Royals Win No. 1

 

TRIVIA WINNER: The last home run in Milwaukee for the Milwaukee Braves before the team moved to Atlanta was hit by Gene Oliver.  

We will still provide a trivia question each week and we hope you participate even though there is no prize at the end. 

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NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the first player to go through the official arbitration process in Major League Baseball?

 Opening Day for the Kansas City Royals in 1969 was a success.  The first batter Royal's starter, Wally Bunker faced was Minnesota Twins outfielder, Ted Uhlaender who hit a flyball to right-fielder Bob Oliver for an out. He proceeded to set the side down in order, bringing the home team to bat for the first time since the A's left KC after the previous season. 

Lou Piniella led off for the Royals and smacked a double (the first of his four hits on the day). Jerry Adair singled him home and the Royals led 1-0. Tom Hall seemed on the ropes but set the rest of team down to end the inning. 

Graig Nettles homered off Bunker in the second to tie it 1-1, and that is where it stayed until Minnesota pushed across two runs in the 6th to take a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the inning the Royals scored two of their own, Piniella driving in one of them. It was 3-3. And there is stayed until the 12th. Bunker and Hall were long gone and a series of relievers took their turns. 

In the bottom of the 12th, with Joe Grzenda on the mound and one out, Joe Foy singled, moved to second on a Passed Ball and to third on a Wild Pitch. Bob Oliver was walked (it was the second intentional pass of the inning), and Joe Keough stepped up to the plate. Manager Billy Martin brought in Dick Woodson, normally a starter. Woodson gave up a single and the Royals had win no. 1 in franchise history. Moe Drabowsky got the win. They won the next day as well, and finished 59-63-1, in fourth place in the new AL West. 

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I've written more than a dozen books including at least two sports books. You can find these at my own website www.bobbrillbooks.com. Please take a look at the sports books, the western novel series or the "Tattoo Murder," which is a crime book set in Ventura, CA. The newest book is an international thriller called ":05 Seconds to Die."

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

The Menke Effect

 

TRIVIA WINNER: The former Dodger executive who wanted to sign Sandy Koufax but moved too slowly was Branch Rickey when he was the GM for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  

We will still provide a trivia question each week and we hope you participate even though there is no prize at the end. 

NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: Who hit the last home run in Milwaukee for the Milwaukee Braves before the team moved to Atlanta?.  

When it comes to steady players in the 1960s the word enigma comes to mind when discussing shortstop Denis Menke. Menke was pretty much a starting shortstop for the Braves, the Astros, and later in his career as a member of the Big Red Machine. He had flashes of real positives at the plate mixed in with some downers. He held his job despite probably being one of the worst fielding shortstops in the NL.

Menke came up with the Milwaukee Braves in 1962 as a 21 year old with some pop in his bat. In 1963 he became a starter with modest success, but in 1964 he became a start shortstop. By today's standards he'd likely get a 6-year contract worth $150 million. In reality back then he was making about $20,000 a year. That was far less than minimum wage today (Today at $15 an hour an employee makes about $31,000). When he signed with the Braves he was given a $175,000 bonus. That would be $1.6 million today.

In his breakout 1964 season he smacked 20 homers, batted .283 and drove in 65 Runs.  He rivaled many of the start shortstops of the era, and was well ahead of many as there were light hitters such as Roy McMillan, Hal Lanier and Al Weis around at the time. Where he did not shine is in the field. In 1964 he committed 25 errors at short and fielded a lowly .964. It became his trademark.

Weighted against a modern day statistic; Total Fielding Runs Above Average, Menke was horrible at -25. It makes a purist wonder how could they keep him on the field. He was moved around to second and third base occasionally but a natural shortstop, the era was a victim of him. He played, he hit and drove in runs but often gave up more than he drove in.

Menke was sent to Houston in a deal with Denny Lemaster which brought shortstop Sonny Jackson to Atlanta. He was later moved to Cincinnati in the massive and lopsided Joe Morgan deal. He would play behind Dave Concepcion there. He made the All-Star Team in 1969 and received a few votes for MVP despite making 24 errors and the following year made 28 errors but batted .304. It was his only .300 plus season. His lifetime BA was .250 with 101 homers over 13 seasons.

Menke would go on to coach in the minors and the majors with several teams. He died in 2020 at the age of 80. 

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I've written more than a dozen books including at least two sports books. You can find these at my own website www.bobbrillbooks.com. Please take a look at the sports books, the western novel series or the "Tattoo Murder," which is a crime book set in Ventura, CA. The newest book is an international thriller called ":05 Seconds to Die."

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

KOUFAX; Some of the Greatest Five Years Ever

 

 TRIVIA WINNER: Bob and Irish Meusel were the two brothers who stole a combined 256 bases in their 11 year careers. 50 points were awarded for correct answers which brings to a close this year's trivia contest. We have a winner. 

The winner is --Tim Fealy of Punta Gorda, Florida, with a total of 375 points. We will be sending him a $50 Starbucks Gift Card. Others right behind him Craig McGraw 360, Ken Levassuer 345 and Mickey Bauchan 335. This also brings to an end our Trivia Contest for points and gifts. We will still provide a trivia question each week and we hope you participate even though there is no prize at the end - Thank you very much. 

NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: Which former Dodger executive, now with another team, had first shot at signing Sandy Koufax but delayed offering him a contract? Name the Executive and the team.  TOTAL 50 POINTS. 

From 1961 - 1966 there were a lot great pitchers but really none could match the lefty from Brooklyn, Sandy Koufax. Bob Gibson was perhaps the toughest and meanest, Juan Marichal the trickiest, but Koufax was nearly unhittable at times.

Born New Year's Eve 1935, he was a gift to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Signed shortly after high School, he started his big league career at age 19, with side trips to Columbia, and Cincinnati Universities. His debut was June 24, 1955 facing Johnny Logan of the Braves who got a single. He walked Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews reached via an error, and struck out Bobby Thomson. It was his first strikeout. He'd retire after 2395 more. In that first game he pitched two scoreless innings in a Dodgers' loss, where he struck out two batters, giving up a lone hit. 

His four no-hitters, which included a perfect game, were evidence that on any given night, Koufax could not only shut out the opposition but leave them baffled with zero hits. The fact this writer got to watch him and meet him, I can attest he was among the most awesome in history.

His 1965 season was record breaking with 26-8, 27 complete games and 382 strike-outs. How do you better that? You do almost the same thing the next season; 27-9, 27 complete games and 317 strikeouts. His ERA went up from 1.93 to 2.07. However, his WHIP went from .0855 to .0985. Two of the most amazing back-to-back seasons in history. And his last due to arthritis in his elbow.

In 1963 he was 25-5. In the process he won three Cy Young Awards and a National League MVP. He was THE lefty of the 1960s. His retirement ended a five-year run in which he was 111-34, with a 1.95 ERA and 1444 K's.                             ===========================================================

I've written more than a dozen books including at least two sports books. You can find these at my own website www.bobbrillbooks.com. Please take a look at the sports books, the western novel series or the "Tattoo Murder," which is a crime book set in Ventura, CA. The newest book is an international thriller called ":05 Seconds to Die."

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment.