Title: Born Today - July
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:58 AM (GMT)
July 1st – Roger Connor, 1857
Roger Connor was the 19th century's home run king. His 138 career homers established a major league record until surpassed by Babe Ruth in 1921. Connor hit 10 or more home runs seven times (a 19th century record), once hit three homers in one game (May 9, 1888), and was the first ballplayer to hit an over-the-wall home run at the Polo Grounds. The slugging first baseman bested the .300 mark in 12 seasons and once garnered six hits in as many at-bats (June 1, 1895).
Although Connor could drive the ball for prodigious distances, his speed and line drives added up to triples, and he is fifth on the all-time list with 233. His home runs could be awesome. In 1883, he hit a magnificent shot in his first game with the Giants that caused jubilant patrons to pass the hat and buy him a $500 gold watch in appreciation. He favored pitches down by his knees and would put his 220 pounds of farm-hardened muscle behind his hits.
Roger Connor was the 19th century's home run king. His 138 career homers established a major league record until surpassed by Babe Ruth in 1921. Connor hit 10 or more home runs seven times (a 19th century record), once hit three homers in one game (May 9, 1888), and was the first ballplayer to hit an over-the-wall home run at the Polo Grounds. The slugging first baseman bested the .300 mark in 12 seasons and once garnered six hits in as many at-bats (June 1, 1895).
Although Connor could drive the ball for prodigious distances, his speed and line drives added up to triples, and he is fifth on the all-time list with 233. His home runs could be awesome. In 1883, he hit a magnificent shot in his first game with the Giants that caused jubilant patrons to pass the hat and buy him a $500 gold watch in appreciation. He favored pitches down by his knees and would put his 220 pounds of farm-hardened muscle behind his hits.
| QUOTE |
| Roger was both active and nimble and did fully as well if not better in the fielding line than his contemporaries. He had a tremendous reach, a good pair of hands and was exceedingly good on pickups, digging the ball out of the dirt… — Sam Crane |
# Led League in HR 1890
# Led League in RBI 1889
# Led League in BA 1885
Roger Connor's case for Hall of Fame election was argued strongly by Bill Klem, who held Connor in special esteem. In 1902, when Klem was breaking into professional umpiring in the Connecticut League, the young umpire gave several decisions against Connor's Springfield team. With the fans shouting for his blood, Klem was relieved when the huge playing manager of the home team put an encouraging arm across the young umpire's shoulders and assured everyone Klem had the right to call them as he saw them.
just a small act, but look how much it meant...
sources=baseballlibrary.com, hall of fame site
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:59 AM (GMT)
July 2nd – Jose Canseco, 1964
can i skip this one? yeah, happy birthday jose, but i'm kinda done with hearing about you
can i skip this one? yeah, happy birthday jose, but i'm kinda done with hearing about you
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:06 PM (GMT)
July 3rd – César Leonardo Tovar, 1940
Mr. Versatility
César Tovar was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He was signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1959 and, after being traded to Minnesota in late 1964, made his debut on April 12, 1965. The Twins made ample use of his ability to play a variety of positions; by 1967, Tovar divided his fielding season between third base (70 games), center field (64), second base (36), left field (10), shortstop (9) and right field (5), setting an American League record of 164 games played and leading the league with 649 at-bats. In addition, he was among the top 10 batters in runs, hits, doubles, triples, stolen bases, on base percentage, hit by pitch and sacrifice hits.
Tovar improved his batting average every year from 1965 through 1971, when he batted .311 and led the league with 204 hits. On September 19, 1972 Tovar hit for the cycle.
On September 22, 1968, Tovar became the second player to play every position in a game, joining Bert Campaneris (Kansas City Athletics, 1965), Scott Sheldon (Texas Rangers, 2000) and Shane Halter (Detroit Tigers, 2000). No National League player has ever done it. Tovar started the game on the mound against Oakland and pitched one scoreless inning in which he struck out Reggie Jackson; the first batter he faced was Campaneris.
On May 18, 1969, Tovar combined with Rod Carew to set a major league record for most steals by a club in one inning with five, in the second inning against a Detroit battery of Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan. Carew stole 2nd, 3rd and home; Tovar stole 3rd and home ahead of Carew. The two steals of home in the same inning also tied a record.
* Led league in hits (204, 1971)
* Led league in doubles (36, 1970)
* Led league in at-bats (649, 1967)
* Top 10 in MVP vote (7th, 1967)
* Hit for the cycle (1972)
* Holds AL record in most games played in a season (164, 1967)
* Five times collected his team's only hit in a game (a MLB record shared with Eddie Milner)
In his 12-year career, Tovar batted .278 with 46 home runs, 435 RBI, 1546 hits, 834 runs, 253 doubles, 55 triples, and 226 stolen bases in 1448 games.
sources: wikipedia.com
Mr. Versatility
César Tovar was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He was signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1959 and, after being traded to Minnesota in late 1964, made his debut on April 12, 1965. The Twins made ample use of his ability to play a variety of positions; by 1967, Tovar divided his fielding season between third base (70 games), center field (64), second base (36), left field (10), shortstop (9) and right field (5), setting an American League record of 164 games played and leading the league with 649 at-bats. In addition, he was among the top 10 batters in runs, hits, doubles, triples, stolen bases, on base percentage, hit by pitch and sacrifice hits.
Tovar improved his batting average every year from 1965 through 1971, when he batted .311 and led the league with 204 hits. On September 19, 1972 Tovar hit for the cycle.
On September 22, 1968, Tovar became the second player to play every position in a game, joining Bert Campaneris (Kansas City Athletics, 1965), Scott Sheldon (Texas Rangers, 2000) and Shane Halter (Detroit Tigers, 2000). No National League player has ever done it. Tovar started the game on the mound against Oakland and pitched one scoreless inning in which he struck out Reggie Jackson; the first batter he faced was Campaneris.
On May 18, 1969, Tovar combined with Rod Carew to set a major league record for most steals by a club in one inning with five, in the second inning against a Detroit battery of Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan. Carew stole 2nd, 3rd and home; Tovar stole 3rd and home ahead of Carew. The two steals of home in the same inning also tied a record.
* Led league in hits (204, 1971)
* Led league in doubles (36, 1970)
* Led league in at-bats (649, 1967)
* Top 10 in MVP vote (7th, 1967)
* Hit for the cycle (1972)
* Holds AL record in most games played in a season (164, 1967)
* Five times collected his team's only hit in a game (a MLB record shared with Eddie Milner)
In his 12-year career, Tovar batted .278 with 46 home runs, 435 RBI, 1546 hits, 834 runs, 253 doubles, 55 triples, and 226 stolen bases in 1448 games.
sources: wikipedia.com
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:16 PM (GMT)
July 4th – George Steinbrenner, 1930
[dohtml]<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/sac1129/GeorgeSteinbrenner2.jpg" width=320>[/dohtml]
On January 3, 1973, a group of investors led by Steinbrenner and minority partner Burke bought the Yankees from CBS for $8.7 million ($45.6 Mil. in 2005 dollars). We plan absentee ownership as far as running the Yankees is concerned, said Steinbrenner, according to an article in The New York Times reporting on the sale. We're not going to pretend we're something we aren't. I'll stick to building ships.
Steinbrenner is famous for both his pursuit of high-priced free agents and, in some cases, infamous for feuding with them. In his first 23 seasons, he changed managers 20 times (including dismissing Billy Martin on five separate occasions) and general managers 11 times in 30 years.
[dohtml]<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/sac1129/GeorgeSteinbrenner2.jpg" width=320>[/dohtml]
On January 3, 1973, a group of investors led by Steinbrenner and minority partner Burke bought the Yankees from CBS for $8.7 million ($45.6 Mil. in 2005 dollars). We plan absentee ownership as far as running the Yankees is concerned, said Steinbrenner, according to an article in The New York Times reporting on the sale. We're not going to pretend we're something we aren't. I'll stick to building ships.
Steinbrenner is famous for both his pursuit of high-priced free agents and, in some cases, infamous for feuding with them. In his first 23 seasons, he changed managers 20 times (including dismissing Billy Martin on five separate occasions) and general managers 11 times in 30 years.
| QUOTE |
| On July 30, 1990, commissioner Fay Vincent banned Steinbrenner from baseball for life after he paid Howie Spira, a small-time gambler, $40,000 for "dirt" on his outfielder Dave Winfield after Winfield sued him for failing to pay his foundation the $300,000 guaranteed in his contract. At Yankee Stadium, where a ballgame was being played, word of Steinbrenner's banishment filtering over the transistor radios resulted in a standing ovation from title-starved fans. |
Steinbrenner was reinstated in 1993, the same time the Yankees regained momentum as a quality sports franchise -- helped by Steinbrenner's willingness to delegate authority to executives such as Gene Michael, and to let promising farm-system players such as Bernie Williams develop instead of trading them for established players.
George Steinbrenner has had the worst win to payroll ratio in history.
| QUOTE |
| "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next." – George Steinbrenner |
source: wikipedia..only?
