www.retrosheet.org – Baseball by The Letters

George Mitterwald Delighted Wrigley Field Fans

Tom Owens — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 19:16:00 +0000

Still available on eBay: do you
think this game-used bat could
have been Mitterwald’s “Wonder Boy” bat?
Buy it now, only $795???

New Cub George Mitterwald stole the show early with his new team in 1974.

Check out the power-hitting highlights from the fine folks at www.Retrosheet.org. Three home runs and eight RBI in one game only begins to tell the story. Mitterwald recalled:

“My three homer, one double and eight RBI game was so memorable it is and was really hard to explain. It was only my fifth home game with the Cubs, and needless to say, a good start with a new ball club. I got at least eight standing ovations during the day. That was fun, also.”

This was an epic, fun letter from a player worth remembering. Thanks, G.M.!

Twins Pitcher Jim Strickland Missed Two Seasons In The Military, But He’s Not Complaining

Tom Owens — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:41:00 +0000

Strickland debuted in 1971.
Why couldn’t Topps show
him in a REAL ballpark for
its 1973 set?

Pitcher Jim Strickland hasn’t been on the mound for more than 35 years. There’s still time to cheer for him.

This man of faith threw baseballs. He’s not throwing blame today. Strickland put his career on hold for military service. He’d be entitled to some bafflement, if not bitterness. His march to the majors became a march for Uncle Sam in 1967-68. I began with the “what if…” question. Strickland replied:

“The time off had an unknown effect. The experiences might have extended my career.”

Someone who sees what they gained, instead of what they may have lost? That’s worth a standing ovation.

I remember adding that Twins Rookie Stars card to my 1972 Topps set, seeing him with Rick Dempsey and Vic Albury. How did the card make him feel?

“All rookies got $5 to sign with Topps (1964). I don’t remember how I reacted (to the first card), because I never collected cards as a kid.”

There’s no doubt to how Strickland reacted on May, 19, 1971. That’s when he relieved Jim Perry at Anaheim Stadium, getting his first win as a Twin. The win wasn’t in Minnesota, but it did seem like pitching at home. Strickland added:

“My first game was very special. Being from southern California, I was able to pitch in front of family and friends. The most tense moment was the first batter (ground ball to short).”

How did Strickland fare versus the Angels? Thanks to http://www.retrosheet.org/, you can see for yourself!

I thanked Strickland for his military service. He thanked me for being ME.

“Tom, Thank You for being such a fan. Thank you for the questions. God bless you.

Jim

Proverbs 3:5-6“

Coming Wednesday: Tom’s latest ’10 Most Wanted’ contacts, St. Louis style

Phillies Ricky Jordan Confirms His Debut Homer

Tom Owens — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:58:00 +0000

Same sweeping “R” and “J.”
Don’t expect to see the “y”
in current autographs…

I didn’t get a lot from Ricky Jordan. However, the former Phillie did one notable thing:

He autographed the letter ‘Rick Jordan.’

Imagine being told in middle school, “The name you choose right now will follow you the rest of your life.”

It’s that way in the majors.

I asked Jordan about his debut for the Phils, July 17, 1988. Thanks to http://www.retrosheet.org/, I discovered that the premiere featured his first home run in his first game.

Q: Did any friends or family attend the game?

A: YES, father and mother.

Q: Did you get the ball as a souvenir?

A: Yes.

Did I miss one burning question that baseball historians haven’t attempted? How does someone born Paul Scott Jordan get the nickname of “Ricky?”

‘Class…Substituting Today For Your Teacher Is New York Yankees Pitcher Rich Beck!’

Tom Owens — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:22:00 +0000

Sounds like a monster movie:
The Teacher Wore Pinstripes!
Looks like he’s pitching to White…

Would you rather face hungry American League hitters, or a classroom of ornery high schoolers?

Rich Beck has done well against both lineups. A veteran teacher, Beck’s career was cut short by military service during the Viet Nam War.

Beck writes like a great teacher. He began his reply with:

“Wow, Tom! You are testing an old fella’s memory but I’ll try to answer your questions.”

Then, in the first time in the history of this blog, I received a hand-drawn SMILEY FACE!

First, I asked about one of his most dominating games, striking out eight Senators. Did the Ks come from fastballs or breaking stuff? Swinging or called?

“Probably fastballs and sliders. Don’t recall called third strikes vs. swinging but there is a website (address escapes me but suppose you can Google it) that gives play-by-play of games back to that era and that would answer the called vs. swinging question.”

Beck is referring to http://www.retrosheet.org/. Here’s the recap of Beck’s brilliance.

