Baseball History

[67RedSox]

It was on this date in 1979 the greatest player to ever wear a Colorado Rockies uniform was born…Brad Hawpe…who is now wearing the uniform of the LA Angels. (This contribution submitted by Brad Hawpe)
Randy Jones’ ML pitching career, primarily as a Padre, spanned 10 seasons starting in 1973 but really could be defined in 3 of those years. In 1974 he led the NL in Losses with 22. To atone for that season he was a 20 game Winner in 1975 and was runner-up to Tom Seaver in the NL Cy Young Award voting. He went one step further in 1976 by leading the NL in Wins and easily capturing the Cy Young Award. He started and won the All-Star game that year. Why was he selected as the starter…because at the All-Star Break he was 16-3 and no one, not even Ubaldo Jimenez’ 15-1 in his super season of 2010, has matched that win total since. How did Jones win 22 games and a Cy Young…well not by overpowering batters that’s for sure. When he won the Cy Young in ’76 he tossed over 300 innings (315) yet struck out a mere 93. His strength was something that would ensure he pitched well… even at Coors. He had a great sinker that induced ground ball outs by the dozens and he had excellent control. It was on this date in 1976 that he breaks Christy Mathewson’s 63 year old NL record for tossing the most consecutive innings, 68.1, without giving up a base on balls. ( The ML record was set in 1962 by Bill Fischer, of the lowly KC Athletics, when he went 84.1 innings )
Have you ever heard of Jake Wood who played 2B for the Detroit Tigers in the 1960’s. No, well he led the AL in Games Played, Strikeouts and Triples as a rookie in 1961. That wasn’t his claim to fame though…what really separates him from almost everyone else is that he is one of only two ML players that we named a family pet after…a cat. Sorry about that Jake. Anyway, Jake Wood was born on this date in 1937.
Here’s another MLer who belongs in the “Who the Heck Is He” category. Walt Masterson was born on this date in 1920. I figure if he pitched in the Majors over three different decades, from 1939 to 1956 on some mostly really, really bad Washington Senators teams he deserves not to be forgotten. He missed two and almost an entire third season to military service in WWII. I mention his war service because of his comment (see excerpt from Baseball in Wartime below in which he says he returned from duty in the Pacific after the War and didn't care if he lived or died...the War obviously impacted people significantly). He was a good pitcher but went only 78-100 in his career. In 1948 the Senators were dreadful with a record of 56-97 and finished 40 games behind the Cleveland Indians and Masterson’s record was 8-15 but he was the AL starting pitcher in the All-Star game that year. Also, when Mantle arrived in the Majors in 1951 Masterson struck him out 5 straight times which contributed to Mantle being sent back to the Minors.

Baseball in Wartime - Walt Masterson

Darryl Kile, #57, who was an All-Star both before and after he pitched for the Rockies passed away on this date in 2002.
On this date in 2005 the NY Yankees trail Tampa 10-2 in the 8th inning but win the game 20-11 in 9 innings.
Exactly one year ago today the Texas Rangers defeat the Rockies 4-1 in an inter-league game in Texas. The battery for the Rangers in that game was Roy Oswalt and Yorvit Torrealba…or the same that the Rockies used against the Nationals two days ago.
On this date in 1993, in the Rockies first season, they lose to the Reds in a slugfest 16-13 in a game that saw 35 basehits and 48 men reach base. The oddity in this game, for me, is that the Rockies were led at the plate by one Chris Jones who played CF and drove in 4 runs. I have absolutely no recollection of this player despite his playing in the Majors for 9 seasons and with 8 different teams.

 

[67RedSox]

I love this picture of the 1957 San Francisco Seals...their last year as the Giants were arriving for the 1958 season. There's 5 or 6 players I remember from they spending time in the Majors and having their baseball cards. One of them is Albie Pearson...far right in the middle row. He would be the AL's Rookie of the Year the following season, 1958. He was all of 5'5" and 140 lbs. You might think he's the bat boy but far from it...maybe the best player of the lot.

Baseball Fever

 

[67RedSox]

Chances are if you work in Human Resource Management it would take you a while to see all of the following listed under ‘Previous Employment’ on someone’s job application:
- Major League Baseball player
- Major League Baseball team trainer
- Major League Baseball coach
- Major League Baseball manager
Not too many people could fill out a job application listing those previous jobs but Dusty Cooke, born on this date in 1907, could. He was an Outfielder during the 1930’s with the Red Sox primarily but also played briefly with the Yankees and Reds. He was an excellent 4th OFer who could and did play any of the three OF positions. After his MLB career ended he joined the Navy and served in Okinawa. After the War and as a result of the training he took in the Navy he became the Trainer for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1946. Later he served 4 years as a Coach with the team and even managed the team on an interim basis ( 12 games ).

It was on this date in 1917 that Ernie Shore pitches a Perfect Game for the Boston Red Sox. Odd thing is he was the second pitcher in the game for the Sox. In the memorable first of two games at Boston‚ Babe Ruth starts for the Red Sox and walks the leadoff man‚ griping to plate umpire Brick Owens after each pitch. On ball 4‚ Ruth plants a right to the umpire's jaw and is ejected. Ernie Shore hastily relieves and Sam Agnew takes over behind the plate for Pinch Thomas. The runner Ray Morgan is then caught stealing by Agnew‚ and Shore retires all 26 men he faces in a 4-0 win‚ getting credit in the books for a perfect game. Ruth is fined $100.00.

I guess Armando Galarraga is not alone in being robbed of a Perfect Game. On this date in 1994 Oakland’s Bobby Witt narrowly misses hurling a perfect game‚ defeating KC on a 4-0‚ 1-hitter. Umpire Gary Cederstrom calls Greg Gagne safe on a close play at 1st in the 6th inning‚ for the Royals only hit‚ but TV replays show that Gagne was out. The play went 1B Troy Neel to Witt covering. Witt fans 14 and does not walk a batter in his masterpiece.

