Harmon Killebrew continues to cast a long shadow on the week’s events. For starters, I neglected to mention yesterday that the Twins have added a “3” patch for him. As had previously been reported, they’ll also be wearing their throwback alts for all their remaining home games, and the “3” patch will be added to those jerseys as well. I’m fine with the patch on the road jerseys, but I’m a bit disappointed to hear it’ll be appearing on the throwbacks. Wearing the throwbacks was a unique and powerful gesture, but doubling up on the memorial by adding the patch cheapens it a bit. Would’ve been better to leave well enough alone.
Speaking of Killebrew, did he ever coach for the Rangers? If not, what’s the story behind this photo that Gary Olson found? Anyone..?
Meanwhile, all week long I’ve been hearing assorted people — on the radio, on the web, etc. — repeating the myth that the MLB logo was based on Killebrew. It’s even mentioned in this AP obit that has appeared all over the world. It’s a great story; Killebrew believed it himself. But it simply isn’t true. Yesterday morning I brought this to the attention of Dave Campbell, the AP writer who penned that obit. “We had the obit written years ago, and the logo story must’ve slipped through the fact-checking machine,” he told me. Then, to his credit, he tracked down MLB logo designer Jerry Dior, confirmed his story, and set the record straight with a follow-up piece.
It’s interesting to see how many people prefer to cling to the myth, though. When I tried to nip the issue in the bud on Tuesday by posting a short ESPN item, I got quite a few nasty comments and e-mails from Twins fans. I saw similar comments posted on message boards where a few brave souls had the temerity to suggest that the myth was untrue. I’ve also heard from several people who’ve more or less said, “Maybe it’s true, maybe it isn’t, but it’s a nice story, and the guy just died, so why not just let it go?”
Fair question. And here’s the answer: As a journalist, I’m in the information business, the truth business, and the truth of the matter is that Jerry Dior told me three years ago that the logo design wasn’t based on Killebrew. I’m also the only person who covers the sports uni/logo beat on the full-time basis, and it pains me — personally and professionally — to see and hear so many people perpetuating a false story related to my beat. I’ve worked hard (and so have many of you) to get the uni-verse taken seriously as a legitimate corner of sports journalism. A story like this one damages that effort, just like those Nike NFL mock-ups that people mistakenly believed were real, or that bogus Tiki Barber story about the Packers’ helmet logo standing for “Greatness” instead of “Green Bay.” We’re supposedly detail-driven sticklers, right? There’s no bigger detail than the truth, gang.
One person wrote to chide me, “You should never speak ill of the dead.” But I haven’t said anything bad about Harmon Killebrew. On the contrary, I’m happy to say (and have been saying all week) that he was one of the nicest, most gracious men I’ve ever interviewed. It’s no knock on him to say he wasn’t the basis for the logo. He also wasn’t the Tooth Fairy, but there’s no shame in that either. I’m fairly certain he wouldn’t want something on his tombstone that was untrue.
Incidentally, you know who else is one of the nicest, most gracious men I’ve ever interviewed? Jerry Dior. He deserves better than to have people dismissing his word and essentially calling him a liar. Maybe now they’ll stop.
Meanwhile: New ESPN column today — enjoy.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Chris Wallace of the Lexington Legends — that’s the Astros’ single-A farm team — is wearing a pretty heavy-duty facemask. “A little research reveals that he’s been wearing it since college,” says Paul Barrett. Further details here. ”¦ The Astros’ red alternate cap is usually worn only with their white Saturday jerseys. But as many readers have pointed out, they paired the red caps with the road grays on Tuesday night. ”¦ Here’s more info, including an artist’s rendering, about that Veteran’s Day college hoops game on the aircraft carrier. ”¦ This is so fucking great: Uni Watch for Petraeus (thanks, Kirsten). ”¦ Also from Kirsten: a site that shows what people would save if their houses were burning down. ”¦ Having clinched the Saudi Premier League title, Al-Hilal is wearing this shirt as a one-off for the season’s last game this Friday (with thankst to my ESPN colleague Donnie Kwak). ”¦ Remember those high school football officials who got in hot water last fall for using pink whistles? Now they’ve been officially disciplined (with thanks to Matthew Robins). ”¦ What if they played a ballgame and nobody came? That’s last night’s Mets/Nats game at Shea, which was played in less than ideal conditions. ”¦ A.J. Burnett had to pinch-run during last night’s Yanks/O’s marathon. Naturally, they didn’t have a helmet for him, so he wore Ramiro Pena’s helmet (screen shot courtesy of Avi Miller). ”¦ If you know anything about apparel design and are willing to live in Dallas, the Cowboys are hiring (if you get the job, send a thank-you note to Alan Borock). ”¦ “On Tuesday night, the Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw bobblehead night,” writes Chris Cruz. ” The Dodgers web site had shown the bobble wearing a home Dodgers uni. When I opened up the bobble, I was happily surprised to see that they’d updated it to include the Duke Snider memorial patch. To top it off, during the game they showed Kershaw on the jumbotron explaining that his favorite prank was when one of his teammates switched jerseys with him as a rookie and he wore the incorrect jersey during warm-ups. I had never heard of this before, but it’s described here.”
