GREATEST SHOW ON DIRT

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Kind of funny, I didn’t know what the greatest show on dirt was so I googled it came up with everything thing from “world of outlaws” racing to “world gay rodeo finals”, a book on baseball and the college World Series.

I’ll go with college World Series.
 
Mr. Morris, This is why no one can ever call you a dummy!
Every year I see old friends that I have known for the last 40 years that come from all corners of the USA.
It's the only place where you will see someone wearing the colors from a Cal. team run up to someone wearing the colors from a FL. team just to give them a hug only to be interrupted by a LSU fan run up to get a hug. And they show up every year even if their team is not playing, and they always root for the underdog.
 
So when it was named they didn't have grass fields?
In my neck of the woods its the Connie Mack World Series every year (first week of August, 16-17 year-olds).....even Puerto Rico shows up. Cincinnati Midland won last year.....
Can't remember whether the runnerup was a Texas team or one from Southern Cal. Didn't get to go last year.

Funny when I read the name I was thinking it might be oval dirt track car racing.;)
 
Walkalong said:
Mississippi state game was a great one. Love good pitching.
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For Sure! I'm always amazed how hard some of these kids can throw.......17 year-olds throwing 98 mph fast balls and 88 mph sliders?......when I played there was very little of that kind of talent. That was back in 1965, I was forced to quit at 15 after ruining my shoulder at S.S. Wasn't physically made for that....sad day for me....I loved to play.

I watched Ken Griffy Jr. when he was 17 play in the series....wasn't surprised when he turned pro. Fun stuff! So how do we bring this back to reloading....;)
 
Starting at age 40, I played amateur baseball until I was 52. Still miss it.
 
Wow! How fun is that? When I was 40 I coached 'em....wishing....

Picture of our Dirt pile in Farmington NM. (sort of a if you build it they will come thing) :)
My part? My company built the textured reinforced concrete block outfield wall.

When I played short it was only a field like the other little ones around it. That was long, long ago ;) During the series every year the first row of blue padded seating behind home is reserved for pro baseball scouts.
Ricketts Park.jpg
 
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The greatest show on earth is the sprint cars with direct drive going around the ball field
backwards:rofl:
 
Came home instead of going to do some work I needed to take care of, just so I could watch Mississippi State play, but the weather messed that up. Will go do it today, watch whatever is leftover, then pick it back up tomorrow. So far my favorites are still in it. That won't last long as they get whittled down.
 
Thought maybe Drainsmith would add a picture of Omaha's jewell...in the "dirt". ;)
college world series.jpg

Our Connie Mack World Series pales, but its a step. 7 players on Texas Tech played there first.
... 21 in the CWS this year. 40 in the super regionals. 51 of our alumni were in the Major League draft this year....including the 2 & 3 picks. It's really fun to get to see these kids early before they become famous.

Walkalong mentioned the great pitching......I am even more amazed at the kids who can humble them and hit them.....some over the walls.

One more interesting tidbit. There's only two amateur b.b. tournaments older than the Connie Mack in Farmington NM....one is this very CWS at Omaha (1950) and the other is the junior college tournament at Grand Junction Colo.
 
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GW Staar said:
.I am even more amazed at the kids who can humble them and hit them
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Yea, the ones who can hit the best college pitchers have way more talent than I have. It's fun to watch a good at bat where they work the count, get a good pitch to hit and don't miss it. It's easier to appreciate it when you know how hard it is. Most folks couldn't catch a 94 MPH cutter, much less hit it when you are guessing what is coming.
 
I was hoping for mini sprints or full blown outlaws. Baseball is fun to play and watch live, but being I don’t have a good team nearby to watch (can’t support local college as they are the arch enemy of my alma mater) I don’t get to go to many games. I want a pretzel and cotton candy now.
 
Well, this took a different direction that I thought it would. Five years ago I have a friend that is a Stanford fan and had him over to shoot during an off day. That is when he saw my Hornady Ammo-plants and he told me he had a Hornady but he didn't have any luck with it. I told him to bring it the next year and I would give him a fair price for it. He brought it the next year and I put it on my maintenance bench and timed it. He was so impressed with it that he bought a rebuilt Ammo-plant from me and bought a rifle bullet feeder for his original press.

