Bonus Baby Willie Crawford Needed the Minor Leagues + Trivia Contest

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Tim Nathan of Berkley, Michigan, who correctly answered the trivia question and then was selected in a random drawing. He correctly identified Felix Mantilla as hitting the second most home runs on the 1964 Boston Red Sox, with 30 behind Dick Stuart's 34. He receives a Starbucks Gift Card for his efforts. This week is a new week and a new Trivia Contest. The Prize this week again is a Starbucks Gift Card. 
NEW TRIVIA CONTEST:  IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card.  YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN, SO PLEASE READ ON.

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  How many Los Angeles Dodgers players were on the 1966 NL Pennant winners and who were also members of the Brooklyn Dodgers? You don't need to name them.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Felix Mantilla hit the second most home runs on the 1964 Boston Red Sox, with 30 behind Dick Stuart's 34.

Willie Crawford was a phenom coming out of high school in Los Angeles who probably would have benefited more if Major League Baseball had the foresight to have changed its rules to help young players. Crawford, the son of former UCLA D-Back Willie Crawford, didn't have quite the career the Dodgers envisioned.

NOTE: For point of clarity, Willie Crawford did play in the minor leagues for parts of seasons from 1964-1968. However, it was the bonus baby rule which kept him in the big leagues for parts of the first couple of seasons. The article is meant to discuss how the BB rule really hurt players careers by forcing clubs to "force feed them." Thank you. 

He was a stud at Fremont High School. He had 9.7 speed in the 100-yard dash and could hit a baseball a ton. To say he was highly recruited as a running back by major colleges including those in Los Angeles, was an understatement. However, the Dodgers took notice too. Tommy Lasorda signed the budding star to a $100,000 Bonus Contract two days after he graduated high school.

Here is the rub. MLB rules at the time for Bonus Baby signings stated the player had to be on the roster and play that season and the next season. It was 1964 when Crawford made his much anticipated major league debut. He should have been in the minors, at least no lower than AA. He was barely 18, celebrating his 18th birthday a week earlier. Few, if any youngsters are ready for the limelight of the big leagues as teens, especially not in front of 56,000 in Los Angeles.

 He made his debut on September 16, 1964 as a fifth inning pinch-hitter for Jim Brewer against the Pirates Vern Law. Crawford popped out weakly to shortstop Dick Schofield. Three days later as a pinch runner he scored his first big league tally. A couple of games later he was again used as a runner. Eight days after making his first appearance he got his first hit; a pinch hit single off Larry Jackson. He would get 14 more at bats in September with four more hits to finish with a .313 BA, a stolen base and a caught stealing.

Over the next three years he would garner only 5 hits in 62 games in the big leagues.  Again, he should have been in the minor leagues to stay. The only bonus was, he was close to home. It was 1969 before he finally got to play on what can be considered a regular basis, with 129 games and 389 AB's. He batted .247 with 11 home runs. 

Crawford would do better in the 1970's hitting 14 homers and batting .295 in 1973. He was traded several times, and after a 14 year career ended with 86 homers and a lifetime .268 batting average. For all his speed it is hard to imagine Willie Crawford ended his career with 47 stolen bases in 83 attempts, or less than four steals per year on average. High lights of his career included getting the only two hits off Gary Nolan of the Reds in a 4-0 loss, and a pinch hit and a stolen base in the 1965 World Series against Minnesota.

Crawford died at the age of 57 of kidney disease. He is buried in Los Angeles.

TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a Starbucks Gift Card. Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries.  Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
                             SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com  
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Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book "Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

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

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. 

Dr. Strange Glove or the Slugger + TRIVIA

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Rich Klein of Dallas, Texas, who correctly answered last weeks Trivia Question that Wally Moon's first at bat Home Run came as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Rich is the winner of the PSA Graded 6 Wally Moon Topps 1960 baseball card.  Thank you for everyone who participated and this week you are playing for a Starbucks Gift Card by answering the next trivia question. Instructions on how to enter are directly below. Thank you to the many who submitted winning answers. This week is a new week and a new Trivia Contest.
 
NEW TRIVIA CONTEST:  IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card.  YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN, SO PLEASE READ ON.

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  Dick Stuart led the 1964 Boston Red Sox with 33 home runs. Who was second on the club with 30?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Former big leaguer Wally Moon, recognized by many for his home runs at the Los Angeles Coliseum as the "Moon Shots," recorded a home run in his first at bat. It came as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals during the season in which he was named NL Rookie of the Year. 

Mention the name Dick Stuart and you get two reactions; 1) Dr. Strangeglove & 2) Home runs. Both are warranted and you might say well deserved reputations. Even looking at the lifetime statistics and the history of players at his position, one has to agree both titles fit.