Dave Campbell’s story, though, tells us that it will never be known whether Killebrew was or wasn’t the inspiration for the MLB logo. As Campbell writes:
(Dior) acknowledged that he’s not 100 percent certain the logo wasn’t at least indirectly inspired by a Killebrew photo or some subconscious image imbedded in the designer’s mind.
“I had a bunch of photographs. I can’t swear that it wasn’t Harmon,” Dior said.
And that’s the way it should be left.
That’s a red herring, and you know it. Dior also can’t be 100% sure that the logo isn’t based on Joe Torre, or on Johnny Bench, or on ANYONE, because he doesn’t recall which specific reference photos he used. Isolating the fact that he “can’t be 100% sure it wasn’t Harmon” is the very definition of taking something out of context. It’s like saying I can’t be 100% sure I didn’t chew my food 37 times last night.
The point of the myth is that he SPECIFICALLY CHOSE to base the logo on Killebrew. And that is untrue.
Meanwhile, what is this “And that’s the way it should be left”? What do you mean “should”? What’s the deal with this preference for a fairy tale over the truth?
We all know how popular Killer is/was and what a people person he has the reputation of being. I think that’s where, particularly amongst Twins fans, a lot of the backlash originates. He and Ripken are the two guys Charlotte baseball touts as having played here most, and being a Charlotte native, I’ve always considered myself a Killer fan because of it. But there’s a line you wrote up there in the main entry that trumps all feelings:
“There’s no bigger detail than the truth, gang.”
Forget your meaty shirts, THAT is what you should be printing on shirts Paul.
You know, it really shouldn’t matter who the logo was based on, because it wasn’t an intentional choice. It was a case of messing with a bunch of random pics and ending up with essentially a composite silhouette. It’s not based on anyone specific, it’s based on everyone.
“We had the obit written years ago,…”
Well, that’s a pretty shitty thing to say.
No it’s not. It’s standard procedure for any large journalistic enterprise.
If you were famous, the AP would already have your obituary written too.
Whuddayamean “if”??!!
I know, but it still seems a bit callous–especially about a guy we were all pulling for.
It’s not callous — it’s just the way obituary-writing works. He was simply explaining how an error crept into the obit. You’re really reading way too much into this.
it still seems a bit callous—especially about a guy we were all pulling for.
“Callous” would apply if and only if death were a preventable condition. It’s not. Ain’t none of us getting out of here alive. The simple fact is that there are only two ways to write a newspaper obit: In a rush, on a deadline of as little as 30 minutes, on the day a person dies; or carefully, over the course of several days, in advance. The latter is by far the more respectful way to do it.
I’ll guarantee you ESPN has a bunch of video obits/retrospectives already prepared on siginficant sports figures, too.
I imagine learning that comes as a surprise to a lot of people, but that’s the way it is.
It’s not callous. It’s being prepared, and also knowing you’ll do them justice by not airing something slapped together in a hurry.
Maybe callous was the wrong word.
I wonder what age/ailment is the threshold for when they start gathering your obit facts and clips. Hmmmmm…..
No, its not callous. We’re all going to die someday. Me, you, and every single famous person.
I actually find it respectful to write an obit (unpublished, of course) well ahead of a person’s death so they get a well-researched, detailed obit. If someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly… you’d otherwise have to rush the obit, which would inevitably lead to some disrespectful and unfortunate mistakes.
If you find it callous… do you find working with a lawyer on your will and/or living will callous?
Pre-death obit writing is standard operating procedure in the news business. The driver isn’t age, illness, or likelihood of impending death. It is merely that the subject of the obit is a person of some fame or notariety.
We live in an age of instant information. Certain details about a person’s life are immutable. Those facts are committed to paper long before said famous/notorious person is dead, because that’s the way it is.
Paul, keep sleuthing the truth. Nothing is more important to what you do.
It’s a lock that there are video obits ready to go in Bristol, CT, for Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Bill Russell, Gordie Howe, and other giants of the sports world. I remember a few years ago someone at CNN accidentally opened up the file access to the online obits they had written up for various celebs. It was before John Paul II died, and it had his obit in it. When they eventually ran it, it was identical except for the dates & cause of death.
If I recall that JPII premature obit, it contained sentences from a Queen Elizabeth II obit. Something to the effect that the Pope loved Corgis or whatever. Presumably, the author of the JPII obit had copied the Queen’s obit text and not finished doing a graf-by-graf rewrite to maintain the same structure.
So if you are not famous and someone is writing your obit in advance, you better run for the hills!!!!! ;)
Whenever this discussion comes up, I’m reminded of link skit.
Actually, not really. I bet most news outlets have obits for nearly every famous person. I bet Justin Beiber has one at some news outlets.
He seems like a healthy, young kid that will probably live on for 60+ more years. However (and I know readers here are smart enough to know I’m not wishing ill on anyone)… if he passed away in a sudden accident, and I were an obit writer, I’d be scrambling to piece together an obit on a kid I know almost zero about. And I’d probably miss some key information as to the good things he did in live (because I have almost zero idea what he does and what he’s done as a famous person).
