Title: Born Today - June
osfan58202233 - July 17, 2008 04:34 AM (GMT)
June 1st - Dean Chance, 1941
Dean Chance's major league career lasted the better part of ten years. The highlight of that career was winning the Cy Young Award In 1964 with the Los Angeles Angels. At that time, there was only one such award (today there is one for each league), and Dean nosed out one of the all time great pitchers -Sandy Koufax- for that award.
To appreciate the year that Chance had in 1964, Koufax won the Cy Young award the year before (1963) and the following two years (1965 and 1966). In his "career year," Chance led the American League in victories with a 20-9 record, 15 complete games, 11 shutouts, 278 innings pitched, and the incredibly low earned run average of 1.65.
on style:
Dean Chance's major league career lasted the better part of ten years. The highlight of that career was winning the Cy Young Award In 1964 with the Los Angeles Angels. At that time, there was only one such award (today there is one for each league), and Dean nosed out one of the all time great pitchers -Sandy Koufax- for that award.
To appreciate the year that Chance had in 1964, Koufax won the Cy Young award the year before (1963) and the following two years (1965 and 1966). In his "career year," Chance led the American League in victories with a 20-9 record, 15 complete games, 11 shutouts, 278 innings pitched, and the incredibly low earned run average of 1.65.
on style:
| QUOTE |
| With a touch of wildness and the disconcerting habit of never looking at home plate once he received the sign from his catcher, Chance would turn his broad back fully towards the hitter in mid-windup before spinning and unleashing a lively fastball, good sinker, or sidearm curve. |
He won 15 games in 1965, but when he compiled only a 12-17 record in 1966, the Angels shipped him to the Minnesota Twins in a major off-season trade.
Chance responded by winning 20 games for the Twins in 1967, leading the AL in games started (39), complete games (18) and innings pitched (283 2/3). On August 6 of that year, he pitched a rain-shortened, five-inning perfect game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. He also pitched a 2-1 no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians on August 25, the Indians scoring the run in the first inning on two walks, an error and a wild pitch.
His career record over 11 seasons (1961-71) and 406 games pitched was 128 wins, 115 losses and an ERA of 2.92. He struck out 1,534 hitters and walked 739 in 2,147 1/3 innings.
source: Wikipedia, baseballlibrary.com
osfan58202233 - July 17, 2008 04:44 AM (GMT)
June 2nd – Gene Michael, 1938
[dohtml]<img src="http://www.pcpromotions.net/images/gene_michael.jpg" width=320>[/dohtml]
Michael earned the nickname "Stick" due to his skinny frame. After finishing high school, he went to Kent State University. After being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1959, Michael spent 10 seasons in the major leagues playing mostly at shortstop. He spent only one year with the Pirates, his first season in the majors (1966). The following year he traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Maury Wills. He would only spend one season in Los Angeles, and was then purchased by the New York Yankees. He played for the Yankees from 1968 until 1974, beginning what would be a lifetime relationship with the team. His last season in the majors was in 1975 when he played for the Detroit Tigers.
Michael was a master of the hidden ball trick, having pulled it off five times in his career.
just a little tidbit here...remember these?
[dohtml]<img src="http://www.pcpromotions.net/images/gene_michael.jpg" width=320>[/dohtml]
Michael earned the nickname "Stick" due to his skinny frame. After finishing high school, he went to Kent State University. After being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1959, Michael spent 10 seasons in the major leagues playing mostly at shortstop. He spent only one year with the Pirates, his first season in the majors (1966). The following year he traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Maury Wills. He would only spend one season in Los Angeles, and was then purchased by the New York Yankees. He played for the Yankees from 1968 until 1974, beginning what would be a lifetime relationship with the team. His last season in the majors was in 1975 when he played for the Detroit Tigers.
Michael was a master of the hidden ball trick, having pulled it off five times in his career.
just a little tidbit here...remember these?
| QUOTE |
| There have been fewer than 300 successful executions of the hidden ball trick in Major League Baseball. The last successful execution of the hidden ball trick was August 10, 2005, when third baseman Mike Lowell of the Florida Marlins caught Arizona Diamondback Luis Terrero, who represented the tying run, taking a lead off third base in the eighth inning, with Florida leading 6–5. Florida won the game, 10–5. The previous victim was Brian Schneider of the Montréal Expos, who was caught in 2004, also by Lowell. |
After retiring, Michael became a coach with the Yankees and was manager of the Yankees from 1981 until 1982, when he was fired half-way through the season. He would manage the Chicago Cubs from 1986-1987, the only post-retirement years not spent with the Yankees. In 1990 he was made general manager of the Yankees, during this time he built the Yankees farm system and laid the seeds for their dominance in the end of the decade. This was facilitated in part by the suspension of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner who had earned a reputation as a meddler. During Michael's tenure as general manager, the Yankees drafted such notable players as Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and others. The Yankees also began building young talent, rather than trading it away, as they had done in the 1980s with little success. Michael officially served as GM until 1995, when Bob Watson took over.
From 1996 until 2002, Michael served as vice-president of major league scouting for the Yankees, and in 2003 was promoted to vice-president and senior advisor. In 2002 the Boston Red Sox tried to talk to Michael about their general manager position, but were not given permission by the Yankees.
source: wikipedia
osfan58202233 - July 18, 2008 04:40 PM (GMT)
June 3rd - Jim Gentile, 1934
| QUOTE (Louis Berney @ Tales from the Orioles Dugout) |
| If ever a player had a classic baseball nickname, it was the Orioles' "Diamond Jim" Gentile. He was one of the most colorful and volatile players - both in temperament and with his bat - ever to wear an Orioles uniform. He was a strapping 6'4 first baseman with a classical stretch from the bag, his long legs splitting horizontally along the infield dirt as he gracefully gobbled up errant throws from his infielders. But Gentile was known for his bat, not his glove. He put together what for many years was the best offensive season ever by an Orioles hitter in 1961 - a .302 average with 46 home runs and 141 RBI. |
| QUOTE (John Eisenberg @ From 33rd Street to Camden Yards) |
| The Orioles traded for me, and I came to spring training (in 1960) on a look-see basis. ... I couldn't hit a beach ball. I don't think I hit .100 that spring. "On the last day, Paul Richards called me in and sat me down and said, 'Son, you can't be as bad as you look. Your stats in the minors are tremendous. You only got 36 at bats in three years with the Dodgers. I'm going to give you 150 to 200. I'm going to bat you against right-handers every chance I get. If you hit for me in the first thirty days, you're my first baseman. If not, we're sending you back.' And I said, 'That's all I've ever asked for in seven years. Let me have a few times at bat to see what I can do. "On Opening Day I went one for four against Washington and some guy wrote, 'Gentile surprised forty-five thousand people by getting a hit.' Then we had a day off and went to Washington, and I hit two homers and drove in five runs. ... Richards was real good to me all year. He played me only against right-handers." |
and then there was 1961...
Quoting Gentile: "I consider myself a journeyman. I had some good years, some bad years, and I'm not a superstar. But I had my year. It made me, that season...Whitey Herzog said to me recently, 'Diamond, I don't know how you had the year you had. You're the only guy that hit. You had nobody behind you, nobody hitting at all, no protection. That's why your year was so incredible.' It was just one of those years."
| QUOTE (Eisenberg again) |
| [In 1961,] the pitchers didn't generate the biggest headlines. First baseman Jim Gentile had a colossal season, setting club records for power hitting and run production that would last, in some cases, for decades. He set the tone in a game in Minnesota in early May, becoming the first major leaguer to hit grand slams in consecutive innings. Richards began using him every day after that...and he continued to pound the ball. By season's end, he had 46 homers, 141 RBI, 73 extra-base hits, and a .302 average. |
Gentile, about the 2 grand slams: "You don't think much about it when you do it. I mean, I was happy, but we didn't do the things they do nowadays, pirouette and jump around. But I was happy. I came across the plate, and as I go in the dugout, Richards is there with his leg up on the top step, like always. He says, 'You know, son, I don't think that's ever been done before.' (Back then, managers didn't talk to you unless they were going to release you. Back in Memorial Stadium, you almost had to raise your hand to go to the bathroom from the dugout.)"
osfan58202233 - July 18, 2008 05:05 PM (GMT)
June 4th - Tony Peña, 1957
In his player career, Tony Peña was known for his defensive skills with the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox and Astros. He won four Gold Glove Awards and was a five-time All-Star. In an 18-season career, he was a .260 batter with 107 home runs and 708 RBI in 1988 games. He had 1687 hits in 6489 at bats.
