Just reg'lr trivia?

[Redsfan1507]

Don't remember Martin as a player, only a manager. Wasn't he with the Reds for a while ? I heard Knuxy making a joke about not being able to get Billy out of Newport in time for games and one about how furious he was in NY when he hit 9th, after a better hitting pitcher, and that he was a big drinking buddy if Mantle. I remember manager Martin taking Reggie Jackson out of a game mid-inning after a bad defensive play in RF and Jackson wanting to punch him in the dugout... several meltdowns resulting in being tossed, and repeated firings by Steinbrenner.

 

[JohnU]

I recall the time he punched the so-called marshmallow salesman in Minneapolis.

His 1953 W.S. numbers are amazing. That probably was enough. Playing 2B for the Yanks was proof he was pretty good.

Billy Martin Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

 

[JohnU]

Let me throw y'all a little worm. For the 1979 Reds, the basic end of the BRM, this pitcher struck two home runs that season. No other Reds pitcher had a HR.

 

[chico ruiz]

seaver.

 

[JohnU]

Beaver Cleaver Seaver is correct.

 

[JohnU]

In what would have been the most amazing no-hitter ever ...

Just another tough day for 'Ricky' Vaughn.

Gotta learn to scatter those hits, Hippo.

Notice Manny Cueto in left field. And only 2 umps.

May 2, 1917 Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

 

[JohnU]

All-American Boy started the 1990 All-Star Game.

Guess who took the loss in that game for the NL?

 

[BigDDude]

All-American Boy started the 1990 All-Star Game.

Guess who took the loss in that game for the NL?

A few "did you know" items from that game. Not only did Armstrong start, and Brantley lose, but, ALL the Nasty Boys pitched at the end of that game. (Just don't mess up my gig by telling me that Franco was traded the season before ).

Also, the N.L only managed 2 hits for the whole game. These are all star players! 2 HITS!!!

And, going 2nd to the mound for the N.L that year was Ramon Martinez. This was years before he was "the other brother", and was actually good.

 

[JohnU]

It's reasonable to expect hitters to dominate the ASG, but the reality is often quite different.
Hell, with a row of all-start pitchers coming in, one after another, that's gotta be tough on hitters.

 

[JohnU]

I had reason to look up Ball Four today and came across this former Reds reliever.
The original author of baseball insight.


Jim Brosnan Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

 

[BigDDude]

This is not trivia, but more of a "did you know" item. Did you know that on this date back in 1998 that, the late Ted Kluszewski, a four-time All-Star and a member of the Reds Hall of Fame since 1962, has his #18 retired by the club. The left-handed slugger's nine-foot replica jersey, unlike the other others on the Cinergy Field wall, is depicted sleeveless because the first baseman would need to cut off the sleeves to make his massive upper arms fit into tight flannel shirts the team wore.

 

[JohnU]

As I recall, the Reds adopted the vest jerseys in '56 as a way of generally conforming to Klu's sleeveless jersey. Even so, his shirt was not like the rest of the team's. Not many people know this, but Klu was a leading player on Indiana University's only unbeaten football team -- I believe it was 1944.

Or the same year Nuxhall became a trivia item.

 

[JohnU]

A few "did you know" items from that game. Not only did Armstrong start, and Brantley lose, but, ALL the Nasty Boys pitched at the end of that game. (Just don't mess up my gig by telling me that Franco was traded the season before ).

Also, the N.L only managed 2 hits for the whole game. These are all star players! 2 HITS!!!

And, going 2nd to the mound for the N.L that year was Ramon Martinez. This was years before he was "the other brother", and was actually good.

It's hard to believe you could only get 2 hits.
Or 3.

 

[JohnU]

I had reason, after the Big Klu stuff, to remember George Crowe, who played some first base for the Redlegs back in the day.

Crowe is more well-known in Indiana as being the first Mr. Basketball, in 1939.
That was the ultimate honor. Crowe is also the brother of Ray Crowe, who coached Crispus Attucks to 2 Indiana high school titles in 1955-56 ... and was the coach of the great Oscar Robertson.

What makes George Crowe's selection interesting is that he played ball at Franklin H.S., hardly a bastion of strength for black people. But 1939 ... Indiana very much a prejudiced state, yet still recognized Crowe for his achievements.

Attucks, meanwhile, was an all-black segregated school and was NOT eligible to play in the state tournament until 1942, or 3 years after Crowe was honored. IHSAA rescinded this racist rule in 1942, to let the 3 black schools in the state, plus the Catholic schools, participate. The rule's origins date back to the 1930s when the KKK was the primary government in Indiana.

