http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaZ-4R6fjX8
Enjoy Ned Garver's memories of his 20-win season in 1951, his All-Star game start and others.
(Click on Photos to Enlarge)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Ned Garver - 60 years after 20-win season with 100-loss St. Louis Browns
Click on link below to view Ned's interview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaZ-4R6fjX8
Enjoy Ned Garver's memories of his 20-win season in 1951, his All-Star game start and others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaZ-4R6fjX8
Enjoy Ned Garver's memories of his 20-win season in 1951, his All-Star game start and others.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Yogi Was Afraid of Being A Brownie
Yogi Berra told me a story once that summed up this Yankee attitude. In his first season, Yogi hit a soft ground ball to second base and in frustration jogged to first base. The next time at-bat, he popped up and again failed to run hard to first. During the next half inning Yogi told me three senior Yankees — Keller, Dickey and Henrich — came down the bench and stood before the rookie.
“Look, kid,” one of them growled, “we saw what you just did. But here we bust our (butt) on every play. We count on winning that World Series money, and our wives count on it. If you want to play that way, we can get you back to St. Louis in a week. Got it?”
Yogi said he was so frightened of being shipped to the lowly Browns that he ran out every ground ball or pop-up from that day forward. That was how the great Yankees enforced their culture, and it certainly was effective. Everyone hustled on those teams from the great DiMaggio down to the newest rookie.
“Look, kid,” one of them growled, “we saw what you just did. But here we bust our (butt) on every play. We count on winning that World Series money, and our wives count on it. If you want to play that way, we can get you back to St. Louis in a week. Got it?”
Yogi said he was so frightened of being shipped to the lowly Browns that he ran out every ground ball or pop-up from that day forward. That was how the great Yankees enforced their culture, and it certainly was effective. Everyone hustled on those teams from the great DiMaggio down to the newest rookie.
At their start, Orioles turned the wrong Paige
On Sept. 29, 1953, American League owners voted to move the St. Louis Browns franchise to Baltimore. A group headed by Clarence Miles bought the club from Bill Veeck for roughly $2.5 million. Art Ehlers and Jimmy Dykes were brought in from the Philadelphia Athletics as GM and field manager, respectively, and Charm City was back in the big leagues.
It was not a good club. The 1953 Browns had finished dead last at 54-100, and the prognosis for 1954 was no better. Yet, in one of Ehlers' very first transactions as general manager of the Orioles, he released the one player on his roster whose ability to attract a crowd was beyond question: Satchel Paige.
Oh, sure, Paige was 46. Or was it 48? Regardless, he had been an American League All-Star for the Browns in 1953. Pitching almost exclusively out of the bullpen, he led the team in saves with 11 and sported a 3.53 ERA. He appeared in 57 games, second-most on the club. Satch clearly had something left in the tank, but local fans wouldn't see it.
It's easy to sit back and say: Well, he was an older guy, the Orioles wanted to go with kids, blah, blah, blah. But the average age of the inaugural Orioles was nearly 30, and based upon his recent history, he was still better than the other guys in the bullpen.
The truth is probably closer to this: Satchel was a name, and he knew it. He was colorful and frequently outspoken. Major League Baseball was only seven years into integration — by 1954, there were still a few teams that had never had a black player — and Baltimore’s attitude in those days, racially speaking, bore a strong resemblance to the Deep South. If the Orioles were to have African-American players, management reasoned, it would have to be someone who wouldn't make waves. Paige had to go.
The books show that a tiny (5-foot-7) left-hander named Jay Heard was the first black Oriole, making his debut April 24, 1954, in a game against the White Sox in Chicago. He sat for a month and made his final big league appearance May 28 in a home game against Chicago. He never made another big league appearance, and Oriole fans wouldn't see another African-American player in a Baltimore jersey until that September, when Joe Durham was called up for 10 games.
The ’54 Orioles reprised their dismal 54-100 mark of the previous year. The club's quota system for players of color would last a few years longer, until Lee MacPhail was named GM in November 1958.
I know it's spilled milk. Nonetheless, it would be nice to see “Baltimore” under Paige's name on his plaque in Cooperstown.
Oh, sure, Paige was 46. Or was it 48? Regardless, he had been an American League All-Star for the Browns in 1953. Pitching almost exclusively out of the bullpen, he led the team in saves with 11 and sported a 3.53 ERA. He appeared in 57 games, second-most on the club. Satch clearly had something left in the tank, but local fans wouldn't see it.
It's easy to sit back and say: Well, he was an older guy, the Orioles wanted to go with kids, blah, blah, blah. But the average age of the inaugural Orioles was nearly 30, and based upon his recent history, he was still better than the other guys in the bullpen.
The truth is probably closer to this: Satchel was a name, and he knew it. He was colorful and frequently outspoken. Major League Baseball was only seven years into integration — by 1954, there were still a few teams that had never had a black player — and Baltimore’s attitude in those days, racially speaking, bore a strong resemblance to the Deep South. If the Orioles were to have African-American players, management reasoned, it would have to be someone who wouldn't make waves. Paige had to go.
The books show that a tiny (5-foot-7) left-hander named Jay Heard was the first black Oriole, making his debut April 24, 1954, in a game against the White Sox in Chicago. He sat for a month and made his final big league appearance May 28 in a home game against Chicago. He never made another big league appearance, and Oriole fans wouldn't see another African-American player in a Baltimore jersey until that September, when Joe Durham was called up for 10 games.
The ’54 Orioles reprised their dismal 54-100 mark of the previous year. The club's quota system for players of color would last a few years longer, until Lee MacPhail was named GM in November 1958.
I know it's spilled milk. Nonetheless, it would be nice to see “Baltimore” under Paige's name on his plaque in Cooperstown.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Braves Field 1948
On a sunny fall afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on September 25, 1948, this rare color photo of Braves Field in Boston was taken from a seat in the left field pavilion. The photographer captured Jeff Heath in front of the Wigwam's new electric scoreboard as the Tribe left fielder was about to haul in a fly ball third out off the bat of NY Giants catcher Sal Yvars in the eighth inning.
The Giants went on to defeat Johnny Sain and the Braves 3-2.
The Giants went on to defeat Johnny Sain and the Braves 3-2.
Click on photo to enlarge
Monday, July 18, 2011
Only in Baseball; Unusual Plays Happen Every Day
>> 1947 Pee Wee Reese is picked off base in an original way. When teammate Carl Furillo loses his bat in a swing, base runner Reese decides to pick it up and hand it back. He forgot to call time.
>> Getting back to Larsen, the perfect game wasn’t his only brush with a no-hitter. Three years earlier he nearly had one as a rookie on the St. Louis Browns. On August 30, 1953, in a home game against the Senators, Larsen kept a no-hitter going until the eight inning, when Wayne Terwillinger broke it up with a single. In that August game, Larsen walked the leadoff batter and so never had a chance at a perfect game, but followed that up by fanning the next five straight batters. He ended the game with a two-hitter.
>> 1962 Hank and Tommie Aaron homer in the same inning, the first brother combination to do so since Lloyd and Paul Waner in 1938. Both Aaron brother homers in the bottom of the ninth inning to key a Brave comeback over the Cardinals. Tommie’s pinch hit solo shot makes the score 6-4 Cards. Shortly after that, Hank Aaron hits a walkoff grand slam to end it, 8-6. It’s the only walkoff slam Hank Aaron ever hits.
>> 1972 Bob Gibson hits a home run and tosses a complete game shutout. This is the sixth and final time he combines those achievements, which I believe is the record. Cardinals 7, Braves 0.
>> Getting back to Larsen, the perfect game wasn’t his only brush with a no-hitter. Three years earlier he nearly had one as a rookie on the St. Louis Browns. On August 30, 1953, in a home game against the Senators, Larsen kept a no-hitter going until the eight inning, when Wayne Terwillinger broke it up with a single. In that August game, Larsen walked the leadoff batter and so never had a chance at a perfect game, but followed that up by fanning the next five straight batters. He ended the game with a two-hitter.
>> 1962 Hank and Tommie Aaron homer in the same inning, the first brother combination to do so since Lloyd and Paul Waner in 1938. Both Aaron brother homers in the bottom of the ninth inning to key a Brave comeback over the Cardinals. Tommie’s pinch hit solo shot makes the score 6-4 Cards. Shortly after that, Hank Aaron hits a walkoff grand slam to end it, 8-6. It’s the only walkoff slam Hank Aaron ever hits.
>> 1972 Bob Gibson hits a home run and tosses a complete game shutout. This is the sixth and final time he combines those achievements, which I believe is the record. Cardinals 7, Braves 0.
Babe Martin: Ballplayer and Part Time Wrestling Referee
Babe Martin was born Boris Michael Martinovich, the son of a professional wrestler, Iron Mike Martin (Bryan Martinovich). Both of Boris’ parents were born in parts of the former Yugoslavia, his father in Montenegro and his mother in Serbia. They each emigrated to the United States and settled in Seattle in the Pacific Northwest. At least one geographically-challenged sportswriter once dubbed him the “Hungarian hot-shot.”
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When wrestling, the senior Martinovich adapted his surname to the circumstances. He wrestled in Montana and he wrestled in Chicago, and in any number of other places. If he was wrestling in an Italian area, he took the name Martini. In a Scottish or Irish area, he became McMartin or O’Martin. “Dad could speak a number of European languages, being born over there,” Babe said, adding “When he married mother, that was the end of his wrestling.”
Boris had two brothers and two sisters, Lola and Olga. Brother Robert was the only other one interested in sports, but it wasn’t something he pursued past college. He became part-owner of a Budweiser distributorship in Florida, while brother Bryan -- who’d boxed and wrestled a bit professionally before going into the service -- became a jeweler in St. Louis. Boris married the former Mildred Slapcevich of St. Louis in 1943. He never legally changed his last name, but still generally goes by the name Martin. His sons, though, prefer to stick with Martinovich.
His mother prompted a family move to Zeigler, Illinois, in the southern part of the state, due to a conflict with an in-law. Born on March 28, 1920, Boris was just one year old at the time of the move. “The only type of industry at that time in southern Illinois was coal mining so my dad went to work in the coal mining business. A shaft caved in on him. He survived that, but died about three years later. He just died. Back in 1926, they didn’t know how or what a person died from.” Boris was three at the time of the accident, and the family moved on to St. Louis.
Boris’s mother was very supportive of his ambitions when Boris showed athletic inclinations early on. “I played on sandlots, glass, and gravel fields, under bridges, wherever I could go ahead and play on. Playgrounds, wherever, you know. In the summertime, I’d be gone early in the morning and come home at dusk”. Martin was a good ballplayer, good enough that “they took me out of grammar school, seventh grade, to play on the ninth-grade high school team.”
