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Mares eat Oats while Buck fetes Oates

Orioles Showalter Baseball

By Phil Hecken

As you likely know by now, the new manager of the Baltimore Orioles is Buck Showalter, having been named a few days ago, but not officially taking the reigns until yesterday. Buck takes over for interim manager Juan Samuel (wearing number 11), who will not return to his third base coach role, but will remain with the team as an evaluator for the team’s Dominican Republic academy.

Number 11 had been Buck Showalter’s uniform number throughout his managerial career, which to this point included stops in New York, Arizona, and Texas. So, with #11 available, you’d think Showalter would select that as he begins a stint with the O’s. But he’s not — when the Orioles take the field tonight for Showalter’s first game as manager, he’ll be wearing a new number: 26.

As Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported yesterday, there’s more than a method behind Buck’s madness. He has chosen the number 26 to honor the late Johnny Oates, the former skip of the Orioles, who passed away in 2004 from a brain tumor. Oates was a close friend of Showalter’s, and the two shared an employer in the recently departed George Steinbernner — according to Rosenthal, “Showalter was a member of the first team that Oates managed, at Double A with the Yankees in 1982. He also played for Oates with the Yankees’ Triple A club in 1983.”

So, when Showalter hatched the idea of honoring Oates by wearing his number, Oates’ wife was given an ultimatum. “Listen, Gloria,” he said, “either you and the family are going to think it’s a great idea or nobody is going to wear the number while I’m there.” And thus, it was decided Buck would wear 26. Very nice gesture.

~~~

Until yesterday, I honestly didn’t know that 11 had been “Buck’s number.” More than a cursory search of google yielded exactly ZERO pictures of him wearing a jersey (as seen from behind). The closest I came was this picture, a side-on view, of Buck with the D-Backs (check out that teal cap). Buck was one of those managers who always wore a jacket, or a pullover or zip up or windbreaker over his jersey. Even when he appeared on Seinfeld, he was wearing a top over his uniform. But in one fell swoop, now everyone will know Buck is number 26.

~~~

As a manager, Buck has been successful, but not so as a player, at least if you count success as at least having a cup in the majors. Apparently, 11 hasn’t always been his number, however, as he’s clearly sporting something else (in a pic from his double-A days).

Although Showalter has yet to manage a world series winner, I believe he is the only manager ever to leave not one, but two, teams in the year before his former team won it all (1996 Yankees and 2001 Diamondbacks). Betting men were placing large sums of cash on the 2007 Texas Rangers (as Showalter’s last season with them was in 2006). Unfortunately, lightning didn’t strike thrice, but perhaps he can turn around a woeful O’s team that’s been adrift for the past several seasons.

Good luck, Buck! And wear that #26 with pride and honor.

~~~

This does bring up an interesting issue regarding manager uniform numbers. Joe Torre, for example, who had worn the number 9 with the Mets, Braves (although he wore #15 as a player), and Cardinals (as player and manager), upon being named Yankee Manager for the 1996 season, found the number 9 was unavailable (and the Yankees should have retired that number for Roger Maris before letting Graig Nettles have it — and which sometimes makes for an awkward sight — but that’s neither here nor there). Torre, so accustomed to wearing “9” as a manager, was forced to choose the number 6, a number so now ubiquitously associated with him it’s hard to imagine him ever choosing anything else.

~~~

I’m not a big numbers guy, especially for managers — I can barely tell you Jerry Manuel is #53, but Showalter’s choosing of #26 to honor Oates brings up an interesting topic of manager’s numbers.

I’m sure there are others besides Torre and Showalter changing numbers upon either finding them unavailable or to honor someone (Joe Girardi’s selection of #27 and now #28 is sort of related). But there have to be more. I am sure you readers will be happy to fill in the details.

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punter

Collector’s Corner, by Brinke Guthrie

Once upon a time “back in the day,” I made it my mission to get a decal and schedule from every pro sports team. Back then, postage wasn’t much, and there weren’t as many teams! I got quite a few responses, and a lot of the NHL and WHA stickers can be found here. Other gems from eBay include:

* Check this 1970’s painting of Chief’s Punter Jerrel Wilson. (Remember those shoes he had? Laces on the side?) The seller has several more for sale, too.

* And this would be..a New York Jet.

