Bill Slayback (1948-2015)

I was saddened to read today of the passing of former Detroit Tigers pitcher Bill Slayback.

William Grover Slayback was born on February 21, 1948, in Hollywood, California.



As a Tigers fan growing up in the early 1970s, I remember going to Tiger Stadium with my Uncle Bob to see Slayback pitch his rookie year of 1972.



Bill was terrific his rookie year, nearly tossing a no-hitter in his big league debut on June 26, 1972.

I ddon't know if I was at Slayback's debut, or one of his games after that, but I remember him pitching a terrific game and being so excited afterwards to go home and watch the sports report on TV for the highlights.

Bill didn't  know he was throwing a no-hitter that night until Al Kaline told him after Kaline tried throwing out the Yankees Johnny Callison on a single to right in the 8th inning.



Here's  a nice piece on Bill from SABR.



As a Tigers fan, and a baseball fan, I also knew that Bill, along with Tigers Hall of Fame announcer Ernie Harwell co-wrote, and Bill sang "Move over Babe, Here comes  Henry!"  as future Atlanta Braves OF Henry Aaron was about to surpass Yankees great Babe Ruth as big league  baseball's all-time home run champion.

Bill Slayback pitched in just 42 games for the Tigers from 1972-74, as arm injuries led to his early departure from baseball after a meteoric rise.



In some ways Bill Slayback's short tenure with would re-appear again just two short years later in a young  fireballing right handed pitcher  named Mark Fidrych.




Rest in Peace Bill Slayback.

How to be a Big League catcher

We love vintage baseball advertising.

Facebook is a great place to find pages dedicated to the history of our National Pastime.

Thanks to Baseball by B-Smile on this great post from their Facebook page....

https://m.facebook.com/BaseballByBSmile

Catching lessons from New York Yankees Hall of Fame backstop Bill Dickey.

"Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions"

Baseball on Sports Illustrated... Derek Jeter

One more time, as he plays his final week as a big leaguer, New York Yankees Hall of Fame bound shortstop Derek Jeter is on this week's SI cover.

Happy Baseball Birthday...Tracy Stallard

Happy Baseball Birthday! to former big league pitcher Tracy Stallard.

Tracy Stallard is best known by baseball fans as the pitcher who gave up home run #61 to Roger Maris during the final game of the 1961 season at Yankee Stadium.

Evan Tracy Stallard was born 77 years ago today, August 31, 1937, in Coeburn, Virginia.

Tracy attended Coeburn high school and signed as a amateur free agent with the Boston Red Sox in 1956.

Tracy made his big league debut on September 14, 1960, and pitched for 7 years with the Red Sox, New York Mets,  and St. Louis Cardinals. 

Tracy won his first game as a starting pitcher on August 10, 1961, tossing 8 innings, striking out 8 Minnesota Twins batters in the BoSox 3-2 win.

Tracy compiled a 30-47 big league pitching record, with a 4.17 era in 138 games, in 764 2/3 innings.

After his big league career, Stallard pitched in the minor leagues, playing for teams like the Tulsa Oilers, Dallas-Forth Worth Spurs, and pitching in AAA Mexican League for Torreon and Cordoba.

In 1968 Stallard took a year off from pitching to take over as the pitching coach with the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms, under rookie manager Jack McKeon.

You can purchase memorabilia, and #61 signed baseballs from Tracy at 

www.tracystallard.com

Happy 77th Baseball Birthday Tracy Stallard!

PLAY BALL!

Happy Baseball Birthday...Bobby Richardson

Today we say Happy Baseball Birthday to former New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson.

Robert Clinton Richardson was born on August 19, 1935, in Sumter, South Carolina.

Bobby attended Edmunds High School in Sumter before signing with the New York Yankees on June 12, 1953.

Bobby made his big league debut with the Yankees on August 5, 1955, at the age of 19.

Bobby  was a stellar second sacker for the Yankees from 1955-66, a five time Gold Glove Winner and three time World Series Champion,  in 1958, 61, 62.

In 1960 Bobby became the only player on a losing team to win the World Series MVP Award, batting .367, with 11 base hits,  12 RBI, scoring 8 runs.

The Yankees lost in Game 7 of the '60 WS to the Pittsburgh Pirates,  on a Game Winning Home Run by fellow second baseman Bill Mazeroski.

Bobby is also known for his 1962 World Series saving catch of a line drive off the bat of the San Francisco Giants slugging First Baseman Willie Mc Covey with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 7.

In 12 big league seasons,  Bobby collected 1,432 hits, 196 doubles,  37 triples, 34 home runs, and 390 RBI in 5,386 at bats.

In those 1,412 games and 5,586 at bats Bobby struck out just 243 times, finishing with a .266 lifetime batting average.

Bobby led the American League in base hits in 1962 with 209, and led the Junior Circuit in at bats in '62 (692), '63 (630), and '64 (679).

