That's, as Charles Barkley would say, trrrble. I had about a 5 second interaction with him, so definitely a small sample size. Quick Kirby story; My uncle lived in Ft. Myers in '93, so my family went to visit him. While we were there, we visited the Twins spring training to watch and get autographs. Was really cool since that team had just won the world series a couple seasons earlier and still had a chunk of guys from that team. (including Bert Blyleven even though he had retired) Anyways we wandered from field to field watching drills...hearing Tom Kelly bark at players...got some autographs, etc. Then, when the group that Kirby was in was done, they started to head towards the team indoor facility. Along the way, he signed some autographs...but there was a huge line following him and I was nowhere near the front. When they got almost to the facility, Kirby stopped and said something like, "hey, I'mma go in here and take a shower...then I'll come back out here and sign for you all." He then disappeared. I was thinking to myself, "oh yeah, sure you'll be back out...no chance." So I go about getting other autographs. After about 20 minutes, sure as shit Kirby reappears. Again, a huge crowd crowds around the fence by him. He went up and down that fence, signing autograph after autograph...posing for pictures, etc. longer than any other player. I got two autographs. I think he was still signing as we left. I know later in life he had some issues, but back in '93 he sure made 14 year old TimJim happy.
I remember Eli Marrero more than Mike Remlinger tbh. He was an awesome utility guy for like one season with the Braves back in the day. His wiki page actually has a picture with him in a Braves uniform
this is my second favorite story of yours the favorite being the time you tried to pick up a date with your parents' van
Not just a van, the van below done up in metallic green paint. My parents bought it to haul equipment for my mother’s band. Prior owner was a 20 something musician they knew who had it fully customized and then couldn’t make payments. It was carpeted, wood panels with a plush pillow ceiling, and two mini-chandeliers in the back open area. It was a love machine. . . . and her dad said no after I told him we were going to the drive in.
I get that signing autos all the time could be annoying, but I love the ones who understand how happy it makes others and how lucky they are to be in a position to make people that happy.
On May 23, 1935, the first night game in baseball history was a rainout. The Cincinnati Reds would host the Phillies in a night game the next day. The Reds played 7 night games at Crosley Field in 1935, one against each National League team. The Reds were bad that year, 68-85, but attendance spike 117% over normal averages for the 7 night games.
Seems like a good thread for this: https://www.firsttennesseepark.com/sulphur-dell-1 Ballpark first used in Nashville by union soldiers occupying Nashville during the Civil War.
The 1980’s were the golden era of base stealing. From 1980-89, the AL or NL leader had over 100 steals six times. From 1900-2019, only Maury Wills in 1962 and Lou Brock in 1974 did it outside of the 1980’s.
I understand the numbers behind them dying but man I miss having a Rickey or Coleman on 1b and KNOWING he was about to take 2nd.
Everyone knows about Cal Ripken Jr’s consecutive games streak, 2632. On June 5, 1982, Cal Ripken Jr. began a streak in which he played 8243 straight innings. He played every inning of every game until being pulled for a pinch runner in the 8th inning of a 18-3 loss on September 15, 1987.
Brooklyn Dodgers manager Chuck Dresson hated outfielder Cal Abrams. When Abrams was in his second season in 1950, the Dodgers needed to win the last two games of the season to force a playoff for the pennant. They won the first and were tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th in the second. Abrams got thrown out at home plate to kill the inning and they lost. The next season, Dressen benched Abrams on Cal Abrams Day at Ebbets. On June 8, 1952, the Dodgers played the Reds. Dressen benched Abrams and told Abrams he would be sent to the minors unless he heckled Reds manager Rogers Hornsby all game. If he heckled him well, Dressen would put in a good word for him. Abrams heckled Hornsby mercilessly. The home plate umpire gave him a warning twice. After the game, Dressen told Abrams he had been traded to the Reds that morning.
Dressen was also a shitty manager. He never lasted anywhere too long. He managed a Brooklyn Dodger team with 4 hall of gamers on it in 1951. On August 11, 1951, Dodgers had a 13 1/2 game lead in the pennant race. They were 70-35 with 49 games left. They went 27-25 to finish 97-60, losing to the pennant to the Giants on Bobby Thompson’s ninth inning home run in the last game of the season.
On June 10, 1944, the Cincinnati Reds pitched Joe Nuxhall in the 9th inning of a 13-0 loss to the Cardinals. At only 15 years old, Nuxhall is the youngest player to ever play a major league game. In less than an inning, Nuxhall gave up two hits, walked five, and gave up five earned runs. He didn’t pitch again until 1952, but put together a 16 year career and was an All Star twice. He is second among all Reds pitchers for career games pitched. After he retired in 1966, he began a 40 year career as the Reds radio announcer, calling games until he died in 2007. Nuxhall signed off of every radio broadcast by saying, “This is the old left hander, rounding third and heading for home.” That phrase appears on the outside of Great American park in giant lights.
