Happy Birthday to an all-time baseball original---both a great pitcher and a hilarious quotemaker---Dan Quisenberry.
Quisenberry was an all-time great relief pitcher who was 5th all-time in saves when he retired. He spent most of his career with the Royals---making three all-star appearances, five times Rolaids Relief pitcher of the year and five times saves leader.
He was famous for his submarine delivery and his quick wit.
Speaking of his wit, here are a few of his classic quotes listed below.
"Our fielders have to catch a lot of balls or at least deflect them to someone who can."
--on the Royals Defense
"We're parasites. We live off the people who spend two hours on the field."
--on Relief Pitching
"I'm just a garbage man. I come into the games and clean other people's messes."
--on relief pitching.
Lots more Quisenberrry quotes at www.baseballquotations.com
Happy Birthday to Babe Ruth. The Bambino was born on this day in 1895. Fair to say that he is the most famous player in baseball history.
We have over 100 quotes about him at www.baseballquotations.com
Here is a small sampling:
"The only sports legend I ever saw who lived up to his advanced billing was Babe Ruth."
--Jimmy Breslin
"To try to capture Babe Ruth with cold stats would be like trying to keep up with him on a night out."
--Bill Broeg
"I didn't room with him. I roomed with him suitcase."
Ping Bodie
"All the lie about him are true."
--Jimmy Dykes
"I always felt like a kid at the circus whenever I saw him hit a home run."
--Herb Pennock
A great day in baseball birthday history featuring the February 5th birthday of the one and only Hank Aaron. In his honor, we are not focusing on one quote but we have half a dozen great quotes about this all-time great.
First the numbers---Career lasted from '54-'76, 25 All-Star Apperances, MVP, 3 x Gold Glove, 2 x Batting Champion, 4 x Home Run Leader...Major League Career Records---leader in total bases, RBI's, extra base hits or yeah, also second (ahem, really first) in Home Runs. Voted to the Hall of Fame in 1982 with 97.83 percent of the vote. I'm passing on the obvious comment of the morons who represented that 2.17 percent who didn't vote for him.
On to the quotes:
"Slapping a rattlesnake across the face with the back of your hand is safer than trying to fool Hank Aaron."
--Turk Farrell
"I'd pitch just as I would to any other hitter, but I wouldn't be damn fool enough to get rid of the ball."
--Tug McGraw, on pitching to Aaron with the bases loaded
"He's the last guy I want to see coming up there."
--Sandy Koufax
"It took me 17 years to get 3000 hits. I did it one day on the golf course."
--Hank Aaron
"Magic is the only word used to describe that swing."
--Bobby Thompson
"He got credit but never enough."
--Willie Mays
Lots more Aaron quotes at www.baseballquotations.com
Dan Plesac, Stan Papi and Joe Sparma were all born on February 4th. Other notable players born today include Doug Fister, Chris Bando, and Gary Allenson. Of all the players born on this day, the only one to play in the all-star game was Dan Plesac. He did it three times.
Dan Plesac
Born--2/4/62
"No pitcher in baseball pitched better than a healthy Dan Plesac."
--Tom Trebelhorn
Joe Sparma
Born--2/4/42
"Joe's thinking like a pitcher, not like a guy throwing a ball through a brick wall."
--Bill Freehan
Stan Papi
Born--2/4/51
"I've never heard a crowd in the big leagues ever clap for me before. On Opening Day, when I was with Boston, I got a standing boo."
--Stan Papi, on playing for the Expos
Do you love baseball quotes? All these quotes and over eleven thousand others are available for your viewing pleasure at www.baseballquotations.com
The great centerfielder Fred Lynn turned 65 today. If you didn't get to see Freddie Lynn in his prime than you really missed something. In 1975, he had as good a rookie year as humanely possible. He ended up being both the Rookie of the Year and the MVP that year, playing an incredible centerfield for the Red Sox.
He was hampered over his career by injuries but he still put up some great numbers over his 17 years in the majors including 9 All Star Game appearances, 1982 ALCS MVP and 1979 batting champion. He had a career batting average of .283 with 306 home runs. But for those of us old enough to remember, it will always be about 1975 and the potential to be one of the greatest of all-time.
For that year and for a great career, Fred Lynn is today's recipient of the Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day
"I always feel comfortable with him out there. I always feel he'll do something good no matter what."
--Earl Weaver, talking about Fred Lynn
Yes, Papa Bear was born on this day and he actually played in the majors for the Yankees for a dozen games in 1919.
George Halas was the long time owner and coach of the Chicago Bears. He actually coached the team for over forty years. He had a career record of 318-148 and 31.
This is one Football Hall of Famer who gets the Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day,
"Don't do anything in practice that you wouldn't do during the game."
--George Halas
Happy Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day to Paul Blair, Cecilio Guante and Brett Anderson
Paul Blair
Born 2/1/44
"He was absolutely the greatest, as good a Centefielder as Brooks Robinson was at third."
--Boog Powell, talking about Paul Blair
Cecilio Guante
Born 2/1/60
"When it came time for baseball, he put on his face--his game face."
--Charlie Hudson, talking about Cecilio Guante
Brett Anderson
Born 2/1/88
"He's a competitor. He's got weapons. He know what he is doing and he never gets rattled."
--Don Mattingly, talking about Brett Anderson
