Manny being Manny, even in Taiwan

Manny Ramirez as a member of the EDA Rhinos, of the Chinese Professional Baseball League

On this day...

Rick Monday proves he is faster than Tommy Lasorda...

Happy Birthday Pops!

Born on this day in 1940... Wilver Dornel Stargell.

"If he asked us to jump off the Fort Pitt Bridge, we would ask him what kind of dive he wanted. That's how much respect we have for the man." 
- Pirate teammate Al Oliver

In April of 1971 the Phillies moved from old Connie Mack Stadium into their sparkling new home in south Philadelphia. The club was still very early in the rebuilding process that would eventually result in the 1980 world championship. But on June 25th 1971 the first place Pittsburgh Pirates had arrived at the Vet for a weekend series.

Jim Bunning was the Phillies starting pitcher and was on the downside of his hall-of-fame career. The Pirates scored three runs in the tops of the first inning, initiated by a Stargell RBI double. In the top of the second inning, Bunning's struggles continued as he had already given up home runs to shortstop Jackie Hernandez and third baseman Richie Hebner. Near the end of his rope, Bunning didn't want to give Stargell another fastball. Instead, catcher Tim McCarver called for an offspeed slider that Stargell crushed the longest and one of the most memorable home runs in Veterans Stadium history.

Bunning later stated it was "a high slider that I used to get Stargell out on, only I didn't throw it hard enough and didn't get it in. It got over the fat part of the plate. He couldn't hit it any further."

Larry Bowa was playing shortstop, but because of the overshift deployed against Stargell was playing on the right side of the infield added "That ball was still going up. As an infielder, when a guy hits one that you know is a home run, you give it a casual look. When he swung, you didn't take your eyes off it because you wanted to see where it was going. It was majestic. I couldn't believe how far that ball went. It would take me three swings to get one up there -- from second base."

Legend has it the ball is actually still flying, having only left a star in section 601 on its way into orbit. Willie Stargell was the last hitter Bunning would see that Friday night. Phillies manager Frank Lucchesi immediately went to the bullpen, replacing him with righthander Lowell Palmer. The Pirates won the game 14-4. Stargell would go on to win the NL HR crown. The Pirates would go on to win the World Series. Bunning would retire at the end of the season and the Phillies would lose 95 games.

Universally regarded as one of the best human beings in baseball, the Phillies had a special honor in store for Willie when made his final appearance at the Vet in September of 1982. The Phils, arch-rivals of his Pirates, had placed a star to hold the spot where the longest home run in stadium history was last seen before it ascended into orbit.

Willie died in 2001. The Phils mourned by painting the circle holding Willie's star in section 601 black. The star remained until the stadium's 2004 demolition.

1972 All Star Game

A big tip 'o the ear-flap-less batting helmet goes to my funky friend Dan Epstein. For those of you that don't know... Dan is the world-famous author of Big Hair & Plastic Grass. Yesterday he shared this 10 minute clip from the 1972 All Star Game played in Atlanta on the BHPG Facebook page. The clip was posted on YouTube by WADDTVCh15 and opens with Dick Allen batting against the Expos Bill Stoneman in the top of the 7th inning. I love the internet.

While he was the baddest motherf*cker on the planet and would eventually win the American League MVP award in 1972,  Dick Allen went hitless in this All Star Game.

Buy Dan's book here or here or here.

Happy Birthday John Kruk

Happy Birthday to former Phillies first baseman John Kruk.
He was three time All-Star and key member of the 1993 National League Champs.

Kruk wore #11 #19 and for a brief time #28... before settling in on his more familiar #29.
That story was famously told to Dave Letterman in 1993 (3:14 mark)...

1977 TWIB - Richie Zisk goes deep

Friday was a special day my house... I only had to wait a couple of days for Amazon to deliver my very own copy of This Week in Baseball: Season One (1977) DVD.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away the was no such thing as ESPN or DirecTV MLB Extra Innings. Baseball games were not available every night of the week. As a fan, six days a week you were limited to your local teams broadcasts. The only time you got to see non-local teams was on the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week. This all changed in 1977 when This Week in Baseball was first aired, showing highlights and interviews from the games played during the week. It was magical back then... and even more magical now.

Here is a quick clip from the second episode of Richie Zisk blasting one over the roof of Comiskey Park.

Happy Birthday Jackie

Lens Through Time: Dick Allen

From GreatExperimentFilm

Happy Tug McGraw Day 2012!

Do something nice today...

Go to the TUG McGRAW FOUNDATION and spend some money

YA GOTTA BELIEVE!

Domonic Brown

After watching him gun down Jay Bruce at home...
I've decided to go public with the fact Domonic Brown is going to be my favorite player on the Phillies from now on.

40 years ago today...

Dick Allen hits 2 inside the park HRs against the Twins

Parade of Ridiculousness: Reggie as a Mariner

The concept behind the Parade of Ridiculousness is based on showing famous players in outlandish or ridiculous uniforms. In the past I have shown Babe Ruth in Astros tequila sunrise stripes and Lou Gehrig in Bill Veeck's softball shorts. I'm always looking for new ideas.

My love for the original Seattle Mariners Trident logo is well documented and Reggie continues to be one of my favorites. Combining these two is not something I would have ever considered. The interesting and best thing about this Reggie Jackson/Seattle Mariner post is it actually happened.

In never knew about this. Last week, because there was no real baseball on the TV... I occupied myself by watching the marathon of All Star Game Highlight films on MLB Network.