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:32 PM (GMT)
July 5th – Rich "Goose" Gossage, 1951
The hard-throwing Gossage was one of the most consistent relief pitchers ever. His 310 saves placed him eighth on the all-time save list and his 115 relief victories ranked third all-time behind Hoyt Wilhelm and Lindy McDaniel.
During his career, Gossage averaged 7.45 Hits Allowed per 9 Innings Pitched, 7.47 Strikeouts per 9 Innings Pitched, pitched in 1,002 Games, earned 310 saves and finished 681 Games. He also made nine All-Star appearances and pitched in three World Series. The New York Yankees of the late 1970s and early 1980s arguably pioneered the set-up/closer configuration which is used by most of the better teams today. The most effective pairing was Ron Davis and Gossage, with Davis typically entering the game in the 7th or 8th innings and Gossage closing. During one stretch, with that pairing, the Yankees won 77 of 79 games in which they led after 6 innings, and they had several other runs that were almost as remarkable.
He led the American League in Saves in 1975 (26), 1978 (27) and 1980 (33).
He holds the New York Yankees career record for ERA (2.14) and Hits Allowed per 9 Innings Pitched (6.59).
Gossage has campaigned openly for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He came close in 2006, receiving 64.6% of the votes of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), but falling short of the 75% necessary for induction. Still, he publicly voiced his displeasure at the decision of the writers to enshrine fellow closer Bruce Sutter into the Hall.
interesting article about Gossage being in the Hall of Fame here:
The hard-throwing Gossage was one of the most consistent relief pitchers ever. His 310 saves placed him eighth on the all-time save list and his 115 relief victories ranked third all-time behind Hoyt Wilhelm and Lindy McDaniel.
During his career, Gossage averaged 7.45 Hits Allowed per 9 Innings Pitched, 7.47 Strikeouts per 9 Innings Pitched, pitched in 1,002 Games, earned 310 saves and finished 681 Games. He also made nine All-Star appearances and pitched in three World Series. The New York Yankees of the late 1970s and early 1980s arguably pioneered the set-up/closer configuration which is used by most of the better teams today. The most effective pairing was Ron Davis and Gossage, with Davis typically entering the game in the 7th or 8th innings and Gossage closing. During one stretch, with that pairing, the Yankees won 77 of 79 games in which they led after 6 innings, and they had several other runs that were almost as remarkable.
He led the American League in Saves in 1975 (26), 1978 (27) and 1980 (33).
He holds the New York Yankees career record for ERA (2.14) and Hits Allowed per 9 Innings Pitched (6.59).
Gossage has campaigned openly for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He came close in 2006, receiving 64.6% of the votes of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), but falling short of the 75% necessary for induction. Still, he publicly voiced his displeasure at the decision of the writers to enshrine fellow closer Bruce Sutter into the Hall.
interesting article about Gossage being in the Hall of Fame here:
| QUOTE |
| it's about time Hall of Fame voters woke up and realized that the role of relief specialist isn't going away. That being the case, they had better start recognizing those that set the standard for the role. They have already done so by electing Wilhelm and Rollie Fingers. Well, if Wilhelm and Fingers are the standard for Hall relievers, then inducting Gossage is the next logical step. Here is his case: Gossage pitched for 22 seasons, more than either Fingers or Wilhelm. His winning percentage of .537 is better than Fingers (.491) and almost identical to Wilhelm (.540). After adjustments for his leagues and his home ballparks, Gossage's career ERA+ of 126 (the higher the number the better), was better than Fingers (119) but trailed Wilhelm (146). He had more saves, 310, than Wilhelm (227) but trailed Fingers (341). He struck out more men per nine innings than either man while surrendering fewer hits per nine innings than Fingers. His career total of 1,002 games is 6th all-time, more than Fingers (944) but less than Wilhelm (1,070). |
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:41 PM (GMT)
July 6th – Willie Randolph, 1954
Minaya and Randolph
When the Yankees received Willie Randolph in a trade in 1975, they envisioned him providing some stability at second base. Over the next 13 years, Randolph provided a consistent offense player while the Yankees went through 32 different shortstops.
Randolph is the current manager of the New York Mets and played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets between 1975 and 1992. Randolph was selected to 6 All Star games over his career. He was known as a top lead-off man, a skilled bunter, and a patient hitter who drew over 80 walks 7 times. Randolph was also an outstanding defensive player, known especially for his ability to turn the double play.
# One of three players in MLB history to hit .400 or better in March/April (1980).
# Led the American League in walks during the 1980 season with 119 free passes.
From March 4th, 1986 until July 12th, 1989, Randolph served as co-captain of the Yankees along with Ron Guidry, and as sole captain until October 2nd, 1989.
He left the Yankees ranking high on their star-studded all-time lists: 2nd in stolen bases, 7th in at-bats and runs, 8th in games, 10th in hits, and 19th in triples.
Randolph was a coach for the New York Yankees for 11 seasons. In 2004, Randolph was named the manager for the Mets beginning with the 2005 season. Randolph earned his first win as a manager on April 10, 2005 in a 6-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. The win halted a five game losing streak to start the 2005 season. He then guided the Mets to 5 straight victories, giving the Mets their first six game winning streak since August of 2003.
Randolph ended his first season as manager of the 2005 Mets with a 83-79 record, the first time the franchise has finished over .500 since 2001. That record got them a tie for third place in the NL East.
baseballlibrary, historicbaseball.com, wikipedia
Minaya and Randolph
When the Yankees received Willie Randolph in a trade in 1975, they envisioned him providing some stability at second base. Over the next 13 years, Randolph provided a consistent offense player while the Yankees went through 32 different shortstops.
Randolph is the current manager of the New York Mets and played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets between 1975 and 1992. Randolph was selected to 6 All Star games over his career. He was known as a top lead-off man, a skilled bunter, and a patient hitter who drew over 80 walks 7 times. Randolph was also an outstanding defensive player, known especially for his ability to turn the double play.
# One of three players in MLB history to hit .400 or better in March/April (1980).
# Led the American League in walks during the 1980 season with 119 free passes.
From March 4th, 1986 until July 12th, 1989, Randolph served as co-captain of the Yankees along with Ron Guidry, and as sole captain until October 2nd, 1989.
He left the Yankees ranking high on their star-studded all-time lists: 2nd in stolen bases, 7th in at-bats and runs, 8th in games, 10th in hits, and 19th in triples.
Randolph was a coach for the New York Yankees for 11 seasons. In 2004, Randolph was named the manager for the Mets beginning with the 2005 season. Randolph earned his first win as a manager on April 10, 2005 in a 6-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. The win halted a five game losing streak to start the 2005 season. He then guided the Mets to 5 straight victories, giving the Mets their first six game winning streak since August of 2003.
Randolph ended his first season as manager of the 2005 Mets with a 83-79 record, the first time the franchise has finished over .500 since 2001. That record got them a tie for third place in the NL East.
baseballlibrary, historicbaseball.com, wikipedia
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:45 PM (GMT)
July 8th – Ivey Wingo, 1890
Ivey Wingo played 17 seasons in major league baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals (1911-1914) and Cincinnati Reds (1915-1926, 1929), posting career marks of 1,039 hits, 25 homers, 455 RBIs, 147 doubles and 81 triples.
A fiery, redheaded, energetic catcher, Wingo retired with the National League record for games caught in a career, 1,233. Wingo was a popular man with teammates and fans. Ivey's competitive nature was shown in an incident during his minor league managing career. One umpire twice removed Wingo from the same game. He was first ejected for arguing and was later chased again when he was found to be hiding in the bullpen.
A left-handed hitter, Wingo was known more as an offensive catcher. Still, he was a good handler of pitchers with a strong arm. But Wingo held records for most errors by a catcher both in a season and career post-1900. A contemporary account stated that most of his errors were on high throws that sailed over second base on stolen base attempts. The strength of his arm was demonstrated in a Baseball Magazine article in May of 1914. In a chart it was shown that Wingo threw out 92 base stealers in 98 games, an average of 0.94 per game.
In 1919 Wingo helped lead the Reds to their first world championship. He had begun the season with a severe cold. He recovered to platoon with Bill Rariden throughout the season; Rariden generally played against lefthanded starters, and lefty-swinging Wingo played against the righthanders. Wingo hit .571 in the World Series as the Reds defeated the notorious "Black Sox" of Chicago.
i kinda have trouble with his defensive description above, but i decided to leave it just as it's written on that web site. ??
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame site, SABR biography project site for Ivey Wingo
Ivey Wingo played 17 seasons in major league baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals (1911-1914) and Cincinnati Reds (1915-1926, 1929), posting career marks of 1,039 hits, 25 homers, 455 RBIs, 147 doubles and 81 triples.
A fiery, redheaded, energetic catcher, Wingo retired with the National League record for games caught in a career, 1,233. Wingo was a popular man with teammates and fans. Ivey's competitive nature was shown in an incident during his minor league managing career. One umpire twice removed Wingo from the same game. He was first ejected for arguing and was later chased again when he was found to be hiding in the bullpen.
