Spend the money Doc......is $200 less in your bank account really going to change anything? You can't take the money with you when you are gone and you can't buy more time with it..........but you can "buy" a few hours of time from the people you care about by doing something together.
Great one, Doc! Of course, it's harder to miss than a slow pitch softball down the middle of the plate when Joe Nuxhall and Pete Rose are the subject matter.
Them NKU ticket prices are nutso. Jeez Loueez. Somebody wake me up when America comes back to its senses and sports attendance is again affordable for working class people. It's a crying shame this level of economic elitism has infected sports. It's getting worse, too. The heart and soul of the typical baseball fan used to be the working class joe. Now it's the fairly wealthy white collar crowd. America continues to dissolve in huge vats of economic dysfunction.
I just reread that paragraph and man, it sure looks like the work of a 5-tool star to me. In fact, I'm right now on the phone with myself entertaining offers in the low 5-figures. Like the South, this Hemingway shall rise again.
Or maybe not, depending on what my agent-also me- advises me. Intellectual property values are skyrocketing, and I might as well get in on the gold rush. Text me your best offer, Doc, and my attorney will review. Also talking with ESPN and SI. Hoping to avoid a bidding war.
Loved Nuxie. People forget he was a hot head in his playing days. Never one to back down from a fight. But he had a heart of gold. And represented perfectly what Cincy area folks were like 50-75 years ago. Good man.
That's it? That's the bottom line? What am I, your Jamie Dutton???
That does it. I'm forming a Hemingway union, to be known as the Hemingway Writers Association. Next, I'm getting Scott Van Pelt on the line and parlaying his outstanding offer into a record-breaking ESPN deal for myself. I see a huge windfall in the offing, including a country club membership at a swanky East Coast joint. The Hamptons sound about right. I doubt I'll have much time to come back and play the local "goat tracks" anymore. Try not to be too disappointed.... :<)
Reds ticket prices have gotten out of control. If you buy a pick 6 plan today, field level will cost you anywhere from $41-$73 per ticket! And those prices increase for single game purchases. I can't imagine spending $150 for two tickets to ONE baseball game. Especially when there are 81 home games. I know there are cheaper tickets available, but still. Do the Reds want people to come to more than one or two games a year??? If so, it's gotta come down in price. I couldn't imagine taking a family of four to a game. They could get more butts in seats if they dropped the entry fee a bit. It's already a fun atmosphere most of the time, it just needs to be more accessible.
I truly miss hearing Joe on the radio (and also Marty). Even as a younger person I recognized at one point how awesome a broadcast team we had here in Cincinnati. I knew once they retired or passed away things would never quite be the same. No disrespect to the current team, but Marty and Joe aren't replaceable.
I'm truly torn on Pete. As a lifelong Cincinnatian and devoted Reds fan, of course I want to see him honored by the HOF. And I absolutely think this stats warrant that. On the other hand, he did know what was at risk when he chose to place bets on baseball. There's a small part of me that feels a rule is a rule. I understand the point about MLB and their new relationship with gambling. But they still aren't encouraging players to do it. I think MLB probably always wanted fans to gamble on games. Why wouldn't they? It should increase ratings. That's a far cry from players betting on games. Players have inside information. They can influence a game. AND...they can skew odds if it's known they are betting for or against a specific team. Hell...even just not betting at all could have an influence on oddsmakers.
The best scenario I can come up with is for MLB to give Pete a few prerequisite requirements before he can be HOF eligible. First and foremost, require him to cut all ties with casinos. No more ceremonial first bets. Also, sign autographs for people somewhere else. Do it at sports memorabilia shops or conventions. And second...ask him to get involved in some PSA's or lend his service in some other way to help combat/treat folks with gambling addictions. I feel like MLB could take this situation and turn it into a positive for everyone with just a little bit of creativity, grace, and forgiveness.
That's a very intelligent response, and great suggestions. Have MLB tell Pete to do some PSA's and stop acting like he thinks he's invisible to the world when he hangs out at casinos. He could have admitted he was a gambling addict and gotten counseling years ago, but his hard-headedness has always been his greatest strength and worst flaw. Pete's always been old-school, even when he was young. Admitting wrongdoing was akin to shirking his manhood. It got him far in baseball, but crippled him in life.