Actually, not really. I bet most news outlets have obits for nearly every famous person. I bet Justin Beiber has one at some news outlets.
Most news outlets rely on wire copy for this sort of thing, which is why the Associated Press and a few papers with national syndication of their articles (especially the New York Times and Wall Street Journal) maintain pretty deep obit pools. The Des Moines Registers of the world will more typically only maintain an obit pool for local celebs – senators, mayors, governors, retired athletes and business leaders, that sort of thing. If Justin Beber is struck by a meteoroid tonight, most papers will be looking to the wires for copy.
And should that happen for someone like Beber, whose death is exceedingly unlikely, the AP etc. have solid profiles in hand that can be turned into an obit if the need arises. Less necessary to have an obit on file before a famous person hits middle age or suffers a disease.
I read the obit section in the paper now and then…did you ever notice people die in alphabetical order?
I read the obit section in the paper now and then…did you ever notice people die in alphabetical order?
I’m stealing this line.
It’s long since been in public domain.
Great lead today Paul. Keep doing what you do in the fashion with which you do it. The real UW’ers know where it’s coming from, and I personally couldn’t respect you more for it.
Now I gotta go check out today’s ticker…
The odd thing about Burnett wearing Pena’s helmet is that Pena isn’t on the 25-man roster anymore, he was sent down prior to the road trip.
Maybe Burnett found himself a new lid just in time for interleague play.
Even odder (that sounds funny) . . .
The helmet Chris Dickerson was wearing when he got beaned by Mike Gonzalez was Jorge Posada’s. And since Dickerson’s a left-handed hitter, and Posada will aparently ONLY be facing right-handed pitchers going forward, I bet Jorgie’s going to be annoyed that he’ll have to gunk up a new helmet to replace the one that was cracked while on Dickersons head!
Regarding the pink whistle story, though it’s true the WOA has the right to decertify and punish the members of the PNFOA at their discretion, it doesn’t make the story any less depressing.
Incidentally, you know who else is one of the nicest, most gracious men I’ve ever interviewed? Jerry Dior.
~~~
seconded
i never interviewed Dior, but i did meet the man at the 2009 sheep station gathering, and he was every one of those adjectives; a real gentleman and a stand-up guy
great lede today paul
Killebrew reminds me of one of my favorite “Having a beer with fellow sports fans” topics —
the premise is “I can’t picture so-and-so in a xxxxx uniform…”
You have to name a player who’s associated with a certain team throughout his career, and may have played with a different team or two near the end of his career.
“I can’t picture Harmon Killebrew in a Royals uniform” is one of the best examples.
link
-Jet
Tony Dorsett with the Broncos struck me that way.
The lettering on the Rangers jersey in that Killebrew pic drives me nuts. No two consecutive letters look like they belong together.
Yes! They look like letters from five different font styles! How the hell did that ever get approved?
-Jet
Perfection is the enemy of the interesting.
Heh, David Ortiz in a Twins uniform.
It works in reverse, too.
The Ranger road uniform that Harmon Killibrew appears to be from 1976, and the background makes it look like spring training. I’m going to guess that after the Royals released him in 1975, he briefly tried to hook on with the Rangers in 1976. His BB-Ref page makes no reference of it though.
Harmon also coached briefly in 1981 for Billy Martin’s A’s. Photo search is underway.
“When a myth becomes fact, print the myth.”
When 2 + 2 = 5, I’ll be the first to report it. Up until then, I’m going with 4.
link.
Nice.
“When 2 + 2 = 5, I’ll be the first to report it. Up until then, I’m going with 4.”
No offense, but what a crock of shit. Everyone knows that 2 + 2 = FISH. Noob… -_-
On a serious note, I don’t know much about Mr. Killebrew, but judging from what I’ve read on UW over the past few days, I’m sure that he was an amazing gentlemen that everyone had to meet at least once in their lives. He will be missed.
Gentleman*
I’m happy I didn’t miss this part of the article:
“Killebrew was, without question, the basis for the logo of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, an organization that began in 1982.
MLBPAA public relations director Nikki Warner confirmed Wednesday that the three-frame silhouette is based on photos of Killebrew, who was a big part of helping the group get started and became a major supporter.
Here is a link to the logo:
link
That bit of into was included in (and taken from) my original 2008 piece:
link
That photo of Harmon is just.. perfect. As is that uniform.
You’re right on about that! the texture, the script lettering, the contrast of colors, perfect!
Paul, Could I get a Uniwatch card based on the front of a jersey? ~Dan
Nope. Back only. Sorry.
But Snowdan only plays for the name on the *front* of the jersey!
Really good job today, Paul. I don’t think that Harmon would have wanted Jerry Dior slighted in all of this. Doesn’t seem like the man’s style.
Incidentally, I’ve gotta disagree with you about the patch on the throwbacks. You and I (and the readers of this site, and others,) would understand the reasoning behind the throwback homage, but there are a lot of people who will be filling Target Field and watching the Twins on television who may have no idea who Harmon Killebrew was, or understand that they’re actually wearing different uniforms. If that patch gets them to ask, “What’s the 3 for?” then it has done its job.
