FROMMER CLASSIC, IN HONOR OF BOB SHEPPARD

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Yankee Stadium."

We lost another Yankee Great, a Bomber Legend, A Great Man.

On April 11th, 2006 Bob Sheppard missed his first Yankees home opener in half-century, here is what Dr Harvey Frommer had to say then.


By Harvey Frommer
April 11, 2006

It's really not quite a Yankee home game without Bob Sheppard. The long time
"public address voice of the Yankees" threw out his hip at his Long Island home
making him miss his first Yankee home opener since 1950.

But he promises he will be back.

"I am very disappointed," said Sheppard who won't give his age and is thought to
be in his 90s. "I am optimistic that I will return to the stadium for the next
homestand."

It has been said: "Every kid growing up has dreamed of lining up at Yankee
Stadium and having Bob Sheppard announce his name." The New York Yankees public
address announcer has announced many names working more than 4,000 games.
It began for Sheppard on April 17, 1951, Opening Day. The lineup that day was:

Jackie Jensen lf
Phil Rizzuto ss
Mickey Mantle rf
Joe DiMaggio cf
Yogi Berra c
Johnny Mize 1b
Billy Johnson 3b
Jerry Coleman 2b
Vic Raschi p


Favorite Yankee moments for the former St. John's quarterback and first baseman
who works in the sound-proofed little glass both include: Larsen's Perfect Game,
Maris hitting 61 home runs, Reggie's three home runs against the Dodgers and
Mantle's shot almost over the roof.

Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle make Sheppard's all time favorite list.
"DiMaggio's name was symbolic of the early Yankees," Sheppard said, "and "Mickey
Mantle has a nice ring to it because the two 'Ms' make it alliterative. "I just
loved announcing his name. And one day, shortly before he died, we were both
being interviewed on a television program. All of a sudden, he turned to me and
said - right there on the air - that every time he heard me announce his name,
he got goose bumps. And I felt the same way about announcing him."

Hundreds of eulogies have been written and delivered by Sheppard. "They ask me
to do a eulogy. I try to tailor my remarks to the person I am eulogizing.
Thurman Munson, Dick Howser, Billy Martin. Mickey Mantle's seemed to strike a
cord because he died the night before."

Reggie Jackson pointed out that Sheppard's voice sounds like "the voice of God"
as it reverberates through Yankee Stadium. Clay Bellinger made the point that
"the first time I heard it, it was my realization of making the big leagues
after 10 years in the minor leagues. Just think of all the people he's
announced."

"There are three things that are perfectly Yankee - the pinstripes, the logo and
Bob Sheppard's voice," comedian Billy Crystal said. "When I go to heaven, I want
Bob Sheppard to announce me."

Baseball Names and How They Got That Way! Part XXI (N)

The words and phrases are spoken and written day after day, year after year - generally without any wonderment as to how they became part of the language. All have a history, a story. For those of you who liked Part I, Part II, Part III, X, XV and all the others and wanted more, here is more, just a sampling. As always, reactions and suggestions always welcome. And bear in mind - - this is by no means a complete list.

NAIL The act of throwing out a runner.


NAILS Lenny Dykstra, allegedly this former major leaguer was as tough as nails.


NASTY BOYS Norm Charlton in 1990 split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen, where he teamed up with fellow relievers
Rob Dibble and Randy Myers to form the "Nasty Boys"- a fearsome trio that Cincinnati rode all the way to a World Series sweep of the favored Oakland A's.

NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM Located at Cooperstown, New York, the site where Abner Doubleday - as myth would have it - invented the game of baseball, the Hall of Fame, established in 1939, is the oldest institution of its kind in the United States.


NAUGATUCK NUGGET Born Francis Joseph Shea on Oct. 2, 1920 in Naugatuck, Connecticut, Frank "Spec" Shea won 2 games in the 1947 World Series as a rookie for the New York Yankees. His nicknames came from his place of birth and his poor vision.


NEW YORK YANKEES The Baltimore Orioles franchise was purchased for $18,000 by well known gambler Frank Farrell and former New York City Chief of Police William S. "Big Bill" Devery, who bragged that he had never read a book. Farrell and Devery owned hundreds of pool rooms and nearly as many politicians, and they knew their way around town.
The team was at first called Highlanders both after a famous British Army regiment named Gordon's Highlanders, and because Hilltop Park was their home ballpark and was located on a hilltop overlooking Washington Heights.
The name “Yankees” was used first by sportswriters Mark Roth of the New York Globe and Sam Crane of the New York Journal, the name appearing in print for the first time on June 21, 1904 in the Boston Herald.


NICE GUYS FINISH LAST As baseball player and manager, Leo Durocher prided himself on his combativeness. He schemed, argued, and fought with the opposition-and sometimes with his own teammates. His feelings about "nice guys" as revealed in the quote above, now almost a cliché attributed to him, expressed his baseball philosophy and underscored his attitude toward winning (see LIP, THE).


NIGHTCAP The second game of a doubleheader.


NINETY SIX William Symmes Voiselle was also known as "Big Bill" for his size. Born January 29, 1919 in Greenwood, South Carolina, he and friends were stymied on Sundays by the rules of the day - no baseball on Sundays. They would sneak over to a local creek area in Nine Six, South Carolina and play. Voiselle in the 1940s took his skills to the major leagues as a pitcher with the Pirates and the nickname from his early playing area.


NICKEL SERIES Refers to old days when New York City teams played against each other and the tariff was a five cents subway ride.


NIGHTRIDER Don Larsen of New York Yankees “perfect game” fame called himself that because it reminded him of comic books heroes he read about and it fit with his late-night bar wanderings.


NOMAR
Nomar Garciaparra’s “nickname” is unique. His first name (which is actually his middle name) is his father's name (Ramon), spelled backwards.

NUMBER 1/8 On August 19, 1951, Eddie Gaedel, wearing number l/8, came to bat for the St. Louis Browns against the Detroit Tigers. Gaedel, who was signed by Browns owner Bill Veeck, walked on four straight pitches and was then replaced by a pinch runner. The next day the American League banned Gaedel, despite Veeck's protests. Gaedel was a midget, only three feet, seven inches tall.


NUMBERS In 1929, the New York Yankees introduced identifying numbers sewn on the backs of player jerseys, the first time that uniform numbers were used on a full-time basis.


For the record, here is the list of the "original " ten Yankee uniform numbers:


#1 - Earle Combs,
#2 - Mark Koenig
#3 - Babe Ruth,
#4 - Lou Gehrig,
#5 - Bob Meusel,
#6 - Tony Lazzeri,
#7 - Leo Durocher,
#8 - Johnny Grabowski,
#9 - Benny Bengough,
#10 - Bill Dickey

Baseball Names and How They Got That Way! Part XX (M)

The words and phrases are spoken and written day after day, year after year - generally without any wonderment as to how they became part of the language. All have a history, a story. For those of you who liked Part I, Part II, Part III, X and all the others and wanted more, here is more, just a sampling. As always, reactions and suggestions always welcome

M&M BOYS Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris

MAD HUNGARIAN Al Hrabosky, who arrived in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, is a self-created image. Originally a clean-cut pitcher, Hrabosky allowed his hair to grow long and cultivated a beard and a moustache. He then developed a procedure on the pitching mound designed to annoy, frustrate, and sometimes anger batters. He would step off the mound, walk in the direction of second base, pound his glove, talk to himself, trot back to the mound, glower in to the catcher, and release his pitch. Pleasing to the crowds, an aid to, in Hrabosky's phrase, "psyching myself up," the image and the routine fattened the pitcher's paychecks. There are those who declare that Hrabosky may be Hungarian, but he surely isn't mad.


MAHATMA, THE Branch Rickey (1881-1965) was one of baseball's most influential personalities. Inventor of the farm system, the force responsible for Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color line, the master builder of the St. Louis Cardinal and Brooklyn Dodger organizations, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1967. Sportswriter Tom Meany coined Rickey's nickname. Meany got the idea from John Gunther's phrase describing Mohandas K. Gandhi as a” combination of God, your own father, and Tammany Hall."


MAIL CARRIER Fans at Louisville in the minor where Earle Combs starred called him that because of his speed and base stealing skills.


MAN, THE (STAN THE MAN) Stanley Frank Musial, St. Louis Cardinal baseball immortal, batted .315 as a rookie in 1942, when he was 21 years old. In 1962, at the age of 41, he hit .330-one point under his lifetime batting average. Musial is the all-time Cardinal leader in games played, runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, and total bases. His twisted, crouched, coiled stance at the plate enabled him to slash the ball with power or stroke it with finesse to any part of the playing field. Musial was an especially successful hitter in the small confines of Ebbets Field. His specialty was slamming frozen rope doubles off the outfield walls. Dodger fans had difficulty pronouncing his name, sometimes calling him "Musical." Many of the black Dodger fans simply referred to Musial as "the Man" in tribute to the power and style he displayed. Eventually fans all over the league used this nickname-a reference not only to Musial but to the respect due his power and authority.


MAN IN THE IRON HAT Yankee owner Captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Hutson wore the same squished derby hat over and over again.


MAN NOBODY KNOWS Catcher Bill Dickey, Yankee immortal, because of his blandness.


MAN OF A THOUSAND CURVES His nickname was a bit hyperbolic, but the major league batters who swung at his stuff and came up empty might not disagree with it. For Johnny Sain, talented star of the Boston Braves and other teams, curveball pitches were a trademark and the reason for his nickname. He allegedly had such pitching skill that his curves dropped, darted, hesitated, broke wide, broke fast, broke slow, broke twice. There may not have been a thousand curves, but there were enough variations on these curves Sain possessed that the effect on batters was the same.


