Happy Baseball Birthday... Hawk Harrelson

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday is former big league first baseman and outfielder Ken "Hawk" Harrelson.

Kenneth Smith Harrelson was born on September 4, 1941, in Woodruff,  South Carolina.

Hawk went to high school at the Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia,  where he played golf, baseball, football,  and basketball.

Harrelson was signed as a amateur free agent by the Kansas City Athletics in 1959.

Hawk made his big league debut on June 9, 1963, at the age of 21.

Hawk played first base and right field for 9 big league seasons,  1963-71, for the Athletics,  Washington Senators,  Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians. 

In 1968, playing for the BoSox,  Harrelson led the American League in RBI, with 109, playing in the All-Star Game for the only time in his big league career. 

Hawk played in 900 games, scored 374 runs, collecting 703 base hits, 94 of them doubles,  along with 13 triples, 134 home runs, and 421 RBI in 2,841 at bats.

In the field Harrelson was a terrific defensive player, making only 41 errors in 4,101 chances, a .990 lifetime fielding percentage. 

Hawk played his final big league baseball game as a member of the Indians,  on June 9, 1971, at the age of 29.

After baseball Harrelson played proffessional golf, missing the cut in the 1972 British Open by one stroke (+11).

Hawk started broadcasting baseball games in 1975,  staring as a analyst on Red Sox games with Dick Stockton. 

Harrelson waa fired by the BoSox for his criticism of the teams players, and Hawk moved on to broadcasting ChiSox games in 1981, the left the booth in 1985, becoming the White Sox General Manager.

Harrelson was a less than successful GM, firing a young manager named Tony LaRussa, and his assistant GM, a guy named Dave Dombrowski.

In 1990 Hawk became the White Sox #1 TV announcer,  a job he is still doing today.

I love Hawk Harrelson...there, I said it.

There is no radio or TV play by play announcer with more love of the game of baseball and passion for his team quite like Hawk Harrelson and his beloved South Siders.

From his signature "...you can put it on the board...YES!"  home run calls for the White Sox,  to the "...he gone!"  call when an opposition player strikes out, Hawk Harrelson broadcast ChiSox games with unbridled baseball knowledge and passion. 

One of the reasons I love Hawk is that he loves the game, and will praise any player, on any team, for their good play, and criticize any player,  including ChiSox players,  for their poor play.

Hawk is also fantastic when he recalls the history of the game, including his playing days, and his tales of playing against the great American League players and teams of the 1960s.

Hawk was a member of the 1967 American League Champion Boston Red Sox, playing alongside guys like Carl Yaztremski and Jim Longborg, and facing down big league pitchers named Luis Tiant, Sam McDowell,  Mickey Lolich, and Bob Gibson.

There seems to be no gray are when it comes to Hawk Harrelson, its either pro Hawk, or anti Hawk.

Hawk has certainly done and said controversial things, but that's Hawk Harrelson,  and I think you have to give him credit for his consistency in the way he calls ball games.

Hawk is a 5 time Emmy Winner broadcasting baseball games, two time Illinois Sportscaster of the Year recipient,  2010 Ring Lardner Award winner, and a 2007 Ford Frick Award finalist.

To me, quite simply,  Ken "Hawk" Harrelson deserves to be in the broadcasting wing of the Hall of Fame.

Happy Baseball Birthday Hawk... "Mercy!"

PLAY BALL!

Happy Baseball Birthday...Rocky Colovito

Happy Baseball Birthday! to former big league slugger Rocky Colovito.

Rocco Domenico Colovito was born on August 10, 1933 in New York, New York.

Rocky attended Roosevelt High School in NYC, and signed as a amateur free agent with the Cleveland Indians in 1951.

Rocky made his big league debut with Cleveland on September 10, 1955, and came up to stay in 1956, hitting .276 in 101 games, scoring 55 runs,  slugging 21 home runs, with 65 RBI,  in 322 at bats.

Those 21 home runs started a streak of 11 consecutive 20+ home run seasons, 1956-66,  including three 40+ HR years, '58, '59, '61.

With the Tribe in '58 Rocky smashed 41 home runs, with 113 RBI, batting .303, and leading the American League in slugging percentage at .620.

In '59 the Indians slugger smacked a American League leading 42 HR, driving in 111 Tribe runners, making his first American League All-Star team.

Just before the start of the 1960 season the Cleveland Indians shocked the baseball world by trading Colovito to the Detroit Tigers for 1959 American League batting champion Harvey Kuenn.

Indians fans loved the slugging Colovito, and Tigers fans loved Kuenn, and neither set of fans were very happy.