 

[67RedSox]

His ML record compiled over three seasons 1961-1962-1963 consists of 129 ABs and 30 Basehits but did he get some mileage out of those meagre numbers. His name is Jack Reed…oh, you remember him. He has a W.S. ring for a finger on each hand and a whole lot of stories to tell to the folks back home in Silver City, Mississippi. He could tell the folks that he was Mickey Mantle’s defensive replacement because he was. He could tell them he was on the field for the final out of the 1961 World Series because there he was in CF when Vada Pinson flied out to LFer Hector Lopez. He could tell them that he was part of a golf foursome with Bobby Richardson, Tom Tresh and Johnny Blanchard on off-days and played several rounds with Joe DiMaggio because he did. He could tell them he’s one of only four intercollegiate student-athletes to play in a major college football bowl game and World Series contest, having done so in the January 1, 1953, Sugar Bowl, when Ole Miss played Georgia Tech; then, playing with the Yankees in the World Series…and he wouldn’t be lying. Finally, on this date in 1962 the longest game ever played in Yankee history ends thanks to a home run he hits in the 22nd inning of a game against the Tigers in Tiger Stadium…it would be the only HR he hit in the Majors. The game started in front of 35,000 fans and ended 7 hours later…my guess is with fewer than 35,000 still there.

Ever hear of the Folly Floater. It’s a pitch that was thrown by Steve Hamilton of the NY Yankees. It was a high, slow eephus pitch. Other pitchers that have thrown a lob pitch include Rip Sewell and Dave LaRoche. One of his most famous moments involving this pitch occurred on this date in 1970, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. Hamilton threw a "folly floater" to Indian slugger Tony Horton, who fouled it out of play. Horton asked for another; Hamilton obliged and again threw him the pitch, and again Horton hit it into foul territory — this time into Thurman Munson's mitt for an out. An embarrassed Horton crawled back into the dugout on all fours. Rather than try to explain the pitch it’s easier to show it as there’s a You Tube clip of it.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFvp7kMraAw]Folly Floater: Hamilton vs Horton - YouTube[/ame]

The story could end there if not for Tony Horton…the young and talented slugger for the Red Sox and the Indians, is ultimately a tragic one from a baseball perspective. In 1970 when the clip was taken Horton was Just entering his prime seasons at the age of 25 although it was his 7th ML season as he came to the Majors as a teenager. He was forced to leave the game because of an emotional disorder, and ultimately he never returned. Several weeks after the AB against Hamilton Horton played his final ML game. Tony was described as extremely intense, a perfectionist who was never happy with his performance. In 1970, the stress of the game grew more difficult for Horton and he reportedly stopped eating and drinking, before finally suffering what was later believed to have been a nervous breakdown sometime after his last game, which was on August 28. The Los Angeles Times on September 9 reported that Horton was sent home to Santa Monica due to "physical exhaustion." Throughout the off-season, the Indians, and everyone else, believed that Horton was going to a big part of the team again in 1971. It was therefore a surprise when the team announced on January 21, 1971, that Horton would miss spring training and likely the entire season with an emotional disorder. He had been hospitalized since September. It was felt he would return for the 1972 season but he never did. It was later revealed that Horton attempted suicide while with the Indians in 1970. His breakdown was due to the pressure of never living up to his father's expectations. After the suicide attempt, doctors and psychiatric people told him he had to sever all ties to baseball and that part of his life. That's why his old teammates and managers never heard from him again and why he became a bit of a recluse although apparently successful in business. Piecing together the full facts of his story is not easy, because the person who knows the story best--Tony Horton--is keeping it to himself.

A final note on Steve Hamilton, who died of cancer at too young an age, is that he is one of only two people who have played in both an NBA final and a World Series.

 

[Silas]

That was a great piece about Tony Horton, yet a sad one to be sure. What a shame Tony went through the difficulties described. He was a pretty darn good player in his day.

I guess it reminds me a bit of Jimmie Piersall and the mental issues he encountered. It just goes to show how stressful playing the game of baseball can be and how overwhelming the need to constantly produce can be.

I guess we, as fans, take ballplayers for granted forgetting that they are simply human beings with all the issues in life to face as everyone else. We expect them to be near perfect even though we know they'll only succeed about 30 percent of the time........and that's if they are considered to be a "good" player.

Any way........thanks for the piece and the You Tube clip showing the 'ole "Folly Floater". I get a kick out of seeing those huge chest protector's the AL Umpires used to wear.

 

[67RedSox]

4thefences, the Patriarch of the Colorado Rockies fanbase as we know it here and the former Rockies CBS Sports Message Board has stated politics has no place in our discussions and I know of no one who disagrees. There is a brief reference to below to Tammany Hall or the force that controlled the Democratic Party until the 1930’s…it’s reference is purely historical in nature and necessary in understanding how the naming of the “Braves” came about. No offense to our unwritten rules is intended.

Can you remember what you were doing back in 1625. In the complex early history of the city of New York it’s accepted as the year the Dutch settled in Manhattan and New York was born or as it was known then… New Amsterdam. It wasn’t until 1664 that New Amsterdam became New York and 2013 when Colorado became known as the New Amsterdam given it’s liberal pot laws. Well, all of this has nothing to do with Baseball so let’s move 94 miles down the road to Philadelphia and talk about something that does. In 1625 Tamanend or as he became known,Tammany, was born. He was a chief of one of the clans that made up the Lenni-Lenape Nation in the Delaware Valley at the time Philadelphia was established. Tammany is best known as a lover of peace and friendship who played a prominent role in the establishment of peaceful relations among the Native American tribes and the English settlers who established Pennsylvania, led by William Penn. Referred to as the "Patron Saint of America", he became an emblem of peace and amity. A Tammany society and an annual Tammany festival were founded in Philadelphia. Tammany societies elsewhere were established, using his name to stand for the peaceful politics of negotiation. Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany named after Tamanend was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 that spread nationally and expanded its political control to the point where It controlled Democratic Party nominations and political patronage. Now that we have the history lesson out of the way we can move forward a couple of hundred years.
By this time Baseball is being played all over the United States. Today the Atlanta Braves is one of the National League's two remaining charter franchises (the other being the Chicago Cubs) and was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings (not to be confused with the American League's Boston Red Sox). They are considered "the oldest continuously playing team in major North American sports." There is an argument as to which team is actually older, because, although the Cubs are a full season "older" (formed as the Chicago White Stockings in 1870), Chicago did not sponsor a White Stockings team for two seasons due to the Great Chicago Fire; therefore, the Braves have played more consecutive seasons. However, in their early days they had a few nicknames including the Red Stockings (1871-1882), the Beaneaters (1883-1906), the Doves (1907-1910) and the Rustlers in 1911. Finally, their owner, James Gaffney, a staunch Democrat, was a member of New York City's political machine, Tammany Hall, which used Tammany, the Indian chief, as their symbol. He chose that symbol and the name "Braves" for his team. The nickname has stuck for 100 years.
Over the course of 142 years the Braves have had a few players of note. In fact, 45 Hall of Famers have worn a Braves uniform over the years. One name you likely don’t know and won’t remember tomorrow is Wiley Piatt. He pitched for the Beaneaters version of the team in 1903. On this date in 1903 he did something that no other ML pitcher has done since 1900…lose two complete games in one day, falling to Pittsburgh 1-0 and 5-3.