Bottom line-he deserves his place in the Hall. MLB is petty and vindictive in its reasons to deny him. It's a stupid stalemate.
Beautiful tribute to the Ol' Lefthander. Joe was one of a kind. Marty was the HOFer, but Joe was family. Joe was the Star of the Game. Marty was Scores and Highlights. For those of a certain age group, Joe was Reds baseball. He is still missed greatly to this day.
Paul, you really knocked it out of the park today. My uncle went to high school with Joe. They both sounded so much alike that I get flashbacks sometimes when I hear Joe's voice. I greatly enjoy watching old TV games from '86 and '87 and hearing Joe. He was such a good, wholesome, and decent guy. It broke my heart to discover that his Bob Evans was gone now.
I don't go to sports events anymore because I'm a JThinwallet, too. I can't justify spending that kind of bread on tix, parking and concessions. Last game I went to was Giants at Colts with my Dad in 2018. It was more about being with Dad. We hit the Indy Primanti's after the game.
I don't follow golf that much. LIV? Isn't that the Super Bowl KC won over the Niners?
Carly Simon gets me weak in the knees. Great choice.
Nov 16, 2022·edited Nov 16, 2022Liked by Paul Daugherty
Sadly, you're correct that there will never be another "Joe." Someone might come along a lot like him, and be embraced by many -- and rightfully so, if they were like Joe -- but social media and the skeptics of society nowadays would try to tear that person down. Misery loves company. They'd question their true motives, whether they were genuine, etc., and it would grind on that person. They probably wouldn't have the longevity of Joe, because of that.
There's a lot of great folks out there, but many -- because of social media and the societal landscape -- prefer to either do their good in anonymity, or keep it to a closed circle, because if they put themselves out there, there will always be someone wanting to tear them down. Thankfully, Joe never had to deal with that.
When it comes to the Hit King, and the anti-reinstatement folks, the one thing that I really tire of hearing about is "he broke the one cardinal rule." Honestly, what makes the gambling rule any more important that the "no performance enhancers" rule or the "no cheating" rule or the "no foreign substances on balls and bats" rule? A rule is a rule, right? But these folks will gloss over the steroid era and the Astros cheating scandal, and cherry pick Pete and the gambling rule. Hypocrisy at its finest.
And, as I said in a comment over the weekend on a previous TML, if Manfred and all the anti-Pete folks are naïve enough to think current players and coaches, in all sports, aren't betting on games through sports betting apps using intermediaries (friends, family, significant others), then I don't know what to tell them. It's happening ... look at Calvin Ridley of the Falcons, and his suspension for gambling on NFL games through a sports betting app on his phone. His mistake? He used his own phone and account, and betting services connected to the NFL turned him in to Goodell. That's how he got caught.
Hell, Floyd Mayweather Jr. would bet on himself before his own fights. Think having a cool $750,000 riding on whether you win your fight isn't going to prompt you to take advantage of any edge you can to win? Yet, perfectly legal and he wasn't banned from boxing. I know, different sport, but you get the idea ... for Pete Rose, he's the devil for gambling! For everyone else, gambling and partnering with casinos, sports betting services, etc., is good!
I'll email you some thoughts next week on a guest Hemingway column. I'll try riding the bucking bull and hope not to get thrown off before reaching the 8 second mark, haha.
As the manager, it was even worse that Pete bet on his team. He was in a position to influence the entire game, even if to try to win. He could keep pitchers in that should be pulled. He could put players at risk. I'm sorry, but what the hell has happened to this country where ethics no longer matter? I'm not making excuses for the PED users. They should be banned too. But that doesn't make Pete right, and his actions show he has no real remorse.
Stephen, I hope it doesn't come off as I'm defending Pete's betting on the games. I'm not, by any stretch. He knew better, and did it anyway, and yes, he most certainly could have influenced games.
It's more the hypocrisy of MLB, its selective enforcement of the "rules" and the believing that what Pete is banned for -- betting on games -- isn't still going on today with current players and coaches, that gets my goat. Trust me, Pete Rose is hardly the bastion of ethics in my book, but MLB has made their side of the bed as well due to their hypocrisy.