A four-time Gold Glover behind the plate known for his unique low, one-leg-out crouch, the Dominican Peña was a clubhouse leader and true baseball gamer for a decade and a half, falling to the disabled list just once in his tenure with six teams. Admired in the league for his love of the game, the adept catcher began his career with one of the strongest arms in the game, and later became a master at calling a game.
Along with his brother Ramon, who became a pitcher and outfielder in the Pirates and Tigers organizations, Peña was taught baseball by their mother, an outstanding softball player. Along with his trademark squat behind the plate, Peña had his share of other habits. His method for breaking in a new glove involved taking a bat and pounding the new mitt against the ground for half an hour. For healing sore arms, the backstop would make a mixture of lamb grease and oil and apply it to the limb. "They can throw whatever they want out there," Peña declared about his pitchers. "It's when they're having trouble, then it's up to me to know how to help them."
Hired in 2002 to replace Tony Muser (John Mizerock had served as interim manager), Peña took Royals fans for a ride in 2003, taking a 7-game lead by the All-Star break before settling into a third-place finish in the American League Central Division, with a record of 83-79. It was their first season with a winning record since the strike-shortened 1994 season. He was selected as American League Manager of the Year.
Peña's Royals were less successful in 2004, finishing in last place in the Central Division of the American League with 104 losses. He resigned as manager of the Royals after a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on May 10, 2005.
forgive me, but i found this 2004 article, um, enlightening...
In his player career, Tony Peña was known for his defensive skills with the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox and Astros. He won four Gold Glove Awards and was a five-time All-Star. In an 18-season career, he was a .260 batter with 107 home runs and 708 RBI in 1988 games. He had 1687 hits in 6489 at bats.
A four-time Gold Glover behind the plate known for his unique low, one-leg-out crouch, the Dominican Peña was a clubhouse leader and true baseball gamer for a decade and a half, falling to the disabled list just once in his tenure with six teams. Admired in the league for his love of the game, the adept catcher began his career with one of the strongest arms in the game, and later became a master at calling a game.
Along with his brother Ramon, who became a pitcher and outfielder in the Pirates and Tigers organizations, Peña was taught baseball by their mother, an outstanding softball player. Along with his trademark squat behind the plate, Peña had his share of other habits. His method for breaking in a new glove involved taking a bat and pounding the new mitt against the ground for half an hour. For healing sore arms, the backstop would make a mixture of lamb grease and oil and apply it to the limb. "They can throw whatever they want out there," Peña declared about his pitchers. "It's when they're having trouble, then it's up to me to know how to help them."
Hired in 2002 to replace Tony Muser (John Mizerock had served as interim manager), Peña took Royals fans for a ride in 2003, taking a 7-game lead by the All-Star break before settling into a third-place finish in the American League Central Division, with a record of 83-79. It was their first season with a winning record since the strike-shortened 1994 season. He was selected as American League Manager of the Year.
Peña's Royals were less successful in 2004, finishing in last place in the Central Division of the American League with 104 losses. He resigned as manager of the Royals after a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on May 10, 2005.
forgive me, but i found this 2004 article, um, enlightening...
| QUOTE |
| Glass Stands Behind Baird, Pena KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The owner of the American League's worst team remains fully confident in his manager and general manager. That's certain to put David Glass at odds with a growing contingent of Kansas City fans watching the Royals' once-promising season fall apart. With a 29-46 mark at the beginning of July, the franchise record of 100 losses seems easily within reach. That's triple-digit losses for a retooled team that several experts expected to capture the AL Central title and end a 19-year postseason drought. Distribution of blame for the season began Wednesday with the firing of pitching coach John Cumberland. With a team ERA of 5.01 - 13th among 14 teams - it seemed an easy call. But why, say many fans, stop there? What about manager Tony Pena and general manager Allard Baird? "I am pleased with Allard and Tony both," Glass said Thursday from his office in Bentonville, Ark. "I think they're doing the best they can. They are both very capable individuals, Glass said." You're not always right with everything you do. If there is a rock bottom for the Royals this lost season, it might have come in the past few days. First they traded their best player, Carlos Beltran, to Houston because they were not going to be able to afford him as a free agent. Then they got swept three straight by St. Louis and had to suffer the embarrassment of their own Kauffman Stadium being crammed with Cardinals fans. Every time the Cardinals got a hit - and that was a lot of times - the stadium exploded with cheers. Then came more bad news. Third baseman Joe Randa went on the disabled list for at least a month, joining Aaron Guiel, Juan Gonzalez, Benito Santiago and Jeremy Affeldt. "This is not the team we left spring training with," said a gloomy Mike Sweeney. Next was a fifth straight loss, an embarrassing 10-1 setback to AL East cellar-dwellar Baltimore. The Royals won the next game 4-3, but more bad times were ahead. On Wednesday night, about the time a ball was jumping off Beltran's bat for a game-winning homer for Houston, a ball was popping out of the glove of David DeJesus, his replacement in center field for the Royals. Two unearned runs dashed home, and the Royals were on their way to a 13-4 rout by the Orioles. The Royals finished June with the league's worst home batting record for the month - .221. Glass insists he's suffering right along with the fans. "I am obsessed with winning and I despise losing," he said. "I don't handle losing well. It's a very disappointing year for all of us." There seems no relief in sight. Pena, the AL manager of the year when a 19-3 start led to a surprising 83-win breakthrough, now is criticized for just about every move he does or does not make. Still, he said he isn't worried about getting shoved out the same door that swung open for Cumberland. "I'm here today. I live in the present and I am not afraid to get fired," he said. "When I say I take full responsibility, it is because I am not a loser. Losers try to find a way to find excuses." "I feel good about myself. I know what I can do." Last year when the Royals won, Pena's feel-good antics led fans to hail him as a great motivator. This year as the losses pile up, stunts like showering with his uniform on to "get the stunk off" have not played as well. "I think Tony is a very good baseball man," Glass said. "I think he did a great job last year. He's doing the best he can with what he has to work with this year. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Tony." |
On November 3, 2005, Peña was named first base coach of the New York Yankees.
osfan58202233 - July 18, 2008 05:06 PM (GMT)
June 5th – Jack Chesbro, 1874
"Happy Jack" Chesbro was an early spitball ace whose 1904 performance with the New York Highlanders still rates among the game's most remarkable seasons. He started 51 games, completed 48 and was the victor in 41 while hurling 455 innings. From 1901 to 1906, he won 154 games - an average of 25 per season. Hurling for pennant winners in Pittsburgh and New York, Chesbro was a league leader in winning percentage three times; wins, appearances and games started twice each; and once each in complete games, innings and shutouts.
Chesbro's fame as a pitcher began when he pitched the Pirates to their first pennants in 1901 and 1902. In 1902 he picked up the spitball, at a time when its peculiar properties were first being discovered by a number of pitchers. He strung together enough starring seasons to offset his relatively short career. He had only 12 seasons in the major leagues, 9 as a regular starter. Still, with his extraordinary 1904 season, he gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1948.
"Happy Jack" Chesbro was an early spitball ace whose 1904 performance with the New York Highlanders still rates among the game's most remarkable seasons. He started 51 games, completed 48 and was the victor in 41 while hurling 455 innings. From 1901 to 1906, he won 154 games - an average of 25 per season. Hurling for pennant winners in Pittsburgh and New York, Chesbro was a league leader in winning percentage three times; wins, appearances and games started twice each; and once each in complete games, innings and shutouts.
