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Why Jack Clark isn’t in the Hall of Fame

Dave Farquhar Baseball June 12, 2023June 16, 2023

For a brief time in the mid-1980s, Jack Clark was the most feared power hitter in the National League. But he got very little Hall of Fame consideration after he retired. So why isn’t Jack Clark in the Hall of Fame?

Jack Clark presents an interesting Hall of Fame case. He hit for power, but he didn’t have the kind of power someone like Reggie Jackson had. But he hit for higher average than Reggie Jackson and got on base a lot. When you look at his career adjusted OPS, it’s an impressive 137. That suggests he was 37% better than the average player of his time. He has peers in the Hall of Fame who were merely 19% better than average. Read more

Marx Western Pacific train set 7215

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 8, 2023June 6, 2026

In the early 1970s, Marx sold a diesel electric train set lettered for the Western Pacific, catalog number 7215, that featured a 25 watt transformer and a distinctive green and gold color scheme. If you have one today, it’s worth more than its original retail price, even adjusted for inflation. Read more

Why Fred Lynn isn’t in the Hall of Fame

Dave Farquhar Baseball June 7, 2023June 14, 2023

Fred Lynn was one of the brightest stars of the 1970s and ’80s. He was a five tool player and a perennial All-Star who led the Boston Red Sox to the World Series in his rookie year and was the hero of the 1983 All-Star game, hitting the first Grand slam ever hit in that game, and helping the American League win its first All Star game since 1971. And yet, he was eliminated from Hall of Fame consideration after just 2 years of voting and receives minimal support from the veterans committee. So why isn’t Fred Lynn in the Hall of Fame?

What does OLE stand for

Dave Farquhar Windows June 6, 2023November 11, 2024

Sometimes, when dealing with Windows programming or Windows applications, you will find the acronym OLE. But what does OLE stand for, and what does it do? And this blog post, I will explain OLE and why it was important and still is, even though Microsoft doesn’t promote it any longer.

Is St Louis known for flooding?

Dave Farquhar St. Louis June 5, 2023June 4, 2023

St Louis is nicknamed The River City. The reason for that is very simple. It sits approximately at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, the two biggest rivers in North America. But besides those, other, much lesser known rivers also flow through the area. One thing rivers do is flood. So that means yes, St Louis is known for flooding.

Marx train set 4965

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 1, 2023March 9, 2024

The Marx 4965 train set spent its life a bit of an awkward place in Marx’s lineup. It was a low end 4-wheel plastic set but had a 490 locomotive with a chug chug unit, reverse, and a headlight, raising the price beyond what may have seemed competitive. Marx sold it in 1970 and 1971 and it may have had two variations.

How to clean RAM sticks

Dave Farquhar Hardware May 31, 2023May 28, 2023

Normally, RAM isn’t something you have to think much about once you have it installed. But if your computer is having stability issues or giving memory errors, that can be an indication not all is well with your computers RAM. In this blog post, I’ll talk about several ways to clean RAM sticks.

Connect a VCR to a smart TV

Dave Farquhar Video May 30, 2023September 15, 2023

It’s not always obvious how you connect a VCR to a smart TV. But just because it isn’t obvious doesn’t mean someone won’t want to do it. In this blog post, I will explain how to connect your old VCR to your new smart TV.

Whether you have a Samsung, Sony, LG, Vizio, Hisense, or some other brand of smart TV, for these purposes, they all pretty much work the same. Manufacturers followed the same standards in the 1980s and ’90s, and they still do today. You could connect any brand of VCR to any other brand of TV and it worked. All that’s different today is that we have some new standards, along with legacy standards.

Marx diesel freight train set 9500

Dave Farquhar Toy trains May 25, 2023August 31, 2023

The Marx diesel freight train set number 9500 was an early 1950s electric train set featuring twin diesel locomotives pulling 7-in freight cars. It’s an attractive set and a very good example of post-war tin lithography, which was becoming something of a lost art at the time.

Why Bobby Grich isn’t in the Hall of Fame

Dave Farquhar Baseball May 24, 2023June 28, 2023

Here is an underrated Hall of Fame case for you: Bobby Grich. He was one of the best second baseman of his generation, making six all star teams, winning four gold gloves, and one silver slugger. He retired after the 1986 season, and was eliminated from Hall of Fame consideration after just a single vote. Here’s why Bobby Grich isn’t in the Hall of Fame, and why the voters got it wrong in 1992.