* Staying in New York with this one, a 1950’s football Giants pennant.

* Absolutely took this Cowboys binder to Withers Elementary School in Dallas in 1971.

* Gayle Sayers wore this jersey? I think not.

* Remember the 1970’s NHL Goal magazine?

* Commemorative medallions from the first dozen Super Bowls. Bring your wallet for this one.

* This says it’s a 1977 card. No way. Interesting point though — in the 70’s I bought baseball cards from “Renata Galasso” in Brooklyn, from an ad in the back of The Sporting News. Wonder if that name rings a bell with PL?

* Speaking of 1977 — Ranger Roy looks a lot like Jerry Springer.

* Is that a “33” on that Baltimore Oriole cap?

* From 1971, get your NFL posters, only $1, right here.

* Set of 1970’s NFL helmet cars.

* 70’s NFL mini-helmet goalpost kits! Loved these.

* More from the 70’s. Tasco binoculars with all the NFL logos on them.

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ticker 2

Uni Watch News Ticker: Kicking off the ticker is Joe Skiba, New York Giants Equipment Manager, who asks, “Can you believe there’s a discussion about this?” … RS Williams reports that on July 31, in the Hickory Crawdads vs. Kannapolis Intimidators, game both teams wore black caps with red bills, red jerseys (HKY had black side panels & KAN had black sleeves) and for those who went high cuffed, had black socks. The only difference was white pants vs. grey pants. … Great find from James Huening, who notes this heritage sweater seen at Legends Day at Arlington Park. … Li’l Help? Reader Bill Scheft asks, “Why the University of Washington in the late 60s-early 70s had different players wearing solid gold and solid navy blue helmets at the same time? Offense-defense? Seniors-underclassmen? Dying to know.” Anyone? Anyone? … Chris Sisler is not sure if this has been noted before (and I’m not sure why it’s noteworthy, but I don’t know much), but he says, Edgar Renteria had his last name on the back of his helmet Sunday night vs Dodgers. Is this not something the Giants do? … UW’s Pacific Rim Correspondent, Jeremy Brahm was at the Seahawks practice facility, and noticed the Seahawks have bing in the end zone. … Steve Cook saw yesterday’s column on UFL unis, and wanted to make a correction (which is good), “I think all of the UFL uniforms/colors/logos are amateur-ish. Hartford is not bad, but the logo has absolutely NO “colonial” look to it AT ALL!!! and the pants stripes on Florida curling around to the front are just ridiculous-looking! Chris stated that he disliked the “teal” in the Florida unis (or ANY unis). Just for the record, that’s not “teal” it’s CYAN, or PROCESS BLUE. TEAL is a much more greenish-blue.” I’m glad he pointed that out, because I’d been referring to the Tuskers blue by that color as well. … Jonathon Binet notes that the “Jags are wearing teal shorts for practices instead of the black shorts they’ve worn in the past.” Oh shit — is that teal or cyan? … And we thought the Natinals had righted the ship: Frank Mercogliano notes In the photo of Miss Iowa and Miguel Batista, “if you look at the beveling of the zero on Miss Iowa’s jersey, you can see that the number is in fact upside down. Well done Washington.” … Self-described “long time reader” Ward Black thought we want to let us check out Roddy White’s “swagger socks.” Nice! … RJ Trowbridge believes he’s found a case of ‘logo jacking’ — he asks, “Doesn’t the nighthawks logo look eerily similar to the Kansas City Brigade’s of the AFL?” (is it really logo jacking when no one’s ever seen your logo? Or, more to the point — didn’t the Brigade kinda jack that image from the military?) … Reader Benjamin Braxton sent along a pretty good article on how close the UGA unis were to looking very different. … I’m not an eBay guy, but I know a lot of you are. Michael Stevens has found a pretty sweet rare zipper front jersey that may be of interest. … Dustin Hall shoots us a gallery of pics for the new Indiana State University hoops court. … Jonathan Ratshin and Jeremy both tipped us wise to a first: ads on D-League jerseys; I’d probably get upset with this development if I actually gave a shit knew more about D-League hoops. … First we saw it on the merch — now, we see it on — well, a big aluminium frame: Vikings 50th Season banner (thanks to Jake Kurtz for the photo). … Reprinted from last night’s comments: Really cool old Tigers media guides found on the Tigers website. … Interesting “player made it but equipment didn’t” article sent in by Adam Quaintance. … Remember a few discussions about ski jumping at Soldier Field? Erin Berggren was watching the “Cubs getting trounced by the Brewers and as Bob Brenly and Len Kasper were talking to Illinois football coach Ron Zook about the upcoming Northwestern/Illinois football game at Wrigley the camera in the booth showed the framed pictures of different sporting events held at Wrigley throughout the years. These hang just inside the broadcast booth (or so they said).” Erin got a great grab of the Wrigley ski jump. … And finally, Mike Etheridge says, “Looks like Tulane reverting back to white helmets this season.”

