Countdown To Christmas - 0 Days

Merry Christmas, and thanks for visiting my blog. It's been fun, starting out first on Facebook just posting scanned baseball cards with no write up, to a semi-full blown blog. Some days have been better than others; some days I was able to use just my cards; other days I chose not to use my cards to honor the all time greats. It's a subjective list.... I know some people might not agree with all of my choices, although I know that two numbers in particular that would be unanimous choices... at least if I polled my true friends! Thanks for all the support when I was losing momentum. I hope you've had as much fun as me.



Two great players have worn either 0 or 00 - Al Oliver and Jack Clark, respectively.


"I went three days without a hit and my wife refused to cook me dinner. When I didn't get a hit the fourth day, she gave her tickets away. I guess if I ever go a week without a hit, I'll be sleeping in a tent in the backyard." - Al Oliver


Oliver wore number 0 while with the Montreal Expos, with whom he played from 1982-83, but his career spanned from 1968 through 1985. One of the premier hitters of his era, Oliver had 2,743 career hits (45th best all time) and a .303 average over 18 major league seasons. He played in seven All-Star games and placed among his league's top 10 batters on nine occasions. He was a member of the 1971 World Champ Pittsburgh Pirates. Oliver hit the last home run ever at Forbes Field, and the next season, drove in the first run ever at Three Rivers Stadium. He is pictured here on his 1983 card from my collection.

Clark wore 00 for the Padres during part of the 1990 season, hitting 25 homers and 62 RBIs in 334 at-bats. Over his 18-year career Clark hit 340 homers with 1,180 RBIs. ''It's distinctive. It's fresh, not your basic number,'' Clark said in 1990 when asked why he shifted from No. 25. ''It's your basic non-number." Clark was a four time All Star and hit 340 homers over his career. This is a scan of his 1978 card when he was with the Giants, where he played from 1975 through 1984.

Wow, who is this stunningly hadsome kid and why is he included in today's blog? While he did not wear number 0, he's included because his lifetime little league batting average was WELL south of the Mendoza Line, and probably closer to 0 than anything else!

Now, in memory of sportscaster George Michael, who was the inventor of "George Michael's Sports Machine" and a long time DC sportscaster who passed away yesterday morning after a two year battle with leukemia.

Countdown To Christmas - 1/8 Day

Eddie Gaedel wore number 1/8 for Bill Veeck's St. Louis Browns in 1951.
In the second game of a doubleheader on Aug. 19, 1951, the 3-foot-7 Gaedel entered the game for the Browns (against the Tigers) as a pinch hitter for leadoff batter Frank Saucier. He walked on four pitches and finished his major league career with an on-base percentage of 1.000. After the AL President voided Gaedel's contract the next day, Veeck threatened to request an official ruling on whether Yankees shortstop and reigning MVP Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto was a short ballplayer or a tall midget. This is a near life size photo of Gaedel.

Veeck was an outgoing and controversial manager. As owner of the Indians in 1947, he signed the American League's first black player - Larry Doby, and later signed long time Negro Leagues Star Satchel Paige. While many thought the latter to be a publicity stunt, given that Paige was estimated to be 42 (Paige held his true age very close to the vest his entire life), Paige went 6-1 that first year with 5 complete games in 7 starts with 43 K's. He pitched 4 more seasons in the major leagues. Paige was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966. Veeck later went on to own the Chicago White Sox, where he came up with the "exploding scoreboard" and started the practice of putting players' names on the backs of their jerseys. Veeck sold the White Sox in 1961, but bought controlling interest in the team again in the mid 70s. Among his most famous promotions was the ill-fated "Disco Demolition Night," which resulted in a riot at Comisky Park and a forfeit to the Tigers. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Countdown To Christmas - Day 1

Here we are, 1 day from Christmas. Thanks to any and all that may be, or have been, reading my little blog. It's been fun, and tune in tomorrow (and later today) for some special posts!


Number 1... wow... so many to choose from. Earle Combs, leadoff hitter and the first #1 for Murderers Row, the '27 Yankees..... Pee Wee Reese, who played 19 seasons with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers..... Billy Martin, known as the on again-off again manager of the Yankees, who was an excellent player in his own right.... Rabbit Maranville, who played shortstop from 1912-1935.... The Wizard of Oz, Ozzie Smith....


While all are deserving of the honor, today's honoree is the all time home run king Sadaharu Oh, who smashed 868 round-trippers during his 22 year career with the Yomiuri Giants. Oh began his career in 1959 and hit 7 homers in his rookie campaign. Steadily improving every season, he lead the Nippon Professional league in home runs 15 times, and still holds the single season record with 55. For 22 years he averaged over 39 homeruns and 99 RBI a season. Oh was named MVP of the Central league 9 times, was a 20 time All Star, and won the Triple Crown in 1973 and 1974. Keep in mind his offensive statistics were compiled in seasons that were 140 and 130 games long. He later became manager of the Giants, and managed Japan in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, where Japan beat Cuba 10-6 to win the championship.



Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith won 13 straight Gold Glove awards starting in 1980, and was a 15 time All Star. He began his career in 1978 with the Padres, then moved to St. Louis in 1982, where he played through the 1996 season. In addition to his 2,460 career hits, he amassed 580 stolen bases and in between doing backflips on the field, he achieved a lifetime fielding percentage of .978. His number was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996. He is pictured here on his 1993 card from my personal collection.


