Since you mentioned Melvin Mora and Al Leiter you’ll never convince me otherwise that the Mets win the WS in 2000 if they don’t trade Mora for Mike Bordick at the trade deadline.
Jim Bouton, who was given that number by the Yankees clubhouse guy (Pete Sheedy?) when he wasn't expected to make the team, and he kept it to remind him never to take anything for granted.
I didn’t see it in the comments or your story, and my math may be wrong, plus you’re the Paterno biographer, but I believe Joe won his first National Championship at age 56.
Age is really just a number. I’m excited to see everything you accomplish this year and beyond. Thank you for what you do!
This is highly pessimistic (realistic). The optimist (procrastinator) in me has always wanted to create a database for the opposite: What amazing things people accomplished AFTER your current age. Rodney Dangerfield didn't break through in comedy until he was 46? I've got loads of time before I need to get off this couch!
53 was depressing. A deaf Beethoven composed his 9th symphony Victor Havel become president of Czechoslovakia. Robert Peary reached the North Pole. Jimmy Carter brought peace to Egypt and Israel. Sh!+ I have 2 months to do something cool like that before I turn 54.
54 was a little more reachable. Oliver Wendell Holmes learned to ride a bike. Yeah, that's more my speed.
Apparently the dude was influential in something called "semiotics" and medieval history and anthropology and stuff, but this is the only thing he's really known for in popular culture, if he's known at all.
I guess being good enough to still be playing in the NFL at 48 (eat it, Tom Brady!) is pretty impressive, although of course the whole point of him being on this list is that he was in fact no longer good enough to keep doing what he did for a living. (He made one of his three pass attempts and 13 of 21 field goal attempts in 1975, my first full year of life.) Fortunately for me the age limits on sitting on your ass and staring at a computer for a living is a lot more forgiving, so I've got a while to go yet.
This seems more like a thing happening to someone than an actual accomplishment. Anyway, given that hip replacement surgeries had been conducted as early as 1891, it's not clear exactly what the accomplishment was here. Maybe the particular type or combination of materials? Maybe the first person in Ohio? Maybe just the first person at that particular hospital in Ohio??
In any case, a pretty lame list. I'm probably not going to write a novel or kick almost 2/3 of my field goal attempts successfully, but I feel like I have a decent shot at doing better than becoming the first person on my block to have a certain type of surgery at this age.
Regardless, congrats on still being vertical, and blessings for a great Mark Buehrle year!
56 was also worn by Brian McRae with the Royals, which is cool because he didn't want to wear 11 like his dad, so he picked a number where the digits added to 11 as a nod to him.
When Connie Mack was 56, he was about 1/3 of the way through his tenure with the A’s, who finished last in the American League (again). The good news is that he had three more pennants and two more World Series titles ahead of him, so there’s that! I hope you had a great birthday - you’re going to have an awesome year!
Happy birthday Joe!
Since you mentioned Melvin Mora and Al Leiter you’ll never convince me otherwise that the Mets win the WS in 2000 if they don’t trade Mora for Mike Bordick at the trade deadline.
My mother was a January 8th birthday girl. Would have been 100. Happy birthday Joe.
Jim Bouton, who was given that number by the Yankees clubhouse guy (Pete Sheedy?) when he wasn't expected to make the team, and he kept it to remind him never to take anything for granted.
Al Leiter, whose Topps rookie card had somebody else's picture on it!
How often are Mao and Sergei Zubov in the same column?
Don't sell yourself or 56 short, Joe - Sergei Zubov is in the hockey Hall of Fame.
When I was 56 a black man was elected President of the United States. I voted for him. Proudly.
Oh, and George Karlaftis - future hall-of-famer? - #56 for Chiefs.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Posnanski!
I didn’t see it in the comments or your story, and my math may be wrong, plus you’re the Paterno biographer, but I believe Joe won his first National Championship at age 56.
Age is really just a number. I’m excited to see everything you accomplish this year and beyond. Thank you for what you do!
I turn 47 in a couple of weeks and got at least one fun one:
"Julio Franco of the New York Mets hit a grand slam, becoming the oldest to do so and breaking his own record from when he was 45 years old."
This is highly pessimistic (realistic). The optimist (procrastinator) in me has always wanted to create a database for the opposite: What amazing things people accomplished AFTER your current age. Rodney Dangerfield didn't break through in comedy until he was 46? I've got loads of time before I need to get off this couch!
I am NOT looking up my age - I don't need to get depressed.
53 was depressing. A deaf Beethoven composed his 9th symphony Victor Havel become president of Czechoslovakia. Robert Peary reached the North Pole. Jimmy Carter brought peace to Egypt and Israel. Sh!+ I have 2 months to do something cool like that before I turn 54.
54 was a little more reachable. Oliver Wendell Holmes learned to ride a bike. Yeah, that's more my speed.
Mine is worse:
At age 48:
* 𝘜𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘤𝘰, 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭, T͟h͟e͟ N͟a͟m͟e͟ o͟f͟ t͟h͟e͟ R͟o͟s͟e͟.
Apparently the dude was influential in something called "semiotics" and medieval history and anthropology and stuff, but this is the only thing he's really known for in popular culture, if he's known at all.
* 𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘍𝘓 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭.
I guess being good enough to still be playing in the NFL at 48 (eat it, Tom Brady!) is pretty impressive, although of course the whole point of him being on this list is that he was in fact no longer good enough to keep doing what he did for a living. (He made one of his three pass attempts and 13 of 21 field goal attempts in 1975, my first full year of life.) Fortunately for me the age limits on sitting on your ass and staring at a computer for a living is a lot more forgiving, so I've got a while to go yet.
* 𝘝. 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘋𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘖𝘩𝘪𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩.
This seems more like a thing happening to someone than an actual accomplishment. Anyway, given that hip replacement surgeries had been conducted as early as 1891, it's not clear exactly what the accomplishment was here. Maybe the particular type or combination of materials? Maybe the first person in Ohio? Maybe just the first person at that particular hospital in Ohio??
In any case, a pretty lame list. I'm probably not going to write a novel or kick almost 2/3 of my field goal attempts successfully, but I feel like I have a decent shot at doing better than becoming the first person on my block to have a certain type of surgery at this age.
Regardless, congrats on still being vertical, and blessings for a great Mark Buehrle year!
56 was also worn by Brian McRae with the Royals, which is cool because he didn't want to wear 11 like his dad, so he picked a number where the digits added to 11 as a nod to him.
When Connie Mack was 56, he was about 1/3 of the way through his tenure with the A’s, who finished last in the American League (again). The good news is that he had three more pennants and two more World Series titles ahead of him, so there’s that! I hope you had a great birthday - you’re going to have an awesome year!