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This team doesn’t know what’s going to hit them. He is going to demand that this club play the game the right way. — Jim Palmer, in reaction to Buck Showalter’s hiring as Orioles manager.

 
  
 
Comments (130)

    Tony Larussa supposedly chose to wear #10 in St. Louis because his goal was to win the 10th World Series championship for the Cardinals. Though it does appear Larussa wore #10 while managing the White Sox and Athletics, too.

    I heard that about LaRussa and #10 too, although not until AFTER he won it, so I kinda suspect it’s bull. I guess he let Jose Oquendo keep wearing #11 after 2006 because he knows Jose’s going to be the Cardinal manager when they win their eleventh.

    Every single SF Giants player has his name on the back of his helmet in exactly that fashion, and it has been this way for years. Kind of surprised no one thought to check on the way to this becoming a ticker item…

    This is classic George:

    link

    Talk about pressure for the manager to perform!

    Look at all the empty seats!!!

    If it is Milwaukee County Stadium, the picture was taken before 1994 when padded seats with the ‘MB’ logo were installed in the first 15 or so rows.

    I thought the same thing yesterday…Teal is more greenish than what these teams were wearing…

    Speaking of the color blue….big arguments down here in NC regarding the Panthers not really wearing “Carolina Blue”

    Being that I am a relatively new comer to North Carolina ( along with almost everyone else that I meet down here! ) I really can’t tell the difference between Carolina Blue, Powder Blue and Sky Blue!

    That was my high school color and I think the called it Baby Blue:

    link

    Which was replaced the following year by Royal Blue:

    link

    In any case….what is the difference between Carolina Blue and Powder Blue ( Sky Blue )?

    Carolina Blue is lighter and a little bit more grayish than what the Panthers wear. The Panthers are more blue, if that makes any sense. Take a Panthers jersey and lay it out in the sun for a few days and let it get faded, and it’ll be Carolina blue.

    UNC wears Carolina blue. So does Columbia University, though they call it Columbia blue. It’s not the same shade that the K.C. Royals wear.

    According to wikipedia:

    The Tampa Bay Rays selected Columbia blue as one of its three color symbols in September 2007. The color is used in the team’s logos, uniforms and official merchandise.

    The Kansas City Royals “powder blue” uniforms that debuted in 2008 are actually Columbia blue.

    The Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) used Columbia blue from 1960 to 1998 as a primary color.

    Every Argentinian National Team (Soccer, Basketball, Rugby, Olympic Games…)

    The Buffalo Braves, now Los Angeles Clippers.

    I’m not sure what that shade of blue that the Royals and Rays wear, but to me it’s not Columbia or Carolina blue. It just doesn’t look the same as a football, basketball, or baseball jersey from UNC or Columbia. Can’t put my finger on why.

    Geeman: Parochial much?

    Columbia does not wear “Carolina Blue” and call it Columbia Blue. Columbia wears Columbia Blue.

    First, they are two different Pantone colors. Second, if you want to get into who wore light blue first, Columbia started using blue in 1873 for crew racing.

    “So, when Showalter hatched the idea of honoring Oates by wearing his number, Buck’s wife was given an ultimatum. “Listen, Gloria,” he said, “either you and the family are going to think it’s a great idea or nobody is going to wear the number while I’m there.””

    Should “Buck’s wife” maybe be “Oates’ wife” instead? Gloria was the name of Johnny Oates’ wife.

    How could you forget Numero Uno … Billy Martin? His autobiography is even titled “1”.

