Surprise Baseball Birthday

Today I had a surprise gift delivered for my 53rd birthday.

My birthday was last month, but a Pastor from my church surprised me today with a belated gift...we hadn't ran into each other until today.

Sometime last month I saw a cool 1908 Detroit Tigers ball cap, the kind Tyrus Raymond Cobb would've worn, and posted it on my Facebook page, jokingly suggesting that I would accept the cap from someone looking for a last second gift for me.

So, here it is, just in time for the start of the big league baseball season.

I never thought someone would actually by it for me.

Thanks to Pastor Eddie Hastings, from my church, Chets Creek Church, on making my day today.

The ball cap I'm now sporting, part of the Cooperstown Collection, was the cap worn by the Tigers during their first dominate American League run, from 1907-08-09.

The Tigers won three straight A. L. Pennants, the first A.L. team to do so.

The Tigers had great players like Cobb, Wahoo Sam Crawford, Boss Schmidt, George Mullins, and Wild Bill Donovan.

Thanks Eddie...Play Ball!

Justin Verlander on Sports Illustrated 2013 Baseball Preview

Tigers ACE right hander Justin Verlander graces this week's cover of the 2013 Baseball Preview Issue.

SMASH and GRAB...Justin Verlander...The Game's Scariest Pitcher Has His Eye On A Ring.

Isn't it great when your favorite player from your favorite team is on a national magazine like Sports Illustrated....YES it is!

2013 Detroit Tigers Scorecard

With less than one week to go until Opening Day the Detroit Tigers sent out this image on the teams Twitter and Facebook pages.

The 2012 Triple Crown Winner and American League Most Valuable Player, Miguel Cabrera, the 2011 Cy Young Award Winner and American League Most Valuable Player, Justin Verlander, and Tigers All-Star First Baseman Prince Fielder are featured.

 This would make for a terrific poster for any baseball fan, and every Tigers fans.

Go Tigers!

Remembering Virgil "Fire" Trucks.

Today I have learned of the passing of Virgil "Fire" Trucks.

Virgil Trucks spent 17 years in the big leagues, most of them with the Detroit Tigers.

Yesterday Trucks nephew sent this Tweet to Tigers P Justin Verlander...

jakob trucks ‏@jakobtrucks2215h

@JustinVerlander my great grandfather is Virgil Trucks.He passed away today. He gave you your no hitter award in 2007.

Virgil Trucks pitched in 517 games, starting 328, compiling a 177-135 record, with a 3.39 ERA.

After one appearance in 1941,Trucks went 14-8 in 1942 for the Tigers, with a 2.84 ERA.

Trucks won 16 games in 1943, then headed off to World War II.

In 1946 Trucks won 14 games for the Tigers, then won 10 games in '47, 14 in '48, and in 1949 Trucks won 19 games for the Tigers while leading the American League with 6 shutouts.

For Tigers fan Trucks is special because of two games in 1952.

Two legendary games.

In 1952 Trucks didn't exactly have what you would call a good season, winning just 5 games and losing 19.

However, of those 5 wins, Virgil trucks is special in Tigers history for pitching 2 no hitters.

On May 15th "Fire" Trucks no-hit the Washington Senators, 1-0, and then on August 25th he no-hit the New York Yankees, 1-0, as well.

Only four other big league pitchers have accomplished what Trucks did in twirling those two gems in one baseball season, Johnny Van Der Meer(back-to-back in 1938), Allie Reynolds, Nolan Ryan, and Roy Halladay.

Trucks got back from World War II just in time for the 1945 World Series, winning Game 2 vs. the Chicago Cubs as the Tigers won the teams second championship, beating the Cubs in seven games.

We say a prayer for Virgil Trucks, and his family today.

May God Bless them.

Thanks Virgil, for being a great Tiger, and a greater person.

Special thanks to Graham Womack @grahamdude , at Baseball Past and Present for Tweeting the news today.

Today's Baseball Birthday...Bill Wambsganss

When I do the Baseball Birthday's I always try and find that one special ballplayer to write about.

Today's birthday's consist of former  Philles Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn, current Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw, and former Tigers OF Gee Walker, just to name a few.

Any of those would be a terrific subject to write about today, however, as I scrolled down the birthday list at Baseball Reference.com I came across a name I hadn't heard of in a while.

Today we celebrate the birthday of the only big league ballplayer to record an unassisted triple play in World Series history.

Bill Wambsganns was born on March 19th, 1894, in Cleveland, Ohio.

The shorthstop/second baseman made his debut in the big leagues on August 4th, 1914, for the Cleveland Naps(later the Indians).

In 13 seasons Wambsganns batted .259,  7 home runs, and 520 RBI.

The best hitting stat for the former Tribe star may be that he had 323 career sacrifice hits, leading the American League in both 1921 and 1922.

In the 1920 World Series our birthday big leaguer turned that famous triple play in Game 5 vs. the Brooklyn Robins (later Dodgers).

As he caught a line drive (out #1), Wambsganns stepped on 2nd base, forcing the runner moving from 2nd base (out #2), then tagged the runner coming from 1st base (out #3).

Wambsganns is quoted as saying this about the famous play...

“Just before I tagged him, he said, ‘Where’d you get that ball?’ I said, ‘Well, I’ve got it and you’re out number three.’” (quote courtesy of BillyBall.com)

 Game 5 of the 1920 World Series is also remarkable in that the first ever WS Grand Slam was hit, by the Naps Elmer Smith in the first inning, and that Naps pitcher Jim Bagby, the winning pitcher, hit a 3-run HR, the first pitcher to ever hit a HR in a WS game.

