What's with baseball and birds?

[Gee Walker]

Even our member here, dgarza...

In Spanish, garza means heron.

Sparrow Morton and Sparrow McCaffrey both played in the 1880's.
Snipe Hansen played in the 1930's.
Fred Woodcock played in the 1890's.
Red Barber was "the old Redhead"

All outfielders are flycatchers.

How many times have you read that the outfielder dove for the ball?

Ernie Harwell used to call a curveball a "Yellowhammer". I guess that's the old Southern word for the flicker, who has a big white spot on its rump. When a flicker flies, the spot dips like a curveball. If you ever see one, check it out...

[ttmman21]

the Orioles were named after the state bird of Maryland, the Baltimore Oriole

[dgarza]

Mark Fidrych?
Frank Crow-setti?
Ducky Medwick?
Goose Gossage?
Ron the Penguin Cey?
Eric Swan?
Phil the Vulture Regan?
Tris Grey Eagle Speaker?
Andre the Hawk Dawson?
Pete Falcone?
Billy Martin?
Robin Roberts?
Brett Butler was always bunting?
I guess Willie Mays was a flycatcher?
Mike Parrott?
Sam Crane?
Fred the Chicken Stanley?
Mr. Tebbetts?

That's quick some list.
What's the pecking order? :silent:

[StanTheMan]

Cardinals, Blue Jays, Orioles...

The Cardinals were named for the COLOR. A female fan, who was at the first game the Cardinals trotted out in dark red socks, said within earshot of a reporter.

"oh, what a lovely shade of Cardinal...." The Cardinal bird is prominent in the midwest, and that was that..... Cardinals they became in both Color and Fowl.


I find that there are far more references to the NAVY that seem odd to me.

Skipper
Captain (manager)
On Deck
Isn't Platoon a Navy term?
Ace (Navy & Air Force fighter pilots)
Dinger (Dingie?)
Ducks on a Pond (bases loaded)
Portsider (lefty)
Shell, or Got Shelled (military term)

[dgarza]

[dgarza]

[dgarza]

. . . thinking about Rick Burleson and Doug Rader

I know they didn't have webbed feet, but I'm pretty sure their gloves had some sort of webbing.

[RuthMayBond]

The one with the bill... on his cap?

. . . thinking about Rick Burleson and Doug Rader

[dgarza]

Are you chicken of the former San Diego mascot?

The one with the bill... on his cap?

[RuthMayBond]

Are you chicken of the former San Diego mascot?

[dgarza]

Half the batted ball are fowls anyway!
Especially when there are ducks on the pond.

[RuthMayBond]

Pigeons and Randy Johnson?

Seagulls and Dave Winfield?

Pigeons and Pedro Cerrano?

I think Deion James had an incident too

[Pere]

The minor leagues are full of cats and dogs...

[Captain Cold Nose]

Can't mention birds in baseball without mentioning Ted Williams' salute to the Fenway fans.

I have an 8X10 with Pete Rose doing the same salute, with a smiling Nolan Ryan in the background. They're in a locker room somewhere.

[RuthMayBond]

What was that under Stengel's hat?