Happy Anniversary Ken Holtzman!!!

On this day in 1969 Ken Holtzman pitched a no-hitter.

In front of a crowd of 37,000+ loyal fans at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, Holtzman’s home team battled the Atlanta Braves.  The only offense that the Cubs needed that day was a 3-run home run by Ron Santo as Ken Holtzman was on fire.

Here are some of the numbers from that historic afternoon:  9 innings pitched, 0 hits allowed, 0 runs allowed, 3 walks, and 0 strikeouts.

This may be the first no-hitter that I have researched in which the pitcher did not strike out a single batter – WoW!!!

Happy Anniversary Mr. Holtzman!!!!

Card #300 Of My Andre Dawson Player Collection!!!

It took a little over 1 year to get to this point, but I have now added the 300th different card of Andre Dawson to my player collection.  In 13 months I have gone from 0 to 300 and the collection looks fantastic.

My original goal of collection all of ‘Hawk’s’ cards from his rookie year to 1989 was quickly ruined by my excitement over the more modern-era stuff.  I have picked up some amazing cards of Andre’s and luckily for me there is still quite a bit out there for me to go after.  While I know that I will never be able to be considered the ‘Dawson Completist’ I can proudly boast that this collection is my way of honoring Dawson’s incredible career.

Of the 5 player collections(Williams, Jenkins, Dawson, Winfield, and Henderson)  that I started when this blog began, this one is the only one that has gone off-course.  But somehow, of them, this is the one that I knew would go that route.  To be honest, there was really no way I could stop going after Andre’s cards…

So, here it is.  My 300th different Andre Dawson baseball card:

A 2004 SP Legendary Cuts card of Andre in his home-field Cubs’ uniform.  I like the accent colors used in the design of this card as they really make the picture of Andre leap from the card.  It also doesn’t hurt that the background shows the wonderful brick backstop from good old Wrigley Field too!!!

Stay tuned, I think that #400 is just around the corner….

Celebrity First Pitch – Cal Ripken Jr.

Possibly one of the greatest legends in the game.

Imagine showing up to a baseball game and the public address announcer says, “Here to throw out the first pitch in tonight’s game is Hall of Famer and baseball superstar, Cal Ripken, Jr.”.

Now that would be an awesome story to tell!!!

Did You Know…

The strangest combined no-hitter happened on June 23, 1917, when Babe Ruth was the starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.  He walked the first hitter and was tossed from the game when he vociferously argued the call.  Ernie Shore than came in as the relief pitcher, and after the runner was caught stealing, he retired the next 26 batters.

**factoid courtesy of ‘Armchair Reader – Grand Slam Baseball’

My take  – just another wonderful baseball legend starring Babe Ruth as the main character.  And what a character he was…

My Son’s First Major League Game – Rockies Vs. Marlins

I am a firm beliver that pictures can tell a story.  And this is a story that I will never forget!!!

The End!!!

Results: Cody Ross Autograph Signing

What a great event!!  The crowd was well-managed.  The fans were friendly.  And most importantly, Cody Ross seemed happy to be there!!!

I am terrible at estimating the size of a crowd, but if I had to select a number I would guess that there were roughly 150 fans in attendance.  Cody arrived promptly at 11AM and the signing began.  I would guess that we were somewhere in the middle of the line and we arrived 20 prior to the 11AM start time.  We were allowed to enter the Dunkin’ Donuts store in small groups and Cody did a good job of keeping the line moving while also taking a few seconds to greet each person that he met.

When it was our turn, me, my wife, and our two sons entered the store and Cody greeted us with a warm smile.  I introduced him to the boys and my soon-to-be 3-year old gave him a ‘high-five’ and a ‘Hi Cody’.  I also gave him the package I prepared for him.  He signed a few cards for us and we were on our way.

The signing ended promptly at Noon, and with the ultimate show of class, Cody exited the store and immediately went to the line of people that did not make it inside and he signed and took pictures for all of them.  A true class act!!!!

Here are some pictures:

And now onto the autographs we picked up:

Sidenote – when I presented the cards I wanted Cody to sign he immediately said that the 2008 A&G was his favorite.  I’m glad that I threw a couple of those in the package for him…

Thanks again Cody!!  This was a great experience for the 3 of us!!!

Happy Anniversary Willie Mays!!!

On this day in 1973, Willie Mays hit the final home run of his career – #660!!

At Shea Stadium, in front of a crowd of more than 36,000 fans, the New York Mets hosted the Cincinnati Reds.  And in the bottom of the 4th inning, Willie Mays connected for the final home run of his amazing Hall of Fame career.  It was a solo shot off of Reds’ pitcher Don Gullett.  The Mets went on to lose the game 2-1.

Willie Mays had an amazing baseball career.  As one of the game’s most well-rounded players of all-time, smashing home run #660 was just another in the very long list of amazing accomplishments by the ‘Say Hey Kid’!!!

Happy Birthday Jorge Posada!!!

Unquestionably my favorite player on the current Yankees team, Jorge Posada turns 38 years old today.

I have always had a lot of respect for catchers.  I feel that their role is the most critical one on the team due to their handling of the entire pitching staff.  A good, strong catcher is able to communicate well, be a team leader, and must be trusted by each and every member of the pitching staff.  Jorge Posada is the perfect example of this.

Posada has led the New York Yankees to 4 championship titles during his reign as their #1 catcher.  What is most impressive about this run of excellence is that the Yankees change players, and specifically pitchers, quite often.  Posada has the skills as a leader to be able to handle new pitchers added to the team while still keeping them as competitive and dominant as they need to be without skipping a beat.

For his birthday, I would like to give Jorge 1 more chance at a World Series title.  5 is better than 4, and I think that it would be fun to watch Jorge lead the current Yankees staff through another shot at a title.  Something tells me that he would make the most of an opportunity like this!!!

Happy Birthday Mr. Posada!!! 

1984 Headline: Pete Rose Returns To Cincinnati!!!

When this headline hit the papers 25 years ago I am pretty certain that the feeling in the Cincinnati area was one of sheer joy!!!

A former baseball star was coming back to the city to once again play for and now manage the team that he helped become one of baseball’s greatest dynasties.

What a ride Pete took Reds’ fans on once he came back to the team.  From making history by becoming the game’s all-time hits leader to being banished from the game for gambling. 

No matter how you look at it and how you feel about Pete Rose today, you must admit that this was a historic day for the sport back in 1984!!!

Did You Know…

The average life span of a baseball used in a major league game is seven pitches.

**factoid courtesy of ‘Armchair Reader - Grand Slam Baseball’

My take – I would love to see a room packed with all of the balls used by 1 stadium over the course of a full season.