The same amazing website has the vitals on Beck’s Sept. 19 shutout against the Tigers at Yankee Stadium.
Beck added:

“I believe that was a 0-0 game going into bottom of 8th. I do remember Ray Barker, who was playing first base that day, hit a two-run triple in the bottom of 8th. As far as the stats you quote…it was ugly but we turned two DPs I believe. I remember getting out of one inning with a fly to left with the bases loaded.”

I never got to cheer for Beck the Yankee. However, the work he’s doing as a teacher is worthy of a standing ovation. In fact, I cheer for all educators. A good pitcher wins games. A good teacher changes LIVES. Beck commented:

“I have been a substitute teacher my whole teaching stint — 1992 fall to fall of Nov. 1998 and then against from Feb. 2007 to date after working for a market research firm, The Nielsen Company, from 11/98 to 12/06. Most subbing (95 percent) is done at middle and high school level.”

Learn more about Beck with this fascinating biography written by Joe Schuster, available as part of the SABR Biography Project.

One final thought: I read once that Phillies announcer Harry Kalas recorded answering machine messages for fans. Imagine how the late Yankee Stadium PA announcer Bob Sheppard would have sounded on a school intercom.

“Students…now entering the classroom…number 23…former New York Yankees pitcher, Rich BECK!”

Coming Wednesday: The milestone 500th post for Baseball By The Letters

Brownie Babe Martin Compares Two Homers

Tom Owens — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:07:00 +0000

For years, Martin has signed
with both names for this card!

Boris “Babe” Martin proved my theory.

If you want to get a rise out of a former player, go deep.

Getting deep is another story. I’m talking long-balls, dingers…homers!

Martin had two in his career. He wrote:

“Homer off Allen Gettel was a home run right on the line and off the handle of my bat, only about 295 feet.

Homer #2 was really a long one in left center field just ot the left of the bullpen, and I would say close to 400 feet. I forgot the name of the pitcher. Thanks for asking.

Sincerely,
Babe Martin”

Thankfully, http://www.retrosheet.org/ remembers. Good job, guys! Martin connected off Hank Borowy, who won 21 games that year. Both homers were off Yankee hurlers in Yankee Stadium in 1945.

Enjoy this superb SABR biography of Martin by noted researcher Bill Nowlin.

Can Whitey Herzog-Era St. Louis Cardinals Break This Early Summer Mail Slump?

Tom Owens — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:41:00 +0000

How many in this group still answer fan mail? I’ll find out!

My mailbox is on a diet. Instead of losing weight, the baseball responses are shrinking.
Quite likely, everyone is outside more. Baseball season is in full swing. More choices. Slower responses.

Instead of fretting over envelopes not yet returned, I’ve stayed in action. I chose a bunch I cheered for in the 1980s: Whitey’s boys.

Any team needs a stating nine to break a slump. Here’s mine:

Glenn Brummer
Tom Brunansky
John Costello
Ricky Horton
Kurt Kepshire
John Mabry
Mike Ramsey
Lonnie Smith
Scott Terry

Who might be the trickiest in the group? I vote for broadcaster Horton. I checked http://www.sportscollectors.net/. The last reported by-mail response from the lefty was Jan. 5, 2010. The letters are out. The fingers are crossed.

Stay tuned…

Coming Tuesday: An inspiring note from catcher Chris Bando

Pirate Paul Smith As ‘Casey At The Bat’

Tom Owens — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Should have asked…
Does Smith know he and his
card are comic fodder in
‘The Great American Baseball
Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble
Gum Book’?

Call me a mind reader.

Just as a formality, I asked Paul Smith which of his seven homers was a favorite. I knew, however. Sure enough, Smith agreed, saying:

“Favorite home run – against Brooklyn , ninth inning, pinch-hit HR to tie the game with two outs and two strikes.”

Cheers to http://www.retrosheet.org/ for the details!

Smith played ball in Havana, before there was any Fidel Castro. What was it like?

“I had played winter ball in Cuba 1952-53 and had a great season. The fans were great when I played for the AAA team.”

I read that Smith had suffered concussions as a player. A hitch in the armed forces may have complicated his career, too.

Smith didn’t make excuses, noting:

“Concussions – hard hat (helmet) made it minor! Headaches for a couple of days.

Military – a year in Iceland.”

Before thanking me for the questions, Smith summed up:

“Life in baseball is great. See a lot of the country. It’s a challenge when you’re only 5-foot-8.”

