There's Homer... the ancient Greek poet, believed to have walked the Earth somewhere around the 7th or 8th Century BC.
Then there's Homer Simpson, one of my favorite Homers. Homer was named after Max Groening's father Homer, who was named after the Greek poet above. Groening (the Simpson creator) even named his own child Homer.
When I Wiki'ed "Homer Simpson" I really thought it was an autobiography of me as they described him as obese, immature, outspoken, aggressive, balding, lazy, ignorant, unprofessional, and addicted to beer, junk food and watching television.
Of course Homer is known for his "Doh!", but I love him more for "The Boy did it!" - I don't remember the episode, but it could have been one of many where Ned Flanders knocked on Homer's door after a baseball through Flander's window, maybe a section of Flander's picket fence had been burned down, only to be met with "The Boy did it!" That''s all. One of my favorite Homers.
You're stuck, sorry kinda, learning of my favorite homers. Next on the list, Homer Drew. We, in Liberty, MO, got to see Homer play basketball for William Jewell College from 1963 to 1966. He was good. An All-American. He is famously known though, for his coaching career (he's in the College Basketball Hall of Fame.).. In 1998, Homer led, coached Valparaiso University, a small, private college with 2,900 students - in the NCAA Tourney to The Sweet 16, giant killing Ole Miss and Florida State along the way. Homer's sons are Bryce Homer Drew and Scott Homer Drew. Both followed in Pa's footsteps to coach at Valpo, and just last season, son Scott led the Baylor Bears to the NCAA Championship. A Homer for sure.
Little League homers. Ya gotta love Little League homers. Even I had a couple! You hit a measly ground ball to the pitcher's left.. you sprint down the line, pitcher overthrows first base, ball sails into right fields, one mom, two grannys, 200 spectators rise on their feet hollering, runner heads for second, right fielder grabs ball, overthrows second base, the cheering gets louder, the look of determination on the runner gets more instense, the 3rd base coach waves him around 3rd to go home, left fielder heaves it to the catcher, a slide into home, a cloud of dust, "SAFE!" hollers the ump. A HOMER! A Little League Homer.
Now before you get off belittling Little League homers, were you aware that until 1931 in Major League Baserball, any ball that bounced over the fence was deemed a Home Run? I didn't know that either.
To the other extreme, the year The Babe, (surely even any ladies reading would know we're referring to the great Babe Ruth) the year he hit 60, there was a rule that the ball, of course had to leave the playing field in fair territory, BUT, it also had to LAND in fair territory. Today, many balls hook around the foul pole and land in fout territory, still, deemed a home run - NOT SO in 1927, and it was estimated Babe lost FIFTY MORE HOME RUNS due to this rule. Holy smokes.
Ted Williams, the great Ted Williams. Ted, the last man to bat .400, of course known for that, but - still, he also had 521 Homers in his career. One of them, among my favs. Ted was nearing the end of his career. On the mound a scared, left-handed rookie pitching. Lo and behold, the rookie strikes out Ted. It was said, Ted could be pretty cantankerous, grumpy, but, can't we all be! Anyways, said rookie pitcher was so excited, he took the baseball he'd struck out Ted with to the Red Sox lockerroom, approached the great Ted and asked "Mr. Williams, would you be so kind to sign the ball?" Teammates were kinda aghast, they thought maybe Ted might deck the kid with a right hook, but to their surprise, he swallowed his pride, took the pen, and signed the ball. tbcb (to be continued below).
A couple weeks later - at the park of the Rookie pitcher, he was to face Ted again. Different result. Ted hits one so far, and so long, it goes completely out of the ballpark. He returned to form as he rounded first base he yelled out to the rookie, "Now, if you can find that GD ball I'll sign it too."
Then there's Bartolo. Bartolo Colon. In 2014 at age 40, the New York Mets signed Bartolo to a two year contract for $20 million. The baseball world snickered. Mets fans groaned. You see, Bartolo, even though nicknamed "Big Sexy" was not a physical specimen. His weight approached 300 pounds, he was, basically, rotund. tbcb
In his book about Bartolo, author Devin Gordon penned "Five pitches into Bartolo Colon's first start in a Mets uniform I was smitten.I had simply failed to account for the visceral joy of watching a man shaped like a large ball throw a much smaller ball. Colón bulged like a human bouncy castle. One time, he took a line drive to his gut, barely flinched, just picked up the ball and tossed it to first with a big grin."
Mets fans, too, started coming around to root for the guy. Colon, a Dominican American, was a clubhouse favorite too for his fun disposition. He helped players with translation and was loved by all. His pitching coach had fun with Bartolo too. “On the days he was to pitch, he’d come out of the locker room,” according to Warthen, “and I’d be hiding. I’d have a tarp over me; I’d hide behind walls. I was in garbage cans, linen baskets. And he would always find me, and he would give off this belly laugh. Sometimes I’d jump out at him from inside a closet.”
Bartolo had spent the vast majority of his career thus far in the American League, thus, with the Designated Hitter, he didn't bat. So, in Spring Training, he would. In addition to hitting, a coach, during a sliding drill, told Colon he was next up. "Bartolo no slide." While he was large, rotund, he was suprisingly flexible. He could stand in the dugout and kick his leg up and touch the ceiling of the dugout. His batting was not quite as pretty.
He'd swing, his helmet would fall off. As his helmet fell off, his butt would go in the other direction. Fans enjoyed it to much he asked the equipment manager for a bigger helmet so it would happen more often. That first season, in 69 at bats, he had two hits and struck out 33 times. In 234 career at bats, Bartolo had 20 hits, an .085 lifetime batting average. Then, one day....
Colon's pitching skills made him a fan favorite. On May 7, 2016, Bartolo was 42 years old. Nary a homer. San Diego.
Gordon narrated in his book "The Mets’ traveling road-show fan collective, the 7 Line Army, was there at Petco Park in San Diego, a few hundred strong, meaning they outnumbered the Padres fans. And so was Colón’s wife, Rosanna, Mrs. Sexy, plus lots of family and friends. It was already a big day for Bartolo. For the rest of us, though, it was the textbook definition of a lazy afternoon snoozer. Until, with two out and one on in the top of the second inning, Mets up 2–0, James Shields on the mound for San Diego, Big Sexy waddled up to the plate. Gary and Ronnie were chit-chatting away as Shields went into his windup for his third pitch, a fastball that he left up and out over the plate. Big Sexy took a big cut, and this time he blasted the ball toward the upper deck in left field. "
Gary Cohen, the voice of the Mets - "He drives one! Deep left field!" His voice was cracking, "Back goes Upton! Back near the wall! It's... OUTTA HERE! Bartolo has done it! The impossible has happened!"
Bartolo became the oldest MLB player to hit a home run. His teammates went bonkers. So bonkers, in fact, the did the ole "the entire team ran into the tunnel", thus, leaving poor Bartolo to return to an empty dugout after his first homer. Of course, moments later they mobbed him.
I was fortunate to be watching that live that day. Maybe my favorite homer, next to Simpson.
Welcome back baseball. Love Victurd
(Bartolo's home run below, you might have to copy and paste, hope you do, it's kinda fun)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVFsq9FQBlc
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