MAN O’ WAR Sam Rice was a fleet-footed outfielder and was called Man O' War" after the famous racehorse of his era.


MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN During the late 1 940's and into the 1950's, Don Mueller of the New York Giants appeared to have a special gift with a bat in his hands. His lifetime batting average was a respectable .296, yet he never led the league in any hitting category. His nickname came from his expert bat-manipulation and his ability to hit the ball where he wanted it to go.


MAJOR Ralph Houk, for rank held in the Armed Forces and demeanor


MARSE JOE Hall of Fame Manager Joe McCarthy, , for his commanding style.


MARVELOUS MARV Marvin Eugene Throneberry was perhaps born to be a New York Met. His initials spelled out the name and his personality and limited skills underscored the characteristics of the 1962 New York expansion team. Throneberry, who looked like Mickey Mantle batting but did not get the same results, labored through a seven-year, four-different-team major league career- the Mets were his last team. He is a gentle, fine humored man, and sportswriters hung the nickname on him in good-natured jest.

Throneberry loved it and went along with their efforts to depict him as a clown. Once a teammate dropped an easy fly ball. Marvelous Marv smiled and shouted, "What are you trying to do anyway, steal my fans?"


MASTER BUILDER IN BASEBALL Jacob Ruppert, and that he was.


MASTER MELVIN Mel Ott was a power-armed right fielder for 22 years with the New York Giants. He smashed 511 home runs in a fabled career that saw him average better than a hit a game while compiling a lifetime batting average of .304. Ott became a Giant at the age of 16-and that's how his nickname came about. Ott's Hollywood-type beginning was recalled by Eddie Logan, Giants equipment manager, who was about the same age as Ott at the time and was sent to pick up the youth: "We had the 9th Avenue El at the time. Mr. McGraw had told him to ride the El to the last stop, which was the Polo Grounds. He took the El the wrong way and wound up at the Battery. I looked for the straw suitcase. I found him. I said, 'C'mon boy, let's go.' He got the biggest thrill riding back on the train." Labeled "McGraw's baby," Ott was in only 35 games in 1926, then 82 in 1927. "He's too young to play big-league ball," McGraw said, "but I am afraid to send him to the minors and have a manager there tinker with his unorthodox batting style. The style is natural with him. He'll get results as soon as he learns about big-league pitching." And he did.


MEAL TICKET, THE Through the long Depression years, one of the great constants in the fortunes of the New York Giants was pitcher Carl Hubbell. The Hall of Famer possessed a left-handed screwball that he threw at different speeds and blended with a dazzling change of pace. He could make the ball almost disappear, so sophisticated was his pitching style. Hubbell won 253 games for the Giants in a 1 6-year career and notched a 2.97 earned-run average. His nickname came from his value to the Giants. He was a selfless performer. "In a close game, he'd go down to the bullpen and start warming up. He wanted to show that he was willing and ready, and he'd defy the manager not to put him in," recalled former Giant owner Horace Stoneham.


THE MECHANICAL MAN A Tiger superstar in the 1930s, Charlie Gehringer was given that nickname by Yankee pitcher Lefty Gomez who said he was automatic.


MENDOZA LINE Batters hitting below .215 are referred to as below the Mendoza line, a reference to Mario Mendoza, lifetime batting average - .215.


MERRY Mortician Waite Hoyt was a cheery soul and worked off-season as a mortician.


MICK THE QUICK Mickey Rivers, for his speed.


MICKEY MOUTH Mickey Rivers, for his motor mouth.


MIGHTY MITE Hall of Famer Miller Huggins played 13 years in the major leagues and managed for 17 more with the Cardinals and Yankees. A 5'6", 140-pounder, his small physical stature and his outstanding playing and managing ability merged into the qualities that produced his nickname.


MILKMAN Former Yankee pitcher Jim Turner because of his off-season job delivering milk


MILWAUKEE BREWERS The franchise began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969, then moved to Milwaukee in 1970 and picked up its nickname for the famous breweries in the City.
MINNESOTA TWINS Named for the "Twin Cities" where the team is located, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Franchise moved from Washington DC, as the Senators (from 1901-1960), then to Bloomington, Minnesota as the Twins (1961-81) then to Minneapolis in 1982.


MINNIE MINOSO His real name was Saturnino Orestes Arrieta Armas Minoso, but everyone knew him as Minnie, which made it easier for typesetters, reporters, and fans. Born November 29, 1922, in Havana, Cuba, Minoso played 15 years in the majors, from 1949 to 1964 (he also appeared in one game in 1977, while a coach with the Chicago White Sox).


MIRACLE AT COOGANS BLUFF Throughout the long history of baseball there have been poignant, exciting, dramatic moments. But very few can compare to what happened on October 3, 1951 at the old Polo Grounds in New York City. Some refer to that time as "The Miracle at Coogan's Bluff." Others, especially in Brooklyn, call it "Dat Day." But no matter what label is applied it was a time to remember. It was a time when the Giants played out of the Polo Grounds in Manhattan and the Dodgers entertained millions in their tiny Brooklyn ballpark, Ebbets Field. It was a time of tremendous fan devotion to each team.


In July Brooklyn manager Charlie Dressen had bragged, "The Giants is dead." It seemed to aptly describe the plight of Leo Durocher's team. For on August 12 the Giants trailed the Dodgers by 13 l/2 games in the standings.


Then, incredibly, the Giants locked into what has been called "The Miracle Run." They won 37 of their final 44 games - 16 of them in one frenetic stretch - and closed the gap.
"It was a once-in-a-lifetime situation," recalls Monte Irvin, who batted .312 that year for the Giants. "We kept on winning. The Dodgers kept on losing. It seemed like we beat everybody in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning.


The Giants and Dodgers finished the season in a flat-footed tie for first-place and met on the first day of October in the first game of the first play-off in the history of the National League. The teams split the first two games setting the stage for the third and final game.
Don Newcombe of the Dodgers was pitted against Sal Maglie of the Giants. Both hurlers had won 23 games during the regular season.


The game began under overcast skies and a threat of rain. Radio play-by-play filtered into schoolrooms, factories, office buildings, city prisons, barbershops.


The Wall Street teletype intermingled stock quotations with play-by-play details of the Giant-Dodger battle. The game was tied 1-1 after seven innings. Then Brooklyn scored three times in the top of the eighth. Many of the Dodger fans at the Polo Grounds and the multitude listening to the game on the radio thought that the Giants would not come back. Durocher and the Giants never gave up. "We knew that Newcombe would make the wrong pitch," said Monte Irvin. "That was his history."


The Giants came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning - only three outs remained in their miracle season.


Alvin Dark led off with a single through the right side of the infield. Don Mueller slapped the ball past Dodger first baseman Gil Hodges. Irvin fouled out. Whitey Lockman doubled down the left field line. Dark scored.


With runners on second and third Ralph Branca came in to relieve Newcombe. Bobby Thomson waited to bat. Durocher said, "I did not know whether they would pitch to Thomson or not. First base was open. Willie Mays, just a rookie, was on deck."
Veteran New York Giant announcer Russ Hodges described the moment to millions mesmerized at their radios that October afternoon:


"Bobby Thomson up there swinging.... Bobby batting at .292. Branca pitches and Bobby takes a strike call on the inside corner. Lockman without too big of a lead at second but he'll be running like the wind if Thomson hits one. "Branca throws ... there's a long drive...it's gonna be, I believe. . .'
The precise moment was 3:58 P.M., October 3, 1951.
"... the Giants win the pennant!" Hodges screamed the words at the top of his voice, all semblance of journalistic objectivity gone. "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"
Hodges bellowed it out eight times - and then overcome by the moment and voiceless, he had to yield the microphone.
Pandemonium was on parade at the Polo Grounds for hours after the game. For almost half an hour after the epic home run, there were so many phone calls placed by people in Manhattan and Brooklyn that the New York Telephone Company reported service almost broke down.
Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca would play out their major league careers. But the moment they shared - as hero and goat that October day at the Polo Grounds - would link them forever.


MIRACLE BRAVES The year was 1914, the year World War I began. The Boston Braves marched from last place in July to the National League pennant by winning 61 of their last 77 games. That accomplishment was only a part of what earned the Braves their reputation as a "miracle" team. In the World Series, the Braves were given no chance to defeat a powerful Philadelphia Athletics team that boasted such pitching stars as Chief Bender, Bullet Joe Bush, Eddie Plank, Jack Coombs, and what was referred to as the "$100,000 infield" of Baker, Barry, McInnis, and Collins. Boston manager George Stallings was confident. "We'll stop them. We're coming and they're going."


Behind their powerful pitching trio of George Tyler, Dick Rudolph, and Bill James, the Braves won the first game, shocking the baseball world, then the next three, to demolish a dynasty and become the first team in the history of baseball to win four straight World Series games.


MIRACLE MAN The manager of the "Miracle Braves," George Stallings, piloted four different teams in a 13year managing career. He won only a single pennant in all those years-with the 1914"Miracle Braves"-but the accomplishment was good enough to earn him his nickname.

MR. AUTOMATIC Mariano Rivera, for his unflappable behavior and skills as a Yankee stopper.


MR. MAY George Steinbrenner's sarcastic jibe at Dave Winfield because of his postseason struggles as compared to Reggie Jackson's successes. It was a taunt from the Yankee principal owner that Winfield did well in the month of way when there was no real pressure.


MR. OCTOBER In Game Five of the 1977 ALCS Billy Martin benched Reggie Jackson. In a comeback win against Kansas City Jackson retuned to slap a single. Thurman Munson sarcastically called Jackson "Mr. October." The nick-name would have taken on a different meaning but Jackson fitted the nick-name to his persona.


MR. NOVEMBER Derek Jeter, for his World Series home run, the first of November, 2001.


MONSTER, THE His size (6'6" and 230 pounds) and his pitching efficiency during his seven-year stint for the Boston Red Sox in the 1960's earned Dick Radatz his nickname.
MONTREAL EXPOS Nickname derived from the 1967 World Exposition staged in Montreal. It was held two years before the team's inaugural game. The fair ran for the entire year and drew approximately 50 million people.


MOOKIE Willie Wilson was given this nickname by his family because of the funny way he said “milk” when he was a child.


MOON SHOT Home run hit high and far. See Wally Moon and LA Dodgers.
MOOSE Bill Skowron's, grandfather as a joke called him Mussolini, but his family shortened the nickname to Moose. This is another version - that he was named "Moose" because of his resemblance to Mussolini.


Pitcher Mike Mussina earned this name for size: Baltimore Orioles ( 1991-2000), New York Yankees 2001-present.
.
MY WRITERS Casey Stengel's phrase for journalists he was close to.

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Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 40 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball."Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

The Book Review: "Satch, Dizzy & Rapid Robert" & "Blows To The Head" and more

A very important yet not too well documented corner of baseball history - - interracial baseball prior to the arrival of Jackie Robinson on the scene is the subject matter of "Satch, Dizzy & Rapid Robert" by Timothy Gay (Simon & Schuster, $26.00,349 pages).

We are there with Leroy "Satchel" Paige, Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean and Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller. We are there in the barnstorming and amidst Jim Crow, there for the elation and joy and humor and also for the degradation, hurt and racism. There are many never before told stories in this well researched and important tome.

"Blows To The Head" is a slim but fascinating and virtually inspirational story by Binnie Klein (Suny Press, $19.95, 195 pages) all about as the book's sub-title proclaims "how boxing changed my mind." The prime focus of this appealing narrative is how in the mid 1950s the author, a Jewish psychotherapist, became interweaved with boxing and in the process discovered so much about her roots. A KNOCKOUT OF A BOOK

Back in the day there was arrogant and in-your-face Charlie Finley, possessor of hype, hoopla and histrionics. He was the owner who moved his team from KC to Oakland, winning three straight division titles, three World Series, developing such players as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers and more. "Charlie Finley" by G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius,(Walker,)$27.00, 336 pages) could have used some tighter editing and perhaps 75 less pages; nevertheless, it brings back a time, a place and one of baseball history's more zany characters.

Douglas J. Gladstone's slim paperback "A Bitter Cup of Coffee (Word Association, $18.00, 192 pages) is a carefully researched look at how MLB and the Players Association and the vexing issue of 874 players who played in the Majors for that proverbial "cup of coffee" and never were retroactively included in amended vesting requirements.
　

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Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 41 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.　
　

NBA Draft history (From the Vault)

The NBA draft is all the rage. Prospects are dissected, analyzed, and compared to heroes of yesteryear. There is the pre-draft camp, the endless talk show hustle as well as fantasy drafts. Preceded by hype, hope and hoopla, the NBA Draft finally arrives with a cast of hundreds of personalities, nationally televised hour after hour. And then there is the endless post-draft commentary.

Once upon a time things were quite different in a simpler world and a smaller NBA. The first draft in 1947 saw first-round selections made by Pittsburgh, Boston, Providence, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Chicago, Washington and Baltimore. No name from that first-round faraway time (aside from Knicks draftee Walt Dropo, who went on to a distinguished Major League baseball career) had any kind of real basketball impact.

The records from that primitive time are so shrouded in a time warp that a couple of the players drafted in '47 like Bob Alemeida and George Petrovick have a question mark next to their name signifying a lack of information as to the college they played for.

A few non-first-round players went on to make a name for themselves in pro ball like Andy Phillip out of Illinois, Jim Pollard from Stanford, Bob Kurland of Oklahoma A&M, and Red Rocha who had played at Oregon State.

A footnote to NBA history is Tony Lavelli of Yale, taken by Boston in the 1949 Draft. He went on to play the accordion for the Celtics at half time, sometimes. But contrary to rumors, his musical skill was not one of the reasons for Boston drafting him.

The 1950 Draft went 10 rounds for some teams and 12 for others, as a few teams lost interest. Territorial picks were sometimes much fought over and debated. The exclusive right to draft a player who came from a team's geographical region gave Philadelphia the legendary Paul Arizin in 1950.

A couple of others who went on to fame and glory were picked in that draft: Bud Grant (NFL) by Minneapolis and Bob Cousy by Tri-Cities.

The 1951 NBA Draft lasted 12 rounds, but most teams stopped picking by then.

The First Round went this way:

Team Player College
1 (Baltimore) Gene Melchiorre, Bradley
2 (TriCities) Mel Hutchins, Brigham Young
3 (Indianapolis) Marcus Freiberger, Oklahoma
4 (Ft Wayne) Zeke Sinicola, Niagara
5 (Syracuse) John McConathy, NW Louisiana
6 (NY Knicks) Ed Smith, Harvard
7 (Boston) Ernie Barrett, Kansas State
8 (Rochester) Sam Ranzino, North Carolina State
9 (Philadelphia) Don Sunderlage, Illinois
10 (Minneapolis) Whitey Skoog, Minnesota*

*The pick of Skoog was a Territorial one.

In the sixth round, the New York Knicks plucked Al McGuire from St. John's. The last player picked was John Burke of Springfield, Massachusetts by Baltimore in the 12th round. By 1966, the territorial selections were eliminated. A year later, the New York Knicks used their fifth pick to get Walt Frazier and their 17th to obtain Phil Jackson.

In the ensuing years, all kinds of marquee players and also-rans have made their way onto NBA rosters through the draft. In my opinion, the 1970 and 1981 NBA Drafts rank among the all-time best yielding bumper crops of players.

The 1970 NBA Draft yielded such greats as Dave Cowens by Boston (4th); Pete Maravich by Atlanta (3rd); Bob Lanier by Detroit (1st); Calvin Murphy by San Diego (18th); and Geoff Petrie by Portland (8th).

The 1981 draft included such gems as Isiah Thomas by Detroit (2nd); Mark Aguirre by Dallas (1st); Buck Williams by New Jersey (3rd); Tom Chambers by San Diego (8th); Rolando Blackman by Dallas (9th); Danny Ainge by Boston (31st); Kelly Tripuka by Detroit (12th); Orlando Woolridge by Chicago (6th); and Eddie Johnson by Kansas City (29th).
Who knows what the NBA Draft 2010 has in store. Stay tuned.

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Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 40 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball."
Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

Father’s Day Weekend 2010 at Fenway

Fenway Park, Circa 1960 Saturday, June 19th, was a day that was perfect in every way for Red Sox Nation. Game time temperature was 83 degrees and sunny. Another sellout at Fenway, 37,454 (101.4% full)

Fathers and sons and others bonding and enjoying this great game of ours at America’s most beloved ballpark. Fans following every pitch, friendly and competent staff - - there at the ready with directions, security, food and drink.

And this father and his son (a Dodger fan) there, too.
And Manny Ramirez was back - - wearing a Dodger uniform.

In the game’s early going it was almost like old times for Manny who got the Dodgers off and running in the second inning, singling, stealing second base and scoring on a Garret Anderson single to get L.A. on the board. He smashed a 356- foot shot off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield into the Green Monster’s second row seats in the sixth inning, cutting the score to 3-2 Sox. Fenway exploded with cheers and boos for Red Sox’s Nation’s one time favorite as he ran out the circuit clout.

The game see-sawed back and forth, tied at four all in the bottom of the ninth. “BEAT L.A. BEAT L.A.” The crowd roared. The Celtics almost had done it. Now the Sox had their shot.

Bill Hall singled off Dodger reliever Ronald Belisario to start the home team off, but was snuffed out at second on a poorly executed sac bunt by Daniel Nava. Darnell McDonald fanned for Boston. Marco Scutaro walked.

It was now little Dustin Pedroia at 5 feet and 9 inches versus the 6 feet 5 inch Jonathan Broxton, star Dodger closer. Two outs.

"When you go out and the guy's throwing 100 and it looks like he's 9-feet tall, I was thinking I've got to wake up," the Red Sox peppery player said. "I check swung twice. When I check swung, it really wasn't going that good. I just stepped out, thinking I've got to put the ball in play."

“The two breaking balls Broxton threw were filthy,” said manager Terry Francona. “ I know how good Broxton is, but any time Pedey has something to do with the outcome of the game, we feel good. He kind of wills himself to do something good.’’

Pedroia did something real good. He lined a 98-mile-per hour fast ball for a two-strike single into right. Nava raced around the bases.

“I was trying to make up for that bunt,’’ Nava said. “I was just saying to myself, ‘I’ve got to get home.’ I was at least trying to make it close. I just wanted to get my hand in there. There was no way I was going to get punched out at home.’’

Nava’s headfirst slide gave the Sox a 5-4 dramatic win, their fifth straight victory. The huge crowd was on its feet celebrating, high-fiving, some fans were deliriously happy, thrilled. Just another miraculous moment in the 98 year fabled history of Fenway Park – and even Dodger fans seemed to love it.