As the youngest in his family, he was called Baby. “They called me Baby for years. And then as I got a little bit older, it got to be a little bit embarrassing so they called me Babe.” He was Babe all through high school and beyond.
Though he was both a catcher and outfielder in pro ball -- and only a catcher during his brief time with Boston in the majors, he began as an infielder. “As I grew, I got larger. If it had been today, I never would have consented to be a catcher. I could play first base. I was a pretty good infielder; although I was big, I could have moved to third base. But you know, back then, you did what you were told. If they wanted you in the outfield, you moved to the outfield. Today they don’t take that….”
Martin played for McKinley High School in St. Louis in 1936-38, and his high school coach was Lou Maguolo, who scouted in the area for the St. Louis Browns. Maguolo later retired from coaching and became a full-time scout, working in that capacity for the New York Yankees. Babe was all-district in basketball and also played three years on the school’s football team.
Martin graduated from high school in 1940 at age 20 and most sources show him as signing with the Browns then. “Actually,” Martin confides, “I signed in high school unbeknownst to anybody. I signed in 1938. They gave me a job working in the Browns office at $100 a month and I worked out with the Browns and Cardinals. Back in the ’30s, I guess ’37, ’38, ’39, we didn’t have any money. So $100 a month, bringing that home for my mother…my brother Bryan was really the only one that was working at the time. I was working in the office…office work. Answering the telephone at the switchboard. I wasn’t very good at that, but mostly I was on the field. I was working out.”
Martin played for the Browns and Red Sox and worked as a wrestling referee in his spare time.
Read a lot more about Babe Martin at: http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=1484&pid=8859
Boris had two brothers and two sisters, Lola and Olga. Brother Robert was the only other one interested in sports, but it wasn’t something he pursued past college. He became part-owner of a Budweiser distributorship in Florida, while brother Bryan -- who’d boxed and wrestled a bit professionally before going into the service -- became a jeweler in St. Louis. Boris married the former Mildred Slapcevich of St. Louis in 1943. He never legally changed his last name, but still generally goes by the name Martin. His sons, though, prefer to stick with Martinovich.
His mother prompted a family move to Zeigler, Illinois, in the southern part of the state, due to a conflict with an in-law. Born on March 28, 1920, Boris was just one year old at the time of the move. “The only type of industry at that time in southern Illinois was coal mining so my dad went to work in the coal mining business. A shaft caved in on him. He survived that, but died about three years later. He just died. Back in 1926, they didn’t know how or what a person died from.” Boris was three at the time of the accident, and the family moved on to St. Louis.
Boris’s mother was very supportive of his ambitions when Boris showed athletic inclinations early on. “I played on sandlots, glass, and gravel fields, under bridges, wherever I could go ahead and play on. Playgrounds, wherever, you know. In the summertime, I’d be gone early in the morning and come home at dusk”. Martin was a good ballplayer, good enough that “they took me out of grammar school, seventh grade, to play on the ninth-grade high school team.”
As the youngest in his family, he was called Baby. “They called me Baby for years. And then as I got a little bit older, it got to be a little bit embarrassing so they called me Babe.” He was Babe all through high school and beyond.
Though he was both a catcher and outfielder in pro ball -- and only a catcher during his brief time with Boston in the majors, he began as an infielder. “As I grew, I got larger. If it had been today, I never would have consented to be a catcher. I could play first base. I was a pretty good infielder; although I was big, I could have moved to third base. But you know, back then, you did what you were told. If they wanted you in the outfield, you moved to the outfield. Today they don’t take that….”
Martin played for McKinley High School in St. Louis in 1936-38, and his high school coach was Lou Maguolo, who scouted in the area for the St. Louis Browns. Maguolo later retired from coaching and became a full-time scout, working in that capacity for the New York Yankees. Babe was all-district in basketball and also played three years on the school’s football team.
Martin graduated from high school in 1940 at age 20 and most sources show him as signing with the Browns then. “Actually,” Martin confides, “I signed in high school unbeknownst to anybody. I signed in 1938. They gave me a job working in the Browns office at $100 a month and I worked out with the Browns and Cardinals. Back in the ’30s, I guess ’37, ’38, ’39, we didn’t have any money. So $100 a month, bringing that home for my mother…my brother Bryan was really the only one that was working at the time. I was working in the office…office work. Answering the telephone at the switchboard. I wasn’t very good at that, but mostly I was on the field. I was working out.”
Martin played for the Browns and Red Sox and worked as a wrestling referee in his spare time.
Read a lot more about Babe Martin at: http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=1484&pid=8859
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Beer Scams at Baseball Stadiums
Check out this video on YouTube. Do you suppose the same thing happens with soft drinks too? And at your favorite ballpark? Surely not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhh2WjZ7-uk&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhh2WjZ7-uk&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sunday, July 3, 2011
St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame to add Two STL Browns Players
The St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame has finalized its list of 2011 inductees for the annual enshrinement dinner, scheduled for Nov. 16 at the Millennium Hotel downtown. Roll call: Frank Borghi, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Scotty Bowman, Lenny Wilkens, Rusty Wallace, Garry Unger, Dave Phillips, Roy Sievers, Craig Virgin, Jim Holtgrieve and Erma Bergmann. And Arthur Ashe, Bob Burnes, Marty Marion and August Busch Jr. will be inducted posthumously.
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Roy Sievers and Marty Marion join George Sisler as players representing the St. Louis Browns as former players. Marion was most noted for his playing days with the St. Louis Cardinals, but became the Browns playing manager during the 1952 season. Marion was the last manager of the Browns before the team moved to Baltimore after the 1953 season.
Roy Sievers and Marty Marion join George Sisler as players representing the St. Louis Browns as former players. Marion was most noted for his playing days with the St. Louis Cardinals, but became the Browns playing manager during the 1952 season. Marion was the last manager of the Browns before the team moved to Baltimore after the 1953 season.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Browns Denny Galehouse is One of Four
The Mets' opponent in the 1973 World Series was the Oakland A's. Jon Matlack, who had already started 35 games (34 regular season, 1 postseason) was called upon to start Game 1. In doing so, he became only the fourth pitcher in major league history to start a World Series opener with a losing record (14-16) during the regular season.
The other pitchers to accomplish this rare feat were Alvin Crowder (9-11 with the 1934 Detroit Tigers), Denny Galehouse (9-10 with the 1944 St. Louis Browns) and Don Drysdale (13-16 with the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers). Matlack pitched well, but took the loss as the Mets' bats remained silent in the 2-1 defeat.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Springfield Browns on the Move
IN 2011 WE ARE TURNING BACK THE CLOCK TO THE 1950s and 1960s
For one special year, the Springfield Metro Baseball League is bringing back the storied teams of baseball's past.
In 2011 we have outfitted all our teams in uniforms depicting teams of the 1950s and 1960s like the Saint Louis Browns, the Kansas City Athletics, the Houston Colt 45's, and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In this endeavor we have sought out and received the cooperation of a number of the historians of many of the teams unique to the era.
The Majors and Seniors are playing the full 90 foot bases and a 60'6" mound. There are some minor base running restrictions in place, but for the most part rules mirror standard Major League rules. **The new Minors division plays on 75 foot bases with a 50 foot mound and has playing rules aimed at player development. All leagues have a 14 game regular season and all teams play at least 4 more games in our annual World Series.
For more information on the 2011 season, call Rob @ 417-833-8788 or 417-833-8088
For one special year, the Springfield Metro Baseball League is bringing back the storied teams of baseball's past.
In this endeavor we have sought out and received the cooperation of a number of the historians of many of the teams unique to the era.
The Majors and Seniors are playing the full 90 foot bases and a 60'6" mound. There are some minor base running restrictions in place, but for the most part rules mirror standard Major League rules. **The new Minors division plays on 75 foot bases with a 50 foot mound and has playing rules aimed at player development. All leagues have a 14 game regular season and all teams play at least 4 more games in our annual World Series.
For more information on the 2011 season, call Rob @ 417-833-8788 or 417-833-8088
Mystery Hat Uncovered
See the second article below for an explanation on the mystery St. Louis Browns cap.
Bill Irvin, Jr. writes . . .
This hat appears to be a hat designed/used by the original St. Louis Browns Fan Club, organzied in the 1950's by a columnist for the Chicago Tribune and comprised of a number of Chicagoans.
I own a couple of press photos depicting "members" wearing the hat--one from 1956 in which members "serenade" Bill Veeck (he also was wearing the hat for the occasion), and one at Sportsman's Park in the 1960's in which club members, wearing the hat, have their picture taken with exBrownies wearing reproduction 1940's style uniforms.
Bill Rogers writes . . .
While we don't know the exact designation of the letter "B", we assume it's for Baltimore.
(Click on photos to enlarge)
Bill Irvin, Jr. writes . . .
This hat appears to be a hat designed/used by the original St. Louis Browns Fan Club, organzied in the 1950's by a columnist for the Chicago Tribune and comprised of a number of Chicagoans.
I own a couple of press photos depicting "members" wearing the hat--one from 1956 in which members "serenade" Bill Veeck (he also was wearing the hat for the occasion), and one at Sportsman's Park in the 1960's in which club members, wearing the hat, have their picture taken with exBrownies wearing reproduction 1940's style uniforms.
Bill Rogers writes . . .
While we don't know the exact designation of the letter "B", we assume it's for Baltimore.
(Click on photos to enlarge)
I am thinking this style cap was adopted by the fan club as their official hat.
Jim Brosnan writes in the 1964 Atlantic Magazine . . .
The most unusual, and without a doubt jolliest, fan club of baseball history is devoted to an extinct organization, a team with no live ballplayers. The St. Louis Brown's Fan Club was created on the day the team disbanded.
Bill Veeck, the man who put the team out of business, once said: "I found out the Brown fans were a myth. You heard about 'em, but you never saw 'em." As owner of the Browns, Veeck had searched river bottom and wheatland in and around St. Louis for customer-fans. Unfortunately for him they were in Chicago, where they paid the White Sox a nominal fee for bleacher tickets. There they cheered for the Browns, who epitomized the all-American underdog.
"They needed us," says Bill Leonard, a charter member of the S.L.B.F.C. and a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. "They didn't have anything else."
On the last weekend of the 1953 baseball season the S.L.B.F.C. traveled to St. Louis to see the final games played by the Browns.
"They lost," wrote Leonard. "We were unsurprised and undaunted."
Today the S.L.B.F.C. carries on its motto: "To perpetuate the proud name of the St. Louis Browns, file progress reports on the reincarnation of the Browns, drink toasts in nut-brown ale, and maintain jolly times."
