Pete Mikkelsen - Rent A Pitcher

 

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to last weeks question was Bob Brill, as an 11 year-old in his first year in the majors in San Fernando Little League, struck out his first 12 times he came to the plate. His 13th time up he got an infield hit, stole second, scored a run and also had an assist playing third base in the field. It was a tough season. Two of you got the correct answer. The Prize: 40 points toward the person's total.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: You will still be required to enter the drawing as usual. However,  through the end of 2024 you will get points depending on the complexity of the questions. Enter each week and correct answers will get those points-one guess per person per week. The reader with the most points after the years final column will get a $50 Starbucks Gift Card. Ties will be placed into a drawing. Questions will be worth anywhere from 10-25 points depending on degree of difficulty. Questions will be more difficult as the year goes on, so you are never really out of the mix. Tell your friends and sports fans who like trivia. We will keep track of your points. - YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN.

NEW TRIVIA QUESTION:  In 1950 five Major League teams won 90+ games. What was the average won-loss record for MLB that season?  Total 30 Points.

 The 1964 New York Yankees did everything right except win the World Series, falling to the Cardinals and Ken Boyer. It would be the last season of the Yankee Dynasty, winning 99 games for Yogi Berra. The big three cracked 88 home runs between them, led by Mickey Mantle's 35, Roger Maris had 26 and Joe Pepitone added 28. But this story is not about the top players, it's about a relief pitcher who became a rent-a-player.

                                 

Pete Mikkelsen was the closer for the Yankees with 12 Saves. In the World Series he pitched in four games, finished three and did not Save any. He did lose his only decision and had a 5.79 ERA, giving up a three run homer to Tim McCarver as the low-light of his WS experience. He would play most of one more season in New York, and started three games while making making 41 appearances. As the Yankees started their slide into oblivion, he was sent to Pittsburgh which needed relief help.

In the off season he was dealt for long-time Pirate Bob Friend. The season was one in which the Pirates blossomed as a phenomenal hitting team. Unfortunately for Buc fans, there was very little pitching.  Mikkelsen became the Closer, Saving 14 games with a 3.07 ERA. The next season he was let go during the year and was picked up by the Cubs. He would pitch in only 11 games before he was traded to the Cardinals in a four player swap involving Jack Lamabe. 

When the season ended he was dealt to the Dodgers where he finished out his career. In his short lived Cardinals season he pitched 16 innings in five games with an ERA of 1.13. He found a home in Los Angeles, pitching in four seasons and finished 24-17, and in two of those years his ERA was under 3.00, with 20 total Saves. 

He never made it back to the post season and died in 2006 at the age of 67. While his career was never of All-Star caliber he'll be remembered as a player who contributed, especially in Pittsburgh.

TRIVIA CONTEST; 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 the end of the calendar year based on the total points acquired via weekly contests.

                              brillpro@gmail.com 
 ==========================================================
I've written more than a dozen books including at least two sports books. You can find these at my Amazon page or 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.

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 books after reading this column.  

Just a note to add; If you look at the top right hand corner of the side bar you will see a link to daily sports scores. We made an agreement with Baseball 24 in a mutual sharing situation. Hope its helpful to fans of several sports.

 

The World Series Which Might Have Been

 

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to last weeks question was Bob Brill hit one home run in his four-year Little League career. It was mentioned in my book (above) and more than one person said that is where they found the answer, while others gave it a good and proper guess. The Prize: 60 points toward the person's total.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: You will still be required to enter the drawing as usual. However,  through the end of 2024 you will get points depending on the complexity of the questions. Enter each week and correct answers will get those points-one guess per person per week. The reader with the most points after the years final column will get a $50 Starbucks Gift Card. Ties will be placed into a drawing. Questions will be worth anywhere from 10-25 points depending on degree of difficulty. Questions will be more difficult as the year goes on, so you are never really out of the mix. Tell your friends and sports fans who like trivia. We will keep track of your points. - YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN.

NEW TRIVIA QUESTION:  So you think you were pretty good at finding the answers when you can't Google it, here is another shot for you. In Bob Brill's first year in the Little League majors he came to bat 13 times for the San Fernando White Sox. How many times did he strike out as an 11 year old that season? Total 40 Points.

One can only wonder what the 1967 World Series would have been if not for one pitch. A pitch which hit Boston Red Sox slugger Tony Conigliaro in the face. It did not bring Tony C.'s career to a complete end, but it ended the dreams which could have been, not only for the player but for the Boston Faithful.

Conigliaro was having a fantastic year on a fantastic club, batting behind the ultimate player in Carl Yastrzemski. Yaz would go on to win the Triple Crown batting in front of Conigliaro. Conigliaro was on the rise, he had slugged 20 homers in just 95 games while driving in 67, and batting .287. 

Then on August 18th, the Red Sox were facing the Angels and Jack Hamilton. Conigliaro was hit by a pitch on his left cheekbone and was carried off the field on a stretcher. He sustained a linear fracture of the left cheekbone and a dislocated jaw with severe damage to his left retina. The batting helmet he was wearing did not have the protective ear-flap which has since become standard.  

The Sox were 10 games over .500 at the time after winning the game 3-2. Perhaps spurred on by the loss of their young slugger, the club went on a winning streak. They went on to win six in a row and 12 of the next 15 games. They led by 1.5 games and played outstanding baseball the rest of the season. So did the Minnesota Twins who faced the Sox on the final day of the season needing a win. Boston, behind Cy Young Winner Jim Lonborg beat the Twins and 20-game winner Dean Chance 5-3 to clinch the pennant.

They would face the powerful Cardinals in the World Series.  With Tony C., out, manager Dick Williams was forced to play Hawk Harrelson and Jose Tartabull in right field. In four games Harrelson had one hit in 13 at bats driving in one run and batting .077. Tartabull had only two hits in 13 at bats, scored one run and batted .154. They combined to go 0-fror-5 in Game 7. Certainly one would assume Conigilaro would have done somewhat, if not much better. Red Sox dreams would have to wait for nearly 40 more years.

Conigiliaro would not live to see a Red Sox championship. He died in 1990 at the age of 45. After sitting out the 1968 season he came back in 1969 and 1970 with two really solid seasons. He was named Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts in 1969 smacking 20 home runs and followed it up with 36. A year later with the Angels and back to Boston for the final season, he retired in 1975 at the age of 30.

Hamilton was traded to the Indians after the season and then to the White Sox, and retired after the 1969 season, also at the age of 30. He died in 2018. Neither one of them ever played in the post season. 

TRIVIA CONTEST; 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 the end of the calendar year based on the total points acquired via weekly contests.

                              brillpro@gmail.com 
 ==========================================================
I've written more than a dozen books including at least two sports books. You can find these at my Amazon page or 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.

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 books after reading this column.  

Just a note to add; If you look at the top right hand corner of the side bar you will see a link to daily sports scores. We made an agreement with Baseball 24 in a mutual sharing situation. Hope its helpful to fans of several sports.