Billy Martin was a scrappy second baseman for the Yankees from 1950-1957 and was later known as the colorful and outspoken manager of the Yankees in the 70s and 80s. While most aren't aware of his playing ability, Martin was named MVP of the 1953 World Series, and was named an All Star in 1956. He managed the Yankees to the 1977 Series victory against the Dodgers. His number was retired by the Yankees in 1986.


Rabbit Maranville played 23 seasons in the National League, mostly with the Boston Braves. He was the shortstop on the 1914 "Miracle Braves" team. Maranville was a 5'5" baseball clown with a goblin face full of laugh lines. One of the most animated players in history his humor was antic and visible to the fans. Nick-named "Rabbit" because of his large ears and fast running style, he left a geact of wild nights and zany stunts. He never thought he would be elected to the Hall of Fame. Maranville passed away in January 1954 and was voted into the Hall by the BBWAA later that year in his 13th year of eligibility.

Countdown to Christmas - Day 2

Sorry folks, but I have run out of steam. Busy with work, holidays, car repairs, and commuting, so even though we are coming to the exciting conclusion of the Countdown, the writeups may be abbreviated.

Today's player is Derek Jeter, who wears number 2 for the New York Yankees. Jeter made his debut in 1995 and since then has been a 10 time All Star, 5 time World Champion, 4 time Gold Glove winner, and was the 1996 Rookie of the Year. He owns the record for most hits by a shortstop, and is also the Yankees all time hits leader. Pictured here is a scan of his 1993 Rookie Prospect card. When John was born, we thought one day he might be into baseball cards, so his first few Christmases we bought complete boxed sets of Topps cards. Some are still sealed, others have been open but the boxes are in mint condition. For the current day players, in the 90's and 2000's, these sets have been my source for cards.

Honorable mentions go to Nellie Fox, Red Schoendienst, Tommy Lasorda, and Leo "The Lip" Dorocher.

Fox began his career in 1947 and retired in 1965. His best years were with the Chicago White Sox, where he 12 time All Star and 3 time Gold Glove winner. His best season was 1959, when he was named MVP, hitting .306 with 24 doubles and a Gold Glove while leading the Sox to the World Series. Fox was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997. His number has been retired by the White Sox.

Shoendienst played second base for the Cardinals, Giants, and the Braves between 1945 and 1963. He was a 10 time All Star, and his best season was in 1953 when he hit .342 and scoring 107 runs. He retired from the Cards (his second time with the team) in 1963, and was named manager in 1965, where he stayed through 1976. He was elected to the Hall in 1989 by the Veteran's Committe for both his playing and his managing, and his number has been retired by the Cardinals.

Durocher played from 1925-1945, and while he had a long career, it wasn't particularly outstanding in any single category. In 1939 he was named player-manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he stayed (off and on, after many overnight firings and subsequent morning hirings by GM Larry MacPhail. He moved to the Giants in 1948 where he stayed through 1955. His managerial record was 2008-1709, and he won 4 World Series. He still ranks fourth on the all time list for most ejections by a manager. Durocher was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994.

Lasorda, who bled Dodger blue, has spent six decades associated with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, begining in 1954. He played 2 seasons in Brooklyn and one in Kansas City, then came back to the Dodger organization as a coach, starting in the minor league system. He finally became manager of the Dodgers in 1976, where he stayed at the helm through 1996. He won nearly 1600 games as manager, won 2 World Series, and ranks 16th on the list of winningest managers. His number has been retired by the Dodgers, and Lasorda was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Countdown to Christmas - Day 3

Baseball purists already know who should (and will) be featured as today's player. That's not my dilemna. No, the decision becomes which of the other EIGHT Hall of Famers and/or few other modern day players (of whom I have their baseball cards....) are named honorable mention. I believe today's post will be the blog equivalent of "function over form." Sure I would love to be able to post a photo of one of my cards, but for the second day in a row, I shall forego my own vanity and focus on the true stars of the past.

"Who is this Baby Ruth, and what does she do?" - George Bernard Shaw

George Herman Ruth wore number 3 for the New York Yankees. (Note to Red Sox fans, I would love to give him credit for wearing number 3 for Boston, but alas, in his final season in Beantown (1919) the Red Sox, as most teams, were not displaying numbers on jerseys.) This hot dog eating, cigar smoking, reform school graduate, son of a Baltimore bartender, who never grew up and suffered from "The Bellyache Heard 'Round The World" became the most feared hitter ever in major league baseball. For the novices who read my blog, Babe was also a VERY accomplished pitcher before playing full time in the outfield.

Ruth's legacy has lasted longer than probably any other athlete who has played the game. He retired in 1935, died in 1948, and as late as 1999 Ruth received such accolades as being ranked number one on The Sporting News Baseball's 100 Greatest Players, and being named to MLB's All Century Team.

