Quote:
Originally Posted by Clovidequano Dovatha
I'm currently very sad to hear about the unexpected death of my all-time favorite baseball player yesterday, of course. But many, if not most or all, of us will not leave this world still alive, of course, for sure. I really wanted to somehow meet him the day that I then went to my only in-person MLB game to date, if not the only such game I'll ever definitely attend for my entire mortal life. But certain things didn't actually work out that way well enough for me and those I went to the aforementioned MLB game with, unfortunately. I did, however, at least see him get the save against the Mets on Father's Day 1984, when we won 6-3 against them despite two Strawberry home runs against us that day.
Bruce Sutter is still my favorite all-time baseball player, and I believe he always will be, in this life, at least. Of course, I most definitely hope he knew Jesus as he needed to in his life, as best as possible for him, for I still would really like to meet him one day, for sure. Although that potential meeting of him can now only take place in eternity, you know, folks.
EC, did you ever get to meet Stan Musial in person for yourself? Just wondering, that's all, you see. I really hope you did, but if you didn't, I hope you somehow get to see him in the Kingdom, once eternity begins for us all, for sure. CD out.
|
No, CD... I never got the chance to meet him... from what I know about him, he was just as fine a person off the field as he was on the field... his 1948 season is one of the best-ever bar none... he won the Triple Crown that year and led the Majors in every category but homers... only player to approach him was Aaron Judge this season... Stan had a better year in '48 than Judge did this year... he lost the home run title by one... he hit 39... Stan lost a home run that season... he hit one early in a game and it got rained out, so he lost it... Johnny Mize of the NY Giants and Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates beat him out with 40 home runs.
I met Bill Buckner several years ago... my sister lives in Idaho and I went to see the Boise Hawks... Buckner was the manager... I went to the club house after the game and he came to the door... I complimented him on his fine MLB career... he was a nice person... it's a shame that he is remembered for losing the World Series to the NY Mets... Buckner was a fine fielder and an excellent contact hitter with some pop... it just wasn't his day.
Have also met a few future major leaguers when I was a ball boy for the Mobile Bears in the Southern Association in the late 1950s... Gary Bell, Bill Dailey, Dick Stigman, Dick Brown, Jim Gentile and Gordy Coleman... they all played for the Bears.
One night I got to be the visiting bat boy... the Bears were playing Chattanooga... spoke to Harmon Killebrew four times that night when he was waiting in the on-deck circle... Killebrew was a very nice guy... Gary Bell fanned him the first three times he batted... he asked me what was he going to do in his last at-bat that night... he was leading the Southern League in homers... I replied, "hit a homer".... Killebrew told me he was going to get his 3 swings and call it a night... yep, that's what happened... Gary "Ding Dong" Bell whiffed him on three pitches... I think Gary fanned 15 Chattanooga Lookouts that night in his last Mobile game... Cleveland promoted him to San Diego in the Pacific Coast League the last third of the 1957 season... didn't do well there... he went 1-5 for the Padres with a 4.56 ERA... but he was 6-2 with San Diego in the early part of the 1958 season with a 1.56 ERA... Cleveland called him up to the big leagues in June and he began a fairly good career... Bell was 12-10 in his rookie season with a 3.31 ERA ...in 12 seasons Gary was 121-117 with a 3.68 ERA... a 4-time All-Star.... not too bad of a career... he really was a great guy... he and Bill Dailey really treated me well... they would kid around and tease me a lot... yep, that was some good times in my life... they are both still alive... it would be nice to see them again.
Dailey had a fine season with the Minnesota Twins in 1962... he was an excellent reliever... 66 games... 6-3 record with a 1.99 ERA and 21 saves... but then had arm trouble and retired.in 1963.
Jim Gentile and Gordy Coleman both had solid major league careers.
Stan Musial stats