D.D. Grubbs remembers helping shape Olsen's everlasting atmosphere

BoomGoesThe

9:21p, 4/28/24

Hahaha! The song accompanying the late 80's Aggie hottie is classic. Just after the 20:50 mark.

e=mc2

11:11p, 4/28/24

DD was great! Dang Astros stole him!

SchizoAg

1:08a, 4/29/24

Dice

7:22a, 4/29/24

DD made the ballpark extra fun!

AgFormerlyInIrving

7:54a, 4/29/24

I miss the little tag he'd play when the ball came back down the net, and he'd hold the penultimate note until someone picked up the ball.

So everyone would yell "pick it up!!" to stop the playing of the note.

Good times.

maroon barchetta

8:53a, 4/29/24

If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

Hop

Staff

9:01a, 4/29/24

In reply to maroon barchetta

maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

Actually, he addressed that in the interview yesterday. He said he never played "Three Blind Mice" and that he wanted to get a reaction out of everybody at the park except the umpires. People come up to him all the time about getting kicked out. It was one of those stories that caught fire around campus but didn't happen.

maroon barchetta

9:12a, 4/29/24

In reply to Hop

Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

Actually, he addressed that in the interview yesterday. He said he never played "Three Blind Mice" and that he wanted to get a reaction out of everybody at the park except the umpires. People come up to him all the time about getting kicked out. It was one of those stories that caught fire around campus but didn't happen.

Sorry. Haven't had a chance to watch the whole interview but I'm glad you explained it!

Hop

Staff

9:26a, 4/29/24

In reply to maroon barchetta

maroon barchetta said:
Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

Actually, he addressed that in the interview yesterday. He said he never played "Three Blind Mice" and that he wanted to get a reaction out of everybody at the park except the umpires. People come up to him all the time about getting kicked out. It was one of those stories that caught fire around campus but didn't happen.

Sorry. Haven't had a chance to watch the whole interview but I'm glad you explained it!

I think Dave South got ejected while broadcasting a game court-side from either the SWC or Big 12 Tourney one year after giving the referees the choke sign after a bad call that went against A&M.

BQ_90

9:29a, 4/29/24

In reply to Hop

Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

Actually, he addressed that in the interview yesterday. He said he never played "Three Blind Mice" and that he wanted to get a reaction out of everybody at the park except the umpires. People come up to him all the time about getting kicked out. It was one of those stories that caught fire around campus but didn't happen.

Sorry. Haven't had a chance to watch the whole interview but I'm glad you explained it!

I think Dave South got ejected while broadcasting a game court-side from either the SWC or Big 12 Tourney one year after giving the referees the choke sign after a bad call that went against A&M.

SWC men BB tourney, i think 87 or 88

Hop

Staff

9:34a, 4/29/24

In reply to BQ_90

BQ_90 said:
Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

Actually, he addressed that in the interview yesterday. He said he never played "Three Blind Mice" and that he wanted to get a reaction out of everybody at the park except the umpires. People come up to him all the time about getting kicked out. It was one of those stories that caught fire around campus but didn't happen.

Sorry. Haven't had a chance to watch the whole interview but I'm glad you explained it!

I think Dave South got ejected while broadcasting a game court-side from either the SWC or Big 12 Tourney one year after giving the referees the choke sign after a bad call that went against A&M.
SWC men BB tourney, i think 87 or 88

Probably 1988. I actually went to the 1987 SWC Tourney and sat very low behind press row. I don't recall seeing a scene, although I guess I could've missed it on a trip to the restroom.

twk

9:47a, 4/29/24

In reply to maroon barchetta

maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

He didn't get ejected, and I don't recall what he played, but whatever it was, Jon Bible turned around to the box and motioned to him to knock it off. Between innings, DD went with the Doobie Brothers "Listen to the Music."

twk

9:49a, 4/29/24

In reply to Hop

Hop said:
BQ_90 said:
Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

Actually, he addressed that in the interview yesterday. He said he never played "Three Blind Mice" and that he wanted to get a reaction out of everybody at the park except the umpires. People come up to him all the time about getting kicked out. It was one of those stories that caught fire around campus but didn't happen.

Sorry. Haven't had a chance to watch the whole interview but I'm glad you explained it!

I think Dave South got ejected while broadcasting a game court-side from either the SWC or Big 12 Tourney one year after giving the referees the choke sign after a bad call that went against A&M.
SWC men BB tourney, i think 87 or 88

Probably 1988. I actually went to the 1987 SWC Tourney and sat very low behind press row. I don't recall seeing a scene, although I guess I could've missed it on a trip to the restroom.

I think it was in the 90s. A&M was playing TCU, and Dave didn't feel like the Aggies were getting a fair shake from the officials. I believe that it was during the break, Dave supposedly made a choking motion that drew the ref's ire and got him ejected.

12thMan9

10:17a, 4/29/24

In reply to twk

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-03-13-sp-10335-story.html

'93, vs UH in 1st round.

Ronnie '88

Hop

Staff

10:30a, 4/29/24

In reply to 12thMan9

Great find! This is so classic Dave South from that article. He didn't apologize to the media. He doubled down on the attack of the referee in question!

"He looked at me, and I went . . . ," South said, duplicating the gesture he made for Stout. "And he kicked me out of the game. Does he know I'm looking at him? What does this tell you about the kind of game he was having?"

Reporters monitoring the radio broadcast said South had told his listeners that "the Aggies are playing two teams today--the Cougars and the Southwest Conference officials."

maroon barchetta

11:46a, 4/29/24

In reply to Hop

Hop said:
Great find! This is so classic Dave South from that article. He didn't apologize to the media. He doubled down on the attack of the referee in question!

