded as “The Kid”. His emergence shifted the attitude of the game of baseball to focus more on the development of raw, young talent. This passing of the torch type relationship that Jr. and Sr. possessed ran parallel with America’s development during the early 1990’s as well.

The 90’s decade demonstrated the impact that young people had on American culture. MTV had dug it’s roots into the music industry and highlighted the emergence of “teen pop”. The significant advancement of online technology saw college level students at the front lines of breakthroughs. As Griffey, Jr. dug into the batter’s box for his first major league at bat, America was being shifted to the hands of a younger generation. Suddenly, having an impact in the nation’s culture became very accessible to this new wave of youth.

(image by mjfanatic.niketalk via yuku.com)

like father, like son

The story is heightened by both Jr. and Sr. had successful careers. Ken Griffey, Sr. won two world championships (1975, 1976), was a 3 time all star, and won the MVP award in 1980. Jr. had to go and outdo his dad, however, with 10 Gold Glove awards, 7 Silver Slugger awards, 13 All-Star selections, and an MVP winner in 1997. Jr. was also voted on to the Major League Baseball All-Century team and ranks sixth all time with 630 home runs. Some nerve that kids have to go and prove a point to their parents, isn’t it?

In light of all of his accomplishments, Ken Griffey, Sr. stated, “This is the pinnacle for me… This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” in response to playing with his son in a professional game for the first time. Possibly the greatest memory that this duo blessed us with was when they hit back to back home runs on September 14, 1990. Ken Griffey, Sr. hit a two run home run off of the California Angel’s Kirk McCaskill. He was to be followed up by Jr.’s own home run in the very next at bat. They remain the only father and son combination to claim back to back home runs in baseball.

Sr. officially retired in 1991, but got to enjoy watching his son’s Hall of Fame career for 19 more years. It was only fitting that on Father’s Day in 2004, Jr. hit his 500th career home run (a milestone that all but solidifies a player’s spot in the Hall of Fame) as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, the club that his father won two World Series titles with previously. Following his trip around the bases, Jr. went straight for the stands to share the moment with his father.

(image by redlegsreview.com)

A universal story

As I’ve grown up, I have learned to appreciate the story of Ken Griffey, Jr. and his father on a deeper level. The fact that they got to play on the same team together for a period of time is an incredible feat. The game of baseball created a bond for these two, as it has done for my father and myself. For this, I am forever thankful. It was always my father pointing out new accomplishments that Griffey was achieving and all the home runs he was hitting. From an early age on, he provided me with numerous idols that eventually led to my falling in love with the game. Through this process, he became one of my greatest icons himself. I’ve come to realize, years later, that one of the biggest pieces of enjoyment I get from the game of baseball is the ability to share it with my father. I believe that this is what makes the story of Ken Griffey, Jr. and his father so universal. Their combined success was incredible; but at the end of the day, they were just a father and son enjoying the game together.