Chesbro's fame as a pitcher began when he pitched the Pirates to their first pennants in 1901 and 1902. In 1902 he picked up the spitball, at a time when its peculiar properties were first being discovered by a number of pitchers. He strung together enough starring seasons to offset his relatively short career. He had only 12 seasons in the major leagues, 9 as a regular starter. Still, with his extraordinary 1904 season, he gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1948.
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 03:33 AM (GMT)
June 6th – Bill Dickey, 1907
As famed sportswriter Dan Daniel once said, "Bill Dickey isn't just a catcher, he's a ball club." A key performer for the Yankees on eight American League pennant-winners and seven World Series champions, the expert handler of pitchers with the deadly accurate throwing-arm was also a clutch hitter, batting over .300 in 10 of his first 11 full seasons. Known for his durability, he set an American League record by catching 100 or more games 13 years in a row. He finished his 17-year career with a .313 batting average.
After six straight .300-plus seasons from 1929-1934, Dickey dipped to .279 in 1935, but came back the next season with a fury. Although his offensive production was overshadowed by Yankees greats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, in the late 1930s Dickey posted some of the finest offensive seasons ever by a catcher, hitting over 20 home runs with 100 RBI in the four consecutive seasons of 1936-1939. He had a career high of 29 in 1937, including grand slams on consecutive days, August 3 and 4. His batting average bloomed as well, with a career-high .362 in 1936, followed by a .332 mark in 1937.
Dickey continued his batting onslaught in the second game of the 1936 World Series against the crosstown Giants when he hit a two-run homer and knocked in five runs. On July 26, 1939 he slammed three straight homers against the Browns in a 14-1 win. In the four-game World Series sweep that year against the Reds, Dickey slammed two homers and drove in five runs, including the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in Game One. Dickey also caught more World Series games than any catcher, 38.
Dickey's quiet demeanor off the field belied fiery behavior behind the plate. On July 4, 1932 he was suspended for 30 days and fined $1,000 for breaking the jaw of the Senators' Carl Reynolds with one punch, after a collision at home plate.
Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 1954, Player
202 votes on 252 ballots
baseball-statistics.com, Hall of Fame site
As famed sportswriter Dan Daniel once said, "Bill Dickey isn't just a catcher, he's a ball club." A key performer for the Yankees on eight American League pennant-winners and seven World Series champions, the expert handler of pitchers with the deadly accurate throwing-arm was also a clutch hitter, batting over .300 in 10 of his first 11 full seasons. Known for his durability, he set an American League record by catching 100 or more games 13 years in a row. He finished his 17-year career with a .313 batting average.
After six straight .300-plus seasons from 1929-1934, Dickey dipped to .279 in 1935, but came back the next season with a fury. Although his offensive production was overshadowed by Yankees greats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, in the late 1930s Dickey posted some of the finest offensive seasons ever by a catcher, hitting over 20 home runs with 100 RBI in the four consecutive seasons of 1936-1939. He had a career high of 29 in 1937, including grand slams on consecutive days, August 3 and 4. His batting average bloomed as well, with a career-high .362 in 1936, followed by a .332 mark in 1937.
Dickey continued his batting onslaught in the second game of the 1936 World Series against the crosstown Giants when he hit a two-run homer and knocked in five runs. On July 26, 1939 he slammed three straight homers against the Browns in a 14-1 win. In the four-game World Series sweep that year against the Reds, Dickey slammed two homers and drove in five runs, including the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in Game One. Dickey also caught more World Series games than any catcher, 38.
Dickey's quiet demeanor off the field belied fiery behavior behind the plate. On July 4, 1932 he was suspended for 30 days and fined $1,000 for breaking the jaw of the Senators' Carl Reynolds with one punch, after a collision at home plate.
Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 1954, Player
202 votes on 252 ballots
baseball-statistics.com, Hall of Fame site
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 03:47 AM (GMT)
June 7th – Thurman Munson, 1947
well, it seems there are only damn yankees this month....sorry
Munson won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1970. He was an excellent defensive catcher and won 3 consecutive American League Gold Glove awards in 1973, 1974, and 1975. He was brilliant in the physical as well as mental aspects of the game and could throw one of the fastest releases ever seen in baseball. Munson was the best clutch hitter in his prime and hit more than 100 home runs and batted better than .300 from 1975 to 1977. In 1976, Munson was named as the first Yankee team captain since Lou Gehrig and won the American League's Most Valuable Player award that year as well. He was no doubt the most respected man on the Yankee team and helped them win 3 American League pennants and 2 World Championships. Munson also was selected for 7 All-Star games during his 11 year career with the Yankees.
During the Yankees' rebuilding years, Bobby Murcer and Munson were the stars around whom the team was constructed, and they were close. Murcer was traded in 1975, but the pair were reunited briefly in 1979. Munson had a more volatile relationship with Reggie Jackson. Initially resented in 1977 for his big free-agent contract, Jackson was shunned by his new teammates. It was Munson, the team captain, who broke the ice and worked to include Jackson in team banter. But then a pre-season interview was published in which Jackson claimed that he was the straw that stirs the drink. It all comes down to me. Maybe I should say Munson and me, but he really doesn't enter into it. Munson thinks he can be the straw that stirs the drink but he can only stir it bad. Later in the season things were smoothed over, but the relationship was never again more than professional.
June 7th – Eddie Gaedel, 1925
well, it seems there are only damn yankees this month....sorry
Munson won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1970. He was an excellent defensive catcher and won 3 consecutive American League Gold Glove awards in 1973, 1974, and 1975. He was brilliant in the physical as well as mental aspects of the game and could throw one of the fastest releases ever seen in baseball. Munson was the best clutch hitter in his prime and hit more than 100 home runs and batted better than .300 from 1975 to 1977. In 1976, Munson was named as the first Yankee team captain since Lou Gehrig and won the American League's Most Valuable Player award that year as well. He was no doubt the most respected man on the Yankee team and helped them win 3 American League pennants and 2 World Championships. Munson also was selected for 7 All-Star games during his 11 year career with the Yankees.
During the Yankees' rebuilding years, Bobby Murcer and Munson were the stars around whom the team was constructed, and they were close. Murcer was traded in 1975, but the pair were reunited briefly in 1979. Munson had a more volatile relationship with Reggie Jackson. Initially resented in 1977 for his big free-agent contract, Jackson was shunned by his new teammates. It was Munson, the team captain, who broke the ice and worked to include Jackson in team banter. But then a pre-season interview was published in which Jackson claimed that he was the straw that stirs the drink. It all comes down to me. Maybe I should say Munson and me, but he really doesn't enter into it. Munson thinks he can be the straw that stirs the drink but he can only stir it bad. Later in the season things were smoothed over, but the relationship was never again more than professional.
