Why Bob Gibson told one of his St. Louis Cardinals pitchers that he should quit pitching

Bob Gibson never won any awards for having a friendly persona, especially when Joe Torre hired him as baseball's first "attitude" coach. In 1995, Torre brought Gibson along as his pitching coach with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bob Gibson / Wikimedia Commons

Queens native Allen Watson was a starting pitcher on the staff and shared a story of when an irate Gibson told one of his pitchers to quit during his tirade.

Read More

2017 Topps Heritage hooks hobbyists with a simple approach

Cut in the aesthetically pleasing style of the 1968 Topps design, Topps’ 2017 Heritage is a throwback to a season that was defined by the mound dominance of Bob Gibson and his miniscule 1.18 ERA. While the feel of the set doesn’t quite have the aggressiveness of Gibson’s fastball, it is the simplicity of the overall package that will attract collectors to this year’s issue.

While some of Topps’ other releases feel like a parade of bells and whistle with all kinds of shiny inserts, the traditional aspect of Topps Heritage is what keeps collectors coming back to this product. Nuances like the puzzles of Kris Bryant and Mike Trout on the back of the All-Star cards, as well as the action and letter variations are the right amount of diversity to make you pay attention to the details without losing sight of what brought you to the product in the first place.

Buster Posey Action Variation / Topps

A certain gem of 2017 Topps Heritage is the selections for the dual and triple Real-One autographed cards. Lucky individuals will garner a signed card of the fantasy Hall of Fame battery of Nolan Ryan and Johnny Bench. Others so fortunate will pull signed cards by three franchise Hall of Famers, with the Cardinals supplying Steve Carlton, Orlando Cepeda, and Lou Brock on the same card, while the Baltimore Orioles put out stalwarts Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Jim Palmer on another. These multi-signed cards are highly desirable pieces that could easily serve as the cornerstones of many hobbyists collections.

Nolan Ryan / Johnny Bench Dual Signed Card / Topps

Set collectors however, will face a major challenge in completing the 500-card set. The yield from the 24-pack box is well short of the fifty percent mark, further complicated by the 100 short printed cards at the end of the set. The box provided for this review only yielded eight short prints, which will undoubtedly force collectors to the secondary market to finish things off.

A selection of 2017 Topps Heritage Short Prints / Topps

A cool touch to the box provided for this review was the addition of a 1968 Topps buyback card, further connecting the past with the present as intended by the theme of the Heritage set. While hoping for one of the aforementioned dual autographs, this box yielded a Clubhouse Collection relic card of Miami Marlins slugging outfielder, Giancarlo Stanton.

Don McMahon 1968 Topps Buyback / Topps

Giancarlo Stanton Clubhouse Collection Relic / Topps

Despite the fact that a set will be difficult to build out of one, or even two boxes, the clean and simple design combined with the possibility of pulling a monumental autograph should push collectors to explore the depths of the 2017 Topps Heritage release well into the regular season.

 

Read More

Book Review: 'Ken Boyer: All-Star, MVP, Captain' by Kevin D. McCann

Ken Boyer holds a significant, yet often unheralded position in St. Louis Cardinals lore. Playing during the intersection of the careers of franchise cornerstones Stan Musial and Bob Gibson, Boyer’s stabilizing at the hot corner is understated in its importance in Cardinals history.

Boyer is finally given his proper due in Kevin D. McCann’s new biography, “Ken Boyer: All-Star, MVP, Captain.” Boyer’s rise starts rooted in the small town of Alba, Missouri, as one of 14 children to Vern and Mabel Boyer. He grew up in a household deeply rooted in athletics, as all seven boys in the Boyer clan became professional baseball players, including brothers Clete and Cloyd who also became major leaguers.

The man who went on to be regarded as the best third baseman of his era was originally signed as a pitcher by the Cardinals in 1949. He pitched two years in the minor leagues before the Cardinals shifted him to third base due to a combination of his hitting prowess and lack of control on the mound.

McCann explores the details of Boyer’s transition from a moundsman to a Gold Glove third baseman, a ride that had its fair share of bumps in the road. His development was initially hampered by two years of service in the Korean War. Upon his return, the Cardinals shifted Boyer among the third base, short stop, and center field positions, trying to best utilizing his superior athleticism.