This bit of trivia never fails to make me shake my head in disbelief. It was on this date in 1976 that Toby Harrah ( I may have his last name spelled backwards ) of the Texas Rangers becomes the first shortstop in ML history to go through an entire doubleheader without a fielding chance. At the plate, Harrah makes up for the inactivity, collecting six hits, including a grand slam in the opener and another round-tripper in the nightcap. The Rangers beat the White Sox in the first game 8-4, but lose the nightcap 14-9. The Rangers could have played the entire DHer without a Shortstop and it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference. Mind boggling.
It was on this date in 1986 that Steve Carlton, four years removed from his 4th and last Cy Young Award was released by the Phillies who felt his ability to get batters out in the Majors, at age 41, was gone. They may have been right but Carlton pitched for 4 more ML teams before signing out.

On this date in 1995 you might have witnessed something pretty unique if you were sitting in Jack Murphy Stadium watching the Rockies trounce the Padres, 11-3. Andres Galarraga comes up in the 6th inning and pokes a HR off Willie Blair to deep LF. The next inning, the 7th, he comes up again and takes Curtis Leskanis deep to RF. The next inning, the 8th with Fernando Valenzuela pitching he goes deep again… this time a line drive HR to LF. Not bad for three innings work. Good thing he didn’t hit those at Home or every sportswriter covering the game would trivialize them for being hit at altitude.

Joe Kuhel was born on this date in 1906. If you look at the names of the 272 players who have at least 2,000 Hits in their career chances are almost every name but his would be recognized. He has more Basehits than close to 20 HOFers ( 2 fewer than Joe D ) and was the best fielding 3rd baseman in the AL during the 1930’s. He once hit 3 triples in one game and in 1945 his inside-the-park home run at Griffith Stadium was the only HR hit by a Washington player at home that year…and that ain’t a lie.

 

[BigDDude]

Also on this date in baseball history -

1937 - Cubs switch-hitter Augie Galan becomes the first National League player to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game as Chicago beats Brooklyn, 11 - 2.

1967:

• Heavyweight contender Joe Frazier wants to hold a clinic to teach baseball players how to fight. "All they do is hurt themselves instead of the other guy," he said from his training camp. "Look at Joe Pepitone. He banged up his hands without getting a punch across. Baseball players should know about combinations as well as double plays." Frazier said he would hold a clinic on a day when the Yankees are off.

1971:

• Actor Kurt Russell makes his pro baseball debut for Bend (Northwest League), getting a single, double, and two stolen bases. Russell's baseball career will be ended by injury two years later.

1987 - Dwight Gooden (4-1) and the Mets top the Cubs, 8 - 2. For Doc, it is his 10th straight win over Chicago. He'll lose his next decision to them on August 9, then roll off another 12 straight wins.

1988:

• California opens today's game with just two outfielders - CF Devon White is in the clubhouse finishing a phone call when the game starts. RF Chili Davis tries to alert the umps but no one notices him. California still wins over Milwaukee, 7 - 3.

1989 - In a first in the National League, the Mets' defense does not record a single assist in a 5 - 1 win over Philadelphia, tying the major-league record set by the Yanks on July 4, 1945. New York pitchers retire the Phillies on 13 strikeouts, 12 fly outs, and two ground balls to 1B. Sid Fernandez is the winner, with Rick Aguilera tossing an inning of relief.

2005 - In a game against the Orioles, the Mariners battery consists of a pair of 42-year olds as Jamie Moyer throws to backstop Pat Borders. It marks the first time in major league history that two players 42 years or older have been the starting pitcher and catcher for a team.

 

[67RedSox]

Although I know she won’t be reading this I dedicate today’s entry to a friend and a passionate Baseball and Rockies’ fan…smf52. Due to a fall she’s more than a bit broken up and though I’m helpless to render any real assistance I hope her recovery is as quick as it can be and with as little pain as possible.
Having said that it seems appropriate to start with a mention of one of her all time favourite players… Ron Santo, who like smf52, had to endure more than his fair share of health issues. The quality of an individual can be measured by how they deal with adversity. We saw Santo deal with that with class on the field and smf52 with class on the lines of communication available to us. It was on this date in 1960 that Ron Santo made his ML debut. Driving in 5 runs against the 1st place Pirates in a doubleheader that day ensured he was in the Majors to stay and that he had begun his trek to Cooperstown.

It was on this date in 1903 that Babe Herman was born. Babe never made it to the Hall of Fame. He played (some might say mis-played) RF for the Dodgers back in the mid 1920’s to early 1930’s. His baserunning exploits would make Marco Scutaro’s blunders look like Little League stuff but boy was he good with a bat in his hands and was one of the game’s premier power hitters in his prime. Three players in ML history have hit for the cycle three times in their career and no one has done that since Herman accomplished it 80 years ago.
In 1928 he hit .340 for the Dodgers and some years that might win you a Batting Crown but not that year…he finished 4th with Hornsby leading the way at .387. So the following season, 1929, he upped it to .381 and although he finished ahead of Hornsby’s .380 that was the year Lefty O’Doul hit .398 so Herman finished as runner-up. So, in 1930 he upped it again to .393 but again finished second to Bill Terry who hit .401. Nevertheless his .393 batting average, .678 slugging average, 241 hits and 416 total bases in 1930 remain Dodgers franchise records, with his 143 runs being the post-1900 team record; he also set team records (since broken) that year with 35 home runs and 130 runs batted in.
As mentioned Herman was an outstanding hitter, but a markedly below-average fielder who led the NL in errors in 1927 as a first baseman and in each of the next two years playing in right field. Fresco Thompson, a 1931 teammate, observed: "He wore a glove for one reason: because it was a League custom." Herman developed a self-deprecating attitude about his shortcomings; when informed by a local bank that someone had been impersonating him and cashing bad checks, he said, "Hit him a few flyballs. If he catches any, it ain't me."
Herman's name is associated with a baserunning gaffe during his rookie year. During a game on August 15, 1926, at Ebbets Field against the Boston Braves, he tried to stretch a double off the right field wall into a triple with one out and the bases loaded; Chick Fewster, who had been on first, advanced to third base – which was already occupied by Dazzy Vance, who had started from second base but was now caught in a rundown and was dashing back to third. All three of them ended up at third base, with Herman not having watched the play in front of him, and the third baseman, Eddie Taylor, tagged all three just to be sure of getting as many outs as possible. According to the rules, Vance was entitled to the base, so umpire Beans Reardon called Herman and Fewster out. Thus, Babe Herman was said to have "doubled into a double play". This led to the following popular joke:
"The Dodgers have 3 men on base!"…"Oh, yeh? Which base?"
On two occasions in 1930, Herman stopped to watch a home run while running the bases and was passed by the hitter, in each case causing the home run to count only as a single. The following year, he was thrown out trying to steal a base against the St. Louis Cardinals, even though the opposing catcher was 48-year-old Cardinals manager Gabby Street, appearing in his first game (as an emergency substitute) since 1912. Pitcher Vance dubbed him "the Headless Horseman of Ebbets Field" for his various mistakes.

