Down time of year?

[BillyRay]

I apologize I have not been on the site in a while. But not much is going on. It looks like softball talking mostly. I am new to the site so is this normal for this time of year?

What about baseball? College or MLB? I must admit I don't follow it much anymore.

Any opinions on the new rule allowing the early signing period for college athletes? I think the early signing date is in December correct? Will this be a good or bad thing for OU recruiting?

 

[fortworth4ou2]

Go Orioles!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Senior Sooner]

I apologize I have not been on the site in a while. But not much is going on. It looks like softball talking mostly. I am new to the site so is this normal for this time of year?

What about baseball? College or MLB? I must admit I don't follow it much anymore.

Any opinions on the new rule allowing the early signing period for college athletes? I think the early signing date is in December correct? Will this be a good or bad thing for OU recruiting?

Since you are new, First Things First: 'NORMAL' and 'This Site' should not be used in the same sentence. Other than that, WELCOME, and Carry On!

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

The Astros & the Yankees seem to be the talk of MLB these days. They play each other in a 4 game series in NY starting Thursday. Both teams are playing very well. As an Astros fan, I want them all but I'll settle for a road split of the series!

 

[fortworth4ou2]

The Astros & the Yankees seem to be the talk of MLB these days. They play each other in a 4 game series in NY starting Thursday. Both teams are playing very well. As an Astros fan, I want them all but I'll settle for a road split of the series!

The Beasts are in the A.L. East. Yanks should club the 'Stros into submission. Should Houston somehow prevail, my O's could benefit greatly.

O's before 'Stros.

 

[Plainosooner_rivals54053]

Have you seen OUr baseball team in the conference? Not pretty. Softball might be great again. We'll find out over the next month. Brackets are Sunday night, I think.

For those of us who are Rangers fans, the baseball is even worse.

 

[CTOkie]

Yankees and Astros are my two favorite teams, with the Yankees being my favorite team of all.
They're playing well, but they are doing so with Sabathia being ineffective and no offense from the first base position so far. Personally, I would like the team to stay the course in keeping its farm system intact, but the longer they play well, the less likely that will happen.
Whatever happens, I'm very pleased with the overall direction the Yankees are going.....but Boston is a sleeping giant right now and Cleveland seems to be the A.L. team to beat.
Not sure where the Yankees will be on August 1st.

 

[iasooner1]

Cards my team from way back to Tulsa farm club days. Maybe the Cubs will repeat; I watch pro sports only at the end of their seasons

 

[trademarcs]

I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting on football season.

 

[CTOkie]

Cards my team from way back to Tulsa farm club days. Maybe the Cubs will repeat; I watch pro sports only at the end of their seasons

I lived in Tulsa in the early 1950's when the Tulsa Oilers were a Cincinnati farm team. Johnny Vander Meer was our neighbor who live directly behind us and at that time he was almost 40 and was a pitcher/pitching coach for the Tulsa team. Vander Meer became my older brother's hero and I have pictures of him showing my brother (Steve) how to grip a baseball.
My claim to fame happened one day when Vander Meer's daughter (Shirley) came over to play (we were both 4 years old). My mother told Shirley I was taking a bath and was not available. Shirley walked around the side of our house, climbed into our bathroom window, and sat down in the tub with me....fully dressed.

fyi: Johnny Vander Meer, in 1938, while pitching for the Reds, pitched CONSECUTIVE no hitters vs the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers, 4 days apart.....truly a record that will never be broken....and likely never equaled.

 

[AbsoluteZer0]

I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting on football season.

Same here. I find baseball only slightly less exciting than a hangover.

 

[CTOkie]

I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting on football season.

Take away college football and major league baseball and my life has no meaning.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

Ignore my Stros if you wish, but they will hold their own. They'll take two of the four games. Which would be most excellent.

and FTWorth.... it's even Ho's before the O's.

 

[CTOkie]

Never thought I would see the day when the average age on the Yankees' roster (28.4) was less than the Astros' roster (29.2). Take away Sabathia (36 years old) and Holiday (37 years old) and the gap widens.
But both are now young teams with bright futures.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

The Astros added Beltran (40) over the winter, plus Gurriel (32) late last year... which pushed them up a tad in age. They also aged a bit over the winter by adding some experienced players like McCann at Catcher, Josh Reddick & Norichika Aoki, both at Outfleld, and finally Charlie Morton at Pitcher.

So far, all of these additions have meshed very well. There are no holes in this batting line up at all. It is most difficult for any MLB pitcher to go through this batting order 4 times w/o getting damaged. It's potent. #2 pick Bregman now anchors 3rd base and the outfield has the most depth & speed in baseball in my opinion. They are short a pitcher IMO. They win a lot of games this year and be in the thick of it so I expect them to add a free agent Pitcher in July.