Once the Cardinals settled on Boyer playing third base, a star was born. Starting with Boyer capturing the first National League Gold Glove at third base in 1958, he reigned over the next seven seasons as the premier player at the hot corner in the perhaps all of baseball, culminating his run with National League Most Valuable Player honors in 1964.

While Boyer was making his triumphant ascent in professional baseball, McCann chronicles Boyer’s ups and downs with the management and press, who thought at times the third baseman appeared to lack hustle and vigor on the field. McCann quickly quells those notions from interviews with his living teammates, as well as pointing to his iron man status on the field, missing only 18 games during the aforementioned seven seasons, including playing the full 162 games during his MVP campaign.

Almost as quickly as Boyer’s career ascended, his MVP season became the pinnacle of his career. Slowed by injuries to his knees Boyer was traded to the New York Mets after the 1965 season, when he posted totals that were nowhere near his 1964 MVP performance. Boyer spent parts of two seasons with the Mets before moving to the Chicago White Sox. He finished his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969. While the latter stages of Boyer’s playing career are relatively a mere footnote in his career, McCann treats them with respect, giving them the same depth of coverage as his Cardinals days.

Clocking in at 463 pages, Boyer’s biography is incredibly well researched, although at times a bit too detailed. Each chapter of his playing career has details of almost seemingly every game he played in; crowding the lesser reported events of his playing days that are the true gems of this book. McCann manages to dig up rare details of his amateur career; including time spent playing against Mickey Mantle in amateur leagues before either signed a professional contract. Fans will also enjoy seeing photos from Boyer’s personal family collection, giving readers a deeper look into the details of his life.

His name continues to come up many times for the Hall of Fame, including the newly formed Golden Era Committee. McCann presents the entirety of his life, in what will be considered the definitive work on Boyer’s life and career, without waving the flag for Boyer’s induction into the Hall of Fame.

Sadly, Boyer passed away at the age of 51 in 1982 after suffering a bout with lung cancer. After reading “Ken Boyer: All-Star, MVP, Captain” one will get the feeling that they too were watching his life unfold from the homemade ball field on the farms in Alba to his bedside during his final days.

Read More

Seven decades of World Series highlights signed by 12 baseball immortals

To celebrate the 2011 All-Star weekend, A&E Home Entertainment is providing a sale on a truly impressive 21 DVD collection of seven decades of World Series highlights presented in a stunning 58-page commemorative book. There will be a 30% sale on everything baseball when you enter the code PLAYBALL from July 11-13, 2011 from shop.history.com

Only 100 of these editions have been hand signed by 12 Hall of Famers, which is described below. Those ordering the autographed edition will also receive a custom case to display their wares. You can order the autographed edition by clicking here.

For those that cannot afford the price tag on the limited edition set, the sale also applies to the standard 21 disc version which still comes in the beautiful commemorative book. We at Baseball Happenings have been given a screening copy of the set and it is truly a treasure for any baseball fan. This edition of the World Series Film Collection can be ordered by clicking here.

A&E HOME ENTERTAINMENT AND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PRODUCTIONS UNVEIL A SPECTACULAR, LIMITED-EDITION, AUTOGRAPH-ENHANCED VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES FILM COLLECTION

The quintessential blend of baseball history and history-makers comes together in an unprecedented intersection of a luxurious Major League Baseball DVD collectible with authentic Hall of Fame signatures with SIGNATURE LINE: THE OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES FILM COLLECTION.  Available exclusively on Shop.History.com and Shop.MLB.com, the DVD set, which elegantly displays the iconic moments and legendary heroes across seven decades of World Series Films, will only be offered to sports fans around the globe in a limited-edition run of 100 for $2299.

The Signature Line edition will be embellished with the signatures of 12 World Series legends and Hall of Famers -- who helped pen World Series history and created many of the defining moments of Major League Baseball.  Authenticated by Mounted Memories, an MLB licensee and leader in the sports collectibles field, the set will also be officially licensed and authenticated by Major League Baseball, with each unit individually numbered and marked with a sequentially coded hologram to ensure authenticity.

