The Legend of Steve Dalkowski

[Tony-OH]

I have written a book (Beating About the Bushes) describing my 8 year career in the O's organization during the '60's. The longest chapter (31 pages) is on Dalkowski. I was with him in Lewiston, Id and give an account as to what his troubles were that resulted in Cal Ripken releasing him the next day. The book is available on amazon.com and the publisher's website buybooksontheweb.com where an excerpt can be read. Anyone wanting a personalized copy, contact me at tims123@aol.com

Tim,

Thanks for sharing. Good stuff.

[weams]

I have written a book (Beating About the Bushes) describing my 8 year career in the O's organization during the '60's. The longest chapter (31 pages) is on Dalkowski. I was with him in Lewiston, Id and give an account as to what his troubles were that resulted in Cal Ripken releasing him the next day. The book is available on amazon.com and the publisher's website buybooksontheweb.com where an excerpt can be read. Anyone wanting a personalized copy, contact me at tims123@aol.com

Tim Sommer

I wanted to welcome Tim to the Community.

He played for Earl and for Cal Sr.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=sommer001tim

I a sure he will have a few things to add to the discussion.

Good luck with the book and welcome to the Hangout Tim.

[weams]

http://www.checkswing.com/profile/TimSommer

I played 3 different seasons for Cal Sr and babysat Cal and Billy in Kennewick, Wa (Tri-City Atoms) Other cities were Elmira, NY and Rochester, NY. I have many references to playing for Cal in my book "Beating About the Bushes"

I played 8 years professional baseball during the '60's in the Baltimore Orioles organization. Prior to this I attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Background Information

The '60's were the beginning and end of the age of innocence in many facets of life. Professional baseball players still played for the love of the game and not money. Today's average major league player makes more in one game than the average yearly wage in 1960. No one had a agent since there was no free agency and no bargaining power. BEATING ABOUT THE BUSHES contains amusing, informative and controversial elements providing the reader with an understanding for what every player faced. The Club was the plantation owner, you were the slave, and there was no hope for escape.

[weams]

Tim,

Thanks for sharing. Good stuff.

The motivation for getting this personal story in writing came from Tim’s family. As he would regale them with his endeavors in professional baseball, it became apparent that in order to record and share these life experiences, he needed to document them in a book. That is what we are attempting to do here at Baseballisms.com, collect and curate personal baseball stories for posterity sake.

Growing up in rural Ohio, Tim was fortunate to have been discovered by a bird dog scout traveling the area looking for prospects. The scout, with a day job in a steel mill, had come across a slim kid with glasses who could fire a blazing fastball. Upon signing his first professional contract, Tim had one thing on his mind and that was making a visit to the home of Lefty Grove. Upon greeting one of the newest members of the brethren of professional ballplayers, Lefty took Tim into the house and spent the afternoon chatting about baseball.

Throughout the book, Tim provides a look at events and human interest stories that were transpiring during these revolutionary times in the country. He has an exquisite tale about a hitchhiker he encountered on a roadtrip down to spring training and how they would cross paths later in life. It is an example of the influence that baseball can have on us, no matter what life’s circumstances may bring.

Tim had numerous influences in his baseball career, including three significant managers. His manager at Ohio University was Bob Wren. Coach Wren had the decisive conversation with him prior to accepting the contract from the Orioles.

Within the Orioles organization there were two managers who stand out in the telling of this story. One was a stalwart of the organization who epitomized every aspect of the Oriole legacy, Cal Ripken. The other was with the organization for only a short period of time, had major league success with another ballclub, but unquestionably derailed Tim’s progression to the majors, Darrell Johnson.

http://baseballisms.com/podcast-author-tim-sommer.html

[Gurgi]

Anyone want to guestimate what he threw at? 100? 105? I honestly cant believe it was much faster than 105. Since very few people ever throw faster than 100mph.

[weams]

Anyone want to guestimate what he threw at? 100? 105? I honestly cant believe it was much faster than 105. Since very few people ever throw faster than 100mph.

It would be hard to tell, but pitches up in the strike zone or high tend to have more velocity. I think you could assume he was at 105 to 107 at the top of his game.

http://baseballisms.com/?powerpress_pinw=3352-podcast

[DrungoHazewood]

Anyone want to guestimate what he threw at? 100? 105? I honestly cant believe it was much faster than 105. Since very few people ever throw faster than 100mph.

My guess would be around 100, maybe a couple mph faster. The estimates of 110 or higher aren't believable when not one of the 100s of thousands of pitchers who've been measured by radar ever even approached that. It's like asking us to believe some guy from the 1850s could run a 9.0 in the 100m.