"He looked at me, and I went . . . ," South said, duplicating the gesture he made for Stout. "And he kicked me out of the game. Does he know I'm looking at him? What does this tell you about the kind of game he was having?"

Reporters monitoring the radio broadcast said South had told his listeners that "the Aggies are playing two teams today--the Cougars and the Southwest Conference officials."

Have him on TA radio to talk about it!

Sterling82

11:55a, 4/29/24

DD is quintessential 70s / early 80s in that photo. Seems like a great guy in the interview.

Hop

Staff

2:20p, 4/29/24

In reply to Sterling82

Sterling82 said:
DD is quintessential 70s / early 80s in that photo. Seems like a great guy in the interview.

He really is a nice, likable guy. He was also a great interview this weekend. He's very knowledgeable and articulate about the smallest of details. Meeting him for the first time this weekend was a pleasure.

Adam87inSA

3:16p, 4/29/24

Just went back and watched A Sweet Season on YouTube. Great highlights (some of it repetitive) and heartfelt narration.

But my GAWD was there some HORRIBLE music in the late 80s. And much of it found its way on to that video.

Can a brother just get a little ZZTop on this?

BQ_90

3:19p, 4/29/24

rewatching a sweet season reminded me of the ****hole stadiums UH, Rice, tech, TCU had. Probable Baylor too. I think only the Aggies, sips, and pigs could host SWC Tourney because they others didn't have lights.

twk

3:38p, 4/29/24

In reply to BQ_90

BQ_90 said:
rewatching a sweet season reminded me of the ****hole stadiums UH, Rice, tech, TCU had. Probable Baylor too. I think only the Aggies, sips, and pigs could host SWC Tourney because they others didn't have lights.

Rice had lights, but not enough seats, a tarp, locker rooms, etc.

The ballparks are mostly in the same locations as back then, but they all built major improvements in the 90s or 00s, except for Arkansas which built a new ballpark a mile down the road. The only thing that distinguished the Arkansas park from most of the others you mentioned were lights and a nasty astroturf rug. Tech's was a little different in that they had started on building a serviceable park, but only had one small section behind the plate (they also had lights).

BQ_90

3:43p, 4/29/24

In reply to twk

i just remember those rice regionals in the 2000s and having to walk thru the tennis courts to get to the stadium

el_guapo

5:51p, 4/29/24

I was a student in the stands during the late 80's including '89. Olsen was so much fun. I had never been to any game with the kind of fan and pressbox interaction like that. After college I attended some Texas Ranger games and they were so incredibly boring compared to Aggie baseball that I stopped going.

Thanks, DD for making my college experience so much better!

TAMU1990

9:33p, 4/29/24

Loved it all as a student and Olsen is still great.

Cen-Tex

7:37a, 4/30/24

He talks about a PA system at the old Kyle field when he was at A&M in 1977 or 1978. Anyone remember if there was a PA at the baseball games before those years and if so, who staffed it?

BohunkAg

8:32a, 4/30/24

In reply to maroon barchetta

maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

That was a minor league organist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Snapp

Quote:
On June 26, 1985 he was ejected from a game at the Jack Russell Stadium for playing "Three Blind Mice" in response to what he thought was a bad call from the umpire, Kevin O'Connor.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Snapp#cite_note-3][3][/url] The umpire pointed up to Snapp, who was sitting at his organ behind first base, then thumbed him out of the game.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Snapp#cite_note-NYT-1][1][/url]

BohunkAg

8:33a, 4/30/24

In reply to Hop

Hop said:
Great find! This is so classic Dave South from that article. He didn't apologize to the media. He doubled down on the attack of the referee in question!

"He looked at me, and I went . . . ," South said, duplicating the gesture he made for Stout. "And he kicked me out of the game. Does he know I'm looking at him? What does this tell you about the kind of game he was having?"

Reporters monitoring the radio broadcast said South had told his listeners that "the Aggies are playing two teams today--the Cougars and the Southwest Conference officials."

Colin Killian had to take over after Dave got thrown out. I was listening to that game.

91AggieLawyer

11:35p, 4/30/24

In reply to Hop

Hop said:
BQ_90 said:
Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
Hop said:
maroon barchetta said:
If I remember correctly, he got ejected from a game in the 80's when blue missed a call and he played "Three Blind Mice" on his little keyboard.

Does anybody remember that?

Actually, he addressed that in the interview yesterday. He said he never played "Three Blind Mice" and that he wanted to get a reaction out of everybody at the park except the umpires. People come up to him all the time about getting kicked out. It was one of those stories that caught fire around campus but didn't happen.

Sorry. Haven't had a chance to watch the whole interview but I'm glad you explained it!

I think Dave South got ejected while broadcasting a game court-side from either the SWC or Big 12 Tourney one year after giving the referees the choke sign after a bad call that went against A&M.
SWC men BB tourney, i think 87 or 88

Probably 1988. I actually went to the 1987 SWC Tourney and sat very low behind press row. I don't recall seeing a scene, although I guess I could've missed it on a trip to the restroom.

1993 SWC tournament. I haven't seen him in years, but I knew the official pretty well back in the day.

dixichkn

1:55a, 5/1/24

In reply to el_guapo

el_guapo said:
I was a student in the stands during the late 80's including '89. Olsen was so much fun. I had never been to any game with the kind of fan and pressbox interaction like that. After college I attended some Texas Ranger games and they were so incredibly boring compared to Aggie baseball that I stopped going.

Thanks, DD for making my college experience so much better!

Same here. DD was as integral to the Olsen experience as the game itself. He egged on the first iteration of the Raggies/203. We'd never seen a PA guy interact with a crowd like that before.
We had some great football teams at the time, but the most fun we had back then were the games at Olsen. Great times. Thanks for sharing the memories