Whattya think? Just happenstance? Or did he spend ~9 months in New York and then call his agent saying, "This place SUCKS ***, see if you can get me back to Houston"?
Justin Verlander Returns to Houston
- Thread starter Phil Elliott
- Start date
He got a tax bill.
Oh trust me...I know about multiple States from my bowling days. Even when I owed nothing, I still had to file...
You were a pro bowler?
Unbelievable. The O'2 have a 6-3 lead going into the top of the 9th (they're the home team) against the Stro's and Houston loads the bases and Tucker launches a 100 MPH pitch, right down the middle of the plate, to the netherlands. They are going to feel like Destiny's Children.
Mostly regiopnal but some national events before a broken hand sidelined me...
Cool. Another (former) pro athlete on these boards!
Sooooooooooooooo, with regard to your professional athletic career, I guess we could say............
You were living in the fast lane........
But, in the end, you ended up in the gutter.......
(and had to get the dreaded "real job")
It's similar to a young Nolan Ryan. He pitched in relief in the Miracle Mets 1969 World Series, but was absolutely miserable living in New York. Of course, the 1969 NYC more resembled the "Joker" movie set, "Midnight Cowboy", or "The Bronx--Fort Apache", than it resembled today's Manhattan. (but, unfortunately, NYC seems to be rapidly declining back to its late 60s/70s level...).
He was traded to Sunny suburban Orange County, CA (Angels), and was happy, and highly successful, thereafter.
He didn't like living in New York, but I think he would have tolerated it much better if they had given him a more clearly defined role. Instead of giving him the ball every 4th day, they farted around with him. He was usually in the rotation, but they'd pull him out, let other guys pitch in his slot, put him in the bullpen, etc. In 4 years in NY, he never got 200 IP. In California, I don't think he was ever under 200 except one year in which I'm pretty sure he got injured.
He was a team player and generally selfless, but he didn't like being screwed with by management. He liked taking the ball regularly and going to war and pitching as long as he could. It's part of the reason why he left the DisAstros for the Rangers. They tried to put him on a pitch count limit. The Rangers let him play ball, and he had some of his most dominant seasons.
Horn2RunAgain
2,500+ Posts
His years in Arlington were anything but, tho. I remember the Rangers beat writer in the mid 90s blaming Kevin brown and Kenny rogers bad attitudes on how the Bush / Greive duo were bending to every request Nolan asked for, such as >
not traveling to a city he wasn't scheduled to start (i.e. road trip to Anaheim, Oakland, Seattle -- he'd oftentimes stay home until the final series), and refused to pitch to one or two batters in the next inning deep in a game when Valentine asked to get another 2 outs in the 7th or 8th. Ryan declined each time to the point of bobby v not even asking him to. Pitch count was low enough but Ryan didn't see the point of coming out for one or two batters. Wanted to finish the inning, or call it a night
The writer (ringolsby, perhaps) stated young pitchers saw that kind of attitude + special treatment and wanted some themselves. You got the feeling the real Nolan wasn't the team player he was made out to be after he hung em up
I don't remember Ryan refusing to pitch to anybody. I remember a few times him NOT wanting to leave the game in which he didn't have his best stuff and Valentine pulling him anyway. I do remember him sometimes not traveling with the team, and I've heard of other players doing that. It's not that uncommon.
And Kenny Rogers didn't have a bad attitude. Kevin Brown did, but he was an *******. That wasn't because of Ryan. In fact, he showed his *** mostly after Ryan was gone.
Horn2RunAgain
2,500+ Posts
I wasn't there, so I have to rely on the beat writer >The guy that was there day after day in the clubhouse with sources in uniform.
The news media is also there day after day and has sources, and yet they're often full of crap. People have agendas, even sports writers.
Horn2RunAgain
2,500+ Posts
In the case of a beat writer, if he / she writes anything at odds with the truth, they get called out for it. I don't recall that happening on this issue. I do recall randy Galloway, The Hardline etc running with the topic. No one provided kick back as I recall
Spkg of nolan ryan, there's a book called The Baseball Codes. Good read, a small excerpt goes into the ryan ventura brawl and gives some insight never brought up. Way more to that story than what met the eye
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Horn2RunAgain
2,500+ Posts
A little glimpse into how some pitchers viewed nolan. Before we knock McDowell, he was factually right.
Let the record show that Jack McDowell...
"He pulls that stuff off wherever he goes. Too bad he doesn't show up for his team until the next time it's his turn to pitch. He'll be home on the ranch. You watch his team fall just short again while he shows up on the DL."
Let the record show that Jack McDowell...
"He pulls that stuff off wherever he goes. Too bad he doesn't show up for his team until the next time it's his turn to pitch. He'll be home on the ranch. You watch his team fall just short again while he shows up on the DL."
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