Yeah, I can understand feeling like the patch on the throwback is maybe redundant, or muddles the design, but “cheapens it”? Not even a little.
And is it even redundant? Isn’t the cream uni exactly equivalent to, say, the suit I wore to my father’s funeral? That was just a suit in my closet; I’d worn it before, and I’ve worn it since, just as the Twins have been wearing that cream uni since April 2010 and seem likely to keep wearing it as a normal part of their uniform set for years to come. It’s not the article of clothing itself that’s the tribute; it’s the action of wearing it. The verb, not the noun. Calling out the Twins for adding a noun tribute (the patch, in which the thing itself is a memorial) to their verb tribute (the decision to wear a special suit to indicate mourning) seems equivalent to calling someone out for wearing a black armband on the sleeve of his suit at a funeral.
“Cheapens” probably wasn’t the best choice of words. Here’s a lengthier explanation of my thoughts: I think wearing the throwback is a really wonderful gesture — it’s unique, it’s never been done before, it’s something every player can’t help but think about when he sees his jersey hanging in his locker with NNOB, when he puts on the uniform every day, etc. It’s special. I feel like nothing else is needed.
The sleeve patch turns the memorial into a DOUBLE memorial — feels like overkill. Moreover, it takes something unique and accessorizes it with something conventional. That’s what I meant by “cheapens” — it takes something that was completely original and basically moves it back into the realm of the predictable.
I don’t want the takeaway here to be “Paul hates sleeve memorials” — I don’t. I just think this one was unnecessary.
I agree, Paul. Well put.
I think that patch or no patch… Killebrew is being honored in a way few if not none have ever been honored. Maybe they did slip on the patch… but that is secondary to a GREAT overall decision by the Twins.
Maybe we should look at it this way. Two different situations, two different motivations, two different sources.
The decision to wear the creams full-time at home was player-driven. It was their idea, a way to let Killebrew know they were thinking of him in his last days, a gesture of support. They had no idea the end would come so quickly.
Now that he’s gone, though, the “3” is the rest of the organization honoring him, and the final honor from the players.
Also, after Killebrew died, Micheal Cuddyer said something the effect that it would a privilege if, “…we could all wear number 3.”
So it isn’t so much “doubling up” as it is one following the other, and one each from different groups.
speaking of gesture…black armband. whatever happened to the black armband? too tasteful? too 1932 for twits? the mourning patch game sickens me more then logo creep, pajama pants, and pro combat combined. unless of course some proceeds of “throwbacks” with the black 3 go to cancer research, or something else befitting a person’s memory, but they won’t. maybe it is just me, i am sure it is, but soon the twinks, like every other franchi…company, will move from mourning to marketing, and that ain’t right. the simple fact that we debate at times if a mourning patch is “cool” or not tells me it’s marketing. how many “harry” patches are sold in chicago? i bet nary a dime was ever given to a charity. black armband, black armband, black armband. give a percentage of you trade on death to a charity, or rot in the fires. but robert, you big dumb ape, how will anyone know it’s killebrew? if you don’t know, you are not in mourning, so it is a moot point anyway. i hate these patches, they make me queasy. black armband black armband black arm band.
Yeah, I’d have preferred a black armband, too.
But, here the “Age of Patches for Everything and Everyone”, I’ll take the simple 3 as being appropriately subdued. All things considered.
Is it me or is baseball getting goddamned morbid?
Killebrew deserves honoring as much as anyone in baseball, of course, but….
Someone is going to die every year that is important to a sports team. Grief should not be ostentatious, or even worse, marketed. Black armband indeed, moose!
When I see announcers and team execs getting patches….well, it’s the same ‘no going back’ mentality as the stars & stripes overkill….who do they dare deny the honor? I can see concessionaires honored with little hot dog patches…patches atop patches reaching up the players’ shoulders to the neck….clusters of ribbons in every color for every cause adorning camouflage jerseys…anything to take your mind off baseball.
The future ain’t pretty.
I think the Yankees started the ‘number on the arm’ thing back when Mickey Mantle passed away. And it sort of makes since – a person whose number was retired is being honored by that number being on the sleeve – whereas a black armband could be anybody.
I also remember that the day Micky passed away, many of the Yankees put 7 in chalk on the back of their caps, prior to the number being put on the sleeve.
…too 1932 for twits?…
omg, I loved that.
When I make my album, that might be its title.
First number on the arm was done by the Pirates, for Clemente (not the Yanks for Mantle).
sure the simple 3 is tasteful, but that is beside the point. people will buy the threeback for various reasons, and the club should give some of that to cancer research, or as i said, those who profit from 3 should rot. and just because we live in the age of twitbook phone gobblers does not mean we should not show right proper respect. this is a case where we shouldn’t just say it is so it is. it ain’t socks, stripes, or logos, it is respectful mourning. or is it sales? i hesitate to go on, i don’t want to turn this into a political argument. black armband, black armband, black armband.
umplous~
that’s the point. if you don’t know what you are mourning, you are not in mourning. but if the organization wants to wear a black 3 out of respect, fine, just don’t then sell it. oooor just imagine if they gave the profit to charity or research to honour the lost loved one, in that case, patch away.
pushbuton~
if you make that an album title, i’ll do the cover art for free. i will also play the theremin if you need keith rainbow to play a theremin on a tune. hm, gears grinding.
