Steel
The A. Finkl & Sons Co.’s moving of operations from their steel mill located at 2011 N. Southport Ave. to 1355 E. 93rd St. is about 60 percent complete officials told the Chicago Tribune. That land is exactly one-half mile east and one-half mile west of the heard of DePaul’s campus at the corner of Sheffield and Fullerton. Continue reading
What’s in a name? If you’re a relief pitcher, it’s everything.
Because relief pitchers face far less hitters and appear more sporadically than starting pitchers, they’re just a name on the roster until they take their late game trot to the mound, emerging from a place who’s name itself is intimidating, the bullpen. It makes us conjure up images of the words historical meaning. Certain prison camps in the American Civil War and WWII were referred to as the bullpen. Or, we think of it’s literal meaning. A place where giant, ornary beasts are waiting to be brought to the chopping block, but suddenly one of them breaks through the fence wild and freed. The straight line sprint of John Rocker or the caffeine infused feet of Todd Coffey.
While charging like a bull from the pen can do a lot to intimidate a hitter, hearing a sterling name blaring through the PA can buckle a hitter’s knees in the on-deck circle.
Yes, beer guts, mustaches and not speaking any English contribute to a reliever’s reputation, but a name can eloquently paint the picture of a man you do NOT want to see on the mound.
It can be something as simple as alliteration, like the Tiger’s Al Alburquerque or former Minnesota big man Boof Bonser. Their names stick in your brain like nursery rhymes.
Animalistic nicknames stick to relievers, no matter what particular species. Does anyone really know Goose Gossage‘s real name. It’s Richard, but after playing for nine different teams in his hall of fame career, it made it easier on everyone to just call him Goose.
Some guys are blessed by birth with naturally tough sounding names. Tug McGraw and Paul Assenmacher. Yes, there’s jokes to be made with both of those names, but each of them spent over 13 years in Major League bullpens.
All you need sometimes is just two syllables. First, last. Rod Beck. Lee Smith. Short, sweet.
Other relievers are benefit from exotic mystique. When a name sounds so foreign your tongue tingles pronouncing it correctly, you know you don’t want to see them warming up for the ninth. PA announcers across the league relished introducing Shingo Takatsu or Mariano Rivera.
And then, there’s guys you can tell that they’re not only Major Leaguers, but crafty late inning hurlers. Rollie Fingers. Bobby Thigpen. Enough said.
Bullpen heroes are something to be treasured by baseball fans everywhere. The pitcher may get yanked, but the names will live on beyond the fences.
Jake Berent 