As fans, they're out of this world.
Jim Brosnan writes in the 1964 Atlantic Magazine . . .
The most unusual, and without a doubt jolliest, fan club of baseball history is devoted to an extinct organization, a team with no live ballplayers. The St. Louis Brown's Fan Club was created on the day the team disbanded.
Bill Veeck, the man who put the team out of business, once said: "I found out the Brown fans were a myth. You heard about 'em, but you never saw 'em." As owner of the Browns, Veeck had searched river bottom and wheatland in and around St. Louis for customer-fans. Unfortunately for him they were in Chicago, where they paid the White Sox a nominal fee for bleacher tickets. There they cheered for the Browns, who epitomized the all-American underdog.
"They needed us," says Bill Leonard, a charter member of the S.L.B.F.C. and a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. "They didn't have anything else."
On the last weekend of the 1953 baseball season the S.L.B.F.C. traveled to St. Louis to see the final games played by the Browns.
"They lost," wrote Leonard. "We were unsurprised and undaunted."
Today the S.L.B.F.C. carries on its motto: "To perpetuate the proud name of the St. Louis Browns, file progress reports on the reincarnation of the Browns, drink toasts in nut-brown ale, and maintain jolly times."
As fans, they're out of this world.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Unsolved Mystery: Does This Cap Belong to the St. Louis Browns?
Have you seen this cap somewhere before? Does it belong to the St. Louis Browns or some other team starting with the letter "B"?
We could make some wild hypotheses.
Number two, it could be a transition Browns to Orioles hat in that the B stands for Baltimore. Again, why they would bother to produce that in the off-season between 53 and 54 is illogical in itself.
Number three, it could be a modern version of a 19th Century St. Louis Browns Cap.
If you can identify the source of the cap, let us know. Send to stlbrowns@swbell.net.
(Click on Photos to Enlarge)
A Colorful Browns Team
The 1929 Browns were a colorful team, moreso than the brown and orange of their uniforms. They included:
Red Kress
Lu Blue
Sam Gray
Blackie O'Rourke
Red Kress
Lu Blue
Sam Gray
Blackie O'Rourke
Friday, June 3, 2011
Fans Flock to Browns Luncheon; Over 286 Attend from Across the Country
Here are just a few of the Browns fans who attended the May 25, 2011 luncheon.
Fred Buchholz - Batboy for St. Louis Browns
Fred served as a batboy for both the St. Louis Browns and Cardinals, as well as every visiting AL team. He was recently featured on the Bob Costas narrated program, "MLB Network Remembers: The Eddie Gaedel Story.”
Bob Bokern - Ushered all 6 games of the 1944 World Series of Browns versus Cardinals.
Joe Cunningham - Played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1954-1961), Chicago White Sox (1962–1964), and Washington Senators (1964–1966). The best season for Cunningham was in 1959, when he batted .345 to finish second to Hank Aaron for the National League batting title. He finished his career with a .291 batting average over 1,141 games spread over a 12-year career.
Kerry Clift, Grandson of Harlond Clift, St. Louis Browns
Harlond Clift played for the Browns from 1934 -1943. He finished his 12 year career with a .272 batting average.
Charlie Hopkins * - Browns Minor League System
Charlie Hopkins was a standout catcher for the San Antonio Missions during the early ‘50s. Catching future major leaguers such as Ryne Duren and others.
Greg Marecek - Founder/President, St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame
The St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame became a reality in 2009. The HOF will tell the stories with artifacts and presentations on the great tradition of sports in St. Louis.
Ron Paul * - New York Yankees, 1956-’61.
Bill Purdy - Batboy for St. Louis Browns, Batting Practice Catcher
Browns batboy in ‘52 and batting practice catcher in 1953. He also traveled with the team in this role.
Bob Radomski * - New York Giants/St Louis Browns - 1948-51.
Jean Robbins - Worked in the Browns front office in the 40s for Bill & Charlie DeWitt along with Traveling Secretary, Bill Durney. Also worked for Bill Veeck from 1950 - 53.
Ed Schmulbach - Batboy
Batboy for a Hannibal, MO minor league team when he was a “little squirt” in the 1940s.
Jim Smith * - Browns, 1948-52
Dale Vineyard * - Baltimore Orioles, 1972-73
Jack Litzelfelner * - Browns, Washington, Yankees, 1947-52
Browns Fans From Across the Country Came From:
Dumont, NJ
Fraser, CO
Ellensburg, WA
Olympia, WA
Paducah, KY
Dallas, TX
From the Metro area, Fans Came From:
St. Louis Metro, MO
Kansas City, MO
Fairview Heights, IL
Columbia, IL
Gillespie, IL
Springfield, IL
Strasburg, IL
New Athens, IL
Mascoutah, IL
Alton, IL
Granite City, IL
Fred Buchholz - Batboy for St. Louis Browns
Fred served as a batboy for both the St. Louis Browns and Cardinals, as well as every visiting AL team. He was recently featured on the Bob Costas narrated program, "MLB Network Remembers: The Eddie Gaedel Story.”
Bob Bokern - Ushered all 6 games of the 1944 World Series of Browns versus Cardinals.
Joe Cunningham - Played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1954-1961), Chicago White Sox (1962–1964), and Washington Senators (1964–1966). The best season for Cunningham was in 1959, when he batted .345 to finish second to Hank Aaron for the National League batting title. He finished his career with a .291 batting average over 1,141 games spread over a 12-year career.
Kerry Clift, Grandson of Harlond Clift, St. Louis Browns
Harlond Clift played for the Browns from 1934 -1943. He finished his 12 year career with a .272 batting average.
Charlie Hopkins * - Browns Minor League System
Charlie Hopkins was a standout catcher for the San Antonio Missions during the early ‘50s. Catching future major leaguers such as Ryne Duren and others.
Greg Marecek - Founder/President, St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame
The St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame became a reality in 2009. The HOF will tell the stories with artifacts and presentations on the great tradition of sports in St. Louis.
Ron Paul * - New York Yankees, 1956-’61.
Bill Purdy - Batboy for St. Louis Browns, Batting Practice Catcher
Browns batboy in ‘52 and batting practice catcher in 1953. He also traveled with the team in this role.
Bob Radomski * - New York Giants/St Louis Browns - 1948-51.
Jean Robbins - Worked in the Browns front office in the 40s for Bill & Charlie DeWitt along with Traveling Secretary, Bill Durney. Also worked for Bill Veeck from 1950 - 53.
Ed Schmulbach - Batboy
Batboy for a Hannibal, MO minor league team when he was a “little squirt” in the 1940s.
Jim Smith * - Browns, 1948-52
Dale Vineyard * - Baltimore Orioles, 1972-73
Jack Litzelfelner * - Browns, Washington, Yankees, 1947-52
Browns Fans From Across the Country Came From:
Dumont, NJ
Fraser, CO
Ellensburg, WA
Olympia, WA
Paducah, KY
Dallas, TX
From the Metro area, Fans Came From:
St. Louis Metro, MO
Kansas City, MO
Fairview Heights, IL
Columbia, IL
Gillespie, IL
Springfield, IL
Strasburg, IL
New Athens, IL
Mascoutah, IL
Alton, IL
Granite City, IL
Friday, May 27, 2011
KC Baseball Historical Society Opens Baseball Exhibit 2011
The Kansas City Baseball Historical Society has a wide range of memorabilia including uniforms, equipment, photos and a large array of baseball collectibles. Items from the Royals, Athletics, Blues, and Monarchs will be on display at the Town Pavilion at 1111 Main Street in downtown Kansas City Missouri.
Admission is free and open to the public. This Exhibit will run to September so come and take a look.
More details at: http://www.kansascitybaseballhistoricalsociety.com/
Admission is free and open to the public. This Exhibit will run to September so come and take a look.
More details at: http://www.kansascitybaseballhistoricalsociety.com/
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Herzog Entertains at Browns Reunion Along with Turley & Garver
American League Baseball came back to St. Louis for at least a day with the annual reunion of the St. Louis Browns Fan Club. Club president, Bill Rogers, said the luncheon may well be the largest baseball related luncheon in the history of St. Louis sports. Over 285 fans were on hand to welcome welcome Whitey Herzog, Bob Turley, Ned Garver, Roy Sievers, Don Lenhardt, J.W. Porter, Ed Mickelson and Bud Thomas.
From CBS St. Louis >>>
Whitey Herzog says having his jersey number retired by the St. Louis Cardinals is every bit as special as making it to the Hall of Fame.
The manager who produced three National League pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s with a go-go style known as “Whiteyball” said Wednesday it was humbling to realize that every game at Busch Stadium, fans will see his No. 24 alongside other franchise greats. (Click on Photos to Enlarge)
Pictured is Whitey visiting with Ned Garver.
Whitey listens in while Bob Turley addresses the crowd.
Herzog is unique to that group because he’s the first to contend his playing career was nothing special.
“To go up there with Musial, Schoendienst, Gibson, Brock, Sutter and Ozzie (Smith), I think hit me the hardest,” Herzog said. “I appreciated that more than anything that’s every happened.”
Herzog also won three division titles with the Kansas City Royals. As an outfielder with four teams from 1956-63, he batted .257 with 25 home runs and 172 RBIs.
“I had a very mediocre career, I was a hanger-on,” Herzog said. “I never knew if I was going to have a locker when I got to the ballpark, sweated out every cutdown day, every training deadline for eight years.
“I worked hard, I hustled, but I couldn’t hit a slow curve with a paddle.”
Herzog, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee last year, was the featured speaker at the annual St. Louis Browns reunion luncheon. His appearance at the podium followed a pretty spry group of former players pushing or past 80 recounting glory days with a franchise that left for Baltimore 58 years ago.
“There aren’t many Browns left, and next year there might be less,” said Don Lenhardt, who had career bests of 22 homers and 81 RBIs with the Browns in 1950. “So it’s good to see all of them.”
Catcher J.W. Porter joked that “really it took CPR to bring this group back.”
Pitcher Bob Turley, who debuted with the Browns and became a star with the New York Yankees later in the 1950s, made his first appearance at the luncheon. Taking note of the audience’s advanced age, the pitcher known as “Bullet Bob” said he would have thought he was speaking to a group of Florida retirees.
“All the gray hair,” Turley said.
Turley was a 21-game winner in 1958, taking the American League Cy Young award and then the World Series MVP. But during his playing career, he said he made more in the offseason working for Continental Baking than for the Yankees.
The 80-year-old Turley threw 19 complete games in ’58, and has trouble relating to the game’s obsession with pitch counts and coddling arms. He joked that Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg signed for “$500 million” and “third time out he blows out his arm.”