Had Crowe played at Attucks, where his brother later coached, he would not have been eligible for the Mr. Basketball award.

Crowe's connection to sports trivia is almost mind-boggling. Part of that, you'd need to know the history of Indiana basketball to appreciate. His link to pro basketball is interesting and his history in the ***** leagues, also compelling.

He was also an unwilling participant in the 1957 Redlegs "scandal" that loaded the All-Star ballot box.

George Crowe | Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

Big George Crowe

 

[BigDDude]

I had reason, after the Big Klu stuff, to remember George Crowe, who played some first base for the Redlegs back in the day.

Crowe is more well-known in Indiana as being the first Mr. Basketball, in 1939.
That was the ultimate honor. Crowe is also the brother of Ray Crowe, who coached Crispus Attucks to 2 Indiana high school titles in 1955-56 ... and was the coach of the great Oscar Robertson.

What makes George Crowe's selection interesting is that he played ball at Franklin H.S., hardly a bastion of strength for black people. But 1939 ... Indiana very much a prejudiced state, yet still recognized Crowe for his achievements.

Attucks, meanwhile, was an all-black segregated school and was NOT eligible to play in the state tournament until 1942, or 3 years after Crowe was honored. IHSAA rescinded this racist rule in 1942, to let the 3 black schools in the state, plus the Catholic schools, participate. The rule's origins date back to the 1930s when the KKK was the primary government in Indiana.

Had Crowe played at Attucks, where his brother later coached, he would not have been eligible for the Mr. Basketball award.

Crowe's connection to sports trivia is almost mind-boggling. Part of that, you'd need to know the history of Indiana basketball to appreciate. His link to pro basketball is interesting and his history in the ***** leagues, also compelling.

He was also an unwilling participant in the 1957 Redlegs "scandal" that loaded the All-Star ballot box.

George Crowe | Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

Big George Crowe

Very good knowledge and info John. It is always a pleasure to read your posts!

 

[JohnU]

I left out a lot of the history of the Indiana basketball tournament, which has filled a lot of books.
The "Hickory" team captures some of the essence of small-school ball.
But the story on Attucks is pretty interesting.
The school, along with Gary Roosevelt and Evansville Lincoln, were built in the late 20s by the state, managed by KKK attitudes, because they needed a place in the cities to send the colored kids to school. Racism was imbedded in the state government in the 20s and 30s and the Klan was the government. Sick part of our history but one we don't choose to ignore, unlike other states.

Attucks was originally to be called Thomas Jefferson H.S., but the blacks were adamant that would not do. (Jefferson owned slaves.) ... So they called it Crispus Attucks. The school had no gym, owing to the fact that they didn't want to spend that much money on the colored kids. Attucks played wherever they could and were on the road a lot, going to small towns where they weren't well-treated.

Attucks applied to play in the IHSAA tournament and were refused because -- get this -- they had no white kids. It was a segregated school. Why would white kids go there? Didn't get admitted until 1942 when the segregation laws were repealed.

But they managed to figure it out and when Ray Crowe became coach in 1948, he realized that he could get any black kid in Indianapolis to go to Attucks. The whites would not care.

In 1951, Attucks made the Final Four and four years later, were the most powerful team in the state. In 1955, they beat Gary Roosevelt in the title game 97-74. Roosevelt, one of the other black schools, finished second to Attucks. Yeah ... 97 points in 1955, almost unheard of. Oscar Robertson was dominating.

In 1956, Attucks went unbeaten. In '57, they finished 2nd to South Bend Central. And in 1959, they kicked the shit out of everybody again. Their coach in '59 was Bill Garrett, an interesting story in his own right as the first black player in the Big Ten -- at Indiana U.

Bill Garrett (basketball) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[JohnU]

Speaking of trivia:

Coming into today Marlins outfielder Justin Ruggiano hadn’t gotten a hit since July 8, going 0-for-42 during that time. Another hitless game and he would have tied or maybe even broken the modern hitless record of 45 at-bats, which is shared by Craig Counsell in 2011 and Bill Bergen in 1909.

But instead Ruggiano notched three hits today against the Royals, singling in second, fourth, and ninth innings. He was also thrown out trying to steal second base after his first hit, which is pretty hilarious for a guy who just snapped an 0-for-42 slump with an infield single.