Scott (not the real Smiley)

Promoter of the Tom Kelly Rule | Systems thinking baseball guy | 30+ years in tech | @ibwaa | Asst. HS coach | 1x @pubbaseball all-star | #sportscards

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

The Tom Kelly Rule:
You don’t know what you have with a young hitter until he has 1000 PA at the MLB-level.

The Smiley Corollary:
A replacement player is a replacement player until proven otherwise, see the Tom Kelly Rule.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

Another smile to my face after we got bounced from the section championship.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

I really needed the chuckle this gave me.

[BaseballHistoryNut @nut_history]

Why am I just seeing this now? This might be the greatest MLB X account interaction. A lot of screenshots but definitely worth your time. Follow along in the thread below because this might be the best thing you’ll see on here all week.

I wonder if these two are married or still together.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@JomboyMedia @TalkinBaseball_ Pretty soft to call that taunting unless his mouth wrote a bigger check.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@Bigstanz5000 @Seth_3773 Even if that were true, which it often isn’t, they’re still compensating for something.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@TheEXECUTlONER_ The catcher stepped into the batter’s box. I’ll never like that call.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

And all three matched The Barn’s floor.

[Super 70s Sports @Super70sSports]

When did we as a society stop caring about our collars matching our pants? Because on that day, whenever it was, something very important was lost.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

[Jim Koenigsberger @Jimfrombaseball]

"It was late in 1968, and Mick was going for his 535th home run to pass Jimmie Foxx on the all-time list.
We were in Detroit at Tiger Stadium, and Denny McLain was pitching.
Denny was the last guy to win 31 games and he was just lights-out that year.
Detroit was really beating us -- it was 6-1, I think, in the 8th inning -- and Mickey was going up to bat.
I hit behind him, so I was watching from the on-deck circle.
Anyway Denny calls the catcher Jim Price out to the mound, and tells him to go tell Mickey he's going to lay one in there for him.
So Mickey says to Jim when he gets back to the plate:
"Hey, what'd he say?"
And Price says Denny's going to lay one in, and Mickey must not have believed him because he took the first pitch right down the middle.
Denny threw up his hands and hollered at him.
The next pitch, Mickey fouls back.
Then Mick yells to McLain:
"How about a little farther outside?"
And the next pitch, Mickey put it over the roof, home run, No. 535.
McLain comes over to home plate and shakes his hand, and Mickey says thank you.
And I hear all this going on.
So McLain goes back to the mound and I come up to bat.
I say:
"Hey, are you still in a good mood?
How about a fastball down the middle?"
Denny shakes his head.
I say, "OK, a curveball?"
Denny shakes his head again.
No.
Denny threw right at my head, layed me right down.
I get up and he's laughing, and when I turn to look at the dugout Mickey Mantle is on the front step, laughing his butt off right along with him."
Joe Pepitone.
Pepitone and Mantle.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

It’s “Take Nothing for Granted” SZN

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@NickNelsonMN @CodyPirkl There’s gotta be something behind the scenes. But then they dumped cheap + team control arms last year.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@Twins @LockedOnTwins Baseball move.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@DanHayesMLB Enquiring minds want to know https://t.co/9ILfmNQQEf

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

Figuring it out or JV legend?

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@azfreedman @Howard_Cole

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@CoachSwit So sewing circle baseball bros can virtue signal their hyper-optimization hot takes on social media.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

Takin’ care of business. Next up STA @ Richfield HS on Friday in a 1-seed vs. 2-seed match-up.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

Took care of business in Game 1. Simley at The Don tomorrow.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@TwinsAlmanac

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

@TalkinTwins I’m pretty sure he meant after the ‘27 work stoppage. Maybe.

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

#BaseballIQ

[Alec Ausmus @A_TwiceKSTP]

A pop fly behind home plate, and Austin Martin tags up on it, realizing nobody is covering third.

Heads up and hustle at its finest. Austin is becoming a really good player.
(https://t.co/oajouIkl7P)

[Scott (not the real Smiley) @TCGraphs]

Can confirm ✅

[Chief Scott Hughes @ChiefShughes]

A buddy of mine snapped this picture while I was watching my son play baseball last night. Honestly, it probably captures something I didn’t even realize in the moment.

Like many parents, I sometimes get wrapped up in these games. I think part of it comes from knowing these moments won’t last forever.

Deep down, we know we’re living through moments we’ll someday miss more than we can explain.

These games become more than wins and losses. They become memories.

And while I know there’s still plenty of baseball left, I also know there will come a day when I’d give just about anything to sit in a folding chair one more time and watch my kids play ball again.