READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN

Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
But we digress....
Published: 6/11/2007 12:40 PM
Last Modified: 6/11/2007 12:40 PM

Before we roar into all things restaurant and wine, I can't keep a couple of recent sports items off my mind.
1) The day prior to last week's Major League Baseball draft of amateur players, I saw a list of one expert's top prospects. I plucked out the top 10 pitchers and noted their average size was 6-foot-5 inches and 205 pounds, the latter figure sure to expand as the young men fill out.
I also noted that 49 years ago MLB lowered the pitching mound from 15 inches to 10 inches because pitchers had been dominating the game and the lower mound would benefit the hitters. Many of the best pitchers of the late-1950s and '60s -- Warren Spahn, Whitey Ford, Camilo Pascual, Hoyt Wilhelm, Roy Face, to name a few -- were an even 6-foot or less and around 175 to 185. Even the mightily imposing Bob Gibson was only 6-1, 189.
So here's my theory: By the natural processes of evolution and adapting to one's environment over the last half century, today's species of professional pitcher has compensated for the lower mound by growing 5 inches taller. Another 50 years at this rate, and they might have them throwing uphill.
2) The other item I noticed was the obituary of former Oklahoma State University basketball coach Jim Killingsworth.
One of the best memories of many that I have of Killingsworth came when he was head coach of Idaho State in January 1972. I had traveled with coach Ken Trickey's Oral Roberts University team for a game in Pocatello against Killingworth's squad. Both had fine teams, and I was covering the game for the World.
Killingsworth met me, Trickey and a couple of his assisants in our motel coffee shop the afternoon of the game, and we drank coffee and talked basketball and coaching for three hours, until Killer and Trick had to go meet with their teams. For a basketball junkie, it was a priceless three hours.
Killingsworth, who also had been an assistant at the University of Tulsa, head coach at Texas Christian University and head coach at four Oklahoma high schools, was one of the most gracious, interesting and knowledgeable men I've ever had the good fortune to meet.


Reader Comments


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.

Table Talk

Tulsa World restaurant critic Scott Cherry is in his second tour of duty with the Tulsa World. He was a sports writer during his first stop, covering college football and basketball. Since returning to the World in 1992, he has been the food writer and now restaurant critic and wine columnist.

Cherry Picks, the Tulsa World restaurant guide, is where you can best see all of his reviews, formatted for your phone, tablet or desktop computer. Check it out at tulsaworld.com/cherrypicks.

Subscribe to this blog



Archive

 
Scott Cherry's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  








Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise | Privacy
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.