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Blue-Collar Baseball
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The aim of this blog is to put a spotlight on players and teams that play the game the "right way". I like guys and hustle and give 100% day in and day out. This blog will often focus on the unsung heroes of baseball, not the high-paid superstars. I als
Recent Posts Tagged With 'hustle'
New York\'s gonna love Curtis Granderson
Former Tigers coach Andy Van Slyke had some kind words to tell the New York Post today. "[Granderson's] almost too good to be true... I've got four boys. If I had a daughter, I'd want him first on line to marry my daughter."Grandy's former teammate S...
Phillips sits, Blue Collar Baseball smiles
Reds manager Dusty Baker sat Brandon Phillips for last night's game after his lack of hustle took the wind out of the sails of an important rally on Monday night. Believing that his pop-up would be caught by the Dodgers right fielder, Phillips trotte...
Blue Collar Vote: The final spots for the 2009 All Star Game
Fans have the final say in who will be the remaining members of the National League and American League All Star teams. I'm voting for Shane Victorino and Brandon Inge.I was extremely impressed with Victorino during this past postseason. He's a very ...
The New Attitude in Cincinnati
In case you haven't noticed there's a new attitude in Cincinnati. It's marked by confident, hard-working, young talent bearing the names of Votto, Bruce, Volquez, and Cueto, complemented by quality veteran leadership like Hernandez, Harang, and Arroy...
Casilla demoted for lack of hustle
No hustle, no play. That's the philosophy of Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. Lack of hustle is one of the reasons why Alexi Casilla was sent down to Triple-A Rochester. "Pop fly and ran with the bat all the way to first base, not really running. And th...
Rosales Digs In
I loved watching Adam Rosales play in his first major league start last night. The guy is a gamer: socks high, full of energy and passion for the game. He digs into the batter's box like he's trying to tap an oil well or digging for nightcrawlers. I ...
I Cheer for Chris Dickerson
Strikeouts, botched catches, greenie politics, and weird metro-sexual scarves (see picture below)... none of that matters because I'm going to cheer for Chris Dickerson. I love the way the guy handles himself on and off the field. Well... the scarf c...
Happy Birthday Pete Rose!
Happy Birthday to Pete Rose -- the Hit King -- one of my boyhood heroes. The man who illustrated, day in and day out, how to play the game right. One of my first baseball memories was watching Pete Rose, late in his career, at Riverfront Stadium and ...
Pirates put on a clinic in Cincinnati
The Pirates put on a baseball clinic in front of the Reds and their fans at GABP this afternoon. The Reds definitely looked the part of the novice in the 10-2 Pittsburgh win.Pirates outfielder Nyjer Morgan especially put on a show, going 3-for-4 with...
Reds Trade Keppinger
The Reds have traded Jeff Keppinger to the Astros for a minor league PTBNL. I have to say, I'm sorry to see this guy leave Cincy. High socks, versatile player, and a heck of a nice guy.More reading:Hal McCoyDiamond Hoggers...
Ty Cobb fires me up
Whether it's his personality or his gritty and relentless style of play, Ty Cobb has got to fire you up. If he doesn't then you aren't American and you certainly aren't a baseball fan. A couple of weeks ago Church of Baseball had a nice post about wh...
Sizemore is Baseball's Version of Troy Polamalu
The Superbowl is this weekend and I'm really getting anxious for Spring Training to start. These combined circumstances led me to ask myself this question: Who is baseball's version of Troy Polamalu?Polamalu is one of my favorite football players be...
The outlook on Adam Dunn: A lot of fishing
Adam Dunn is seeking a four-year contract worth somewhere around $56 million. My guess is that Dunn will be doing a lot of fishing this summer unless he lowers his asking price.On WLW today, Marty Brennaman said that Dunn will likely have to settle f...
Even more reason to root for Chris Dickerson
I'm a big Chris Dickerson fan. He plays hard, has a lot of tools, and seems like a genuinely nice and down-to-earth guy. During the kids Q&A session at RedsFest, a kid asked the players on stage, "What's the best thing that you have ever bought?"...
