RIP Ralph Kiner

kranmars

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Sad day. Part of my childhood just passed away. He was very knowledgeable about bseball, was a great listen, wonderful story teller, and made malaprops cool for the masses. Kiner's Korner was a must watch. The Mets were so bad, but Kiner and Bob Murphy were the best.

"And on this Father's Day, we wish all you fathers out there a happy birthday."
 
I'd be lying if I didn't suddenly feel nostalgic for late summer days and Channel 9 and goddamn Dave Kingman.
 
Oh man...such a big part of my childhood. Just thinking about Kiner's Korner brings me back to summer nights as a kid. I loved his stories. The guy was a legend and he could get away with anything on air.

Between Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner Mets fans were spoiled rotten.
 
Sad day. Part of my childhood just passed away. He was very knowledgeable about bseball, was a great listen, wonderful story teller, and made malaprops cool for the masses. Kiner's Korner was a must watch. The Mets were so bad, but Kiner and Bob Murphy were the best.

"And on this Father's Day, we wish all you fathers out there a happy birthday."

My God, I feel incredibly sad. As long as I've been a baseball fan, Ralph Kiner was there. Even in recent years, after the stroke, just hearing his voice and wonderful stories and insights, brought comfort. When he spoke, it wasn't grandfatherly type of respect Darling and Hernandez gave Kiner - it was genuine respect for his knowledge and contribution to the game. There is now not a single figure associated with the team from it's founding, and that is profoundly sad.

Lindsay Nelson departed the booth a long time ago, so that wasn't as bad since both Kiner and Murphy remained. This is a rite of passage - the last of your grandparents or aunts & uncles passing away.

My love of baseball is infinitely more pronounced because of guys like Kiner and Murphy, who could make listening on radio (a lost art) in the days where few of us had multiple TVs in our homes almost as enjoyable as watching on TV. Kiner could spin a story about a teammate in the 40s and make it as alive as if it happened last year. He could break down a batter's swing, and even at an advanced age, tell you what was wrong with it.

Sad, sad, day. RIP Ralph - I can see Casey Stengel, the impish Mets manager and not the serious grizzled Yankee, waving his arms like a conductor and welcoming you to your reward singing "Metsies, Metsies, Metsies", God bless him always.
 
One more, ingrained in my head like the pledge of allegiance. Bob Murphy before every single game,

"Any publication, reproduction, or any use of the pictures, descriptions, or accounts of this game, without the expressed written consent of the New York Mets, and WOR Chanel 9, is prohibited"

We'd play stickball or any number of schoolyard softball games, and as we mimicked Met players batting stances and announced lineups, we'd recite that imprimatur before we played. Awesome, simpler days.
 
Well said Beast. His voice brings you back to simpler times. I obviously don't know the man personally, but the memories he evokes are awesome.
 
Part of my childhood died today. Ralph was always entertaining and funny, intentionally or not. Kiner's Korner was must-see TV, especially after a win. When JumpTheShark.com was still around, it received nothing but props, and the memories people left in the comments were hilarious.

Somewhere in Iowa, Ralph will be getting some ABs, and handling the post game show.
 
I used to love the baseball stories he would tell on air. Damn I loved listening to him
 
This video of Kiners quotes does not include Kiner's best quote:
"Home run hitters drive Cadillacs and singles hitters drive Fords."

 
This video of Kiners quotes does not include Kiner's best quote:
"Home run hitters drive Cadillacs and singles hitters drive Fords."



No offense, but I didn't enjoy that one bit. Spend 3 hours on the air 162 games per season, plus spring training, and let's see how well anyone would do over 50 years in a broadcast booth. I don't deny he flubbed a few, but I never focused on miscues, just as I never focused on Berra's. Berra for his part, has a brilliant baseball mind, remembered pitch counts and locations from 60 years ago. Kiner was equally an asset to baseball way beyond his home runs.
 
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