Always wondered but been too lazy to look it up, why did they pick him at 15 yrs old to pitch? I assume it was a novelty but why him?
He was a local star and WWII had left the major leagues without any able bodied players. He played in the minors the rest of 1944. They signed him in February of 1944, but so many players got drafted into military service that the Reds had him on their opening day roster. Stan Musial didn’t join the service until 1945. Nuxhall loaded the bases and had to pitch to Musial. 15 years old, pitching to the prior season MVP.
On June 11, 1981, the major league players union went on strike. The strike lasted until August 9. It was a Summer without baseball.
I started a twitter page to post all of my random ass baseball stats that I come up with rather than text them to my uninterested friends. Follow me if you want to. Or don't, I don't care @totallystats https://twitter.com/TotallyStats?lang=en
Rick Sutcliffe was a marginal-to-good major league pitcher for most of his career. 171-139 with a 4.08 career era, he pitched 18 seasons and made three all star rosters. On June 13, 1984, he was sitting at 4-5 with a 5.15 era with the Indians, who traded him to the Cubs. He went 16-1 with a 2.69 era the rest of the year and won the NL Cy Young. He led the Cubs to win the NL East (Sandberg won the MVP). It was the first post season appearance for the Cubs since 1945.
This is the 150th anniversary of baseball’s first professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869. Baseball went through fits and starts as professional leagues started and folded, and the current Cincinnati Reds became a charter member of the National League in 1876. They got kicked out of the NL in 1880 because they refused to stop selling beer, but rejoined in 1890. On June 14, 1870, the Reds lost 8-7 in extra innings to the Brooklyn Atlantics. This ended the Reds’ 130 game winning streak.
On June 21, 1986, Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson signed a three year contract with the Kansas City Royals. He had been selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986, but he refused to play for them. The Bucs then forfeited their rights when he wasn’t signed and the Raiders drafted him in the 7th round in 1987. Jackson didn’t play for the Raiders until baseball season ended, but debuted in a Game 8 Monday Night game. He ran for 221 yards and 2 TDS in his debut. By 1989, he also made the major league All Star game, hitting 32 HRs and 105 RBI that year. In 1989, he made both the Baseball All Star Game and the NFL Pro Bowl. A Nike marketing star was born.
On July 14, 1970, the National League beat the American League 5-4 in 12 innings in the All Star game played at Cincinnati Riverfront. Pete Rose scored the game winning run in the 12th, colliding with catcher Ray Fosse at the plate.
On July 17, 1941, the Cleveland Indians held Joe DiMaggio hitless in front of 67,000 fans at Cleveland Municipal. DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak ended. He began a 17 game streak the next day. No one has ever come close to 56. Pete Rose hit 44 straight in 1978. Paul Molitor got to 39 in 1987.
Best pitcher I have ever seen pitch in their prime. “Maddux never walked more than 82 batters in any season of his career, averaging fewer than 2 walks per game. In 1997, Maddux allowed 20 walks in 232+ innings, or 0.77 per nine innings. In 2001, he set a National League record by going 721⁄3 innings without giving up a walk. Maddux's low walk totals also kept his pitch counts down, enabling him to go deeper into games. In 31 starts, Maddux threw nine innings with 100 or fewer pitches. Ten of those starts were under 90 pitches, including a 76-pitch complete game in July 1997,[45]the most efficient start by any pitcher since 1979. In recognition of this, statistic describing a complete game shut-out thrown in less than 100 pitches was named after him. Maddux is the career leader for this stat having thrown 13.”
Happy Birthday 55th to the greatest hitter that ever lived. In his honor, I did my top 10 favorite Barry Bonds stats on my Random Baseball Stats twitter: https://twitter.com/TotallyStats
And 41 times with the bases empty. And my favorite - 5 times with 2 strikes. Did the pitcher get ahead in the count and just panic and say fuck it?
barry bonds is the greatest player of all time and yes i will fight anyone at any publix if they disagree
On July 27, 1998, Sammy Sosa hit a grand slam for his 40th HR of the year. He hit another grand slam the next day to move to 41 and had 42 to close July. Mark McGwire only hit 8 HRs in July, allowing Sosa to close fast as McGwire finished July with 45,
On August 18, 1910, the Birmingham Barons played their opening game at Rickwood Field. The ballpark is now the oldest surviving professional baseball stadium in the United States. The Barons won 3-2, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth.