The MLB and NFL Go Prime Time 3/5/14

Hey baseball fans!

I'm sure that most football fans are familiar with NFL Hall of Fame cornerback and punt returner Deion Sanders. But just like Bo Jackson, Sanders also played in the MLB! He wasn't as good as Bo, but he still is one of the few prominent two-sport athletes.

Neon Deion played for the Braves, Reds, Yankees, and Giants form 1989-2001, but missed '96, '98, '99, and 2000 due to the NFL. However, in his nine years as a baseball player, Sanders collected 558 hits in 641 games, 43 of those hits being triples! He totaled 39 career homers and 168 RBIs, along with 186 stolen bases and a .263 average. Just like he was in the NFL, Deion was a speedster, which is why he averaged 47 steals every 162 games.

In the MLB, his most famous moment came in the 1992 World Series, where his Braves met the Toronto Blue Jays. He was on second and Terry Pendleton was on first in the top of the fourth of Game Three. After a leaping catch from Toronto's Devon White in center and Pendleton passing Sanders in between second and third base (which equals two outs), Toronto third baseman Kelly Gruber tried to chase Deion back to second base. Deion almost got tagged, but was able to retreat to second base safely. Or was he tagged? Replays later showed that Gruber did tag Prime Time with his glove, even though Bob Davidson said otherwise when he had to make the call on the spot. To summarize, Deion Sanders is the result of there being one less triple play in World Series history than there should be.

Although Neon Deion did not have the greatest MLB career, he is still remembered by many fans because of his NFL skills. I just wish that Sanders played baseball full-time. Who knows how many bases he could've stolen? Anyway, thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it and check back in a few days for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

The Phillies Only Bright Spot in the 1930s 2/26/14

Hey baseball fans!

Fun fact: all of the players who won the batting Triple Crown in the 20th century have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, before I knew this fun fact, there was one person who won the Triple Crown who I had never heard of. I researched this player and it turns out that he had a pretty good career and is in fact in Cooperstown. So today, I want to tell you all a little bit about this "mystery player". Without further delay, here's Chuck Klein!

Chuck was a powerful hitter who played from 1928-1944 with the Phillies, Cubs, and Pirates. He led the National League in homers four times, in hits twice, and in RBIs twice. Klein batted .320 during his career and smacked out 300 homers on the dot. The 1980 inductee into the Hall was also an excellent right fielder. With these skills, he was able to represent the NL out in right field in the first two All Star Games (1933 and 1934). Like I mentioned previously, Chuck won the Triple Crown. He won it in 1933, when he batted .368, hit out 28 dingers, and drove in 120 runs. The 1932 NL MVP became the first NL ballplayer to hit out four home runs in a game in the 1900s on July 10, 1936 while playing for the Phillies against the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

Chuck may not have been the most prominent retired right fielder, but he sure did have an excellent career, which would explain why he is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Anyway, thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it and check back in a few days for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

An Interview with Hal Steinbrenner 8/20/13

Hey baseball fans!

As many of you know, I am a die-hard Yankees fan, which would explain why I am so honored to have interviewed the man you are about to read about in the following paragraph. He has also been a lifelong Yankees fan, probably because of what his father did for a living. He currently co-owns the Yankees with the rest of his family: Mr. Hal Steinbrenner!

Hal was born on December 3, 1969 to George and Elizabeth Steinbrenner. In case you didn't know, George was the owner and the "Boss" of the New York Yankees from 1973 until his passing in 2010. Anyway, Hal graduated from Williams College in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and he received a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida in 1994. Starting in 2007, George gradually gave more and more control of the Yankees to Hal and his brother, Hank, because of George's health. On July 13, 2010, the Boss passed away, and Hal eventually took over as principal owner, Managing General Partner and co-Chariman of the Yankees.  Well, that's all there is to know about Hal. Now let's get to the interview.

Matt: If you could've ever added a non-Yankees pitcher or non-Yankees hitter from all of baseball history onto the Yanks, who would it be and why?
Hal: It would be a tossup between Nolan Ryan and Mike Schmidt. I had a tremendous amount of respect for both players growing up. Both were talented and tough.

Matt: Can you please tell us one thing about your dad, George Steinbrenner, that few people know?
Hal: He loved music. At Culver Military Academy, he was in the band and Glee club. He loved to play the organ. [Note from Matt: check out the cool picture I found of George at Culver]

Matt: What is the favorite memento that you own from the old Yankee Stadium?
Hal: The large glove chair that was in my dad's office.

Matt: Of all the Yankees' World Series championships in the pre-Steinbrenner era, if you could've been witness to any, which one would you have liked to have seen?
Hal: The 1927 World Series to see Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig together in action.

Matt: What's your fondest clubhouse memory as a kid when your dad ran the Yankees?
Hal: The 1977 World Series after we won game 6, which was the first World Series win owning the team.

Well, that's the interview. Special thanks to Hal Steinbrenner for answering all of my questions. And a shout out to Jenette Sibayan for helping me arrange the interview. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for reading it and check back in a couple of days for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."  I have another very big interview up next !!!

Baseball's Mount Rushmore 10/15/12

Hey baseball fans!

It is officially time to learn who would be on......baseball's Mount Rushmore! The way I evaluated who made the cut is based on his contributions to baseball and his similarities to the President that he represents. Hope you enjoy:

George Washington - Babe Ruth:
Washington was the first President of the United States and helped the nation gain independence from Great Britain. Ruth was the first real baseball star who everyone knew and helped baseball gain publicity throughout the country because of his exciting play.

Thomas Jefferson - Lou Gehrig:
Jefferson, overshadowed by Washington, was a great leader in his own quiet way. He was also one of the first Presidents of the United States and performed this task with great consistency. Gehrig, overshadowed by Ruth for most of his career, was the first captain of the Yankees and led the team with a quiet fist. Also, he performed the act of captain of the Yankees with great consistency, playing in 2,130 consecutive games, the all-time record for more than 60 years.

Theodore Roosevelt - Willie Mays:
Teddy was an all-around person in his skills and interests. He was also the youngest president in U.S. history. Willie was very good in MLB at a very young age. He was in baseball at the age of 20, won Rookie of the Year in 1951, won his first MVP Award at the age of 23, and made his famous World Series catch only three years into his career. Willie is also considered the best all-around player of all time.

Abraham Lincoln - Jackie Robinson:
Abe had a big impact on civil rights during the time of his presidency and brought the country together by ending the Civil War. Jackie broke the sports color barrier and, in simple words, integrated baseball forever.

Hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please tell all your friends about it, if you did.