What would I save if my house was burning… Outside of my girls and my wife who are first, the family photos, birth certificates, SS card, my iPhone, keys for my car (always go to bed with the keys on my nightstand), my 1963 sign Mets team ball AND my 1999 Mike Piazza jersey. If I have time- the cat… maybe.
Why that Piazza jersey? It is a Russell made jersey with the thin pinstripes (not the zig-zag stripes Rawlings and Majestic now use. I have NEVER that style on on ebay in the last few years. I love that jersey…
A Mike Piazza Marlins jersey would be worth running into a burning building for:
link
I had a chance to get that jersey once. Still kicking myself.
Clemens might not agree with you.
I’m glad I’m not your cat.
“If I have time- the cat… maybe.”
~~~
COTD
what the heck is a COTD? it took me a year to figure IMHO means in my horchata, how am i going to deal with this? i can’t keeps up with you twits.
hugs and kisses,
1932
it’s OCD for dyslexics
Here I thought it was “Catch of the Day”…
son of a gun. i was so bogged down by the twitification principles that i missed the obvious, but i am purdy darn stupid, so that will happen.
Great story, Paul. I’ll confess, even as a lifelong baseball fan of 28 years, to not knowing a ton of info about Killebrew before this week (other than the pure stats). I’ve learned a lot about him the past few days, in no small part due to this site. Sounds like he truly was one of the good ones.
Meanwhile, can I complain about last night’s Braves/Diamondbacks game? Of course I can, this is the place to do it. link in the same game just really annoys me, even if they are contrasting colors. I’ll grudgingly accept one (especially if it’s the away team), but to me, at least one team should be wearing their actual frickin’ uniform. That being said, I’m an east coast guy that barely saw any of the game last night and rarely see the Dbacks play… don’t they pretty much always wear that red jersey at home? Seems like, from the limited footage, they wear it a lot more than most teams do their color alt.
Yup, if both teams are in softball tops, I turn the channel. It’s painful on the eyes.
Regarding that pic of Harmon with Texas, they wore that jersey (two-button style) from 1976-1980. So I’d guess that he was a spring training instructor during that time.
Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
that was great!
Agreed. Great stuff, and I hope she can get a book together. Even if it’s just self-published, I would buy that.
Blown away by all of the pub that the EHOF project has generated… First ESPN the mag, now Uni Watch… Cool stuff.
I’m in Summer’s fantasy league, and when I first heard about the project, I immediately thought that it would be something that Paul/Uniwatchers would be into. I actually thought about passing it along but never got around to it. Glad that it ended up organically finding everyone…
The lead photo, is that Harmon at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC? It’s already the perfect photo, but if it’s also in Washington, then it’d be even perfecter.
RE: Killebrew as a Ranger
When Killebrew announced his retirement in the fall of 1975 he also announced he was taking a position color commentator for the Twins TV broadcast. So he didn’t play for the Rangers.
When his gig with the Twins was up, he turned down the Rangers managerial job in 1978. He then took a TV job with the Angels from 1979-1982.
It is possible that he had been a spring training instructor. But it seems strange that he would do that while being employed with the Twins or Angels as a TV announcer.
One final nugget. Killebrew’s son was drafted by the Rangers in 1978. So maybe he was invited to Spring Training one of the following years as a guest instructor because his son was there. But this is just a guess.
Sometimes life is just…weird.
Killebrew died near his home in Arizona.
The funeral will take place there tomorrow at 10 a.m. local time.
And, because of interleague play, where do the Twins go after this afternoon’s game in Oakland?
To Arizona, to play the D-backs, starting tomorrow night.
So the Twins have chartered two busess, and the entire team will be able to attend the funeral.
Smackdab in the middle of the season they will be in a place they’ve never been, on a day we could say they were meant to be there.
Just…weird.
A happy coincidence!
Yes, life and sports do have weird moments. Another example would be Neil Walker, the good young second basemen of the Pirates. His dad played with Roberto Clemente in winter ball in late 1972, and actually offered to ride with Roberto on that fateful plane trip to help the earthquake victims. Clemente appreciated, but declined Walker’s help, so the elder Walker did not perish in the ensuing crash.
Or that Clemente’s career should end with 3,000 hits, exactly.
Or this one. Tigers pitcher Brad Thomas and the Twins Micheal Cuddyer were teammates at New Britain.
Cuddyer hit a game-winning homer to extend the Rock Cats’ season. Because of that, Thomas had to re-book his flight home to his native Australia, the first leg of which had been United Flight 53 on September 11, 2001.
That is almost as good as Adams and Jefferson both dying on July 4th of the same year.
I also remember the day Herb Brooks died, HBO had already scheduled “Do You Believe in Miracles”.
Oh jeez.. If i had noticed the double swoosh on the image of Chris Wallace from the first ticker item, I would have gone with a different picture….
link
new NCAA ’12 shows Auburn football with blue pants?
link
A great man just died and you’re taking it upon yourself to launch a one man crusade to eliminate part of his legacy the day he dies?
