The Babe Bruce Game

by Daedalus on Jun 8, 2008 11:17 PM EDT

I always liked the Kevin Bacon game, or at least, the thought of the Kevin Bacon game. I'm not a movie person, so I am very bad at it, like Corey Patterson is to hitting. I haven't seen half the movies I should have, and those I have seen, I forget the names of the actors.

But I do know baseball. I was thinking as I watched a yellow finch hop up and down a screen eating bugs off it, how many players would it take to connect Bruce to the Babe himself. No, I don't know why the thought occurred to me as I watched living things being consumed with a sort of violence akin to that of a gaelic football match, but that's the human brain. We use ten percent of it (some of us far less, I think), and we know next to nothing about it.

The links have to have played on the same team.

So, here goes mine. See if you can do it in fewer links. (Have we done this before?)

Jay Bruce played with

Ken Griffey, Jr. in 2008 who was teammates with

Ken Griffey, Sr. in 1990 who won a ring with

Tony Perez in 1975 who played with

Joe Nuxhall in 1963 who pitched to

Ray Mueller in 1944 who was teammates with

Babe Ruth on the 1935 Boston Braves

That's six links. Hey, six degrees of separation!

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Comments

'pitched to'

Do they have to be teammates? If you count players they played against I bet it can be done quicker. And would it have to be a batter/pitcher matchup or could we say Bruce played against Moises Alou?

by Red Menace on Jun 9, 2008 12:47 AM EDT reply actions

I think "pitched to"

means that Ray Mueller was his catcher in 1944

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions

have to be teammates

I like Jay.

by Daedalus on Jun 9, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Damn, I'm close

It’s hard to jump over to the American League. Ruth’s 1935 stint with the Boston Braves in the NL is the best shot.

Bruce got a hit off
Tom Glavine who in 1987 was teammates with
Phil Niekro who was on the ‘64 Milwaukee Braves with
Warren Spahn who was on the ‘42 Boston Braves with
one Johnny Cooney whose career started in 1921. He spent nearly all of it with the Braves but was traded to Brooklyn for 1935 so he missed Ruth. I can’t tell if he ever faced Ruth as he only played 10 games that year.

by Red Menace on Jun 9, 2008 1:16 AM EDT reply actions

That was the same place I got to, too.

Spahn in ‘42. I took the Kent Mercker/Dale Murphy route to get to Niekro, though. Hard to believe there was no player that played for the ‘35 and ‘42 Braves.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jun 9, 2008 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions

are there rules?

Jay Bruce who had his debut broadcasted by Marty , who was partners who Joe Nuxhall who was partners with Waite Hoyte who was room mates with the Babe

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Jun 9, 2008 9:07 AM EDT reply actions

who needs rules?

bruce plays for dusty who, in ‘77, ‘78 and ‘81 world series, played in yankee stadium which ruth built.

I am Bill S. Preston, Esquire.

by Dubman on Jun 9, 2008 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Stormy was good for something

Jay Bruce played with Dave Weathers
Dave Weathers played with Eric Plunk
Eric Plunk played with Tommy John
Tommy John played with Early Wynn
Early Wynn played with Jimmie DeShong
Jimmie DeShong played with Babe Ruth

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Jun 9, 2008 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions

A bunch of different routes

  Babe Ruth       played with   Tony Lazzeri    for the 1927 New York Yankees
  Tony Lazzeri    played with   Phil Cavarretta for the 1938 Chicago Cubs
  Phil Cavarretta played with   Minnie Minoso   for the 1955 Chicago White Sox
  Minnie Minoso   played with   Steve Trout     for the 1980 Chicago White Sox
  Steve Trout     played with   Ken Griffey     for the 1989 Seattle Mariners
  Ken Griffey     played with   Jay Bruce       for the 2008 Cincinnati Reds

  Babe Ruth       played with   Lyn Lary        for the 1934 New York Yankees
  Lyn Lary        played with   Max Lanier      for the 1939 St. Louis Cardinals
  Max Lanier      played with   Hoyt Wilhelm    for the 1953 New York Giants
  Hoyt Wilhelm    played with   Charlie Hough   for the 1972 Los Angeles Dodgers
  Charlie Hough   played with   Dave Weathers   for the 1994 Florida Marlins
  Dave Weathers   played with   Jay Bruce       for the 2008 Cincinnati Reds

  Babe Ruth       played with   Ben Chapman     for the 1932 New York Yankees
  Ben Chapman     played with   Hal Gregg       for the 1945 Brooklyn Dodgers
  Hal Gregg       played with   Hoyt Wilhelm    for the 1952 New York Giants
  Hoyt Wilhelm    played with   Darrell Evans   for the 1970 Atlanta Braves
  Darrell Evans   played with   Kent Mercker    for the 1989 Atlanta Braves
  Kent Mercker    played with   Jay Bruce       for the 2008 Cincinnati Reds

