I had no idea John Smoltz was an Italian-American

by gondeee on Jan 5, 2010 12:02 PM EST Comment 19 comments

I had absolutely no clue that John Smoltz was an Italian-American, but low and behold he is one of the 100 cards featured in the Italian American Baseball Heros set from the Sons of Italy in America (note that during my college days in Athens, "Sons of Italy," or "Sons" was where I used to go for a mean chicken parm sub... and of course really cheap pitchers of beer). Via Big League Stew we learn about this interesting set and the even more interesting fact about Smoltzy.

Smoltz_john_medium

The cards are all reprints of oil paintings, some of them kind of weird, but most of them pretty darn cool. Other Braves of note include Joe Torre, Leo Mazzone, and Tony Graffanino. I'm on the fence, but I'll probably end up buying a set, they're just too cool looking to pass up. Besides, when else are you going to be able to buy baseball cards that are tax deductible? Go here if you're interested.

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You hit-a-my-fastball and I break-a-you-face.

Here are Pujols's stats: 1.000/1.000/4.000/5.000. That's right. He is batting a thousand, with a thousand OBP (naturally), and every hit has been a home run, and thus his OPS is a perfect 5.000.

by TradeAndruw on Jan 5, 2010 1:37 PM EST reply actions 2 recs

hahah

I thought hurricane season was over........

by bravesguy311 on Jan 5, 2010 4:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Winner.

Rec’d.

Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.

by MichaelProcton on Jan 5, 2010 7:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Man, some of those cards are straight up creepy..

"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." Hunter S. Thompson

by mad_dog_maddux on Jan 5, 2010 2:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The one of Piazza is the leader of the “creepy” category.

by gondeee on Jan 5, 2010 2:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that forehead came right through the screen and gave me a black eye.

by Lizziebeth on Jan 5, 2010 3:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey, you might need to dodge a broken bat after that comment ;)

"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." Hunter S. Thompson

by mad_dog_maddux on Jan 6, 2010 9:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I like...

Dave Righetti’s pink cap.

"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti

by sddbaker on Jan 6, 2010 9:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

These generic uniforms with the team colors but no logos remind me of the POST cereal cards I used to collect as a kid.

"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."

by justincredubil02 on Jan 5, 2010 2:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It’s Little Italy. For shame!

by BullManUGA on Jan 5, 2010 2:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

No, they are two different places...

and if you don’t know Son’s, shame on you.

by Mr. Sanchez on Jan 5, 2010 2:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Where is it? Downtown? I may have been there once or twice, but I always went to Little Italy.

by BullManUGA on Jan 5, 2010 2:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Little Five, son! Next to Stevarinos.

by gondeee on Jan 5, 2010 2:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I feel dumb now. Next time I go back I’ll have to eat there.

by BullManUGA on Jan 5, 2010 3:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Um, it's 5 points, just 5 points...

Atlanta is the little version. And that is where they used to be. Now they are out on Milledge, in the same spot as Tall Boy Package. The place where Son’s used to be is a Subway, and I think old Steve’s is empty (it closed several years ago).

by Mr. Sanchez on Jan 5, 2010 3:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

True story about Stevarinos:in high school, our physics class took in a astronomy lecture at UGA, then our teacher took a few of us to Stevarino’ s and bought us beer. That was his last year teaching (he didn’t get fired, he just wasn’t good), but that was awesome.

"Matt Diaz is a baseball player."-Joe Simpson

by 10-4 on Jan 5, 2010 8:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I remember...

going to a conference with the yearbook staff when I was a senior, and our advisor having cocktails with us in the hotel bar. Of course, that was when the legal age to buy alcohol was 18, so (some of us) could buy our own drinks, but we still thought it was cool.

by sddbaker on Jan 6, 2010 9:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs