Let's talk favorite movies today. I'm not saying they are the best movies, just my favorite. And, honestly, the top six are interchangeable. Any one of those could be number one, depending on how I feel that day. What's your top 10 favorite movies? Let me know in the comments section.
10. The Natural
The mysterious Roy Hobbs seemingly comes out of nowhere to become a baseball hero with the help of his homemade bat, Wonder Boy.
9. Bull Durham
This movie about veteran catcher Crash Davis, rookie fireballer Nuke Laloosh and their Durham Bulls brought the quirkiness of minor league baseball into view. Contains one of my favorite movie lines of all time, when Crash helped up Nuke after punching him out and then introduced himself: "I'm Crash Davis. I'm your new catcher and you just got lesson number one: don't think...it'll only hurt the ballclub." I would not recommend this movie for kids, though.
8. Tommy Boy
Chris Farley and David Spade star in one of the funniest movies ever. Farley, as Tommy Callahan, has to go on the road and become a salesman in order to save the family business, Callahan Auto Parts. Tommy takes along Richard, the opposite of Tommy in every way, and hilarity ensues. Too many great lines in this movie to pick one favorite.
7. Major League
Another baseball movie, another comedy. The Cleveland Indians bring a bunch of has-beens and never-will-bes North after spring training, when the new owner wants to lose as many games as possible so she can move the team to Florida after the season. Rickie "Wild Thing" Vaughn, Willie Mays Hays, Roger Dorn, Jake Taylor and Pedro Cerrano decide they are going to do what they have to do to keep the team in Cleveland. Another movie with a million quotable lines, many provided by play-by-play man Harry Doyle (Bob Ueker).
6. Hoosiers
Like I said, from this point on, any of these movies might be considered my favorite depending on my mood. Hoosiers is based on a true story of a tiny high school in Indiana that defies all odds and does the impossible. A touching story starring Gene Hackman as the head coach of the Hickory High Huskers. A few years ago, USA Today listed the top sports movies of all time. Hoosiers was No. 1.
5. Top Gun
Maverick and Goose in airplanes shooting down other airplanes. Pretty much non-stop action. Great soundtrack. What else do you need?
4. Remember the Titans
Another movie based on a true story about a high school team overcoming all odds. Denzel Washington stars as the head coach of newly-integrated T.C. Williams High in Virginia in the early 70s. But before Washington's character, Coach Herman Boone, can win any games, his team must come together. Many of the training camp scenes at Gettysburgh College were actually shot on the campus of Berry College in Rome, Georgia (where I was the sports information director from 2003-06).
3. Forrest Gump
You can't go wrong with a Tom Hanks movie. My favorite Hanks movies include Big, Saving Private Ryan, Punchline, A League of Their Own and Cast Away, but Forrest Gump is by far my favorite. It covers so many major US events and captures so many emotions held by Americans from the 60s through the 80s. And, it's just a great story...with a ton of quotable lines. Incredible movie. I watch it every time it comes on television. And it comes on a lot.
2. Tombstone
"You gonna do something, or just stand there and bleed?" The great story of how Wyatt Earp and his brothers came to Tombstone, Ariz., to make a fortune, and ended up teaming up with Doc Holliday to protect it from the hated Cowboys gang. Another movie with tons of action (how could any movie depicting the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral not have a ton of action?), you are constantly on edge during this movie.
1. Rocky
I could have made this list really easy and make Rocky the top six slots (Rocky, Rock II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa), because I love every Rocky movie. But what fun would that have been? So, I'll just combine them into one. The first two in the series are definitely the best. You gotta love the underdog, rags-to-riches (and back to rags) story. Any fictional character who inspires a real statue in front of a museum in Philadelphia and makes everyone who climbs those stairs that the statue sits atop re-enact a scene from the movie has got to be one of the greatest movie characters of all time.
Others Receiving Votes (in no particular order): Miracle, The Karate Kid, Field of Dreams, Dumb and Dumber, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, The Sandlot, Caddy Shack.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Ballplayers
Here's my list of all-time favorite baseball players. This list includes only players I have seen play the game (in person or on television) live. Who is on your top 10 list of favorite ballplayers? Let me know in the comments section of this post.
10. Daniel Ortmeier
Played collegiately at Texas-Arlington, helping Mavericks to 2001 NCAA Tournament. Now an infielder and outfielder for the San Francisco Giants.
9. John Smoltz
Former Detroit farmhand was traded to Atlanta in a trade deadline deal in 1987 for Doyle Alexander, who led the Tigers to the AL East crown that year. Smoltz, who struggled in the minors for the Tigers, found new life with Braves, winning a Cy Young award and becoming one of the top hurlers of his era, both as a starter and reliever.