“One hundred pitches, I’m just getting warmed up,” Turley said. “No sore arm. Want to know why? I kept my arm in shape.”
Herzog recalled that the Browns wanted to sign him out of high school in New Athens, Ill., as a pitcher after a scout watched him throw a no-hitter and strike out all 21 hitters.
“I didn’t want to be a pitcher, I was wilder than hell,” Herzog said. “Finally, I said, ‘Now I know why you guys are last, because you want to sign me as a pitcher.’ That’s what a brash kid I was.”
Herzog believes this year’s Cardinals are postseason contenders even after losing 20-game winner Adam Wainwright to reconstructive elbow surgery in February.
“Now, they’re off to a good start and it looks like they might have a World Series in St. Louis this year,” Herzog said. “If they stay healthy, I think they’ve got a heck of a chance.”
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/05/26/white-rat-entertains-at-browns-reunion/
From CBS St. Louis >>>
Whitey Herzog says having his jersey number retired by the St. Louis Cardinals is every bit as special as making it to the Hall of Fame.
The manager who produced three National League pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s with a go-go style known as “Whiteyball” said Wednesday it was humbling to realize that every game at Busch Stadium, fans will see his No. 24 alongside other franchise greats. (Click on Photos to Enlarge)
Whitey listens in while Bob Turley addresses the crowd.
Herzog is unique to that group because he’s the first to contend his playing career was nothing special.
“To go up there with Musial, Schoendienst, Gibson, Brock, Sutter and Ozzie (Smith), I think hit me the hardest,” Herzog said. “I appreciated that more than anything that’s every happened.”
Herzog also won three division titles with the Kansas City Royals. As an outfielder with four teams from 1956-63, he batted .257 with 25 home runs and 172 RBIs.
“I had a very mediocre career, I was a hanger-on,” Herzog said. “I never knew if I was going to have a locker when I got to the ballpark, sweated out every cutdown day, every training deadline for eight years.
“I worked hard, I hustled, but I couldn’t hit a slow curve with a paddle.”
Herzog, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee last year, was the featured speaker at the annual St. Louis Browns reunion luncheon. His appearance at the podium followed a pretty spry group of former players pushing or past 80 recounting glory days with a franchise that left for Baltimore 58 years ago.
“There aren’t many Browns left, and next year there might be less,” said Don Lenhardt, who had career bests of 22 homers and 81 RBIs with the Browns in 1950. “So it’s good to see all of them.”
Catcher J.W. Porter joked that “really it took CPR to bring this group back.”
Pitcher Bob Turley, who debuted with the Browns and became a star with the New York Yankees later in the 1950s, made his first appearance at the luncheon. Taking note of the audience’s advanced age, the pitcher known as “Bullet Bob” said he would have thought he was speaking to a group of Florida retirees.
“All the gray hair,” Turley said.
Turley was a 21-game winner in 1958, taking the American League Cy Young award and then the World Series MVP. But during his playing career, he said he made more in the offseason working for Continental Baking than for the Yankees.
The 80-year-old Turley threw 19 complete games in ’58, and has trouble relating to the game’s obsession with pitch counts and coddling arms. He joked that Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg signed for “$500 million” and “third time out he blows out his arm.”
“One hundred pitches, I’m just getting warmed up,” Turley said. “No sore arm. Want to know why? I kept my arm in shape.”
Herzog recalled that the Browns wanted to sign him out of high school in New Athens, Ill., as a pitcher after a scout watched him throw a no-hitter and strike out all 21 hitters.
“I didn’t want to be a pitcher, I was wilder than hell,” Herzog said. “Finally, I said, ‘Now I know why you guys are last, because you want to sign me as a pitcher.’ That’s what a brash kid I was.”
Herzog believes this year’s Cardinals are postseason contenders even after losing 20-game winner Adam Wainwright to reconstructive elbow surgery in February.
“Now, they’re off to a good start and it looks like they might have a World Series in St. Louis this year,” Herzog said. “If they stay healthy, I think they’ve got a heck of a chance.”
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/05/26/white-rat-entertains-at-browns-reunion/
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Luncheon Lineup Announced
Here's the lineup for speakers and Browns players as it stands as of May 3, 2011. Make your reservation today at this website for the 2011 St. Louis Browns Fan Club Luncheon. Location is the Holiday Inn Viking in Southwest St. Louis County (Sunset Hills) starting at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $29 per person.
Yes, we expect more Browns' players to be added. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share memories with many of our old time favorite ball players.
Yes, we expect more Browns' players to be added. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share memories with many of our old time favorite ball players.
Whitey Herzog
Ned Garver
Bob Turley
Don Lenhardt
Ed Mickelson
J.W. Porter
Bud Thomas
We're expecting a sell out crowd approaching 200 fans. We will have available T-Shirts, Satchel Paige's replica jerseys and a Browns scorecard along with baseball equipment from the 40s-50s on display.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Duane Pillette Died May 6 at Age 88
Duane “Dee” Pillette, eight-year major league veteran pitcher, died Friday, May 6 in San Jose, Ca. at the age of 88. Pillette broke into the majors with the New York Yankees in 1949, pitching until 1956 with the St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies. He compiled a 38-66 record, leading the American League in losses in 1951 for the cellar dwelling Browns. He holds the distinction of being the last starting pitcher in Browns history and the first winning pitcher in Orioles history.
Pillette was the son of former major league pitcher Herman Pillette, who spent four of his 26 professional seasons in the major leagues with the Reds and Tigers. The elder Pillette pitched until he was 48 in the Pacific Coast League.
Despite his father’s long career in baseball, the patriarch did not want his son to follow in his footsteps. In a 2009 interview that I conducted with Pillette from his home in San Jose, he discussed how his father wanted him to stay far away from baseball. “My father never talked much about baseball except he didn't want me to play. He fought me tooth and nail when I was a kid. Even though he didn't make much money in the Coast League, he sent me to Parochial schools. He never got past the sixth grade,” Pillette remembered. His father stressed the importance of getting an education ahead of playing baseball. “He said, ‘I don't give a damn about baseball, you aren't going to make any money. I want you to get a good job and the only way is to get a good education.’”
As any teenager would do, Pillette pleaded his case to his father. “I said, ‘You don't have any money and I don't have any money. I have to play baseball to get a scholarship.’ He said, ‘I'll let you play in high school, but if you have a scout come around, he has to talk to me.’”
Read more at: http://www.examiner.com/baseball-history-in-new-york/duane-pillette-second-generation-yankee-hurler-dies-at-88
Despite his father’s long career in baseball, the patriarch did not want his son to follow in his footsteps. In a 2009 interview that I conducted with Pillette from his home in San Jose, he discussed how his father wanted him to stay far away from baseball. “My father never talked much about baseball except he didn't want me to play. He fought me tooth and nail when I was a kid. Even though he didn't make much money in the Coast League, he sent me to Parochial schools. He never got past the sixth grade,” Pillette remembered. His father stressed the importance of getting an education ahead of playing baseball. “He said, ‘I don't give a damn about baseball, you aren't going to make any money. I want you to get a good job and the only way is to get a good education.’”
As any teenager would do, Pillette pleaded his case to his father. “I said, ‘You don't have any money and I don't have any money. I have to play baseball to get a scholarship.’ He said, ‘I'll let you play in high school, but if you have a scout come around, he has to talk to me.’”
Read more at: http://www.examiner.com/baseball-history-in-new-york/duane-pillette-second-generation-yankee-hurler-dies-at-88
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Springfield Browns to Oppose Cardinals, Dodgers, Pilots, Giants, Braves, Cubs, Yankees and Others
Springfield Missouri . . . The new home of the BROWNS.
Rob Ginocchio, a baseball enthusiast in Springfield, Missouri writes . . .
I run a youth baseball league in Springfield, MO. We moved into Price Cutter Park, the old Ozark Mountain Ducks stadium. This year we are running the league in throwback style to the mid-twentieth century with teams of the 50's and 60's including the Browns. Our hope is to retrofit the stadium to bring back the feel and atmosphere of the era along with dressing up our teams in retro looking uniforms.
The older league will be 18 and under and the lower league 14 and under, both playing on the full size field, with some moderate rule changes for the younger guys.
(Click on Photo to Enlarge)
The last two years we have had John Mayberry and Bill Virdon throw out our first pitch.
The shared interest in Missouri's MLB past will hopefully make this a one of a kind experience for kids of all ages and those who come to see the games.
We start games on May 15th including the Browns first game against the Cleveland Indians. The next Sunday we have our Opening Ceremonies with Jack Clark, Jerry Lumpe, Jerry Buchek, and Jack Hamilton. The Browns take on the Boston Braves that afternoon.
Our full schedule is online now at http://www.springfieldmetrobaseball.com/ . Remember that all our games all summer are free with the exception of opening ceremonies which is $5. We also are running old baseball videos and movies in our concession area and doing other special things for the "throwback" season.
If Browns fans are in town, we would love to have them stop by to watch a game or just to visit with our kids and enjoy the stadium.
http://www.springfieldmetrobaseball.com/
Rob Ginocchio, a baseball enthusiast in Springfield, Missouri writes . . .
I run a youth baseball league in Springfield, MO. We moved into Price Cutter Park, the old Ozark Mountain Ducks stadium. This year we are running the league in throwback style to the mid-twentieth century with teams of the 50's and 60's including the Browns. Our hope is to retrofit the stadium to bring back the feel and atmosphere of the era along with dressing up our teams in retro looking uniforms.
(Click on Photo to Enlarge)
The last two years we have had John Mayberry and Bill Virdon throw out our first pitch.
The shared interest in Missouri's MLB past will hopefully make this a one of a kind experience for kids of all ages and those who come to see the games.
We start games on May 15th including the Browns first game against the Cleveland Indians. The next Sunday we have our Opening Ceremonies with Jack Clark, Jerry Lumpe, Jerry Buchek, and Jack Hamilton. The Browns take on the Boston Braves that afternoon.
Our full schedule is online now at http://www.springfieldmetrobaseball.com/ . Remember that all our games all summer are free with the exception of opening ceremonies which is $5. We also are running old baseball videos and movies in our concession area and doing other special things for the "throwback" season.
If Browns fans are in town, we would love to have them stop by to watch a game or just to visit with our kids and enjoy the stadium.
http://www.springfieldmetrobaseball.com/
Friday, May 6, 2011
Browns Historical Society Files Complaint with Attorney General’s Office
Skokie Attorney Rips Off Non-Profit Fan Club
St. Louis, MO May 7, 2011 - The St. Louis Browns Historical Society has filed a complaint with the Illinois attorney general’s office against a Skokie, Illinois attorney. Bill Rogers, President and Chief Operating Officer of the historical society, said that Irving Funk, an attorney in Skokie, Illinois, purchased a baseball Jersey from their organization, canceled his credit card payment, and has refused to return the merchandise. Rogers said the merchandise was purchased last September, paid for in October, and canceled in November. The organization has been trying ever since two get their merchandise returned.