His statistics are easily found on the web, so I won't bore you with listing all of his records and accomplishments here. So what DID Baby Ruth do? No, he did NOT have a candy bar named after him. Rather, he single handidly saved baseball in a Paul Bunyan-esque way after MLB had reached a low point with the Black Sox scandal in 1919. He was innocent (well, at least he started that way), marketable, and Ruth was what the public wanted in the 20s - he ate too much, he played too much, and he hit too much! Whatever he did, it worked - to this day he is still recognized as (arguably) the greatest player who played the game. THAT'S what Baby Ruth did!

Oh, and he also built a House.....

Runner up has to be Jimmie Foxx, and not just to appease my Red Sox fans. Foxx played for four teams from 1925-45, primarily the Philadelphia A's and the Red Sox. The three time AL MVP was the youngest (at the time, passed by A-Rod) to reach the 500 HR plateau. He was a 9 time All Star, but keep in the first All Star game (in which he played) didn't exist until 1933. He finished his career with a .325 average, 534 home runs, and 1,922 RBI. His 175 RBI in 1938 still ranks as fourth best ever in history (behind Hack Wilson, Lou Gehrig, and Hank Greenberg). Foxx was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951.

Honorable mention has to go to Harmon Killebrew and Heinie Manush, who, while is a member of the Hall of Fame, has to get the nod for honorable mention based soley on his name.

Countdown To Christmas - Day 4

I can't tell you how I have agonized over my Day 4 post. I've known since the very first Day in the Countdown who I was using for Day 4. I don't want it to seem like just a "cut and paste" job; I really wanted to write something meaningful. Yet, here I am, 8:39 PM on December 21, almost to Day 3 of the Countdown, and I STILL can't find the right words to truly honor this man.

"Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another." - Ernest Hemingway

Henry Louis Gehirg, the Pride of the Yankees, wore number 4 during his illustrious and storied career. Most know him as the Iron Man, the holder of "The Streak,", the one that would never be broken. Others may think of him as "Oh didn't he just bat behind Babe Ruth?" (In the early years of wearing numbers, starting players' numbers refected where they were in the batting order - Ruth hit third, Gehrig fourth.) This humble, quiet ballplayer from NY was, in my opinion, everything you've read and seen about him. One of my favorite movies of all time (I have a boot leg copy on VHS somewhere in the basement) is "Pride of the Yankees" starring Gary Cooper. From every article and book I have read about Gehrig (I have read quite a few baseball history books), this movie is a perfect portrayal of his life. I can't say for sure whether he never really wanted to be in the spotlight or not, but regardless, living first in the "shadow" of The Babe, then of the upcoming youngster Joe DiMaggio, never seemed to affect Gehrig. He went out and did his job, day after day after day. I'll post more stats later, but think about this - Babe Ruth hit 60 homeruns in 1927, at least 60 times during the season, Gehrig came to the plate with the bases empty thanks to Mr. Ruth, and probably even more than that since Ruth's RBI total was 164. Yet Gehrig drove in 175 runs, even more than Ruth.

We know the story.... we know how his career was cut short after 16 full seasons (part of 1923 through part of 1939), that he was a two time AL MVP, was the first player to hit 4 home runs in a game, holds (among others) the MLB record for grand slams with 23. And we all know the "Streak" - 2,130 consecutive games played, taking over for Wally Pipp full time at first base starting June 2, 1925 (but playing the day before in a pinch hitting role) and not taking a day off until May 2, 1939. It's amazing how quickly his illnes (ALS) hit. His stats were off a bit in 1938, but only if you were Lou Gehrig - .295 avg, .523 slugging percentage, 29 home runs and 114 driven in. By spring training, he wasn't hitting the ball, and even collapsed during a spring training game at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg. He retired in July, 1939 after his diagnosis, and later that year the waiting rules were waived for induction into the Hall of Fame, and on a special vote, Gehrig was unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame.

Gehrig passed away on June 2, 1941 at the age of 37. A plaque (pictured here) was placed in his honor near Al Lang Field (later Al Lang Stadium and now Progres Energy Park) in St. Petersburg, FL. When in St. Petersburg after Christmas, I will search out this plaque. I have a photo of the plaques honoring Miller Huggins and Casey Stengel at Huggins-Stengel Field in St. Pete.

After the holidays, I urge all of my.... 6 and a half... faithful readers to find "Pride of the Yankees" and give it a watch.

Career stats:

Batting average: .340

Home runs: 493

RBI: 1,995

Most home runs in a game: 4

Slugging percentage: .632

AL RBI record for a seaon: 174

5 time AL RBI leader

Triple Crown winner: 1934 (only 8 AL players have won the Triple Crown, and 5 NL players)

Countdown To Christmas - Day 5

An abbreviated posting tonight for Day 5. Spent the day with my snowblower, and getting up early to pick Stephanie up from the hospital. She needed a 4 wheel drive to get in last night.

Let's cut to the chase.

The marquee player for today's countdown is Johnny Bench, who wore number 5 for the Cincinnati Reds. Bench is often cited as the greated catcher ever, winning 10 straight Gold Gloves (in his first 10 seasons) and two NL MVP awards. Bench was a 14 time All Star, was voted 1968 Rookie of the Year, and was a key member of the Big Red Machine that won back to back World Series titles in 75 and 76. When Bench hung up his cleats after the 1983 season, his 327 home runs as a catcher were the most by any catcher who had played the game. He was ultimately surpassed by Carlton Fisk and Mike Piazza. Bench was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 on 96.4% of the ballots, 3rd highest ever up until then. Bench is pictured here on his 1979 card from my collection.


