Milestones, births, deaths and a kid caddy doesn't screw up

We do like our sports stars to have a little bit of an edge to them, don’t we?

Especially when it comes to lionizing them for some significant career accomplishment.

We go gaga over Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit and the time leading up to it because he’s the captain of the Yankees.

We glorify, or have glorified, Tiger Woods, even though he’s a bit standoffish, because he was chasing Jack Nicklaus.

The Miami Heat are all the rage because of the manner in which they were put together and some hope a dynasty is building while others hope for a train wreck.

And then along comes a guy like Jim Thome, who has just reached one of the true pinnacles of major league baseball with as little fanfare as you can possibly imagine.

Thome hit homers No. 599 and 600 last night, becoming just the eighth player in major league baseball history (and we’re talking a lot of good baseball players in that group) to get to that plateau and I cannot think of something so significant being achieved to such little acclaim.

I don’t know Thome at all, not sure I’ve even ever been in a scrum with him, but by all accounts of people writing about him today, he’s a classy, thoughtful guy who goes about his business quietly and with none of the “hey, look at me!” antics of some other professional athletes.

All professional sports is dotted with massive egos, senses of entitlement and athletes who think the world revolves around them. We – the collective we of fans and members of the media – feed into it far too much, we want our guys to be a bit edgy, it feeds the media beast and fuels the hearts of passionate fans.

But maybe we should pay more attention to the nice guys and what they do on the fields of play and how they handle themselves off it.

There needs to be more room to learn about them, to appreciate them, to celebrate them.

I’m sure the tributes will come rolling in today for Thome (read this one from ESPN.com to get a sense of the guy) and that he will be recognized for the milestone he reached.

Too bad it kind of snuck up on us but I guess that’s just the way things are. Maybe it’s time to search out ways to change it.

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I think we might be hitting the links tomorrow, it’ll be one of the rare appearances of the season. Seems the Mighty Rockies coaching staff – minus the one non-golfer in the group – will be guests of one of the Dads up at a company tourney in Kitchener.

We’ll be riding, that’s for sure, because if we didn’t, we might get a guy like a fellow who was one of the worst caddies in the history of the game:

Me.

Oh, yeah, story time.

It’s a Canadian Tour event, early ‘90s, in Ottawa and I find myself hanging out with Mike Weir and Dean Wilson at my sister-in-laws up there, helping a couple of struggling young kids with housing and having a wee bit of fun.

Anyway, it’s Saturday night, Mike’s, um, well off the pace and his regular looper, Crazy Stu, has to go to some wedding or something in London, I believe.

Well, because even if Mike shoots 59, he’s going to make about $80 (the Canadian Tour was hardly lucrative back then) and because Crazy Stu has tendency to have a rather good time wherever he goes, there’s no way he’s getting back from London to sweep the dew and carry the bag.

So, in a true moment of weakness, I volunteer, like a dope.

About the first hole, I’m on the green, holding the flag and minding my own business when Mike’s lining up about a five-footer for par.

Now, the only thing about reading putts that I know is that I can’t do it so I’m just standing there. Well, apparently I’m standing in the wrong place because the lefty can see me out of the corner of his eye and nicely gestures that I, you know, get the hell out of the way.

We get to about the 15th or so, we’re not on the way to shooting 59, and Mike kind of draws one in to the right rough. Sunday morning dew sweepers at Canadian Tour events don’t tend to draw huge galleries or forecaddies so we’ve got to try to find the ball in the thicket of rough.

I’m tired, a bit worn out, was probably a tad over-served on the Saturday night and the bag is damn heavy so I’m kind of listlessly walking the rough looking for the ball.

We can’t find it, I’m grumpy, Mike’s grumpy, we just want to go home and all of a sudden, I feel something by my foot. Oh, yeah, the ball and I came thisclose to kicking it, which would have been a very bad thing.

Sheepishly, I tell him I’ve got it, think we went on to make par after I didn’t incur a penalty stroke because I wasn’t paying attention and, shockingly, that was the end of my caddying career.

I blame Crazy Stu.

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If I could remotely be interested in fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, I’d be all over them today in memory of this guy, who died this day back in ’77

And you know how, because most of us are of a Certain Vintage, we do lists here every now and then about music and where bands fit of long-ago eras, where do you put Elvis?

Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan. Didn’t mind some of it but wouldn’t be near the top of my list and I’m quite proud that the only thing of significance I’ve seen in Memphis is the Civil Rights Museum and I’ve lived a Graceland-free life.

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Seriously, Hobbs homers and TOD ‘pen coughs up another one?

Talk about predictable.

Glad I didn’t stay up and only had to read Zorro’s piece about the carnage rather than watch it. Or write it ‘cause it sounds like a bit of a buzzer-beater.

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We’ve got the national senior men’s team on the mind – rightfully so since they’re here – but checking in on the women, they’ve just come back from a 1-2 trip to China and now take a wee break before getting back to camp in early September for the final session before their Olympic qualifier later that month in Chile.

Best news?

Finally, they’ll be in our neighbourhood, at U of T Hazelville, which is like a home game for me and a perfect chance to say hello.

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Hey, may as well start it now, right?

