What do we mean when we say someone is "cool"? Cool is a supreme compliment that evokes people who exude rebellious self-expression, charisma, edge, and mystery.
OK, so if we're talking about the all-time coolest Yankees... self-expression, charisma, edge, mystery? Nah, Len Boehmer doesn't quite cut it.
Continuing our voyage through the Top 15 All-Time Coolest Yankees... (We'll vote later in the week.)
10. David Cone: Survived tabloid self-pleasuring scandal; survived aneurysm; survived vendetta by George Steinbrenner after attempted comeback at Redsock and Met; led "Cone Head" fans; threw perfect game on Yogi Day; only player to win 20 games for Mets and Yankees; an Everyman; a union leader; testified before U.S. Senate on behalf of Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sontomayor; returned as popular YES announcer; once said Ichiro Suzuki was "swinging a chopstick out there;" made coolest commercial ever, doing the El Duque.
Continuing our voyage through the Top 15 All-Time Coolest Yankees... (We'll vote later in the week.)
10. David Cone: Survived tabloid self-pleasuring scandal; survived aneurysm; survived vendetta by George Steinbrenner after attempted comeback at Redsock and Met; led "Cone Head" fans; threw perfect game on Yogi Day; only player to win 20 games for Mets and Yankees; an Everyman; a union leader; testified before U.S. Senate on behalf of Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sontomayor; returned as popular YES announcer; once said Ichiro Suzuki was "swinging a chopstick out there;" made coolest commercial ever, doing the El Duque.
9. Black Jack McDowell: Went to Stanford; three-time all-star, won Cy Young; rail thin; career ended due to screw up by surgeon; sang and played guitar in two alternative rock bands; opened for Smithereens; cut six albums; inspired The Baseball Project's song, "The Yankee Flipper," about giving finger to fans booing him; song suggests he was drunk with fellow musicians night before game; one of the last Yankees to be seen with a beard.
8. Bobby Murcer: Though christened "next Micky,” never followed self-destructive road; lost two prime years - 1965-66 - in military; famous for his "delayed steal" after pitch; won over NY and SF; fined for saying Bowie Kuhn didn't have "the guts" to reign in Gaylord Perry's spitball; to make amends, sent Perry a tub of lard; comforted Sen. Ted Kennedy's cancer-stricken son; promised a dying kid he would hit a HR that night, then hit two; the mom called it her son's happiest moment; star of iconic game after Munson's death; recorded two country singles; was guest VJ on MTV; appeared on Hee-Haw. Graceful, self-deprecating style in booth. Wrote preamble for re-issue of best baseball book ever, "O Holy Cow: The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto." Death mourned nationwide. Cool guy, flawless life.
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3 comments:
Stanford cool? I'll tell you who was cool. Boomer! Attending an Ivy (or Stanford on our impoverished west coast) is a disqualifier.
Wait a minute ...
Murcer ... was ... on ... Hee-Haw??!!?!?
HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS????
Damn you el Duque, now I'm going to be scouring YouTube and every two-bid pirate video site on the Internet for a clip! Hee-Haw is now officially in my top 5 for all-time favorite TV series! (Much like "The Scout," a truly awful movie and a waste of Albert Brooks' talents, is on my all-time great movie list solely because Boby Murcer has a role)
The Scout was the worst movie ever created, despite Albert Brooks ( whom I love ) and a fantastic story line idea.
The truth about scouting in the golden days of baseball must be amazing.
I still have a number of those guys in the bar with me when we play the South Mexican dirt field league seasons.
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