Bert Blyleven, Reggie & Revisionist History

[LAST EDITED, APRIL 22, 2013]

Blyleven pitching against Tigers, 1973

-PHOTO: Jackson batting, Game 1 '73 ALCS vs Orioles - 

Funny how people change their minds over things!

It's what we do. We're all prone, and it's our right, to alter the way we think. That includes the very opinionated and fluctuating Reggie Jackson!

Last year, Reggie was outspoken in a published piece or two about his druthers for including Bert Blyleven and others in the Hall Of Fame.

Blyleven, August, '73 shutout vs Royals

So, it was interesting for me to come across this article with a game report from 40 years ago today - Sat., April 14, 1973 (BBRef) at the Met (hmmnnn...my favorite light-hitting team of the 70's, another one run loss for Bert...who coulda guessed that one?), in which you get a completely different take from the famous slugger. To wit (see middle section, especially):





Bill James has said it's useful to go back and factor what was said about players in past decades, the word of their contemporaries, to help in deciding their rank as players. Sensible, yes? So, what changed in 30 years for Reginald (keeping in mind he hit .200-some vs. Bert, career)?

When he put his sizable foot in his mouth - forget about "Killing the Queen" - Mr. October was really "Mr.-Kill-The-Fun"!

[ : do check out soundbite of Reggie, "Naked Gun," - suggesting you substitute "fun" for "queen" as you listen!]

Maybe Billy Martin had something there when he said of George Steinbrenner and Reggie: "One's convicted, the other's a born liar." Rough, but when the shoe fits...I guess if Jackson had gone on to have a great career batting line against Blyleven post '73, I would understand his turnabout. But, like so many low-info Hall of Fame voters, my guess is he's going on results - the bare fact that the Curveballer came up short of 300 victories - to judge worthiness. Jackson, of all people, should know pitching wins are dependant upon having your team score more runs than the opposition.

So, I will close thus: the next time one of your baseball friends up and changes his mind over a matter inexplicably, even though past history and facts dictate some other action or response, give them this:

"You pullin' a Reggie on me?

As our old broadcasting buddy Herb Carneal said it:
"So long, everybody!

***

This article gives some more detail from that game when Reggie got so lucky against Blyleven - if you're so inclined...

1975 Minnesota Twins Camera Day

Today we call attention to one of the early, annual promotions staged by the Minnesota Twins. Camera Day has been chronicled slightly here at Classic Twins in a previous, early post, and here we get the full-color treatment. Among the finer nuggets of Twins and baseball treasures found on ye olde public internet is this collection of Twins players from Camera Day at the Met, before the Sunday, Sept. 14, 1975 game. 

I think it's cool for the glimpse of civilian clothing styles in vogue, the team's uniform of the mid-70's, and the simple beauty of a sunny day at Metropolitan Stadium. Plus, none of the players are unbelievably ripped and "top heavy" (see "Jose Canseco"), as would become common 20 years later. Normal, is the word I'm searching for.

 Rod Carew, Bert Blyleven, Lyman Bostock, Larry Hisle, Tony Oliva Phil Roof, Glenn Borgmann, Bill Campbell, Bill Butler, Porkchoppin' John Briggs,* Dave Goltz, Frank Quilici, Joe Decker, and Danny Thompson are all here for perusal - at least, they're the ones I can ID. It's one of the excellent, vintage collections at snaebyllej2's Flickr photo share site - worth a look, take my word on that. It's one of the few examples of close proximity fans could hope to have with players back then, when Twitter and the internet, card shows, fan fests, and 24-hour cable sports were miles away on the horizon.

*All-time Twins leader, sideburn/facial hair category

As the great broadcasting professional Herb Carneal signed off, I say:
"So long, everybody.!" - TT

A Maestro At First: Trading For Vic Power, April 2, 1962

LAST UPDATED: APRIL 7, 2013
The first major trade in the history of the Minnesota Twins went down on today's date, on April 2, 1962.

Vic Power was traded along with young reliever Dick Stigman in exchange for righthanded starter Pedro Ramos. At the time, parting with the talented Ramos was a significant event, especially noteworthy since he was next in line behind staff ace Camilo Pascual in tenure and talent. Jim Kaat was just coming into his own that season, and would win 18 games. In Stigman, they Twins were glad to get a promising, young arm. But the "sexy" part of this transaction was obvious...