Brooks Robinson was the greatest defensive third baseman of all time, and wore number 5 for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955-1977. The Human Vacum Cleaner won 16 consecutive Gold Glove awards, tied for second for the most for any player at any position. His honors include being named the 1964 AL MVP, played on two World Series championships, and was named World Series MVP in 1970. His fielding performance in that Series was so incredible that Bench quipped "Gee! If we had known he wanted a new car that bad, we'd have chipped in and bought him one." Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983.


An equally famous number 5 was Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees. Best known for his 56 game hitting streak in 1941, DiMaggio was a 13 time All Star and undoubtedly would have had more but he missed three seasons when he enlisted in the US Army during WWII. The Yankee Clipper lead the Yankees to 9 World Series championships, and was named AL MVP three times. He retired after the 1951 season and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953. The rules has since changed, requiring players to be retired for five years before being eligible.

Honorable mentions go to Jeff Bagwell, Lou Boudreau, Nomar Garciaparra, and Hank Greenberg.

Countdown To Christmas - Day 6

Down to within a week of Christmas, and some exciting superstars of the past are coming up in the countdown. Today is no exception. We lead off with Stan "The Man" Musial, who wore number 6 for the St. Louis Cardinals and played for 24 seasons with the Cards.

When discussing Musial, long time sportscaster Bob Costas said, "All Musial represents is more than two decades of sustained excellence and complete decency as a human being." It's a shame many ballplayers today aren't more like Musial. In 1959, Musial reported to spring training out of shape, which ultimately lead to one of his worst seasons offensively that year. In 1960, he requested a 25% PAY CUT (taking him to $75,000) which the Cards granted.

Musial was a 24 time All Star, and that figure would have been higher had the 1945 mid summer classic not been cancelled due to WWII travel restrictions. He was a three time NL MVP, won three World Championships with the Cards, and finished his career with an avg. of .331, 475 home runs, 3,630 hits and lead the league in hitting seven times. At the time of his retirement Musial held or tied for seventeen major league records, including one record of the only player to hit five homeruns in a double header! He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

Runner up has to be Al Kaline from the Detroit Tigers. Kaline played 22 seasons for the Tigers, and was a 15 time All Star. While known primarily for his glove and arm in the outfield (Kaline won 10 Gold Glove awards), in 1955 he became the youngest player ever to win an American League batting title at age 20, hitting .340. Kaline retired at the end of the 1974 season with 3.007 hits and 399 homers. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1980.

Tony Lazzeri was one of the cornerstones of the famous 1927 Murders Row of the New York Yankees. Lazzeri played second base, and while not as famous at his teammates Gehrig and Ruth, he was one of the top hitting second basemen of his time. Although he hit only 178 career homers, he was the first player ever to hit two grand slams in a single game. And speaking of grand slams, Lazzeri is the only player in history to hit for a natural cycle with the home run being a grand slam. This fact is often overlooked, because in the same game, Gehrig hit four homeruns! Lazzeri was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1991.

Honorable mention shout out to Steve "Popeye" Garvey, who set a NL record by playing in 1,207 straight games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. Garvey was a 10 time All Star. Also deserving mention is Tony Oliva from the Minnesota Twins. Oliva was an 8 time All Star selection during his 15 year career, and won the Rookie of the Year award in 1964. Oliva is pictured here, along with the infamous Ed Kranepool, on a card in my personal collection.

Countdown To Christmas - Day 7

We have arrived. The entire reason for this blog. No other days matter. Sure, some might mention Mickey Mantle. Others might throw in Al Simmons, or maybe Craig Biggio or Pudge Rodriguez. But none can hold a candle to our marquee player for today's countdown.

Casey Stengel one day referred to the rookies Ed Kranepool and Greg Goossen in 1964 , and Stengel observed, "See that fellow [Gossen] over there? He's 20 years old. In ten years he has a chance to be a star. Now, that fellow over there [Kranepool], he's 20, too. In ten years he has a chance to be 30."

Edward Emill Kranepool wore number 7. 'Nuf said. OK, seriously. Ed Kranepool truly was a great ball player and a great guy (I will expand on this qualitative statement later). Steady Eddie, or Big Ed, played in all or part of 18 seasons with the New York Mets. Kranepool was signed out of high school as a "bonus baby" at the age of 17. While playing off and on for the Mets between 1962 and 1964, he was called up "for good" (he did have another stint in the minors) in 1965 and changed his number to the infamous number 7. That was the first of many breakout years for Kranepool, as he was selected to the NL All Star team. By 1969, Kranepool was one of the leaders of the team and helped lead the Metropolitans to a World Series title. Kranepool even had a home run in that fall classic. After spending part of the 1970 season in the minors, Kranepool bounced back in 1971 to hit 14 home runs and lead the league with a .998 fielding percentage. Late in his career, he was relegated to platooning at first base, then later as a feared pinch hitter. In fact, his .486 as a pinch hitter in 1974 still stands as a single season major league record! Kranepool retired at the end of the 1978 season, and at the time of his retirement, he held eight team records, of which he still holds four. Kranepool is the team leader in at bats, hits, doubles, and stolen bases. He also played more games for the Mets than any other player, and was the last player from the original 1962 Mets to retire.