GREAT NEWS CHECK IT OUT!

http://harveyfrommersports.com/celebratingfenwaypark.html

Baseball Names - and How They Got That Way! (L)

The words and phrases are spoken and written day after day, year after year - generally without any wonderment as to how they became part of the language. All have a history, a story. For those of you who liked Part I, Part II, Part III, X and all the others and wanted more, here is more, just a sampling. As always, reactions and suggestions always welcome

LE GRANDE ORANGE Rusty Staub played for the Montreal Expos in the years 1969-71. "He came here as an unknown, and not only was he our first big star," Expo President John McHale remembers, "but he had a way of relating to the people and a sense of being a star. His reddish hair, his physical stature, his unselfishness made him an easily identifiable figure. He was a very important factor in those years in the success of the team." Staub's size, red hair, and personality all merged into the nickname the Montreal fans coined for him.

LEFTY Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton was a private man who never talked to the press. He was a southpaw and a man with some odd habits. letters team name printed on the front of a jersey.LIP, THE When he was an infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1930's, Leo Durocher was known as Screechy because of his high-pitched voice and bench-jockeying ability. As he moved through his 17 year playing span and 24-year managing career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros, Durocher attracted the ire of umpires and the hostility of rivals with what they termed his motor-mouth. A tough, combative, at times profane individual, Durocher's nickname was an apt one.

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL In 1939 Carl E. Stotz founded the first Little League in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Within two decades, kids and parents all over the United States and other countries were competitively involved. Williamsport has been the site of the Little League World Series since 1947. And the enterprise begun by Stotz is a big time sports phenomenon.

LITTLE NAPOLEON John J. McGraw came from the old Baltimore Orioles to take control of the New York Giants on July 16, 1902. He inherited a last-place team that had had 13 managers since 1891. The man they called Muggsy immediately released half the players on the roster of the Giants. "With my team," he said, "I'm absolute czar." Driving, cajoling, innovating, McGraw moved the Giants from a last place finish in 1902 to a second-place finish in 1903. He drove the New York team to a pennant in 1904. In his 30 years as manager, the Giants won ten pennants and finished second 11 times. McGraw's small physical stature contrasted sharply with the giant power that his gait, his face, and his name, projected throughout the world of baseball. He was famous for such lines as "The only popularity I know is to win," "Do what I tell you, and I'll take the blame if it goes wrong," and "I do the hiring and the firing around here." He was little in size but had Napoleonic power, and these two traits merged into the nickname of the man who was one of the greatest managers in baseball history.

LITTLE PROFESSOR Joe DiMaggio's younger brother, Dom, played center field for the Boston Red Sox for 11 years and compiled a lifetime .298 batting average. He wore glasses, was a keen student of the game, and was but five feet, nine inches tall and 168 pounds-and these characteristics supplied the reason for his nickname.

THE LINE Detroit Hall of Famer Al Kaline was called this as a tribute to his reliability and a play on his last name.

LITTLE LOOEY Small in size, shortstop Luis Aparicio made his mark as a member of the Chicago White Sox in the 1950s.

LOLO Mickey Lolich, former pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, for his last name, and how low his leg drive was in his delivery.

“LONESOME GEORGE Former legendary Yankee General Manager George Weiss, for his aloof ways.

LOOK THE RUNNER BACK A situation in which a pitcher attempts to control a base runner by staring at him, implying a throw; the pitcher's gaze alone will most times convince a runner to stay close to the base.

LOOPER A batted ball that drops in flight.

LOSING PITCHER One year he won eight games and lost 18; another year he won ten games and lost 20; in 1939 he lost 16, and in 1940 he led the National League in losses with 22. These statistics earned Hugh Noyes Mulcahy his nickname. In a nine-year career, Mulcahy won 45 games and lost 89.

LOU GEHRIG’S DISEASE Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), named after the famed New York Yankee who had the disease

LOUISIANA LIGHTNING The 95-mph speed he can put on a fastball and his Louisiana birthplace have earned for Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees his colorful and alliterative nickname.

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER This bat is named for the Kentucky city that was named for a French king, Louis XVI, in 1780. The Hillerich and Bradsby bat factory has been manufacturing Louisville Sluggers since 1884. One white-ash tree is needed to produce 60 bats. More than 6 million bats are manufactured annually. Major league ball players use 2 percent of the annual production, but each of their bats is built according to precise individual specifications. Babe Ruth's Louisville Slugger model weighed 48 ounces, while the one wielded by Wee Willie Keeler weighed just 30 ounces.

The Book Review: “The 300 Club,” “The Only Game in Town” and more

The highly prolific Dan Schlossberg is at it again with another winner – “The 300 Club” (Ascend Books, $24.95, 293 pages). Carefully crafted, brilliantly organized, this terrific tome focuses on that rarest of baseball fraternities, the two dozen hurlers who won 300 games in their careers.

We are there with the great Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Cy Young and his 511 wins, Lefty Grove and Early Wynn who just made it into the exclusive club with 300 victories and Pud Galvin (361 victories) who was there first way back when. Painstakingly researched - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

“The Only Game in Town” edited by David Remnick (Random House,$30.00, 492 pages) is a mother lode of fabulous sports writing from the pages of the New Yorker Magazine where the editor of this book is the editor.
We are able to enjoy works by Roger Angell, John Updike, Ring Lardner, Dom Delillo, John Cheever, Nancy Franklin and others on all matter of sports representing 80 years of writing in the storied magazine. GO FOR IT

“Batting Stance Guy” by Gar Ryness and Caleb Dewart (Scribner, $18.00, 255 pages, trade paperback original) is part unique and detailed analysis of what the authors deem to be the 50 most interesting stances of the last three decades, part book of lists (like best home run trot, etc.), part all over the map insights into the facts and factoids and stats of the national pastime. YOU HAVE TO LOVE IT

“Dream Golf” by Stephen Goodwin (Algonquin Books, $24.95, 344 pages) is about golf, architecture, dreaming, adventure. It is a must read containing as it does splendid writing about the adventure of the creation of a quartette of top courses that grace the coast of Oregon.

“Miracle Ball” by Brian Biegel (Three Rivers Press, $15.00, 231 pages, paperback reprint) is a narrative focused on the author’s quest to find the Bobby Thomson “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” baseball. Biegel’s two year effort reads like a detective story.
Interesting, beautifully written, “Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling” by Ruth Raymer (Random House/Spiegel & Grau, $25.00, 226 pages) is sort of like a coming of age adventure. The “sort of” is the key word here in a book that takes on a roller coaster Damon Runyan world of hipsters and gamblers and touts and gaming – all of which is sort of a sports universe.

Children’s Corner: “Bases Loaded” by Mike Knudson illustrated by Stacy Curtis (Viking, $14.99, 155 pages) showcases the duo Raymond and Graham and a thrill a minute scenario spinning of the pair’s goal to have their Little League team beat their rival and cop the championship. Suitable for ages 8 and up, but a nice “read to” for lower ages – this is a home run of a book.

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Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 41 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

The Armando Galarraga Imperfect Perfect Game

The Don Larsen Perfect Game
Armando Galarraga pitched a Perfect Game last week and the whole world knows it, courtesy of that marvel of marvels, instant replay.
Even Umpire Jim Joyce who gave the “safe sign” for the 27th batter despoiling the 27 up, 27 down recorded by the Tiger hurler, knows it.
And Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig refused to over-rule the ump. He even went a step further taking at jab at those who he deemed protest too much.
"The game's become altogether too partisan," Selig said. "It seems people are not happy unless one side wins, the other loses." And the Commish added on his Facebook page: "Whether you're a Tiger or an Indian, surely there's got to be some capacity for us to work together, not agree on everything but at least set aside small differences to get things done. People have to break out of some of the ideological rigidity and gridlock that we've been carrying around for too long."
Huh?
The day after Armando Galarraga was jobbed of the Perfect Game GM presented him with a (consolation) prize, a base price $75,505 Corvette. Nice for Galarraga but not needed since he earns enough to purchase many Corvettes. Not nice for the taxpayers who own 60% of General Motors along with the federal government.
Let’s flash backwards to another time, another pitcher who was awarded a Corvette.


Hank Bauer rf 4 0 1 1
Joe Collins 1b 4 0 1 0
Mickey Mantle cf 3 1 1 1
Yogi Berra c 3 0 0 0
Enos Slaughter lf 2 0 0 0
Billy Martin 2b 3 0 1 0
Gil McDougald ss 2 0 0 0
Andy Carey 3b 3 1 1 0
Don Larsen p 2 0 0 0
Totals 26 2 5 2

Name Pos AB R H RBI
Jim Gilliam 2b 3 0 0 0
Pee Wee Reese ss 3 0 0 0
Duke Snider cf 3 0 0 0
Jackie Robinson3b 3 0 0 0
Gil Hodges 1b 3 0 0 0
Sandy Amoros lf 3 0 0 0
Carl Furillo rf 3 0 0 0
Roy Campanella c 3 0 0 0
Sal Maglie p 2 0 0 0
a-Dale Mitchell
ph 1 0 0 0
Totals 27 0 0 0

I have been asked a million times about the perfect game.” Don Larsen said. “ I never dreamed about something like that happening and everybody is entitled to a good day and mine came at the right time.”

"I still find it hard to believe I really pitched the perfect game," Don Larsen said. "It's almost like a dream, like something that happened to somebody else."

The date was October 8, 1956
The image of the Yankee right-hander casually tossing the ball from a no-stretch windup to Yogi Berra remains as part of baseball lore. Larsen struck out Junior Gilliam on a breaking ball to start the game.
Then the 3-2 count on Pee Wee Reese – and the strikeout.

It all blended together - the autumn shadows and the smoke and the haze at the stadium, the World Series buntings on railings along the first and third base lines, the scoreboard and the zeroes for the Dodgers of Brooklyn mounting inning after inning.

The 6'4," 240 pound hurler threw no more than l5 pitches in any one inning against the mighty Dodgers of Campanella, Reese, Hodges, Gilliam, Robinson, Snider and Furillo.

