hey, there was a Rob Gee sighting! both nomaas & pete abe have links to a randy hendricks Q&A and Rob Gee has a post there. nice to see he's still around...

http://tinyurl.com/uyrtt

1 mr. taco, I thank for the consideration, but it is I who makes the first post awesome, not the other way around.

will goose go in alone? maybe he should. but with a light class, i guess it's possible bert "be home" blyleven and rice make the grade, though i'm not sure the latter should be in after reading so many compelling cases against online lately...

I'm not sure what angers me more right now - Goose coming thisclose but not getting elected, or the illogical statements I keep hearing about McGwire (not from folks at the Banter). I can't believe what a scapegoat McGwire has been made into, because he didn't admit to anything or apologize in front of Congress. Its a disgrace.

3 et al - are we sure that's 'the' Rob Gee (aka OPP Rob Gee)?

yup, it's THE Rob Gee - as he stated "I am a Yankees fan" in the thread about Pettitte/Clemens. it's gotta be 'the one'

8 oh, i'm no authority on it, but i think he was asked to leave, then was offered a return, but he has declined. i think, don't quote me...

Daily News is reporting his condition 'grave':

http://tinyurl.com/w6hr2

Ugh.

I'm all for possibilitie$... >;)

10 If Big Mac is a scapegoat, what do we make of Bonds when his turn comes up? And does Rafael Palmeiro fit into the picture anymore? Or as a better comparison, Sammy Sosa? All I'm really saying is that if any from this particular group go in, they should all go in or none should go in. We'll see how the standards bear themselves out within the next few years...

"All I'm really saying is that if any from this particular group go in, they should all go in or none should go in."

I agree, and that's why I get upset about it. We don't know who used what when (and is still using, if anyone is) and who didn't. We don't even know for sure when ballplayers started using - Tom House admitted to experimenting with steroids back in the late 60s. Its not like steroids weren't available until the 90s. All we have is speculation and circumstantial evidence, if anything at all. That's not enough, for me, to knock anyone, or everyone, out.

13 You are indeed correct. After some back and forth, Ken was convinced to allow him to return to the site, but he has not responded. Maybe if someone were to let him know he was welcome (I'm not sure he ever got the message), then he might peek in. Then again, he seemed like a very proud individual, so that might be his sticking point. Also, we have no idea what was happening between then and now, so it's not fair to speculate on why we hadn't seen him until now.

After all, debris dropped in recently and hasn't been back since; not that a lot of folks really mind I'm sure since debris' a drop Ded Sox fan.

aw crap ....

(getting a tissue out)

sigh ....

(I'll fight him anytime or have him as my tag team partner)

Actually, has anyone every seen Rob Gee and Jim Dean in the same room (or chat room in this case) together... Hmmmm could it be?

JL25&3 can referee...

Sliced can do color commentary with wsporter and Shaun P ringside...

mikeplugh can be the announcer and of course, Alex and Cliff are the promoters with Ken being the big bad PPV exec.

Anybody want to lay the odds? (Bookie is still open...) Any positions I left out? Oh Bama, you're the director on the network side since you have a way of getting good shots...

I was wading through Retrosheet and found this weird play involving Murcer, and a great quote from him:

5-29-1982 NYA @ MIN – Stew reports that he attended this game. In the top of the
second Bobby Murcer and Graig Nettles singled. With the runners on the move, Roy
Smalley struck out. Sal Butera's throw to Gary Gaetti at 3b was so far ahead of Murcer that he stopped and retreated toward 2b where Nettles had arrived. Nettles then ran back to 1b. Gaetti threw to Kent Hrbek, who tagged Nettles out. Murcer then broke
for third. Hrbek threw to pitcher Terry Felton covering the bag and Murcer was out for a triple play. This is the play that caused Murcer to say, "We need a second base coach." The play is: K+CS3(25);CS2(31)/TP

Get well soon, Bobby!

...but have you ever been to cooperstown? i was there about 11 months ago. i was 10 years old again. it was bliss. the hall of fame is amazing. the library there is incredible. walking down main street? i highly recommend the trip to anyone who hasn't been.

i see what you're getting at schteeve, but i could never stay away from the place if the opportunity to go came up. i am a sucker that way.

32 I've had the same thought.

More Murcer highlights from BaseballLibrary.com

http://tinyurl.com/yn5r9j

This one has gotten a lot of Banter lately ...
» June 24, 1970: In a doubleheader with the Indians at Yankee Stadium, Bobby Murcer ties Lou Gehrig's record of four straight homers. The Yanks lose the opener 7–2, despite Murcer's 9th-inning home run off Sam McDowell. Murcer next connects off game 2's starter Mike Paul, hitting a solo shot in the 1st inning. A walk in the 4th, then a 2-run homer off Paul in the 5th, and a game-tying homer in the 8th, off Fred Lasher. New York scores in the bottom of the 9th to salvage a 5–4 win.