Kranepool became a personal favorite of mine in the mid to late 1970s. During spring training in 1977, his wife needed to go the hospital. My mother was her nurse, and she called me at home asking if I had heard of him because under employer, Kranepool wrote "New York Mets." He gave an autographed baseball to my mother for me, and also passed along a batting tip (to open up my stance) that helped a struggling little leaguer with a bad eye (literally and figuratively). When Kranepool returned to NY, he sent me a personalized autographed 8x10 glossy photo from his home address. The next spring, my buddy Dave and I attended the Mets-Dodgers game at Al Lang Stadium. We made posters and brought baseballs, and Ed graciously signed both. Later, in high school, we formed the Ed Kranepool Fan Club, and my buddy Jim and I would type up newsletters during typing class!

Another number 7 with nearly as much fame as Kranepool was Mickey Mantle. Mantle played 18 seasons with the Yankees, and played on seven World Championship teams. He holds the record for most World Series homeruns (18), was a three time AL MVP winner, a 20 time All Star, and won the Triple Crown in 1956. Mantle replaced the legendary Joe DiMaggio as their full time centerfielder in 1952. Mantle's career was hampered by injuries, primarily to his knees. He retired in 1985 with 536 HRs and 1,509 RBI. His number 7 has been retired by the Yankees, and Mantle was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Countdown To Christmas - 8 Days

No question on who to choose for number 8. That is, unless you are a Yankees fan. I actually did have a little internal debate on which player should be on the marquee for today, but in the end, it came down to who did more for the game in the long term. And keeping that in mind, it was an easy decision.

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. wore number 8 for the Baltimore Orioles. Not a lot of discussion needed on Ripken's stats. We all know THE STREAK (2,632 games), his 19 straight All Star appearances, his Rookie of the Year award (1982), his two AL MVP awards (1991, 2001), and most home runs ever by a shortstop (345). His election to the Hall of Fame in 2007 garnered 98.53% of the vote, highest ever for a position player and third highest ever (behind Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan). Rather than repeat everything that's on his Wikipedia entry, here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Ripken,_Jr. For me, though, my memories of Ripken include seeing him signing autographs literally for hours after the game during his streak; of him playing for his dad, Cal, Sr., and along side his brother, Billy. And for everything that he has done to promote the game through Ripken baseball. In the mid 90's I was raising money for the Leukemia Society's "Team In Training" program. I held a silent auction consisting primarily of sports memorabilia. I contacted Ripken's agent, who had Cal sign a ball and send it over for the auction. It was one of the highest bid items! The photo is from his 1995 card from my collection (yes, I was a nerd and still collecting at age 31....).

My second choice is Yogi "It ain't over til it's over" Berra of the New York Yankees. I have a fascination with old timers, and Berra is no exception. If you would like to have a fun read sometime, pick up either "I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said," or "When You Come To A Fork In The Road, Take It." While Berra is best known for his Yogi-isms, not to mention his AFLAC (mention of said company is neither an endorsement nor a criticism of their company, all rights reserved) commercial, he truly was an incredible player who many thought he had no athletic ability. Yet Berra was quick and agile behind the plate, one of only four catchers ever to field 1.000 for a season. He also gets my vote because he grew up, and is best friends, with Joe Garagiola, my favorite announcer of all time. His stats include: 15 time All Star, THREE time AL MVP, played on 13 World Series championship teams, and holds major league records for World Series games (75), at-bats (259), hits (71), doubles (10), singles (49), games caught (63), and catcher putouts (457). One of my lifelong dreams (which I doubt will ever be fulfilled) is to meet Yogi and Joe. One day I wil make a trek to the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in NJ. Hmmm... ROAD TIRP! Who is with me?

The honorable mention category.... wow.. who would have mentioned "honorable mention" and Carl Yastrzemski in the same paragraph? In a nutshell, 23 seasons with the Red Sox, 18 time All Star, 1967 AL MVP, 3,419 hits (sixth on the all time list), triple crown winner in 1967 (for non baseball fans, that's leading the league in average, homeruns AND RBI in the same season, has happened only nine times in the American League), 8th on the all time doubles list, and voted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 with 94.63% of the vote (15th highest all time). Pictured here on his 1978 card from my collection.

Other VERY notable stars pictured below (but won't bore you with their stats) include Hall of Famers Joe Morgan (card from 1977), Gary Carter (card from 1982), Willie "Pops" Stargell, and Bill Dickey. Interesting facts about Bill Dickey, he and Berra both wore number 8 for the Yankees, so when number 8 was retired, it was retired in honor of both of them. Also, he appeared in the 1942 movie "Pride of the Yankees" about Lou Gehrig.