A left-handed hitter, Wingo was known more as an offensive catcher. Still, he was a good handler of pitchers with a strong arm. But Wingo held records for most errors by a catcher both in a season and career post-1900. A contemporary account stated that most of his errors were on high throws that sailed over second base on stolen base attempts. The strength of his arm was demonstrated in a Baseball Magazine article in May of 1914. In a chart it was shown that Wingo threw out 92 base stealers in 98 games, an average of 0.94 per game.
In 1919 Wingo helped lead the Reds to their first world championship. He had begun the season with a severe cold. He recovered to platoon with Bill Rariden throughout the season; Rariden generally played against lefthanded starters, and lefty-swinging Wingo played against the righthanders. Wingo hit .571 in the World Series as the Reds defeated the notorious "Black Sox" of Chicago.
i kinda have trouble with his defensive description above, but i decided to leave it just as it's written on that web site. ??
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame site, SABR biography project site for Ivey Wingo
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:48 PM (GMT)
July 9th – Wally Post, 1929
A native of St. Wendelin, Ohio, Post spent most of his career with Cincinnati teams. A powerful slugger in the mid-1950s, he also was respected for his strong and accurate throwing arm.
Post broke into baseball as a pitcher in 1946 and went 17-7 in 1947 for Muncie (Ohio State League), but he was soon switched to the outfield to take advantage of his heavy hitting. He had brief stints with the Reds before finally sticking in 1954. His most productive season came in 1955, when he hit .309 with 40 home runs with 109 RBI, all career highs, as well as 116 runs and 33 doubles, but led the league in strikeouts for the first of three times. His numerous tape-measure homers led many to consider him the most powerful slugger in the NL during the 1955 and '56 seasons. Much-used as a pinch hitter from 1958 on, his best effort in that role came in 1962 (9-for-27). His career-high .585 slugging percentage in part-time duty helped the 1961 Reds to the NL pennant.
After playing for the Phillies, Twins, Indians, and in a second stint with the Reds, Post retired in 1963. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.
wikipedia
A native of St. Wendelin, Ohio, Post spent most of his career with Cincinnati teams. A powerful slugger in the mid-1950s, he also was respected for his strong and accurate throwing arm.
Post broke into baseball as a pitcher in 1946 and went 17-7 in 1947 for Muncie (Ohio State League), but he was soon switched to the outfield to take advantage of his heavy hitting. He had brief stints with the Reds before finally sticking in 1954. His most productive season came in 1955, when he hit .309 with 40 home runs with 109 RBI, all career highs, as well as 116 runs and 33 doubles, but led the league in strikeouts for the first of three times. His numerous tape-measure homers led many to consider him the most powerful slugger in the NL during the 1955 and '56 seasons. Much-used as a pinch hitter from 1958 on, his best effort in that role came in 1962 (9-for-27). His career-high .585 slugging percentage in part-time duty helped the 1961 Reds to the NL pennant.
After playing for the Phillies, Twins, Indians, and in a second stint with the Reds, Post retired in 1963. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.
wikipedia
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:52 PM (GMT)
July 10th – Andre Dawson, 1954
Andre Nolan Dawson made his pro baseball debut on September 11, 1975. In 1977, he hit .282, with 19 homers and 65 RBI, and was named NL Rookie of the Year.
Dawson, whose nickname was "The Hawk," played 1443 games with the Expos, 4th highest in franchise history. As an Expo, Dawson set single-season club records for home runs (32, now 7th), RBI (113, now 4th), Extra Base Hits, (78, now 7th), and Sacrifice Flies (18, still 1st). He still holds the Expos' career record for Sacrifice Flies (71), and is the only player to hit 200 home runs and steal 200 bases with Montreal.
Dawson led NL outfielders in chances three straight seasons (1981-83), but the artificial surface at Olympic Stadium took its toll on his knees. By 1986 he was determined to play on grass. He foiled the collusion of the owners to check the free agent market by signing a blank contract with the Cubs, which they filled in with a salary far below market value ($500,000). Rejuvenated by natural grass and day baseball, and helped statistically by the move to the league's best offensive park after ten years in one of its worst, he turned in an MVP season in 1987, leading the NL with 49 homers and 137 RBI. He was the first player on a last-place team ever to win the MVP.
His .507 career slugging percentage with the Cubs is 4th highest in Cubs history. Nonetheless, Bill James considers Dawson's best years to be from 1979-1983, with his higher Chicago numbers being due to Wrigley Field's advantageous environment for hitters (James 2001).
Dawson also played for the Boston Red Sox and the Florida Marlins before retiring with 2774 hits, 438 home runs, 314 Stolen Bases, and 1591 RBI. He is 29th on the all-time Home Run list, and 28th on the all-time RBI list. Andre Dawson was an 8-time All Star between 1981 and 1991, and won eight Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder in the 1980s.
Andre Nolan Dawson made his pro baseball debut on September 11, 1975. In 1977, he hit .282, with 19 homers and 65 RBI, and was named NL Rookie of the Year.
Dawson, whose nickname was "The Hawk," played 1443 games with the Expos, 4th highest in franchise history. As an Expo, Dawson set single-season club records for home runs (32, now 7th), RBI (113, now 4th), Extra Base Hits, (78, now 7th), and Sacrifice Flies (18, still 1st). He still holds the Expos' career record for Sacrifice Flies (71), and is the only player to hit 200 home runs and steal 200 bases with Montreal.
Dawson led NL outfielders in chances three straight seasons (1981-83), but the artificial surface at Olympic Stadium took its toll on his knees. By 1986 he was determined to play on grass. He foiled the collusion of the owners to check the free agent market by signing a blank contract with the Cubs, which they filled in with a salary far below market value ($500,000). Rejuvenated by natural grass and day baseball, and helped statistically by the move to the league's best offensive park after ten years in one of its worst, he turned in an MVP season in 1987, leading the NL with 49 homers and 137 RBI. He was the first player on a last-place team ever to win the MVP.
His .507 career slugging percentage with the Cubs is 4th highest in Cubs history. Nonetheless, Bill James considers Dawson's best years to be from 1979-1983, with his higher Chicago numbers being due to Wrigley Field's advantageous environment for hitters (James 2001).
Dawson also played for the Boston Red Sox and the Florida Marlins before retiring with 2774 hits, 438 home runs, 314 Stolen Bases, and 1591 RBI. He is 29th on the all-time Home Run list, and 28th on the all-time RBI list. Andre Dawson was an 8-time All Star between 1981 and 1991, and won eight Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder in the 1980s.
| QUOTE ( Ryne Sandberg ) |
| "No player in baseball history worked harder, suffered more or did it better than Andre Dawson," Sandberg said. "He's the best I've ever seen. I watched him win an MVP for a last-place team, and it was the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen in baseball. He did it the right way, the natural way, and he did it in the field and on the bases and in every way, and I hope he will stand up here some day." |
wikipedia, baseballlibrary, ESPN insider article from Dec 2005
osfan58202233 - August 1, 2008 02:57 PM (GMT)
July 12th – Ron Fairly, 1938
A competitive player and highly disciplined hitter, Fairly had a short and compact swing with occasional power to all fields. With his glove, he was a competent first baseman as well as all three outfield positions, being best suited for right field. During his 21-year career, the majority of which was spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos, Ron Fairly was known as a player who was capable of coming through under pressure, whether on the field or at the plate. His talents were overshadowed by a notorious lack of speed: he was frequently walked because of the fact that his bat could do more damage at the plate than his feet could do on the bases.
After retiring, Fairly has served as a radio and television baseball commentator (for the past 26+ years). After starting with the San Francisco Giants, he is currently a broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners. Fairly serves primarily as a color commentator, but occasionally steps in to do play-by-play as well.
Ron Fairly Quotes:
A competitive player and highly disciplined hitter, Fairly had a short and compact swing with occasional power to all fields. With his glove, he was a competent first baseman as well as all three outfield positions, being best suited for right field. During his 21-year career, the majority of which was spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos, Ron Fairly was known as a player who was capable of coming through under pressure, whether on the field or at the plate. His talents were overshadowed by a notorious lack of speed: he was frequently walked because of the fact that his bat could do more damage at the plate than his feet could do on the bases.
After retiring, Fairly has served as a radio and television baseball commentator (for the past 26+ years). After starting with the San Francisco Giants, he is currently a broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners. Fairly serves primarily as a color commentator, but occasionally steps in to do play-by-play as well.
Ron Fairly Quotes:
| QUOTE |
| "Bruce Sutter has been around for a while and he's pretty old. He's thirty-five years old, that will give you some idea of how old he is." (1988) "He fakes a bluff." "If I had to name the number one asset you could have for any sport I'd say speed. In baseball, all a guy with speed has to do is make contact." "I hit one that far (said after seeing a Mike Schmidt home run) once and I still bogeyed the hole." "In all the years I played, he (Stan Williams) was the only guy who ever scared me and he was on my team." "Last night I neglected to mention something that bears repeating." "That's another example of the lack of the speed the Giants have - or don't have." (1988) "The Giants are looking for a trade but I don't think Atlanta wants to depart with a quality player." "The wind at Candlestick tonight is blowing with great propensity." "Where's the National Rifle Association when you need them?" (said while listening to a trumpeter at Olympic Stadium in 1991) |
"Our Georgia History," wikipedia, baseball-almanac
Skipjack - August 1, 2008 02:59 PM (GMT)
Those are great quotes…funny.
osfan58202233 - August 2, 2008 12:54 PM (GMT)
that last one especially :D i was actually listening to their broadcast last night and it seems he's retired since 2006?
osfan58202233 - August 3, 2008 04:31 AM (GMT)
July 13th – Stan Coveleski, 1889
A product of the Pennsylvania coal mines, Stan Coveleski learned control as a youngster by throwing rocks at tin cans that swung from a tree. Though he pitched a shutout in his first big league start with the Athletics in 1912, it was the spitball he later learned in the minor leagues that helped make him a star. He had been returned to the minors for seasoning and learned the spitter while with Portland (PCL), shortly before being acquired by the Indians.