» August 29, 1972: Yankee Bobby Murcer hits for the cycle against Texas. He's the first Yankee to cycle since Mickey Mantle in 1957: The next will be Tony Fernandez in 1995.

» July 13, 1973: Bobby Murcer hits three home runs, all off starter Gene Garber, and knocks in all the runs in the Yankees' 5–0 win over the Royals. Mel Stottlemyre scatters six hits in racking up his 39th shut out.

» October 22, 1974: The Giants and Yankees swap popular star outfielders: Bobby Bonds goes to the Yankees and Bobby Murcer heads to San Francisco. Bonds will play just one season in New York, hitting 32 home runs and stealing 32 bases, before leg injuries slowed him. Murcer swore he would never forgive the Yankees for trading him, but later he will relent when the Yanks reacquire him.

» February 11, 1977: The Cubs trade 3B Bill Madlock, the NL batting champ the past two seasons, and 2B Rod Sperring to the Giants for OF Bobby Murcer, IF Steve Ontiveros, and a minor league pitcher.

» June 26, 1979: The Yankees reacquire the popular Bobby Murcer from the Cubs in exchange for P Paul Semall and cash. Murcer will once again thrive in Yankee Stadium hitting .273 with eight home runs.

» August 6, 1979: In a night game following the funeral of Thurman Munson, Bobby Murcer drives in all five runs as the Yankees top Baltimore 5–4. Murcer has a 3-run home run and a 9th inning 2-run single.

i have given up hope of seeing his plaque in cooperstown. the injuries killed his chances. his numbers compared to HOF 1B just don't measure up. it stinks. if he was healthy, his early pace would've landed him there, but after this year, i decided not to get my hopes up anymore.

(but if he did manage to somehow get the votes? i'd do my damndest to be there when hewas inducted. if you show up as well, the drinks are on me.)

Coincidence???? I think not!!!

Just kidding, Jim's first post was 8-16-06 (but hey, he still could be Rob Gee).

Subjectively, you damn well better believe he was a Hall of Famer. And so was Randolph, IMHO.

Completely off topic - Alex, I enjoyed your take on the Johnson deal that Jon Weisman mentioned over at Dodger Thoughts.

http://tinyurl.com/wk9ym

I've now heard both Alex's voice and Cliff's voice on the radio. Alex sounded like I expected Cliff to sound like, and Cliff sounded like what I expected Alex to sound like. Both sounded good.

But 4 years is not enough to make the HOF. In truth, if Donnie goes in, it opens the gates for many excellent players, but not all time greats. I, for one, do not want to see the HOF watered down. The 'elders' have already let in too many that don't deserve.

Donnie was still in his prime when he hurt his back. The year before, he posted a .925 OPS, which in that day, along with his GG, was pretty amazing. The year he hurt himself, he posted a .886 OPS. The next year, .773 and never had an OPS of .800 after.

He played 8 years after then injury. In 1990, his back problems flared up, and turned him into a .700 OPS guy the rest of his career.

I remember it well. Many, many warning track flies, that in his former days were solid HRs. His opposite field power, one of his strengths, especially suffered. I remember one game at Fenway when he had 2 doubles off the monster. Effortlessly. He looked like he could swat them that way at will.

His final numbers are not that good, but reflect at least 1/2 his career playing injured.

Its really a shame. In his day, he was such a pleasure to watch.

And FWIW, Kirby should not be in the HOF. Sentimentality, I guess.

If you're going to log out and log in as me, you'll be away for a while changing loads of diapers! The only secret I'm going to reveal about any Japanese stars is that my boy produces more shit than Mike Lupica! (Only Hiroto's smells better.)

It still says Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barrons in the 2007 Possible Campers AAA notes in the right margin. Gotta get that branding out there Alex and Cliffy.

SWB Yankees in e-double f-e-c-t.

The basic gist of the article is that the Yanks didn't get very good prospects in return for what could be a good lefty, at least a left of RJ's reputation.
-------------
Excerpts:

"It's not easy to make a deal with the Diamondbacks and not come out of it with some upside, but that's what the Yankees have done."

"This wasn't even the best package of guys you've never heard of; the Yankees, staring at a hole at first base, would have been better off working Scott Hairston, Chris Carter or Brian Barden into this deal than taking Vizcaino or Gonzalez. The Diamondbacks have no room for any of them, th