SIGNATURE LINE: THE OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES FILM COLLECTION will be gilded by the golden signatures of:

• Yogi Berra: Most World Series Championships, most hits, most doubles, singles, putouts, and guided Don Larsen to the only Perfect Game in World Series history.
• Bob Gibson: Two-time World Series MVP, most strikeouts in a World Series game (17) and totaled 92 Ks in 81 innings pitched.
• Reggie Jackson: “Mr. October” blasted 10 Fall Classic Home runs including three in a row on three pitches in 1977.
• Johnny Bench: Driver of the Big Red Machine and defensive titan, he won the 1976 World Series MVP after batting .533 with two home runs.
• Whitey Ford: The “Chairman of the Board” holds numerous World Series pitching records including: most strikeouts (94), most wins (10), innings (146), WS games (22).

Rounding out the star-studded roster of Fall Classic icons are:

• Gary Carter
• Bob Feller
• Rollie Fingers
• Carlton Fisk
• Brooks Robinson
• Mike Schmidt
• Bruce Sutter

About THE OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES FILM COLLECTION

The drama and unforgettable images of baseball are the World Series moments celebrated from generation to generation.  Now, for the very first time, these dynamic events have been preserved and commemorated in a timeless treasure certain to become the centerpiece of any baseball fan’s home entertainment library.  Elegantly displaying the complete set of official filmed World Series highlights across six decades of World Series Films (1943-2008), this encyclopedic set is divided into 14 eras and features 50 hours of unforgettable baseball action across 20 remastered DVDs.

With a foreward by 19-time Emmy winner Bob Costas of MLB Network and framed with 58-pages of editorial, remarkable archival images, and rare Hall of Fame artifacts, the dramatic package creates a timeline of World Series lore since 1903. The 65 official World Series Films feature more than 50 hours of restored, digitized, and glorious history as it happened.

The list of baseball’s greatest moments is dominated by the iconic events of the World Series and they live in this significant DVD trophy. These instantly recalled plays and players are showcased within this one-of-a-kind compendium including “The Catch” by Willie Mays, Don Larsen’s Perfect Game, Bill Mazeroski’s series-winning walk-off home run, Bob Gibson’s record setting 17-strikeouts, Carlton Fisk’s dramatic home run, Reggie Jackson’s three consecutive home runs, Kurt Gibson’s improbably Hollywood game winner and Jack Morris’ dominating 1-0 Game 7 masterpiece.

This collection celebrates the images, plays, and heroes that make the World Series a cherished and significant event. As history unfolds technology evolves changing the annual documentary’s style. From the black and white editions, produced and narrated by Lew Fonseca (AL batting champ 1929, Cleveland Indians) thru the narration by legendary broadcasters including Mel Allen, Bob Prince, Harry Caray, Vin Scully, to the current Official World Series Film versions featuring multiple camera angles, players and coaches wired for sound, and play-by-play from TV and radio broadcasters, each annual film is a time capsule of its era.  Records and seasons change with time, but the legends and lore of the World Series on DVD will last forever.

THE OFFICIAL MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL^® WORLD SERIES FILM COLLECTION includes these 20 DVDs:

• Disc 1 -- 1943 Yankees, 1944 Cardinals, 1945 Tigers, 1946 Cardinals, 1947 Yankees, 1948 Indians (approx 182 min)
• Disc 2 -- 1949-53 Yankees (approx 167 min)
• Disc 3 -- 1954 Giants, 1955 Dodgers, 1956 Yankees (approx 115 min)
• Disc 4 -- 1957 Braves, 1958 Yankees, 1959 Dodgers, 1960 Pirates, 1961 Yankees (approx 182 min)
• Disc 5 -- 1962 Yankees, 1963 Dodgers, 1964 Cardinals (approx 100 min)
• Disc 6 -- 1965 Dodgers, 1966 Orioles, 1967 Cardinals, 1968 Tigers (approx 152 min)
• Disc 7 -- 1969 Mets, 1970 Orioles, 1971 Pirates (approx 116 min)
• Disc 8 -- 1972-74 A’s, 1975-76 Reds (approx 170 min)
• Disc 9 -- 1977-78 Yankees, 1979 Pirates, 1980 Phillies, 1981 Dodgers (approx 166 min)
• Disc 10 -- 1982 Cardinals, 1983 Orioles, 1984 Tigers (approx 107 min)
• Disc 11 -- 1985 Royals, 1986 Mets, 1987 Twins (approx 119 min)
• Disc 12 -- 1988 Dodgers, 1989 A’s, 1990 Reds (approx 177 min)
• Disc 13 -- 1991 Twins, 1992 Blue Jays (approx 139 min)
• Disc 14 -- 1993 Blue Jays, 1995 Braves (approx 132 min)
• Disc 15 -- 1996 Yankees, 1997 Marlins (approx 143 min)
• Disc 16 -- 1998-2000 Yankees (approx 186 min)
• Disc 17 -- 2001 Diamondbacks, 2002 Angels (approx 145 min)
• Disc 18 -- 2003 Marlins, 2004 Red Sox (approx 142 min)
• Disc 19 -- 2005 White Sox, 2006 Cardinals (approx 152 min)
• Disc 20 -- 2007 Red Sox, 2008 Phillies (approx 163 min)