8. Pete Rose
I struggle with this one, as he turned out to be one of the people you would be least likely to call a role model. The fact is, though, when I was a kid, Charlie Hustle was one of my favorite players. I always checked the box score to see how he did at the plate. The all-time hits leader in big league history, his all-out play on the field is legendary. Unfortunately, so are his gambling and poor decision-making abilities. But, in a more innocent time (for me, not him), Pete Rose was one of my favorites.
7. Rickey Henderson
The all-time stolen base leader. When I was a kid in Sacramento, Calif., all the kids on my street used to copy Rickey's batting stance. The greatest leadoff hitter in big league history, Henderson changed the game when he was on base, making him one of the most exciting players of my lifetime. Rickey also loves to refer to Rickey in the third person. Rickey stories are everywhere, and most seem to be about his disinterest in any person other than Rickey. My favorite: when he signed with the Seattle Mariners, legend has it Rickey walked up to John Olerud (who would wear a helmet while he played first base due to an injury incurred when Olerud was in college) and told him, "Hey, I like that helmet. I used to play with a guy in New York who wore one like that." Olerud replied, "Yeah, I'm John Olerud, and we were teammates in Toronto, too." Henderson says that never happened, but even if it didn't, it's still a funny story.
6. Curtis Granderson
From here on out, it's all Tigers, all the time. This is the only current Tiger in my top 10. The centerfielder is one of the most exciting players in the game today, routinely providing highlight catches in the field, and setting the table as Detroit's leadoff hitter. In 2007, he became just the second player in MLB history to collect 30 doubles, 20 homers, 20 triples and 20 stolen bases (Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins became the third later in the year). He's also a great role model and even writes a blog for ESPN.com.
5. Jack Morris
This begins my 1980s Detroit Tigers portion of the blog. Morris is my all-time favorite pitcher, and was the winningest pitcher in Major League Baseball in the decade of the 80s. He went on to win World Series crowns with both the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays, but I'll always remember him as a Tiger. He helped lead Detroit to the 1984 World Series title in a year he also tossed a no-hitter. As a Minnesota Twin, he outdueled another pitcher on this list, John Smoltz, by throwing a 10-inning shutout in Game Seven of the '91 Series.
4. Lance Parrish
The Tigers' catcher provided the power in the middle of the order from 1977 until about 1986. It seemed like he was an All-Star every year when I was a kid, and while he was with the Tigers, he was always considered one of the best catchers in baseball.
2. (tie) Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell
These two belong together on the list. The heart of the Tigers throughout the 80s and into the 90s, Whitaker and Trammell are still recognized as the longest running keystone combination in MLB history, playing just under 2,000 games alongside one another. Both joined the Tigers in 1977 and spent their entire playing careers in The D. Whitaker was Detroit's second baseman until 1995, and Trammell, who spent most of his career at shortstop but was also used as an outfielder late in his career, played one year longer. Both of these guys were named to multiple All-Star teams, and Trammell was the 1984 World Series MVP. Trammell also spent three years as the Tigers' manager, from 2003-06.
1. Kirk Gibson
My all-time favorite athlete, Kirk Gibson was an All-American wide receiver on Michigan State's baseball team and an All-American outfielder on MSU's baseball team when I was really young. He was drafted by the Tigers and eventually called up to the big league club in 1980. Sure, he hit one of the most famous home runs in baseball history when he took Dennis Eckersley deep in game one of the '88 World Series (video here), but I'll take the one he hit off Goose Gossage in game five of the '84 Fall Classic that put the series away for Detroit (video here). The ultimate no-nonsense player, Gibson was the 1984 ALCS MVP, and, as a member of the Los Angeles Dodger, was named 1988 National League MVP.
Others Receiving Votes (in no particular order): Willie Hernandez, Dan Petry, Aurelio Lopez, Tom Brookens, Darrell Evans, Dave Stewart, Bobby Higginson, Mark McGwire, Carney Lansford, Terry Steinbach, Magglio Ordonez, Todd Jones.
10. Daniel Ortmeier
Played collegiately at Texas-Arlington, helping Mavericks to 2001 NCAA Tournament. Now an infielder and outfielder for the San Francisco Giants.
9. John Smoltz
Former Detroit farmhand was traded to Atlanta in a trade deadline deal in 1987 for Doyle Alexander, who led the Tigers to the AL East crown that year. Smoltz, who struggled in the minors for the Tigers, found new life with Braves, winning a Cy Young award and becoming one of the top hurlers of his era, both as a starter and reliever.
8. Pete Rose
I struggle with this one, as he turned out to be one of the people you would be least likely to call a role model. The fact is, though, when I was a kid, Charlie Hustle was one of my favorite players. I always checked the box score to see how he did at the plate. The all-time hits leader in big league history, his all-out play on the field is legendary. Unfortunately, so are his gambling and poor decision-making abilities. But, in a more innocent time (for me, not him), Pete Rose was one of my favorites.
