RIP Petr Klima

The more I think about it I’m sure Yzerman saw a lot of Klima in Vrana — the good and the bad

 

The documentary on the Russian Five was pretty good on its own, but there could be a hell of a dramatic movie made about the Red Wings from 1987-2002, with a prologue chapter starting in the dungeon of the Dead Things era and an after credits epilogue including the 2008 Cup.

One of the main themes would be taking the most insular North American pro sport, NHL hockey, including hard living new generation Euros and eventually Russians, to build a dynasty.

Klima and Probert were kind of leading characters in the "long climb through purgatory" era in the 80s, when the team was no longer awful but still had a long journey ahead. The arrival of Yzerman and then the Russians elevated them to championship level. But Klima and Probert had to go before all that could happen.

 

Those relationships they built in Europe help them today, although you’ll never see talents like Datsyuk (sixth round) and Zetterberg (seventh) taken so low again since everybody scouts Europe
Lidstrom and Kronwall live in Sweden
Both saw a lot of Edvinsson and Kasper before they were drafted
If the Wings had gotten the No.1 pick when they hit bottom I’m positive Yzerman would have taken Tim Stutzle

 

On that topic -- players who are instrumental and even crucial to building up absolutely woebegone losing franchises to competitiveness and even contenders, who never make it to the glory days when the team finally wins -- I always thought of this lyric:

Probably the all time champion in this category would be Elgin Baylor, who was drafted in the final year of the once-dynastic Minneapolis Lakers, who had hit the skids hard and crashed into the cellar. As a rookie Baylor had probably the greatest rookie season of anybody before Wilt, and led the Lakers into the finals against the Russell Celtics.

His last couple seasons with the Lakers, and a month into the 1971-72 season, Baylor was eventually supplanted in the starting lineup by Jim McMillian, retired rather than take a role as 9th-10th man, and watched the Lakers roll to the greatest season in NBA history to that time and finally bust through to the title.

After the title, Baylor refused a championship money share and a ring, even though he fully qualified, because he felt he "hadn't earned it."

 

Examples on other Detroit teams are Jason Thompson and Steve Kemp with the Tigers
Kelly Tripucka and Adrian Dantley with the Pistons

 

Yep, I was just about to throw Tripucka/Dantley in there. The Pistons draft class of Isiah and Tripucka was the first step from the dungeon to the mountaintop.

In the long-run-of-history department, when the internal situation between Dantley and Isiah blew up and they ended up shipping him off for Mark Aguirre, they might have been as well off had they reacquired Tripucka, who was having a couple big years for the Hornets.

 

An example on the Lions is, umm, err... #TooSoon?

In New York, the most obvious (only?) example is Don Mattingly. Came up in '82, the year after the Yankees made the World Series, and had a too-brief Hall of Fame-caliber peak for excellent teams that finished second in the pre-wild card era. Then his back went, his numbers fell off and he was a worthy captain and the only bright spot on some truly bad teams. Finally snapped the playoff drought in '95 and retired, and the rest is history. He rejoined the team as a coach in '04 and remained thru '07 but never made a World Series. Accompanied Joe Torre to the Dodgers, who made the LCS three times w/Mattingly as a coach or manager but never the World Series. At least the Marlins probably won't break thru after his exit. Hopefully he finally gets some good fortune as the Blue Jays' bench coach.

 

The first coach of this type who comes to mind — and there probably are many — is Doug Collins with the Bulls.

Lifted the team from its awful early and mid-1980s period (granted, with help from a certain draft pick or two) but they didn’t take the final step until Phil Jackson arrived.

 

That's been Buck Showalter a remarkable three times (maybe four, if this Orioles surge turns out to be the real thing, or five, if the Mets finally break through w/the next guy).

 

Dungy with the Bucs, but he got his title in Indy.

 

Showalter has almost as many manager of year awards (4) as playoff appearances (6)

 

Jacques Demers with Red Wings
Got Cup in Montreal