“We have called Mr. Funk’s published telephone number eight times and have the long-distance bills to prove it. He has refused to return any of our messages. We are willing to pay for the shipping charges to have the merchandise returned, but he refuses to communicate with us to make arrangements. This is somewhat disturbing, especially when dealing with someone within the legal profession who is blatantly breaking the law.”
The St. Louis Browns historical society and fan club was organized in 1984 to preserve the memory and history of the St. Louis Browns professional baseball team. “We are a small, non-profit organization endeavoring to educate baseball fans on the history of the St. Louis Browns team. We have little revenue with which to work and a rip off like this is disturbing.”
The Historical society has filed a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General, State of Illinois and with the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois. A complaint has also been filed with the Chicago Better Business Bureau.
Mr. Funk refused to comment on the complaint filings. He is located at 8659 Springfield Ave., Skokie, IL 60076-2215, Telephone 312-419-0810.
About:
The St. Louis Browns historical society and fan club was organized in 1984 with a mission to preserve the history and memory of the St. Louis Browns professional baseball team. More than 320 members span the country nationwide. Information about the organization is available at http://www.thestlbrowns.com/ . Contact: Bill Rogers, stlbrowns@swbell.net, telephone 314-892-8632.
St. Louis, MO May 7, 2011 - The St. Louis Browns Historical Society has filed a complaint with the Illinois attorney general’s office against a Skokie, Illinois attorney. Bill Rogers, President and Chief Operating Officer of the historical society, said that Irving Funk, an attorney in Skokie, Illinois, purchased a baseball Jersey from their organization, canceled his credit card payment, and has refused to return the merchandise. Rogers said the merchandise was purchased last September, paid for in October, and canceled in November. The organization has been trying ever since two get their merchandise returned.
“We have called Mr. Funk’s published telephone number eight times and have the long-distance bills to prove it. He has refused to return any of our messages. We are willing to pay for the shipping charges to have the merchandise returned, but he refuses to communicate with us to make arrangements. This is somewhat disturbing, especially when dealing with someone within the legal profession who is blatantly breaking the law.”
The St. Louis Browns historical society and fan club was organized in 1984 to preserve the memory and history of the St. Louis Browns professional baseball team. “We are a small, non-profit organization endeavoring to educate baseball fans on the history of the St. Louis Browns team. We have little revenue with which to work and a rip off like this is disturbing.”
The Historical society has filed a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General, State of Illinois and with the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois. A complaint has also been filed with the Chicago Better Business Bureau.
Mr. Funk refused to comment on the complaint filings. He is located at 8659 Springfield Ave., Skokie, IL 60076-2215, Telephone 312-419-0810.
About:
The St. Louis Browns historical society and fan club was organized in 1984 with a mission to preserve the history and memory of the St. Louis Browns professional baseball team. More than 320 members span the country nationwide. Information about the organization is available at http://www.thestlbrowns.com/ . Contact: Bill Rogers, stlbrowns@swbell.net, telephone 314-892-8632.
'Baseball Joe' faithfully passionate about Pirates . . . and baseball
Ever wonder why we do things just for the heck of it. I have had people ask me, “Why do you volunteer your time to the Browns fan club,” among others. To me it’s just a small way to give back to your community, whether it be a historic society, subdivision association, kids ball team or whatever. And every now and then you get a return from some unknown source that helps make it worthwhile. Like maybe a note from a kid or adult that loves baseball but cannot hear or talk or write . . . like the young man who wrote me yesterday from Pittsburgh. See his note below.
More on Joe at this newspaper article about him - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_701271.html
-----------------------------------
From: Baseballjoe
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 8:41 PM
To: stlbrowns@swbell.net
Subject: Re: BR - St. Louis Browns Fan Club
thank
mine friend writed last email
me haded 3 strokes ands can no not hear ors talk ors write
me meeted lasorda ands costas
me PURE TRUE BASEBALL 365
me nevor watched anothor sport
sisler was pirate hitting coach in late 1950s ands early 1960s
maybe local sabr will help with stuff
ands maybe cards will give help
me started prtition in 1988 to help get clemente statue builded
ands maz statue petition in 2005
now me push get pirates team hall of fame
ands ralph kiner statue
hope you can come pittsburgh ands pnc park some day
who was you favorete player growing up
bullet bob turley most knowed as yankee
More on Joe at this newspaper article about him - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_701271.html
-----------------------------------
From: Baseballjoe
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 8:41 PM
To: stlbrowns@swbell.net
Subject: Re: BR - St. Louis Browns Fan Club
thank
mine friend writed last email
me haded 3 strokes ands can no not hear ors talk ors write
me meeted lasorda ands costas
me PURE TRUE BASEBALL 365
me nevor watched anothor sport
sisler was pirate hitting coach in late 1950s ands early 1960s
maybe local sabr will help with stuff
ands maybe cards will give help
me started prtition in 1988 to help get clemente statue builded
ands maz statue petition in 2005
now me push get pirates team hall of fame
ands ralph kiner statue
hope you can come pittsburgh ands pnc park some day
who was you favorete player growing up
bullet bob turley most knowed as yankee
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Some Great-Named Real Baseball Teams
Bill McCurdy writes:
When it comes to great team names, however, it’s hard to beat some of those that have existed, or still exist, in minor league history. Here are simply a few of my favorites, starting with the 19th century.
19th Century Clubs:
New York Gothams, Wilmington Quicksteps, St. Paul Apostles, Baltimore Monumentals, Oswego Sweegs, Utica Pent Ups, Boston Beaneaters, Hamilton Hams, Jersey City Skeeters, Zanesville Kickapoos, Davenport Onion Weeders, Houston Babies, Cleveland Infants, Manchester Amskoegs, Aurora Hoodoos, Lebanon Pretzel Eaters, Des Moines Prohibitionists, Adrian Reformers, Kalamazoo Celery Eaters, Hartford Cooperatives, Butte Smoke Eaters, and Troy Washerwomen.
20th Century: Clubs:
Crookston Crooks, Des Moines Undertakers, Schenectady Frog Alleys, Amsterdam-Johnstown-Gloversville Hyphens, Holyoke Paperweights, Jacksonville Lunatics, Freeport Pretzels, Eau Claire Puffs, Hot Springs Vaporites, Alexandria Hoo Hoos, Racine Malted Milks, Kirksville Osteopaths, Fall River Adopted Sons, Flint Vehicles, Terre Haute Hotentots, Dallas Submarines, Salem Witches, Tampa Smokers, and Lansing Lugnuts.
Read Bill's blog at: http://bill37mccurdy.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/some-great-named-real-baseball-teams/
When it comes to great team names, however, it’s hard to beat some of those that have existed, or still exist, in minor league history. Here are simply a few of my favorites, starting with the 19th century.
19th Century Clubs:
New York Gothams, Wilmington Quicksteps, St. Paul Apostles, Baltimore Monumentals, Oswego Sweegs, Utica Pent Ups, Boston Beaneaters, Hamilton Hams, Jersey City Skeeters, Zanesville Kickapoos, Davenport Onion Weeders, Houston Babies, Cleveland Infants, Manchester Amskoegs, Aurora Hoodoos, Lebanon Pretzel Eaters, Des Moines Prohibitionists, Adrian Reformers, Kalamazoo Celery Eaters, Hartford Cooperatives, Butte Smoke Eaters, and Troy Washerwomen.
20th Century: Clubs:
Read Bill's blog at: http://bill37mccurdy.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/some-great-named-real-baseball-teams/
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Whitey Herzog to Attend Browns Fan Club Lunch May 25, 2011; Ned Garver & Bob Turley also Attending
"Whitey" Herzog made his debut as a player in 1956 with the Washington Senators. He played for the Baltimore Orioles (formerly the St. Louis Browns) in 1961 and 1962. After his playing career ended in 1963, Herzog went on to perform a variety of roles in Major League Baseball. Most noted for his success as a manager, he led the Kansas City Royals to three consecutive playoff appearances from 1976 to 1978. Hired by Gussie Busch in 1980 to helm the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cardinals won the 1982 World Series and made two other World Series appearances in 1985 and 1987 under Herzog's direction. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 25, 2010.
Bob Turley at 2011 St. Louis Browns Luncheon
Bob Turley (born September 19, 1930 in Troy, Illinois and grew up in East St. Louis) (known as "Bullet Bob") was signed by the St. Louis Browns in 1948
His best year was 1958, when he won 21 games and lost seven. As a result, he won the Hickok Belt as top pro-fessional athlete of the year, and the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Turley started his 1958 World Series on a low note, giving up a leadoff home run and lasting just one-third of an inning as the Yankees fell behind the Milwaukee Braves two games to none. With the Yankees one game away from elimination, Turley threw a shutout in Game Five, then picked up a 10th-inning save in Game Six.
A day later in Game Seven, he relieved Don Larsen in the third inning and won his second game in three days, with 6 2/3 innings of two-hit relief. The Yankees became just the second team to recover from a 3-1 World Series deficit, and Turley was voted the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
Mr. Turley is attending the Browns Fan Club for the first time.
Ned Garver (born December 25, 1925) played from 1948 to 1961 winning 129 games in his major league career. Most of his career was spent playing for the St. Louis Browns and Kansas City Athletics.
Out of the Browns' 52 total wins, Garver accounted for nearly 40 percent of them. Ned also led the American League in complete games with 24 in 1951, and when he pitched, he often batted sixth in the order rather than the customary ninth compiling a .305 batting average with one home run.
Garver remains the only pitcher in American League history and modern baseball history (post-1920) to win 20 or more games for a team which lost 100 or more games in the same season and the only pitcher in Major League history to do so with a winning record.
Garver was the starting pitcher for the American League in the 1951 All-Star Game held in Detroit.
Ted Williams, perhaps the greatest hitter in the history of baseball, said of Garver, "He could throw anything up there and get me out."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Eddie Robinson: My 65 Years in Baseball
Eddie never played for the Browns, although he played for the minor and major league Orioles and worked for Paul Richards. He certainly played against the Browns and made the last out in Bobo Holloman’s no-hitter, for example. He is 90 years old but in great shape, still playing golf several times a week and enjoying life.
(Click on picture to enlarge)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Anyone Remember Butz's Tavern in Dutchtown in S. St. Louis?
Keith M. Eckrich, Albuquerque, NM
STRIKE THREE!!!