7. Rickey Henderson
The all-time stolen base leader. When I was a kid in Sacramento, Calif., all the kids on my street used to copy Rickey's batting stance. The greatest leadoff hitter in big league history, Henderson changed the game when he was on base, making him one of the most exciting players of my lifetime. Rickey also loves to refer to Rickey in the third person. Rickey stories are everywhere, and most seem to be about his disinterest in any person other than Rickey. My favorite: when he signed with the Seattle Mariners, legend has it Rickey walked up to John Olerud (who would wear a helmet while he played first base due to an injury incurred when Olerud was in college) and told him, "Hey, I like that helmet. I used to play with a guy in New York who wore one like that." Olerud replied, "Yeah, I'm John Olerud, and we were teammates in Toronto, too." Henderson says that never happened, but even if it didn't, it's still a funny story.
6. Curtis Granderson
From here on out, it's all Tigers, all the time. This is the only current Tiger in my top 10. The centerfielder is one of the most exciting players in the game today, routinely providing highlight catches in the field, and setting the table as Detroit's leadoff hitter. In 2007, he became just the second player in MLB history to collect 30 doubles, 20 homers, 20 triples and 20 stolen bases (Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins became the third later in the year). He's also a great role model and even writes a blog for ESPN.com.
5. Jack Morris
This begins my 1980s Detroit Tigers portion of the blog. Morris is my all-time favorite pitcher, and was the winningest pitcher in Major League Baseball in the decade of the 80s. He went on to win World Series crowns with both the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays, but I'll always remember him as a Tiger. He helped lead Detroit to the 1984 World Series title in a year he also tossed a no-hitter. As a Minnesota Twin, he outdueled another pitcher on this list, John Smoltz, by throwing a 10-inning shutout in Game Seven of the '91 Series.
4. Lance Parrish
The Tigers' catcher provided the power in the middle of the order from 1977 until about 1986. It seemed like he was an All-Star every year when I was a kid, and while he was with the Tigers, he was always considered one of the best catchers in baseball.
2. (tie) Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell
These two belong together on the list. The heart of the Tigers throughout the 80s and into the 90s, Whitaker and Trammell are still recognized as the longest running keystone combination in MLB history, playing just under 2,000 games alongside one another. Both joined the Tigers in 1977 and spent their entire playing careers in The D. Whitaker was Detroit's second baseman until 1995, and Trammell, who spent most of his career at shortstop but was also used as an outfielder late in his career, played one year longer. Both of these guys were named to multiple All-Star teams, and Trammell was the 1984 World Series MVP. Trammell also spent three years as the Tigers' manager, from 2003-06.
1. Kirk Gibson
My all-time favorite athlete, Kirk Gibson was an All-American wide receiver on Michigan State's baseball team and an All-American outfielder on MSU's baseball team when I was really young. He was drafted by the Tigers and eventually called up to the big league club in 1980. Sure, he hit one of the most famous home runs in baseball history when he took Dennis Eckersley deep in game one of the '88 World Series (video here), but I'll take the one he hit off Goose Gossage in game five of the '84 Fall Classic that put the series away for Detroit (video here). The ultimate no-nonsense player, Gibson was the 1984 ALCS MVP, and, as a member of the Los Angeles Dodger, was named 1988 National League MVP.
Others Receiving Votes (in no particular order): Willie Hernandez, Dan Petry, Aurelio Lopez, Tom Brookens, Darrell Evans, Dave Stewart, Bobby Higginson, Mark McGwire, Carney Lansford, Terry Steinbach, Magglio Ordonez, Todd Jones.
Mick's Top Ten
I love countdown shows. You know, the ones that come on every tv channel, claiming to count down the top 100(fill in the blank) of all time. I love articles promising a list of the top 10 whatever. I grew up listening to Casey Kasem's Weekly Top 40. College sports fans check the AP top 25 polls every week. When I lived in Arlington, Texas my buddy Moe and I would meet for lunch and go over our top ten whatevers, just to pass the time. We got pretty serious about those lists, to,deciding in advance what we would be discussing next time and coming prepared with our written lists. Why? Who knows? Who cares?
So, I figured I'd post some random lists of my top ten favorite things in different categories. For no good reason, other than to entertain myself. In the tradition of the college sports polls, I'll even add an "Others receiving votes" column with a list of items that didn't make the top 10, but were considered.
If you have an idea for a top 10 list, leave a comment and let me know. And don't forget to leave your top 10 in the comment section of each post.
So, I figured I'd post some random lists of my top ten favorite things in different categories. For no good reason, other than to entertain myself. In the tradition of the college sports polls, I'll even add an "Others receiving votes" column with a list of items that didn't make the top 10, but were considered.
If you have an idea for a top 10 list, leave a comment and let me know. And don't forget to leave your top 10 in the comment section of each post.
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