Happy Baseball Birthday...Don Kessinger

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday is former Chicago Cubs  shortstop Don Kessinger.

Growing up in Portage, Michigan, in the early 1970s, was a baseball fans dream.

In addition to my Detroit Tigers radio and TV games we also received the Cubs and Chicago White Sox games on radio and cable tv.

The Cubs were on tv every night on WGN, and every Cubs home game was a day game.

Many times I was able to watch a double header of a Cubs home tilt and a Tigers road game at night.

The Cubs had a great infield in the late '60s and early 70's with Jim Hickman at first base, Glen Beckert ar second, Ron Santo at third, and my favorite Cub player, Don Kessinger, at shortstop.

Donald Eulon Kessinger was born on July 17, 1942,  in Forrest City, Arkansas.

Don played high school baseball at Forrest City HS, where he was a 4 sport All Star and All American while playing for the Mustangs. 

Don then went on to play college baseball at Mississippi, where he was an All SEC and All American in both basketball and baseball for the Rebels.

Kessinger played for the Peoria Pacers of the Central Illinois summer league in 1963, and was signed by the Cubs as a amateur free agent in 1964.

Don played for the Double-A Forth Worth Cats in 1964 before making his big league debut on September 7, 1964, at the age of 22.

In 1965 Don started the baseball seasin with Dallas-Forth Worth before getting called up to the big leagues for good.

A terrific shortstop,  Kessinger won the National League Gold Glove in 1969 and 1970.

Kessinger is my favorite All Time Cubs player, and it was probably in part because as a kid I noticed that he was wearing #11 for the Cubs, the same number worn by my baseball hero, Tigers catcher Bill Freehan. 

Wearing my hero's #11 may have been a reason to notice Kessinger,  but his play was why I loved to watch him as the Cubbies shortstop.

Don played in just 4 games after that September call up to Chicago in '64, and in 1965 he played in 106 games, becoming the Cubs starting shortstop, where, next to Beckert, the two would play until 1973.

Kessinger led the National League in assists in 1966, 68, 69.

In 1969 Kessinger's .976 fielding percentage ked the Senior Circuit.

Kessinger played in 2,078 baseball games, 1, 955 of them at shortstop, swatting 1,931 base hits, scoring 899 runs, with 254 doubles, 80 triples, 684 walks, 14 home runs, and 527 RBI in 7, 651big league at bats.

Kessinger played on the North Side of Chicago until 1975, when the Cubs traded him to the rival St. Louis Cardinals in the iff season.

In 1977, after 59 games in St, Louis, the Cardinals traded Kessinger to the White Sox. 

On September 8, 1978, the ChiSox held "Don Kessinger Night, " a tribute that attracted 31,000 fans to old Comiskey Park.

Reports from the ball park that night stated that half the 31,000 in attendance were Cubs fans, who came to honor their former shortstop. 

White Sox owner Bill Veeck named Don the manager of the South Siders on October 19, 1978, and he served as ChiSox player/Manager in 1979, the last American League player to hold that distinction.

Kessinger played in just 56 games for the '79 ChiSox, playing in his final big league game on July 31stm at the age of 37.

With the club in last place, he resigned as the Chicago White Sox skipper on August 2nd.

Don Kessinger was a terrific ballplayer, and an even better person.

In 1976 the Cubs honored Kessinger with the Ken Hubbs Award,  for his exemplary conduct on and off the ball field.

Kessinger was honored in 1977 with the Danny Thomas Award for Christian Spirit in baseball, and was the 1978 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award recipient.

Don Kessinger went back to his Alma Mater, Ole Miss, becoming the Rebels head baseball coach in 1991.

In six seasons as the Rebels coach, Kessinger compiled a record of 185-153, leading Ole Miss to four 30 win seasons.

In 1996 Kessinger left the baseball team to become the Associate Athletics Director of Internal Affairs at Ole Miss.

Don Kessinger has been honored by and Inducted into the...

●Chicagoland Sports Hallof Fame

●Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame

●Wrigley Field Walk of Fame

●Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame

●Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

●Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame

●National High School Sports Hall of Fame

Don was also voted to the Ole Miss All Century basketball team in 2008.

Don and his family are in real estate business in Oxford and Watet Valley,  Mississippi, and they can be found at kessingerrealestate.com

Happy Baseball Birthday! Don Kessinger!