A second inning Jackie Robinson line drive off the glove of Andy Carey at third was picked up by Gil McDougald. Out at first. Mantle’s great jump on a fifth inning line drive by Gil Hodges positioned him for a backhand grab of the ball. Hodges eighth inning hot shot down the third base line was converted into an out by Andy Carey. Sandy Amoros and Duke Snider of the Dodgers hit balls into the right field seats - foul but barely so.

Just two seasons before Don Larsen pitching for Baltimore had one of the worst records ever (3-21). He became a Yankee in the fall of 1954 in a 17-player trade. “ Nobody lost more games than me in the American League that year,” Larsen said. “But two of my wins came against the Yankees. That's probably why I came to them.

In 1956, "Gooneybird,” his teammates called him that for his late-night behavior, posted an 11-5 record. In his next-to-last start of ‘56, Larsen unveiled his no-windup delivery. "The ghouls sent me a message," he joked explaining why.

Larsen started Game 2 in the World Series against Brooklyn. He was atrocious walking four, allowing four runs in 1 2/3 innings. There was no one more shocked than the big right-hander when he learned when he arrived at Yankee Stadium that he be the starter in Game 5. Now he was finishing it.

"Everybody suddenly got scared we weren't playing the outfield right," Stengel said. "I never seen so many managers." The Yankee infield of first baseman Joe Collins, second baseman Billy Martin, shortstop Gil McDougald and third baseman Andy Carey were ready for any kind of play.

The Yankees were clinging to a 2-0 lead scratched out against veteran Sal Maglie, age 39. Gilliam hit a hard one-hopper to short to open the seventh inning,and was thrown out by Gil McDougald. Reese and Duke Snider flied out. In the eighth, Jackie Robinson grounded back to Larsen. Andy Carey caught Hodges' low liner at third base. Amoros struck out.

The huge crowd of 64,519.at the stadium cheered each out. The game moved to the bottom of the ninth inning. "If it was 9-0, Larsen would've been paying little attention," Berra remembered. "It was close and he had to be extremely disciplined. He was. At the start of the ninth I didn't say a thing about how well he was throwing. I went to the mound and reminded him that if he walked one guy and the next guy hit one out, the game was tied."

"The last three outs were the toughest," the Indiana native. recalled. "I was so weak in the knees that I thought I was going to faint. I was so nervous I almost fell down. My legs were rubbery. My fingers didn't feel like they belonged to me. I said to myself, 'Please help me somebody.' "

The 64,5l9 in the stands were quiet. Four pitches were fouled off by Furillo and then he hit a fly ball out to Bauer in right field. Campanella grounded out weakly to Billy Martin at second base. Left-handed batter Dale Mitchell pinch hit for Sal Maglie. It would be the final major league at bat for the 35-year-old lifetime .3l2 hitter. Announcer Bob Wolff called it this way:
"Count is one and one. And this crowd just straining forward on every pitch. Here it comes....a swing and a miss! Two strikes, ball one to Dale Mitchell. Listen to this crowd! I'll guarantee that nobody - but nobody - has left this ball park. And if somebody did manage to leave early man he's missing the greatest! Two strikes and a ball. . . Mitchell waiting stands deep, feet close together. Larsen is ready, gets the sign. Two strikes, ball one, here comes the pitch. Strike three! A no-hitter! A perfect game for Don Larsen!"

That final pitch - Larsen's 97th of the game that took just 2 hours and six minutes - was the only one that elicited controversy.

"The third strike on Mitchell was absolutely positively a strike on the outside corner," Berra maintains to this day. "No question about it. People say it was a ball and that I rushed the mound to hug Larsen to make the umpire think it was a strike. Nonsense. It was a perfect strike."

Casey Stengel was asked "Was that the best game he had ever seen Larsen pitch?"
"'So far,'" was the Yankee manager’s response.

The rest of Larsen's 14-year career - with eight teams - consisted of unbroken mediocrity punctuated with flashes of competence. He finished with an 81-91 record and 3.78 ERA.

Named the MVP of the Series by Sport magazine for his epic feat, Larsen received a Corvette. He also earned about $35,000 in endorsements and appearances, including $6,000 for being on Bob Hope's TV show. He spent $1,000 for plaques commemorating the game and gave them to his teammates, Yankee executives, the six umpires, his parents and close friends.

The man who reached perfection also received many letters and notes including this one:
“Dear Mr. Larsen: It is a noteworthy event when anybody achieves perfection in anything. It has been so long since anyone pitched a perfect big league game that I have to go back to my generation of ballplayers to recall such a thing – and that is truly a long time ago.

“This note brings you my very sincere congratulations on a memorable feat, one that will inspire pitchers for a long time to come. With best wishes,

Sincerely,
Dwight D. Eisenhower
President of the United States

“I pitched for 14 years with 8 different clubs and won only 81 games,” Larsen said. “ Hey, I gave it my best shot and I tried and I wish my record had been better but I was very pleased to get into the World Series and pitch the Perfect Game. And I guess that is what I will always be remembered for.

“I have been asked a million times about the perfect game,” Larsen mused. “I never dreamed about something like that happening. Everybody is entitled to a good day, and mine came at the right time.”
So did Armando Galarraga’s.

Wonder if President Obama will write a letter to Galarraga the way President Eisenhower sent off a letter to Don Larsen.

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Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 41 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

Baseball Names and How They Got That Way, Part XVII (J and K)

The words and phrases are spoken and written day after day, year after year - generally without any wonderment as to how they became part of the language. All have a history, a story. For those of you who liked Part I, Part II, Part III, Part X and all the others and wanted more, here is more, just a sampling. As always, reactions and suggestions always welcome

JARRY PARK The Montreal Expos ended their baseball history in the 2004 season in the 70,000-seat Olympique Stadium, a futuristic leftover from the Montreal Olympics. The roots of the team reach back, however, to Jarry Park, their first home. Months before the Expos played their first baseball game, in 1969, a site for the team had not been determined. National League President Warren Giles, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau, and Montreal Expos President John McHale came to Jarry Park "as the last thing to look at as a possibility," according to McHale. He continued, "There was an amateur basebal1 game going on. There was great enthusiasm. As we walked into the park, the people recognized Warren Giles, and they stood up. They cried out: 'Le grand patron. Le grand patron!' Giles said, 'This is the place. This is the place. This is the only place I've seen where we can play baseball in Montreal.'" The Expos expanded the amateur ball park from the 2,000 seats that existed behind home plate to a facility that accommodated 28,000. In the ninth year of their existence, the Expos left Jarry Park and its tonjours un beau coup ("a hit every time") basebal1 for something new. The old park remains for the people of Montreal une aJ7aire du cocur ("an affair of the heart").

"Jet" Sam Jethroe, for his tremendous speed on the bases. He was one of the first Negro League players to break through baseball's color barrier, the first black athlete to play for the Boston Braves.

""Joltin' Joe" Joe DiMaggio, for the jolting shots he hit.

JUG-HANDLE CURVE A wide-breaking curveball.

JUNK PITCHER A hurler who throws slow and deceptively breaking pitches, or "junk."

“Juan Gone” Juan Gonzalez got this nickname for his home run skills.

"Jumping Joe" Joe Dugan earned his nickname for being AWOL from his first big league club as a youngster

“JUNIOR” The Los Angeles Dodgers dedicated the 1978 World Series to James Gilliam, who died at the age of 49 just before the Series began, a victim of a cerebral hemorrhage. There have been many athletes over the years who have been called Junior, but Gilliam seemed to have a lock on the name as he had a lock on the emotions of all of those associated with baseball. He was given the name when he performed as the youngest player on the Baltimore Elite Giants, a black baseball team. There were attempts to retire the name when Gilliam played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers and then coached the L.A. team, but the name endured. In the 1978 World Series, all the Dodgers wore on their uniform sleeve a round black patch with Gilliam's number 19 on it. In the eulogy for the man who was proud he was a Dodger, it was said, "He went through al1 of his life without ever once getting his signals crossed." Gilliam was "Junior," but he was a big man. Also Ken Griffey and countless others.

JUNK MAN, THE Eddie Lopat was the premier left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees in the late 1940's and through most of the 1950's. He recalls how he obtained his nickname: "Ben Epstein was a writer for the New York Daily Mirror and a friend of mine from my Little Rock minor league baseball days. He told me in 1948 that he wanted to give me a name that would stay with me forever. 'I want to see what you think of it—the junk man?' In those days the writers had more consideration. They checked with players before they called them names. I told him I didn't care what they called me just as long as I could get the batters out and get paid for it." Epstein then wrote an article called "The Junkman Cometh," and as Lopat says, "The rest was history." The nickname derived from Lopat's ability to be a successful pitcher by tantalizing the hitters with an assortment of offspeed pitches. This writer and thousands of other baseball fans who saw Lopat pitch bragged more than once that if given a chance, they could hit the "junk" he threw (see STEADY EDDIE).

K The scorecard symbol for a strikeout. A backwards K is denotes a strikeout looking while a forwards K indicates a strikeout swinging.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS The name Royals was chosen by the team's fans in 1969 after the home of the "American Royal", one of the largest livestock shows and parades in the USA. The name also in honor of the old Negro League team in Kansas City the Monarchs.

Kauffman Stadium The Kansas City Stadium was originally named Royals Stadium, but changed to Kauffman Stadium after original owner, Ewing Kauffman.

KEYSTONE Second base.

KEYSTONE COMBINATION The second baseman and the shortstop.

KNOCK OUT OF THE BOX To score runs against a pitcher in such a way that he is removed from the game.

KNUCKLEBALL An unusual pitch that flutters as it comes to the batter (FLUTTERBALL; KNUCKLER).

