In this 1993 interview with Minnie Minoso, Tom Weinberg talks with the Cuban great for an hour at the site of the Old Comiskey Park about his lengthy career in baseball. A relaxed Minoso speaks with his trademark candor that made him a fan favorite during his then six-decade involvement in the game.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Friday, December 30, 2016
Lou Gehrig's last All-Star hurrah
December 30, 2016
1938 All Star Game, Buddy Lewis, Jimmie Foxx, Joe McCarthy, Lou Gehrig
No comments
Buddy Lewis was a ripe 21-year-old in his fourth major league season when he earned the starting nod as the third baseman in the 1938 All-Star Game.The 1938 midsummer classic serves as a historical footnote for not only being the first All-Star Game in which neither team hit a home run, but also the last All-Star contest that featured Lou Gehrig.
As manager Joe McCarthy penciled in Lewis batting eighth at the hot corner, and placed Jimmie Foxx in the cleanup spot at first base, he had the dilemma of how to get Gehrig in the game. When Lewis' second turn at bat came in the fifth inning, McCarthy sent the Iron Horse up as a pinch hitter. Foxx moved to third base and Gehrig as the first baseman finished the game 1-3.
Lewis passed away in 2011 at the age of 94, undoubtedly the last major leaguer to have the honor of Lou Gehrig pinch hitting for him. In a 2008 letter, Lewis spoke with candor about bowing out gracefully to Gehrig in the contest.
"Everybody liked Lou," Lewis wrote in 2008. "They strengthened the lineup when he came in."
Buddy Lewis 1938 All-Star / Baseball-Almanac.com |
As manager Joe McCarthy penciled in Lewis batting eighth at the hot corner, and placed Jimmie Foxx in the cleanup spot at first base, he had the dilemma of how to get Gehrig in the game. When Lewis' second turn at bat came in the fifth inning, McCarthy sent the Iron Horse up as a pinch hitter. Foxx moved to third base and Gehrig as the first baseman finished the game 1-3.
Lewis passed away in 2011 at the age of 94, undoubtedly the last major leaguer to have the honor of Lou Gehrig pinch hitting for him. In a 2008 letter, Lewis spoke with candor about bowing out gracefully to Gehrig in the contest.
"Everybody liked Lou," Lewis wrote in 2008. "They strengthened the lineup when he came in."
Thursday, December 29, 2016
How Dell Curry almost shifted the family legacy from the hardwood to the mound
December 29, 2016
baseball, Basketball, Charlotte Hornets, Dell Curry, Gastonia Rangers, Golden State Warriors, Muggsy Bogues, Steph Curry
No comments
With Stephen Curry lighting up the NBA
with his surreal playmaking ability, it is almost unfathomable to
envision him having an athletic career away from the family trade on the
basketball court. Yet his father Dell Curry, who enjoyed a 16-year NBA
odyssey, almost shifted the Curry legacy from the hardwood to hardball a
quarter-century earlier in 1991 when he suited up for the Class-A
Gastonia Rangers.
The elder Curry was drafted as a right-handed pitcher twice by major
league franchises, first by the Texas Rangers in the 37th round of the
1982 MLB
Draft, and then again in the 14th round of the 1985 MLB Draft by the
Baltimore Orioles after posting a 6–1 record at Virginia Tech during his
junior year. The latter was made even more impressive as Curry did not play baseball during his first two years in college.
Dell Curry 1991 Gastonia Rangers / TradingcardDB.com |
Dell Curry Pitching for the Gastonia Rangers / Archive Photo |
“They built it up around the community quite a bit and I’m sure it was the biggest crowd we had all year,” pitcher Steve Dreyer said during a recent phone interview from his home in Iowa. “Normally we could count the fans on two hands and that would be about it.”
The 46-year-old Dreyer, who is now teaching elementary physical education after playing two seasons in the majors with the Rangers, recalled how Stephen Curry’s recent performance gave him the opportunity to share with his students his role in the events which allowed Dell Curry to have a roster spot on June 21, 1991.
“I was just talking to some of my students about this the other day because Steph Curry is doing so well,” he said. “It was really exciting for us as players because at the time Dell and Muggsy were NBA stars, and just to be around that atmosphere was a lot of fun for us.
"I remember, to put Dell and Muggsy on the roster, they had to take two of us off the roster for one night, and I was one of those players that they took off the roster for one night. My manager was Bump Wills and he basically just told me this is what we’re going to do. I was a starting pitcher and I was not scheduled to pitch that night and would have been watching that game from the dugout anyway. For me to be taken off the roster to allow them play was great and a bit of an honor.”Another teammate who had a bird’s eye view of Curry on the mound was fellow pitcher Terry Burrows. The lefty was in his second season in professional baseball and thought the basketball players taking the field was just another of the myriad of promotions during the course of a minor league baseball season.
"At the time they were at the pinnacle of their profession,” the 47-year-old Burrows said during a recent phone call from his home in Louisiana. “We honestly thought it was just another gimmick to sell tickets.”
Once the 6’4” Curry hit the mound and started to throw strikes, Burrows quickly changed his tune. After watching Curry strike out four batters in three innings, Burrows saw why two separate organizations were convinced Curry had a future in professional baseball.
“When Dell pitched, it was actually pretty good,” he said. “He threw 85–86 miles per hour and for not having thrown in a long time, the guy did pretty well. He showed pretty good stuff at the time, although he was a little unorthodox.”
Curry wasn’t the only NBA player that Burrows crossed paths with on the diamond. In 1994, while a member of the Texas Rangers, Burrows watched attentively as Michael Jordan made his official spring training debut against their club. Based upon his observations of watching both Curry and Jordan try their hand at baseball, Burrows felt Curry was the better prospect.
“He was just an incredible athlete, but it would be like one of us playing in the NBA or NFL,” he said. “You’re good at what you do, but to be a hitter in the big leagues is a different story; it’s tough. Dell Curry might have had a better chance to play in the big leagues if he pursued it from what I saw. It’s such a long road, but he had the ability.”
Both Bogues and Curry stuck around long enough with Gastonia to be photographed for the team’s minor league baseball card set, further cementing their fleeting moments on the diamond. At the time, both hoopsters put their livelihoods in harm’s way at the peak of their respective careers for what amounted to a one day promotional stunt. It is a feat Dreyer feels is unlikely to be repeated.
“There’s too much at risk nowadays to deviate from your one true job,” he said. “As many professional athletes are very capable of performing other sports at a high level, you still can’t take that chance. It was a pretty unique thing.”
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Billy Martin's World Series heroics was fueled by a desire to surpass Robinson
December 27, 2016
1953 World Series, 1955 World Series, Billy Martin, Bob Cerv, Christmas, Death, Jackie Robinson, New York Yankees
No comments
For deep rooted baseball fans, while many are celebrating joyous occasions with their families, the tragic death of Billy Martin on December 25, 1989 is an annual reminder of how one's mortality does not escape the holiday season.
One of the fiercest competitors baseball has ever seen, his fiery temperament resonated with his teammates. Speaking with his New York Yankees teammate Bob Cerv in 2008, he recalled how much Martin was motivated to outperform Jackie Robinson when their clubs met in the World Series.
"The only thing I remember Billy Martin would say was, 'I'm gonna do better than him,'" Cerv recalled. "And he did in the World Series."
Below are Martin's and Robinson's totals from the four World Series in which they faced off. If there was an MVP award in 1953, Martin would have certainly won it. Is it mere coincidence that Martin's best World Series performance came when Robinson also had his, or was Martin hellbent on proving that he was the premier second baseman in the city?
Billy Martin World Series Stats vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
Jackie Robinson World Series Stats vs. New York Yankees
One of the fiercest competitors baseball has ever seen, his fiery temperament resonated with his teammates. Speaking with his New York Yankees teammate Bob Cerv in 2008, he recalled how much Martin was motivated to outperform Jackie Robinson when their clubs met in the World Series.
Jackie Robinson and Billy Martin Baseball Card / Upper Deck |
"The only thing I remember Billy Martin would say was, 'I'm gonna do better than him,'" Cerv recalled. "And he did in the World Series."
Below are Martin's and Robinson's totals from the four World Series in which they faced off. If there was an MVP award in 1953, Martin would have certainly won it. Is it mere coincidence that Martin's best World Series performance came when Robinson also had his, or was Martin hellbent on proving that he was the premier second baseman in the city?
Billy Martin World Series Stats vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Series | Opp | Rslt | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | TB | GDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1952 ❍ | 24 | NYY | AL | WS | BRO | W | 7 | 26 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .217 | .308 | .348 | .656 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
1953 ❍ | 25 | NYY | AL | WS | BRO | W | 6 | 25 | 24 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .500 | .520 | .958 | 1.478 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1955 | 27 | NYY | AL | WS | BRO | L | 7 | 26 | 25 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | .320 | .346 | .440 | .786 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1956 ❍ | 28 | NYY | AL | WS | BRO | W | 7 | 28 | 27 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .296 | .321 | .519 | .840 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jackie Robinson World Series Stats vs. New York Yankees
Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Series | Opp | Rslt | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | TB | GDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1952 | 33 | BRO | NL | WS | NYY | L | 7 | 30 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 5 | .174 | .367 | .304 | .671 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
1953 | 34 | BRO | NL | WS | NYY | L | 6 | 26 | 25 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .320 | .346 | .400 | .746 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1955 ❍ | 36 | BRO | NL | WS | NYY | W | 6 | 24 | 22 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .182 | .250 | .318 | .568 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1956 | 37 | BRO | NL | WS | NYY | L | 7 | 29 | 24 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | .250 | .379 | .417 | .796 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Monday, December 26, 2016
John Barfield, former Texas Rangers pitcher murdered at 52
December 26, 2016
2016 Death, Death, Goose Gossage, John Barfield, Nolan Ryan, Obituary, Texas Rangers
No comments
On a day when most are rejoicing in holiday spirits, Christmas Eve turned fateful for former Texas Rangers pitcher John Barfield. The 52-year-old Barfield, who pitched in parts of three seasons for the Rangers from 1989-1991, was murdered at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas after engaging in a dispute with an acquaintance.
Barfield, whose Rangers moundmates included Hall of Famers Goose Gossage and Nolan Ryan, compiled an 8-8 record with a 4.72 ERA in 65 career appearances. According to a statement from the Rangers, Barfield's August 18th, 1990 six-inning relief victory was the last relief victory of 5.1 or more innings, until Diego Moreno accomplished the feat for the Yankees in 2015.
John Barfield / 1991 Mother's Cookies |
Barfield, whose Rangers moundmates included Hall of Famers Goose Gossage and Nolan Ryan, compiled an 8-8 record with a 4.72 ERA in 65 career appearances. According to a statement from the Rangers, Barfield's August 18th, 1990 six-inning relief victory was the last relief victory of 5.1 or more innings, until Diego Moreno accomplished the feat for the Yankees in 2015.