Play Ball!!

Happy Baseball Birthday...Roger Bresnahan

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday! Is Hall of Fame player and manager Roger Bresnahan.

Roger Philip Bresnahan  was born in Toledo, Ohio, on June 11, 1879.

At the age of 16 Bresnahan played semi pro ball in Manistee, Michigan, and would make several minor league stops, including playing for his hometown Toledo Mudhens before getting to the big leagues.

Bresnahan made his debut in the big leagues on August 27, 1897 for the then Washington Senators of the National League.

In 17 big league baseball seasons Bresnahan played every position on the baseball diamond in 1,446 games, batting .276 in 4481 at bats.

In the 1905 World Series Bresnahan caught all give games for the champion Giants, including all three complete game shutouts by Christy Mathewson.

Brensnahan is most famous in baseball history not for any hit, throw, or play he made, but for what he popularized...catchers shin guards.

Brensnahan first wore shin guards in a ball game in 1907, and although several complaints were made, baseball allowed the equipment, and catchers all around baseball began using the protective guards.

Brensnahan also managed in the big leagues, as player/manager for both the St. Louis Cardinals (1909-12), and the Chicago Cubs (1913-15).

Brensnahan last big league appearance was a the Cubs player/manager, on October 3,1915.

Brensnahan stayed in baseball after his playing days, as a coach for the Giants and Detroit Tigers, before becoming the owner of the Toledo Mudhens.

Brensnahan passed away from a heart attack on December 4, 1944, in his hometown of Toledo, at the age of 65.

In 1945 the Veteran's Committee voted Roger Bresnahan into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Happy Baseball Birthday Roger Bresnahan!

PLAY BALL!

Happy Baseball Birthday..."Mr. Baseball"

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday is Milwaukee Brewers play by play announcer  Bob Uecker. 

Uecker was born on January 26, 1935, in Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.

Growing up in Milwaukee, Bob loved baseball and the Minor League Brewers.

Minor League baseball was replaced by big league baseball when the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953.

Uecker was signed by his hometown Braves in 1956.

The play by play man for the Milwaukee Brewers since 1971, 

Uecker played  six seasons in the big leagues for the  Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves.

In those six years as a big leaguer, Uecker played in 297 games, blasting 14 home runs, with 74 RBI, while hitting .200.

I remember watching "Mr. Baseball" on Johnny Carson many times in the 1970s, with Uecker never failing to make me laugh about his many baseball feats.

Uecker is beloved in the Brew City, and, of course, by many baseball fans who have seen the movie Major League, and the voice of the loveable "Harry Doyle."

Uecker became the voice of the Brewers in 1971, and has been in the tv baseball booth since doing some of the first ABC Monday Night Baseball games.

Bob was also on the NBC "Baseball Network" in the 1990s.

Bob's baseball feats include hitting a HR off  HOFer Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers, being a catcher on the 1964 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and being a Ford Frick Award winner in 2003.

Today we celebrate the great baseball life and times of Bob Uecker.

Happy Baseball Birthday Mr. Uecker!

No cheaters please on my team

Former Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta has signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Good.

I don't want Peralta on my team.

4 years, $52 million dollar contract for a cheater.

MLB says they have the toughest drug testing in sports.

Peralta served a 50 game suspension for using something illegal, PEDs, HGH, whatever it was, in 2013, as a member of the Detroit Tigers.

Peralta served just suspension, played in the playoffs, and is now rewarded with $52 million dollars.

Where's the punishment for Peralta?

Who's the idiot now, Peralta for cheating baseball and the Tigers, or MLB and the Cardinals, for allowing a cheater to get $52 million bucks?

I also don't want the Tigers signing any players that have been suspended, and that includes power hitting Texas Ranger OF/DH Nelson Cruz.

I dont want Cruz hitting one steroid HR while wearing the Old English D.

There is no reason, none, including trying to win a championship, for any team to sign any steroid using baseball players.

I'd rather have my team, the Detroit Tigers, be an average to above average team that plays the game
the right way than win a World Series using steroids cheaters.

There are absolutely no more excuses for baseball owners to sign cheaters anymore.

Baseball is our National Pastime, and steroids, and cheaters don't belong in our great game.

In my opinion, any player busted for any steroid, HGH, blood doping, etcetera, should never play in the big leagues again.