After Bobby retired he became the Head Baseball Coach at South Carolina, from 1970-76, taking the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Baseball Tournament in 1974, and the College Baseball World Series in 1975.

Bobby was also the Head Baseball Coach at Liberty University and at Coastal Carolina University. 

Bobby Richardson published his memoir,  "Impact Player," in 2012, and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Happy 79th Baseball Birthday Bobby!

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!

"The Luckiest Man..."

Happy Baseball Birthday...Ron Swoboda

Today we say Happy 70th Baseball Birthday to former New York Mets outfielder Ron Swoboda.

Ronald Alan Swoboda was born on June 30, 1944, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ron played baseball at Sparrows Point high school in Baltimore, and went on to NYU  and the University of Maryland.

In 1963 Swoboda signed  a contract with the New York Mets, and played one year of Double A ball in Williamsport, PA in 1964.

Ron made his big league debut with the Mets, on April 12, 1965, at the age of 20.

Swoboda appeared in 135 games as a rookie, collecting 91 hits in 399 at bats, with 50 RBI.

Ron smacked 19 home runs as a rookie, a Mets club record that would stand until it was broken by a young Mets rookie named Darryl Strawberry in 1983.

Swoboda had a terrific throwing arm from the outfield, and played at least 109 games for the Mets between 1965-1970.

Ron collected 126 hits in 1967, batting .281, and in '68 Ron smacked 109 base knocks with 59 RBI.

In the Mets 1969 Championship season Swoboda played in 109 games, with 57 hits, 9 HR, and 40 RBI in 327 at bats.

Swoboda will be forever in the hearts of Mets fans for his diving grab of a sure extra base hit into right center field gap off the bat of the Orioles Brooks Robinson in Game 4 of the '69 World Series.

The great ninth inning defensive play saved the game for the Mets, who won the game, 2-1,  and went on to a 4 games to 1 series win over Baltimore.

In the middle of the 1971 season, Swoboda was traded to the Montreal Expos, where he played in just 39 games.

The Expos then traded Swoboda to the New York Yankees, where Swoboda would play through the 1973 season.

His last big leaguel appearance was with the Yankees, on September 30th, 1973.

After being released by the Yankees Swoboda went to Spring Training with the Atlanta Braves in 1974, but was released in March.

Swoboda tried another comeback in the spring of 1976 with his old team, the Mets, but didn't make the team.

In his nine year big league career Ron Swoboda played in 928 games,  collected 624 hits, scalloped 73 home runs, scored 285 runs, with 344 RBI in 2,581 at bats.

After his playing days Ron worked in TV and radio broadcasting baseball games.

He lives with his family in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Happy Baseball Birthday Ron!

Play Ball!

MLB will Honor Lou Gehrig

#Gehrig75

"I'm the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

Happy Baseball Birthday...Hal Morris

Today we celebrate the 49th birthday of former big leaguer Hal Morris.

Our Happy Baseball Birthday big leaguer was born on April 9th, 1965, in Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Morris graduated from Munster High School in Munster, Indiana, and went on to play baseball at the University of Michigan.

Michigan went to the College World Series in 1983, and two teammates, Chris Sabo, and Barry Larkin, would reunite with Morris 7 years later as World Series Champions on the 1990 Cincinnati Reds.

Morris was an 8th round draft pick of the New York Yankees in the 1986 amateur player draft.

Hal made his big league debut on July 29th, 1988, for the Bronx Bombers, at age 23.

Morris played for 13 years in the major leagues, with the Yankees, Reds, Kansas City Royals, and Detroit Tigers.

Hal played his final game in the big leagues ,at age 35, on October 1st, 2000, with the Tigers.

Morris collected 1,216 base hits in 3,998 at bats in 1,246 games.

Morris batted .304 lifetime, with 246 doubles, 21 triples, 76 home runs, and 513 RBI.

In the field, Morris was a terrific first baseman.

Morris fielded 8,138 chances, committing just 52 errors, and finishing with a stellar .994 fielding percentage.

Hal Morris is currently the  Director of Scouting for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Happy Baseball Birthday Hal...and Go Blue!

Play Ball!

Derek Jeter will retire after 2014

Derek Jeter will play baseball for the final time as a big leaguer in 2014.

The future Hall of Fame shortstop announced today that this will be the last year he puts on the #2 Yankee Pinstripe uniform.

Paul Blair

Paul Blair, the former Gold Glove center fielder of the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds, has passed away.

Paul Blair was 69.

Article... http://www.decaturdaily.com/sports/pro_sports/article_d367622f-be85-59d8-8238-e1fbe520880d.html?mode=jqm

In my 6 decades of watching baseball, there was no better center fielder in the American League while Paul Blair was roving the outfield for the Orioles.

Mickey Stanley, the Tigers CF in 1968, won a couple of Gold Gloves, the others always seemed to land in Blair's glove,  just like thousands of lost hits did.

My thoughts and prayers for the Blair family.

May God Bless Paul Blair.