That's gotta be one of the great World Series games ever, regardless of the lopsided 8-1 Naps win.

Wambsganns post big league days included managing the Muskegon Lassies of the AAGPBL.

Happy Birthday Bill...Play Ball!!

Hammerin' Hank on Twitter

One of the best things about Twitter is the amount of baseball coverage you get.

From MLB, every one of the 32 teams , the media, the fans, and the players, both current big leaguers and retired players make Twitter a great place to follow baseball.

Just a few minuets ago I saw this tweet from +MLB

MLB ‏@MLB

This is HUGE. Let's give a warm Twitter welcome to the one and only @HenryLouisAaron!

Yes, Hammerin' Hank Aaron has joined Twitter... @HenryLouisAaron 

Many baseball fans still consider Hank Aaron the All-Time Home Run Leader, and I can't blame anyone, myself included, who do.

This was Hank's first Tweet...

Hank Aaron ‏@HenryLouisAaron

I am officially on Twitter! I won’t be posting a lot, but look forward to sharing with you.”

I hope the Hammer Tweets on baseball quite a bit, that would be a great thing.

Today's Baseball Birthday...Pete Reiser

Today is St. Patrick's Day, but instead of green, we go Brooklyn Dodger Blue and celebrate the birthday of former National League batting champion Pete Reiser.

 It seems to me that Pete Resier is the forgotten man in the era of the great Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1940s and 1950s.

With great ball players like Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Don Newcombe, Gil Hodges, and Roy Campanella, the former Dodgers outfielder is often overlooked.

Resier made his big league debut as a Dodger on July 23rd, 1940, playing in 58 games, collecting 66 hits.

1941 made Reiser a household name in Faltbush.

Playing in 137 games, Pete led the N.L. in runs, triples, slugging percentage, total bases, hit by pitches, and batting average, a cool .343 in 601 plate appearances.

That .343 BA made him the first rookie to ever lead the N.L. in hitting.

After hitting .310 in 1942 Resier served in the U.S. Army, in WWII, during the 43-44-45 seasons.

Reiser returned in 1946 to lead the N.L. in stolen bases, with 34, his second straight year (1942 also) leading the N.L.

Pete Reiser only knew one way to play baseball, and that was full steam ahead, and his aggressive, all out play caused many an injury, including having to be taken off on a stretcher quite a few times.

Many knowledgeable baseball people, including Reiser's Dodger Manager, Leo Durocher, think his many injuries kept Pete from being one of the great players of the era.

Leo Durocher once said of Reiser..."Pete had more power than Willie(Mays) — left-handed and right-handed both. He had everything but luck."

Pete played for the Dodgers through the 1948  season, then played for the Boston Braves in '49-'50, the Pittsburgh Pirates in '51 and the Cleveland Indians in '52.

In 10 big league seasons, in 861 games, Peter Reiser played in three All-Star Games, hit .295, with 58 home runs and 368 RBI.

Happy Birthday Pete!

Happy Baseball Birthday...Tom Bradley

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday! wishes have a local Jacksonville flavor.

Tom Bradley turns 66 years young today.

Bradley played college baseball at Maryland and pitched in the big leagues from 1969-1975, for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, and San Francisco Giants.

In 183 appearances Tom finished with a 55-61 record, with a 3.72 ERA.

"The controlled breaking pitch that (Johnny) Sain teaches already has saved me in a couple of games and it's certainly easier on my arm, and easier to control than the full curve or regular slider." - Tom Bradley in Baseball Digest (August 1971)...from Baseball Almanac

I first became familiar with Tom Bradley when I moved to Jacksonville 32 years ago.

Bradley was the Manager of the Jacksonville University Men's Baseball team, and for 12 years he guided the Dolphins to a 432-291-5 record.

JU has always put a competitive team on the field, and Bradley was the man who started the building of the foundation that is Dolphins baseball.

Over the years the Dolphins have played in 14 NCAA Baseball Regionals...that's a pretty big deal when you have to go against Florida, Florida State, and Miami every year for ballplayers.

JU has had 34 All-American's, and have sent 9 players to the big leagues.

You can follow Dolphins Baseball on Twitter here... @JUBaseball

Happy Birthday Tom...Go Dolphins!

Home Runs and the Pope

I just saw a Jason Stark link over on Twitter, and I just had to share it.

With the election of Pope Francis I, Dan Connolly at the Baltimore Sun, a Catholic, wrote a quite interesting post on baseball home runs and the Catholic leader.

Starting with Pope Pius IX in 1846, through Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, he gave a list of every HR champion during the reign of the 11 Pontiff's who've served since the beginning of big league baseball.

Here's just a couple of interesting Pope/HR stats...

...Babe Ruth is the only slugger to lead baseball in home runs over two different Pope's....

...Charley Jones hit the fewest home runs, 6, while a Pope held office.

The link above will take you to Dan's article.

Stuff like this is why baseball, and it's history, are second to none.

Play Ball!

Mexico-Canada WBC brawl(from MLB)

Courtesy of Major League Baseball, here's the video of the Mexilco-Canada brawl in Saturday's World Baseball Classic.

MLB sent this link from Twitter...

MLB ‏@MLB

Here's the brawl from tonight's Canada-Mexico game:http://atmlb.com/10wz2Tl