A product of the Pennsylvania coal mines, Stan Coveleski learned control as a youngster by throwing rocks at tin cans that swung from a tree. Though he pitched a shutout in his first big league start with the Athletics in 1912, it was the spitball he later learned in the minor leagues that helped make him a star. He had been returned to the minors for seasoning and learned the spitter while with Portland (PCL), shortly before being acquired by the Indians.
| QUOTE (A.D. Suehsdorf) |
| Despite the spitter's eccentricity, Coveleskie (as the name was spelled during his playing days) was a control pitcher who averaged one walk every 3.86 innings over fourteen years. His spitball broke three ways - down, out, and down and out - and he said he always could control its movement by the placement of his fingers on the ball. It was his bread and butter pitch, although he sometimes went two or three innings without throwing it and had the usual fastball and curve to mix things up. He was equally sparing with strikeouts (981 lifetime). Because of his control, many batters swung at his first pitch. A number of times he got out of an inning with three pitches, and on one occasion he went seven innings when every pitch was a strike, a foul, or a hit. |
His best year was 1920, the year the Indians made it to the World Series, when he won 24 games in 38 starts with a 2.49 ERA. He went on to throw 3 complete World Series victories, giving up only 2 runs during the entire series to the Brooklyn Robins. With the help of Hall of Famer Tris Speaker, he led the Indians to their first World Series championship ever.
A five-time 20-game winner with Cleveland and Washington, Coveleski ultimately logged 215 career victories.
On May 24, 1918, Stan Coveleski pitched a 19-inning complete game victory for the Cleveland Indians over the New York Yankees, 3-2
National Hall of Fame site, baseballlibrary.com, everything2.com
osfan58202233 - August 3, 2008 04:34 AM (GMT)
July 14th – Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, 1907
After succeeding the larger-than-life Kenesaw Mountain Landis as commissioner in 1945, Albert "Opposite of Milt" Chandler guided baseball through six turbulent years. A former U.S. senator and governor of Kentucky, the honest Chandler maintained the commissioner's office as a position of authority.
Chandler was the second Commissioner, succeeding the legendary Judge Landis. He was perceived as a players' Commissioner, and he cautioned owners to be less stubborn to avoid later confrontations. His advice was ignored. When some players jumped to the Mexican League in 1946, he suspended them for five years (but gave them blanket amnesty in 1949). He suspended Dodgers manager Leo Durocher for one year for a series of actions detrimental to baseball's image, including consorting with gamblers. He was the first to put six umpires on the field for the World Series.
Chandler resigned from the Senate to become Commissioner of Major League Baseball in 1945 and remained in that post until 1951; during his service in this office he oversaw the initial steps toward integration of the major leagues, beginning with the debut of Jackie Robinson with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. This move was controversial with some team owners and was credited by many in the sports community with Chandler's failure to be selected for another term as Commissioner after the expiration of his first one in 1951. He once said, "I don't believe in barring Negroes from baseball just because they are Negroes."
Having made some decisions that riled several owners, he was fired after one term, receiving only nine of the twelve votes necessary to continue. When he left, his reputation for being good-humored, iron-willed, and honest remained intact. He had put the players' pension fund on a sound footing, averted threats to the reserve clause, and helped open the ML door for black players. In 1982 he was named to the Hall of Fame.
bioguide.congress.gov, Hall of Fame site, wikipedia, baseballlibrary
After succeeding the larger-than-life Kenesaw Mountain Landis as commissioner in 1945, Albert "Opposite of Milt" Chandler guided baseball through six turbulent years. A former U.S. senator and governor of Kentucky, the honest Chandler maintained the commissioner's office as a position of authority.
Chandler was the second Commissioner, succeeding the legendary Judge Landis. He was perceived as a players' Commissioner, and he cautioned owners to be less stubborn to avoid later confrontations. His advice was ignored. When some players jumped to the Mexican League in 1946, he suspended them for five years (but gave them blanket amnesty in 1949). He suspended Dodgers manager Leo Durocher for one year for a series of actions detrimental to baseball's image, including consorting with gamblers. He was the first to put six umpires on the field for the World Series.
Chandler resigned from the Senate to become Commissioner of Major League Baseball in 1945 and remained in that post until 1951; during his service in this office he oversaw the initial steps toward integration of the major leagues, beginning with the debut of Jackie Robinson with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. This move was controversial with some team owners and was credited by many in the sports community with Chandler's failure to be selected for another term as Commissioner after the expiration of his first one in 1951. He once said, "I don't believe in barring Negroes from baseball just because they are Negroes."
Having made some decisions that riled several owners, he was fired after one term, receiving only nine of the twelve votes necessary to continue. When he left, his reputation for being good-humored, iron-willed, and honest remained intact. He had put the players' pension fund on a sound footing, averted threats to the reserve clause, and helped open the ML door for black players. In 1982 he was named to the Hall of Fame.
bioguide.congress.gov, Hall of Fame site, wikipedia, baseballlibrary
osfan58202233 - August 3, 2008 04:37 AM (GMT)
July 15th – Donn Alvin Clendenon, 1935
some images just speak volumes...
Football's Cleveland Browns, basketball's Harlem Globetrotters, and baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates all offered contracts to the 6'4" Donn Clendenon. He chose the Pirates, and batted .302 for them in 80 games his rookie season (1962). In 1966 he hit 28 homers and drove in 98 runs, both career highs, while hitting .299. Clendenon twice topped NL batters in strikeouts. He led NL first basemen in errors three times, but he also paced them in double plays five times, and three times each in putouts and assists.
"The one thing I remember was hearing that he could have been a pro athlete in three different sports — baseball, football or basketball. He was that gifted of an athlete," former Pirates pitcher Steve Blass said Saturday night. "He was a prototypical first baseman. He was big with a big reach and gave you a big target."
"When we got him, we became a different team," said Bud Harrelson, shortstop for the '69 Mets. "We never had a three-run homer type of guy....He was always humble, never cocky. We were still young kids in that era. He was a veteran that came in and made us better. When you threw him into the mix with the rest of us, we became a dangerous force. We knew we had a good team with him, but we didn't know quite how good. Gil thought we were better than we were...He was the MVP — a very dangerous player."
some images just speak volumes...
Football's Cleveland Browns, basketball's Harlem Globetrotters, and baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates all offered contracts to the 6'4" Donn Clendenon. He chose the Pirates, and batted .302 for them in 80 games his rookie season (1962). In 1966 he hit 28 homers and drove in 98 runs, both career highs, while hitting .299. Clendenon twice topped NL batters in strikeouts. He led NL first basemen in errors three times, but he also paced them in double plays five times, and three times each in putouts and assists.
"The one thing I remember was hearing that he could have been a pro athlete in three different sports — baseball, football or basketball. He was that gifted of an athlete," former Pirates pitcher Steve Blass said Saturday night. "He was a prototypical first baseman. He was big with a big reach and gave you a big target."
"When we got him, we became a different team," said Bud Harrelson, shortstop for the '69 Mets. "We never had a three-run homer type of guy....He was always humble, never cocky. We were still young kids in that era. He was a veteran that came in and made us better. When you threw him into the mix with the rest of us, we became a dangerous force. We knew we had a good team with him, but we didn't know quite how good. Gil thought we were better than we were...He was the MVP — a very dangerous player."
| QUOTE |
| In the 1969 World Series, the Orioles were ahead 3-0 in Game 5 when Mets manager Gil Hodges emerged from the dugout to argue that a ball thrown by Baltimore's Dave McNally hit Mets outfielder Cleon Jones in the foot. Hodges grabbed the shoe-polish smudged ball and proved that Jones was indeed struck, setting the stage for Clendenon. The first baseman stepped to the plate and hit a two-run homer, and the Mets eventually went on to win 5-3. |
In 12 seasons in the major leagues, he hit .274 with 159 home runs and 682 RBI.
After retiring from baseball, he returned to school and earned a law degree. He worked for law firms in Washington, D.C., and Chicago before moving to Sioux Falls in 1987. In interviews, he said that he most enjoyed working to help young people.
USAToday online, historicbaseball.com, baseballlibrary.com
osfan58202233 - October 5, 2008 11:25 PM (GMT)
July 16th – Joe Jackson, 1889
| QUOTE |
| You can’t have what you want until you know what you want. |
Born in Pickens County, South Carolina, Jackson came from a poor family living in a mill town, and he was unschooled as a child, remaining illiterate until well into middle age. He is considered to be one of the most outstanding hitters in the history of the game, to the point that Babe Ruth claimed that he modeled his hitting technique after Jackson's.