KNUCKLE CURVE A combination knuckleball and curveball.

"Killer" Harmon Kleberg played for the Washington Senators (1954-1960), Minnesota Twins 1961-1974). His nickname was a play on his surname and a tribute to his hitting skills.

KENESAW MOUNTAIN LANDIS Judge Landis was baseball's first commissioner. He ruled the sport with supreme authority until 1946. The first part of his name came from the place where his father had been wounded during the Civil War.

"Kentucky Colonel" Earl Combs came from Kentucky

"King and the Crown Prince" Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

KING KONG Charlie Keller played major league baseball for 13 years, all but two of those years with the New York Yankees. Keller was a solid ball player with a lifetime batting average of .286. He was a muscular 5'10", 185-pounder, and his nickname came from the main character of the movie of the same name. Keller's given names were Charles Ernest, but there were many pitchers who believed it was King Kong who was hitting against them.

"Kitty" Hurler Jim Kaat played for quite a few teams 1950s through 1970s. Nickname was a play on his surname.

KLU Ted Kluszewski played 15 years in the major leagues. He pounded out 279 homers, recorded a lifetime slugging average of nearly .500 and a career batting average of nearly . 300. He was a favorite of the Cincinnati fans; at 6'2" and 225 pounds, his bulging biceps were too huge to be contained by ordinary shirt-sleeves. Kluszewski cut off the sleeves and started a new fashion in baseball uniforms-just as fans and sportswriters cut off part of his name to make for a nickname more easily pronounced and printed.

"Knight of Kennett Square" Pitcher Herb Pennock because he raised thoroughbreds and hosted fox hunts in his home town of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

“Knucksie" Phil Niekro used his knuckleball to last 24-years and win 318 games with 121 of those victories coming after he turned 40.


Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 40 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.

SPORTS BOOK REVIEW: “Steinbrenner,” “Children’s Sports Books from Pengun” and more.

“Steinbrenner” by Bill Madden (HarperCollins, $26.99, 480 pages, 16 pages of photographs) is a mother lode of information on the man they used to call “the Boss.” Madden, has been on the scene for more than 30 years covering the Yankees and Major League Baseball for the New York Daily News and is the 2010 recipient of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s J.G. Taylor Spink Award.

There is a lot that is known about Steinbrenner and that is all over the book. There is also a lot not widely known and that gives the book its hook and its anchor like when George’s personal friend Barbara (Walters) was evicted from his suite when George’s wife made a surprise visit to a World Series game, how George threatened to “take care of” Mickey Rivers’ wife courtesy of the Black Musilms, the fact that Steinbrenner’s original investment of $8.5 millions to purchase the Yanks consisted of just under $200,000 of his own capital.

Part gossip, part sports reporting, part inside information, all Bill Madden at the top of his game – that is “Steinbrenner – the Last Lion of Baseball

“What Washington Can Learn From the World of Sports” by George Allen (Regnery Publishing, $27.95, 200 pages) is an intriguing and interesting book by the son of the famed former NFL coach and a man with no small athletic and political accomplishments in his own right. Themes include: “Government should regulate fair play not take over,” “A locker room divided cannot survive,” “Government like sports should reward hard work, achievement and excellence.”

“Let’s Ride” by Sonny Barger( William Morrow $23. 99, 268 pages) is a true guide to motorcycling that proclaims "How To Ride The Right Way For Life." Sensibly written and a safety stressser - this is a book for all those who ride or want to. REQUIRED READING by a founding member of the Oakland Chapter of the Hell's Angels.

BACKLIST BEAUTY: “Nice Guys Finish Last” by Leo Durocher with Ed Linn (University of Chicago Press, $18.00, 488 pages, paper) is the classic outspoken book by the “Lip.” They don’t make them like him any more and they don’t write great books like this any more either. HIGHLY NOTABLE
Baseball books from Penguin Young Readers:

“ALL STAR” by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jim Burke (Philomel Books, $17.99), is all about Honus Wagner and the most famous baseball card ever. It is about the true grit of one of the greatest shortstops of all time and his card. Perfect for ages 6-8. TRUE GRIT.

“NO EASY WAY” is the story of Ted Williams and the 1941 season, the last one any player ever hit .400. Fred Bowen with words and Charles S. Pyle with images team up to homer with this worthy read from Dutton for ages 6-8. WORTHY

“PLAY BALL CORDUROY!” with lift-the-flaps by B.G. Hennessey with pictures by Lisa McCue (Viking, $11.99, ages 3-5) is a loving look at learning to play baseball. Corduroy and Blue Mouse practice together showing that baseball is all about winning and teamwork. TERRIFIC.

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Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 41 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

Baseball Names - and How They Got That Way! Part XVI (I)

The words and phrases are spoken and written day after day, year after year - generally without any wonderment as to how they became part of the language. All have a history, a story. For those of you who liked Part I, Part II, Part III, X and all the others and wanted more, here is more, just a sampling. As always, reactions and suggestions always welcome

"I LOST IT IN THE SUN" Billy Loes was a Brooklyn Dodger pitcher in the 1950s. Possessed with a great deal of natural athletic ability, Loes never achieved the success experts predicted should have come to him as a matter of course. At times he was quicker with a quip than with his glove. During the 1952 World Series, Loes ingloriously misplayed a ground ball hit back to the pitcher's mound. Later he was questioned by a reporter who wished to learn what had been the problem. Loes responded, "I lost it in the sun."

"I NEVER MISSED ONE IN MY HEART" Long-time major league umpire Bill Klem's phrase was his attempt to explain how difficult the job of umpiring was and how objective he always attempted to be. Klem retired in 1941—according to him, after the first time he pondered whether he had correctly called a play.

“IDIOTS ” Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona explained the name his players gave to themselves in 2004: "They may not wear their hair normal, they many not dress normal, but they play the game as good as you can."

"IF IT'S UNDER W FOR 'WON,' NOBODY ASKS YOU HOW" As a player and a manager, Leo Durocher could invent more ways to tease and taunt and beat the opposition than virtually any other figure in the history of baseball. His was an aggressive, no-holds-barred approach to the National Pastime. The quote attributed to him reflects his attitude toward the game.

“THE IGNITOR" Paul Molitor had a long and distinguished career primarily with the Milwaukee Brewers and could be counted on to make things happen for his teams.

"IN THE CATBIRD SEAT" Red Barber beguiled Brooklyn Dodger fans for years with his Southern voice, narrative skills, honest manner, and down-home expressions. His pet phrase to describe when someone was pitching, hitting, fielding or just functioning well was a reference to that individual as being in the "catbird seat." Barber also used the phrase to characterize a team ahead by a comfortable margin and virtually assured of victory.

“IN THE HOLE” On the infield at a location nearly exactly between fielders, describes location of batted balls.

“IRON HORSE” Lou Gehrig, a.k.a. Larrupin' Lou and Pride of the Yankees, earned his main nickname for playing in 2,130 consecutive games—a major league baseball record that stood until Cal Ripken, Jr. came along. Day in and day out for 14 years, like a thing made of iron, Gehrig was a fixture in the New York Yankee lineup. He led the league in RBI's, 5 times and 13 years he drove in more than 100 runs a season. The man they also called Columbia Lou—a reference to his Columbia University student days—was admitted to the Hall of Fame in 1939.

IRON MAN Joe McGinnity pitched in the majors from 1899 to 1908. He started 381 games and completed 351 of them. He had a lifetime earned-run average of 2.64. McGinnity could pitch day in and day out like a man made of iron. In 1903 he pitched and won three doubleheaders. Winner of 247 games—an average of almost 25 a year—McGinnity was admitted to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1946.

"IT'S NOT OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER" This phrase, attributed to Yogi Berra, underscores the former Yankee great's long experience in the wars of baseball. Berra, as player, manager, and coach, has seen the game of baseball from many levels. A victim and victor of late-inning rallies, of curious changes in the destinies of players and teams, his stoical attitude to the National Pastime is the view of a pro, even though it is expressed in perhaps not the most appropriate syntax.

"IS BROOKLYN STILL IN THE LEAGUE?" At the beginning of the 1934 baseball season, New York Giant manager Bill Terry teasingly asked reporters that question about his team's subway rivals. It was a natural if uncomplimentary query. The Dodgers were still in the league, but they had not done much in the past few years. The final two games of the 1934 season saw the Dodgers still in the league but long out of the pennant race. On the other hand, the Giants were tied for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals. Brooklyn's last two games were with the Giants. Brooklyn won those last two games, while St. Louis swept its final two games from Cincinnati to take the National League pennant. And Giant manager Bill Terry learned the virtues of letting sleeping dogs sleep. Van Lingle Mungo, the Dodgers' star pitcher of that year, remembers the way it was: "Because of Terry's taunt, we wanted to win just a little more each time we played them that year. The fans were even more so; they'd boo Terry every time he'd stick his head out of the dugout." Mungo pitched more innings than any other hurler in 1934, but he especially remembers the last game he pitched and won against the Giants. "It was like a World Series to me. I never wanted to win a game as much. I think it was one of the best games I ever pitched and I pitched it for Bill Terry."

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Dr. Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 41 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next. FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

SPORTS BOOK REVIEW: The T206 Collection and other Sporting Reads

If you are into baseball cards and into beautiful baseball books,the T206 Collection by Tom Zappala, et al (Peter E. Randall Publisher, $38.00, 203 pages, oversized) is one tome terrific you should check out. The legendary T206 set of cards is all yours for the grazing, studying, in this remarkable book that tells the stories, sad and soaring, of the players in Tobacco Trust’s ‘white border’ set.

