Did Gaylord Perry Begin Cheating on This Day?

On this day in 1964 Gaylord Perry threw 10 innings in relief during the 23-inning game where he got the win.  According to nationalpastime.com this game marked the first time he'd throw a spitball in a major league game.  Can that be verified?  His MLB career began in 1962.

According to Wikipedia Perry learned the spitball from Bob Shaw in 1964.  Shaw was a Giant from 1964 - 1966.

Perry even wrote a book about the spitball in 1974.  He wasn't ejected from a game for the pitch until 1982.

Back to the game -

Giants - Perry was 0-3, Willie Mays was 1-10,  Tom Haller was 4-10, Orlanda Cepeda was 3-9, Matty Alou who came in as a pinch-hitter was 0-6 and Willie McCovey was 0-1.

Perry gave up no runs in the 10 innings.

The story didn't mention that the game was a double header.  Marichal won the first game pitching a complete game.  Nice to see the winners of each game are in the Hall of Fame.  Also odd to see the relief pitcher throw more innings than Marichal's complete game in game one.

Which Pitchers Did This?

On this day in 1992 Scott Sanderson became the ninth pitcher to record a win against all 26 current baseball teams.  Can you name the other eight without looking it up?  Did any of these nine guys also get wins against the Rockies (1993), Marlins (1993), Diamondbacks (1998) and Devil Rays (1998)?

Of course I want to know who did this and ended up on a Kellogg's card.  That narrows it down a bit.  Of the nine, six of them were featured on at least one Kellogg's card from 1970 to 1983.

None of these pitchers from this list have defeated all 30 teams.  I cheated and looked it up.

Sports Collectors Digest Adds Another Article on Kellogg's Cards

Here is a great article from Sports Collectors Digest about the 1970 Kellogg's set.



http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/kelloggs-baseball-cards/

Mays Again

I like the story below about Willie Mays and Warren Spahn.


From www.nationalpastime.com

After starting his career 0-for-12, Giants rookie Willie Mays gets his first hit, a 450-foot homer off Braves left-hander Warren Spahn. Ironically, it is the first of 18 home runs the 'Say Hey Kid' will hit off the Hall of Fame hurler, the most he will hit off any one pitcher.

In fairness to Spahn, Mays had 253 plate appearances versus Spahn which was more than he had against any pitcher, so he homered every 14 at-bats against Spahn.  Mays averaged a homer every 18.9 at-bats in his career. 

Doing the Charleston?

I just spent a few days in Charleston.  I've been the Charleston, SC before, but this was a trip to Charleston, IL.  Not the same.

I went to a discount store that always advertises having candy from the 1970s.  I bought a few things but what I really wanted was my favorite candy bar from the 1970s - a Charleston Chew.  No luck.  They had Bit-O-Honey, candy lips, Sweetarts, bulleyes, etc.

In some locations these stores sell cards.  No such luck on that either.

No time today for Kellogg's cards, so happy birthday to Gary Nolan.

I didn't see the Reds play the Cubs much in the 1970s because they weren't in the same division.  The Cubs played NL East conference rivals 18 times (Expos, Mets, Cardinals, Phillies, Pirates).  That mean six series per year - 3 in each town.  

They only played the NL West teams (Reds, Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Astros, Padres) 12 times.  Do get me started on how the Braves are in the West and don't look at a map to try to figure this out.  

Nolan played one year with the Angels after 10 years with the Reds.  His last year was 1977 when I was finally figuring out all of the players in both leagues.  

From NationalPastime.com.

Ken Brett's no-hit bid ends with two outs in the ninth, when White Sox third baseman Jorge Orta hopes Jerry Remy's slow roller will go foul. The no-hitter is lost when the ball stays fair, but the southpaw, who tosses 10 innings of two-hit ball, gets the victory when the Pale Hose beat California in the 11th, 1-0.


Without constant sports news and highlights in 1976, I don't remember that game.  What else made it less memorable - it was played in California at night.  I wouldn't have been watching it since I had to get up for my paper route the next morning.  My mom probably let my brothers watch it, meaning I did the route by myself again.