The nickname "Shoeless" came from when he played for the team sponsored by the mill where he worked before he played in the major leagues. Suffering from a blister due to a new, stiff pair of cleat shoes, and forced to play when a team mate didn't show up for a game, he took his shoes off before he went to hit, and when he got to base a fan started yelling inappropriate and vulgar comments at him. One of the things he was called was a "shoeless son-of-a-bitch." The name stuck with him all the way to the major leagues.
Jackson is the only rookie to have batted over .400; he hit .408 for Cleveland in 1911 (although he would not be considered a rookie by today's definition) then followed with .395, .373, and a mere .338 in 1914. His career .356 batting average is the third highest in history, after Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. He was unerring in the field, had a powerful and accurate arm, and ran the bases with savvy.
In 1920, he had one of his greatest seasons (.392, 12 HR, 121 RBI), but everything crashed with the revelation of the Black Sox scandal.
Friends pointed to his .375 WS average as evidence that he'd played on the square, but Jackson had undoubtedly accepted the promise of $5,000 to fix the games. Banned from baseball for life, he returned to his small South Carolina town, started a dry-cleaning business, and prospered. Occasionally he swung "Black Betsy," his famous bat, in sandlot and outlaw games. In time, he retrieved some of his dignity if not the glory. Locally, he was warmly regarded at his death.
baseballlibrary, answers.com, jimpoz.com
i watched a film regarding the Black Sox sometime in the last year or so, since originally posting this. it was quite good at presenting the dilemmas faced by the players participating in the "scandal." at their age, i'm quite sure i didn't have the integrity to have refrained from being part of it myself.
osfan58202233 - October 5, 2008 11:34 PM (GMT)
July 17th – Lou Boudreau, 1917
An outstanding defensive shortstop and adept hitter, Lou Boudreau combined his playing skills and intelligence to become an innovative manager, creating one of the most versatile careers in baseball. An eight-time All-Star selection, four-time .300 hitter and 1948 American League Most Valuable Player, Boudreau was an excellent player, also winning the A.L. batting title in 1944 as a player-manager. He devised the Ted Williams shift, based upon hitting charts kept by his team, and transformed Bob Lemon from infielder to star pitcher.
In 1940, Boudreau's first full season, he was named to the American League All-Star team and hit .295 with 101 RBIs. Boudreau played no part in the "Cleveland Crybabies" incident and the subsequent firing of manager Ossie Vitt. Cleveland struggled through a lackluster 1941 season, and in 1942 Boudreau was named player-manager. At 24, he was the youngest ever to manage a major-league team from the outset of the season.
An outstanding defensive shortstop and adept hitter, Lou Boudreau combined his playing skills and intelligence to become an innovative manager, creating one of the most versatile careers in baseball. An eight-time All-Star selection, four-time .300 hitter and 1948 American League Most Valuable Player, Boudreau was an excellent player, also winning the A.L. batting title in 1944 as a player-manager. He devised the Ted Williams shift, based upon hitting charts kept by his team, and transformed Bob Lemon from infielder to star pitcher.
In 1940, Boudreau's first full season, he was named to the American League All-Star team and hit .295 with 101 RBIs. Boudreau played no part in the "Cleveland Crybabies" incident and the subsequent firing of manager Ossie Vitt. Cleveland struggled through a lackluster 1941 season, and in 1942 Boudreau was named player-manager. At 24, he was the youngest ever to manage a major-league team from the outset of the season.
| QUOTE (Joe Goddard @ Chicago Sun-Times ) |
| Boudreau became the youngest manager in major league history when the Cleveland Indians added the title to his playing duties in 1942. He used his hands and instincts to carve a reputation as one of the best players in the game. It was "Good Kid" Boudreau, along with Indians third baseman Ken Keltner, who ended DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak 60 years ago at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. "Everyone talks about the two great plays that Keltner made, but the one I'll never forget is the one Boudreau made," said 88-year-old Tommy Henrich, who played with DiMaggio on the New York Yankees at the time. "Joe hit one about 30 feet in front of Lou. The ball hit something and came up on him. When he caught it, the force shook him, but he made the play." Boudreau played no part in the "Cleveland crybabies" incident of 1940 and the subsequent firing of manager Ossie Vitt. Two years later, he was named player/manager. He led the club to the 1948 World Series championship, even though owner Bill Veeck tried to have him replaced before the season. A fan rebellion helped save his job. Veeck later admitted Boudreau was "the greatest hunch player and manager I've ever seen." |
The innovative Boudreau oversaw the transformation of Bob Lemon from an infielder to a pitcher and created the Williams Shift (in which he moved everyone but one infielder and one outfielder to the right side of the field) and other tactics, but was unable to lift the Indians out of the middle of the pack. His shortstop play continued to win plaudits. He compensated for limited range by intelligent positioning and sure hands, and he led AL shortstops in fielding eight times. He won the 1944 AL batting title (.327) and led the league in doubles in 1941, 1944, and 1947.
When Bill Veeck purchased the Indians in 1946, he planned to replace Boudreau as manager. When word leaked out, a public clamor arose and Boudreau was retained....and in 1948 he produced one of the greatest individual seasons ever:
# His team won the AL pennant and World Series;
# He batted .355, hit 18 homers, batted in 106 runs, and scored 116; and
# He was easily AL MVP.
One of the greatest shortstops in Cleveland history, he saw his number 5 retired and the street bordering Municipal Stadium renamed Boudreau Boulevard.
Hall of Fame site, baseballlibrary, Chicago Sun-Times online
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 03:05 AM (GMT)
July 18th – Torii Hunter, 1975
robbing Bonds of a home run in the ASG
Torii Kedar Hunter has shown his athletic ability, having taken away many home runs throughout his 5 year career. ESPN coined Hunter as a "daily web gem," referring to ESPN's nightly highlight reel. He has won five Gold Glove Awards for his defensive prowess.
robbing Bonds of a home run in the ASG
Torii Kedar Hunter has shown his athletic ability, having taken away many home runs throughout his 5 year career. ESPN coined Hunter as a "daily web gem," referring to ESPN's nightly highlight reel. He has won five Gold Glove Awards for his defensive prowess.
| QUOTE |
| Torii's greatest assets are his glove hand, right arm and live legs. He is the most electrifying defensive centerfielder since Ken Griffey in his heyday in the 1990s. Torii's range is unmatched—a product of his tremendous speed and an uncanny, crack-of-the-bat sense of where he needs to be when a hard-hit baseball returns to earth. Amazingly, some opponents still challenge his arm, and he almost always makes them pay. Torii will probably never be a consistent .300 hitter because he's such a free swinger. But the Twins have finally come to accept the fact that he's more effective striking out 100-plus times, rather then trying to put the ball in play. His power is mostly to left and center; his speed enables him to collect infield hits and stretch doubles into triples. Though Torii isn’t a great base-stealer, he is a definite distraction to enemy hurlers. You'll be hard-pressed to find someone with something negative to say about Torii. He loves the game, is fun to be around, but also possesses a serious competitive streak. His teammates have the utmost respect for him—not just because of hard he worked to become a star, but because of how little stardom has changed him. |
# Torii was responsible for all handshakes on the Twins. Every player had his own personal one, all of which are concocted by Torii.
# Torii has a 32-inch vertical leap. He keeps his legs strong in the off-season by doing box jumps.
# Torii ranks his famous catch of Barry Bonds’s would-be homer in the 2002 All-Star Game as his best ever.
# Torii's favorite actress is Halle Berry.
jockbio.com "get a life"; wikipedia
update: "After turning down a three-year, $45 million deal in August of 2007 from the Twins, Hunter went on to sign the largest contract offered to him. On November 21, he signed a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim worth $90 million. He replaced Gary Matthews Jr. as the everyday center fielder." (wikipedia)
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 03:16 AM (GMT)
July 19th – Bob Meusel, 1896
| QUOTE ( Frank Graham ) |
| Meusel had been one of the greatest – and most misunderstood – players ever to wear a Yankee uniform...The fans respected him but never could warm up to him. The baseball writers, even those traveing regularly with the team, found him cold, uncommunicative, almost hostile. Recognizing him as a great competitor when the checks were down, they accused him of being lazy. |
i found the following to be very readable. it's long, but really gives a great overall picture of the player that was Bob Meusel, i think:
John S. Radosta, UPI, as appeared in The New York Times, November 29, 1977
Fans will argue long and inconclusively about the "best" outfield in baseball history. The candidates include the 1912 Boston Red Sox, the 1915 Detroit Tigers, the 1920 Chicago Black Sox, the 1925 Tigers, the 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates, the 1929 Chicago Cubs, and the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics and the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals.
But right up there with them is the 1927 Yankees outfield of Bob Meusel in left field, Earl Combs in center field and Babe Ruth in rgiht field, with batting averages, respectively, of .337, .356 and .356. Players of that time rated Meusel among the great Yankees, just a notch below the level of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
Ten of Meusel's 11 years in the major leagues were spent with the Yankees, from 1920 through 1929. He played the 11th year with the Cincinnati Reds of the National League.