In 1948 I was 9 years old. Back then St. Louis neighborhood taverns were family friendly. Kids were welcome to play the pinball machine for a nickel and munch on those famous soft pretzels while dad downed a cold glass of locally brewed Griesedieck Brothers beer. Butz’s Tavern, in “Dutchtown” in South St. Louis, was a haven for baseball fans, especially for the American League’s St. Louis Browns. In front of the huge mirror behind the bartender was a collection of baseball paraphernalia. I pointed to a baseball balanced atop a beer glass and asked Mr. Butz what that baseball was all about. He handed it to me: “Here, kid, it’s a souvenir from the ball park. It’s all yours.” Wow! My own baseball, a real one, right from the big leagues, and it even sported an autograph!
That baseball thrilled me and my buddy Joey. We played catch by the hour. We hit grounders to hone our infield skills. We slammed “home run” fly balls to emulate Stan Musial. We were in training to become major leaguers to play at Sportsmans Park, the St. Louis Cardinals’ home field on North Grand Avenue.
One day Joey asked me: “Say, there was an autograph on your baseball, but it’s all worn off now. What team did he play with?” I pondered. “I don’t know, but I do remember it’s some guy by the name of “Ted Williams.”
Joey gasped in disbelief: “Hey, guy, you just struck out!”
If you remember Butz's Tavern, drop us a note to tell us what you remember. STLBrowns@swbell.net
STRIKE THREE!!!
That baseball thrilled me and my buddy Joey. We played catch by the hour. We hit grounders to hone our infield skills. We slammed “home run” fly balls to emulate Stan Musial. We were in training to become major leaguers to play at Sportsmans Park, the St. Louis Cardinals’ home field on North Grand Avenue.
One day Joey asked me: “Say, there was an autograph on your baseball, but it’s all worn off now. What team did he play with?” I pondered. “I don’t know, but I do remember it’s some guy by the name of “Ted Williams.”
Joey gasped in disbelief: “Hey, guy, you just struck out!”
If you remember Butz's Tavern, drop us a note to tell us what you remember. STLBrowns@swbell.net
Monday, March 21, 2011
Marty Marion at St. Louis Browns Fan Club
Art Richman, NY Yankees Exec with Marty Marion
(Click on Photos to Enlarge)
Marty Marioin with Bill McCurdy, Fan Club Member
Marty with Stan the Man
The Marty Marion Glove
The Rawlings retail glove endorsed by Marty Marion in the 1940s and early 1950s was one of the most popular gloves in Rawlings history behind the Bill Doak glove, the basemen trappers and Musial and Mantle Rawlings gloves later.
Elmer Blasco, the Rawlings promotion man who came up with the company's "Gold Glove Award," said that Marty always fretted that he wasn't getting high enough royalties on his glove sales and always wanted a higher percentage, Blasco reported.
(Click on photo below to enlarge)
Elmer Blasco, the Rawlings promotion man who came up with the company's "Gold Glove Award," said that Marty always fretted that he wasn't getting high enough royalties on his glove sales and always wanted a higher percentage, Blasco reported.
(Click on photo below to enlarge)
"He would march into Rawlings president's office every off season to try and negotiate a better deal."
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Bob Turley At Browns Luncheon - May 25
Breaking news . . .
Just confirmed - Bob Turley to attend the 2011 St. Louis Browns Luncheon on May 25, 2011.
Bob Turley (born September 19, 1930 in Troy, Illinois and grew up in East St. Louis) (known as "Bullet Bob") was signed by the St. Louis Browns in 1948
He played his first game on September 29, 1951 for the Browns and moved with them to Baltimore in 1954. He was traded to the New York Yankees after the 1954 season and played for the Yankees from 1955 to 1962. After beginning the year 1963 with the Los Angeles Angels, he finished the year, and his career, with the Boston Red Sox.
His best year was 1958, when he won 21 games and lost seven. As a result, he won the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year, and the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Turley started his 1958 World Series on a low note, giving up a leadoff home run and lasting just one-third of an inning as the Yankees fell behind the Milwaukee Braves two games to none. With the Yankees one game away from elimination, Turley threw a shutout in Game Five, then picked up a 10th-inning save in Game Six. A day later in Game Seven, he relieved Don Larsen in the third inning and won his second game in three days, with 6 2/3 innings of two-hit relief. The Yankees became just the second team to recover from a 3-1 World Series deficit, and Turley was voted the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
Pictured below - Fifty-seven years later, Bob Turley remembers the first big-league baseball game ever played at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Why not? He won it.
From left, Vern Stephens, Bob Turley and Clint Courtney. Stephens and Courtney both hit home runs in the Orioles' 3-1 victory over the White Sox on Opening Day on April 15, 1954. All three players moved from the Browns '53 to the Orioles '54.
Just confirmed - Bob Turley to attend the 2011 St. Louis Browns Luncheon on May 25, 2011.
Bob Turley (born September 19, 1930 in Troy, Illinois and grew up in East St. Louis) (known as "Bullet Bob") was signed by the St. Louis Browns in 1948
He played his first game on September 29, 1951 for the Browns and moved with them to Baltimore in 1954. He was traded to the New York Yankees after the 1954 season and played for the Yankees from 1955 to 1962. After beginning the year 1963 with the Los Angeles Angels, he finished the year, and his career, with the Boston Red Sox.
His best year was 1958, when he won 21 games and lost seven. As a result, he won the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year, and the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Turley started his 1958 World Series on a low note, giving up a leadoff home run and lasting just one-third of an inning as the Yankees fell behind the Milwaukee Braves two games to none. With the Yankees one game away from elimination, Turley threw a shutout in Game Five, then picked up a 10th-inning save in Game Six. A day later in Game Seven, he relieved Don Larsen in the third inning and won his second game in three days, with 6 2/3 innings of two-hit relief. The Yankees became just the second team to recover from a 3-1 World Series deficit, and Turley was voted the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
Pictured below - Fifty-seven years later, Bob Turley remembers the first big-league baseball game ever played at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Why not? He won it.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
2010 Lunch DVD Order Form
1) Click on order form above to enlarge 2) Press Ctrl + P to Print out the order form 3) Mail in your order (4) Enjoy the stories and laughs when your DVD arrives.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Fan Club Member Looking for Autographs
I am trying to get some 3x5 autographs of the following Brownies. Do any fellow fan club members have some I could buy? Contact me at: William.Biery@FMR.COM
Clint Courtney
Willie (Willy) Miranda
Bill Norman
Cliff Fannin
Bob Young
Earl Harrist
I really need 3x5 signatures of these players for my collection. Thanks!
Clint Courtney
Willie (Willy) Miranda
Bill Norman
Cliff Fannin
Bob Young
Earl Harrist
I really need 3x5 signatures of these players for my collection. Thanks!
Marty Marion dies; shortstop was MVP with '44 Cards, Last STL Browns Manager
Marty Marion, known as "Mr. Shortstop" to a generation of St. Louis Cardinals fans, died of an apparent heart attack Tuesday night, according to his nephew, Scott Marion.
Mr. Marion was 93 and lived in Ladue a suburb of St. Louis.
Also known as "Slats" during his St. Louis career from 1940-50, Mr. Marion was the Cardinals' shortstop on four National League pennant-winners and three World Series championship teams (1942, '44 and '46). Marion also played for the St. Louis Browns as player/manager in 1952-53. He served as the Browns last manager before the team moved to Baltimore.
Mr. Marion's signature season was 1944, when he won the NL's Most Valuable Player award. According to Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch, this was more of a leadership and fielding award as Mr. Marion was considered the glue of the great Cardinals teams in the '40s. He batted .267 in '44. then sparked a Cardinals defense that made just one error in a six-game "Streetcar Series" victory over the Browns, who committed 10 errors.
His best season as a hitter was 1943, when he batted .280 in the regular season and .357 in the World Series against the New York Yankees. Stan Musial won the first of his three MVPs that year. In 1942, he batted .276 and led the NL with 38 doubles.
Mr. Marion made All-Star Game appearances in 1943-44 and 1946-50 (there was no All-Star Game in 1945), and led NL shortstops in fielding percentage four times during the decade. He was 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds during his playing days, and was known to sportswriters of the time as "The Octopus" because of his long arms and extraordinary range.
"You look at his stats and everything, he should be in the Hall of Fame," former teammate and Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst said today in Florida. "He never ever tried to say that he belonged in the Hall of Fame. He liked baseball. That’s why he played it.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_befd89f4-4fe8-11e0-a6bc-00127992bc8b.html
Mr. Marion was 93 and lived in Ladue a suburb of St. Louis.
Mr. Marion's signature season was 1944, when he won the NL's Most Valuable Player award. According to Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch, this was more of a leadership and fielding award as Mr. Marion was considered the glue of the great Cardinals teams in the '40s. He batted .267 in '44. then sparked a Cardinals defense that made just one error in a six-game "Streetcar Series" victory over the Browns, who committed 10 errors.
His best season as a hitter was 1943, when he batted .280 in the regular season and .357 in the World Series against the New York Yankees. Stan Musial won the first of his three MVPs that year. In 1942, he batted .276 and led the NL with 38 doubles.
Mr. Marion made All-Star Game appearances in 1943-44 and 1946-50 (there was no All-Star Game in 1945), and led NL shortstops in fielding percentage four times during the decade. He was 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds during his playing days, and was known to sportswriters of the time as "The Octopus" because of his long arms and extraordinary range.
"You look at his stats and everything, he should be in the Hall of Fame," former teammate and Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst said today in Florida. "He never ever tried to say that he belonged in the Hall of Fame. He liked baseball. That’s why he played it.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_befd89f4-4fe8-11e0-a6bc-00127992bc8b.html
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Browns Player, Fred Sanford, Passes Away
John Fredrick (Fred) Sanford signed with the St. Louis Browns in 1939 and played with the team in 1943, 1946-48. He was traded to the New York Yankees for the 1949-50 season. He played with four different teams in 1951 and finished his major league career that year back with the Browns. Fred was a pitcher and finished with a career ERA of 4.45 with 37 wins and 55 losses. His best season was with the Yankees in 1949 winning 7 games while losing 3.Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sometimes the Police do Care
Too often people come down on our police officers, saying that they don't care. Well, here is a story that shows not all cops are in that category.
The Joplin, Missouri Police Department reported finding a man's body last Saturday in the Spring River near the electric plant. The dead man's name would of course not be released until his family had been notified.
The victim apparently drowned due to excessive partying while visiting "someone" in Riverton, Kansas. He was wearing black fish-net stockings, a red garter belt, a pink G-string, purple lipstick, and a Cubs T-shirt.