Countdown To Christmas - 9 Days

Wow... and I thought 10 was tough! Not only are we talking about SIX Hall of Famers, but also a pre-steroid home run record holder as well as a major leaguer whose professional career spanned SEVEN decades! I wasn't sure who to honor as the first player. Should I stick with the original theme - go with the person whose card(s) I have? Or go with an old time great. I conducted a very scientific poll of some of my readers (oh, that assumes I HAVE readers), and the response was overwhelming. OK... n=1 isn't THAT scientific of a poll, but thanks BP, you confirmed my original thinking. Your prize (I can't call it a gift after JT's extensively brief ethics memo) is in the mail!
Ted Williams wore number 9 for the Boston Red Sox. Williams was a two-time American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) winner, led the league in batting six times, and won the Triple Crown twice. He had a career batting average of .344, with 521 home runs, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. Williams was also a 17 time All Star, and he is the last player in Major League Baseball to bat over .400 in a single season (.406 in 1941). Williams holds the highest career batting average of anyone with 500 or more home runs. His career year was 1941, when he hit .406 with 37 HR, 120 RBI, and 135 runs scored. His .551 on base percentage set a record that stood for 61 years. In his final major league at bat (September 28,1960), Williams hit a home run.


Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, wore number 9 for the Oakland A's. Where to start with Jackson..... while he actually earned the nickname "Mr. October" while with the Yankees in the late 70's, he was already an established hitter with the A's from 1967-75. Many of you probably recall Jackson wearing number 44 for the Bronx Bombers. When he came to the Yankees, number 9 was already being worn by Graig Nettles, so Jackson settled for number 44. Jackson began his major league career in 1967, breaking in with the Kansas City Athletics. In just his third season, he belted 47 HRs and had 118 RBI, a sign of things to come. During the course of his career, he was named to 17 All Star teams, played on 5 World Championship teams, was a two time World Series MVP (Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax are the only other players to be named World Series MVP more than once, and Jackson is the only player who played on two different teams), and was the AL MVP in 1973. Jackson was probably most famous for his three homeruns in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series. In fact, since Jackson had hit a home run off Dodger pitcher Don Sutton in his last at bat in Game 5, his three home runs in Game 6 meant that he had hit four home runs on four consecutive swings of the bat against four different Dodger pitchers. Jackson ended his career with 563 homeruns and 1,702 RBI. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993, garnering 93.6% of the vote. The card pictured here is his 1976 card from my collection. His number 9 has been retired by the A's, and the Yankees have retired his number 44.


Home run champ Roger Maris wore number for the Yankees. While not in the Hall of Fame, Maris held the record for most home runs in a season (61), which broke Babe Ruth's record of 60. Note I did NOT include the dreaded * next to Maris's number, as then Commissioner Ford Frick did. Maris played a total of 12 seasons in the majors, finished with 275 home runs, and won the AL MVP award twice. His number 9 was finally retired by the Yankees in 1983.

Another legend that wore number 9 was the great Minnie Miñoso, whose professional career in baseball spanned seven decades! Signed by Cleveland in 1948, he first appeared in 1949. After being out of MLB for a number of years, Miñoso came back to the White Sox in 1976, at age 50, and became the second oldest player ever to get a hit. He played in two more games in 1980, and in 1993 he made an appearance with the St. Paul Saints, drawing a walk at age 77. He finished his major league career with a .398 on base percentage, which included being hit by pitches 192 times, which ranks 9th on the all time HBP list.


Other legends that wore number 9 include Sparky Anderson (long time manager of the Reds, and winner of three World Championships), Enos "Country" Slaughter (Hall of Famer and lifetime .300 hitter), Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski (who hit a walk off home run to win the 1960 World Series for Pittsburgh), Rick Ferrell (Hall of Fame catcher who caught 1,806 games, a record that stood for 41 years until Carlton Fisk broke it in 1988), and Gabby Hartnet, a Hall of Fame catcher who was behind the plate when Babe Ruth allegedly called his home run shot in the 1932 World Series.

Countdown To Christmas - 10 Days

I am sad to say today's post will be a letdown to many. Between work, swim team board meeting, and then more work on sythesizing and manipulating a lot of data last night, I really didn't have time to devote to today's post. Tonight looks a bit better in terms of work load, so the 9 Days post should be a good one.
Number 10 is a tough one, having to choose between old time Hall of Famers, modern day All Star selections, and one person who had a mediocre career as a player but enjoyed great success as a manager. I'll hit the highlights for all of them. But leading off is Andre Dawson of the Montreal Expos. Dawson played 21 seasons in the majors, the first 11 seasons north of the border. During his career, he was the 1977 Rookie of the Year, an 8 time All Star, won 8 Gold Gloves, and was named NL MVP in 1987. Dawson finished his career with 2,774 hits, 438 home runs, 314 stolen bases, and 1,591 RBI. He is one of only six players in major league history to record over 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases in his career. Despite these statistics, he has yet to be voted into the Hall of Fame, primarily due to his relatively low batting average (.279) and on base percentage (.323). He is pictured here in a collage from my personal collection of cards.

Lefty Gove pitched for the Philadelphia A's and the Boston Red Sox during the 20's and 30's. En route to winning exactly 300 games, he compiled a winning percentage of .680, 8th best ever in Major League history. Grove was a six time All Star (keep in mind the first All Star game didn't occur until 1933), played on the World Champion Philadelphi Athletics in 1929 and 1930, and was the AL MVP in 1931. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947. While this is not an original Left Grove card, it is from my collection.

Other famous number 10's include Hall of Famers Sparky Anderson, Al Lopez, Phil Rizzuto, and Lloyd Waner, as well as Rusty Staub and Ron Santo.

My final tribute to number 10 is Dick Howser. Howser was a medicore player during his career, a .248 hitter who played 8 seasons and spent time on 3 teams. He was, however, named to the 1961 All Star team. His greatest success, though, came as a manager, leading his alma mater Florida State for one season, then with the Yankees and later, for seven seasons with the Kansas City Royals. In his nearly seven full seasons as a manager, he never once finished lower than second in his divison, and in 1985 he lead the Royals to their first and only World Series championship. Midway through the 1986 season, Howser was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery. He attempted a comeback the following season, but he could not keep up. He passed away in June of 1987 at the age of 51. His number has been retired by the Royals, and Florida State plays its home games on Dick Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium.

Countdown To Christmas - 11 Days

The next 11 days will be exciting ones for the Countdown. A good mix of modern day and old timers. Which means yours truly will not be scanning in as many cards during this time. I could do the next 11 days with just my cards, but this would come at the expense of much more deserving players.


Paul Waner wore number 11 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Waner played 19 seasons in the major leagues, primarily with the Pirates, from 1926 through 1944. He did begin the 1945 season with the Yankees, but his final at bat was April 26. He was a 4 time All Star during his career, keeping in mind that the All Star game didn't come about until 1933. Waner played in the very first All Star game. He is a member of the 3,000 hit club, with 3,152, and his lifetime batting average of .3332 ranks him 26th best ever on the all time list (minimum of 3,000 at bats). Waner was a three time NL batting champion, and was the 1927 National League MVP. Combined with his brother Lloyd (who also played with the Pirates), the brothers Waner have more hits than any other brother combination in history (5,611), including the three Alou brothers and the three DiMaggio brothers. Waner was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1952. Lloyed Waner was elected to Hall of Fame in 1967 by the Veteran's Committee. They are the only brother combination to have the honor of both being in the HOF.

Honorable mention goes to fellow Hall of Famers Lefty Gomez (winning pitcher of the innagural 1933 All Star game), Carl Hubbell, and Louis Aparicio. Other notable 11's include Jim Fergosi, George Bell, Barry Larkin and Jimmy Rollins.

Countdown To Christmas - Day 12

My apologies in advance, this will be an abbreviated blog post today. Much to do, much to do.....


Roberto Alomar wore number 12 for much of his career, including his playing days with the Toronto Blue Jays, as shown here on his 1993 baseball card from my collection. Widely regarded as one of the best second basemen of all time, Alomar won 10 Gold Gloves during his career, more than any other second baseman. He was a 12 time All Star selection, and in the 1992 classic, he became the first player with 2 stolen bases in an inning of the All Star game. He played 17 seasons in the Majors, ending with a lifetime batting average of exactly .300, banging out 2,724 hits and driving in 1,134 runs. His father, Sandy Alomar (pictured here on his 1976 card from my collection) played 15 seasons in the big leagues. His brother, Sandy Alomar, Jr., played for 20 seasons.








Wade Boggs wore number 12 while playing for the Red Sox, Yankees, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His hitting in the 1980s and 1990s made him a perennial contender for American League batting titles, in much the same way as his National League contemporary Tony Gwynn. Boggs was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. With 12 straight All-Star appearances, Boggs is third only to Brooks Robinson and George Brett in number of consecutive appearances as a third baseman. His finest season was 1987, when he set career highs in home runs (24), RBI (89), and slugging percentage (.588). He also batted .363 and had a .461 on-base percentage that year, leading the league in both statistics. In 1999, he ranked number 95 on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. His number has been retired by Tampa Bay. This is a scan of his 1992 card from my collection.

My apolgies for the cut and paste from Wikipedia, but the treadmill is calling me from the gym as I need to burn off my "Macho Nachos" from our post swim meet outing last night, and I don't have time to do much more research.

Addendum to 14 Days To Christmas

Wow, what was I thinking? Or, better said, what was I NOT thinking. Many might disagree with the following post, especially since I have left off other players accused of cheating (alleged steroid users). But the most famous player ever to wear number 14 has to be Pete Rose. The naming of Rose in the Countdown certainly is a controversial decision. Many people remember Rose the player, while others remember Rose the banned. I lean more on the side of remembering him as a player, and I believe he has served a long enough sentence. Besides owning 17 major league records as a player, as well as seven other National League records, Charlie Hustle was known for his aggressive style of play and trademarked head first slides. The 17 time All Star and former Rookie of the Year (1963) was seen as the team leader of the two time World Series champion Cincinnati Reds. the 1976 Reds team is widely regarded as one of the best teams that ever played the game. Rose played with the Reds through the 1978 season, then played the next 5 years with the Phillies and Expos before returning to the Reds in 1984 where he was named a player/manager. His final at bat as a player came on August 17, 1986, and he continued to manage the Reds through August 24, 1989, compiling a 426-388 record. A complete list of his Major League and National League leading accomplishments can be found below.

Rose bet on baseball, and even placed bets on the Reds (to win). There is no disputing this fact, and in 2004 Rose publicly admitted this. He has applied for reinstatement many times, to no avail. Current commissioner Bud Selig has adopted the "not on my watch" attitude. Yet ironically, when Rose was named to the MLB All Century Team, he was allowed to participate in the pre-game introductions at Turner Field prior to Game 2 of the 1999 World Series. Selig has announced he has no intentions of staying on as commissioner after his contract ends in 2012. Only time will tell whether he has a change of heart and lifts the ban on Charlie Hustle.

Major League records:
Most career hits - 4,256
Most career outs - 10,328
Most career games played - 3,562
Most career at bats - 14,053
Most career singles - 3,215
Most career runs by a switch hitter - 2,165
Most career doubles by a switch hitter - 746
Most career walks by a switch hitter - 1,566
Most career total bases by a switch hitter - 5,752
Most seasons of 200 or more hits - 10
Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more hits - 23
Most consecutive seasons with 600 or more at bats - 13 (1968-1980)
Most seasons with 600 at bats - 17
Most seasons with 150 or more games played - 17
Most seasons with 100 or more games played - 23
Record for playing in the most winning games - 1,972
Only player in major league history to play more than 500 games at five different positions - 1B (939), LF (671), 3B (634), 2B (628), RF (595)

National League records:
Most years played - 24
Most consecutive years played - 24
Most career runs - 2,165
Most career doubles - 746
Most career games with 5 or more hits - 10
Modern (post-1900) record for longest consecutive game hitting streak - 44
Modern record for most consecutive hitting streaks of 20 or more games - 7

Countdown To Christmas - 13 Days

Dave Concepción wore number 13 for the Cincinnati Reds. In the 19 seasons he played for the Big Red Machine, he amassed five Gold Glove awards at shortstop, and was a nine time All Star, which includes being named the All Star MVP in 1982. Concepción played on two World Series champion teams (1975, 1976), and won the 1977 Roberto Clemente award for humanitarianism. When he retired in 1988, Concepción was second on the Reds' all time games played (2,488), at bats (8,723) and plate appearances (9,640) lists. He also ranks among the team leaders in career singles (2nd, 1,788), sac flies (2nd, 86), hits (3rd), doubles (3rd, 389), times on base (4th, 3,083), total bases (5th, 3,114), and runs scored (6th, 993). On August 25, 2007 the Cincinnati Reds retired jersey number 13 in honor of Concepción's contributions to the team.


This collage of Concepción's cards is from my personal collection.

Countdown To Christmas - 14 Days

Let's play 2!

Ernie Banks, "Mr. Cub," is probably the most popular player in the history of the Chicago Cubs franchise. Banks was the best power-hitting shortstop in baseball in the 1950s and early 1960s. His enthusiasm for the game of baseball was legendary. Baseball fans will always remember him as the ballplayer who said, "What a great day for baseball. Let's play two!" Banks started his career in the Negro Leagues with the famous Kansas City Monarchs in 1950, and came to the Cubs in 1953. Banks played 19 seasons in the Major Leagues, all with the Cubs, and belted 512 home runs, five times hitting over 40 in a single season. Banks smashed a record five grand slams in 1955 and his 47 round-trippers in 1958 are the most ever hit by a shortstop. Ernie Banks has career totals of 512 home runs, good for 12th on the all-time list, with 1636 RBI, 1305 runs scored, 2583 hits with a .274 lifetime average. Banks hit 40 or more home runs five times in his career, winning two MVP awards in the process. His first MVP came in 1958, as he hit .313, with league-leading totals of 47 homers and 129 RBI. He won the award again in 1959, leading the league in RBI again, as well as fielding percentage. Banks was named to 11 All-Star teams in his career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977. His uniform No. 14 was the first retired by the Cubs organization and currently flies on game days from the left field foul pole.

Now, on to the cards! We have three honorable mentions that wore number 14 - Jim Rice, Kent Hrbek, and Lou Piniella. Rice played 16 season in the majors, all with the Boston Red Sox, from 1974 to 1989. He had a great balance of hitting for average and power, with a career average of .298 and retired with a total of 382 round trippers, good for third on the all time Red Sox HR list behind Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski (although his 315 times grounding into double plays ranks him third all time behind Hank Aaron and Yastrzemski). Rice was an 8 time All Star, was the AL MVP in 1978, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2009 on his 15th and final ballot. His number 14 has been retired by the Red Sox. This is a scan of his 1978 card from my personal collection.

"Sweet Lou" Piniella played with four different ballclubs, from 1964-1984, and is currently the manager of the Chicago Cubs. The Tampa, FL native was the AL Rookie of the year in 1969 (not a typo, he didn't appear in enough games the previous seasons to qualify). He retired with just over 100 homeruns and 1705 hits, with a .291 averge. He has had a successful managerial career, having won 1,784 games (through 2009) with a .521 winning percentage. Piniella has been named Manager of the Year twice in the AL and once in the NL. Sweet Lou, pictured here in 1976, is also third on the active managers list for being thrown out of a game as a manager. According to a personal friend whose family has known Piniella since his little league days in Tampa, his firery attitude was developing even as a child!

Hrbek played 14 seasons with the Minnesota Twins, and is pictured here on his 1992 card. He was named to the 1982 All Star team, and played for two World Series championship teams with the Twins (1987, 1991). Hrbek also won the 1991 Lou Gehrig award. Hrbek's number 14 has been retired by the Minnesota Twins.