    I used to have a t-shirt with this Billy Martin image:

    link

    It was a giveaway at the Stadium. It was really cheap material and faded away, I guess my mom threw it out. Been looking for one ever since… any suggestios…

    billy martin wore #1 as a player (and as manager)…i know bobby murcer had also worn that number (and continued to do so after billy’s death, but i’m not sure how that’s the same as buck taking 26 (a different number than he’d previously worn) for johnny oates

    Did Billy wear #1 everywhere he played and managed? Speaking of number #1s, who was the most famous number #1? In any sport, but probably more predominately in football and baseball?

    Billy Martin?

    Warren Moon?

    Oscar Robertson?

    Ozzie Smith?

    Not quite manager, but…
    SF Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti was #19 as a player and coach. When Righetti’s close family friend Kevin Frandsen made the team, Righetti gave Frandsen his #19 in memory of his own brother. Now left without a number, Righetti claimed #46, in honor of former pupil Kirk “Woody” Rueter.
    Also, when Don Mattingly followed Joe Torre to the Dodgers, his famous #23 was unavailable, so he took #8 just for Yogi.
    The only other slightly funny manager number I can think of:
    Terry Francona (yeah yeah, always a smock over or instead of his jersey) was introduced as Red Sox manager, #16. He quickly said he’d rather take #47 because his shower sandals already had a #47 inscription on them.

    Regarding the Washington Huskies use of different helmets-a lone purple instead of gold like the rest of the team-legendary Coach Jim Owens would let one designated outstanding defensive player wear a purple helmet as a reward and intimidation factor.

    It wasn’t limited to a single defensive player. Any Husky who gave 110% the previous was awarded one. I attended an early 70’s game and the marching band director Bill Bissell was given one at halftime for his work the previous week. It wasn’t for the time he had the band play the iconic “The Stripper” and the band disrobed at midfield while the crowd chanted “Take it off, take it all off!”. That was circa 1980.
    They should have buried him in a purple helmet for that.

    This sounds right. I only remember seeing defensive players wear the blue helmet. Thanks

    Interesting, I’ve been thinking of this purple helmet lately. I need to upload some pics.

    It’s chelsea dagger by the fratellis, the song played after every chicago blackhawk home goal.

    Lou Piniella wore Number with the Yankees. Unfortunately for Lou that number was retired by two of the clubs he has managed. The Reds for Pete Rose and the Cubs for Ernie Banks. So Lou reversed the digits to Number 41. Sparky Anderson wore Number 10 with the Reds but when he took over the Tigers in ’79 he started out with Number 7 and then switched to Number 11 which he wore through the end of his career. Rusty Staub had Number 10 when Sparky joined the team. Finally there’s Joe McCarthy, who managed the Cubs, Yankees and Red Sox from the 1930s through 1950 and wore his uniform with no number. Then you’ve got Connie Mack who managed in a three-piece suit and never went on the field and Burt Shotton who managed in dress slacks and the team jacket and cap.

    Rusty Staub wore #10 for the Colt 45s, Astros and Expos. When he was traded to the Mets, he took photos at the press conference wearing #10. The Mets back-up catcher, Duff Dyer, who had given up #10 to Rusty, called him after the press conference and said, “My kids are crying.” So, Rusty switched to #4. He wore #10 in Detroit, #20 in Texas and #10 when he returned to the Mets in the early 80s.

    Buck is really good at putting a team together….Orioles may be in contention in a few years….

    Geez, considering Johnny Oates’ family gave him the blessing to do it, I don’t understand where the hatred is coming from…

    Say what you will about Buck Showalter, but the guy builds winners. Something that I doubt Juan Samuel was going to accomplish.

    So we can assume you knew Oates better than Showalter did?
    I mean, seeing as you’re so vigilantly (and verbally) defending his memory and all?

    —Ricko

    Indians’ Manny Acta has always worn No. 14, dating back to minors, but it’s retired for Larry Doby, so he wears No. 11.
    When he coached for the Mets, 14 was retired for Gil Hodges, so he wore No. 3.

    The scoreboard in that Wrigley Field ski jump picture says “National Football League” on it. So two oddities for the price of one!