SPECIAL INTEREST: “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu”($15.00) by the 28-year-old John Updike in a special 50th anniversary deluxe collector’s edition is the account of Ted Williams and his final at bat at Fenway Park. The little book contains an autobiographical preface and a substantial afterword prepared by Updike just months before his death.

Nice sports books from Clerisy Press are available for your reading pleasure – all from the prolific John Snyder. “365 Odd Ball Days in Chicago Cubs History” and “365 Odd Ball Days in Los Angeles Dodgers History” are both in paper, both 377 pages and both priced at $14.95. If you are into baseball trivia/nostalgia - -these tomes are for you. “Angels Journal” and “Twins Journal” (($29.95, 448 pages) cover year by year and day by day with the franchises since 1961.

Another look at Mr. October? Yes, that’s what Dayn Perry (Morrow, $25.99, 326 pages) serves up in “Reggie Jackson.” Perry points out that both Reggie and his agent were uncooperative in the project but there was plenty of help from print, internet and interview sources. The book is billed as the first full tome on the old showhorse in a quarter century.

Flip Bondy’s “Chasing the Game” (Da Capo, $25.00, 312 pages) is highly recommended for soccer zealots as in depth and with accuracy it documents the American quest for the World Cup. Most interesting are the ups and downs of the USA in World Cup clashes.

From Pantheon we have “The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron,” by Howard Bryant ( $29.95, 600 pages). The author’s master work previously was “Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston.” This book with all its depth, insights, passion, and heart is now Bryant’s master work providing as it does a full portrait of a baseball legend who never seemed to come out from behind the mask and the headlines.

BACKLIST GEMS: “Early Innings” and “Middle Innings” edited by Dean A. Sullivan (Bison Books, paper) are documentary histories of baseball, one from 1825-1908 and the other from 1900-1948, told from the viewpoint of primary writings, many from unexpected sources, all serving up insights and sidebars to many aspects of the richness of our national pastime.

Fascinating “Tennis and Philosophy” edited by David Baggett (University Press of Kentucky, $35.00, 294 pages) is as its sub-title proclaims about “what the racket is all about” told from the perspective of scholars, philosophers, writers. An interesting read.

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Dr. Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 41 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

SPORTS BOOK REVIEW: Terrific Tomes from Triumph and other Interesting Reads

　
Out of Chicago Triumph Books is a purveyor of all kinds of sports books especially baseball. Out this spring is a collection of worthies for all interests and all kinds of fans.

"Of Mikes and Men" by Pete Van Wieren with Jack Wilkinson (Triumph,$24.95, 224 pages) is as its sub-title proclaims all about his lifetime of Braves baseball. Anecdotal, enjoyable, insightful this book is a must for Braves fans and others will like it, too.

"Straight Talk from Wild Thing" by Mitch Williams with Darrell Berger (Triumph, $19.95, 208 pages) is an outspoken read by one of the more outspoken hurlers in baseball history, one of the more enjoyable current day broadcasters. The former fireballing lefty lets it all hang out.

"Stan the Man" by Wayne Stewart (Triumph, $24.95, 256 pages) is a bouquet of red roses to Stan Musial, Cardinal legend, one of the great players of all time. From the cloth-covered rock that was his first baseball to the Brooklyn Dodger fans who hung the name "the Man" on him through many interviews providing insights into "Stash," this is a winning read.

"Al Kaline: the Biography of a Tigers Icon" by Jim Hawkins (Triumph, $24.95, 288 pages) is all about the Hall of Famer written by the scribe who in 1970 as a 25-year-old first began covering his subject. We are there through the many triumphs on and off the baseball field including Kaline's career as Tiger commentator from 1975 to 2002.

"Scooter" by Carlo DeVito (Triumph, @4.95, 384 pages) is all about the wonderful Phil Rizzuto. Lengthy, detailed, created with loving devotion for the late and great Yankee shortstop and announcer this book has a lot to offer.

From Penguin/Gotham comes "Homer Kelley's Golfing Machine" (paper, $16.00) a title that is full of secrets revealed behind the art and science of the perfect swing.

"The Game From Where I Stand" by Doug Glanville (Henry Holt/Times Books, $25.00, 304 pages) is quick reading but also an unsatisfying work by this ex MLB outfielder and multi-featured media figure on many outlets. He set out to offer insights into the human side of the game. Sophomoric stuff.

"Swinging from My Heels" by Christina Kim and Alan Shipnuck (Bloomsbury, $25.00, 240 pages) is the tale with all kinds of behind the scenes gossip and insight of Kim, one of the most popular LPGA players since she was a 19-year-old in 2003. Warts and all - this is a moving read.
　
MOST NOTABLE: "JEWISH MAJOR LEAGUERS, 2000-2009," Deck of the Decade, produced by Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc.("JML"), a not-for-profit organization. You don't have to even be Jewish to want to buy these cards available at $36 via the JML web-site www.jewishmajorleaguers.org.　
　

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Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 41 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.
　
　
　

Baseball Names and How They Got That Way! Part XV (H)

The words and phrases are spoken and written day after day, year after year - generally without any wonderment as to how they became part of the language. All have a history, a story. For those of you who liked Part I, Part II, Part III, X and all the others and wanted more, here is more, just a sampling of the all the "G's out there. As always, reactions and suggestions always welcome

HACK WILSON A short, red-faced, gorilla-shaped man, Hack Wilson played for the Chicago Cubs from 1926 to 1931. In those years he was an American folk hero--the million-dollar slugger from the five- and ten-cent store. In those years he drove in more runs than any other player except for Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. He set National League records that still stand for the most home runs and most total bases in a season and the major league record for runs batted in. The stock market crashed in 1929, but the Li'l Round Man soared in 1930: he smashed 56 homers, drove in 190 runs, and batted .356.
The Cubs purchased Robert Lewis Wilson in 1926 from Toledo for $5,000. Dubbed Hackenschmidt, after a famous wrestler of the time, he ripped by day and nipped by night. The Hacker was called the poor man's Babe Ruth because of the $40,000 he earned in 1931--a salary second only to the Babe's. Wilson's batting trademarks were parallel knuckles on a no nub bat handle, and a booming voice that declared when rival players taunted him, "Let 'em yowl. I used to be a boilermaker and noise doesn't bother me." In 1932 Hack became a Brooklyn Dodger and finished out his career as a member of the so-called Daffiness Boys. It was a perfect climate for the man with so many nicknames, and with the Dodgers he was called the Hacker. With all his accomplishments, with all the verve he exhibited, with all the fame he had--Hack Wilson was not admitted to the Hall of Fame until 1979.

HAMMERIN' HANK Four times he led the American League in home run hitting. In 1938 he blasted 58--and no man had hit more in a season up to that point in time except Babe Ruth. His name was Henry Benjamin Greenberg, but he was better known as Hank Greenberg. He played a dozen years for the Detroit Tigers and finished his career in 1947 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Greenberg was admitted to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1956 (see GREENBERG GARDENS).

HAPPY JACK Former major league pitcher Jack Chesbro spent time before he hit the majors as an attendant at the state mental hospital in Middletown, New York where he pitched for the hospital team and showed off a very pleasant disposition.

THE HARMONICA INCIDENT Despite a string of four straight pennants, the Bronx Bombers were a bust throughout much of the 1964 season. Yogi Berra had succeeded Ralph Houk as skipper; there were reports that he got more laughs than lauds from his players. It was getting to be late August; the Yankees were in third place behind Baltimore and Chicago. The Yankees were on the team bus heading to O'Hare Airport on August 20, 1964, losers of four straight to the White Sox, winless in 10 of their last 15 games. A 5-0 shutout at the hands of Chicago's John Buzhardt had totally demoralized them.
Phil Linz, #34, reserve infielder, a career .235 hitter was a tough, aggressive player who loved being a Yankee. But he was regarded by some to be un-Yankee like along with teammates Joe Pepitone and Jim Bouton.
I sat in the back of the bus," Linz recalled. The bus was stuck in heavy traffic. It was a sticky humid Chicago summer day. "I was bored. I pulled out my harmonica. I had the Learner's Sheet for 'Mary Had a Little Lamb.' So I started fiddling. You blow in. You blow out."
An angry Berra snapped from the front of the bus: "Knock it off!" But Linz barely heard him. When asked what their manager had said, Mickey Mantle said, "Play it louder." Linz played louder.
Berra stormed to the back of the bus and told Linz to "shove that thing." "I told Yogi that I didn't lose that game," Linz related." Berra smacked the harmonica out of Linz's hands. The harmonica flew into Joe Pepitone's knee and Pepitone jokingly winced in pain. Soon the entire bus - except for Berra - was in stitches.
Another version has it that Linz flipped the harmonica at the angered Berra and screamed: "What are you getting on me for? I give a hundred per cent. Why don't you get on some of the guys who don't hustle?"
Linz was fined $200 - but as the story goes received $20,000 for an endorsement from a harmonica company. "The next day," Linz gives his version, "the Hohner Company called and I got a contract for $5,000 to endorse their harmonica. The whole thing became a big joke."
Actually, the whole thing changed things around for the Yankees. The summer of 1964 was Linz's most productive season. Injuries to Tony Kubek made the "supersub" a regular: Linz started the majority of the games down the stretch, and every World Series game at short. New respect for Yogi propelled the Yanks to a 22-6 record in September and a win in a close pennant race over the White Sox. A loss in the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games cost Berra his job. But there were those who said he was on his way out the day of the "Harmonica Incident."

HARRY THE HAT Harry William Walker of St. Louis Cardinal outfielding fame was in the habit of adjusting his baseball cap between pitches and annoying those around him.