Stuart came up in the late 1950's and immediately became a hit, a home run hit with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Through the 1960's the dual reputation was aptly applied.  While platooning with Rocky Nelson at first base for the pennant winning 1960 club, he smacked 23 homers. The following season was the first time he cracked 30 in the big leagues (which he did three times) by banging 35 while batting .301.

Hitting 35 home runs was no easy task in spacious Forbe's Field. Remarkably, his split home and away was pretty close. He hit 16 at home and 19 on the road. Stuart's hitting prowess would continue but the Bucs had an up and coming slugger named Donn Clendenon, who was being groomed to play first.  

After the 1962 season in which he slumped badly to .228 and only 16 home runs, the Pirates shipped him to Boston along with pitcher Jack Lamabe for reliever Don Schwall and catcher Jim Pagliaroni. It was a trade which benefited both clubs. Pagliaroni became the Bucs regular catcher for a few years and Stuart took advantage of the Green Monster in Boston. Lamabe and Schwall had less than spectacular careers and bounced around after the trade.

In his first season in Boston, Stuart slugged 42 homers and led the league in RBI with 118. The interesting thing about this particular season is Stuart hit 25 of his 42 home runs in Boston, 17 on the road, but 37 of the 42 came off right-handed pitching! It must be remembered because of the Wall in left, opposing clubs rarely started leftys against the Red Sox.

He followed it up in 1964 with 33 dingers and 114 RBI before he was sent to the Phillies for pitcher Dennis Bennett. His 28 homers were second only to Johnny Callison on the 1965 Phils. It was his last productive year. He finished up with short stints on the Mets, Dodgers and Angels before calling it a career in 1969.

When it comes to Stuart's prowess as a fielder, seven times he led his league in errors committed at first base. His lifetime fielding average was a paltry .983. Perhaps more importantly he is listed as no. 42 on the all time list of first baseman with the most errors in a career with 169. Before you jump to any conclusions; ahead of him on that list are Lou Gehrig, Willie McCovey, Sunny Jim Bottomley, Andres Galarraga and Charles Comiskey. All had longer careers than Stuart however. 

For the record, Stuart belted 228 homers in what amounted to 10 seasons in the big leagues, batting .264 and committing 169 errors, while striking out more than 100 times in seven different seasons. He never won a Gold Glove, but he did get MVP votes on multiple occasions.  In the minor leagues twice he hit 30 or more home runs and in 1956 while playing A-Ball in Lincoln he set the minor league record with 66. The following year he hit 45.

TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a Starbucks Gift Card. Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries.  Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
                             SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com  
 ==========================================================
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book "Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

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

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. 

The Indians Revolving Door + You Can Win Again Trivia!

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Timothy Nathan of Berkley, Michigan, who correctly answered last weeks Trivia Question that HOF Sportscaster Dick Enberg coached baseball at San Fernando Valley State College (later changed to Cal State Northridge). Timothy is the winner of a $10 Starbucks Gift Card which will go out to him today. Thank you for everyone who participated and this week you are going for a 1960 Topps Wally Moon baseball card graded PSA 6. Instructions on how to enter are directly below. Thank you to the many who submitted winning answers. This week is a new week and a new Trivia Contest.
 
NEW TRIVIA CONTEST:  IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A PSA GRADED 6, 1960 Topps Wally Moon baseball card.  YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN, SO PLEASE READ ON. This is the card you will win.

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  WallyMoon hit a home run in his very first at bat in the major leagues against the Chicago Cubs. For what team was Moon playing when he hit that homer?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: HOF Sportscaster Dick Enberg coached baseball at San Fernando Valley State College (later changed to Cal State Northridge).

Managers come and managers go and while most teams look for stability from their field generals the early 1960s Cleveland Indians had nothing like it. From 1960-1964, the Tribe went through no less than seven different managers. The club finished no higher than fourth and no lower than sixth during the span with an average of 78 wins a year for a .480 winning percentage. 

The decade started with holdover manager (he took over the Indians in 1959) Joe Gordon. Gordon announced he was quitting in 1959 after continued battles with GM Frank Lane. Lane fired him, but rehired him when negotiations with Leo Durocher broke down.

Then he was traded to Detroit in a trade of field skippers for Jimmy Dykes after 95 games.  Jo-Jo White took over for one game (a win) until Dykes arrived to run the club. Dykes lasted through all but one game of the 1961 season and with the Tribe 30 games out of first place he was gone. He was replaced for the final game by Mel Harder, who like White before him managed one game and took the team to a lone victory.

Management decided on Mel McGaha for the 1962 season and approaching 16 games out again, with two games left in the season, they reached for Harder again, and again he was undefeated. Birdie Tebbetts, with an allegiance to Indians GM Gabe Paul, signed a three year deal to take over the reigns in 1963 and managed (no pun intended) to stick around for the entire season. 