Gomes loves Charlie Hustle
This is great to hear. New Cincinnati Red Jonny Gomes evokes Pete Rose in an interview with C. Trent Rosecrans. "I'm a big fan of the history of the game and to wear the same uniform as the Hit King, Charlie Hustle, Peter Edward Rose, that alone exci...
Hillman's Farm Team
Trey Hillman, skipper of the Kansas City Royals, is inviting his infield down to his Texas farm for a mini-camp. Hillman has cleared a goat pasture at his home and turned it into a professionally installed AstroTurf infield. "That used to be the goat...
Tribe acquires DeRosa; Cubs get scrappy Miles
The Indians have acquired Mark DeRosa from the Chicago Cubs for four minor leaguers. I like DeRosa a lot. He's a versatile hard-working player, and an all-around great athlete - you've probably heard the stories about him playing QB at Penn. Alan Sch...
Griffey's grass stain Photoshopped?
This post is inspired by a hilariously clever comment left over at Diamond Hoggers. Is Griffey's grass stain real or has it been Photoshopped? I'm a big Junior fan, but we all know that he didn't get his uniform dirty very often during his last few y...
The Freel is gone
Ryan Freel is no longer a member of the Cincinnati Reds, nor is his "little friend" Farney. The Reds completed a trade to send Freel to the Baltimore Orioles for veteran catcher, Ramon Hernandez. Obviously Freel was a BCB favorite. He was a small, sc...
Has Mark Teixeira danced with the devil for too long?
Most readers would probably assume that BCB is a big fan of Mark Teixeira - the man has a choirboy image and goes about his job the right way. After reading an article by Lee Jenkins in Sports Illustrated entitled "Tex, Inc.," I am wondering is he to...
Phillies vs. Rays World Series is great for Blue Collar Baseball fans
If you are a fan of small-market teams or the underdog, then the 2008 World Series featuring the Rays and Phillies will be a great one for you. Media people, however, are probably grinding their teeth into flour.What a great story on both accounts. N...
Royal Blue Grit
The Kansas City Royals will end their 2008 season today after an absolutely stunning bout of September baseball. The Royals are on a five game winning streak and have come away as the victors in 13 of their last 15 games. Kansas City also has an eigh...
The Royals are still playing
Just in case you haven't noticed... the Kansas City Royals are still playing, and they're doing a pretty good job of it. Many of the young, fiery Royals are playing for a spot on next year's team (or at least a look) and the hustle and energy seems t...
Add Jack to list of Pirates legends
Jack Wilson didn't play on a World Series winner, or even a team with a winning record, like the man pictured below, but he is still a Pirates legend in my book. On Sunday, Jack got an ovation from the PNC Park crowd just before earning a pinch hit s...
BCB Links: "Your job is to play hard"
"Cano doesn't get meaning of hustle" - New York PostCano is disciplined - The LoHud Yankess Blog. Girardi says, “Your job is to play hard.”...
Mientkiewicz and Bucs raise intensity to play spoilers
It's safe to say that I was pretty down on the Pirates on Friday. They looked dead... lifeless. Over the weekend, however, the Fighting Buccaneers of the Allegheny raised their level of intensity to stage a series sweep of the playoff hopeful St. Lou...
Pirates need to find something to play for... How about the fans?
Goals are important. They keep us going on a daily basis. They allow us to better ourselves, mark our progress, and ultimately make us feel accomplished.The Pittsburgh Pirates do not look like a goal-oriented team right now. They've lost six straight...
Sizemore joins 30-30 club
Grady Sizemore of the Indians hit two homers last night (30,31) to become only the second person in Indians' franchise history to earn membership into the 30-30 club. Sizemore currently has 34 stolen bases. With the way his 2008 is going, 40-40 is no...
No Hustle, No Play for Upton
Tampa Bay Rays manager, Joe Maddon, chose to bench B.J. Upton for lack of hustle. I love it! This is why the Rays are a good team; they have someone to hold them accountable....
The All-Grit Team
A great post from Brew Crew Ball and re-posted on Royals Review.According to Jeff at Brew Crew Ball, the All-Grit team is:C Jason Kendall1B Platoon: Doug Mientkiwicz / Kevin Millar2B Mark Grudzielanek3B Ryan FreelSS David EcksteinLF Scott PodsednikCF...