The following story from the Jefferson City Daily summed up the trade, besides giving a very detailed, honest set of responses from Power himself (born Victor Power Pellot). Power was the key acquisition for the Twins , and at age 33, was joining his third organization.

He had a reputation for marching to the beat of his own drummer, and was not necessarily the "company man" management preferred. He also enjoyed the company of women of the white persuasion, truth be told, a liability for any dark-skinned player who otherwise desired stable employment in the period before Civil Rights legislation came into effect.

Power's comments regarding Jimmy Dykes, a long-time baseball man, were telling for me.  I don't know what Dyke's attitude toward blacks was. But as his formative, playing years were in the pre-Jackie Robinson era, it does make me pause. Was he out to rid himself of Power for some inward bias? Did he ever let slip anything in that vein? Did he really think he had a rotten apple in Vic Power, calling him a "clubhouse lawyer," a tag they also hung on Dick Allen? I don't know. I do know the Feds reigned in Al Capone for tax evasion when nothing else would stick. If you follow my line of thought...

Calvin Griffith, on the other hand, stated the case FOR acquiring Power (to whom I devoted a "Remembering Vic Power" post some time back) in this piece:

Besides the green-as-a-pea Rollins and Allen, Minnesota also had the mercurial Zoilo Versalles at short. Manager Sam Mele went on in the article to say "Power should be a steadying influence on the kids. They won't have to worry about making perfect throws. If it's within Power's reach, he'll come up with the ball."

Power himself had a little extra to add in this account, which sums up the pride and inner confidence he held for his talents:

The Brainerd Daily Dispatch revealed the Twins new mindset for what would constitute their daily lineup to begin the 1962 season. Anybody surprised at who's slotted for left field, replacing Jim Lemon? Some big, ox-strong kid, name of Harmon Killebrew:

More can be gathered about Power and his role as a trailblazer can be found at this very cool Baseball Hall Of Fame article.  

As the old professional at the mic, Herb Carneal, ended his broadcasts, I also say:

"So long, everybody!"

2013 Debut Recalls Frozen '62 Twins Home Opener

 Click on above photo for larger version of the Northern gladiators, 

looking as if gathered for a photo shoot on the Alaskan tundra

There is again anticipation of another cold opener in 2013, this time at Target Field. Minnesota will take on the American League Champion Detroit Tigers, and temps hovering in the mid-30's will take away some of the joy for fans used to experiencing moderate conditions in the opening three years at the new ballpark (see all-time Minnesota home opener chart below). Assuming the weather forecasters are on target, one has to go back 51 years, back to 1962, if you're to find it's equivalent as openers go.

That game clocked in at 3:26, with 21 batters walked by both pitching staffs, including 23 strikeouts, one balk, and one batter hit by pitch. Angels closer and winner Ryne Duren (who threw three hitless, scoreless innings) referred to the conditions as "brutal;" most of the pitchers that day couldn't feel the seams on the baseball. 8,363 fans were in attendance- now THAT must have been a brutal fact for team owner Calvin Griffith to swallow! Half wonder if the penny-pinching Cal would've considered burning down the grandstand, if the extra warmth assured a bigger gate. Even if just for a day.

                                             A possibilty: Rich wanted to burn one that afternoon 

                                                 (1962 Twins Official Program and Scorecard)

The photos and archival newspaper accounts to follow bring back in focus the frigid Saturday, April 14, 1962 opener versus the California Angels (see BBRef Box), the granddaddy freeze out of all-time Twins history. With references to the new, "hot" rookie third baseman Rich Rollins (photo below), you get some idea of the discomfort at Metropolitan Stadium that day.

                                               Rollins fielding, June 8, 1962 versus White Sox

  

                        Plenty other Minnesota papers reported on the freeze, 

                                                      adding their own version of the ironic title... 

History of Minnesota Twins Home Opener Weather 

(chart + story available at link)

http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/Twins_home_opener_weather.htm

One would have to think the Twins will strongly back postponing the Monday, April 1, 2013 opener until the next day, a planned off day at the ready for rescheduling what with poor weather debuts commonplace in recent times.

It's an inconvenience to fans strongly anticipating the thrill of a new season, but when you consider the quality of baseball in the offing (even factoring in the improved amenities to boost player comfort), there is this too: it's kind of complicated to get fans to buy  & enjoy that microbrew, especially when they're gripping it with mittens.

As the old professional Herb Carneal ended his Twins broadcasts:
"So long, everybody."

Q: How cold will it be on Monday, 

Weatherman Bud?