Colivito and the Tigers would prove to be the winners of the trade.



One of my favorite baseball cards in my collection is the 1962 Topps card of him in his classic Tigers road uniform.

In 4 years alongside future Hall of Fame RF Al Kaline, Colivito smashed 139 home runs, 45 of them coming in 1961, along with 140 RBI, a .296 average and his first All Star Game as a Tigers player.

Following the 1963 season the Tigers traded Rocky to the Kansas City Athletics,  after a 22 HR, 91 RBI season.

Rocky hit 34 HR, with 102 RBI for the '64 A's, who then traded Colovito back to his original team, the Indians.

Colovito promptly smacked 26 homers and drove in an American League leading 108 base runners in 1965.

In '66 Rocky slugged 30 homers and had 72 RBI, making his final All-Star Game.

In the middle of the '67 season, on July 29th, the Tribe sent Colovito to the Chicago White Sox, who  then sold Rocky to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On July 7, 1968, the Dodgers released Rocky, who signed with the New York Yankees on July 15th.

The Yankees then released Rocky at the end of the 1968 season, Rocky's final year in the big leagues.

In his 14 years in the big leagues,  Rocky Colivito played in 1,841 ball games, collecting 1,730 base hits, 282 doubles,  21 triples, 374 home runs, 1.159 RBI, and 971 runs scored.

In the field Rocky made just 70 errors in 3, 516 chances, finishing with a .980 fielding percentage.

Colovito coached in the big leagues after his playing days, with the Indians in the 1970s and the Kansas City Royals in the 1980s.

Rocky Colovito was named to the Indians All Century Team in 2001, and was Inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.

 Happy Baseball Birthday! wishes to the Rock, Rocky Colovito!

PLAY BALL!

Happy Baseball Birthday... Vida Blue

Today we say Happy Baseball Birthday #65 to former big league hurler Vida Blue.

Vida Rochelle Blue was born on July 28, 1949, in Mansfield, Louisiana.

Blue attended De Soto High School in Mansfield and went to college to play baseball for the Jaguars of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge.

The Kansas City Athletics drafted Blue in the 2nd round of the 1967 amatuer draft.

Vida made his big league debut for the Athletics, now the Oakland A's, on July 20, 1969, at the age of 19.

On September 21, 1970 Blue tossed a no hitter against the Minnesota Twins.

Blue's only mistake that day was a 4th inning walk to future HOFer Harmon Killebrew.

1971 was Vida Blue's best year in the big leagues, and one of the best pitching performances in big league history.

Blue compiled a amazing 24-8 record, and a ERA of just 1.82.

Blue logged an impressive 312 innings pitched, striking out 301 American League batters.

Blue led the A. L. In hits allowed per nine innings, 6.029, shutouts, 8, and the 1.82 ERA.

Blue was the American League starting pitcher for the '71 All-Star Game at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.

Vida Blue's fantastic '71 season was completed with the A.L. Cy Young Award and A.L. Most Valuable Player Award.

From his 1969 debut, through the 1977 season, Vida Blue won 124 games for the A's, had a ERA of 2.95, struck out 1,315 hitters, pitched 28 shutouts, and completed 105 of his 262 starts.

With Vida Blue in the starting rotation the Oaklan A's won five consecutive A.L. West Division Titles, 1971-72-73-74-75, and three straight World Series Championships in '72-'73-'74.

Vida Blue was sold by the A's to the New York Yankees in June of 1976, and three days later the sale was voided by Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn.

Commissioner Kuhn also voided the A's trade of Blue to the Cincinnati Reds on 1977.

Both transactions involving Vida Blue were denied by Bowie Kuhn in "the BEST interests of baseball."

Two years later, on March 15, 1978, Blue was traded by Oakland across the bay to the San Francisco Giants.

Vida won 18 games for the Giants in '78, his fourth 20 win season.

In 1978 Vida Blue became the first pitcher in baseball to start for both the A.L. and the N.L. in an All-Star Game.

The Giants traded Blue to the Kansas City Royals on March 30, 1982, and after two seasons with the Royals Blue became a free agent, and returned to San Francisco in 1985.

Vida Blue finished his big league career with the Giants on October 2, 1986.

In his 17 year big league career Vida Blue compiled a 209-161 record, a 3.27 ERA, 2,175 strikeouts, pitching 37 shutouts, 143 complete games, a no hitter, Cy Young Award, and MVP Award. in 3,343 1/3 innings pitched.

Vida Blue has given back to baseball, giving his time and effort to improve inner city baseball in the San Francisco Bay area.

Happy Baseball Birthday Vida!