Speaking of birthdays it was on this date in 1873 that Henry Schmidt was born. At this point it would be quite O.K. to ask…so, who he was. In 1903 he pitched for and Won 22 games for Brooklyn. What’s noteworthy about his is that 1903 was the only season Schmidt pitched in the Majors. He was born in Texas but in 1902 ended up playing on the West Coast and won 35 games for Oakland, then in the California League. That punched his ticket to the Majors and Brooklyn. Brooklyn sent him a contract for the 1904 season but he returned it with a note saying he wouldn’t report because he didn’t like pitching in the East. He went back to Oakland and pitched for the Oaks of the PCL and won 26 games. His 22 wins is the most by a pitcher who only played one Major League season. Thus, his first ML season was also his last ML season and he becomes one of 5 pitchers to Win 20 games in their final season in the Majors. The other 4 are: Sandy Koufax, 1966-27 Wins, Lefty Williams, 1920-22 Wins, Eddie Cicotte, 1920-21 Wins, Mike Mussina, 2008-20 Wins.

 

[Silas]

Another great piece and fun reading about the daffy Dodgers. They are currently playing in Chavez Ravine!

Didn't realize Smf was on the mend. I have nothing but respect for her. Smf......wishing you a quick and complete recovery.

 

[67RedSox]

It was on this date 10 years ago today that Johnny Damon of the Red Sox, in a game against the Marlins at Fenway Park, was a HR short of hitting for the cycle…before the 1st inning was over. What a wild game that was. In the 50-minute bottom of the first inning at Fenway Park against the Marlins, the Red Sox establish a major league record by scoring 10 runs before making an out and tying the record for the most runs scored in the 1st inning with 14. It was not until the 58th pitch of the game and their 3rd pitcher that the Marlins were able to record an out. In 3 ABs in the inning Damon had a double, triple and single to tie a ML record of 3 hits in an inning. Only one other player since 1883 has collected 3 hits in an inning and it was also by a Red Sox player in Fenway Park 50 years previous to Damon…Gene Stephens in 1953. Stephens played 12 seasons in the Majors, mostly with the Red Sox and mostly in LF although he could play any of the OF positions. Stephens was commonly referred to as Ted Williams’ ”caddy”. Using the past to predict the future would suggest the next time a player will collect 3 hits in an inning will be in 2053 at Fenway and it’ll be by a Red Sox OFer.

Time to remember one of the bigger stars in the AL during the 1950s albeit a name pretty much unknown to the younger generations of baseball fans. Gus Zernial was born on this date in 1923. He was one of the AL’s greatest sluggers and outfielders during the 1950s. He had Hollywood looks and was extremely popular. He came to the Majors from the PCL in 1949. The PCL at that time it served a population of about 8 million people. The League functioned like a third big league, with pay often competitive with, if not better than, that of the Major Leagues. Zernial started with a salary of $1,000 a month and was earning $8,000 a year in the PCL, more than many MLers. I believe he took a pay cut to come to the Chicago White Sox but it paid off. During that six-year period from 1950 through 1955, no player in the AL hit more home runs than Zernial's 177. (Al Rosen likewise hit 177). During the entire decade of the 1950s, only the Yankees' Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra hit more AL home runs than Zernial. He finished his career with 237 home runs. In 1951 Zernial was traded after only four games, from the White Sox to the Philadelphia Athletics. Despite this, he went on to lead the league with 33 home runs (all with the Athletics) and 125 RBI. This gave Gus the distinction of being the only player since the Deadball Era to win a league HR Crown while playing for two teams in the same year. In 1951 Gus also led the league in outfield assists. The feat was accomplished not only because of his great arm. What set him apart was the ability to charge the ball and, using a quick arm and ball release, quickly throw out runners trying to advance on base hits. Zernial is featured in one of the most unusual baseball cards of all time. His 1952 Topps card shows Zernial holding a bat that has six baseballs attached to it. This photo recognized that he had tied an American League record by hitting six home runs in three consecutive games from May 13-16, 1951. Zernial was the first player to hit three home runs in the final game of a season, a record equalled by Dick Allen in 1968 and Evan Longoria in 2012. When he did it in 1950 the White Sox played a Doubleheader on the final day of the season and in the first game he hit a HR as well making him the only player to hit 4 HRs on the final day of the season.

In the history of the Majors there have been 980 batters whose ML career totals one single game. The most productive of those 980 was John Paciorek who at the age of 18 played his one and only game in the Majors on September 29, 1963 with the Houston Colt .45’s (note: not the Astros). It was the final game of the season and the Colt .45’s were playing the Mets in Houston in front of 3,899 fans. Paciorek plays RF and hits 7th. He comes to the plate 5 times and reaches base 5 times on 3 hits and 2 walks. He scores 4 runs and drives in 3. Pretty decent day for your only day in the Majors. A couple of side notes…one is the Winning Pitcher in the game was 33 year old Jim Umbricht. Tragically the game would be his last in the Majors as well as he succumbed to cancer before the start of the next season. The second is that he was followed to the Majors by two brothers, Jim who played one season and Tom who played 18 seasons. Not a single one of the 980 hit a Home Run.
There have been 515 pitchers with 1 ML game to their credit. 28 were the Winning Pitcher and 133 were the Losing Pitcher. The one who would have to wear the goat horns would be Allan Travers who pitched a complete game for the Tigers in 1912 but gave up 26 Hits and 7 Walks along with 24 Runs…14 of which were earned. A few years later, he would become Father Aloysius S. Travers, S. J., and to this day he is the only Catholic priest ever to play in a major league game. It should be noted a lot of players in Tiger uniforms that day were replacement players rounded up around town for players who were protesting a Ty Cobb suspension. Travers was one of those replacements…a junior in college with virtually no baseball experience and little athletic ability.