In 1925 he led the American League with 33 home runs and 138 runs batted in. In only three of his 10 Yankee seasons did he bat below .300. His career batting average was .309.
The Yankee outfield of the late 1920s was awesome enough, but it was only part of the power that constituted "Murderer's Row." Others include Lou Gehrig at first base and Tony Lazzari at second.
Meusel was as valuable in the field as he was at bat. He was 6 feet 3 inches tall and moved with deceptive nonchalance. He covered left field (he also occasionally played center and right) with a lazy lope. He usually got to where he had to be to make the catch, but the impression he gave was of a many only half-trying.
And very few players had a stronger arm. He was deadly accurate and swift in throwing to the bases or to home plate from any corner of the ball park. He could whip the ball like an infielder pegging to first base.
Casey Stengel, one of his contemporaries, recalled, "I never saw a better thrower." For some reason, Meusel could not "skip" the ball to home plate – that is, throw it to the catcher on a single hop. What he did was throw clean line drives.
"He had lightnin' on the ball," Stengel said. "I don't know what it was, but when he skipped the ball it skidded so crazy no catcher could handle it. He had to throw on the fly all the way."
It was written that he had never reached his full potential as a player. One reason was that people considered him to be lazy. He hustled only when he wanted to. Impervious to pleas, threats, or criticism, he moved through his own world in solitude.
He sometimes refused to run out grounders. But there was the time, in the 1921 World Series, that he stole home after warning the Giants catcher, Earl Smith, that he would do it.
Meusel was directly independent. After the 1921 World Series he was warned that a barnstorming tour he planned with Babe Ruth was a violation of baseball rules, but he and Ruth went anyway. He was suspended for five weeks at the start of the 1922 season.
He was also dilatory about signing contracts. A striking contrast with today's (1977) bargaining conditions comes from a 1927 press clipping: "Meusel probably was insisting on more than a one-year contract, which magnates in general are prone to frown upon."
deadballera.com, Bill James 2001, sportscyclopedia.com
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 03:22 AM (GMT)
July 20th – Antonio Oliva Lopez Hernandes Javique...aka Tony Oliva, 1940
Antonio Oliva, or "Tony-O" to those who followed his 24-year career as a Twins' player and coach, was a man who seemed to excel in all aspects of the game. He could hit for power and average, run, field and throw, and his versatility made him one of the most feared hitters of his day.
The only player in major league history to win batting titles in his first two full seasons, Oliva was one of the most graceful, natural hitters of all time, but had his career cut short by a bad knee.
Following brief .400-hitting trials with the Twins in 1962 and 1963, he earned a permanent spot in their outfield in 1964. That year Baseball Digest's scouting report on rookie prospects underestimated Oliva. It read, "Fair hitter, can make somebody a good utility outfielder." Oliva enjoyed a sensational Rookie of the Year season, leading the AL in batting (.323), hits (217), runs (109), and doubles (43). His 217 hits established an AL rookie mark. He also led the majors with a club-record 374 total bases, 84 extra-base hits, and 71 multi-hit games.
Tony-O collected 1,917 hits and retired with a .304 career average. He is the only player to win batting titles in his first two seasons and was the winner of three in his 15-year career, which still stands as the club's longevity mark. His prowess as a hitter was demonstrated in the fact that he lead the league in hits five times, and his 220 career home runs rank third all-time among Twins.
His ailing right knee went under the surgeon's knife seven times during his career. Because of his knee, Oliva was used mainly as a designated hitter and pinch hitter.
Antonio Oliva, or "Tony-O" to those who followed his 24-year career as a Twins' player and coach, was a man who seemed to excel in all aspects of the game. He could hit for power and average, run, field and throw, and his versatility made him one of the most feared hitters of his day.
The only player in major league history to win batting titles in his first two full seasons, Oliva was one of the most graceful, natural hitters of all time, but had his career cut short by a bad knee.
Following brief .400-hitting trials with the Twins in 1962 and 1963, he earned a permanent spot in their outfield in 1964. That year Baseball Digest's scouting report on rookie prospects underestimated Oliva. It read, "Fair hitter, can make somebody a good utility outfielder." Oliva enjoyed a sensational Rookie of the Year season, leading the AL in batting (.323), hits (217), runs (109), and doubles (43). His 217 hits established an AL rookie mark. He also led the majors with a club-record 374 total bases, 84 extra-base hits, and 71 multi-hit games.
Tony-O collected 1,917 hits and retired with a .304 career average. He is the only player to win batting titles in his first two seasons and was the winner of three in his 15-year career, which still stands as the club's longevity mark. His prowess as a hitter was demonstrated in the fact that he lead the league in hits five times, and his 220 career home runs rank third all-time among Twins.
His ailing right knee went under the surgeon's knife seven times during his career. Because of his knee, Oliva was used mainly as a designated hitter and pinch hitter.
| QUOTE |
| "Frank Quilici, the manager said, `Go up and pinch-hit for Craig Kusick, the DH.' After I batted, I stayed on the bench for an inning then went upstairs to take a shower thinking I was out of the game. I forgot that I was the new DH. While I was taking a shower, they came looking for me since it was my turn to bat. I was embarrassed. I was all wet. I never dressed so fast in my life. Rod Carew had walked and the umpire was looking for me. I had to rush. When I got up to the plate they walked me on four pitches.'" |
:lol: i love that story
tony oliva.com, baseballlibrary
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 03:34 AM (GMT)
July 21st – Al Hrabosky, 1949
The Mad Hungarian
A blazing fastball, used 90 percent of the time, made Hrabosky one of the most effective relievers of the 1970's. The southpaw's nickname, The Mad Hungarian, came from his nationality, Fu Manchu mustache and long hair, and angry stomping to the back of the mound to psych himself up. He was The Sporting News NL Fireman of the Year in 1975 with St. Louis (13-3, 1.67 era, 22 saves). When he wasn't selected to the All-Star team in 1974, St. Louis fans rallied behind him, honoring him with a "We Hlove Hrabosky Hbanner Hday." Traded in December 1977 to the Royals for reliever Mark Littel, in 1979 he signed a multi-million-dollar contract with the Braves via free agency, but recorded only 7 of his lifetime 97 saves with Atlanta. He is currently a Cardinals broadcaster.
Article about the M.H.
The Mad Hungarian
A blazing fastball, used 90 percent of the time, made Hrabosky one of the most effective relievers of the 1970's. The southpaw's nickname, The Mad Hungarian, came from his nationality, Fu Manchu mustache and long hair, and angry stomping to the back of the mound to psych himself up. He was The Sporting News NL Fireman of the Year in 1975 with St. Louis (13-3, 1.67 era, 22 saves). When he wasn't selected to the All-Star team in 1974, St. Louis fans rallied behind him, honoring him with a "We Hlove Hrabosky Hbanner Hday." Traded in December 1977 to the Royals for reliever Mark Littel, in 1979 he signed a multi-million-dollar contract with the Braves via free agency, but recorded only 7 of his lifetime 97 saves with Atlanta. He is currently a Cardinals broadcaster.
Article about the M.H.
| QUOTE |
| His routine, Hrabosky says today, he adopted not because he was looking for attention but because he needed an edge. "It actually happened out of desperation," said Hrabosky. "I always had a variation in the minor leagues. Back then, I'd turn to second base, kind of put my head down and think about what I was going to do. I had a herky-jerky motion, so I'd go through my mental checkpoints in my windup and think about where I would deliver the ball. I got it in my mind, and tried to visualize what I would do." "It turned my season around. I'd had a horrendous first half, and I'd heard through the grapevine they were getting ready to send me down. I figured, if it didn't work, it might accelerate my exit, but I had nothing to lose." |
alhrabosky.com, baseball digest August 2003
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 03:40 AM (GMT)
July 22nd – Sparky Lyle, 1944
[dohtml]<img src="http://blog.silive.com/yankeeswatch/large_sparky_lyle3.jpg" width=320>[/dohtml]
[dohtml]<img src="http://blog.silive.com/yankeeswatch/large_sparky_lyle3.jpg" width=320>[/dohtml]
| QUOTE |
| "Ted Williams told me that I'd never make the big leagues unless I came up with a slider. I had a pretty good curve, but I couldn't throw a fastball over the plate. "Williams told me the slider was the one pitch he couldn't hit. He knew a lot about baseball, and when you hear something from a guy like that, you're going to try to do something about it." |
Lyle worked on developing the slider for the next two years, and became proficient enough with the pitch that the Red Sox summoned him to the major leagues in 1967.
| QUOTE |
| "About two months after I perfected the slider in 1967, I was called up to the major leagues. I threw the pitch so it would come straight at the batter until it got to within three feet of the plate. Then it would break down. It was an excellent pitch for double plays. I was a ground-ball pitcher, and that's how I got batters to hit ground balls." |
A left-hander with a prominent handlebar mustache, Lyle used the slider to become one of the most dominant relief pitchers of his era during a 16-year career that included tours of duty with the Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox.
