Baseball Toaster: The Griddle : SIGN MAN PASSES

Rank	Team	W	L	PCT	Division
1	Chicago Cubs	97	64	.602	C1
2	Philadelphia	92	70	.568	E1
3	Los Angeles Dodgers	84	78	.519	W1
4	Milwaukee	90	72	.556	C2
5	New York Mets	89	73	.549	E2
6	Houston	86	75	.534	C3
7	St. Louis	86	76	.531	C4
8	Florida	84	77	.522	E3
9	Arizona	82	80	.506	W2
10T	Colorado	74	88	.457	W3
10T	Cincinnati	74	88	.457	C5
12T	Atlanta	72	90	.444	E4
12T	San Francisco	72	90	.444	W4
14	Pittsburgh	67	95	.414	C6
15	San Diego	63	99	.389	W5
16	Washington	59	102	.366	E5

American League

Rank	Team	W	L	PCT	Division
1	Los Angeles Angels	100	62	.617	W1
2	Tampa Bay	97	65	.599	E1
3	Chicago White Sox	89	74	.546	C1
4	Boston	95	67	.586	E2
5	New York Yankees	89	73	.549	E3
6	Minnesota	88	75	.540	C2
7	Toronto	86	76	.531	E4
8	Cleveland	81	81	.500	C3
9	Texas	79	83	.488	W2
10	Oakland	75	86	.466	W3
11	Kansas City	75	87	.463	C4
12	Detroit	74	88	.457	C5
13	Baltimore	68	93	.422	E5
14	Seattle	61	101	.377	W4

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So long and thanks for playing this year

1. Washington (8/31)
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The last batter to reach on catcher's interference was ...

Seth McClung of Milwaukee by Koyie Hill of the Cubs on September 26, 2008.

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SIGN MAN PASSES

2008-02-08 21:17

by Bob Timmermann

Karl Ehrhardt, who from 1964 through 1981, was a fixture at Shea Stadium with a seemingly unending supply of signs to describe plays during Mets games passed away at his home in Glen Oaks, New York at age 83.

From the New York Times obituary:

Known as the Sign Man of Shea, Mr. Ehrhardt brought his big bag of 20-by-26-inch placards to dozens of games each year, from 1964 through 1981. Like Hilda Chester, the cowbell clanger who roamed the aisles of Ebbets Field in the heyday of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s, Mr. Ehrhardt became a stadium fixture. Cameras zeroed in and fans hooted when he unfolded his signs.

On a summer day in 1979, when a slow grounder defied the grip of shortstop Frank Taveras, Mr. Ehrhardt quickly checked the color-coded tabs in his portfolio and unfurled, “Look Ma, No Hands.” Whenever outfielder José Cardenal struck out, the sign said, “Jose, Can You See?”

Finer moments were greeted with “Just Great!” or “Can You Believe It?”

On Oct. 16, 1969, when left fielder Cleon Jones caught the final out of the World Series, a choked-up Sign Man held up, “There Are No Words.”

Comments

2008-02-09 04:05:58

1. dodgerstang

I just saw my first game in Shea last summer, so I'm not a big Mets fan or anything. Just stumbled upon this and started to tear up. I wish I remembered this guy. Seems like one of the "great things" in baseball that make it the sport that grabs us like no other with stories.

Also, anyone know the most amount of errors in an inning?

2008-02-09 04:34:18

2. DXMachina

My favorite Sign Man moment was in the '73 World Series. It followed Charlie Finley's failed attempt to drop Mike Andrews from the A's roster after Andrews had made two errors in game 2. The next game was at Shea, and the first time one of the A's booted one he held up a sign saying "YOU'RE FIRED."

2008-02-09 07:48:53

3. Bob Timmermann

Since 1900, the most errors committed by one team in an inning is 7. That was by Cleveland back on September 20, 1905.

2008-02-09 09:15:25

4. dzzrtRatt

Shows what I know. I never knew there was just one guy with the signs. I was under the impression that this was a Mets' fan tradition that many participated in.

It should have occurred to me how brilliantly appropriate some of the signs were.

2008-02-09 09:47:20

5. DXMachina

4 You're not wrong. The Mets had a long tradition of fans bringing banners, starting at the Polo Grounds, and encouraged it even to the point of having an annual Banner Day with prizes and such.

2008-02-09 13:47:48

6. yankee23

Here's a good article about Freddy Sez, another sign-wielding patron of the game:
http://tinyurl.com/2dnztm