The police removed the Cubs T-shirt to spare his family any unnecessary embarrassment. Police sometimes do care.
The Joplin, Missouri Police Department reported finding a man's body last Saturday in the Spring River near the electric plant. The dead man's name would of course not be released until his family had been notified.
The victim apparently drowned due to excessive partying while visiting "someone" in Riverton, Kansas. He was wearing black fish-net stockings, a red garter belt, a pink G-string, purple lipstick, and a Cubs T-shirt.
The police removed the Cubs T-shirt to spare his family any unnecessary embarrassment. Police sometimes do care.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Baseball Reliquary Presents Baseball for the Fun of It!
The Baseball Reliquary Presents Baseball for the Fun of It!
Exhibition: March 5-April 23, 2011
West Covina Public Library, 1601 West Covina Pkwy., West Covina, California
Information: (626) 791-7647 or terymar@earthlink.net
The Baseball Reliquary presents Baseball for the Fun of It!, an exhibition of photographs, artworks, artifacts, and documents exploring some of the humorous and amusing events and personalities that have added much to the history and legacy of the national pastime, from March 5-April 23, 2011 at the West Covina Public Library, 1601 West Covina Pkwy., West Covina, California.
Highlights include a 60th anniversary tribute to Eddie Gaedel, the midget who came to the plate for Bill Veeck’s St. Louis Browns in 1951 in one of the greatest promotional stunts in baseball history. The infamous “Disco Demolition Night” is recalled in a series of photographs by Paul Natkin, who documented the pyrotechnic extravaganza between games of a 1979 doubleheader at Chicago’s Comiskey Park which resulted in pandemonium and hastened the demise of disco as a musical genre. The feathered orange and yellow San Diego Chicken, the pioneering mascot who transcended his character to become a virtual folk hero, is featured in a display of various personal artifacts and props from a game-worn suit to his famous eye chart for umpires.
Baseball for the Fun of It! is a must-see for those who have grown weary of the all-too-serious side of baseball and yearn for the return of some plain old fun to the game.
Library hours for the exhibition are Tuesday-Thursday, 10:00 am-8:00 pm; Saturday, 8:00 am-6:00 pm; closed Monday, Friday, and Sunday. For further information, contact the Baseball Reliquary by phone at (626) 791-7647 or by e-mail at terymar@earthlink.net.
The exhibition is made possible, in part, by a grant to the Baseball Reliquary from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
Exhibition: March 5-April 23, 2011
West Covina Public Library, 1601 West Covina Pkwy., West Covina, California
Information: (626) 791-7647 or terymar@earthlink.net
The Baseball Reliquary presents Baseball for the Fun of It!, an exhibition of photographs, artworks, artifacts, and documents exploring some of the humorous and amusing events and personalities that have added much to the history and legacy of the national pastime, from March 5-April 23, 2011 at the West Covina Public Library, 1601 West Covina Pkwy., West Covina, California.
Baseball for the Fun of It! is a must-see for those who have grown weary of the all-too-serious side of baseball and yearn for the return of some plain old fun to the game.
Library hours for the exhibition are Tuesday-Thursday, 10:00 am-8:00 pm; Saturday, 8:00 am-6:00 pm; closed Monday, Friday, and Sunday. For further information, contact the Baseball Reliquary by phone at (626) 791-7647 or by e-mail at terymar@earthlink.net.
The exhibition is made possible, in part, by a grant to the Baseball Reliquary from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Hall of Fame center fielder Duke Snider dies at 84
Duke Snider, the Hall of Fame center fielder for the charmed "Boys of Summer" who helped the Dodgers bring their elusive and only World Series crown to Brooklyn, died early Sunday of what his family called natural causes. He was 84.
Snider died at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, Calif., according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which announced the death on behalf of the family.
"The Duke of Flatbush" hit .295 with 407 career home runs, played in the World Series six times and won two titles. But the eight-time All-Star was defined by much more than his stats - he was, after all, part of the love affair between the borough of Brooklyn and "Dem Bums" who lived in the local neighborhoods.
Ebbets Field was filled with stars such as Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges during that 1955 championship season. Yet it is Snider's name that refrains in the ballpark favorite "Talkin' Baseball."
"Willie, Mickey, and the Duke," the popular song goes.
More at: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BBO_OBIT_SNIDER?SITE=MOSTP&SECTION=DJSP_COMPLETE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-02-27-15-35-00
"The Duke of Flatbush" hit .295 with 407 career home runs, played in the World Series six times and won two titles. But the eight-time All-Star was defined by much more than his stats - he was, after all, part of the love affair between the borough of Brooklyn and "Dem Bums" who lived in the local neighborhoods.
Ebbets Field was filled with stars such as Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges during that 1955 championship season. Yet it is Snider's name that refrains in the ballpark favorite "Talkin' Baseball."
"Willie, Mickey, and the Duke," the popular song goes.
More at: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BBO_OBIT_SNIDER?SITE=MOSTP&SECTION=DJSP_COMPLETE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-02-27-15-35-00
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
PayPal and Attorney Team Up to Rip off Baseball Historic Society
PayPal Refuses to Help Identify Card Clearing Bank, Partners With Bank to Cheat Historic Society
St. Louis, MO, February 15, 2011 - The 27 year old St. Louis Browns Historic Society says they’ve been ripped off by a Skokie, Illinois attorney using his credit card through PayPal. The attorney, Irving Funk, purchased a St. Louis Browns replica baseball jersey from the Society. He paid for the merchandise and turned around and canceled the transaction with his bank about a month later. Now three months later, the Society is still trying to have its merchandised returned.
Society President, Bill Rogers, says the baseball jersey was exactly as pictured at their blog site at http://brownsmerchandise.blogspot.com/ . “The cost of the sale does not warrant filing a lawsuit, but it does warrant spreading the word about the ethics of Mr. Funk. We have sent numerous e-mails, made numerous phone calls, and also sent post office mail but all goes unanswered. All we’re asking for is either payment of the Jersey ($72) or return of the merchandise. It’s that simple. We have no idea why Mr. Funk changed his mind.”
Mr. Funk advised his bank to stop payment of the purchase. His bank notified PayPal who refunded the money back to Mr. Funk. A call for help to PayPal has fallen on deaf ears. Rogers said, “I have talked to PayPal several times requesting they advise us as to Mr. Funk’s bank name and/or the credit card number used for this fraudulent transaction. PayPal refuses to co-operate citing privacy reasons. PayPal has become a party to this fraud.”
A Google search on “PayPal Problems” turned up over 97,000 websites. Rogers said he noted comments at http://headkeys.com/screw-paypal.com that provides help to those who got ripped off by PayPal.
One person commented, “Had an email off PayPal this morning. The buyer has filed an 'item not as described’ dispute, even though it was exactly as described and the lovely people at PayPal have now seized the money involved and frozen my account! I am going to have to go through all this dispute bovine excrement now, not knowing whether I will even get MY money back from them at the end of it all. Not sure what’s going on. Have I been the victim of a scam? Do you think?”
About St. Louis Browns Historical Society
The mission of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society is to preserve the history and memory of the St. Louis Browns baseball team. The Browns played in St. Louis from 1902 through the 1953 season. The fan club was organized in 1984 and has more than 315 members today.
To learn more about the Browns, visit their Internet sites at:
http://www.thestlbrowns.com/
http://thestlbrowns.blogspot.com/
http://brownsmuseum.blogspot.com/
http://brownsmerchandise.blogspot.com/
http://stlbrowns.qbstores.com/
Contact
Bill Rogers, President/COO
St. Louis Browns Fan Club
P.O. Box 510047
St. Louis, MO 63151-0047
Telephone: 314-892-8632
E – mail: STLBrowns@SWbell.net
St. Louis, MO, February 15, 2011 - The 27 year old St. Louis Browns Historic Society says they’ve been ripped off by a Skokie, Illinois attorney using his credit card through PayPal. The attorney, Irving Funk, purchased a St. Louis Browns replica baseball jersey from the Society. He paid for the merchandise and turned around and canceled the transaction with his bank about a month later. Now three months later, the Society is still trying to have its merchandised returned.
Society President, Bill Rogers, says the baseball jersey was exactly as pictured at their blog site at http://brownsmerchandise.blogspot.com/ . “The cost of the sale does not warrant filing a lawsuit, but it does warrant spreading the word about the ethics of Mr. Funk. We have sent numerous e-mails, made numerous phone calls, and also sent post office mail but all goes unanswered. All we’re asking for is either payment of the Jersey ($72) or return of the merchandise. It’s that simple. We have no idea why Mr. Funk changed his mind.”
Mr. Funk advised his bank to stop payment of the purchase. His bank notified PayPal who refunded the money back to Mr. Funk. A call for help to PayPal has fallen on deaf ears. Rogers said, “I have talked to PayPal several times requesting they advise us as to Mr. Funk’s bank name and/or the credit card number used for this fraudulent transaction. PayPal refuses to co-operate citing privacy reasons. PayPal has become a party to this fraud.”
A Google search on “PayPal Problems” turned up over 97,000 websites. Rogers said he noted comments at http://headkeys.com/screw-paypal.com that provides help to those who got ripped off by PayPal.
One person commented, “Had an email off PayPal this morning. The buyer has filed an 'item not as described’ dispute, even though it was exactly as described and the lovely people at PayPal have now seized the money involved and frozen my account! I am going to have to go through all this dispute bovine excrement now, not knowing whether I will even get MY money back from them at the end of it all. Not sure what’s going on. Have I been the victim of a scam? Do you think?”
About St. Louis Browns Historical Society
The mission of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society is to preserve the history and memory of the St. Louis Browns baseball team. The Browns played in St. Louis from 1902 through the 1953 season. The fan club was organized in 1984 and has more than 315 members today.
To learn more about the Browns, visit their Internet sites at:
http://www.thestlbrowns.com/
http://thestlbrowns.blogspot.com/
http://brownsmuseum.blogspot.com/
http://brownsmerchandise.blogspot.com/
http://stlbrowns.qbstores.com/
Contact
Bill Rogers, President/COO
St. Louis Browns Fan Club
P.O. Box 510047
St. Louis, MO 63151-0047
Telephone: 314-892-8632
E – mail: STLBrowns@SWbell.net
A Batter's Eye View
SPORTS COLLECTORS DIGEST FEBUARY 25, 2011 ISSUE
http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/article/bill_purdy_interview
By Rich Marazzi
It’s not unusual for guys my age to have a bucket list. One thing I’ve always wanted to do was to catch batting practice at Yankee Stadium – or any major league park for that matter. Since teams no longer have batting practice catchers, and my life is in fast forward, chances of me fulfilling my fantasy are slim-to-none.