I understand, James. MLB is a mess. I hardly even watch much anymore outside the Reds. At the current rate, MLB will be a niche game within 25 years shown on ESPN 10.
Eliminating draconian blackout rules would go a long way for MLB. Make it so I can buy MLB.TV and watch the Reds here at home (without also subscribing to a VPN service).
The whole decentralized MLB TV networks is a mess. Why can't MLB figure out something more equitable like the NFL? How messed up is it that some baseball playoffs are only on cable networks? Are they just trying to kill the sport?
I would not be surprised by that, which is an absolute shame. But that is definitely its trajectory right now. I think I watch a total of 9 combined innings of baseball this past season on TV. I read more about it than I watched it.
When Joe died, it felt like losing my own grandfather. Happy that you memorialized him so well; you wrote what I felt.
On the J. Taylor thing....some time ago, you denigrated JT to express your admiration for Jim Croce (as a setup for a tune of the day).... Isn't it possible to do so without taking a shot at somebody who is accomplished and loved by many? Not the only time you've used that tactic (Beatles vs. Stones for example)
I'm sure the folks at GABP had no intention of knocking Pete, but there was a game this summer where the center field camera caught 2 signs during an at bat. The first was for Rose exterminating and just to its right was a BETMGM sign. All I could see was Rose bet MGM.
Loved when the Reds were blowing a team out or being blown out, Marty and Joe would start talking about professional wrestling and comment on the game periodically. Am I the only one who remembers that?
Spend the money Doc......is $200 less in your bank account really going to change anything? You can't take the money with you when you are gone and you can't buy more time with it..........but you can "buy" a few hours of time from the people you care about by doing something together.
Great one, Doc! Of course, it's harder to miss than a slow pitch softball down the middle of the plate when Joe Nuxhall and Pete Rose are the subject matter.
Them NKU ticket prices are nutso. Jeez Loueez. Somebody wake me up when America comes back to its senses and sports attendance is again affordable for working class people. It's a crying shame this level of economic elitism has infected sports. It's getting worse, too. The heart and soul of the typical baseball fan used to be the working class joe. Now it's the fairly wealthy white collar crowd. America continues to dissolve in huge vats of economic dysfunction.
I just reread that paragraph and man, it sure looks like the work of a 5-tool star to me. In fact, I'm right now on the phone with myself entertaining offers in the low 5-figures. Like the South, this Hemingway shall rise again.
Or maybe not, depending on what my agent-also me- advises me. Intellectual property values are skyrocketing, and I might as well get in on the gold rush. Text me your best offer, Doc, and my attorney will review. Also talking with ESPN and SI. Hoping to avoid a bidding war.
Loved Nuxie. People forget he was a hot head in his playing days. Never one to back down from a fight. But he had a heart of gold. And represented perfectly what Cincy area folks were like 50-75 years ago. Good man.
I'll let you play golf with me again
That's it? That's the bottom line? What am I, your Jamie Dutton???
That does it. I'm forming a Hemingway union, to be known as the Hemingway Writers Association. Next, I'm getting Scott Van Pelt on the line and parlaying his outstanding offer into a record-breaking ESPN deal for myself. I see a huge windfall in the offing, including a country club membership at a swanky East Coast joint. The Hamptons sound about right. I doubt I'll have much time to come back and play the local "goat tracks" anymore. Try not to be too disappointed.... :<)
Reds ticket prices have gotten out of control. If you buy a pick 6 plan today, field level will cost you anywhere from $41-$73 per ticket! And those prices increase for single game purchases. I can't imagine spending $150 for two tickets to ONE baseball game. Especially when there are 81 home games. I know there are cheaper tickets available, but still. Do the Reds want people to come to more than one or two games a year??? If so, it's gotta come down in price. I couldn't imagine taking a family of four to a game. They could get more butts in seats if they dropped the entry fee a bit. It's already a fun atmosphere most of the time, it just needs to be more accessible.
Spot on about Nuxy. I knocked down a few Budweisers with him at some events and they don't come any better than him.