 

[67RedSox]

The man who would fall from grace… It was on this date in 1964 that Mark Grace was born. For 13 seasons, from 1988 to 2000 he played for the Cubs, seldom missed a game, played in All-Star games, won multiple Gold Gloves, racked up basehits and hit .308. During the 1990’s he led all MLB batters with 1754 Basehits ( Palmeiro -1747, Biggio – 1728 and Gwynn – 1713 ). About the worst he seemed to do while playing was puffing on a smoke before, during and after games... like Leyland. Failed marriages, three arrests for drunk driving and losing his job as a baseball broadcaster have dogged him in recent years.

Something pretty important for MLB happened on this date in 1989. In an area known as Camden Yards, the razing of structures on the 85-acre parcel of land begins to make room for a new ballpark for the Orioles in downtown Baltimore. The fan-friendly baseball-only facility, which will make debut in April of 1992, will set the standard for all new ballparks to be built in the future as teams try copy the "retro" look done so successfully by the HOK architectural firm.

Fred Talbot was born on this date in 1941. He was a mediocre (at best) AL pitcher in the 1960’s for a few clubs and if not for being prominently featured in Jim Bouton’s book, Ball Four, he would have long ago been forgotten. Talbot was the book’s biggest victim — of Bouton’s putdowns, of regional prejudice and clubhouse pranks. Instead of being forgotten he was well remembered and when he died earlier this year he was linked to Stan Musial and Earl Weaver. One article started like this…Stan Musial, Earl Weaver and Fred Talbot died last week — one of baseball’s greatest players, greatest managers and greatest characters. If Archie Bunker had been a baseball player, he would have been a lot like the Talbot portrayed in Bouton’s book – part bumpkin, part boor, even by locker room standards, and often defeated.

400 Total Bases in a season is a stat that I have always been in awe of…sort of like 30 Wins for a pitcher or hitting .400 – they all seem so unattainable (if that’s a word). In the history of the game it has happened 29 times by a total of 18 different players…2 of which, Sosa & Bonds, I discount because their achievement was likely artificially aided. Of the 29 times 400 Total Bases has been achieved 19 took place in either the 1920’s or 1930’s. Since then it’s been a rather rare happening. In the NL Post WWII Stan Musial did it in 1948 and it took another 11 years before Hank Aaron would do it in 1959. It then took another 38 years before another NLer would do it. Larry Walker, eh in 1997. Todd Helton has also accomplished the feat…twice in fact…in back-to-back seasons, 2000 – 2001 making him the first player to do it in consecutive seasons since Jimmie Foxx in 1932-1933.

Do you remember pitcher, Scott Service. He was a hulking reliever who began his ML career in 1988 and kicked around until 2004 playing with 9 ML teams and the Chunichi Dragons along the way. He may also hold the record for not playing with the most teams who signed him. A funny thing happened on this date in 1993. The Cincinnati Reds tire of him and place him on waivers and the Rockies claim him. He spends a week with the Rockies and doesn’t impress…getting into 3 games where he tosses 4+ innings giving up 8 hits and 5 runs. After those 3 games the Rockies put him on waivers and guess who claims him…yes, the Cincinnati Reds. So in the space of 9 days the Reds dump and re-acquire him. The Reds are not done with him yet. The Reds then release him the following year and turn around and sign him as a free-agent. Before he even pitches in one game for the Reds after they sign him as a free-agent they trade him to the Giants. He pitches in 28 games for the Giants and they release him. Guess who signs him a second time as a free-agent. Yes, the Reds. They do keep him for a full season but release him 4 days before the end of Spring Training in 1997. The Oakland Athletics claim him but don’t use him and decide to put him on waivers a few days later. Guess who claims him off waivers…yes the Reds. So a week after releasing him they sign him again. Do they really want him…apparently not because after pitching in only 4 games the Reds trade him to Kansas City. Are the Reds finally finished with him. Certainly not. They re-sign him as a free-agent in 2001 and after doing so send him to the Minors and never once use him in a ML game. Both the Dodgers and Pirates sign him as a free-agent but he doesn’t pitch an inning for either of them so in 2003 for the last time the Cincinnati Reds sign him one more time as a free-agent and as they have before they fail to pitch him in a single game. I wonder if Service has a split personality as a result of his career in MLB. Part likely feels wanted and the other part unwanted.


In 1937 he became the NL’s All-Time HR leader. It took 30 seasons before Willie Mays surpassed him in 1966. If you think that’s an accomplishment here’s another one of his. His entire ML career was spent playing (and managing) for one team. For 18 consecutive seasons 1928-1945 he led the team in HRs. No other player has done that more than 9 years running. (Answer is A below)

What HOfer led MLB in HRs during the 1970’s. He was 39 and playing in his last full ML season before he won his only MVP Crown. (Answer is B below)

Today if a pitcher tosses 200 Innings in a season he’s almost considered God-like. This pitcher, who won 300 games, had a record 20 seasons of tossing at least 200 Innings. (Answer is C below)



A-Mel Ott B-Willie Stargell C-Don Sutton

 

[HammerDown]

67RedSox, you are a historian of the game, aren't you?

 

[67RedSox]

I love the history of this great game. There are stories behind every player, every ballpark, every team. It's endlessly fascinating. Don't know that makes me a historian but I certainly am a student of the game.

 

[Silas]

I would accord 67RS that accolade. He is a fine educator of the grand 'ole past time and I believe we all appreciate the time this gentleman puts in bringing us this amazing cavalcade of baseball fact.

As for Scott Service........he must have retired from baseball seeing "Red"!

 

[67RedSox]

It was on this date in 1909 that the Pittsburgh Pirates said good-bye to Exposition Park, their home for 18 seasons, by playing their last game there before moving to the just completed Forbes Field. This would start a new era in MLB parks as Forbes Field was the first to be constructed of steel and concrete. Exposition Park was the site of the first World Series game ever played. Capacity was 12,000 and 7,500 showed up for the 1st game of the 1st World Series. Word got around and there was a full house for Game 2…probably looked something like this:

One more thing about Exposition Park. It was built along the Allegheny River which was subject to flooding. Flooding sometimes covered the entire outfield with inches of standing water, causing ground rules that gave any ground ball hit into the outfield an automatic single. During a July 4, 1902 doubleheader against Brooklyn, an Allegheny flood caused water to rise to thigh level in center and right fields, and about head level in deep center. Players occasionally caught a ball and dove under the water.