Mail. Here. Please.

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Okay, one death duly noted, we may as well get to a birthday and I cannot believe Madonna’s the same age as I am now.

She a good one?

Changed the face of music as performance in some manner?

Again, not a huge fan but some toe-tapping ditties, for sure.

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Comments

[coachd]

Hi Doug,
Any idea about TV coverage for the upcoming Senior Men's team qualifier? Thanks.

Blogger's note: None at the moment, those kinds of things generally pop up last minute; am sure FIBA will be live-streaming a lot of it

[The J]

Jim Thome plays so far out of the spotlight that some people probably just realized he hadn't retired when they heard of the milestone. But he is only the 8th person to do it, and you could say the 5th if you subtract the known dopers (Bonds, Arod and Sosa). In fact, if you consider that the hit 600 clean, that makes for something very special in itself! I would argue if milestones weren't being tossed around so quickly through the doping era, this would have been viewed as the incredible event it really was.
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TOD was very dissapointing yesterday. It was so exciting to watch Lawrie play a "home" game in Seattle. There was a great energy in the crowd for Lawrie and the whole team, it's just too bad they blew it.

[Cluck Kent]

I feel that Madonna took music more into performance art and shifted the focus from musical quality to the outrageous antics of the performer. Sure, she had a few toe tappers as you say, but it was always more about Madonna than it ever was the music. Same for Lady GaGa. Not my cup of tea.

Elvis, he had some nice tunes as well, but not unlike the ladies mentioned above, and as we all know, it inevitably became about all about Elvis and overindulgence.

It's one thing for people to call you the king. It's another thing entirely when you begin calling yourself the king.

[JT's Hoops Blog]

He stole blacjk people's music, but unlike the other schleps that did it, he actually did it right.

[Lorie]

Good Afternoon, Doug!
But which Elvis should we celebrate, I wonder...? I remember where I was when I heard Elvis had died, and how shocking it was (even though he'd already been a sad and obviously unwell cariacture of his former self for years). But, he was the first King of Rock 'n Roll. And that counts for a lot, I think. So, it's the Elvis of the '50's that's most admirable: the rebellious kid from the wrong side of the tracks who without forcing the civil rights issue (Elvis naturally blended black and white music) helped the integration of African Americans not just in the music business but society in general. And I don't know whether it was his time in the Army, Col. Tom Parker or just plain greed that started the decline of his musical relevance, but this is the Elvis I remember, the cutting edge musician, who appeared on The Milton Berle (of all people!!!) TV show waaay back in 1956 and connected with his audience in a way no musician ever had before. Cheers!
http://youtu.be/e2wfMxD1bBU

[Yony]

Hey Doug,

Just wanted to offer a recommendation:

If you can find the time, go watch the documentary Senna (will be playing starting Aug 19 in Toronto, I believe only at one theater).

You don't need to know / like anything about F1, it's just an amazing story of a truly unique individual, the likes of which doesn't come up often enough in the sporting world.
And maybe, just maybe, it could get you to consider nudging motor sport a spot or two on your bottom 5 list.

(I'm in no way affiliated with the movie, just a casual fan of Senna and the sport)

[doug]

as far as Elvis goes I like his music as much as I like the Rolling Stones (which isn't a positive)..but this much I can say and how do I say it delicately here in a public forum..you know when a young runaway girl is picked up, befriended by a older male and then given a place to stay , shelter etc...what do we call that guy when he in turn uses that girl for his own personal monetary gain??/..well that was Colonel Tom a low-life , who was no different then the other scenario, as Elvis was used so badly it's just sad and Priscilla was no different(although she was quite young at the time).....the Jim Thome thing is interesting to me, think about it, he averaged 30 homeruns for 20 years a phenomenal feat moreorless disregarded....whereas Jeter might as well have received a ticker tape parade for his 3,000 hit...Jeter grossly over-rated and Thome grossly-underrated..to me it;s the price you pay for playing the free-agent game, and whom you play for...best thing Reggie Jackson did was play for the Yanks...with Thome you need to ask with what cap will he go into the HOF with??....as far as Madonna goes to me she reminds me of Elton John, when he was performing I disregarded all he did as theatrics, fluff...but once he was gone and over that aspect of the showmanship I realized that in there he made terrific music..I appreciate Madonna far more now then I did then...she was a terrific artist who to me got lost in all the theatrics...but in our talk of Thome is it not the same argument ??musicians/athletes/actors etc are no different......to get noticed as Elton John,Madonna did at the beginning you need to go overboard...Thome never did and where did it get him???....unfortunately crap like showmanship/negative press sells, the Jim Thome's of the world don't...the Barry Bonds/Strawberry's etc do....sad but true take on society...what is the age old maxime in Hollywood their is "no such thing as bad press" and we see it everyday...look at Charlie Sheen and Steve Howe in baseball who was famous for his drug busts...where are the stories about athletes giving money,?? ..nowhere because no one cares or rather not enough do....or when a guy like Bono tries to he care he is ridiculed for "preaching"....to me it's interesting and there all in the same lot the whole kit and gaboodle...sad commentary on society...ok cheers and go Hobbs go...

[jon]

blog is really slipping