I truly miss hearing Joe on the radio (and also Marty). Even as a younger person I recognized at one point how awesome a broadcast team we had here in Cincinnati. I knew once they retired or passed away things would never quite be the same. No disrespect to the current team, but Marty and Joe aren't replaceable.
I'm truly torn on Pete. As a lifelong Cincinnatian and devoted Reds fan, of course I want to see him honored by the HOF. And I absolutely think this stats warrant that. On the other hand, he did know what was at risk when he chose to place bets on baseball. There's a small part of me that feels a rule is a rule. I understand the point about MLB and their new relationship with gambling. But they still aren't encouraging players to do it. I think MLB probably always wanted fans to gamble on games. Why wouldn't they? It should increase ratings. That's a far cry from players betting on games. Players have inside information. They can influence a game. AND...they can skew odds if it's known they are betting for or against a specific team. Hell...even just not betting at all could have an influence on oddsmakers.
The best scenario I can come up with is for MLB to give Pete a few prerequisite requirements before he can be HOF eligible. First and foremost, require him to cut all ties with casinos. No more ceremonial first bets. Also, sign autographs for people somewhere else. Do it at sports memorabilia shops or conventions. And second...ask him to get involved in some PSA's or lend his service in some other way to help combat/treat folks with gambling addictions. I feel like MLB could take this situation and turn it into a positive for everyone with just a little bit of creativity, grace, and forgiveness.
just an excellent response. Thanks
That's a very intelligent response, and great suggestions. Have MLB tell Pete to do some PSA's and stop acting like he thinks he's invisible to the world when he hangs out at casinos. He could have admitted he was a gambling addict and gotten counseling years ago, but his hard-headedness has always been his greatest strength and worst flaw. Pete's always been old-school, even when he was young. Admitting wrongdoing was akin to shirking his manhood. It got him far in baseball, but crippled him in life.
Bottom line-he deserves his place in the Hall. MLB is petty and vindictive in its reasons to deny him. It's a stupid stalemate.
Thanks. I think it could make for a very positive story as well as a fine example of compromise...both things we could use more of today.
What about new Joe?
"Joe Burrow launches foundation to address food insecurity. At his 2019 Heisman award speech."
How many college athletes has ever done that?
Beautiful tribute to the Ol' Lefthander. Joe was one of a kind. Marty was the HOFer, but Joe was family. Joe was the Star of the Game. Marty was Scores and Highlights. For those of a certain age group, Joe was Reds baseball. He is still missed greatly to this day.
Paul, you really knocked it out of the park today. My uncle went to high school with Joe. They both sounded so much alike that I get flashbacks sometimes when I hear Joe's voice. I greatly enjoy watching old TV games from '86 and '87 and hearing Joe. He was such a good, wholesome, and decent guy. It broke my heart to discover that his Bob Evans was gone now.
I don't go to sports events anymore because I'm a JThinwallet, too. I can't justify spending that kind of bread on tix, parking and concessions. Last game I went to was Giants at Colts with my Dad in 2018. It was more about being with Dad. We hit the Indy Primanti's after the game.
I don't follow golf that much. LIV? Isn't that the Super Bowl KC won over the Niners?
Carly Simon gets me weak in the knees. Great choice.
Sadly, you're correct that there will never be another "Joe." Someone might come along a lot like him, and be embraced by many -- and rightfully so, if they were like Joe -- but social media and the skeptics of society nowadays would try to tear that person down. Misery loves company. They'd question their true motives, whether they were genuine, etc., and it would grind on that person. They probably wouldn't have the longevity of Joe, because of that.
There's a lot of great folks out there, but many -- because of social media and the societal landscape -- prefer to either do their good in anonymity, or keep it to a closed circle, because if they put themselves out there, there will always be someone wanting to tear them down. Thankfully, Joe never had to deal with that.
When it comes to the Hit King, and the anti-reinstatement folks, the one thing that I really tire of hearing about is "he broke the one cardinal rule." Honestly, what makes the gambling rule any more important that the "no performance enhancers" rule or the "no cheating" rule or the "no foreign substances on balls and bats" rule? A rule is a rule, right? But these folks will gloss over the steroid era and the Astros cheating scandal, and cherry pick Pete and the gambling rule. Hypocrisy at its finest.