June 7th – Eddie Gaedel, 1925
| CODE |
| Ht: 3'7 | Wt: 65 | B: R | T: L Yrs G AB R H HR RBI SB BA 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a |
| QUOTE |
| Prior to the 1951 season, Bill Veeck, who had just sold his Cleveland Indians franchise, purchased the struggling St. Louis Browns and began his efforts to increase the fan base for the troubled team. As part of a publicity stunt, Veeck promised fans a "huge surprise" during the August 19, 1951, doubleheader with the Tigers. Then, he made a move that didn't warm up the hearts of many of the league's owners. On the Friday prior to the game, Veeck shrewdly filed a contract with the major league office. Veeck knew that, with the late filing, the contract would not be reviewed until officials returned to work on Monday. Prior to the start of the first game, Veeck had a huge cardboard cake rolled onto the field. When the cake popped open, out popped Eddie Gaedel, all 3-foot-7-inches of him, in a Browns uniform complete with the number, 1/8. Veeck's true surprise came to life in the second game when Gaedel was announced as the pinch hitter for Browns' leadoff hitter Frank Saucier. Despite the laughter that ensured, the Browns were able to product a contract for Gaedel and the umpire ruled that Gaedel could bat. Gaedel stood at the plate and, with his miniscule strike zone, he was walked in four pitches by Tigers pitcher Bob Cain who was overcome with laughter. As Gaedel made his way to first base, accounts tell of him stopping to tip his hat to the fans. When he reached first, he was replaced with a pinch runner. Some saw the humor in Veeck's publicity stunt, but overall baseball was not amused. Midgets were banned from baseball and, later, fellow owners blocked Veeck's efforts to move the Browns to Baltimore unless Veeck stepped down as owner. In 1960, Veeck and Gaedel teamed up for another publicity stunt. This time, the setting was Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox that Veeck now owned. A helicopter landed in the infield prior to the start of the game and Gaedel and three other midgets appeared, all dressed as Martians. They told the crowd that could they had arrived to assist opponents Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox. The combo teamed together for a final time on Opening Day 1961 with the employment of midget vendors in Comiskey Park. Fans had complained that the vendors were blocking their view of the game. Gaedel died in June 1961. Bob Cain, the pitcher who had faced Gaedel, attended the funeral. |
forgive me, no idea of the sources, probably wikipedia for Gaedel tho?
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 03:57 AM (GMT)
June 12th – William Foster, 1904
[dohtml]<img src="http://www.findagrave.com/photoThumbnails/photos/2007/136/19922_117944769675.jpg" width=120>[/dohtml]
William Hendrick Foster was one of the best pitchers in the original Negro National League for much of its 12-year existence.
Foster, known for his wide assortment of pitches and a deceptive delivery to home plate, was the half brother of Hall of Famer Andrew "Rube" Foster, the great Negro League pitcher, manager and founder of the Negro National League. The lefthander's repertoire included a blazing fastball which he mixed artfully with a variety of breaking and off-speed pitches.
In his fifteen seasons Foster compiled a near .700 win percentage, mostly with the Chicago American Giants. He won 137 games, more than any other left-handed pitcher, according to Negro League records.
Though Foster played briefly with the Memphis Red Sox and a variety of other teams, he spent ten years in the service of his brother's American Giants. As the ace of the Chicago staff Foster led the team to the Negro World Series in 1926 and 1927, setting a league record with 18 wins against only 3 losses in 1927.
Foster's best year was in 1926 in which he won 26 straight games. On the last day of the 1926 season, he won both ends of a crucial doubleheader over the Kansas City Monarchs to clinch the pennant for the Chicago American Giants; then, in the ensuing World Series, he posted a 1.27 ERA.
Those Chicago American Giants, with Foster on the mound, won the Negro League World Series in 1926, 1927, 1928 and 1933.
In the inaugural East-West All-Star game in 1933 Foster took the mound for the West squad and left with a complete game victory. Again in 1934 Foster represented the American Giants in the all-star game, this time losing a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Satchel Paige.
Throughout his career Foster regularly participated in post-season play in the California Winter League and with barnstorming squads of Negro Leagues all-stars. In exhibition contests against major league stars Foster posted a .600+ win percentage.
source: NLBPA.org
[dohtml]<img src="http://www.findagrave.com/photoThumbnails/photos/2007/136/19922_117944769675.jpg" width=120>[/dohtml]
William Hendrick Foster was one of the best pitchers in the original Negro National League for much of its 12-year existence.
Foster, known for his wide assortment of pitches and a deceptive delivery to home plate, was the half brother of Hall of Famer Andrew "Rube" Foster, the great Negro League pitcher, manager and founder of the Negro National League. The lefthander's repertoire included a blazing fastball which he mixed artfully with a variety of breaking and off-speed pitches.
In his fifteen seasons Foster compiled a near .700 win percentage, mostly with the Chicago American Giants. He won 137 games, more than any other left-handed pitcher, according to Negro League records.
Though Foster played briefly with the Memphis Red Sox and a variety of other teams, he spent ten years in the service of his brother's American Giants. As the ace of the Chicago staff Foster led the team to the Negro World Series in 1926 and 1927, setting a league record with 18 wins against only 3 losses in 1927.
Foster's best year was in 1926 in which he won 26 straight games. On the last day of the 1926 season, he won both ends of a crucial doubleheader over the Kansas City Monarchs to clinch the pennant for the Chicago American Giants; then, in the ensuing World Series, he posted a 1.27 ERA.
Those Chicago American Giants, with Foster on the mound, won the Negro League World Series in 1926, 1927, 1928 and 1933.
In the inaugural East-West All-Star game in 1933 Foster took the mound for the West squad and left with a complete game victory. Again in 1934 Foster represented the American Giants in the all-star game, this time losing a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Satchel Paige.
Throughout his career Foster regularly participated in post-season play in the California Winter League and with barnstorming squads of Negro Leagues all-stars. In exhibition contests against major league stars Foster posted a .600+ win percentage.
source: NLBPA.org
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 04:04 AM (GMT)
June 13th – Mel Parnell, 1922
[dohtml]<img src="http://www.baseballtoddsdugout.com/ParnellPose.jpg" width=300>[/dohtml]
Reminiscent of graceful Herb Pennock, Parnell was one of the most stylish and successful Red Sox lefthanders ever, as well as a consummate gentleman. Successful in Fenway Park (70-30) with its looming Green Monster, he handled righthanded hitters with baffling inside sliders. In 1949 he was the AL's leader in wins (25) and ERA (2.77). He won 18 in each of the next two seasons. After an off-year in 1952, he rebounded with a 21-8 mark in 1953. Parnell struggled with a bad elbow for three more years before retiring, but in his final season, he threw the Red Sox' first no-hitter in 33 years (7/14/56). "I never did reach a state of nervousness," he said afterward, "because I just didn't expect it to happen."
Parnell, who spent his entire 10 years with the Red Sox, ended up with a 70-30 lifetime record inside the fabled confines of Fenway. Overall, the 6-foot, 180-pound Parnell was 123-75 with a 3.50 ERA. His career win total ranks second in team history, behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens who each have 192 victories.
Many Bosox lefties through the years have wilted on the mound as the infamous Green Monster in left field loomed over their shoulder. Somehow, Parnell managed to blossom. His feats while toeing the rubber in Fenway gave Boston fans reason to smile every time his turn came around in the starting rotation.
Parnell enjoyed his best season in 1949 when he went 25-7 leading the league in wins, ERA (2.77), complete games (27) and innings (295.1). He was the starting pitcher for the American League in that's year All-Star Game and was selected again in 1951.
After two 18-win seasons in 1950 and 1951, and a 12-12 record in 1952, Parnell went 21-8 in 1953 with a 3.06 ERA and a career-high 136 strikeouts.
source=Baseballlibrary.com
[dohtml]<img src="http://www.baseballtoddsdugout.com/ParnellPose.jpg" width=300>[/dohtml]
Reminiscent of graceful Herb Pennock, Parnell was one of the most stylish and successful Red Sox lefthanders ever, as well as a consummate gentleman. Successful in Fenway Park (70-30) with its looming Green Monster, he handled righthanded hitters with baffling inside sliders. In 1949 he was the AL's leader in wins (25) and ERA (2.77). He won 18 in each of the next two seasons. After an off-year in 1952, he rebounded with a 21-8 mark in 1953. Parnell struggled with a bad elbow for three more years before retiring, but in his final season, he threw the Red Sox' first no-hitter in 33 years (7/14/56). "I never did reach a state of nervousness," he said afterward, "because I just didn't expect it to happen."
Parnell, who spent his entire 10 years with the Red Sox, ended up with a 70-30 lifetime record inside the fabled confines of Fenway. Overall, the 6-foot, 180-pound Parnell was 123-75 with a 3.50 ERA. His career win total ranks second in team history, behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens who each have 192 victories.
Many Bosox lefties through the years have wilted on the mound as the infamous Green Monster in left field loomed over their shoulder. Somehow, Parnell managed to blossom. His feats while toeing the rubber in Fenway gave Boston fans reason to smile every time his turn came around in the starting rotation.