On this date in 1990 Dave Stewart of the A’s No-Hits the Blue Jays and Fernando Valenzuela No-Hits the Cardinals. It’s the first time in 73 years that there are two No-Hitters tossed on the same day.

It was on this date in 1905 New York Giants rookie outfielder Archie “Moonlight” Graham made his Major League debut, playing the last two innings of a one-sided 11-1 victory over the Brooklyn Superbas. The twenty-five-year-old was the next to bat when the last out was recorded in the top of the ninth inning. After playing right field for the final three outs, he headed into the visitors’ clubhouse, not realizing that it would be his only appearance in a ML baseball game. A few days later, Archie was sent down to the minors. Rumour has it that Graham turned in his uniform for a stethoscope and became a doctor in Chisholm, Minnesota. He died in 1965 and is buried, ironically, only minutes away from the Mayo Clinic.

It was on this date in 1969 that Billy Williams plays in his 896th consecutive game to surpass Stan Musial's mark established in 1957 when Cubs sweep a doubleheader from the Cardinals 3-1 and 12-1, with the Chicago outfielder going 4-5 with a single, a double, and two triples in the nightcap. The team honors the accomplishment with an emotional ceremony between games of the twin bill on 'Billy Williams Day' before a crowd of 41,060 at Wrigley Field. Our smf52 might have been At Wrigley Field that day.

Two HOFers were born on this date. Both were gentlemen of the highest order. Harmon Killebrew, nice even to umpires, in 1936 and Uncle Robbie (Wilbert) Robinson, whose congenial nature and happy-go-lucky attitude made him one of the most beloved characters in baseball, in 1864.

The 1968 World Series was, in my opinion, one of the greatest of all World Series played… certainly in my time. One of the stars of that Series was the Tigers CFer, Jim Northrup, who drove in 8 runs in the Series after leading the Tigers in Basehits and RBIs during the regular season. In 1971 Enzo Hernandez, the Padres light-hitting Shortstop, set a rather dubious mark of driving in only 12 runs all season despite playing in 143 games and coming to the plate over 600 times. It was on this date in 1968 that Northrup hit his 3rd Grandslam of the week matching Enzo’s 1971 RBI total with 3 swings of the bat. Northrup died a couple of years ago after being in failing health, including Alzheimer’s Disease, for some time.

Here’s an odd one. It was on this date in 1913 that only one baseball is used during the Reds' 9-6 win over the Cubs at Redland Field. There are no home runs or foul balls which land in the stands during the contest. Today, the average lifespan of a ML baseball is 7 pitches.

50 years ago today in 1963 these guys all hit a HR: Jim Gentile, Jim Fregosi, Jim Gilliam, Bill Skowron, Marty Keough, Tito Francona, Lee Thomas, Tom Tresh, Elston Howard and Joe Torre who hit his off of Sandy Koufax. Funny what you remember but when I read these names I can remember having baseball cards of each one of these guys (not necessarily the 1963 cards) except for Junior Gilliam’s. It’s also funny that in those years I was a Yankee fan and the Dodgers were a team I hated (let’s not talk about the 1963 WS) however for some reason I always liked Gilliam.

 

[Silas]

Yes, let's talk about the 1963 WS!!

 

[67RedSox]

There’s a few birthdays today worth mentioning. The first couple are not players of renown but worth mentioning because they are indicative of the times they played in.

Jocko Flynn was born on this date in 1864 and although he played only one season (and 1 game in a second season) in the Majors he could be the poster boy for one of the pitfalls awaiting to swallow up ballplayers of his time… Detroit Whiskey, French Piss, Hooch, Grog, Booze or any other euphemism you want to use for alcohol. Flynn was 23-6 for the NL’s Chicago White Stockings. His arm died that year, maybe because there was too much physical strain, after all his frame was only of the 5’6”, 143 lb. variety but his off-field, late-night imbibing could not have helped. In those days teams and the League employed Pinkerton agents in every city whose job it was to keep an eye on the players while they were “off-duty”. If they were found to be drinking they could be fined, and were because it was not allowed. It didn’t really deter the players as Flynn was just 1 of 7 White Stockings players caught and fined on one occasion.

Davy “The Kangaroo” Jones was born on this date in 1880 and played squarely in the Dead Ball Era. In Jones’ own words…"Baseball attracted all sorts of people in those days," he explained. "We had stupid guys, smart guys, tough guys, mild guys, crazy guys, college men, slickers from the city, and hicks from the country." At times, Jones himself could seem a bit like all of the above. A rare collegian who possessed a law degree and later went on to a prosperous career in pharmacology, the intelligent Jones could also be quick-tempered and impulsive. Jones had run-ins with umpires, managers, players and fans, and once even bounced a knife-wielding robber from his drugstore. During his first years in the pros he jumped so many contracts that the press nicknamed him "The Kangaroo." "He signed so many contracts last winter that a half dozen lawyers could not have made a worse tangle," the Chicago Tribune quipped in 1902. Jones himself said later that "a contract didn't mean anything in those days." When he finally settled down with the Detroit Tigers, the fleet-footed and pesky Jones became one of the game's best, though oft-injured, leadoff hitters. His most successful season in Detroit came in 1907, when he helped spark the Tigers to the first of three consecutive American League pennants.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had a pair of antique dueling pistols in the late ’70s. Yet despite their age, Vic Davalillo and Manny Mota were in great condition – and the fire of these small arms was often deadly. Davalillo’s Big-League career had seemingly ended in 1974, but after more than three years in the Mexican League, the wiry little outfielder (5-foot-7 and 150 pounds) returned at the age of 41 in 1977. He remained active in the U.S. through 1980 but continued to play winter ball in his native Venezuela until the remarkable age of 50. A lot will remember Vic Davalillo as his ML career did stretch to 16 seasons but how about Yo-Yo Davalillo who was born on this date in 1928 and died earlier this year at age 84. He was Vic’s brother and his career in the Majors lasted all of part of one season, 1953, for the Washington Senators. He had a promising future, but his aversion to airplane travel, combined with a severe injury, curtailed his career in the Majors. He was just the 4th native of Venezuela to play in the Majors and that total is now 294 making it, after the U.S. and the Dominican Republic the country to send the most players to the Majors. He did return to Venezuela to coach and manage after his playing career was over and in 2006 was elected to Venezuela’s Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cy Young in 1908, Bob Lemon in 1948 and Sandy Koufax in 1962 all threw No-Hitters on this date. Young’s was tossed when he was 41, Lemon’s was the first No-Hitter under the lights in the AL and Koufax’s was the first of 4 that he would toss…one being a Perfect Game.