Talk about one of your all-time dick moves.
which part of “the truth” don’t you comprehend?
Truth or not, don’t launch the crusade the day the man dies.
Lukas comes off as incredibly petty and self absorbed to be doing this right now.
The only one sounding petty is you, because you’re advocating something that isn’t true.
Why am I bringing this stuff up now? Because now is the time everyone’s been spreading the myth. If they were talking about it in October of 2010, or April of 2009, I would’ve done the same thing then.
Look, I set the record straight in 2008, when Harmon was alive. Apparently, some folks didn’t get the memo. So I’m trying to set it straight again.
It’s fascinating to me how some people choose to interpret this as a slight directed at Killebrew. It isn’t. Killebrew wasn’t a great statesman, a Nobel laureate, or the guy who cured cancer either — but none of that means he wasn’t a great guy. Ditto for the fact that he wasn’t the basis of the MLB logo. It doesn’t diminish him one iota.
I’m sure he’d be embarrassed by people who are advocating for something that isn’t true (and who are, in the process, calling Jerry Dior a liar).
Should he wait a week? Would it be better then?
That’s what I fail to understand. Why are people getting so worked up over this?
Facts are facts. If you choose to believe myth over fact, you are out of touch with reality.
HOWEVER, if not for the myth torch bearers, their would be nobody to make fun of. After all, these are the same people that perpetuate the 9/11, JFK assassination & Moon landing myths.
Rational is lost on them.
I would never try to “eliminate” part of anyone’s “legacy.”
But the MLB logo has nothing to do with Killebrew. It is NOT part of his legacy. And by suggesting otherwise, you are harming someone ELSE’S legacy (Jerry Dior’s).
Save your breath, Paul…at least when dealing with MC and the folks who say, “Maybe it’s true, maybe it isn’t, but it’s a nice story, and the guy just died, so why not just let it go?” There are only link you need to say to them.
For the rest of us, though, keep plugging away. I like the Twins, I liked Harmon, but I love the truth more. The best way to honor the living and the dead is to honor the truth.
What part of “not his legacy” don’t you understand? Nobody is taking anything away from Killebrew that was his. It’s just that the MLB logo was never his to begin with. There is still plenty to celebrate about Killebrew’s life, and it is being celebrated and mourned appropriately. The man is a big enough legend to appreciate with misappropriating other honors.
Even Dior acknowledges it might have been Killebrew’s image he used in the logo. I think it is too definitive to state that Killebrew’s version of events is a lie.
Summer Burton’s “Every Hall of Famer” project is fantastic, but… Frank Chance did not have a .788 on-base percentage. That was his OPS.
Paul- Great article on Summer Burton. I see an additional five minutes of wasted time at work each day in my future.
While Killebrew was not the inspiration for the MLB logo, he absolutely was for the sleeve patch on my UniWatch winning design when Paul held a uni design contest for the relocating Montreal Expos way back when.
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What’s next, Paul? Are you going to tell us that Reagan didn’t tear down the entire Berlin Wall with his bare hands?
That’s obvious. You can’t tear down a wall like that with just your bare hands… you need a big hammer too.
Reagan SMASH!
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“Oh, don’t worry. That’s just Reagan. He’ll tire himself out.”
“Reagan sleepy . . . “
school days, school days,
dear old golden rule days.
‘readin’ and ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic,
taught to the tune of a hick’ry stick.
thanks for the reference jimbo, i’ll nary forget the tank traps on the way to school, nary forget the stazi that drove me there, nary forget may days, plastic money, nudity on german seaseme street, and that eastern block green that everything was painted. aaah memories of days of yore.
Paul,
Today’s post and every one of your comments have been very well written. Kudos.
(I feel like I must say that today since there are plenty of times over the years — and I’ve been here since Day One — that you have made my Republican and Yankee-pinstriped eyes wince in disagreement…)
Thanks, Al. Not trying to stir the pot — just trying to be a voice of reason.
link…
You’re referring to the black caps/sleeves, right?
Q; What if they played a baseball game and nobody came?
A: The Mets might just win one.
Annoyingly, the day before this game, the Nats had an afternoon home game postponed “due to threat of rain”. I think they announced the postponement at around 10:00 AM. Three hours later game time rolled around and the weather was perfect for baseball.
I’m still reeling from the revisionist “truth” about Jim Kelly and Fran Tarkenton.
If he shows me a picture of my favorit DJ, I might not be able to handle it.
Only link to find out…
Off-Topic:
Anyone know of a website that has the different ways tour golfers mark their balls?
Are you referring to what they write on their balls with a marker (lines, dots, etc..) or what they use to mark their balls when on the green?
Both would be interesting to know.
I was referring to what they write on the balls, but you are right, both would be interesting.
“Are you referring to what they write on their balls with a marker”
~~~
wow…just got a flashback to university days there for a sec
Wasn’t that last semester, Phil? LOL
mustn’t… make.. balls joke.
(explodes)
Interesting you should ask- I was noticing during the TPC on Sunday that a contender had a thin black stripe written on his ball. Made me wonder for a second if he was playing a range ball…
As I was making my comment, I just knew I was putting a balls joke on a tee for someone…haha.