And, as I said in a comment over the weekend on a previous TML, if Manfred and all the anti-Pete folks are naïve enough to think current players and coaches, in all sports, aren't betting on games through sports betting apps using intermediaries (friends, family, significant others), then I don't know what to tell them. It's happening ... look at Calvin Ridley of the Falcons, and his suspension for gambling on NFL games through a sports betting app on his phone. His mistake? He used his own phone and account, and betting services connected to the NFL turned him in to Goodell. That's how he got caught.
Hell, Floyd Mayweather Jr. would bet on himself before his own fights. Think having a cool $750,000 riding on whether you win your fight isn't going to prompt you to take advantage of any edge you can to win? Yet, perfectly legal and he wasn't banned from boxing. I know, different sport, but you get the idea ... for Pete Rose, he's the devil for gambling! For everyone else, gambling and partnering with casinos, sports betting services, etc., is good!
I'll email you some thoughts next week on a guest Hemingway column. I'll try riding the bucking bull and hope not to get thrown off before reaching the 8 second mark, haha.
As the manager, it was even worse that Pete bet on his team. He was in a position to influence the entire game, even if to try to win. He could keep pitchers in that should be pulled. He could put players at risk. I'm sorry, but what the hell has happened to this country where ethics no longer matter? I'm not making excuses for the PED users. They should be banned too. But that doesn't make Pete right, and his actions show he has no real remorse.
Stephen, I hope it doesn't come off as I'm defending Pete's betting on the games. I'm not, by any stretch. He knew better, and did it anyway, and yes, he most certainly could have influenced games.
It's more the hypocrisy of MLB, its selective enforcement of the "rules" and the believing that what Pete is banned for -- betting on games -- isn't still going on today with current players and coaches, that gets my goat. Trust me, Pete Rose is hardly the bastion of ethics in my book, but MLB has made their side of the bed as well due to their hypocrisy.
I understand, James. MLB is a mess. I hardly even watch much anymore outside the Reds. At the current rate, MLB will be a niche game within 25 years shown on ESPN 10.
Eliminating draconian blackout rules would go a long way for MLB. Make it so I can buy MLB.TV and watch the Reds here at home (without also subscribing to a VPN service).
The whole decentralized MLB TV networks is a mess. Why can't MLB figure out something more equitable like the NFL? How messed up is it that some baseball playoffs are only on cable networks? Are they just trying to kill the sport?
I would not be surprised by that, which is an absolute shame. But that is definitely its trajectory right now. I think I watch a total of 9 combined innings of baseball this past season on TV. I read more about it than I watched it.
Well stated Mr. Sprague. Thanks.
Carly Simon has a beautiful voice, but her words are the paint that finishes that picture!
Carly > JT
When Joe died, it felt like losing my own grandfather. Happy that you memorialized him so well; you wrote what I felt.
On the J. Taylor thing....some time ago, you denigrated JT to express your admiration for Jim Croce (as a setup for a tune of the day).... Isn't it possible to do so without taking a shot at somebody who is accomplished and loved by many? Not the only time you've used that tactic (Beatles vs. Stones for example)
Appreciate the shout out. Will run it back again soon.
I'm sure the folks at GABP had no intention of knocking Pete, but there was a game this summer where the center field camera caught 2 signs during an at bat. The first was for Rose exterminating and just to its right was a BETMGM sign. All I could see was Rose bet MGM.
Loved when the Reds were blowing a team out or being blown out, Marty and Joe would start talking about professional wrestling and comment on the game periodically. Am I the only one who remembers that?
They were their most entertaining during blowouts. They just didn't care and would talk about tomato plants, in addition to the stuff you mentioned.
It didn't matter what they were talking about it was always fun and engaging - like eavesdropping on two old pals shooting the sh**.
Perfect encapsulation!
Don’t forget about the banana phone during rain delays😂
Also, I remember when they had Macho Man Randy Savage in the booth during a game. Marge Schott was pissed. 😂
Without a doubt Nuxy was not your (our) “Average Joe”