  Babe Ruth       played with   Tony Lazzeri    for the 1927 New York Yankees
  Tony Lazzeri    played with   Phil Cavarretta for the 1938 Chicago Cubs
  Phil Cavarretta played with   Minnie Minoso   for the 1955 Chicago White Sox
  Minnie Minoso   played with   Harold Baines   for the 1980 Chicago White Sox
  Harold Baines   played with   Jerry Hairston  for the 1998 Baltimore Orioles
  Jerry Hairston  played with   Jay Bruce       for the 2008 Cincinnati Reds

  Babe Ruth       played with   Bill Dickey     for the 1931 New York Yankees
  Bill Dickey     played with   Joe Gordon      for the 1940 New York Yankees
  Joe Gordon      played with   Minnie Minoso   for the 1949 Cleveland Indians
  Minnie Minoso   played with   Harold Baines   for the 1980 Chicago White Sox
  Harold Baines   played with   Josh Fogg       for the 2001 Chicago White Sox
  Josh Fogg       played with   Jay Bruce       for the 2008 Cincinnati Reds

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 9:30 AM EDT reply actions

Minnie Minoso is awesome to use for this game

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Jun 9, 2008 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions

In case people don't know

I’m cheating: http://www.baseball-reference.com/oracle/

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow

You sucked the fun out of that real quick with your utility belt, didn’t ya?

"Got a bump on the ole noggin, but otherwise god. And I get a new vehicle probably, w00t!"

by jch24 on Jun 9, 2008 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't know

Caleb pretty much came up with the best one below. I don’t think we’ll find any better than the 6 steps he posted – all Reds. And I’m guessing he did that without anything but his own brain.

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions

And I just realized that Daedalus's was the same

6 steps, all Reds. Gold stars for both of them.

And the game is still there if you use Red Menace’s “played against” rule. I got no tools for that one.

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Whatever, nerd

I say this while trying to track down network anomalies from this weekend. Stones, glass house, etc. :)

"Got a bump on the ole noggin, but otherwise god. And I get a new vehicle probably, w00t!"

by jch24 on Jun 9, 2008 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions

guilty as charged

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

There's two types of people. Baseball fans and sabremeticians.

And every time baseball fans wanna have a good time, some sabremetician has to come in and f* everything up. Whatchu want, a cookie?

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jun 9, 2008 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Jeez

I didn’t realize people were gonna be so upset. I’ll go back in my shell now…

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm just kidding, I really don't care.

I didn’t even know that tool existed. The mysteries of the utility belt are still unknown to the meek RR proletariat.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jun 9, 2008 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions

ALL REDS

Bruce played with Griffey Jr
Griffey Jr played with larkin
Larkin played with Rose
Rose played with Nuxhall
Nuxhall played with Mueller
Mueller played with Ruth in 35 for Boston

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Jun 9, 2008 9:31 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs

nice

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions

BTW

Rose played his last game 4 days after Larkin played his first. I would have vetoed on a technicality, but you got in just under the wire. :)

"Hard being everybody’s hero, I suppose." - Buck O'Neil on Willie Mays

by Slyde on Jun 9, 2008 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions

nuxhall only pitched in one game when mueller was on the team

that was his 15 year old game in 44.

I like Jay.

by Daedalus on Jun 9, 2008 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Nuxie and Minnie Minoso

are really great for playing this game

Hope Springs Eternal! Go Reds

by Caleb on Jun 9, 2008 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions

babe ruth was not a red

What do you mean, "blank slate"?

by boobs on Jun 9, 2008 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Babe Bruce

I really kind of hate the Babe Bruce nickname.

Why? To me, it’s like naming your kid Jesus Christ… there’s only one, you know.

by bobestes on Jun 10, 2008 12:10 AM EDT reply actions

and

I’m not particularly religious

by bobestes on Jun 10, 2008 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions

I know

He was not as fundamentally flawed as the character actor George. There is much more to it than what you call “Gaelic Football.” What is a scumbag? What is a louse? It all depends on the translation. Lillian Gish. What was the first “baseball movie?”
Robert Mitchum. Ida Lupino.The Last Picture Show.Moonlighting (oops, TV). “Zed’s dead.” Oscar Micheaux. D.W. Griffith. Spike Lee. Clint Eastwood. His mother was born with same last name as a Cincinnati pitcher. “That’s Montgomery Clift, honey. The Man with the Golden Arm. Satchell. Let’s go #32.

by clevertrevor on Jun 10, 2008 4:03 AM EDT reply actions