When the Royals come to town..

...I can't think of anything but this.

Happy St Patrick's Day 2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I took this picture of Jim Thome on March 17th, 2005, it was a cold rainy St. Patricks Day in Clearwater. No particular reason I chose the 1973 Topps template,  it just looked right.

I like to think the Phils wear the green every year to honor Tug McGraw. Tug loved St Patrick's Day and proudly proclaimed it was his favorite holiday of the year. He always said the manager could use him any way he wanted on March 17... but that under no circumstances could he be expected to be in any condition to pitch the following day.

Happy Tug McGraw Day 2012!

Do something nice today...

Go to the TUG McGRAW FOUNDATION and spend some money

YA GOTTA BELIEVE!

DAHOF Top 100 -- #21 Tug McGraw

On October 21st, 1980 Tug McGraw threw a waist high fastball past an overmatched Willie Wilson delivering the first World Series title to the the Philadelphia Phillies after 97 years of trying. The win was the exclamation point on a six year process of remaking an organization from perennial losers to champions.

I've replayed that moment so many times, I can close my eyes and see it unfold frame by frame, always ending with Tug waiting for Mike Schmidt to arrive for their pre-planned celebration.

I've come to realize you can't really write something about Tug McGraw without a couple of funny stories and a smile.

In four days the Phillies will wear special green uniforms, in honor of Tug's favorite holiday: St. Patrick's Day. They may as well call them their "Tug McGraw specials" because it was Tug that showed up at the Phils spring training game in Clearwater on March 17th, 1981 wearing a uniform he had dyed green. When questioned by the umpires, he told them it was his teammates that were out of uniform.

Early in his career he went to 2 World Series with the Mets. At the time McGraw was asked how he planned to spend his World Series share, Tug replied: "Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish whiskey. The other 10 percent I'll probably waste."

While his most effective pitch was appropriately the screwball, he actually had names for his various versions of his fastball: Peggy Lee ("Is that all there is?"); Bo Derek ("A nice little tail"); the Cutty Sark ("It sailed") and the Titanic (a sinker).

Tug died in December of 2003 from brain cancer. He put up a gallant fight, returning to Philadelphia for the closing ceremonies at Veterans Stadium. Ever the showman he re-enacted his famous victory celebration on the mound. Near the end of his life he shared he "had no regrets" adding many players front load their contracts; he front-loaded his life.

Tug 7-UP commercial

Not sure there can ever be a better "pitch man" than Tug McGraw. Love the "World Champions" warm-up jacket he is wearing here. Believe it or not, you can buy one just like it at Mitchell & Ness.

Happy Tug McGraw Day !!

Tug would have turned 67 today. In his honor, I went to the Tug McGraw Foundation website and purchased a handful of these YGB45 bracelets to give to my nephews. You should do the same.

Semper Fi Tugger!

1976 Phillies pitchers

Finishing up the 1976 Phillies redux project with the pitching staff. The top four starters for this team were Carlton, Lonborg, Kaat and Christensen. Tom Underwood, who died this past November, was the #5 starter. The bullpen was anchored by Ron Reed and Tug McGraw. Believe it or not, Reed pitched in one more game (59) and had three more saves than Tug in 1976. Gene Garber also had 50+ appearances from the bullpen.

Steve Carlton

Jim Lonborg

Jim Kaat

Larry Christensen

Ron Reed

Tug McGraw

1983 Spring Training video

I found this today. Home movie footage from the Phillies 1983 Spring Training in Clearwater. Lot's of Phils stars, including Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Tug McGraw, Steve Carlton, Dick Ruthven, Larry Christenson and Garry Maddox. I find it interesting that players (except a few shots of Pete Rose) wore their normal game home jerseys while they prepared for the season. Times sure have changed.