Parnell enjoyed his best season in 1949 when he went 25-7 leading the league in wins, ERA (2.77), complete games (27) and innings (295.1). He was the starting pitcher for the American League in that's year All-Star Game and was selected again in 1951.
After two 18-win seasons in 1950 and 1951, and a 12-12 record in 1952, Parnell went 21-8 in 1953 with a 3.06 ERA and a career-high 136 strikeouts.
source=Baseballlibrary.com
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 04:12 AM (GMT)
June 14th – Don Newcombe, 1926
Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe, Roy Campanella
Newcombe is the only player to have won the Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Cy Young Awards. Physically imposing, the 6'4", 220-lb Newk was sometimes criticized as lethargic, but his explosive fastball was likened by Ted Williams to those of AL stars Bob Feller and Virgil Trucks. He anchored the pitching rotation for the "Boys of Summer" Dodgers and was one of baseball's dominant forces from 1949 to 1956.
In October 1945, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to sign with a Major League organization, and Newcombe followed him through the door the next year, signing the same day as batterymate Roy Campanella.
"Newk" played three seasons in the minors and was promoted to Brooklyn after the 1949 season started. He compiled a 17-8 record in 4 1/2 months and was named Rookie of the Year.
He won 19 and 20 games the following two seasons, and was durable enough to nearly win both ends of a doubleheader against Philadelphia in 1950, throwing a 2-0 shutout in the opener and allowing only two runs in seven innings in the nightcap loss. In 1951 he left with a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning of the playoff game that ended with Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard 'Round the World that gave the Giants the NL pennant.
He missed the next two years while serving during the Korean War, but returned with two overpowering seasons.
Newcombe went 20-5 for the World Series champion Dodgers in 1955, allowing only 38 walks in 234 innings, and was just as good with the bat, hitting .359 (.381 as a pinch-hitter).
Don Newcombe won the Major League Cy Young Award and the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1956, following his 27-win season for the Dodgers.
source=africanamericans.com?
Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe, Roy Campanella
Newcombe is the only player to have won the Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Cy Young Awards. Physically imposing, the 6'4", 220-lb Newk was sometimes criticized as lethargic, but his explosive fastball was likened by Ted Williams to those of AL stars Bob Feller and Virgil Trucks. He anchored the pitching rotation for the "Boys of Summer" Dodgers and was one of baseball's dominant forces from 1949 to 1956.
In October 1945, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to sign with a Major League organization, and Newcombe followed him through the door the next year, signing the same day as batterymate Roy Campanella.
"Newk" played three seasons in the minors and was promoted to Brooklyn after the 1949 season started. He compiled a 17-8 record in 4 1/2 months and was named Rookie of the Year.
He won 19 and 20 games the following two seasons, and was durable enough to nearly win both ends of a doubleheader against Philadelphia in 1950, throwing a 2-0 shutout in the opener and allowing only two runs in seven innings in the nightcap loss. In 1951 he left with a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning of the playoff game that ended with Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard 'Round the World that gave the Giants the NL pennant.
He missed the next two years while serving during the Korean War, but returned with two overpowering seasons.
Newcombe went 20-5 for the World Series champion Dodgers in 1955, allowing only 38 walks in 234 innings, and was just as good with the bat, hitting .359 (.381 as a pinch-hitter).
Don Newcombe won the Major League Cy Young Award and the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1956, following his 27-win season for the Dodgers.
source=africanamericans.com?
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 04:18 AM (GMT)
June 15th – Wade Boggs, 1958
Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 2005
Wade Boggs was a virtuoso with a bat and one of the game's true masters at striking a baseball between the foul lines at an alarmingly successful rate. Utilizing great bat control and a good eye, Boggs won five batting titles, strung together seven consecutive seasons of 200 or more hits, and earned 100 walks in four straight seasons. With his knack for getting on base, Boggs often batted leadoff, and scored at least 100 runs every season from 1983 to 1989. A member of the 3,000-hit club despite failing to get a chance to play in the big leagues regularly until he was nearly 25 years old, Boggs retired with a lofty .328 batting average.
Trivia: Wade Boggs is the only player to hit a home run for his 3,000th career hit.
The quirky Boggs was one of the most superstitious players baseball has ever seen: he awoke at the same time every morning, ate chicken before every game (Jim Rice nicknamed him "Chicken Man"), and took exactly 150 ground balls during infield practice.
Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 2005
Wade Boggs was a virtuoso with a bat and one of the game's true masters at striking a baseball between the foul lines at an alarmingly successful rate. Utilizing great bat control and a good eye, Boggs won five batting titles, strung together seven consecutive seasons of 200 or more hits, and earned 100 walks in four straight seasons. With his knack for getting on base, Boggs often batted leadoff, and scored at least 100 runs every season from 1983 to 1989. A member of the 3,000-hit club despite failing to get a chance to play in the big leagues regularly until he was nearly 25 years old, Boggs retired with a lofty .328 batting average.
Trivia: Wade Boggs is the only player to hit a home run for his 3,000th career hit.
The quirky Boggs was one of the most superstitious players baseball has ever seen: he awoke at the same time every morning, ate chicken before every game (Jim Rice nicknamed him "Chicken Man"), and took exactly 150 ground balls during infield practice.
| QUOTE |
| Dick Berardino, who was Boggs' first manager at Class A Elmira in 1976, laughed about his first impressions of the skinny teenager from Tampa. He said Boggs looked to him like a Triple-A prospect or a marginal major-leaguer. Boggs hit .263 that summer without a home run. Berardino said Boggs was among a handful of players who had a tough time leaving home and adapting to pro ball. Recalling Boggs' later superstitions regarding chicken dinners on game days, Berardino said that must have been the problem in '76. "There weren't a lot of places to eat after games in those small towns, so the players used to eat a lot of McDonalds," Berardino said. "I told Wade, 'The reason you didn't hit that well is because they hadn't invented Chicken McNuggets yet. You only had Big Macs. If they had Chicken McNuggets, you might have hit 100 points higher.'" |
To get the clearest picture of the magnitude of Wade Boggs's production, consider this: in his 18-year career, Boggs reached base safely in an incredible 80% of his games and was the only batter in the twentieth century to have seven consecutive 200-hit seasons. (Wee Willie Keeler pulled off eight straight from 1894 to 1901.) He appeared in twelve All-Star games as a third baseman, second only to Brooks Robinson. In the seven years between 1982 and 1988 he batted .349 or higher six times. In his off-year he hit .325.
sources=sportsgalleryweb.com, St. Petersburg Times (sptimes.com), Hall of Fame site
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 04:32 AM (GMT)
June 16th – Ron LeFlore, 1948
Ron LeFlore grew up on the mean streets of Detroit in the 1950s. By age 15, he had been convicted of robbing a supermarket. Less than a year later, another burglary resulted in a stay in a reformatory. It was an attempt to turn LeFlore toward the straight and narrow but it didn't work. When he was released, LeFlore admitted his attitude and demeanor hadn't changed. He began selling drugs on the street but in 1970, LeFlore's ability to avoid hard prison time had run out. Convicted of armed robbery in the spring of 1970, he wound up in a Michigan state prison in Jackson. It was a place only hardened criminals went and LeFlore wasn't getting out for awhile.
He didn't play organized baseball until 1971, when he joined a team of fellow inmates and quickly became one of it's best players. Luck would have it that a fellow prisoner had a contact outside who knew Tigers' manager Billy Martin. Incredibly, Martin came to the prison and the team arranged a tryout for LeFlore in the early summer of 1973.
LeFlore's sentence hadn't expired and he was expected back at the jail shortly after the tryout but he made the most of it. Eligible for parole in July of that year, LeFlore signed a contract with the Tigers organization and within a year, was playing in the major leagues.
He became a starting outfielder in 1975 and by '76, he was one of baseball's most exciting players, creating a buzz along with Mark "The Bird" Fidrych that helped fill Tiger Stadium on a regular basis.