    Re: Managerial Number Changes

    Larry Bowa was a near-legend as a SS with the Phillies, and was well known for his #10. Upon re-joining the team as 3rd base coach after being let go as Padres Manager, Darren Daulton was wearing #10, so Bowa took #2. After leaving for Seattle, he was brought back as manager, and re-claimed his familiar #10. After getting fired, he joined the Yankees and took #53 for some reason (I don’t buy the Bobby Abreu tribute.) The Phillies then supidly gave away his number to Geoff Jenkins and then Ben Fransisco. They don’t retire numbers unless you’re in the HOF, so they can’t retire it, but they shouldn’t be as liberal with it.

    The Orioles are actually my sore spot on this issue.. when Cal Ripken Sr. died they honored him with a #7 painted in the third base coaching box. What bugged me was that a) he’d only worn 7 during his dreadful short stint as manager (he wore #47 as a third base coach for decades), and b)#7 was the number of the fairly-recently deceased Mark Belanger, who really didn’t get much of a memorial from the team at all.

    I love that cartoon tiger that the Tigers used back in the ’70s. They should bring him back.

    One (non uni) related thing that stands out to me in those media guides is that it says in the ground rules that the “foul poles are outside of playing field”. I thought that any ball that hit the poles were fair, and therefore a home run. Maybe that was specific to Tiger Stadium?
    My memory is too fuzzy to remember any occasion watching the games where that would have come up.

    foul poles ARE in fair territory, but they are still “outside of playing field” as any ball touching them is a home run and therefore out of play (in most cases, they are located directly behind the outfield fence, sometimes touching and sometimes just behind that fence)

    but it is still outside the playing field

    (not explaining this well, but i hope it makes sense)

    Being that literal, you musta looked funny after your mom told you to, “Put on your shoes and socks.”

    Cuz, y’know, if you did it in that order… ;)

    Also, “Hit & Run” is what almost ALWAYS happens, yet the “run & hit” is described the same way.

    A pole that used to determine what’s foul? I guess we could call it a foul pole.

    (Now, a survey of Warsaw chickens would be a fowl poll, but that’s completely irrelevant to this discussion).

    —Ricko

    Pretty sure even I haven’t done shoes then socks. Maybe if I was going for the SpiderMan look with my red socks…

    “Shoes and socks,” “Hit and run,” same mentality as one of my favorite restaurants, Eat ‘n Park.
    Supposed to park, then eat, but whatcha gonna do.

    Well, this Pole is fair enough to play along and call it a foul pole.
    (but I’ll be thinking fair pole)

    Come to think of it, this is one of the two things Dad and I agree upon. He’s not a real take-things-literally type of person, but he has mentioned how they should be called fair poles.

    So…”I’m calling them fair poles.” Print up a couple of shirts, Naming Wrongs Inc.

    what do you call the chalk (now painted) lines used to designate a foul or fair ball?

    are they fair lines? or foul lines?

    because, a ball landing on one is considered fair

    Outside of the playing field but in fair territory- meaning that if the ball hits the pole it is over the fence and a home run.

    Or if the ball lands in fair territory in the outfield, bounces, hits the foul pole, and bounces back down to the field, it’s a ground-rule double.

    If EVER a team needed to ditch “Vegas Gold” for true Old Gold, it is UCF. The school has a commitment to wearing Vegas Gold as a “dark” color and as a dark jersey, as well as having it’s numerals on White jerseys in Vegas Gold. I absolutely LOVE teams that want to do that, but if it is not done right, IT IS HORRENDOUS !!!

    “Vegas Gold” is much closer to White than it is to being a “dark” color, and it simply lacks the contrast with White needed to be worn as a “dark” color. Every other year UCF comes to the Superdome to play Tulane, and the Vegas Gold numerals on White jerseys, with pencil-thin black trim, are unreadable and weal-looking. If the numerals and stripes were Old Gold, it would look 10000% better, and would also serve the added purpose of making the numerals readable!

    I blame the proliferation of Vegas Gold on douchebag manufacterers pushing it in their catologues, and weak-willed athletic staffs not insisting on Old Gold. Two years ago UT-Chattanooga had Old Gold jerseys, and they looked pretty damn good.

    Go ahead, UCF, and make the world a better place, and for the love of mike, adopt OLD GOLD AS YOUR “DARK” COLOR!!