Long-time White Sox player and TV guy Bill Melton got the other hit for the Angels.  Melton played eight of his 10 seasons with the White Sox.  He amassed 160 career homers, leading the league with 33 in 1971.

  

Hardly any of the 1975 cards that I see have the bright colors displayed on this beauty.

Teammates with Birthdays Today

I noticed that today is the birthday of both John Montefusco and Bob Knepper.  They were teammates with the Giants from 1976 to 1980.  The Giants traded them both in December of 1980 in a four-day period.

I mentioned Knepper in a post long ago because his card was well-known in our house (old post).

Montefusco has only been mentioned once on this blog (see post).

In 13 years Montefusco was 90-83.  Knepper played 15 years and had a record of 146-155.  I had no idea that Knepper won that many games.

I need to get a card of Montefusco scanned before I do another post featuring him.

What Qualifies as a Kellogg's Proof Card?

BVG has graded some Kellogg's cards as proof cards.  A quick search on ebay shows 21 results.  Here is the breakdown of those items:


(1) basketball panel set from 1992
(2) uncut 1973 sheets - with blank backs
(3) die cut super-size cards
(1) 1971 football with a blank back
(1) 1970 football with a blank back
(2) 1983 baseball cards with blank backs
(1) 1983 baseball strip of three cards
(7) 1970 BVG-graded football proof cards
(1) SGC Graded 1970 baseball card with a blank back
(1) Babe Ruth 1972 graded by BVG
(1) lot of five 1972 ATG graded by BVG

The BVG graded cards come from the collection of a former Xograph employee.  Does that matter?  What about the other ones?  Does a blank back mean that the card is a proof?  Why are there so many 1973 Kellogg's blank-back cards around?

1973 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #19 - 21

Back for more 1973 Kellogg's baseball cards.

#21 - Tug McGraw

McGraw was a star relief pitcher in 1973.  I was surprised to see that he only had 180 career saves and that he never was the league leader.

Other interesting notes on the card back -

1.  He became the first Met pitcher to defeat Sandy Koufax.
2.  He has a "bat-breaking scroogie".  Is that the first mention of a scroogie on a baseball card?

#20 - Jim Hunter

The A's cards look great with the 2-D effect.  

He is mentioned as "baseball's best hitting pitcher".  Since the DH came into the AL in 1973, Hunter batted only two times in his final seven seasons.  He hit .226 for his career with 51 RBIs. 

#19 - Bobby Murcer

Murcer was signed by the same scout that signed Mickey Mantle.  That's a nice thing to hear.  Is Mantle mentioned on other cards?

1973 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #22 - 24

I'm focused on finishing the 1973 Kellogg's baseball card set look into the card backs.  Here are the next three.

#24 - Lou Piniella

I almost always spell his name wrong.  Doing this will help remind me of how to spell it.

He went to Tampa Jesuit High.  How many players have their high school mentioned?

He worked as an investment banker in the winter.

Odd that he first appeared in 1964 and then he wasn't a regular until 1969.

Lots to read about him as a player and as a manager.

#23 - Bill Stoneman, III

He as two no-hitters already.  I didn't know that the Expos obtained him in the Expansion Draft.

Not on the card - he played his last game in June of 1974 at the age of 30.  Like many pitchers of that time, arm injuries ended his career.

Not on the card - he was born in Oak Park, IL.  I go there or through there frequently.

#22 - Reggie Jackson

Reggie is consistent with his hobby - automobiles.

The bio focuses on a few negatives.  First, he is expected to equal or match his 1969 stats.  Second, he's been the league leader in strikeouts from 1968 - 1971.  He didn't lead the league again until 1982.
Not on the card - Reggie has the most career strikeouts of any hitter in baseball history.

1973 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #25 - 27

Back to the 1973s.  I enjoy reading the paragraphs that Kellogg's came up with each year.

#27 - Carlton Fisk

Fisk was the first player to win AL Rookie of the Year by a unanimous vote.  He became the first AL catcher to lead the league in triples.  I would have never gotten the answer to that question.  

He did a year of military service before playing in the minors.  

At 6-2 and 200 pounds, how did he get called "Pudge"?

He was not on the White Sox until I was older, so he wasn't a big deal to me in the 1970s.