Possibly the fastest man in baseball during his prime, he hit .316 with 93 runs and 58 stolen bases in 1976 despite a season-halting leg injury late in the year. He had a 30-game hitting streak, the longest in the AL in 27 years.
In '77, LeFlore hit .325 and scored over 100 runs. In '78, he led the league with 68 stolen bases and scored 126 runs.
LeFlore's last season with Detroit was 1979, when at the age of 31, he swiped 78 bases. He was traded to Montreal after the season and stole a career-high 97 bags. He finished his career with the Chicago White Sox in 1982.
His incredible story became just that--a book titled "Breakout: From Prison to the Big Leagues". Later, it became a movie "One in a Million" starring LeVar Burton. Out of baseball for several years, LeFlore later became a coach in the Frontier League, an independent pro league based in the Midwest.
Ron LeFlore grew up on the mean streets of Detroit in the 1950s. By age 15, he had been convicted of robbing a supermarket. Less than a year later, another burglary resulted in a stay in a reformatory. It was an attempt to turn LeFlore toward the straight and narrow but it didn't work. When he was released, LeFlore admitted his attitude and demeanor hadn't changed. He began selling drugs on the street but in 1970, LeFlore's ability to avoid hard prison time had run out. Convicted of armed robbery in the spring of 1970, he wound up in a Michigan state prison in Jackson. It was a place only hardened criminals went and LeFlore wasn't getting out for awhile.
He didn't play organized baseball until 1971, when he joined a team of fellow inmates and quickly became one of it's best players. Luck would have it that a fellow prisoner had a contact outside who knew Tigers' manager Billy Martin. Incredibly, Martin came to the prison and the team arranged a tryout for LeFlore in the early summer of 1973.
LeFlore's sentence hadn't expired and he was expected back at the jail shortly after the tryout but he made the most of it. Eligible for parole in July of that year, LeFlore signed a contract with the Tigers organization and within a year, was playing in the major leagues.
He became a starting outfielder in 1975 and by '76, he was one of baseball's most exciting players, creating a buzz along with Mark "The Bird" Fidrych that helped fill Tiger Stadium on a regular basis.
Possibly the fastest man in baseball during his prime, he hit .316 with 93 runs and 58 stolen bases in 1976 despite a season-halting leg injury late in the year. He had a 30-game hitting streak, the longest in the AL in 27 years.
In '77, LeFlore hit .325 and scored over 100 runs. In '78, he led the league with 68 stolen bases and scored 126 runs.
LeFlore's last season with Detroit was 1979, when at the age of 31, he swiped 78 bases. He was traded to Montreal after the season and stole a career-high 97 bags. He finished his career with the Chicago White Sox in 1982.
His incredible story became just that--a book titled "Breakout: From Prison to the Big Leagues". Later, it became a movie "One in a Million" starring LeVar Burton. Out of baseball for several years, LeFlore later became a coach in the Frontier League, an independent pro league based in the Midwest.
| QUOTE |
| Possibly the fastest man in baseball during his prime, he hit .316 with 93 runs and 58 stolen bases in 1976 despite a season-halting leg injury late in the year. He had a 30-game hitting streak, the longest in the AL in 27 years. He added power with 16 HR in 1977 and was the first Tiger since Al Kaline, 22 years earlier, to get more than 200 hits. In his best season, 1978, he led the AL with 126 runs and 68 stolen bases, had a career-high 62 RBI despite being a leadoff batter, and hit in 27 straight games. |
Source: BaseballLibrary.com, sportsecyclopedia.com
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 04:36 AM (GMT)
June 17th - Dave Concepcion, 1948
Like Chico Carresquel and Luis Aparicio, he hails from Venezuela, and like Looie he is one of the greats. Eventually, he will probably enter Cooperstown. Concepcion was a brilliant fielder and developed into a good hitter. Five times in the '70s, he, along with Sparky Anderson's other greats: Perez, Rose, Bench, George Foster, Joe Morgan, and Griffey Sr., made the playoffs and four times the World Series. Concepcion was the first million-dollar shortstop. His work ethic was so strong that even after he was well established as the premier SS in the league, he continued to take 80 grounders before every game, sharp and hard ones, deep ones, toppers, bunts.
As Sparky said, "He's one of the few shortstops that when the ball is hit to him with two out, I've seen pitchers heading for the dugout without looking back."
So good was he defensively that they decided to keep him despite two sub .210 years early in his career. He applied the same determination he had in the field to the bat, took extra batting practice, got tips from the good hitters, and from '73 to '81 he hit over .271 every year, topping off at .309 in '78, .306 in '81, and 16 homers with 84 rbi in '79. In 1979, Pee Wee Reese was asked to compare the best shortstops of the day (and there were some fine ones, Belanger, Bowa, Russell, Burelson.) Pee Wee said, "No one does everything as well as Davey Concepcion."
Like Chico Carresquel and Luis Aparicio, he hails from Venezuela, and like Looie he is one of the greats. Eventually, he will probably enter Cooperstown. Concepcion was a brilliant fielder and developed into a good hitter. Five times in the '70s, he, along with Sparky Anderson's other greats: Perez, Rose, Bench, George Foster, Joe Morgan, and Griffey Sr., made the playoffs and four times the World Series. Concepcion was the first million-dollar shortstop. His work ethic was so strong that even after he was well established as the premier SS in the league, he continued to take 80 grounders before every game, sharp and hard ones, deep ones, toppers, bunts.
As Sparky said, "He's one of the few shortstops that when the ball is hit to him with two out, I've seen pitchers heading for the dugout without looking back."
So good was he defensively that they decided to keep him despite two sub .210 years early in his career. He applied the same determination he had in the field to the bat, took extra batting practice, got tips from the good hitters, and from '73 to '81 he hit over .271 every year, topping off at .309 in '78, .306 in '81, and 16 homers with 84 rbi in '79. In 1979, Pee Wee Reese was asked to compare the best shortstops of the day (and there were some fine ones, Belanger, Bowa, Russell, Burelson.) Pee Wee said, "No one does everything as well as Davey Concepcion."
| QUOTE |
| As flashy as he was graceful, enemy dugouts were known to explode with barking sounds when he was on the field, underscoring his hot dog tendencies. He loved it. Yet he was shy when he first came up. Some sagacious traveling secretary roomed him with Hot Dog #1, "Doggie" Perez, who promptly turned him out. As well as the chestyness and goofiness, they helped each other deal with the transition to a new culture. Later, Concepcion was well known in the Hispanic community for helping other recent arrivals cope with being strangers in a strange land. Concepcion was a little strange, anyway. Fearlessly disregarding a cardinal baseball superstition, he wore #13, yet had superstitions aplenty. During slumps he was known to shower in his uniform to wash out the gremlins. One time he walked from his hotel wearing a shirt, tie, suit jacket, baseball pants and spikes to counter a slump. |
source: thebaseballdiamond.com
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 05:02 AM (GMT)
June 18th – Lou Brock, 1939
Walter Iooss photo of Lou Brock, World Series, 1967
[doHTML]<A href="mms://a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/library/open/hof/brock_lou.wmv"
target="_blank">Brock Video, from National Baseball Hall of Fame</A>[/doHTML]
Among nearly 20,000 players to play Major League Baseball, "Larcenous Lou Brock" is the 22nd all-time hits leader with 3,023 over his career and is the 2nd all-time stolen base leader with a lifetime total of 938.
He was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1985 and was named one of the Top 100 players of the 20th Century.
The 1965 season, his third in the majors (coming up September 10, 1961) and his first full season as a Cardinal, was quite fruitful for Brock. St. Louis fans cheered as the “Running Redbird” scored 107 runs, hit .288 and stole 63 bases. Perhaps his best season was in 1967 when he blasted away his competition with 113 runs, 52 steals, 21 home runs and drove in 78 runs. That year, he also helped the Cardinals win the World Series against the Boston Red Sox in seven games. In that World Series he stole 14 bases, setting a new record.
