tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post5001275926931529247..comments2022-03-25T01:42:31.175-07:00Comments on Baseball Eras Blog: 14 Players You May Not Know from the 1950's but ShouldBaseball Eras Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14330284249952707771noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-19986766865175162572012-12-30T11:05:23.353-08:002012-12-30T11:05:23.353-08:00Living in the Philly area I'm sure Ashburn and...Living in the Philly area I'm sure Ashburn and Ennis were the talk of the day. The same way you remember George Kell as an announcer, I remember Ashburn. As a kid I didn't take him seriously because I just considered him an old guy talking baseball. I really wish I would have paid attention to his stories. <br /><br />Early Wynn won exactly 300 games (the last 16 took him 3 years to get) but he also was a dominant pitcher, often on very bad teams in Washington, Cleveland and Chicago. I cannot find any evidence that he was a knuckleball pitcher. Most infromation points to a great fastball pitcher although after pitching for 25 years it would be hard to get by on just a fastball. The punishment on the arm (especially before the modern advances in physical therapy)would be too great he would have had to have some sort of great off speed pitch to mix in.Baseball Eras Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14330284249952707771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-91890168925949458302012-12-30T10:50:39.159-08:002012-12-30T10:50:39.159-08:00The bats back then are dramatically diferent. I d...The bats back then are dramatically diferent. I do remember an old Jimmie Foxx model bat that was given to us by our grandfather (and I believe may still be in our old attic) that was gigantic. I believe it was a 44oz bat, which is gigantic, and the handle was so thick I could never understand how someone could get a great swing out of it. The bats used today have much thinner handes and I am sure this is a big reason for so many shattered bats.Baseball Eras Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14330284249952707771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-23510373352880944772012-12-30T10:46:33.043-08:002012-12-30T10:46:33.043-08:00I apologize for the delay in publishing and replyi...I apologize for the delay in publishing and replying to your great comments. Lopez was not fired by the Indians but the press an fans in Cleveland had made it clear that they were tired of always finishing behind the Yankees. Attendance was down and Lopez left before he was fired. Hank Greenberg was the General Manager of the Indians and had a great relationship with Lopez. He made it clear that he was more than happy with Lopez's managerial skills and amazed at what he was able to do with little talent. Greenberg said the reason Lopez finished in second every year was because he had "second place talent". When Lopez left Cleveland he wasn't out of a job for long. The White Sox signed him pretty quickly. Two years after Lopez joined the White Sox, Greenberg moved from the Indians to the White Sox organization and the White Sox went to the World Series that year.Baseball Eras Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14330284249952707771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-79978347022294259722012-12-30T10:36:02.569-08:002012-12-30T10:36:02.569-08:00I apologize for taking so long to respond. Yes, F...I apologize for taking so long to respond. Yes, Furillo was from Reading, PA (specifically from the Stony Creek Mills area of Reading). At the time of Furillo's birth it was mostly farm land but has changed a lot since then. Furillo played for the Reading Chicks in 1940 and had a reputation for a strong throwing arm earning him the nickname the "Reading Rifle". In 1941 the Dodgers bought the Reading franchise and named it the Reading Brooks. The story is that they bought the franchise for Carl Furillo and the team bus. Furillo went on to play for the Dodgers (even for a few years after they moved to LA) andwas known as one of the best defensive players in the majors. Roy Campanella, the hall of fame catcher for the Dodgers, said "When I catch one of Carl's throws, it cracks when it hits my glove. My hand even hurts a little." That throw was coming from deep right field.Baseball Eras Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14330284249952707771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-42264793959285916532012-12-27T07:14:59.099-08:002012-12-27T07:14:59.099-08:00was carl furillo from reading, pa? is that what hi...was carl furillo from reading, pa? is that what his nickname means?<br /><br />jthAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-89828904169233920932012-12-26T17:54:06.085-08:002012-12-26T17:54:06.085-08:00Al Rosen was one of the first ballplayers I rememb...Al Rosen was one of the first ballplayers I remember hearing about. (along with Ashburn, Ennis, Newcomb and Campenella).<br />I went to high school with Carl Furillo's nephew. He was a very nice person. He played football but not baseball. He was built like a football player.<br />I remember Podres being a very good pitcher. Maybe it was because he was a world series hero.<br />Early Wynn played 25 years. Did he have a knuckle ball? Should he be in the HOF because it took him 25 years to get 300 wins? TJD<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-9677860375712653422012-12-26T17:47:06.509-08:002012-12-26T17:47:06.509-08:00When I played ball in junior high I had a Nellie F...When I played ball in junior high I had a Nellie Fox bat. It had a thick handle. Loved that bat. Got a lot of doubles with it. i had a nickname of Daily Double.<br />I thought Scheondist played his entire career with the Cardinals.<br />I remember Al Dark as a manager more than a player. He had a bad temper as a manager too.<br />I also thought George Kell played his entire career with the Tigers because he is so revered in Detroit. I was shocked to learn he only played 7 years. He became a broadcaster for the tigers. Think i listened to him as a child. TJD<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-53595877510058784172012-12-26T17:31:59.516-08:002012-12-26T17:31:59.516-08:00Thank you so much for the history on these players...Thank you so much for the history on these players. Love it. A few comments as I was reading. Your synopsize of the 50's was the best recap so far.<br />Why was Al Lopez let go as manager of the Indians?<br />Eddie Matthews was my dad's favorite player.<br />Great piece on Buck O'Neill.<br />That picture of Sherm Lollar, I believe I had that picture on a baseball card.<br />I do think of Chuck Conners as an actor and not a baseball player.Of course I was only 4 when he retired from baseball. TJD<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-81177247500724520152012-12-23T19:59:50.219-08:002012-12-23T19:59:50.219-08:00I definitely think these lists would be different....I definitely think these lists would be different. I have limited these lists to just the players who appeared in the Major Leagues. There are certainly a lot of players who could have appeared on these lists from the Negro Leagues: Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige (he didn't reach the Major Leagues until he was past his best years) and Cool Papa Bell are three that certainly would have made the lists if I expanded it to include the Negro Leagues. Unfortunately my knowledge base of their season formats and the nuances of the league (rule differences, stadium dimensions, etc) is not strong enough at this point to give a proper portrayal of those players.Baseball Eras Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14330284249952707771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412223823984646516.post-48497414176124547702012-12-22T21:46:34.147-08:002012-12-22T21:46:34.147-08:00I liked the stories you included for all the playe...I liked the stories you included for all the players. They certainly were an interesting bunch. I hadn't seen Chuck Connors in a baseball uniform before. He looks so weird. I'm so used to seeing him in a cowboy hat. lol Also, I second what you said about Buck O'Neil. His love for the game was infectious and as a non-sports fan, he made Ken Burns' "Baseball" documentary definitely more interesting and fun to watch. I didn't realize how unrecognized he went. Do you think that if the U.S. wasn't segregated and if there wasn't a Negro League and everyone had the same opportunities to play, that your lists would be substantially different?Hope at Disneyland https://www.blogger.com/profile/02370611078115502407noreply@blogger.com