The '79 Midsummer Classic was held in Seattle, a strange choice considering the Mariners were only in their 3rd year of existence. Appearing in his 9th of what would be 14 career All Star Games, somehow Reggie Jackson arrived at the Kingdome without his Yankee pinstripe uniform. Not sure if his luggage was lost or he was just looking for a reason to piss off George Steinbrenner. This was before the general availability of authentic uniform jerseys from retail shops inside each stadium and their surrounding neighborhoods. Reggie was stuck.

Instead of missing the American League All Star team picture, someone convinced Reggie to just put on a Mariners home uniform and take his place in the shot (2nd row, 2nd in from the left). If this happened today... it would take about 5 minutes for someone to fix it with photoshop. Fortunately for us, no one did that.

Still don't believe me? I made a video.

Greatest Non-Hall of Famers

In the process of cleaning up some things from the DVR and discovered a previously recorded show from MLB Network: Top 40 Countdown of the "Greatest Non-Hall of Famers". Interesting list, neither Bagwell or Belle were caught or admitted they used PEDs but both are suspected given the era they played in, their associations, unnatural body changes, and of course... eye-popping numbers. That being said; three players on this list are confirmed PED users. I am not sure I would hold my breath for McGwire, Palmeiro, or Juan Gonzalez. The writers and current Hall of Famers are not going to be very forgiving.

Dick Allen checks in at #9. Here is DA's segment:

The entire Top 40 list looks like this:

1. Tim Raines 2. Jack Morris 3. Mark McGwire 4. Minnie Minoso 5. Jeff Bagwell 6. Lee Smith 7. Alan Trammell 8. Ted Simmons 9. Dick Allen 10. Jim Kaat

11. Luis Tiant 12. Dale Murphy 13. Ken Boyer 14. Joe Torre 15. Dwight Evans 16. Rafael Palmeiro 17. Steve Garvey 18. Gil Hodges 19. Don Mattingly 20. Keith Hernandez

21. Edgar Martinez 22. Tommy John 23. Lou Whitaker 24. Larry Walker 25. Will Clark 26. Tony Oliva 27. Dave Parker 28. Ron Guidry 29. Maury Wills 30. Buck O'Neil

31. Albert Belle 32. Dave Concepcion 33. Juan Gonzalez 34. Jimmy Wynn 35. Bill Freehan 36. Bobby Grich 37. Harold Baines 38. Fred McGriff 39. Mark Grace 40. Roger Maris

Letters in the Dirt

I can't believe I have never seen this before on YouTube. Here is our friend Chuck Brodsky singing and explaining the background of his song "Letters in the Dirt". Even though Chuck gets a few details wrong (the Frank Thomas incident happened in 1965), it is still a moving and beautiful song.

This and many other Chuck Brodsky songs are available on iTunes. Do something nice for yourself and download it today. I did.

On This Day... All Star Home Run Derby

July 13, 1971. Detroit's Tiger Stadium: In an All Star game featuring six home runs, highlighted by a young Reggie Jackson blasting a Dock Ellis fourth inning pitch off the power generator located on top of Tiger Stadium right-field roof 520 feet from home plate, the American League beats the NL, 6-4. All the players who homer, Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew as well as Reggie, will eventually become members of the Hall of Fame.

Thanks for the memories Brad

Good luck in Washington!

On this day... Maz goes deep

Phive straight!

The Golden Age of Philadelphia Phillies baseball is upon us.
I am NOT taking one moment of this run for granted.

The Secretary of Defense

Yesterday Garry Maddox turned 62 years old. Not many people connect Dick Allen and Garry Maddox, but Maddox essentially became a Phillie because of DA. On May 4th, 1975 the Phils traded their regular first baseman Willie Montañez to the Giants in exchange for Maddox. Montañez, who originally was sent to Philadelphia because Curt Flood refused after the infamous 1969 DA trade with the Cardinals, was suddenly expendable. Why? Because that very same week Dick Allen agreed to "unretire" after seeing his rights finally traded by the Braves to Philadelphia. DA was immediately penciled in at first base and Maddox was the new center-fielder.

Maddox went on to win eight straight Gold Glove awards from 1975 to 1982 and was a vital part of the core group that led the memorable championship teams in the late '70s and early '80s. The late great Harry Kalas appropriately dubbed him "The Secretary of Defense". For those Phillies Phans of my generation vivid Maddox memories sit at both ends of the pain / jubilation spectrum.

First off, the nightmare: In the dramatic tenth inning of Game 4 of the 1978 NLCS, after Tug McGraw recorded two outs and walked Ron Cey, Maddox made two uncharacteristic mistakes in back to back chances leading to a walk-off Dodgers victory and series win. This was the third straight NLCS loss for these Phils, crushing my already battered 12 year old soul.

On the other end of the spectrum, a dream come true: In the tenth inning of fifth and final game of the 1980 NLCS at the Houston Astrodome. He hit Frank LaCorte's first pitch for a clutch two out double driving in Del Unser from second with what proved to be the difference making and pennant-winning run in the top half of the inning.

His impact on this game, which MLB Network recently named as the 18th greatest in baseball history, was not complete. In the bottom half of the tenth, with Dick Ruthven on the mound Maddox recorded the second out of the inning on a deep fly ball off Terry Puhl's smoking hot bat. Then Maddox ended the game when he smoothly roamed to his left to snag Enos Cabell's low trajectory fly ball, which I still swear was headed for the right-center-field-gap, to record the final out. Thanks in a very large part to Garry Maddox, the Phillies were in the World Series for the first time since 1950.

Happy Birthday Garry! Thanks for the memories!

Tug 7-UP commercial

Not sure there can ever be a better "pitch man" than Tug McGraw. Love the "World Champions" warm-up jacket he is wearing here. Believe it or not, you can buy one just like it at Mitchell & Ness.