Brock went on to lead the National League in stolen bases from 1971 until 1974. In 1974 he broke Maury Wills’ single season stolen base record when he stole 118 bases (his record was broken in 1982 by Rickey Henderson, who stole 130 bases).
Accomplishing this feat at the age of 35, Brock became the oldest player to steal over 100 bases. In 1977 he continued his mind-boggling success when he broke baseball legend Ty Cobb’s career stolen base record. In his final season in 1979, Brock batted .304, stole 21 bases and became a member of the elite 3,000 club. Then, after 19 illustrious seasons in the Major League, Lou Brock retired from baseball.
"official" lou brock site, Hall of Fame site, "personal" lou brock site
Walter Iooss photo of Lou Brock, World Series, 1967
[doHTML]<A href="mms://a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/library/open/hof/brock_lou.wmv"
target="_blank">Brock Video, from National Baseball Hall of Fame</A>[/doHTML]
Among nearly 20,000 players to play Major League Baseball, "Larcenous Lou Brock" is the 22nd all-time hits leader with 3,023 over his career and is the 2nd all-time stolen base leader with a lifetime total of 938.
He was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1985 and was named one of the Top 100 players of the 20th Century.
The 1965 season, his third in the majors (coming up September 10, 1961) and his first full season as a Cardinal, was quite fruitful for Brock. St. Louis fans cheered as the “Running Redbird” scored 107 runs, hit .288 and stole 63 bases. Perhaps his best season was in 1967 when he blasted away his competition with 113 runs, 52 steals, 21 home runs and drove in 78 runs. That year, he also helped the Cardinals win the World Series against the Boston Red Sox in seven games. In that World Series he stole 14 bases, setting a new record.
Brock went on to lead the National League in stolen bases from 1971 until 1974. In 1974 he broke Maury Wills’ single season stolen base record when he stole 118 bases (his record was broken in 1982 by Rickey Henderson, who stole 130 bases).
Accomplishing this feat at the age of 35, Brock became the oldest player to steal over 100 bases. In 1977 he continued his mind-boggling success when he broke baseball legend Ty Cobb’s career stolen base record. In his final season in 1979, Brock batted .304, stole 21 bases and became a member of the elite 3,000 club. Then, after 19 illustrious seasons in the Major League, Lou Brock retired from baseball.
"official" lou brock site, Hall of Fame site, "personal" lou brock site
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 05:16 AM (GMT)
June 19th – Lou Gehrig, 1903
Lou Gehrig teamed with Babe Ruth to form baseball's most devastating hitting tandem ever. "The Iron Horse" had 13 consecutive seasons with both 100 runs scored and 100 RBI, averaging 139 runs and 148 RBI; set an American League mark with 184 RBI in 1931; hit a record 23 grand slams; and won the 1934 Triple Crown. His .361 batting average in seven World Series led the Yankees to six titles. A true gentleman and a tragic figure, Gehrig's consecutive games played streak ended at 2,130 when he was felled by a disease that later carried his own name.
During his career, Gehrig averaged 147 RBIs a season. No other player was to reach the 147 mark in a single season until George Foster did it in 1977. And, as historian Bill Curran points out, Gehrig accomplished it “while batting immediately behind two of history’s greatest base-cleaners, Ruth and DiMaggio.” Gehrig’s 184 RBIs in 1931 remains the highest single season total in American League history.
Lou Gehrig teamed with Babe Ruth to form baseball's most devastating hitting tandem ever. "The Iron Horse" had 13 consecutive seasons with both 100 runs scored and 100 RBI, averaging 139 runs and 148 RBI; set an American League mark with 184 RBI in 1931; hit a record 23 grand slams; and won the 1934 Triple Crown. His .361 batting average in seven World Series led the Yankees to six titles. A true gentleman and a tragic figure, Gehrig's consecutive games played streak ended at 2,130 when he was felled by a disease that later carried his own name.
During his career, Gehrig averaged 147 RBIs a season. No other player was to reach the 147 mark in a single season until George Foster did it in 1977. And, as historian Bill Curran points out, Gehrig accomplished it “while batting immediately behind two of history’s greatest base-cleaners, Ruth and DiMaggio.” Gehrig’s 184 RBIs in 1931 remains the highest single season total in American League history.
| QUOTE |
| Hit four home runs in one game on June 3, 1932. [almost 5, last one sorta robbed by a great catch] Won the Triple Crown in 1934 when he led the American League in batting average (.363), home runs (49) and runs batted in (165). Holds the record for most grand slams in a career with 23. Hit 493 home runs in his career, setting the record for the most home runs hit by any first baseman in history until Mark McGwire hit 500. Became the only player in history to drive in more than 500 runs in three years. He ushered in 174 runs in 1930, 184 in 1931 and 151 in 1932, for a total of 509. His amazing total of 184 RBI's in a single season (1931) is first in American League history and second in baseball history (behind Hack Wilson's 190 RBI's with the Chicago Cubs). Set a record by playing in a consecutive streak of 2,130 professional baseball games throughout his career, despite 17 fractures in his hands, being beaned several times, having severe back pain and suffering various other illnesses and minor injuries. Gehrig’s record stood until Cal Ripken, Jr. broke it in 1995. |
source=Hall of Fame site
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 05:22 AM (GMT)
June 20th – Dickie Thon, 1958
Dickie Thon's career was changed by one pitch from Mike Torrez. Before being beaned by Torrez on April 8, 1984, Thon was the NL's premier offensive, and some said defensive, shortstop. A right-handed pull hitter, Thon played briefly for California before being traded to the Astros for Ken Forsch. He became Houston's starting shortstop in 1982 and led the NL with ten triples. He led all NL shortstops with 20 homers and 533 assists in 1983, and led the league with 18 game-winning RBI, driving in 79 overall. After that one beanball, Thon suffered from poor vision and frequently spent time on the disabled list. Though his fielding returned to major league status, Thon's power and baserunning savvy were diminished until 1989, when he recalled some of his past excellence with 15 home runs, 60 RBI, and a .271 batting average in 435 at-bats.
baseballlibrary.com
Dickie Thon's career was changed by one pitch from Mike Torrez. Before being beaned by Torrez on April 8, 1984, Thon was the NL's premier offensive, and some said defensive, shortstop. A right-handed pull hitter, Thon played briefly for California before being traded to the Astros for Ken Forsch. He became Houston's starting shortstop in 1982 and led the NL with ten triples. He led all NL shortstops with 20 homers and 533 assists in 1983, and led the league with 18 game-winning RBI, driving in 79 overall. After that one beanball, Thon suffered from poor vision and frequently spent time on the disabled list. Though his fielding returned to major league status, Thon's power and baserunning savvy were diminished until 1989, when he recalled some of his past excellence with 15 home runs, 60 RBI, and a .271 batting average in 435 at-bats.
baseballlibrary.com
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 05:25 AM (GMT)
June 22nd – Carl Hubbell, 1903
| QUOTE |
| "He could throw strikes at midnight. I never saw another pitcher who could so fascinate the opposition the way Hubbell did." — Billy Herman |
The Giants' mainstay of the 1930s, Carl Hubbell led the club to three pennants in a five-year span, during which he averaged 23 victories a season and was twice named MVP. Baffling hitters with a devastating screwball, "The Meal Ticket" compiled a streak of 46 1/3 scoreless innings in 1933 and won 16 straight games in 1936 (and a record 24 over two seasons).
"King Carl" as he was called, is best known for his remarkable performance in the 1934 All-Star game. He began the game yielding a single and a walk, before striking out five future Hall of Famers – Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin - in succession.
After his pitching career, [Hubbell] had a distinguished front office career. He was director of the New York/San Francisco Giants farm system in the late fifties and sixties, at a time when that farm system was producing ballplayers like McDopnld's produces hamburgers – McCovey, Marichal, Cepeda, the Alou brothers, Leon Wagner, Jim Davenport, Bill White, Mike McCormick, Jose Cardenal, Jim Ray Hart, Gaylord Perry, and many others. It may have been the most productive farm system in the history of baseball.