It was on this date in 1995 that Eddie Murray became the 20th player and second switch-hitter to collect 3,000 Basehits. I almost always think of Murray as an Oriole but only 12 of his 21 seasons were in Baltimore. He was a regular for multiple seasons in each of Los Angeles (Dodgers), Cleveland and New York (Mets).

TY Cobb at .366, Rogers Hornsby at .358 and Shoeless Joe Jackson at .356 are the three players who have a career average ( minimum 1000 games ) over .350. Lefty O'Doul was right there at .349. Hornsby was the only one of the four who batted RH. In fact of the Top 10 hitters of all-time only two...Hornsby and Ed Delahanty hit from the right side. There is only one switch-hitter among the Top 150...Frankie Frisch, 72nd overall at .316.

 

[67RedSox]

It was on this date in 2008 that fans got to see something happen at Coors Field that probably won’t be repeated. In the shortest nine-inning game in the history of Coors Field, Aaron Cook throws only 79 pitches in the one hour, 58 minute contest to defeat the Padres, 4-0. Of the 79 pitches there were 58 strikes and only 21 balls tossed. The record for fewest pitches in a 9 inning complete game is 58 set by Charlie “Red” Barrett of the Boston Braves on August 10, 1944. That game took all of 1:15 play. If that game was played at Dodger Stadium today you could be a late arrival and miss the game.

Roy Campanella made his ML debut on this date in 1948. He collects three hits and his HOF career starts rolling.

There’s a few birthdays we just can’t pass on today and most of them go back even longer than the Rolling Stones have been performing as a band. Foghorn Bradley was born on this date in back in 1855. Yes, you’re right Franklin Pierce the only President from New Hampshire was in Office and the first bridge over the Mississippi was constructed. Foghorn was a pitcher and not a bad one for the Boston Red Stockings in 1876 but after his one season in the NL he signed a lucrative Minor League contract and would never return to the Majors…as a player. He did return as an umpire though and spent six seasons doing that in the days when there was a lone umpire on the field. He was involved in a couple of historic games. On June 12, 1880 he was the umpire when Lee Richmond pitched the first Perfect Game in Major League history, which was also the second no-hitter ever tossed. Later, in that same season, on August 20, he was the umpire for another no-hitter, this time by future Hall of Famer Pud Galvin, throwing the fifth no-hitter in major league history.

Roger Connor was born on this date in 1857 and who was he, pray tell. Well, for more than a quarter of a century he was Baseball’s all-time HR leader until some guy by the name of Babe Ruth came along. Underappreciated in his late-19th-century heyday and largely forgotten for decades thereafter, Roger Connor was baseball’s first great slugger. You can put me in the largely forgotten category of fan because I did not know the name until 4thefences mentioned it in a Post a year or two ago. Once his playing career was over, the memory of Roger Connor did not linger in the game’s consciousness. Nor was Connor recognized when the Hall of Fame began to open its doors to the greats of his era. More than 40 years after Connor’s death, rectification of this slight commenced with the historic achievement of another quiet, dignified professional, Hank Aaron. Among the questions provoked that April 1974 evening when Aaron smashed his 715th home run was this one: If Aaron had just broken Babe Ruth’s career home-run record, whose record had Ruth broken? The answer to that question shined the spotlight on long-neglected Roger Connor. Two years later Connor received his due when ceremonies in Cooperstown included the belated but eminently deserved induction of Connor into the ranks of baseball’s immortals.

John Clarkson was born on this date in 1861. More than a few contemporary baseball insiders viewed John Clarkson as the finest pitcher of the 19th century. He won 30 or more games in a season six times, including two of the top four all-time totals, 53 in 1885 and 49 in ’89. In the ten-year period between August 1884 and July 1894, he amassed 327 victories in the National League, and then retired at the age of 33. Clarkson was a 5-foot-10, 155-pound right hander, threw the three basic pitches, fastball, curve, and changeup. If you ask anyone who knows anything about Post WWII Baseball ( and before that if you want ) almost all will tell you that Koufax and Blyleven were # 1 and # 2 as to the best curveball pitchers of our time. If you were to ask me I would simply say the discussion begins and ends with Koufax period. Apparently, Clarkson’s curve was reminiscent of Koufax’s. The difference being that Clarkson threw in a time when the distance to home plate was 50’. Durability was another trademark of Clarkson’s as he failed to complete only 33 of his 518 starts and twice pitched more than 600 innings in a single season.

If you ever watched Mark Belanger play Shortstop you would notice two things. His glove was very small and he didn’t really use it to catch a ball but instead use it as an instrument to direct the ball to his throwing hand so he could throw you at 1st almost before you hit the ball. He wasn’t short at 6’1” but not near as tall as his successor, Cal Ripkin at 6’4”. It was on this date in 1982 and considered a questionable decision at the time because of his height that Ripken is moved from third base to shortstop by Oriole manager Earl Weaver.

It was on this date in 1916 that Honus Wagner hits the last of his 101 lifetime HRs. It’s an inside-the-park HR…at the time he became and still is the oldest to hit an inside-the-park HR.

 

[67RedSox]

One of the beautiful aspects of the game of Baseball is its lingo. Baseball has it’s own language, terms and sayings for everything and many of those have ended up being used as common English in our everyday language. It was on this date in 1941 that Joe DiMaggio sets the ML consecutive games hitting streak at 45. The streak would reach 56 before being stopped 15 days later in front of 67,000 fans in Cleveland. The streak DiMaggio broke belonged to one of the Game’s best hitters of the 1890’s, Wee Willie Keeler, when he played for the boisterous Baltimore Orioles. Keeler spent 14 of his 19 ML seasons playing in his native New York but the 5 seasons he played in Baltimore, 1894-1898, were his most productive. In those 5 seasons he hit - .371, .377, .386, .424 and .385 and won a couple of Batting Crowns. He was one of the smallest players to play the game, standing 5' 4½" and weighing 140 pounds (64 kg), resulting in his nickname. Keeler was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. He appeared on The Sporting News' list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players," ranking in at number 75. He had the speed to leg out infield singles, the bat control to drop down bunts, chops and rollers in front of infielders, and when they moved in, the ability to loft a base hit over their heads. He had a trick of hitting a high hopper to an infielder. The ball would bound so high that he was across the bag before he could be stopped. His teammates in Baltimore would do this as well…thus the term Baltimore chop came into usage and is still used today. Wee Willie wielded a bat that was just 30 inches long, the shortest ever used in the majors, and he choked up so far that Sam Crawford said, “He only used half his bat.” Keeler himself suggested, “Learn what pitch you can hit good, then wait for that pitch,” but he is best remembered for his description of his hitting style to Brooklyn Eagle writer Abe Yager. “I have already written a treatise and it reads like this: ‘Keep your eye clear and hit ‘em where they ain’t”.