However, during spring training in 1964 Tebbetts suffered a heart attack but did return to take over the club in three months time. George Strickland ran the club in his absence and took the Tribe into first place by the end of April. They were there for almost two weeks, but soon Cleveland showed it's true form. A six game losing streak in May sent the club spiraling and was just 33-39 when Tebbetts returned. Much to Indians fans chagrin, they still finished 20 games out of first place. 

Tebbetts lasted until about two thirds of the way through the 1966 season. When the club was 15 games back of the league leading Orioles, he resigned in August. Strickland was called upon again to finish out the season. 

The most successful of the Cleveland managers during the five year run was definitely Mel Harder whom no one could fault for his 3-0 record. He was fired after the 1963 season, having spent the first 36 years of his adult life in Cleveland, much of it as a coach developing players such as Sam McDowell. Joe Adcock managed for one year in 1967 before Al Dark took over and stayed for the elongated tenure of four years!

  TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a 1960 Topps Wally Moon graded PSA 6 baseball card. Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries.  Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
                             SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com  
 ==========================================================
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book

"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

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

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. 

An Old Style Comeback & You Can Win Too!

STARTING THIS WEEK:  IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A "STARBUCKS" GIFT CARD, OR IN SOME WEEKS IT WILL BE A DIFFERENT PRIZE SUCH AS A PSA GRADED BASEBALL CARD FROM THE 1960s. YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN, SO PLEASE READ ON.
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TRIVIA QUESTION:  From 1961-1965 Hall of Fame Sports Broadcaster Dick Enberg coached a college baseball team. Which school's baseball team did he coach? (Hint: at the time it had a different name than it does now.)

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: The 1966 California Angels had several players hit home runs in double figures but none were better that season than 38 year old Joe Adcock in his final year as a player in the big leagues. The former Braves slugger went deep 18 times in only 231 AB. Translated its one in less than every 13 at bats!

NOTE: I wanted to write an article in the style of the great old sportswriters from a bygone era. With apologies to Grantland Rice, Red Smith and so many others who have laid the groundwork for us, here is my own version...therefore there will "no links" and "no video," but I will insert photos because I know readers enjoy them.
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Very few of the faithful were still around when the dust settled in Detroit in the contest between the locals and the Kansas City nine. The game was lackluster most of the way, inning after inning and by the time the final frame was played, most of the 8,947 who paid their way through the turnstiles had left the friendly confines of Tiger Stadium. Some stayed to cheer on local boy, Denny McLain who the previous season posted 31 wins for the pennant winning Tigers.

In the final analysis it was a pair of former Baltimore Orioles cast offs who did most of the damage, along with a journeyman catcher who supplied the fireworks which led to Detroit's final inning downfall.

The two starting pitchers, McLain and his opposite member Bill Butler matched each other pitch for pitch through the first four innings. Butler faltered in the fifth however. The visitors were trailing 2-1 as the Royals could only muster a single run driven across by Chuck Harrison. Detroit had catapulted to the lead on a home run ball struck by back up catcher Jim Price, and led 2-1.

In the fifth it was the old veteran Al Kaline who plated center fielder Mickey Stanley with a hard hit double between the fielders in left center. Kaline would come around to score when Jim Northrup, he of the wide open stance, connected for a single driving Butler from the pitching box. The home club now led 4-1. When Dave Wickersham uncorked two wild pitches the bengals scored again, giving them what seemed like an insurmountable lead, 5-1.

An inning later light hitting Don Wert sent a Dave Morehead pitch deep into the outfield seats and the Tigers now had a commanding 6-1 lead. With McLain pitching it seemed a foregone conclusion, the locals would take this one from the upstart Royals. Many of the fans were now moving to the exits in hopes of beating the automobile traffic home in the land of GM and Chrysler. Too bad for them because the Royals had something more to say.

A Lou Pinniella solo shot brought the visitors to within four runs of the Tigers. In the ninth the Royals made their move. With the former 31 game winner still on the mound Ed Kirkpatrick led off the inning with a two base hit. A base on balls was issued to Piniella and after Joe Foy took three strikes, Big Bob Oliver singled to put runners on all three bags.

Light hitting Jerry Adair hit a ground ball which looked like it was going to be a twin killing but instead wound up being a force play at second base. Kirkpatrick scored to cut the Tigers lead in half. Harrison singled to bring Piniella home and that was it for McLain who had pitched brilliantly until the ninth frame.

Manager Mayo Smith called on ace reliever Dick Radatz, who stands 6'6" (230 lbs.) to put out the fire the Royals had ignited. The first batter he faced was Hawk Taylor. The utility man made quick work of a Radatz fast ball lacing it deep over the left center field wall for a three run home run. The blast put the Royals ahead 7-6 and ruined a fine pitching performance by McLain.

