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.
Stanford cool? I'll tell you who was cool. Boomer! Attending an Ivy (or Stanford on our impoverished west coast) is a disqualifier.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute ...
ReplyDeleteMurcer ... 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.
ReplyDeleteThe 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.