    Also, kudos to UW for tipping us off on Tulane going with White helmets! I am in New Orleans and a Tulane season ticketholder and I had no idea they were going back to White helmets. This is a good thing that I have hoped for for many years, as Tulane’s Dark Green helmets look decent on your desk or mantle, but look horrible on the field in the Superdome (the Superdome’s uniquely bad angled and horrible lighting also adds to the problem).

    The White helmets are vastly superior and I hope that this is a true, accurate tip, and not a photo of some special-order Size 8 helmet for a big-headed freshman.

    Jim Leyland is #10. He wore #11 with the Marlins, but #11 is out of circulation in Detroit for Sparky Anderson (I am sure he could have gotten permission from Anderson if he really wanted it).

    Same reason players need them, same reason umpires need them – for identification.

    Anyone who steps on the field of play during the regular course of a game can be identified at a glance based on their number. Makes sense to me, especially given baseball’s penchant for the occasional fracas.

    Because being the only guys on the field without numbers wouldn’t be an easy way to identify them. :D

    Then they should be required to take off their jackets (or hoodies or whatever) when they come on the field.

    That and it goes back to the days most teams had player-managers and/or player-coaches.

    Plus, MLB coaches and managers have a history of performing more acts common to the game than coaches in any another sport as part of their job (fungos, hitting infield, pitching bp, warming up pitchers, demonstrating), so there is sort of a sense that dressing as players dress is…not unreasonable.

    All coaches in blank jerseys? Still gotta tell them apart from each other.

    Now, for those who say that’s not important, I’ll just say, “Stop and think about it.” Mimimally, they ARE on-field personnel. Two of ’em from one team or the other are out there all time, coaching first and third.

    —Ricko

    Regarding the “Natinals” goofing-up Miss Iowa’s jersey, I confess that I was too busy looking at Miss Iowa herself to notice. ;-)

    IIRC, Jim Fregosi wore #16 when first hired by the White Sox after Ken Harrelson fired Tony LaRussa. He changed to #18 the following season when the White Sox retired #16 to honor Ted Lyons.

    Lou Piniella also wore #41 when he managed the Reds instead of his customary #14. Insert Pete Rose reference of your choice here…

    “Staying in New York with this one, a 1950′s football Giants pennant.”

    Mine’s more colorful:
    link

    Hmm, the guy’s asking for 40 bucks? Maybe I should put that one and these on the market:
    link
    link
    link

    Might be willing to throw in my Memphis Showboats pennant, but the rest of my USFL stuff is staying put.

    Maybe I could trade one of them for that Jerrel Wilson painting? Verrry nice…
    So’s the Gino Cappelletti one:
    link

    Speaking of team names and the UFL, way for them to rip off the Nighthawks name from the original AHL team the “New Haven Nighthawks.”

    So did you get that worked up over Florida Panthers/Carolina Panthers?

    Every new team’s nickname should be brand new, never before used by any team anywhere on the planet?

    —Ricko

    I have to agree with Rick here. The Panther team name is due to an actual cat species that lives in that area. It’s actually closely-related to the mountain lion.

    And we know where they both got the name from.
    link

    Seriously though. Who cares? Especially with animal names.
    Are any of you NY Ranger fans upset with Texas?

    Among other things, a nighthawk also is..
    A bird.
    A cowboy trailhand on horseback watching the herd at night while his fellow cowhands sleep (okay, splitting hairs a bit; that’s called “riding nighthawk”)
    A masked western hero in DC Comics in the ’50s…
    link
    (here rendered in a more recent artwork)…
    link

    —Ricko

    That’s odd. I seem to remember a 1991 Topps Card that I had which Joe Torre wore #22 with the Cardinals. The photo would have been from 1990, which was #9 at the time Terry Pendleton.

    Found it!:
    link

    CraigD | August 3, 2010 at 10:18 am | Reply
    “The scoreboard in that Wrigley Field ski jump picture says “National Football League” on it. So two oddities for the price of one!”

    Love that photo. Give you a good jumper’s eye view.
    So does this:
    link

    “Doesn’t the nighthawks logo look eerily similar to the Kansas City Brigade’s of the AFL?”

    link

    link

    Not at all. The planes are flying in completely opposite directions…

    Wasn’t there also an AF2 team called the “Stealth” that used it, too? Wichita, maybe?

