THINGS AMBROSE MISSES ABOUT 80's
BASBEBALL
- kind of knowing that everyone was on coke
- those idiotic Kabuki-style mascots (the San Diego Chicken, the Phillie
Phanatic, Montreal's Youppi, the Mets' own Mr. Met, and so on...)
- driving relief pitchers in the 250 feet from the pen to the mound; at
least the Yankees tied it in with a sponsor: the Mets only had a golf cart
with a giant version of each team's hat on it
- When a guy was called in from the bullpen and eschewed being driven in,
preferring instead to walk or to jog in, I miss the announcers saying he a)
was in great shape or b) was a tough guy.
- I miss 90% of the players having moustaches or other facial hair. I
remember thinking it was odd that Gary Carter did not have any.
- I miss watching guys like Gary Maddox who had served in Vietnam. Not a
game he was in went by without the announcers insinuating that he must have
killed hundreds over there, due to his speed and prowess in centerfield.
- I miss the stolen base being the centerpiece of the game. A guy like
Vince Coleman or John Moses or Brett Butler having the ability to slow the
game down to a crawl while the pitcher threw over to first a dozen times and
stepped over a dozen times and generally fiddled around for 20 minutes. And
then the guy always stole anyway and was always safe.