Thursday, October 12, 2006
Yoda? I think not
Mike Greenberg has taken to calling Jim Leyland a baseball Yoda -- old, wise, used to hang out in a swamp, smells like cigarettes. I think Casey Stengel is a better analogy, but maybe that's because for me, there is only one coaching Yoda: Pete Carril.
Beyond the obvious physical parallels, Carril fits the Yoda mold as one who dispenses the knowledge of a precious, protected gift -- the Princeton offense -- which, like the force, can make ordinary people do extraordinary things. Carril has tutored a group of young masters, including five current Division I head coaches. And like Yoda, he has a distinctive voice that has been frequently imitated, in most cases poorly. The Yoda-Carril thing has a long history, as google confirms, but it's too good to ignore -- and too perfect to shift to Jim Leyland.
Beyond the obvious physical parallels, Carril fits the Yoda mold as one who dispenses the knowledge of a precious, protected gift -- the Princeton offense -- which, like the force, can make ordinary people do extraordinary things. Carril has tutored a group of young masters, including five current Division I head coaches. And like Yoda, he has a distinctive voice that has been frequently imitated, in most cases poorly. The Yoda-Carril thing has a long history, as google confirms, but it's too good to ignore -- and too perfect to shift to Jim Leyland.
# posted by Budds @ 10:46 AM 
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Little suprise that a Bethlehemite (Bethlehemian?) would choose to laud Pete Carril. I always wonder what Carril is doing in Sacramento, stuck in the middle of nowhwere, far from his east coast roots, coaching the world's best athletes (as opposed to gangly white physics majors). It seems a strange destination.
Thunder, Reading-ites have Carril connections too, as I'm sure you know. Last I heard, Carril's Sacramento deal ran out and was not renewed, so I think he's basically retired now, though he might still be doing occasional work with teams, speaking at clinics, etc.
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