[oldpro56]

My thanks go out to the publishers of the ORIOLES HANGOUT for allowing me to post information about my book "Beating About the Bushes". As I explained to them, my intent was never to make money on the project, but to enlighten readers as to what life was like before free agency changed the game completely for both players and fans. Since this thread is about Dalkowski, let me say there are 31 pages written about Steve (the most ever written in any publication). In regard to his speed, the best description came from Cal Ripken, Sr. Rip said if Steve's fastball started above the letters and had so much lift, he couldn't get his mitt up fast enough to catch it. Rip put the speed at between 110 and 115. Think about what it takes to average 19 strikeouts a game without any other pitch but a fastball. Can't be done at 100 mph.

BEATING ABOUT THE BUSHES

Few little boys have a chance to realize their dream of playing

professional baseball. Fewer yet ever experience the thrill of

wearing their own custom fitted uniform in a major league spring

training camp. “Beating About the Bushes” allows the reader to

ride the emotional wave of my eight year career starting with

the realization at age 12, I was the “big fish in the small pond”.

The 60's were the beginning and end of the age of innocence for

many facets of life. Professional baseball players still played for

the love of the game and not money. Today's average major

league player makes more in one game than the average yearly

wage for a player in 1960.

For a decade I was both a player and scout in professional

baseball. This provided a broad overview for the playing and

business side of baseball and how little control a player had

over his destiny. By maintaining contact with teammates who

chose to enter management after their careers, I was able to

follow the evolution of the game.

“Beating About the Bushes” takes the reader back to an era

where life was much simpler. It was possible to buy a cap gun

along with caps to play cowboys and indians without fear of

legal entanglements.

Tim Sommer

APBPA Life member#3322

AVAILABLE @

www.buybooksontheweb.com (excerpt available)

www.amazon.com

www.barnesandnoble.com

Personalized copy-PO Box 26094

Prescott Valley, Az. 86312-$15.00-free shipping

TimS123@aol.com

Beating About the Bushes: Minor League Baseball in the '60's

Tim Sommer

Infinity Publishing (2008)

ISBN 9780741449818

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (11/09)

Tim Sommer highlights an almost-forgotten era in American baseball. He gives the reader a candid look at a time when professional baseball players were motivated by the love of the sport and of the simplicity of professional baseball in the 60s and 70s. He tells how his family circumstances, personal persistence, and his boyhood dreams impacted his entry into an eight-year career in professional baseball.

“Beating About the Bushes” gives an insider's perspective and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of professional athletes, their loyalty to one another even amid the competitive nature of achieving the major leagues. Sommer also points out the human faults of the sports heroes created by the media.

Sommer's writing is humorous, entertaining, informative, and sometimes controversial. Although he pulls no punches, his allegiance to Orioles, the players, trainers, coaches, managers and fans are all a part of who Tim is. He relates stories of dozens of professionals who are now professional baseball legends as well as those who have become members of the Hall of Fame.

Tim Sommer talks about his own unique experiences during his eight years in professional baseball. He gives play-by-play accounts of games that were important to him in his drive to attain personal success. He shows another side of his personality as he describes a road experience, “Always it was a wonderful opportunity to experience the size and diversity of America while traveling...opportunities to absorb the many flavors of life along the way.”

Sommer provides the reader with a broad overview of professional baseball. He gives insight into racial tension, contract negotiation, free agency, pensions and the player strike of 1969.

The format of the book is ideal for today's busy sports fan. The forty-five short chapters are fast reading, entertaining and contagious. Each chapter highlights an incident, a celebrity story, or a funny expose of one of Tim's peers. Chapter titles are made up of catchy titles which draw the reader in compelling them on to the finale chapter “One Last Hurrah.”

Tim Sommer is articulate, witty, and is a veritable encyclopedia of baseball trivia, history, statistics, and first person vignettes.

Baseball enthusiasts, from little league coaches to professional fans, trainers and managers are destined to bond to the persona who is Tim Sommer. “Beating About the Bushes” is a book for all sport fans.

[olehippi]

Over the years, I've sometimes been amazed by the things I've discovered on Orioles Hangout......things like Tom Sommers book. I just ordered a personalized copy.

[weams]

Over the years, I've sometimes been amazed by the things I've discovered on Orioles Hangout......things like Tom Sommers book. I just ordered a personalized copy.