The Kershaw bobble also includes the sweat marks on his hat. Nice touch.
RE: Killebrew in the Rangers uni. This Google News search:
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Shows that the timeframe he went to the Royals… it was almost certain that he was going to the Rangers. They had a real offer for him, and all news accounts in 1975 have him going to Texas.
Now- that’s not their 1975 uni’s shown in that pic… so I’m probably not uncovering anything absolute… just wanted to add this little factoid that Harmon did have at least tangential ties to the Rangers
Also, according to this article:
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Killebrew started a charity in the name of a deceased Texas Rangers player. That was in 1976, which the uni posted could be from. So maybe it has to do with that?
Or was he simply working a Texas Rangers fantasy camp?
The UW-Eau Claire student body just selected a mascot (UWEC is known as the Blugolds):
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It’s supposed to represent the students of UW-Eau Claire, so it’s not the official mascot now, though that may change in coming years. The main athletic logo of UW-Eau Claire (an E-C design) is still the same.
mental_floss has a piece up on the history of jersey sponsorship:
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I´m not american, so, someone can tell me WTH is a bobblehead day?.
Thank you.
PS: Long time reader, but first time commenting, great job MR. Lucas
a ‘bobblehead’ is a complex sexual act that is ritualistically performed as a sign of gratitude in many aboriginal american cultures.
Be nice, Tim…
Scroll down to May 21st on this link and click on “Neil Walker Bobblehead” for an example.
Thanks Jim, But my question is if they gave a Bobblehead to everybody on the stadium.
not ALL but a lot, probably first 10,000 or something of that nature.
Depends on the team and the giveaway. Some teams give them out to everyone, some to kids only, some to the first 10,000 or 20,000.
holy mother of corn. i just had to call tck for something, and would y’all believe out latest oder was already shipped?! i don’t, but that’s the word. this is a great time of year fora fast turnaround, it means we can do another one in time for softball seasons.
I guess it’s about time for me to place that order.
well, it does mean we can get the cup finalists in at the right time. and it also means that since the amerks are gone that we can do another 4th of july in time for the 4th, and i have an idea in mind, it is going to be suuuuh-weet. i am very happy. i should care as much about something to pay the bills instead of this follie, but i don’t.
hey, moose, you ever give a second thought to making the D-Day striped ‘rups in olive, white, and black from your contest a while back?
i forgot you were the d-day guy, you had some good ones, i remember the set but i can’t keep anything straight, so this is not a shock that i didn’t add it up to but you together with that. it was the black grey and white, right? the plane’s sleeve stripes if i recall.
actually, moose, it was philip wilson who designed those…
was a set of six
loveta see that v-day one in axtion
/thanks for the mothers, btw…they look great
the guy who wanted those sent me his wedding photos on those the day i sent them to you(took nearly a year), but amaaazing. you can see the shots on the facebook page if you care to twitbook phone.
I only wish I’d thought of the D-Day rups. By far my favorite of the contest, which I was too lazy to google and give proper credit. Thanks to Phil for supplying the name. I kneel before Philip Wilson. Such a genius design; the Lakeland Flying Tigers need to outfit themselves with those stirrups. Or, you know, any MLB team that wants to honor the troops.
any MLB team that wants to honor the troops
~~~
so…all of them?
“He also wasn’t the Tooth Fairy”
HOW DARE YOU, SIR. I demand a letter of resignation EEEEEmmediately.
Just got online, and so a belated tip of the Jimmy Hatlo to Paul, for defending and exemplifying the strange idea of something called journalism, and to Summer, for her talent, spirit, pluck, generosity, humor, and level-headedness. Actually, so perfect is Summer that I would try to stalk her if it weren’t for the wheelchair and the electronic device on the ankle.
Three bottom lines I see here today.
1. Killebrew was only reacting to what someone told him, almost certainly in error, and all he did later was try to check the veracity of the story. NOBODY is saying he went around trumpetting the claim. Lord knows we all can think of a lot of players who would have.
2. The lede photo today suggests, unfortunately, that today’s article is about Harmon Killebrew. It isn’t. It’s about the MLB logo and the misconceptions and misinformation that surround it.
3. Those getting so upset need to take a step back and re-read #2.
#2’s photo is pretty spectacular, though. Great-looking guy in sweet duds.
Come to think of it, re-read #1, too.
Of COURSE the MLB logo is no particular player.
Unless perhaps (cue “Twilight Zone” theme) Jerry Dior could see the future…
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“MY GOD, NOT ONLY IS IT KILLEBREW, IT’S CAREW AND OLIVA AND PUCKETT, TOO!!!”
Are you sure it’s not Jerry West?
And while we’re on it—tell me what that green dot on the helmet is for.
The lede photo today suggests, unfortunately, that today’s article is about Harmon Killebrew. It isn’t. It’s about the MLB logo and the misconceptions and misinformation that surround it.
I’m not sure why you’re trying to impose some sort of alternate context on today’s entry, which is indeed about Killebrew, including (but not limited to) the fact that his death has prompted many people to circulate an inaccurate story about him.