A three-time All-Star, Lyle became the first relief pitcher ever to win the Cy Young Award, helping the 1977 Yankees capture the World Championship in the process. He won 13 games that year, and saved 26 more.
Lyle led the American League in saves as a Yankee in both 1972, when he posted 35, and 1976, when he logged 23.
In 1976 he broke Hoyt Wilhelm's AL record of 154 career saves, and the following year he broke Perranoski's major league record for left-handers of 179 career saves. Through 1977 Lyle had compiled 201 career saves, and was within range of Wilhelm's career major league record of 227.
He pitched 1,390 innings during his career, recording 238 saves, 99 wins, and making 899 consecutive relief appearances.
John Hartsock in Baseball Digest; wikipedia.com
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:01 AM (GMT)
July 23rd – Don Drysdale, 1936
photo(s) here:National Hall of Fame Gallery
In 1962, Drysdale won 25 games and the Cy Young Award.
In 1963, he struck out 251 batters and won a World Series Game.
In 1965, the all-around athlete was the Dodgers' only .300 hitter and tied his own National League record for pitchers with seven home runs. That year he won 23 games and led the Dodgers to only their third World Championship in Los Angeles.
Drysdale's last full season, in 1968, was also one of his best. The ironman pitcher dished out six straight shutout games, amounting to a record-breaking 58 consecutive scoreless innings.
He ended his career by winning 209 games, striking out 2,486 batters, pitched in 167 complete games and had 49 shutouts.
photo(s) here:National Hall of Fame Gallery
In 1962, Drysdale won 25 games and the Cy Young Award.
In 1963, he struck out 251 batters and won a World Series Game.
In 1965, the all-around athlete was the Dodgers' only .300 hitter and tied his own National League record for pitchers with seven home runs. That year he won 23 games and led the Dodgers to only their third World Championship in Los Angeles.
Drysdale's last full season, in 1968, was also one of his best. The ironman pitcher dished out six straight shutout games, amounting to a record-breaking 58 consecutive scoreless innings.
He ended his career by winning 209 games, striking out 2,486 batters, pitched in 167 complete games and had 49 shutouts.
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:03 AM (GMT)
July 24th – Barry Bonds, 1964
oh thank you, trusty calendar, for giving me another name i choose to skip over...helps me catch up
oh thank you, trusty calendar, for giving me another name i choose to skip over...helps me catch up
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:08 AM (GMT)
July 25th – Whitey Lockman, 1926
"FIRST GAME -- Giant Coach Whitey Lockman (left)
and Houston Colt .45 manager Harry Craft go over the lineups with
the umpires before the first major league baseball game played at
Apache Junction's Geronimo Park."
Lockman homered in his first ML at-bat, July 5, 1945 and once led off consecutive games with home runs, but he was never a feared power hitter. He hit a career-high 18 homers in 1948, his first full season, and had his only .300 season in 1949. Still, he was a consistent contributor and one of the hardest men to double up in ML history, hitting into one double play every 87 at-bats. In the Giants-Dodgers playoff series in 1951, his ninth-inning double drove Don Newcombe from the game and set the stage for Bobby Thomson's famous home run.
"FIRST GAME -- Giant Coach Whitey Lockman (left)
and Houston Colt .45 manager Harry Craft go over the lineups with
the umpires before the first major league baseball game played at
Apache Junction's Geronimo Park."
Lockman homered in his first ML at-bat, July 5, 1945 and once led off consecutive games with home runs, but he was never a feared power hitter. He hit a career-high 18 homers in 1948, his first full season, and had his only .300 season in 1949. Still, he was a consistent contributor and one of the hardest men to double up in ML history, hitting into one double play every 87 at-bats. In the Giants-Dodgers playoff series in 1951, his ninth-inning double drove Don Newcombe from the game and set the stage for Bobby Thomson's famous home run.
| QUOTE |
| Lockman played a supporting role in one of the most famous ninth-inning comebacks in baseball history. On October 3, 1951, Lockman scored the tying run, just ahead of Bobby Thomson, on Thomson's home run that gave the New York Giants the National League championship - baseball's "Shot Heard 'Round the World." Lockman's one-out double against the Brooklyn Dodgers had scored Alvin Dark with the Giants' first run of the inning, and made the score 4-2, Brooklyn. His hit knocked Dodger pitcher Don Newcombe out of the game, and, on the play, Giant baserunner Don Mueller broke his ankle sliding into third base. While Mueller was being carried off the field to be replaced by a pinch runner, Dodger manager Chuck Dressen called on relief pitcher Ralph Branca, whose second pitch was hit by Thomson into the Polo Grounds' lower left field stands for a game-winning, three-run homer. |
Lockman's coaching career began immediately after his playing days ended, including stints with the Reds, Giants and Cubs, from 1961 to 1974. In 1972, the revitalized Cubbies won 39 of 65 games to improve two places in the standings. Lockman finished with a career major league managing record of 157-162 (.492).
odd piece of trivia:
MR. MANAGER
On this date (May 7th) in 1973, Cubs manager Whitey Lockman was ejected from the game. Coach Ernie Banks, lovingly known as Mr. Cub, filled in as manager for the last couple innings of the 12-inning 3-2 win over the Padres. Thus, he was technically, if not officially, MLB's first black manager, predating Frank Robinson's hiring by almost two years.
billy-ball.com (a new favorite; check out this injury report), wikipedia, baseballlibrary, astroland.net
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:12 AM (GMT)
July 26th – James Hoyt Wilhelm, 1923
Hoyt Wilhelm didn't make his major league debut until the age of 28, but he got off to a fast start by hitting a home run in his first at-bat. Twenty years and a then-record 1,069 games later, he had never done either again; but it was on the mound that he distinguished himself as the game's premier reliever. The knuckleballer won 143 games, including a record 124 out of the bullpen. In a rare start for the Orioles in 1958, he no-hit the Yankees.
Hoyt Wilhelm didn't make his major league debut until the age of 28, but he got off to a fast start by hitting a home run in his first at-bat. Twenty years and a then-record 1,069 games later, he had never done either again; but it was on the mound that he distinguished himself as the game's premier reliever. The knuckleballer won 143 games, including a record 124 out of the bullpen. In a rare start for the Orioles in 1958, he no-hit the Yankees.
| QUOTE |
| The high point of Wilhelm’s career came at a time when his role as a pitcher was in flux. During his first six years in the majors, Wilhelm appeared in 361 games, all in relief. But in 1958, Cleveland manager Bobby Bragan used him occasionally as a starter, and Wilhelm continued in that dual role after a mid-season trade to Baltimore. On September 20, sporting a 2-10 won-lost record, he got the start against the New York Yankees, who had already clinched the American League pennant. The opposing pitcher was Don Larsen, who two years earlier had thrown a perfect game in the World Series. On this drizzly evening, Wilhelm fashioned his own gem, striking out eight and throwing the only no-hitter of his career against the soon-to-be World Series champs. Just a few weeks before, on August 6, Wilhelm nearly pitched a rare "no-hitter in relief." Relieving Billy O'Dell at the start of the ninth inning, Wilhelm held the White Sox hitless for 8-2/3 innings before finally surrendering a hit in the 17th. Only Ernie Shore ever fashioned a longer spell of no-hit relief. |
Hall of Fame site, wikipedia, baseballlibrary
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:16 AM (GMT)
July 27th – Leo Durocher, 1905
image is from a cool article about the All Star Series that is taken to Japan in the offseason, and a game or two that Durocher was involved in, here
Leo Durocher was a "good-field, no-hit" shortstop for 17 years, but gained his greatest notoriety for accomplishments after his playing days. His combative and swashbuckling style, brilliant baseball mind, uncanny memory and fiery disposition became “The Lip’s” trademarks as a colorful and controversial manager for 24 seasons with the Dodgers, Giants, Cubs and Astros. He compiled 2,009 wins in 3,740 games, captured three pennants and won the World Series in 1954. He was named Manager of the Year three times by the “Sporting News.”
As a player, Leo Durocher was known as a light-hitting, slick-fielding infielder who managed to fashion a 20 year, four team (New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers) career that included two World Series appearances (1928 and 1934).
It was as a manager, however, that Durocher truly left an indelible mark on the game. Over a span of 34 years and four teams (1939-1973), Durocher managed a total of 22 seasons with a passion for winning perhaps unequaled in baseball history. Though remembered best for three things (coining the phrase Nice guys finish last, recognizing and cultivating the immense talents of Willie Mays, and managing the Giants to the 1954 World Series championship), Durocher will go down in baseball lore as a fierce competitor who richly deserved his nomination to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.
Hall of Fame, leodurocher.com
image is from a cool article about the All Star Series that is taken to Japan in the offseason, and a game or two that Durocher was involved in, here
Leo Durocher was a "good-field, no-hit" shortstop for 17 years, but gained his greatest notoriety for accomplishments after his playing days. His combative and swashbuckling style, brilliant baseball mind, uncanny memory and fiery disposition became “The Lip’s” trademarks as a colorful and controversial manager for 24 seasons with the Dodgers, Giants, Cubs and Astros. He compiled 2,009 wins in 3,740 games, captured three pennants and won the World Series in 1954. He was named Manager of the Year three times by the “Sporting News.”