Just so he signs it as Tim

[CA-ORIOLE]

My thanks go out to the publishers of the ORIOLES HANGOUT for allowing me to post information about my book "Beating About the Bushes". As I explained to them, my intent was never to make money on the project, but to enlighten readers as to what life was like before free agency changed the game completely for both players and fans. Since this thread is about Dalkowski, let me say there are 31 pages written about Steve (the most ever written in any publication). In regard to his speed, the best description came from Cal Ripken, Sr. Rip said if Steve's fastball started above the letters and had so much lift, he couldn't get his mitt up fast enough to catch it. Rip put the speed at between 110 and 115. Think about what it takes to average 19 strikeouts a game without any other pitch but a fastball. Can't be done at 100 mph.

No offense, but pitches don't actually lift or rise unless they are thrown underhand. The rise is a visual reference/illusion from the high mound. Also, the laws of physics state it's virtually impossible for a human being to throw that fast (110-115), much less on a consistent basis. From some stuff I read it sounds like Dalkowski may have had very good movement on his fastball. Perhaps helping to explain his very high K rate and significant command issues. Seems like that would be pretty tough to have that much movement on a 4 seamer thrown that hard, but since you actually played with him, was that your observation?

[olehippi]

Just so he signs it as Tim

Like duh!.... But it was a typo....that 'i" and "o" are right there together for my fat fingers to miss. At least I got it right when I sent him the e-mail.

[olehippi]

No offense, but pitches don't actually lift or rise unless they are thrown underhand. The rise is a visual reference/illusion from the high mound. Also, the laws of physics state it's virtually impossible for a human being to throw that fast (110-115), much less on a consistent basis. From some stuff I read it sounds like Dalkowski may have had very good movement on his fastball. Perhaps helping to explain his very high K rate and significant command issues. Seems like that would be pretty tough to have that much movement on a 4 seamer thrown that hard, but since you actually played with him, was that your observation?

I don't know about 110-115 mph, but here's 105 mph to ponder....along your statement about being able to maintain such velocity on a consistent basis.

This is a blurb from a Yahoo Sports article on Sept 25, 2010.

Aroldis Chapman, a 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds left-hander made history Friday night, throwing the fastest pitch ever recorded in a major league game, a 105-mph fastball. Chapman threw 25 pitches in his 1 1/3 innings of relief, and every one was at least 100 mph.

[oldpro56]

This is what is fascinating about discussing Steve. All your points have been made many times before. Several responses come to mind. This first is the theory that a curve ball didn't actually curve. I'm old enough to remember an issue of Sports Illustrated in the '50's that used the new high speed multiple exposure camera to show that indeed the could be made to curve. They set up posts at regular intervals between pitcher's mound and home plate. The pitcher threw a curve ball that could be seen in stop action bending around the posts. The other theory debunked many, many years ago using high speed photos was that a race hose never had all four feet off the ground at the same time. If movement of a baseball is described as a left to right or sinking motion caused by seam rotation, air pressure and arm angle, why can't there be upward movement when the ball is delivered straight over the top with extreme velocity? If Chapman was able to hit 105 why couldn't a freak of nature (Dalkowski) have achieved something greater? My year of playing with Steve was 1965 playing for the Tri City Atoms. At this point his arm was shot and his career with the O's was over. I was with him the final night in Lewiston, Id and describe in my book what happened causing Cal Ripken to release him the next day. There is a reason many stories start with THE LEGEND of Steve Dalkowski. I'm very glad to be part of this forum and look forward to other dialogue

[weams]

This is what is fascinating about discussing Steve. All your points have been made many times before. Several responses come to mind. This first is the theory that a curve ball didn't actually curve. I'm old enough to remember an issue of Sports Illustrated in the '50's that used the new high speed multiple exposure camera to show that indeed the could be made to curve. They set up posts at regular intervals between pitcher's mound and home plate. The pitcher threw a curve ball that could be seen in stop action bending around the posts. The other theory debunked many, many years ago using high speed photos was that a race hose never had all four feet off the ground at the same time. If movement of a baseball is described as a left to right or sinking motion caused by seam rotation, air pressure and arm angle, why can't there be upward movement when the ball is delivered straight over the top with extreme velocity? If Chapman was able to hit 105 why couldn't a freak of nature (Dalkowski) have achieved something greater? My year of playing with Steve was 1965 playing for the Tri City Atoms. At this point his arm was shot and his career with the O's was over. I was with him the final night in Lewiston, Id and describe in my book what happened causing Cal Ripken to release him the next day. There is a reason many stories start with THE LEGEND of Steve Dalkowski. I'm very glad to be part of this forum and look forward to other dialogue

Keep these great tidbits coming. Thanks.