Now, because I am so vocal on the Hornady half the folks hate me and a few like me. That's O.K. I am used to it. But now it's time to let you all know most of you should hate me and I like it that way. Now, most of you ball fans have seen me on TV and never noticed me. And that is the way I wanted it. I hustled every play, hardly ever made an error. And never got credit. Now both teams called me "BLUE" even though I mostly wore gray and black. Yep, I was an umpire for 14 1/2 years until a blood clot in my left leg took me out of the game.

My only regret is even though I got to call a few games at "The Blat" I never got to call a CWS game before I moved on.
 
Walkalong said:
Yea, the ones who can hit the best college pitchers have way more talent than I have. It's fun to watch a good at bat where they work the count, get a good pitch to hit and don't miss it. It's easier to appreciate it when you know how hard it is. Most folks couldn't catch a 94 MPH cutter, much less hit it when you are guessing what is coming.
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Absolutely! You have to start your swing when you see the ball appear at the pitcher's shoulder......and.....if it isn't your pitch you have to stop the swing before you break. That's damned hard with a pitch coming at 75 let alone 94.

When I was a freshman in college, I was in a dorm next to John (Animal) Hall. (that was the dorm where first-year athletes live....and at the cafeteria, we found out why they called it animal hall.:D) Anyway, this freshman pitcher from Orange County California and I became friends. He asked me to catch him to keep his arm warm one day. I said sure......then he brought out a catcher's mitt, a mask, chest protector, and skin guards.......I said what do I need that for......he said, they're required....trust me. He threw over 90 once he got warmed up....and I was grateful for his "rules". That was scary.....hadn't played catcher since little league. But what a rush.

Liked your picture Walkalong.......I never knew there was adult amateur baseball......sheltered life I guess, I only saw adult fast pitch softball in my area...and that's no more. Would be funny to see old timer baseball......I could do that......one inning maybe.....if I didn't pull a hamstring on the way to first base. Then again, maybe not....reaction time ain't what it used to be....and I don't think I can throw from second to first let alone from short.;) Maybe in the next life.

Now both teams called me "BLUE" even though I mostly wore gray and black. Yep, I was an umpire for 14 1/2 years until a blood clot in my left leg took me out of the game.
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Drainsmith! That's great! Wouldn't be baseball without the "BLUE". We have something in common......it was a rotator cuff tear that took me out, and I was only 15. Couldn't throw hard without pain until I was 30.....from there, I coached kids for the next 10 years and pitched to them in the cage until they got old enough to say...."can't you throw any harder coach?" and no, I couldn't, it was time to pass the baton.

I saw my first Hornady AP yesterday in Denver. I'm even less appreciated than you here on THR, having chosen RCBS progressives.....twice.....
 
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DrainSmith
I'm real impressed. I've never been berated by anyone even a quarter as famous as you have, I'd guess. You umps do an incredible job. The only time you're noticed (which is seldom) is when a call is missed. Shoot, I can't see half the plays after slo-mo replay on TV!
 
In my twenty years in the military, I made the base team the first 18 years. I probably should have played another position other than catcher. I used to get up every morning at 0500 just to get an hour in the batting cage 365 days a year. And after every practice, I would take a laundry basket full of balls and while kneeling on second base I would throw them all into a 24" by 24" box. One year I only had 4 successful stolen bases on me.
 
hillman23 said:
DrainSmith
I'm real impressed. I've never been berated by anyone even a quarter as famous as you have, I'd guess. You umps do an incredible job. The only time you're noticed (which is seldom) is when a call is missed. Shoot, I can't see half the plays after slo-mo replay on TV!
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It's not that hard to make the right call. If you notice a good ump will move at every pay. You just have to get your self at a 40° from where the ball is coming from and where it is going and stand back about 8-10' back to get a clear view. The hardest thing to teach a new ump is not to stand on top of the play.

Now if you have watched the CWS you will notice that the umps have only missed one call. And that one was shown in slow-mo. Try making the right call in real time. I had lunch with a few fellow old umps and the only negative thing we have to comment on is the new ruling on balks. We were taught that a balk is where you are trying to deceive the batter or a runner. Now it's just too tacky.
 
Preemptive apology for off topic post but.... GO BEAVS!! Now I can get off the couch and back to the reloading bench.
 
The better team ended up winning the series, even though Arkansas let them off the hook.

Maybe two or three pitches over 90 last night, but hitting his spots and changing speeds shut the vaunted Arkansas offense down.
 
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