As a player, Leo Durocher was known as a light-hitting, slick-fielding infielder who managed to fashion a 20 year, four team (New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers) career that included two World Series appearances (1928 and 1934).
It was as a manager, however, that Durocher truly left an indelible mark on the game. Over a span of 34 years and four teams (1939-1973), Durocher managed a total of 22 seasons with a passion for winning perhaps unequaled in baseball history. Though remembered best for three things (coining the phrase Nice guys finish last, recognizing and cultivating the immense talents of Willie Mays, and managing the Giants to the 1954 World Series championship), Durocher will go down in baseball lore as a fierce competitor who richly deserved his nomination to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.
Hall of Fame, leodurocher.com
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:19 AM (GMT)
July 28th – "Bullet" Joe Rogan, 1889
Wilber "Bullet" Joe Rogan didn't begin his Negro leagues career until age 30, joining the Kansas City Monarchs in 1920 after nearly a decade playing on U.S. Army teams.
One of the Negro Leagues' most versatile players, Rogan attained mastery both on the pitcher's mound and at the plate. His career .721 winning percentage (111-43) is the highest recorded in Negro League history. In 11 seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs, he compiled a .339 batting average, 10th among all Negro Leaguers. He played the outfield when he wasn't pitching, and in 1922 led the Negro National League with 16 home runs.
Rogan used a no-windup deliver, and though a small man, he threw a devastating fastball. He complemented it with a dizzying array of other pitches, using a no-windup delivery to throw forkballs, palmballs, legal spitballs and curves.
Wilber "Bullet" Joe Rogan didn't begin his Negro leagues career until age 30, joining the Kansas City Monarchs in 1920 after nearly a decade playing on U.S. Army teams.
One of the Negro Leagues' most versatile players, Rogan attained mastery both on the pitcher's mound and at the plate. His career .721 winning percentage (111-43) is the highest recorded in Negro League history. In 11 seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs, he compiled a .339 batting average, 10th among all Negro Leaguers. He played the outfield when he wasn't pitching, and in 1922 led the Negro National League with 16 home runs.
Rogan used a no-windup deliver, and though a small man, he threw a devastating fastball. He complemented it with a dizzying array of other pitches, using a no-windup delivery to throw forkballs, palmballs, legal spitballs and curves.
| QUOTE |
| "Rogan had not only an arm to pitch with, but a head to think with. Rogan was a smart pitcher with a wonderful memory. Once Rogan pitched to a batter, he never forgot that batter's weaknesses and strong points. And don't think Rogan was nicknamed 'Bullet' for nothing. That guy had a ball that was almost too fast to catch. He would really burn 'em in there." — George Carr |
Hall of Fame site, baseballlibrary.com
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:23 AM (GMT)
July 29th – Chief Meyers, 1880
As a Native American playing in the Deadball Era, Jack Meyers couldn't avoid being saddled with the nickname "Chief," but he did as much as any Native American of his generation to shatter the stereotypical image of the dumb Indian. Meyers was far more sophisticated than most of his fellow players. "A strong love of justice, a lightning sense of humor, a fund of general information that runs from politics to Plato, a quick, logical mind, and the self-contained, dignified poise that is the hallmark of good breeding-he is easily the most remarkable player in the big leagues," wrote one reporter. On the field, the strong but slow-footed Meyers was almost certainly the best offensive catcher of the Deadball Era, retiring with a .291 average for his nine-year career.
As a Native American playing in the Deadball Era, Jack Meyers couldn't avoid being saddled with the nickname "Chief," but he did as much as any Native American of his generation to shatter the stereotypical image of the dumb Indian. Meyers was far more sophisticated than most of his fellow players. "A strong love of justice, a lightning sense of humor, a fund of general information that runs from politics to Plato, a quick, logical mind, and the self-contained, dignified poise that is the hallmark of good breeding-he is easily the most remarkable player in the big leagues," wrote one reporter. On the field, the strong but slow-footed Meyers was almost certainly the best offensive catcher of the Deadball Era, retiring with a .291 average for his nine-year career.
| QUOTE |
| The Harrisburg team "certainly laid themselves to make me a happy Indian," Jack told a reporter in 1909. "I went to the clubhouse and nobody paid more attention to me than they did to the bat bag." Finally getting into a game on Independence Day, Meyers was assigned to catch a spitballer named Frank Leary who pitched a couple games for the Cincinnati Reds the following season. "I was getting it everywhere but my glove," he recalled. "I had five passed balls in two innings." Leary was intentionally crossing up Meyers, who finally stopped putting down signs. "Do you know, that did me more good than anything that ever happened to me?" Chief recalled. "It made me mad. I had been timid and now I was mad enough to be brave." |
RJ Lesch, SABR biography project; baseballlibrary.com, American Memory: Chicago Daily News
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:28 AM (GMT)
July 30th – Casey Stengel, 1890
"Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It's staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in."
"It's high time something was done for the pitchers. They put up the stands and take down fences to make more home runs and plague the pitchers. Let them revive the spitter and help the pitchers make a living."
Charles "Casey" Stengel's distinguished 54-year professional career spanned the era from Christy Mathewson to Mickey Mantle. He batted .284 over 14 seasons in the majors and accounted for both Giant victories in the 1923 World Series by hitting home runs. It was as a colorful and successful manager, though, that he earned Hall of Fame recognition. His feat of guiding the Yankees to 10 pennants and seven world titles in a 12-year span ranks as one of the most remarkable managerial accomplishments of all time.
Stengel made clowning around on the baseball diamond commonplace, long before the famed San Diego Chicken hatched out of its egg. Commonly known as the "Old Perfessor," he will forever be remembered for his comical antics. In a game with Montgomery of the Southern league, Stengel lowered himself in an outfield manhole when no one was looking. As a fly ball sailed in his direction, he magically appeared out of the ground to shag it. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, and "Ol' Case" had pulled off another one.
Casey Stengel official site, Hall of Fame site, born-today.com
"Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It's staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in."
"It's high time something was done for the pitchers. They put up the stands and take down fences to make more home runs and plague the pitchers. Let them revive the spitter and help the pitchers make a living."
Charles "Casey" Stengel's distinguished 54-year professional career spanned the era from Christy Mathewson to Mickey Mantle. He batted .284 over 14 seasons in the majors and accounted for both Giant victories in the 1923 World Series by hitting home runs. It was as a colorful and successful manager, though, that he earned Hall of Fame recognition. His feat of guiding the Yankees to 10 pennants and seven world titles in a 12-year span ranks as one of the most remarkable managerial accomplishments of all time.
Stengel made clowning around on the baseball diamond commonplace, long before the famed San Diego Chicken hatched out of its egg. Commonly known as the "Old Perfessor," he will forever be remembered for his comical antics. In a game with Montgomery of the Southern league, Stengel lowered himself in an outfield manhole when no one was looking. As a fly ball sailed in his direction, he magically appeared out of the ground to shag it. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, and "Ol' Case" had pulled off another one.
Casey Stengel official site, Hall of Fame site, born-today.com
osfan58202233 - October 6, 2008 04:32 AM (GMT)
July 31st – Hank Bauer, 1922
One of Casey Stengel's favorites, Bauer didn't give away runs or make mental mistakes, and he had a fierce determination to win. He collected nine WS checks while with the Yankees and would snarl, "Don't mess with my money!" to teammates who didn't hustle. The ex-Marine exuded authority; his face was likened to a clenched fist. Stengel platooned Bauer for much of his Yankee career, but he still emerged as a solid hitter with both power and speed. He started three straight All-Star games (1952-54) and hit 26 HR in 1956 and 18 first-inning leadoff HR in his career. He hit a three-run triple in the finale of the 1951 WS, and secured the 4-3 win over the Giants with a sliding catch in right field as the would-be tying run was streaking home. From 1956 to 1958 he set a WS record with a 17-game hitting streak. Bauer was eventually traded to the A's in the deal that brought Roger Maris to New York.
He managed the Orioles to the 1966 World Championship.
One of Casey Stengel's favorites, Bauer didn't give away runs or make mental mistakes, and he had a fierce determination to win. He collected nine WS checks while with the Yankees and would snarl, "Don't mess with my money!" to teammates who didn't hustle. The ex-Marine exuded authority; his face was likened to a clenched fist. Stengel platooned Bauer for much of his Yankee career, but he still emerged as a solid hitter with both power and speed. He started three straight All-Star games (1952-54) and hit 26 HR in 1956 and 18 first-inning leadoff HR in his career. He hit a three-run triple in the finale of the 1951 WS, and secured the 4-3 win over the Giants with a sliding catch in right field as the would-be tying run was streaking home. From 1956 to 1958 he set a WS record with a 17-game hitting streak. Bauer was eventually traded to the A's in the deal that brought Roger Maris to New York.
He managed the Orioles to the 1966 World Championship.
| QUOTE |
| The 1966 Baltimore Orioles had been a solid club the year before, finishing 94-68 under an extremely underrated manager in ex-Yankee outfielder Hank Bauer. But an off-season acquisition would make this good team into a great one. |