I’m still thinking about Stan Musial.

He was one of the first legendary autographs I ever landed by mail in the early 1970s. He was signing everything. My brother sent him the Tank McNamara comic strip salute. Cards or newspaper clippings? If you sent the SASE, he came through.

All the tributes savor Musial’s career highlights. I think he was at his best when things weren’t so great.

How many aging stars of today would wave the white flag after a year-long decline like 1959? Retire and save face.

Not “The Man.” He worked harder than ever.

I’m going to twice-weekly posts starting this week. I’m in a hobby slump. I’m working to pump up my TTM reply rate. Additionally, I have a long-overdue site redesign that I’d love launched when the season starts.

Meanwhile, I’m focusing on quality insights every Tuesday and Thursday. Instead of three “token” posts a week, I’ll give you my best writing twice a week.

My spring training is starting NOW. Please, stop by Tuesdays and Thursdays to cheer on my collecting comeback.

Readers: what have you done to battle TTM slumps?

The site thrives. Before any obituary surfaced ANYWHERE online, one of the 500-plus members posted word that Kevin Hickey had died.

Small wonder. I see that 14 administrators collaborate to keep the news flowing.

Members seek out gravesites of deceased baseball names. Obituaries are posted.

Want to be part of an all-star team? members of BPP include former baseball players, the media — names that would produce double-takes from the most jaded collectors.

Two things inspire me most about Baseball Player Passings:

1. Baseball history isn’t limited to a few superstars. Recent obituaries posted included Lil (Mrs. Stan) Musial and John Kuenster, former editor of Baseball Digest. I’ve seen obits on many “girl’s leaguers,” the pioneering women of the AAGPBL. As I look to write to other baseball history makers, it helps me to dig deeper.

2. Each new entry on the page reinforces a simple message for me:

HURRY UP!

Retired players dying in their 50s? This isn’t a hobby for procrastinators.

Check out the Facebook page. Join. Enjoy the memorials. I hope you’ll be posting about how you received a nice letter from a recently-deceased retiree…while there was still time.
Coming Wednesday: An elusive autograph and MORE from Masanori Murakami.

Lefty Taylor Phillips offered me a quick reply to questions. He ended his letter, “Thanks for thinking of me. God bless.” He even added a favorite Bible verse (Romans 12:13).

What surprised me most is that he used the F-word.

FUN

I keep asking players about career highlights. Retired players are used to “my biggest thrill” questions. I want to hear about the most fun they had that year. I haven’t had any takers on the question until Mr. Phillips.

Some biographers love the snarky comment about this pitcher’s lifetime batting average being only .053, just six-for-113 in six total seasons. I pointed out that his were six hits more than I ever had in the majors! I asked which singles were most memorable:

“All of them!”

And fun?

“The most fun one: I drag-bunted and the ball went to center field.”

Of course, I won’t pass up a chance to hear about someone’s best day ever (fun optional). For Phillips, I was sure that day would have been Aug. 9, 1956. He was pitching before a home crowd in Milwaukee’s County Stadium. At game’s end, he owned a three-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals. What were the high points for the young left-hander? Phillips answered:

(Thanks to http://www.retrosheet.org/ for preserving these moments of baseball history.)

Tomorrow: New York Met Bud Harrelson tells how Casey Stengel made a difference in his career.



 Al Grunwald led two baseball lives.

First, anyone spotting his nickname should be clued in that this was no ordinary pitcher. Grunwald was one of baseball’s good sports. Imagine being in an organization seven years, suddenly being told that you might be of more service at another position.

That’s how a first baseman gets relocated.

Upon reading that, I expected Marlon Brando’s “I Coulda Been a Contendah!” Nope. No moaning about finding work in Japan as a first baseman after the majors gave up on the converted hurler.

Instead, Al Grunwald’s still filled with wonder!

He debuted with the 1955 Pirates. Grunwald recalled one talented young teammate:

A 1955 highlight had to be his 5.1 scoreless innings against St. Louis May 1. Grunwald shared:

Grunwald’s only career save came as a Kansas City Athletic. He shut down the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park on Sept. 11, 1959. How did that feel?

“Looking at the left field wall, it felt like you could reach out and touch it. Ha! Ha!”

Grunwald opened and closed his letter thanking me. He wished my family ‘Happy New Year’ and prefaced his autograph with “As Ever.”

I hope more former players like Al Grunwald remain “as ever.” That would make a new year happier for all fans and collectors.



 Al Grunwald led two baseball lives.

First, anyone spotting his nickname should be clued in that this was no ordinary pitcher. Grunwald was one of baseball’s good sports. Imagine being in an organization seven years, suddenly being told that you might be of more service at another position.

That’s how a first baseman gets relocated.

Upon reading that, I expected Marlon Brando’s “I Coulda Been a Contendah!” Nope. No moaning about finding work in Japan as a first baseman after the majors gave up on the converted hurler.

Instead, Al Grunwald’s still filled with wonder!

He debuted with the 1955 Pirates. Grunwald recalled one talented young teammate:

A 1955 highlight had to be his 5.1 scoreless innings against St. Louis May 1. Grunwald shared:

Grunwald’s only career save came as a Kansas City Athletic. He shut down the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park on Sept. 11, 1959. How did that feel?

“Looking at the left field wall, it felt like you could reach out and touch it. Ha! Ha!”

Grunwald opened and closed his letter thanking me. He wished my family ‘Happy New Year’ and prefaced his autograph with “As Ever.”

I hope more former players like Al Grunwald remain “as ever.” That would make a new year happier for all fans and collectors.

I’m impressed. Ernest Reyes is redefining what a baseball team blog is — or can be.

Once, I thought team blogs only analyzed past games or previewed upcoming match-ups. Ernest has expanded his Dodgers Blue Heaven readership to please Dodger fans and collectors.

Scouring the internet, he’s found sellers offering hand-written letters from former Dodgers. These gems don’t come up often. However, here’s a 2009 example Ernest excavated, the story of a “cup of coffee“ pitcher‘s 1951 debut at Ebbets Field against Stan Musial.

The letters have hooked another blogmaster! He wrote:

Hurray for Ernest and all bloggers who preserve baseball’s hand-written memories.

Pitcher Nelson Chittum packed a fair share of history into a three-year career.

His first pro season produced a 23-7 record and California League Rookie of the Year status in 1956. Chittum debuted with St. Louis in August, 1958.

When asked about Stan Musial, Chittum wrote:

“Stan was a great player and a very outgoing person.”

Chittum didn’t add about Musial’s penchant for forgiveness. Chittum earlier told the fantastic website www.baseball-reference.com that, upon failing to cover first base on a bunt, Musial told the young hurler, “Don’t worry about it, kid.”

Swapped to Boston in the off-season, Chittum paid immediate dividends: a 3-0 record and 1.19 ERA.

From being a teammate of a St. Louis superstar, Chittum became another supporting cast member for Ted Williams.

“Ted was also a great player and really an outgoing person only to other ballplayers,” Chittum noted. “He did not like sports writers.”
Chittum was in uniform July 21, when teammate “Pumpsie” Green ended the last chapter of baseball’s segregation. Boston became the last club to use African-American talent.

The color barrier came down after former manager Pinky Higgins vowed he’d field an all-white lineup as long as he had anything to say about it. Higgins was replaced less than a month before Green’s debut.

“I did not know how Higgins felt,” Chittum added. “Pumpsie was a really nice person.”

Three history makers in three years. Chittum remembers and appreciates them all.