 

[CTOkie]

The Astros added Beltran (40) over the winter, plus Gurriel (32) late last year... which pushed them up a tad in age. They also aged a bit over the winter by adding some experienced players like McCann at Catcher, Josh Reddick & Norichika Aoki, both at Outfleld, and finally Charlie Morton at Pitcher.

So far, all of these additions have meshed very well. There are no holes in this batting line up at all. It is most difficult for any MLB pitcher to go through this batting order 4 times w/o getting damaged. It's potent. #2 pick Bregman now anchors 3rd base and the outfield has the most depth & speed in baseball in my opinion. They are short a pitcher IMO. They win a lot of games this year and be in the thick of it so I expect them to add a free agent Pitcher in July.

Agree...Astros will seek a starting pitcher in July-August.

 

[iasooner1]

My claim to fame happened one day when Vander Meer's daughter (Shirley) came over to play (we were both 4 years old). My mother told Shirley I was taking a bath and was not available. Shirley walked around the side of our house, climbed into our bathroom window, and sat down in the tub with me....fully dressed.

Oh my ! Was this the start of bigger and better days ? Obviously she was an 'advanced, curious girl'...

 

[sybarite43]

I first fell in love with sports through the Mutual Game of the Day with Ole Diz and and Pee Wee. As a result, despite minor flirtations with the Indians and Dodgers due to some colorful names (Luke Easter, Rapid Robert, The Old Bear, etc.), I became a lifelong fan of the Cardinals, even before I discovered OU. After listening to the stories of the Gas House Gang, you had to be a fan of a team with a guy who came home from first on a single (Country Slaughter) and a nut called the Wild Horse of the Osage. I follow the Cards every year. I have a mild love of the Rangers and was a bit conflicted when they did meet in the Series.

It was actually an old University of Nebraska football star, a tackle from the forties, who introduced me to OU by taking me to an OU/Nebraska basketball game which featured Lester Lane. Being an Okie from birth, my loyalties went to OU sports immediately, although I had no idea what the rules of basketball or football were , never having seen a game of either since my school didn't have either.

 

[CTOkie]

Oh my ! Was this the start of bigger and better days ? Obviously she was an 'advanced, curious girl'...

Naw.....she just pointed and laughed.

 

[BillyRay]

I had heard the OU baseball team was playing very well?

Many years ago I was a Braves fanatic. I hardly ever missed a game. But now I just can't get enthused about MLB like I did when I was younger.

How about the Rangers? I enjoyed the great fun they went on not long ago. I should look and see how the Rangers are doing this year.

 

[iasooner1]

Naw.....she just pointed and laughed.

Hah ! Well done sir

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

I had heard the OU baseball team was playing very well?

Many years ago I was a Braves fanatic. I hardly ever missed a game. But now I just can't get enthused about MLB like I did when I was younger.

How about the Rangers? I enjoyed the great fun they went on not long ago. I should look and see how the Rangers are doing this year.

So far, not so good. I don't follow them much but my nephew is a big fan. He thinks they gave up a bit too much for the run last year that didn't pay dividends. But it's still pretty early yet IMO.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

The Astros go 6-1 on the road trip. Take 3 out of 4 against the Yanks and then a sweep of the Marlins. Off day tomorrow, then a 10 game home stand.

 

[Plainosooner_rivals54053]

fyi: Johnny Vander Meer, in 1938, while pitching for the Reds, pitched CONSECUTIVE no hitters vs the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers, 4 days apart.....truly a record that will never be broken....and likely never equaled.

Pretty sure it was his first two starts of the season. So even if somebody ever pitches back to back no-no's, it's very unlikely they'll do it their first two trips out. These days, they seldom let pitchers finish early season games. Pitch counts and all that.

I didn't know that the Tulsa farm team had been aligned with the Reds, who were likely called the Red Legs at the time. My earliest memories were of Tulsa Oilers being a Cardinal farm club in the Texas League with Amarillo, Austin, San Antonio, Victoria and Rio Grande Valley. Maybe 1960.

Amarillo was the Gold Sox, Austin was the Senators, San Antonio was the Missions. A year or two later, I don't remember who left, but the two new teams were the El Paso Sun Kings and the Albuquerque Dukes, which was terribly inconvenient, since both were in the Mountain Time Zone,and the games didn't end til way past my bedtime. The radio broadcasts were simulated, with a western union ticker providing the batter by batter result, and the in Tulsa studio broadcaster making up some of the details. Canned crowd noise and thumping his pencil close to the microphone, when the ball was hit. The Western Union set up caused about a ten minute delay, maybe more. So the games ran past 11 p.m. on a weeknight.

Obviously, it was a very different time.

 

[CTOkie]

His no-hitters were in June of 1938.

 

[Senior Sooner]

His no-hitters were in June of 1938.

I'm guessing that made a BIG Impression on you, right, CT?