    Now I ask everyone, in reality, but just exactly how many different views ARE there of a Nighthawk Stealth Fighter? That would work in a logo, that is? Especially an aircraft with so unique a configuration.

    Besides, pretty sure both those earlier teams have folded, yes?

    I mean, I really to hate to think that no one can ever again use, for example, a flaming branding iron in a logo without it being called a “ripoff” just because the defunct USFL Arizona Wranglers have claimed it for all time. Besides, if we’re going to cling to that kind of nonsensical thinking, then I’d bet the real sordid, embarrassing truth is that the Wranglers probably “ripped it off” from some steakhouse somewhere.

    —Ricko

    Another minor (ahem) point.
    The Brigade logo is the bomber (so was the “Stealth”, I believe).
    The Nighthawk logo is the fighter.

    Two different aircraft.

    —Ricko

    ricko’s entirely correct of course…

    the “Nighthawk” is technically the “F-117” fighter jet

    the “Spirit” is the B-2 bomber

    both are “stealth” aircraft (so named for their technology, being, in theory, invisible to radar) but no single aircraft is actally called “stealth”

    there are others too:

    the “Raptor” is an F-22

    the “Lightning” is an X-35

    im pretty sure the “nighthawk” is actually either out of service or about to be retired

    Saw a Nighthawk do a couple fly-bys at an air show.

    You could see it coming, but couldn’t hear it, like some kind of malevolent black bird gliding silently toward you. Then, from about 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock high it roared ’til the ground shook, before flying off again in silence.

    All I could think was, “Man, would I hate to be on the business end of that sumbitch.”

    That was the summer of 2001. So, early in the morning of Sept. 11, watching on TV as that passenger jet, looking small and inky black and swooping silently toward the second World Trade Center tower, was eerily familiar. And chilling, to say the least.

    —Ricko

    Seeing it before you hear it is not a “stealth” feature; it is simply a result of light traveling faster than sound. Any jet moving at high speed near the ground will give that same effect.

    The Stealth (which was Wichita) had a unique version of the helmet logo in that the bomber “flew” over the top of the helmet, positioned so that the front (which had a “W” in it) faced forward with a purple streak trailing from behind it. I still have one of the mini helmets. (And their second year, they even had *mini* mini helmets.)

    While the helmets were cool, the jerseys weren’t anything special. Plain purple with white numbers. No trim, no stripes. The pants were plain black.

    In 2004, Jim Tracy started the year off as manager wearing #12. However, at the deadline that year, the Dodgers traded for Steve Finley, who wore #12 for the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers also traded away Paul Lo Duca, who wore #16, to the Marlins. At the end of the day, Jim Tracy took Lo Duca’s #16 so Finley could have his #12.

    Speaking of players who will look odd in a different uni (and we were speaking of that all weekend)…

    Mike Modano with the Red Wings (reportedly).

    —Ricko

    I’m guessing that Modano’s going to have to pick a new number since he’s clearly not going to wear his usual #9 (Gordie) or #19 (Stevie Y.), or #91 (Federov) in Detroit. Also, I know he’s 40 years old and well past his prime now, but will be now be subjected to a “Detroit is Mo(dano)Town!” marketing campaign?

    Story said he’ll be centering the Wings’ third line, so I imagine mostly he’s thinking ring.

    Of course. Would’ve been a nice story if he finished up with the Wild, but he’s a Michigan guy (Michigander?) so this is a good story too.

    Not sure if it is technically “uni” related but I have just found out that Ferrari’s Formula One team have a new logo for next season.

    Sorry if it has already been mentioned.

    Craig

    link

    Personally, I think that Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro should start using that logo now. Their cars look bush league being just plain red.

    Buck started wearing a jacket because when the Yankees initially named him manager, they didn’t have a jersey ready for him, so they just gave him a jacket instead.

    “Showalter is not without his idiosyncrasies. No matter what the weather conditions are, he almost always wears his jacket in the dugout. “I didn’t get a jersey initially when I first got the Yankees [managerial job],” Showalter explained to the Arizona Republic in 1999. “I guess they didn’t expect me to be there very long, so I wore a jacket. It’s a little reminder of how quickly it can all go away. But it’s a lot more comfortable, for one thing.”

    link

    It cites an Arizona Republic article from 1999, which I read (and reminded me of this whole issue) but I can’t find it online.