It wasn't quite over yet as the poet would say. Former Oriole youth Wally Bunker continued pitching into the bottom of the frame and with two outs the Tigers had men on all three bases. One of them was Gates Brown. Brown is widely considered by most baseball men to be the best pinch hitter in the game. It was as a pinch hitter he kept the inning alive with a single.

Royals manager Joe Gordon had seen enough and went to his bullpen for another former Oriole's thrower, Moe Drabowsky. Drabowsky flashed the old form he'd shown in the 1966 World Series and quickly got slugger Jim Northrup to ground out to end the game.

Bunker picked up his first victory of 1969 to take his record to 1-2, while Drabowsky earned his fourth Save of the young season. Radatz was saddled with the loss, his second in three decisions. First baseman Harrison collected four hits in the game as Tiger pitchers could not keep him off base. It was a tough loss for McLain who would go on to follow up his 31 win season with 24 victories in this year of expansion to close out the decade.

TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a "Starbucks" Gift Card. Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the gift card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries.  Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
                             SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com  
 ====================================================================
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book

"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

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

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. 

17 Innings, Angels-Indians, Oh What a Relief It Is

TRIVIA QUESTION:  Which aging slugger led the Angels in home runs in 1966?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Mickey Mantle's career began in the 1951 season and while he would go onto smack 536 home runs over the course of his playing days, his rookie season saw his lowest HR total. His 13 dingers in 1951 was his all time career low. 

In today's major league world starting pitchers rarely go past six innings. Relievers struggle to go more than one inning. On May 31, 1966 the Angels and the Indians saw something rarely ever seen in baseball before or since. Reliever Steve Hargan worked 10 innings for the Tribe, reliever and usual short man Bob Lee went seven for California. The game was a 17 inning marathon which started as a night game in Anaheim.

The Indians would get used to playing extra inning affairs in 1966. They played in 17 of them with two going 15 innings. None however matched the game on the last day of May. Sonny Siebert started for Cleveland and Marcelino Lopez took the mound for the home club. Lopez barely survived the third inning, giving up four runs on four hits, capped by a three run blast by Chico Salmon. Howie Reed came on the fourth.

The Angels finally got to Siebert in the 7th. Trailing 4-2, a two-out pinch double by Frank Malzone preceded a two run homer by Jose Cardenal. A wild pitch was mixed in between the two events. Manager Birdie Tebbitts had seen enough. He brought in reliable swing man Steve Hargan who gave up a single to Jim Fregosi and a wild pitch with Rick Reichardt standing at the plate, before Reichardt went down on a third strike.

Bob Lee took over for aging Lew Burdette who had come on in relief of Reed. Hargan however was the man of the hour. He stayed in to pitch and for 10 innings held the Angels at bay.  He would give up only six singles over the next nine-plus innings heading into the 17th.

Lee matched him pitch for pitch. He gave up but a pair of singles and at one point put down 18 batters in a row. It was about all Lee, usually a hard throwing short reliever, had in the tank. Manager Bill Rigney called upon his ace starter Dean Chance to help out in the 15th. Chance was up to the task until the roof caved in early the next morning in the 17th.

With one out, Vic Davalillo and Chuck Hinton singled. Leon Wagner came up to pinch hit for Tony Martinez and drew an intentional walk. With the bases jammed, Pedro Gonzales singled to drive in a run. Hargan stepped to the plate. Why after 10 innings of relief pitching would Tebbitts send Wagner to pinch hit for Martinez and not Hargan is a question which remains controversial. Whatever the reasoning it worked.

Chance wild pitched across another run, and ending up walking Hargan to load the bases again. The Indians now led 6-4. When Chance walked Jim Landis to score the 7th run, Rigney had seen enough. Jim McGlothlin was called into the record the final out. 

To start the bottom of the 17th Hargan got both Fregosi and Reichardt but gave up a single to Willie Smith. When Tom Satriano singled and Smith scored all the way from first base to make it 7-5, Tebbitts finally pulled Hargan in favor of starter Luis Tiant who got the final out.

Four hours and 58 minutes after the game started, it was over. The Indians and Steve Hargan (1-2) were victorious. Hargan went 10 innings, gave up nine hits, a walk and struck out nine Angels. Chance took the loss (3-6) despite the performance of Bob Lee who pitched seven shutout innings, giving up just two hits.

Not many of the 14,255 fans stuck around for the finale on Wednesday morning but traffic was probably pretty light when they left the Big A. Every non-pitcher who started for both teams had at least one hit except for Reichardt, who drew the collar, going 0-8 on the night. He was batting .296 at the time. He would end up at .288.

The next night the Angels lost to the Orioles 9-7, while the Indians flew back to Kansas City and played that same night, losing 8-3 to the A's in a short game. The plane ride was likely a quiet one with most players unable to keep their eyes open. 

Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book

"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

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

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column.