#26 - Dick Allen

He was a big deal in the 1970s with the White Sox and all of the other teams that gave him a try.  I love that both photos show him in the batting helmet that he used in the field.  Did anyone else besides John Olerud use a helmet in the field regularly?

Kellogg's even mentioned his "hard-to-handle" reputation.  How about four teams in four years?  Even kids notice something odd about that when memorized the backs of cards.  Why did we know the backs so well?  We only had the Topps, Hostess and Kellogg's cards to check out for the entire year!  Today there is a new set issued by the time I finish this post.  

He's listed as 5-11.  He seemed like a giant on the field.  He only played for the White Sox for three years, but he was always newsworthy.  

#25 - Willie Stargell

I've mentioned before about Stargell and his passion for bowling.  I don't remember if the other cards also listed dancing as one of his hobbies.

He needed 25 homers in 1974 to become the Pirates all-time leader in homers.

Not on the card - he hit exactly 25 homers in 1974.

He spends time off the field to help those struggling with Sickle Cell Anemia.

Remembering a Former Cub on the Day of HIs Birth

Bobby Murcer was born on this day in 1946.  He was a big enough star to get Kellogg's cards while being a Yankee (1970, 1972 - 1974) and a Giant (1976).

He played 13 years with the Yankees, three with the Cubs and two with the Giants.

Not a Big Trade, But I Remember it Well

On this day in 1988 the Cubs traded Leon Durham to the Reds for Pat Perry and some cash.

After the trade Durham had only 78 plate appearances from 1988 - 1989 with the Reds and the Redbirds.  Perry was a Cub in 1988 and 1989 before finishing his career with the Dodgers in 1990.

Durham was done in the majors at age 32 while Perry was 31.

Perry was always friendly during batting practice.  Maybe it was because he was from Taylorville, IL.  I wonder if he grew up rooting for the Cubs or the Cardinals.  He signed my Chet Lemon model glove one day in batting practice.  I still use the glove, but the signature has faded away.

1973 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #28 - 30

Back for more 1973 Kellogg's baseball cards.

#30 - Gary Nolan

Gary Nolan finished 0.01 behind Steve Carlton in the ERA battle.  Injuries are the first thing mentioned in the bio.  The Reds haven't hit well when he's pitched.

#29 - Phil Niekro

Kellogg's was confident enough in the bio to talk about Niekro attaining his 100th win.  He entered the season with 97 career wins.

He played on the same high school team as one of my favorite NBA players, John Havlicek.

Not on the card - Havlicek was born a year earlier than Niekro.

#28 - Fergie Jenkins

Jenkins had his sixth consecutive 20-win seasons.  He gave up 32 homers, the most in MLB.  

Did You Ever Wake Up Hearing Hawk Harrelson?

I went to a White Sox game over the weekend.  So kid 29,000+ other people.  Why such a good crowd?  They were giving award Hawk Harrelson alarm clocks.  I'm too lazy to get a picture of mine but I am also scared to go near it since all I heard at the ballpark for four hours was:

(a) the alarm going off
(b) this ballgame is "O-VAH"
(c) Mercy!
(d) you can cancel the post-game show
(e) you can put it on the board, YES!

I will probably give it to a sibling because it can either be something he likes or something that will annoy him.

1973 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs #31 - 33

Let's check out three more cards from the 1973 Kellogg's baseball card set.

#33 - Steve Stone was just talking about Colbert a few days ago during the White Sox telecast.  In Stone's first start he struck out Colbert twice.

Colbert's hobbies were cards, checkers and music.  That is quite different than the others.  He wasn't regarded as an outstanding prospect when the Padres selected him in the expansion draft.  

#32 - Bobby Tolan

I can't believe that Tolan would list basketball as a hobby after he was injured playing basketball.  Check out this story about Tolan's ups and downs - https://redlegnation.com/2017/04/02/the-enigma-of-bobby-tolan/.  

He missed the entire 1971 season, something I would have missed in the stats until I read the bio.  

#31 - Joe Torre

"Opposing pitchers still rate Joe near top as hitter".  That doesn't fit with the writing on most cards in this set.  

His 81 RBIs was an off year.  He was good before I was old enough to follow him.  

1973 Kellogg's Baseball Card Backs - #34 - 36

It took a while but I am back to the 1973 Kellogg's set.  Here are the next three cards.  I realize what I love about this set - the uniform colors jump out on these cards more than most other cards from the 1970s.  

#36 - Joe Rudi

He only made three errors in the outfield over the last two years and he added a memorable catch in the World Series.  He led the league in hits in 1972 with 181.

Not on the card - that's the second least amount of hits in a full season since the AL was formed.  In 1968, the year of the pitcher, Bert Campaneris led the league with 177 hits.  The leaders in 1918 (WWI), 1981 (strike) and 1994 (strike) had less hits in seasons that were not complete.

More about the year of the pitcher.  The league average in 1968 of .231 was the lowest ever recorded.  In the AL, only Carl Yastrzemski batting over .300 - he hit only .301.

#35 - Bert Blyleven

Hobbies of bowling, golf and pool.  Those are the exact three courses that I taught in graduate school.  I don't miss that.

"One of the few foreign-born major leaguers".

Not on the card - I went to see the White Sox play the Padres yesterday.  There were 10 players on each roster who were born in other countries.

He lacked run support as a pitcher says the card.  Let me check that one out.   In his 17 losses here is how many runs the Twins scored -
No runs - 4 times.
One run - 6 times.
Two runs - 3 times.
Three runs - 4 times.

Here is something I haven't read on other cards - "Bert also has won fans for the Twins as an after-dinner speaker".

#34 - Joe Morgan

He should hang out with Bert since they both like Golf and Billiards.  Joe was never a spotlight guy.  He is mentioned as one of baseball's most underrated players.

Not on the card - he didn't go unnoticed a few years later with MVP Awards in 1975 and 1976.

2007 Kellogg's Venezuelan Card #2

The Venezuelan set consists of 45 cards.  As you saw yesterday, card #1 didn't feature any baseball players.  So, here is card #2.

Gus Polidor is featured on the front of the card in what looks like a  Texas Rangers uniform.  He never played for them, so this must be his winter league team - the Tiburones de la Guaira (La Guaira Sharks).

It is also mentioned that he played for the Angels.  I didn't know that he was killed in 1995 in Venezuela.  Sad story there.

He played from 1985 - 1993 for a few teams.  He was also a former Venezuelan league Rookie of the Year.  Other well-known players to win these award include Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Cesar, Tovar, Tony Armas (Sr.), Francisco Rodriguez and Ronny Cedeno.

The back of the card actually features another player instead of Polidor's stats.  Angel Vargas was in the Phillies organization but he never made it to the majors.

Too bad that these cards don't have the 3-D effect of other Kellogg's sets.  The shine on the Vargas side of the card is due to the fact that I took the picture before taking the card out of the cheap plastic sleeve.  

Kellogg's Checklist Cards?

It was surprising to see a checklist card in the Kellogg's Venezuelan set.  Did that come in the cereal boxes?  The Hispanic Legends set also had a checklist card.  I hope that they weren't included in the boxes.  It would have been horrible to dig inside the cereal box to find you favorite star and end up with a checklist.

It was also frustrating to get doubles of Topps checklist cards when I was a kid but at least the pack had nine or more other cards.

The first card in the 2007 Kellogg's Venezuelan set is shown below.  I also want to know if this was included in cereal boxes.

I will work on the translation but my Spanish is a bit rusty.  I won't say how long it has been since Spanish class in high school, but I think Hoover was president at that time.  

Quotes That Should Be on the Back of a Kellogg's Card - Round 2

Yogi Berra was born on this day in 1925.  He passed away in 2015.  Here is a link to some of his most well-known - them http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/09/the-50-greatest-yogi-berra-quotes.

Some of my favorites from that list -

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.

Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.

You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.

You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.

He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.

The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.

I'm too tired to go find a picture of a 1990s Berra Kellogg's card so enjoy checking out the card above.  

How Could The Giants Do That?

I remember when this happened in 1972.  It happened on this day in 1972 - the Giants traded Willie Mays to the Mets.

Another long day of coaching.  More tomorrow.