It was on this date in 1963 that the Milwaukee Braves visited the Giants in San Franciso. Warren Spahn was pitching for the Braves. He was only 42 years of age and entered the game with an 11-3 record on his way to a 23-7 season. Into 16 innings Spahn held the Giants scoreless. None of the first 56 batters who came to the plate against him would score. Unfortunately, he was facing another HOF pitcher in Juan Marichal who threw gooseheads for 16 innings. It was another HOFer, Willie Mays, who finally said…’enough is enough, someone has to end this game’...so he hit a game-winning HR off Spahn in the bottom of the 16th inning to win it. Between them Spahn and Marichal threw 428 pitches (201-227) and there haven’t been too many ML games in which there are 428 pitches thrown let alone in a 1-0 game.

It was also on this date in 1963 that another HOFer was involved in a 1-0 game as Don Drysdale shuts outs the Cardinals 1-0…is the heyday of Drysdale and Koufax really pushing 50 years ago? Must be getting old. Sadly, Don Drysdale didn’t as it was on this date in 1993 in Montreal that he died of a heart attack.

On this date:
20 years ago – 1993: The Cubs and Rockies draw 62,000 to Mile High. The Cubs behind Sammy Sosa who goes 6 for 6 defeat the Rockies 11-8.
15 years ago – 1998: The Rockies are in Seattle to play the lowly Mariners but the Mariners lead 10-0 in the 2nd inning and cruise the rest of the way to win 10-3. Two players in that game are still active…Todd Helton and Alex Rodiguez.
10 years ago – 2003: The Rockies defeat the Diamondbacks in front of 47,000 at Coors Field. Jason Jennings gets the Win and Jay Payton delivers with the bat. Brian Fuentes collects the very first of his 115 Saves with the Rockies.
5 years ago – 2008: The Rockies behind the pitching of Ubaldo Jimenez and the bat of Garrett Atkins slam the Padres 8-1 at Coors Field.

 

[67RedSox]

Have you ever heard of Ace Parker? If you haven’t that’s O.K. because it’s been 75 years since he played in the Majors. He was born before Babe Ruth hit his first HR in 1915. He played with the Philadelphia Athletics back in the 1930s in the years when Lou Gehrig was still leading the NY Yankees to AL Pennants and World Series Championships and Rogers Hornsby was playing against him. He’s among the group of ballplayers who hit a HR in their first ML At Bat. He was also an All-American tailback at Duke University and played in the NFL. In fact, he was the MVP in the NFL in 1940 and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Something else about the guy…he’s still alive. I find it amazing that there are former MLB players who last played in the Majors 60-70 years and are still alive. One of those is Dick Lane who played with the Chicago White Sox back in 1949 before any of us was born. Like many he had the handle of being a ‘good field-no hit’ type of player. Well, in his brief ML career that may have been true but he accomplished something in the Minors that is about as far away from that reputation as you can get. It was on this date in 1948 that Lane smashed 5 HRs in a single game while playing for the Muskegon Clippers before coming up to the White Sox.

It was on this date in 1940 that Cesar Tovar was born. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, César Tovar was a fixture at the top of the Minnesota Twins lineup. The speedy, enthusiastic little Venezuelan (5-feet-9 and 150 pounds) came up as a second baseman, but he could handle just about any spot – he is perhaps best remembered today as one of the four players to play all nine positions during the course of a single big-league game. Yet that game in 1968 was just one of 1,488 in a respectable 12-year major-league career. In 1971 he led the AL in Basehits with 204 when no other player in the league could muster even 180. Cancer claimed him about 20 years ago.

Driving in 5 runs in a game is not rare but it is quite an accomplishment for a pitcher. Tony Cloninger was a pretty good pitcher for the Milwaukee then Atlanta Braves in the 1960s winning over 100 games in that decade. In 1965 he Won 24 games for the Braves and the only pitcher who won more in the Majors that year was some guy by the name of Koufax with 26. Cloninger wasn’t a bad hitter on occasion, in fact, he held the NL record (tied with several) for most RBIs in a game by a pitcher with 5. On this date in 1966 at Candlestick Park he did something about that record…he obliterated it. He hits 2 grand slams and drives in 9 runs‚ as the Braves rout the Giants 17-3. Cloninger is the first NL player to slam two in a game‚ and the first pitcher ever‚ and his 9 RBIs are a ML record for pitchers‚ breaking Vic Raschi's mark of 7.

It was on this date in 1925 that Brooklyn 3B Milt Stock sets a modern NL record by getting 4 hits in his 4th consecutive game. On the last day of the 1950 season, the Dodgers, one game out of first, blew a chance for the pennant when Brooklyn's Cal Abrams was thrown out at the plate by Phillies outfielder Richie Ashburn in the ninth inning of a tie game. Stock was the third base coach who waved Abrams home. He was fired several days later and never again coached in the majors. Stock was Eddie Stanky’s father-in-law.

Bunny Brief ( I don’t make this stuff up ) was born on this date in 1892. Although his MLB career is best described by his last name he made a name for himself in the Minors. After his Major League career ended, Brief continued playing in the Minor Leagues until 1928. Though he never hit more than two home runs in any of his major league seasons, Brief holds the all-time record for home runs in the American Association with 256. His eight minor league home run crowns are tied for the most ever, with Ken Guettler.

Greg Reynolds, who pitched for the Rockies in 2008 (2-8, 8.13) and 2011 (3-0, 6.19) was born on this date in 1985. This year he’s pitching with the Reds AAA team, the Louisville Bats and sports a 10-0 record for a team playing under .500 at 42-44...what's with that?