Read More

George Crowe, 89, former Negro League player and major league All-Star

George Crowe, former All-Star first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds passed away Tuesday night in Rancho Cordova, Calif. He was 89. 

Crowe was signed by the Boston Braves in 1949 from the Negro Leagues, where he played with the New York Black Yankees. He tore up every classification from a Class-B to Triple-A, posting averages of .354, .353, .339 and .351 between 1949 and 1952 before being called up to the Braves in 1952. Crowe shared time with first baseman Earl Torgeson his rookie year, batting a respectable .258.

During a 2008 interview that I conducted with Crowe, he shared as to why he didn't get more playing time over Torgeson, who batted a lowly .230. 

"When I was in Boston, Earl Torgeson wasn't that great of a player, but he was high on the totem pole of politics," Crowe said. "The manager was his old roommate. Torgeson and Tommy Holmes roomed together for years. Holmes became the manager. Who do you think is going to play?" 

The following season, Crowe was relegated to pinch-hitting duty, as the Braves, who had now moved to Milwaukee, brought in the powerful Joe Adcock to play Crowe's position. Nineteen fifty-four saw Crowe return to Triple-A with the Toledo club. He feasted on the pitching of the American Association, slugging 34 home runs with a .334 average. During that winter, Crowe was a member of the 1954-55 Santurce Crabbers, which many regard as the best winter league team ever. He shared a lineup that included Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Don Zimmer, Bob Thurman, Bus Clarkson and pitchers Ruben Gomez and "Sad" Sam Jones. They ran away with the Caribbean Series title that year with Crowe solidifying the lineup at first base.

Crowe's undeniable talent allowed him to wrestle the first base position from Adcock in 1955, where he hit 15 home runs and batted .281. Finally receiving a chance to play regularly, Crowe took advantage of the opportunity and figured to be in Milwaukee's plans as they started to build a World Series contender. A week before the 1956 season opener, Crowe was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for "Hurricane" Bob Hazle, who greatly impacted the Braves' 1957 title run. 

It was with Cincinnati where Crowe, at the age of 36 would have his breakout season. An injury to Ted Kluszewski in 1957 opened the door for Crowe to play full time. Appearing in 133 games, Crowe smashed 31 home runs and drove in 92 runs, placing him 6th and 8th in the National League respectively in both categories.

In the 2008 interview, he discussed the merits of playing full-time. 

"The regular playing time helped," he said. "Wherever I was, I played everyday. It's not the same. There's nothing like playing everyday. If you can get in there once every two weeks, you might have a good day, but it's another week or ten days before you play again. It's hard to keep a sharp edge."

Sadly, he was the only Cincinnati Reds player not selected to the All-Star game as part of the infamous ballot stuffing scandal. He was beat out by the legendary Stan Musial. He would receive a degree of retribution the following season when he was selected as a reserve to the 1958 All-Star team after batting over .300 the first half of the season.  

Crowe played until 1961, finishing his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He served as a mentor to younger African-American players such as Bob Gibson and Bill White. At the time of his retirement, he held the MLB record with 14 pinch-hit home runs. 

In addition to his lengthy major league baseball career, Crowe was a standout basketball player. He was the first Indiana Mr. Basketball award winner in 1939. He played professionally for the Harlem based New York Rens and the Los Angeles Red Devils, the latter of which included Jackie Robinson. Crowe remembered Robinson as, "a good basketball player."  

Crowe lived in the Adirondacks until five years ago when he moved to California to be closer to his family. After suffering a stroke in late 2008, Crowe resided in an assisted living facility until his death earlier this week.

Read More