Post Script to: "I played pro ball! Did you play pro ball?"

[Kevin Finnerty]

After never throwing a coach out of a game, I had a major incident last week, which resulted in my joining the club and having a coach drive home early.

During what amounted to a verbal assault and a borderline physical assault, this gigantic windbag screamed at me about playing pro ball and how that somehow makes him the supreme baseball voice on the diamond that day.

"I played pro ball! Did you play pro ball?"

I'm relatively sure that virtually all of us have had some coach make similar declarations while attempting to make us cave to them.

So, I looked the guy up, because I had to get his name for my incident report. I'm going to guard the blowhard's privacy by not including his full name, but here's a copy this expert's pro experience from the minor league database:



This guy has the least distinguished record of any guy I've ever looked up following boasts of pro experience! A single in 16 at bats. Some never played after bragging about it, so at least this guy made it for a few weeks. But for crying out loud, he shouldn't be throwing that out there after flaming out in the first month of rookie ball.

[JR12]

Let me guess... He was argueing that the tie should go to the runner and the hands are part of the bat!

[jdmara]

That's pretty good Kevin lol

-Josh

[jwwashburn]

I will NOT mention that he is Italian.

I will further not mention that he went to the University of the ****ands.

Joe

[Welpe]

He made it further than I did I will give him that...however, I think this quote from Major League is oddly appropriate.

Harry Doyle: "One hit. That's all we got, one $#@^ hit?!"

[scarolinablue]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

"I played pro ball! Did you play pro ball?"

No, coach, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

[realistic]

Yea, ***** Giannelli wasn't that great of a pro ball player. Good grief.

[RogersUmp]

On a bad team that only won one third of its games.

[DonInKansas]

8 and 16. How'd we ever win 8?

It's a miracle..........

[socalblue1]

Originally Posted by realistic

Yea, ***** Giannelli wasn't that great of a pro ball player. Good grief.

I would echo that in spades. GCL is short season rookie ball. Bombed out after the equivalent of four games? He couldn't hang with a bunch of just graduated HS/JC kids. LMAO "I played pro ball"

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

"I played pro ball! Did you play pro ball?

They hate it when I say "Yes, 1971 - 1972. So What?"

I don't tell them that it was Rookie Ball, but hell I got paid to play!

[ManInBlue]

The coaches I run into that have actually played pro ball (some actually made a few games in the Bigs, others bounced around AAA, some bounced around both) are the ones I want on the field. They never say a word, the teams are well disciplined, it's a dream game.

AND they aren't usually the one's to tell you that they played pro ball.

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by ManInBlue

The coaches I run into that have actually played pro ball (some actually made a few games in the Bigs, others bounced around AAA, some bounced around both) are the ones I want on the field. They never say a word, the teams are well disciplined, it's a dream game.

AND they aren't usually the one's to tell you that they played pro ball.

Recently retired reliever Todd Jones volunteers with his son's high school team, which is in our area. We do not have this school's contract, but they visit several of our schools yearly. According to our guys who have had them, he is nothing but courteous, asking questions so that he can learn the differences in HS ball and The Show, and not "big-leaguing" anyone.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by maninblue

the coaches i run into that have actually played pro ball (some actually made a few games in the bigs, others bounced around aaa, some bounced around both) are the ones i want on the field. They never say a word, the teams are well disciplined, it's a dream game.

And they aren't usually the one's to tell you that they played pro ball.

Exactly!

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by umpduck11

Recently retired reliever Todd Jones volunteers with his son's high school team, which is in our area. We do not have this school's contract, but they visit several of our schools yearly. According to our guys who have had them, he is nothing but courteous, asking questions so that he can learn the differences in HS ball and The Show, and not "big-leaguing" anyone.

That's because he's a real pro, and not one that has to make himself out to be a pro and instead makes himself into something classless and amateurish as a result.