Baseball in the 1960's: February 2022

Monday, February 28, 2022

Randy Hundley Makes Giants Look Bad

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Steve Bailey of Rochester University, who correctly stated the batter Cesar Tovar struck out in the game where he played all nine positions, was Reggie Jackson. The Prize: Starbucks Gift Card.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: By answering the TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY you are automatically entered into a weekly drawing for a Starbucks Gift Card. YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN. Don't forget to put your mailing address in with the answer so if you win we can send you the gift card in the mail.

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NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: Randy Hundley caught two no-hitters. Who were the two pitchers?

ANSWER to the Trivia question in the previous column: Cesar Tovar struck out rookie outfielder, Reggie Jackson in the game where he played all nine positions in a nine inning game. NOTE: The only other player to play all nine positions in a game was in the game as well; Campy Campaneris of the Athletics.

Few people remember when the San Francisco Giants had too many good players at a key position, they traded off one of them who would become an outstanding major league player with the Cubs. Randy Hundley was signed originally by the Giants. However, they also had Tom Haller up front, Dick Dietz waiting in the wings and a very capable Bob Barton on the bench. Quite frankly, they needed pitching more than an up and coming catcher. A two fold mistake for San Francisco.

After a couple of cups of coffee in 1964-1965, Hundley was sent packing to Chicago along with Bill Hands for Lindy McDaniel and outfielder Don Landrum. McDaniel had one great season, Landrum was pretty much finished and Hands would win 92 games for the Cubs. He won 20 in one of those seasons. Hundley nearly was voted Rookie of the Year in what turned out to be a terrible trade for the Giants and a steal for Chicago.

Hundley started immediately with 19 homers and a .236 average. Defensively he would have better seasons and in fact was one of the best defensive catchers in the NL in the era. His 16 Passed Balls probably kept him from ROY honors. He went on to become an all-star and won a Gold Glove. He never approached double figures in PB's again.

He would play 14 seasons in the big leagues including 10 with the Cubs. Three times he hit the double figure mark in homers and while he never hit for average, his mainstay was handling Cubs pitchers. Many of them won 20 games with him behind the plate, including Hands and Fergie Jenkins.

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Monday, February 21, 2022

Cesar Tovar; Full Time Utility Player

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Johnny Rollins of Jasper, AL, who correctly stated the first batter Steve Carlton faced in his MLB career was the Cubs' George Altman, whom he walked. The Prize: Starbucks Gift Card.

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NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: In the game in which Cesar Tovar pitched in 1968, who was the only batter he struck out in the only inning he hurled in a big league game?

ANSWER to the Trivia question in the previous column: Steve Carlton walked the first batter he ever faced and that was Cubs outfielder, George Altman.

If there ever was a player who could be called a "super utility player" it would have to be Cesar Tovar of the 1966 Minnesota Twins. It was his rookie year. There are plenty of name players who moved around the diamond including Dick Schofield, Denis Menke, Bert Campaneris and anyone who played on the 1962 Mets. As for Tovar he was so valuable he played in 134 games and batted 465 times, fourth highest on the team. The only players who came to the plate more often were Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva and Zoilo Versalles.

Tovar played four positions. He spent 74 games at second, 34 at short and 24 in the outfield including 20 in center field. He also came in the pinch (running and hitting) in seven more games. He did commit 14 errors but only a few compared to the 35 booted by Versalles who was coming off his MVP season.

So valuable was Tovar he earned the right to become a starter the following season. He only batted .260 in 1966, but just one year later he would finish 7th in the AL MVP race. That season he led the American League in Games, Plate Appearances and At Bats. So much for utility status, or was it? In 1967 he played 35 games at second base, 72 at third, nine at short and 74 in the outfield. Rarely had this kind of versatility been seen of a "regular" player and a "league leader."

When he retired after 12 seasons he had earned MVP votes in five of them. He also, at various times, led the league in doubles, triples, caught stealing, hit by pitch and in 1971 sat atop the AL with 204 base hits.

Oh, and in 1968 he was even the starting pitcher in a game. He went on to play every other position in that game becoming only the second player in MLB history to accomplish the feat. He did it against the A's and Campaneris. Campaneris was the other player to play nine positions in a game.

Tovar tossed one inning, walked one, struck out one and issued a balk. He got no decision. Now that is utility. Tovar died at age 54 in 1994. A moment of silence was requested that night at the Twins game in the Metrodome.

Monday, February 14, 2022

Steve Carlton Gets His Start

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Jacob Kribel of Canonsburg, PA, who correctly stated Dick Groat played for the Ft. Wayne Pistons of the NBA. The Prize: Starbucks Gift Card.

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NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: Steve Carlton made his major league debut against Chicago in 1965 and the only batter he faced, he walked. Who was that Cubs outfielder whom he walked?

ANSWER to the Trivia question in the previous column: Dick Groat played for the Ft. Wayne Pistons of the NBA.

Steve Carlton made his major league debut in a relief role April 12, 1965 and while he didn't pitch much that season he did get a couple of starts. He failed to get a win. On August 5, 1966 however, he proved "Lefty" had arrived.

The Cardinals were barely above .500 and the Mets were, well the Mets. Eleven games under .500 New York was playing out the string, but then again so was St. Louis. The Cards were a solid hitting team with some power and would show it in backing Carlton this day. Orlando Cepeda was the club's big gun along with Mike Shannon and Lou Brock. Curt Flood was his usual self and players such as Charlie Smith and Julian Javier were solid as well. They were two years removed from a World Series and one year away from another title. Carlton was just beginning.

He started off shaky, giving up six hits and tossing a wild pitch in the first five innings. Tito Francona had homered earlier for St. Louis but a fly ball out tied the game in the fifth. It was the only run the Mets would get.

In later innings Javier and Tim McCarver would also go deep. The Mets were held in check as Carlton settled down allowing only one hit and three walks the rest of the way, pitching a complete game victory 7-1. Interestingly enough, the future strikeout king only whiffed one batter in his first MLB win. Al Luplow watched as a third strike crossed the plate in the fourth inning.

Carlton would finish the year 3-3, with a 3.12 ERA. He started nine games and completed two, including one shutout. He struck out 25 batters in 52 innings. A far cry from what he would later do with the Phillies in becoming one of the most dominant pitchers of the era on his way to the Hall of Fame. He was a five time 20-game winner with 329 victories.

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