A: Damn cold

Sweet Swingers: Rod Carew, Rookie

In 1967, 21 year-old Rod Carew was still just a year removed from playing A ball. He would tinker with his swing in 1968, dropping from .292 to .273, still imagining himself as a power hitter. Modifying his approach to become the line-drive hitting machine we now remember, he'd make a 59-point jump to garner his first batting title (.332) in 1969.

I love this full color shot by the great Iooss of Sports Illustrated fame. More to come from him, in the continuing "Sweet Swingers" series. Because you, my readers, deserve nothing but the best! You can also read up on Carew's April 11, 1967 debut in Baltimore at this site.

As Herb Carneal ended his broadcasts: "So long everybody!"

Hangin' With Mr. Hunter: The Twins Birthday Party Promo

To paraphrase those great, American poets CSN&Y, it's been a long time gone from the blogoshpere for me. Settling in at the cockpit, testing the controls, with an easy subject...the effervescent Torii Hunter. He decided to leave via free agency over five years ago, we cheer on cue for him, while A.J. Pierzynski (traded for a cornucopia of talent) will poke his head out of the Rangers dugout at Target Field sometime this summer and STILL get the hell booed out of him. One smiles, the other smirks. Go figure.

This commercial is now six years old, but it still recalls the spontaneity we enjoy about the guy.

Were one an alien, intent on learning about the best of our culture (if not wanting to fry the brains out of our skulls), Torii Hunter and baseball would be a great place to start.

Joy or outright terror? You decide

There is also this Hunter Metrodome anecdote, regarding the pitfalls of playing on a rock-hard, artificial surface. It showcases the man's humor well, translating almost as well in print as it did when Torii held court for us at Twins Fests, or post-game interviews. It is from a fine, Oct. 3, 2009 piece by Jim Caple for SI.Com:

"In 2000, I dove for the ball to win the game against the Oakland A's and I started sliding across the turf, and when I stopped sliding, I smelled something ," Hunter said. "I smelled a melting smell. And it was my buttons. They were all melted. And I had a goatee and it was all kind of shaved off because my face hit the turf and the carpet burned it off. It was kind of melted and skin was missing and everything was bad because I started a fire diving for a ball on the old turf."

Now that Torii is now a member of our division rival Detroit Tigers, I look forward to the coming 2013 season, where he'll now be playing against the Twins for 19-some games. He has always been superb at saying something funny, and playing to his audience, dishing whatever it is they want to hear (i.e., "Yeah, sure, I'd love to come back to play for the Twins - they raised me from a baby"). Straight from the Reggie Jackson Institute of Public Speaking. Hopefully, a camera will be there to pick up the man's schtick. This is for certain: he's a universe away from the scared young guy who was flailing miserably at breaking pitches in his rookie season, circa 1998.

As our old friend at the broadcast mic used to say:
"So long, everybody!" - Herb Carneal

"Harmon Killebrew: The Ultimate Slugger" Interviews, Author Steve Aschburner

Triumph Books Link!

                                                                     Local Twins Cities A.M. radio interview

                                                                      with author on Davis & Emmer Show.

Keep audio down for first few seconds!

Or, UP if you like grating rock mixes!
Great depth, nice insights.

The net has been bulking up with Steve Aschburner interviews. He is the author of the new book, adding fresh color to our portrait of Harmon Killebrew.

It is - hard to believe - the first whack at an in-depth portrait of the most prolific homerun hitter of the 1960's since 1971. Wayne J. Anderson wrote Harmon Killebrew: Baseball's Superstar," for which I gave a thumbs-down in my Twins books post from a while back. That book definitely had redeeming features, but Anderson's plodding method ultimately bogged the book down with some trivial detail. Too much vanilla!

I like the comprehensive nature of these interviews, with the two local clips featuring Steve Aschburner (Twitter link), who writes regularly for nba.com. Aschburner also created a fantastic overview of Twins history with his 2008 book "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Minnesota Twins History." The ten year-old schoolboy in me gushed over that book's richness, the enjoyable "You are there" narrative in the aforementioned review. I can't help but think I'll similarly react to the new take on The Killer!

The Following is a radio interview Aschburner gave for Doug Miles, a southwest Florida writer and broadcast personality:

 The post concludes with the Killebrew segment of the 
"Boys In The Hall" show from Fox Sports, which aired in May, 2012.

As that great orator of the microphone ended his Twins broadcasts, I say:

"So long, everybody!" (Herb Carneal)

-TT