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!!

Rick Porcello thanks baseball fans

Detroit Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello may have finished third in the #FinalVote this week, but he finished #1 with Tigers fans in a letter to baseball fans across the country.

Oh, and he joined Twitter as well... @RickPorcello

Keep voting for Porcello/Rizzo

#PickRick

#VoteRizzo

Happy Baseball Birthday...Jimmy Duggan

Today we celebrate the Happy Baseball Birthday! of former big league slugger Jimmy Duggan.

Jimmy Duggan hit 58 homers in 1936.

Jimmy hit 3 World Series home runs,  2 in Game 4 alone.

Famous Jimmy Duggan quotes include "there's no crying in 

baseball," "avoid the clapp...that's good advice," and "baseball is hard...if it was easy anyone could do it."

Jimmy led the Rockford Peaches to the Inaugural All American Girls Professional Baseball League World Series.

Happy Baseball Birthday Jimmy Duggan!  

OK, it's really Tom Hanks birthday.

The Academy Award winning actor played Jimmy Duggan in the movie A League of their Own."

Tom Hanks  was born in Oakland, California, on July 9, 1956, in Concord.

Tom loves baseball and is a fan of his hometown Oakland Athletics. 

Happy Baseball Birthday Tom Hanks!

#PickRick #VoteRizzo

Time for the annual #FinalVote to chose the final two spots for this year's big league All-Star Game next Tuesday at Target Field in Minneapolis.

As a Detroit Tigers fan I will be doing my due diligence by voting for Tigers RHP Rick Porcello.

Also, the Tigers have teamed up with the Chicago Cubs in the National League for first baseman Anthony Rizzo.

So, it's #PickRick and #VoteRizzo for my fingers as much as I can until the 4pm deadline on Thursday.

You can text as well... for Porcello text "A3" to 89269, text "N4" for Rizzo.

Go to MLB.com to vote or go through the MLB AT BAT APP.

Between Noon and 4pm on Thursday you can hash tag your choice, #PickRick, or #VoteRizzo as many times as you can.

#PickRick

#VoteRizzo

Play Ball!

Happy Baseball Birthday... Gordy Coleman

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday is former big league first baseman Gordy Coleman.

Gordon Calvin Coleman was born on July 5, 1934, in Rockville, Maryland.

Gordy went to Richard Montgomery High School, were he lettered in baseball, basketball, and football.

Gordy went on to play baseball and football at Duke University, and was signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in 1953.

Gordy played minor league baseball in the Indians system before serving in the United States Army in 1957-58.

In 1959 Coleman returned to the minors, playing for the Indians affiliate in Mobile, Alabama.

With the Bears in '59 Coleman won the Southern Association Triple Crown, batting .353, with 30 home runs and 110 RBI.

Gordy Coleman made his big league debut for the Tribe on September 18, 1959, smacking a triple off the Kansas City Athletics Bob Grimm for his first big league hit.

Before the 1960 season Coleman was traded, along with Billy Martin, to the Cincinnati Reds.

Coleman would play the next 767 games of his big league career with the Reds.

The 6'3'' first baseman was a mainstay with Cincinnati from 1960-67, compiling a terrific .990 fielding percentage, handling 5,393 chances.

Coleman hit .271 with the Reds, collecting 642 base hits, with 102 doubles and 98 home runs, with 385 RBI, scoring 277 runs.

Gordy played his final game in the big leagues, for the Reds, on May 3, 1967.

After his playing career Gordy worked in the Reds front office, and on Reds TV broadcasts from 1990 until his death in 1994, from a heart attack, at age 59.

Gordy Coleman is in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

It's a honor to wish a Happy Baseball Birthday to Gordy Coleman.

PLAY BALL!

"The Luckiest Man..."

Sports Illustrated...July 7 Double Issue

Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, is one of the regional covers for the July 7th Double Issue of Sports Illustrated.

We love baseball on magazine covers...

Let's Play Two!

@SInow on Twitter.

Happy Canada Day!

Today is Canada Day, and to so I thought I'd give our friends up north a shout out by posting about Canadian born and  former Jacksonville Expos and big league outfielder Larry Walker.

Larry Walker was born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, and was signed to a contract as a amateur free agent by the Montreal Expos in 1984.

Walker played on one of the best Southern League teams of All-Time, the 1987 Jacksonville Expos,

Walker played in 128 games for the JaxPos, batting .287, collecting 136 base hits, 25 doubles, 7 triples, 36 home runs, and 83 RBI.

Walker also  walked 67 times, stole 24 bases, scored 91 runs, and had a .534 slugging percentage.

The JaxPos were 85-59 in 1987, winning the Southern League Southern Division.

Walker went on to a 17 year big league career for the Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals.

The 1997 National League Most Valuable Player, Walker was a five time All-Star, a winner of 7 Gold Gloves, and a three time N. L. Batting Champion.

Walker was lifetime .313 hitter, collected 2, 160 hits, smacked 383 home runs, and had 1,311 RBI.

If you're on Twitter, you can follow the former MVP at  @cdnmooselips33

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

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!