Apparently the truth makes some folks uncomfy. That’s disappointing.
And there’s nothing negative about this truth — it’s not like I’m pointing out that Killer liked to go home and kick his dog, or that he didn’t pay child support, etc. I’m just saying that a commonly held story — a story that was circulating at a particularly high velocity this week because of Killer’s death — was untrue.
In all fairness, approximately 75 percent of the story is about the MLB logo.
All the more reason it might have baffled newcomers, that is.
(and both these are in the wrong place…grumble, grumble)
approximately 75 percent of the story is about the MLB logo.
And why is that a bad thing? It’s about something that was mentioned IN KILLEBREW’S AP OBITUARY! That’s pretty much the definition of being “about Killebrew.”
As for this notion of “baffling newcomers,” I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about, Rick. You know what would really baffle a newcomer? Why we spend so much time debating the color of a helmet decal from the 1962 AFL preseason….
As I said, those two comments were in the wrong place. Were made after (and were supposed to BE after) the comment below, making further reference to how someone unfamiliar with UW could have been a little befuddled because they might not have understood the emphasis.
(I still get tangled in the new format every so often).
My bad.
Probably should have said story isn’t ONLY about Killebrew’s death and the uni-tributes to him.
Not difficult to imagine someone seeing a great photo of Killebrew and not expecting the piece to cover what it does, being surprised a bit (especially someone who googled “Killebrew” and arrived here today for the first time).
And, I was pointing out that you said NOTHING untoward about the man whatsoever. Quite the contrary, in fact.
Gotcha.
I read your comments to mean UW is not a random sports blog, and this story is indicative of the topics covered here. (Which I thought was spot on)
Which, for what it’s worth (and it isn’t much), is what that lead should have been about.
IF I was looking to read a journalists “opinion” of Killer, I could have found thousands of those today. I come here, because the coverage is NOT the same old crap we get spoon fed on the other ten thousand sports blogs.
Death is like race or religion. It makes people uncomfortable and they don’t how to respond when it is brought up. A lot of people take offense immediately which is obviously wrong, but unfortunately has become socially correct.
I don’t know why, but I throughly enjoyed this post today. Thanks for the read Paul.
Is there a reason for the f-bomb in the blog today?
I’m pretty sure it was to point out how fucking great the next link was. Seemed pretty fucking straight forward to me.
I was feeling enthusiastic, so I chose a word that conveyed my enthusiasm.
If it’s already been mentioned here my apologies, but on Saturday the Red Sox and Cubs will be wearing 1918 throwbacks to commemorate the Cubs first visit to Fenway since that year’s World Series.
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About six paragraphs down.
Ooh, I may finally have a reason to turn on a Cubs game this year.
But this is just sloppy reporting:
“Playing in Boston is the Cubs’ featured Interleague series. On Saturday, they’ll wear 1918 throwback jerseys. ”
Oh, really? Just the jerseys, but everything else will be from their standard road uni set?
YES! FINALLY, someone gets that there’s more to a uniform than just a jersey. Nobody wants to see the HEAT in their red alternate jerseys and nothing else because if I’m getting dunked on, I don’t want LeGone’s nuts in my face… XP
Of course they are.
I’ll be there Friday and Sunday.
Bastards.
Better hope Zambrano’s turn in the totation doesn’t come up on Saturday.
He will want to wear the blue softball top.
Well, ya know what they say.
link.
That has to be Photoshopped. LOL
PADRE FANS…
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Is your softball team called the Red Pants?
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Yowza…
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Vintage (sorta)…
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A local HS in Portsmouth, VA using the Twins logo for their baseball caps:
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The Truckers? I hope those caps are mesh snapbacks.
Per the Globe and Mail, which is perhaps Canada’s most respected newspaper.
If earlier stories are true, and they will be called the Moose – green might return as the predominant uniform color of an NHL team. Mind you the Wild are wearing their green alternative almost as much as their red brick uni
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Never watch the NBA, so I hadn’t noticed this until now — the American Airlines Center on-court wordmark isn’t set in Helvetica. AA still uses Helvetica for the rest of its corporate stuff. What’s going on here?
You should watch the NBA. That’s what’s going on.
Sorry, I don’t have a real answer to your question. I never noticed that.
Does anyone know if a person, or a team, can still purchase heavy duty cotton or cotton blend Football Practice Jerseys from anywhere? The kind that could actually be worn by teams in tackle football? Someone mentioned recently about finding “Wrestling Shirts” or Jerseys available somewhere — perhaps by Russell or Champion — but I can not locate them on the internet anywhere.
Do I need to go through a particular dealer? or is it something that no longer exists? Any help wil be appreciated.
I want my … I want my … I want my Uni Watch …
(hope all is well, Paul!)
Here’s something I observed: Chris Bruno has a folder called “ducks/candles” Whats that all about?
When I played baseball in college and practice was rained out, my coach taught us in the classroom. We watched videos, talked game situations, etc. One of the videos was a hitting video with Ted Williams and Harmon. I don’t remember in Harmon was in a Texas uni or not, but I do remember Williams in that uni and it was very strange. link