Hall of Fame site, Bill James, "official" Carl Hubbell site
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 05:27 AM (GMT)
June 23rd – Marty Barrett, 1958
A classic number-two hitter, Barrett batted a career-high .303 in his first full major-league season (1984), but was most valued for his excellent bat control and talent at moving runners along. He rarely struck out and was a skillful bunter, leading the AL in sacrifice hits three straight years from 1986 to 1988. Also renowned for his savvy at second base, Barrett often confounded enemy baserunners with decoys, bluffs, and the occasional hidden-ball trick.
victims: Bobby Grich, Doug DeCinces (who were on the same Angels team, DeCinces only 2 weeks after Grich, July 1985), and Jim Traber 1988
retrosheet, baseballlibrary
A classic number-two hitter, Barrett batted a career-high .303 in his first full major-league season (1984), but was most valued for his excellent bat control and talent at moving runners along. He rarely struck out and was a skillful bunter, leading the AL in sacrifice hits three straight years from 1986 to 1988. Also renowned for his savvy at second base, Barrett often confounded enemy baserunners with decoys, bluffs, and the occasional hidden-ball trick.
victims: Bobby Grich, Doug DeCinces (who were on the same Angels team, DeCinces only 2 weeks after Grich, July 1985), and Jim Traber 1988
retrosheet, baseballlibrary
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 05:35 AM (GMT)
June 27th – Jim Edmonds, 1970
i started doing this project as a way to 'force' myself to learn about these names on a calendar i'd gotten as a gift. i said it back in February i think - that i have been amazed at how much i'm learning not just about the names, who these guys are, but about the game and its history and other teams' traditions. i can't tell you how much there is that i get to read that doesn't end up on these posts due to sheer space constraint. example is this article on Jim Edmonds: background on playing high school ball, on the Angels back in the 1990s, on his similarity to Matos in a lot of ways when he was with the Angels, on the trade that brought him to St. Louis, on the difference between his days with California/Anaheim compared to those with the Cards, on the Cardinals' struggles to make it to the World Series. none of that will end up here, but there's the link to that article if you're at all interested. i sure love baseball.
i started doing this project as a way to 'force' myself to learn about these names on a calendar i'd gotten as a gift. i said it back in February i think - that i have been amazed at how much i'm learning not just about the names, who these guys are, but about the game and its history and other teams' traditions. i can't tell you how much there is that i get to read that doesn't end up on these posts due to sheer space constraint. example is this article on Jim Edmonds: background on playing high school ball, on the Angels back in the 1990s, on his similarity to Matos in a lot of ways when he was with the Angels, on the trade that brought him to St. Louis, on the difference between his days with California/Anaheim compared to those with the Cards, on the Cardinals' struggles to make it to the World Series. none of that will end up here, but there's the link to that article if you're at all interested. i sure love baseball.
| QUOTE ( Frank Cusamano ) |
| Two-thirds of the world is covered by water - the rest is covered by Jim Edmonds. |
A patient but sometimes erratic hitter, Jim is among the top players in the NL in pitches seen per plate appearance, although it is not rare for him to swing at a first pitch, hitting 12 first pitch homers in the 2004 season. Unlike most left-handed batters, Edmonds has good power hitting to the opposite field, and hits reasonably well against left-handed pitchers. He has a career on base percentage of .384 and slugging percentage of .543. Though he is a menace to many opposing pitching staffs, Edmonds can be contained by pitchers who feature good high fastballs and change ups low in the strike zone. He is often criticized for his consistently high strike out totals on a yearly basis.
One of the best defensive centerfielders in baseball today, Edmonds has proven to have a flair for the dramatic, often coming up with his best plays in crucial situations late in games.
With Albert Pujols suffering an oblique injury in the early months of the 2006 season, Edmonds has become the starting first basemen for the Cardinals for the duration of Pujols' injury. For a secondary position, Edmonds handles the glove extremely well at first base, with no career errors at the position in over 350 innings of work. Coincidentally or not, Edmonds also seems to hit better in his time at first base, and during Pujols' absence, the Cardinals have been jump-started by Edmonds' production at the position after slumping early in the year.
He has hit 30 or more home runs in five seasons, while maintaining a .291 career batting average, and has knocked in over 1,000 career RBIs. He has also received eight Gold Glove awards in his career at center field, most of them coming as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
A defining moment of Edmonds' career came in the 2004 National League Championship Series, in which Edmonds hit an extra-inning home run to win Game 6.
wikipedia, CardsClubhouse.com, jimedmondsfanpage
osfan58202233 - July 25, 2008 05:46 AM (GMT)
June 28th – Don Baylor, 1949
Born in Austin, Texas, Don Baylor graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School before attending Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1967 amateur draft by Baltimore.
Baylor was named The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year in 1970 while playing for the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester. He eventually joined the big-league club in 1972, when he played 102 games behind the O’s everyday outfield of Merv Rettenmund, Paul Blair, and Don Buford. By 1974 Baylor was a steady mainstay in Earl Weaver’s outfield, filling an offensive hole that had existed ever since the Orioles traded Frank Robinson to Los Angeles in 1971.
from "From 33rd Street to Camden Yards," John Eisenberg
Born in Austin, Texas, Don Baylor graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School before attending Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1967 amateur draft by Baltimore.
Baylor was named The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year in 1970 while playing for the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester. He eventually joined the big-league club in 1972, when he played 102 games behind the O’s everyday outfield of Merv Rettenmund, Paul Blair, and Don Buford. By 1974 Baylor was a steady mainstay in Earl Weaver’s outfield, filling an offensive hole that had existed ever since the Orioles traded Frank Robinson to Los Angeles in 1971.
from "From 33rd Street to Camden Yards," John Eisenberg
| QUOTE |
| The Orioles' top two draft picks in '67 were Bob Grich and Don Baylor, each a future All-Star and symbolic of the Orioles' innate nose for excellence. Grich, a shortstop from California, and Baylor, an outfielder from Texas, all but forced the Orioles to dismantle a championship club when they were ready for the major leagues in the early 70s. ... Grich and Baylor weren't the only prospects coming through the system at the time. Future major leaguers such as Al Bumbry, Doug DeCinces, Wayne Garland, Terry Crowley, Rich Coggins, Enos Cabell, Bob Bailor, Don Hood, Jesse Jefferson, and Mick Reinbach also were drafted between '66 and '70. Those who didn't become mainstays for the Orioles were traded and brought value in return. |
| QUOTE ( Bobby Grich ) |
| Orioles baseball was good, sound, fundamental baseball. Good defense. It was just a good feeling of unity throughout the organization. They certainly were not the highest paying organization; more middle of the road as pay scale. But they had the best GM in baseball in Dalton. They didn't rush their players. That's what they were known for. Other organizations would bump players along two steps at a time. The Orioles were adamant about being patient with their young players. They just about never bumped them more than one class at a time. If there was anyone who could have been bumped it was Baylor, but they held him back. Other organizations certainly would have rushed him along, but the Orioles were patient. |
Baylor played for the Orioles (1970-75), Oakland Athletics (1976, 1988), Angels (1977-82), New York Yankees (1983-85), Boston Red Sox (1986-87), and Minnesota Twins (1987).
In 1979, he led the American League with 139 RBIs and 120 runs and was an AL All-Star. He won the AL's MVP award and led the Angels to their first AL Western Division title ever. He reached the World Series three times in his career, in consecutive years with three different teams—the Red Sox in 1986, the Twins in 1987, and the A's in 1988—and was on the winning side in 1987. Baylor was a power hitter known for crowding the plate. He set the Yankees' team record for most Hit by Pitches in a season (24 in 1985). Baylor retired with 285 stolen bases, 2135 hits, and 338 home runs.
wikipedia, John Eisenberg, biographybase.com