    Further info on the Tulane white helmet observation is that they are planning on wearing only for one or two games this season – not a permanent switch. Too bad…

    I think Tulane last wore a white helmet in the 1980s, they were wearing those helmets in a Liberty Bowl loss to Penn State around 1980.

    Tulane was the Boise State of the late 1990s, had a perfect season, including a bowl win. Unfortunately, the Green Wave was excluded from a major bowl, and proved to be a one year wonder. Tommy Bowden left Tulane for Clemson, and they didn’t choose Rich Rodriquez from that staff to succeed him. The other assistant coach got the job, and the program has bought the farm since then.

    Tulane last wore White helmets in Buddy Teaven’s last year, and began wearing Green Helmets the next season when Tommy Bowden took over. Tommy Bowden decided on Green helmets during summer camp when somebody gave him a sample and they mocked it up on the fly. They actually painted the White helmets Dark Green in camp and then used the decals meant for the White helmets that year. His second year they adopted a $75,000.00 logo and color scheme paid to somebody that specialized in such concepts, and so was born the slanted, crooked, over-decorated “T” we are currently plagued with.

    Tommy Bowden’s other Tulane uni legacy was that he eliminated all Sky Blue from the uniform (Even though Tulane’s colors are officially Sky Blue and Olive Green) and stated that he felt that tulane’s Blue wasn’t “manly enough” for his kids to wear. He then outfitted the Tulane Green Wave in Black Pants with Silver/Green/and White Stripes, added those color stripes to the White and Green jerseys, and began a ten-year uniform disaster that only recently was cleaned up a bit by Coach Bob Toledo’s adoption of a more sensible and traditional uni.

    Thank Heaven!

    Agreed, I disliked the black added to the color scheme with that great Tulane team led by Shaun King. Wasn’t there an all black Tulane uniform that memorable season?

    Tulane is one of the few schools anywhere which uses blue and green, always liked that rare combination. I seem to remember that old Rodney Holman Libert Bowl club having a white helmet with a “T” inside a “U”

    During the late 1970s into the esarly 1980s, Tulane had White helmets with the “T” and the “U” overlaid.

    I will always remember the Liberty {MUD} Bowl slugfest between Tulane and Penn State, I believe it was a field goal fest with PennState winning 9-6 on a very late change in field position made by a long halfback pass.

    Later Tulane went to a “T” with a set of curved striped ‘waves’ running through the “T”, which was actually a pretty clean and nice logo. Mack Brown in 1985 brought in a plain Green “T” – as he wanted to mimmick Tennessee’s “T”. Then we went back to the
    “T” with the ‘waves’ running through it for a good long time, through Greg Davis, Buddy Teevens, and the first year of Tommy Bowden.

    Then came the $75,000.00 “concept” logos, which I still say were designed by the slow, unhireable nephew of some dean who needed a paycheck.

    Anybody notice that the first picture that Samuel is wearing a different cap from the player whose cap is visible? (link)

    Just found a link to a seriously in depth library of NHL uniforms(seriously, from the Montreal Maroons to what seems a complete list of All-Star game uniforms) – link

    Good news for the future of baseball hosiery. Went to a Daytona Cubs/Bradenton Marauders game on Monday night and shockingly, every player went high-cuffed.

    No stirrups, but nice to see nonetheless.

    I remember seeing Showalter managing the Yankees (or the All-Star Game) in Arlington once and, upon seeing the #11 on his jersey, realizing I had never noticed his number until that point, because he always had a jacket on.

    did showalter ever manage in the ASG?

    i would think, even though both the yanks & d-backs went to the world series (and won) the year AFTER he left, he never had a team in the WS, so he wouldn’t have gotten to manage, right?

    maybe he was brought along as a coach?

    he managed the 1995 ASG. Since there was no 1994 WS he and Felipe Alou managed since their teams had the best record.

    I don’t know if anyone caught this, but I did a quick search for “11” in the comments and I didn’t see it mentioned…

    But the pic of Buck in the DBacks pullover, playing with the baseball? (link)
    You see the right chest, don’t you?

    Doesn’t that look A LOT like an 11 in the old DBacks script?

    Sadly, I spent almost 2 hours scouring for ANY other picture of a DBack in a jacket from 1998… Nadda.

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