HAWK Ken Harrelson baseball's "bad boy" in the 1960s and provided fans with a colorful character on and off the field. He wore long blond hair, love beads, bell-bottoms and Nehru jackets and his own "Hawk" medallion.

HESITATION PITCH A specialty of Leroy "Satchel" Paige, this pitch came out of a slow windup that had a hitch in it. The ball would came at the hitter at various speeds, causing problems in the timing of a swing and helping Satchel to win many games.

HIGHLANDERS The team began in 1901 as the Baltimore Orioles and then moved to New York in 1903. Originally called the Highlanders for its Hilltop Park location, in 1914, Jim Price of the New York Press is credited with coming up with a new name for the team - the New York Yankees.

HIGHPOCKETS George Kelly played for the New York Giants in the 1920s. A 6-4, 190-pound first baseman, he earned his main nickname for the way his uniform pants hung on his spindly build. He was also called "Long George" by the press, and "Kell" by teammates.

HIT 'EM WHERE THEY AIN'T William Henry Keeler played 19 years in the major leagues and finished his career with a .345 lifetime batting average. In 1897 Keeler batted an incredible .432. A reporter asked the diminutive batter, "Mr. Keeler, how can a man your size hit four-thirty-two?" The reply to that question has become a rallying cry for all kinds of baseball players in all types of leagues. "Simple," Keeler smiled, "I keep my eyes clear and I hit'em where they ain't."

HITLESS WONDERS The 1906 Chicago White Sox had a team batting average of .230, the most anemic of all the clubs in baseball that year. The team's pitching, however, more than made up for its lack of hitting. The White Sox staff recorded shutouts in 32 of the team's 93 victories. The "Hitless Wonders" copped the American League pennant and faced the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. The Cubs of 1906 are regarded as one of the greatest baseball teams of all time; they won 116 games that year, setting the all-time major league mark for victories in a season and for winning percentage. The White Sox continued their winning ways in the World Series, however, trimming their cross town rivals in six games.

HIYA KID! Babe Ruth had a great deal of difficulty in remembering names, and "Hiya Kid!" was his traditional greeting to make up for this shortcoming. However, he once was introduced to President Calvin Coolidge and improved on his traditional greeting by shouting, "Hiya Prez!"

HOLY COW Former New York Yankee broadcaster Phil Rizzuto was an exuberant and excitable individual. Some accused him of rooting for the home team, but most everyone admitted that the Scooter watched and described baseball through the eyes of a fan. The phrase associated with Rizzuto underscored his amazement at the happenings on a baseball field and is generally his "last word." (see SCOOTER, THE).

HOME RUN BAKER If there ever was a baseball player who became a legend because of a nickname, it had to be John Franklin Baker. Admitted to the Hall of Fame in 1955, he had a powerful image but not much in the way of home runs. Baker played 13 years and collected a grand total of 93 homers. His best homerun year was 1913, when he popped 12 round-trippers. Baker's lifetime home-run percentage was 1.6, as compared to Babe Ruth's 8.5, Hank Aaron's 6.3, and Rocky Colavito's 5.8. Powerful press agentry or key home runs in crucial situations have to be the explanations for Baker's nickname. His home-run hitting did not make him deserving of it.

But to be fair - -there were some moments: For his day he was a good home run hitter. In the Dead Ball Era, Baker led or tied for the league lead in homers four straight seasons (1911-14), including winning the home run title in 1913 with 12. In the 1911 World Series, he hit game-winning home runs on successive days against the Giants' future Hall of Fame pitchers Rube Marquard and Christy Mathewson

HOME RUN TWINS Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, phrase coined in 1961.

HOMESTEAED GRAYS Negro League team out of Pittsburgh that played many of its games in Washington in the 1930s and 1940s.

HOME WHITES Uniform worn by a team playing in its home ballpark.

HONDO HURRICANE, THE He was 6'5" and weighed 210 pounds. He came up from the minor leagues to the New York Giants in 1947 with a "can't miss" label. Clint Hartung batted .309 that first year and this meshed with his Hondo, Texas, birthplace to earn him his nickname. Unfortunately, the hurricane blew itself out. Hartung batted only .179 in 1948 and .190 in 1949. His major league career lasted but six years, and Hartung left with a .238 career batting average, just 14 big league homers and thoughts of what might have been.

HOOP A shortening of Harry Hooper's surname who with Duffy Lewis and Tris Speaker formed Boston's famous "Million-Dollar Outfield."

THE HOOSIER THUNDERBOLT Amos Rusie Played For Indianapolis Hoosiers (1889), New York Giants (1890-1895, 1897-1898), Cincinnati Reds (1901)

HORSE NOSE Given to catcher Pat Collins by Babe Ruth, a reference to a facial feature.

HORSEWHIPS Sam Jones earned this because of his sharp-breaking curve ball.


HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT On April 18, 1923 - that "The House That Ruth Built" opened for business. The New York Yankees' first home opponent was the Boston Red Sox. No one back then was bold enough to predict the fabulous and outstanding moments the future held in store for the brand new American League park.

The press release first announcing the new stadium indicated it would be shaped like the Yale Bowl and that it would contain towering battlements enclosing the entire park so that those lacking tickets would not even be able to get a glimpse of the action.

Built at a cost of $2.5 million, "The Yankee Stadium", as it was originally named, had a brick-lined vault with electronic equipment under second base, making it possible to have a boxing ring and press area on the infield. Yankee Stadium was the first ballpark to be called a stadium, the last privately financed major league park. It was a gigantic horseshoe shaped by triple-decked grandstands. Huge wooden bleachers circled the park. The 10,712 upper-grandstand seats and 14,543 lower grandstand seats were fixed in place by 135,000 individual steel castings on which 400,000 pieces of maple lumber were fastened by more than a million screws.

A massive crowd showed up for the proudest moment in the history of the South Bronx. Many in the huge assemblage wore heavy sweaters, coats and hats. Some sported dinner jackets. The announced attendance was 74,217, later changed to 60,000. More than 25,000 were turned away. They would linger outside in the cold listening to the sounds of music and the roar of the crowd inside the stadium. At game time, the temperature was a nippy 49 degrees. Wind whipped the two Yankee pennants and blew dust from the dirt road that led to the stadium. The dominant sound of the day was the march beat played by the Seventh Regiment Band, directed by John Phillip Sousa. Seated in the celebrity box were Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, New York State Governor Al Smith and Yankee owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert.

At 3:25 in the afternoon, Babe Ruth was presented with an oversized bat handsomely laid out in a glass case. At 3:30, Governor Smith threw out the first ball to Yankee catcher Wally Schang. At 3:35, home plate umpire Tommy Connolly bellowed: "Play ball!"
Babe Ruth said: "I'd give a year of my life if I can hit a home run in the first game in this new park". His wish and that of the tens of thousands in attendance came true. The Babe came to bat in the third inning. There were two Yankee base runners. Boston pitcher Howard Ehmke tried to fool Ruth with a slow pitch. The Sultan of Swat turned it into a fast pitch, hammering it on a line into the right-field bleachers. It was the first home run in Yankee Stadium history; Ruth got his wish.
The huge crowd was on its feet roaring as Ruth crossed the plate, removed his cap, extended it at arm's length in front of him, and waved to the ecstatic assemblage - witnesses to baseball history. The game played out into the lengthening afternoon shadows. "Sailor Bob" Shawkey, sporting a red sweatshirt under his jersey, pitched the Yankees to a 4-1 victory, making the first Opening Day at Yankee Stadium a matter of record.

THE HOOSIER THUNDERBOLT Hall of Fame Amos Rusie, out of Indiana, played For Indianapolis Hoosiers (1889), New York Giants (1890-1895, 1897-1898), Cincinnati Reds (1901). He paced the league in strikeouts five times passed the 300-strikeout mark three straight seasons.

HORSE COLLAR Describes a situation when a player gets no hits in a game.

HOT STOVE LEAGUE Winter-time baseball doings and gossip.


HUMAN VACUUM CLEANER Brooks Robinson made a name for himself with Baltimore as one of the top fielding third basemen of all time.

THE HUMAN RAIN DELAY Mike Hargrove, as a player, took a long time to bat, stepping in and out of the box to adjust stuff

HOW ABOUT THAT Former New York Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen must have uttered that phrase thousands of times in noting the spectacular fielding plays, long home runs, and superb pitching performances that he viewed during his long career. It was a phrase expressed in an excited Southern accent that almost made those who heard it want to respond to Allen and given their opinion of what he had described.

HOWDY DOODY Darrell Evans was called this or "Howdy" by his Braves' teammates because of his resemblance to Howdy Doody. The nicknames were encouraged by Atlanta team owner Ted Turner.


HURRICANE For Bob Hazle after the storm that hit the South Carolina coast in 1954. The Milwaukee Braves, locked in the 1957 pennant race, lost outfielder Bill Bruton to a knee injury. Hazle replaced him he responded to the chance. He joined the starting lineup on Aug. 4, 1957 helping the Braves win the pennant as he batted .403 over the end of that season.

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Harvey Frommer is in his 34th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 40 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION is next.

FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.



Other Frommer sports related articles can be found at:

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/excerpts/growing_up_baseball.stm

http://www.baseballsavvy.com/archive/w_pumpsie.html

http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/02/sports_frommer083002.htm

http://www.redsoxnation.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=15388&s=93d3ba714519f785d290b4305f62c42d

Harvey Frommer along with his wife, Myrna Katz Frommer are the authors of five critically acclaimed oral/cultural histories, professors at Dartmouth College, and travel writers who specialize in cultural history, food, wine, and Jewish history and heritage in the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean.

This Article is Copyright © 1995 - 2010 by Harvey Frommer. All rights reserved worldwide.