Thursday: A Cubs teammate remembers Ken Hubbs

Yankee Slugger Tom Shopay Owns Souvenir, Courtesy of Fast-Acting Teammate Jim Bouton

Tom Owens — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:11:00 +0000

Kudos to Jay Grossman and
http://www.sportscarddatabase.com/
for preserving this sad
specimen of hobby history:
AN AIRBRUSHED YANKEE!

Time to create a new statistic. Jim Bouton gets the first “historical” assist. Okay…save one for Tom House in the Atlanta bullpen when Hank Aaron set homer history (but that’s another story).

Tom Shopay began his baseball life as a New York Yankee. On Sept. 23, 1967, Shopay collected his first-ever home run, off Minnesota’s Dave Boswell at Metropolitan Stadium. Meanwhile, Bouton collected the artifact, negotiating with partisan Twins rooters. I’m guessing that the famous author-to-be served as a horse-trading Santa Claus for more than one rookie in his pitching career.

As Shopay saw it:

“The pitch was a fastball on the inner half of the plate. Jim Bouton traded a fan a couple of new balls for my ball. He was in the bullpen.”

(Thanks to www.retrosheet.org for the details!)

Shopay was a Rule 5 draft acquisition by the Orioles, ending his brief time in pinstripes. I asked him to compare the media attention he observed with each team.

“At the time I played, it seemed that you had more newspaper coverage. But New York is New York. The sports writers were always around, and plenty of them.

Baltimore was always doing a lot of radio and TV interviews. They also had the same beat writers that were with you all the time. They were good human beings, too.”

Tomorrow: Words of wisdom from Baltimore manager Earl Weaver.

Pitcher Don August Offers 2 Olympic Memories

Tom Owens — Tue, 17 May 2011 05:11:00 +0000

The face of a
future history teacher!

They may not have called him MISTER August when batting against him, but everyone addresses him with such respect now.

Former pitcher Don August has been teaching middle school history for six years in Wisconsin. I wrote to him in care of his school.

Before debuting with the 1988 Milwaukee Brewers, August helped the United States baseball team win silver. He shared TWO Olympic memories:

“Top Olympic memory, hard to say. The incredible travel schedule Team USA went on during our pre-Olympic tour. We played in about 12 Major League stadiums. Some of those parks don’t exist any more.

– OR –

I came in relief in the semi-final game in a 2-2 game. Two outs, runner on third with a 2 ball, 0 strike count. I finished the game with 0 runs and got the win to put us into the gold medal game.”

With Milwaukee, August had another notable victory. Flash back to June 17, 1991. August twirled a five-hit shutout. (Thanks to http://www.retrosheet.org/ for the sweet details!)

“I don’t remember any tense moments, maybe because in that game I rolled up five double play balls, which meant before they could do anything the double play probably stopped it. The Oakland A’s definitely had a tremendous lineup.

I had a good day.”

These days, August is living history for his classes. He explained:

“The kids I teach weren’t born when I pitched for the Brewers. They really don’t know the players of that era. They don’t know who George Brett was.

One kid may say, ‘Oh, is he that guy who went bananas with the pine tar bat incident?’,
and that’s it about George Brett.

They all think that I am a millionaire. They know what the salaries are today, so they think that’s the money we made. They just think it’s cool that I played on TV, played in cool stadiums, etc.”

Coming Wednesday: Seven fascinating words from catcher “Tim” Thompson

Defending World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers? Not Against Chicago Cubs Pitcher Don Kaiser

Tom Owens — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:54:00 +0000

Same easy-going signature!

A lad from Oklahoma had a job to do. He didn’t care who had won last year’s World Series.

On June 2, 1956, Don Kaiser faced the Brooklyn Dodgers. He seems pleased with the results almost 55 years later.

“I guess the biggest thrill in my first start was after the game, knowing I pitched a two-hitter against the World Champions.”

(Thanks to http://www.retrosheet.org/, here’s the results of that amazing day, produced in front of an amazed Wrigley Field crowd.)

Less than one month later, a home crowd saw Kaiser shut out the Milwaukee Braves.

“That day in Wrigley Field was one of those days when everything went right. I mean, I had good stuff and good control and they weren’t hitting that day.”

Before adding his thanks, Kaiser summed up his career:

“Well, I can tell you that life in the Majors is the Best. I just wished I could have stayed up there a lot longer than I did.

I still follow the game pretty close, even though I have been out of the game since 1962. But I can always say that I got to play with and against some of the greatest players in the game.

After I got out of the game I got into law enforcement and spent 30 years in it. Thanks for asking all these questions. I hope I have helped you some.

Sincerely,
Don Kaiser”