I recently read an article about former St. Louis Browns bat boy and batting practice catcher Bill Purdy in Pop Flies, the official magazine of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society. Batting practice catcher? Before you could say Clint Courtney, I did my best Sherlock Holmes imitation and tracked him down. (Click on Photo to Enlarge)
Purdy, a retired high school principal and educator in St. Louis, grew up a serious Browns fan despite suffering through a dismal but colorful period in team history. A Knothole Gang member who often went to Browns’ games on weekends, he was one of the 18,369 fans in attendance at Sportsman’s Park on Aug. 19, 1951, when owner Bill Veeck employed Eddie Gaedel, the 3-foot-7-inch midget. It is perhaps baseball’s most notorious stunt that will certainly be resurrected in this 60th anniversary year.
“I was sitting on the third base side in the upper deck with a friend,” recalled Purdy. “Between games of a doubleheader against the Tigers, they wheeled a cake onto the field and out of the cake jumped Gaedel. The crowd was astounded. Frank Saucier, who was considered a rookie phenom at the time, was announced to be in the starting lineup, and I was excited about this. He was scheduled to lead off the bottom of the first and play right field. But when he came to bat, manager Zack Taylor pinch-hit Gaedel for Saucier.”
Tigers’ pitcher Bob Cain threw four “balls” while laughing through the burlesque. After Gaedel waddled down to first base wearing elf’s shoes and uniform No. 1/8, he was replaced by Jim Delsing, and Gaedel’s one at-bat big league career came to an abrupt end.
When the Browns last won a pennant (1944) Purdy was only 7 years old. The Cardinals, with marquee names like Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst and Marty Marion, owned the city. So how did he develop an affinity toward the Brownies?
“We used to play step ball,” he explained “We would use a tennis ball and throw it off the concrete steps. If you caught the ball, you stayed in the game. I used to pretend that I was George McQuinn, the former Browns first baseman.”
Born and raised in St. Louis, Purdy was a standout catcher from Little League through his days at Southwest High School. He hit like Johnny Bench but ran like Ernie Lombardi – maybe a little faster. He then played one year of baseball for Washington University in St. Louis before transferring to Southeast Missouri State College where the school did not have a baseball program.
Bat boy and bullpen catcher
Veeck, who purchased an 80 percent stake in the Browns in 1951, worked endlessly to promote his anemic franchise. After all, he had to compete with “Stan the Man’s” Cardinals who were tenants in the same ballpark.
In 1952, Veeck held a promotional essay contest in search of a bat boy for the St. Louis Browns. The winner was 14-year-old Bill Purdy. Not only was he selected to be the club’s bat boy, he won $500 and his parents were given a season pass. And in classic Veeckian style, any of the 2,500 students at Southwest High School could attend one game for free on May 17. Those who did attend saw the Browns rally for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Mel Parnell and the Red Sox 2-1.
Purdy now had rock star status among his peers. Like the movie title that year starring Dan Dailey, Dizzy Dean and Joanne Dru, he was “The Pride of St. Louis” among his classmates. And thanks to an understanding school principal who was a baseball fan, he was able to get out of school for the few day games that were played.
The year 1952 was an unforgettable one for the 14-year-old bat boy and batting practice catcher. It was the beginning of the Eisenhower years, Kay Starr sang “Wheel of Fortune” and Topps printed its Cadillac 407-card set.
“My first year I was a bat boy and batting practice catcher,” said Purdy. “In ’53, the final season for the Browns in St. Louis, I was exclusively a batting practice and bullpen catcher.
“I assume the regular catchers, Les Moss and Clint Courtney, didn’t want to do it. Catching was a tough job and the St. Louis heat can take a lot out of you. Coaches Bob Scheffing and Bill Norman were very good to me. I remember Eddie Olsen, who played hockey for the St. Louis Flyers minor league team, often threw batting practice. In the bullpen, I warmed-up legends like Satchel Paige, Virgil Trucks, Harry “The Cat” Brecheen, Don Larsen, Bob Turley, Ned Garver and Tommy Byrne. I had no problem catching them.”
Veeck had a penchant for signing former Cardinals. Brecheen, who spent most of his prominent 133-92 career with the Redbirds, beat the Red Sox three times in the 1946 World Series. He pitched the final season of his career for the Browns. “The Cat” made 16 starts and came out of the bullpen 10 times, going 5-13. And would you believe his favorite bullpen catcher was the young Purdy?
“For whatever reason, one day I warmed up Harry before a game and he won,” Purdy said. “After that he wouldn’t allow any one else to warm him up.”
Purdy was especially close to Paige, the ageless Hall of Fame right-hander who spent most of his career in the Negro leagues.
“He lived in the Adams Hotel at the corner of Pendleton and Olive Streets,” Purdy said.“It was a segregated hotel about two blocks from my father’s restaurant, The Rex Café. My father would pick us up after a road trip and Satchel would often dine there. This was a time when many restaurants and hotels were segregated. My dad’s place was opened 24/7 to everyone, and celebrities such as President Harry Truman, Jimmy Durante, Jane Wyman, Kirk Douglas, wrestler “Gorgeous George,” Harry Caray and others ate there. Part of the movie The Glass Menagerie was filmed outside the restaurant.”
Purdy’s friendship with Paige grew from all this. Their close relationship would impact Purdy’s life.
Read the rest of this story at: http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/article/bill_purdy_interview
http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/article/bill_purdy_interview
By Rich Marazzi
It’s not unusual for guys my age to have a bucket list. One thing I’ve always wanted to do was to catch batting practice at Yankee Stadium – or any major league park for that matter. Since teams no longer have batting practice catchers, and my life is in fast forward, chances of me fulfilling my fantasy are slim-to-none.
Purdy, a retired high school principal and educator in St. Louis, grew up a serious Browns fan despite suffering through a dismal but colorful period in team history. A Knothole Gang member who often went to Browns’ games on weekends, he was one of the 18,369 fans in attendance at Sportsman’s Park on Aug. 19, 1951, when owner Bill Veeck employed Eddie Gaedel, the 3-foot-7-inch midget. It is perhaps baseball’s most notorious stunt that will certainly be resurrected in this 60th anniversary year.
“I was sitting on the third base side in the upper deck with a friend,” recalled Purdy. “Between games of a doubleheader against the Tigers, they wheeled a cake onto the field and out of the cake jumped Gaedel. The crowd was astounded. Frank Saucier, who was considered a rookie phenom at the time, was announced to be in the starting lineup, and I was excited about this. He was scheduled to lead off the bottom of the first and play right field. But when he came to bat, manager Zack Taylor pinch-hit Gaedel for Saucier.”
Tigers’ pitcher Bob Cain threw four “balls” while laughing through the burlesque. After Gaedel waddled down to first base wearing elf’s shoes and uniform No. 1/8, he was replaced by Jim Delsing, and Gaedel’s one at-bat big league career came to an abrupt end.
When the Browns last won a pennant (1944) Purdy was only 7 years old. The Cardinals, with marquee names like Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst and Marty Marion, owned the city. So how did he develop an affinity toward the Brownies?
“We used to play step ball,” he explained “We would use a tennis ball and throw it off the concrete steps. If you caught the ball, you stayed in the game. I used to pretend that I was George McQuinn, the former Browns first baseman.”
Born and raised in St. Louis, Purdy was a standout catcher from Little League through his days at Southwest High School. He hit like Johnny Bench but ran like Ernie Lombardi – maybe a little faster. He then played one year of baseball for Washington University in St. Louis before transferring to Southeast Missouri State College where the school did not have a baseball program.
Bat boy and bullpen catcher
Veeck, who purchased an 80 percent stake in the Browns in 1951, worked endlessly to promote his anemic franchise. After all, he had to compete with “Stan the Man’s” Cardinals who were tenants in the same ballpark.
In 1952, Veeck held a promotional essay contest in search of a bat boy for the St. Louis Browns. The winner was 14-year-old Bill Purdy. Not only was he selected to be the club’s bat boy, he won $500 and his parents were given a season pass. And in classic Veeckian style, any of the 2,500 students at Southwest High School could attend one game for free on May 17. Those who did attend saw the Browns rally for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Mel Parnell and the Red Sox 2-1.
Purdy now had rock star status among his peers. Like the movie title that year starring Dan Dailey, Dizzy Dean and Joanne Dru, he was “The Pride of St. Louis” among his classmates. And thanks to an understanding school principal who was a baseball fan, he was able to get out of school for the few day games that were played.
The year 1952 was an unforgettable one for the 14-year-old bat boy and batting practice catcher. It was the beginning of the Eisenhower years, Kay Starr sang “Wheel of Fortune” and Topps printed its Cadillac 407-card set.
“My first year I was a bat boy and batting practice catcher,” said Purdy. “In ’53, the final season for the Browns in St. Louis, I was exclusively a batting practice and bullpen catcher.
“I assume the regular catchers, Les Moss and Clint Courtney, didn’t want to do it. Catching was a tough job and the St. Louis heat can take a lot out of you. Coaches Bob Scheffing and Bill Norman were very good to me. I remember Eddie Olsen, who played hockey for the St. Louis Flyers minor league team, often threw batting practice. In the bullpen, I warmed-up legends like Satchel Paige, Virgil Trucks, Harry “The Cat” Brecheen, Don Larsen, Bob Turley, Ned Garver and Tommy Byrne. I had no problem catching them.”
Veeck had a penchant for signing former Cardinals. Brecheen, who spent most of his prominent 133-92 career with the Redbirds, beat the Red Sox three times in the 1946 World Series. He pitched the final season of his career for the Browns. “The Cat” made 16 starts and came out of the bullpen 10 times, going 5-13. And would you believe his favorite bullpen catcher was the young Purdy?
“For whatever reason, one day I warmed up Harry before a game and he won,” Purdy said. “After that he wouldn’t allow any one else to warm him up.”
Purdy was especially close to Paige, the ageless Hall of Fame right-hander who spent most of his career in the Negro leagues.
“He lived in the Adams Hotel at the corner of Pendleton and Olive Streets,” Purdy said.“It was a segregated hotel about two blocks from my father’s restaurant, The Rex Café. My father would pick us up after a road trip and Satchel would often dine there. This was a time when many restaurants and hotels were segregated. My dad’s place was opened 24/7 to everyone, and celebrities such as President Harry Truman, Jimmy Durante, Jane Wyman, Kirk Douglas, wrestler “Gorgeous George,” Harry Caray and others ate there. Part of the movie The Glass Menagerie was filmed outside the restaurant.”
Purdy’s friendship with Paige grew from all this. Their close relationship would impact Purdy’s life.
Read the rest of this story at: http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/article/bill_purdy_interview
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