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The organization that drafts him will be the first to have taken a leak during the draft.
When Mike Leake was making his first MLB pitching appearance last year, I was watching the game. They kept cutting to family shots in the stands, and after Mike retired the side, his dad got up and headed for the aisle. I just knew the announcers were dying to say "There goes his dad to live up to his name."
Sam McDowell wasn't nicknamed "Sudden Sam" without good reason. His smooth and seemingly effortless motion belied the speed of his fastball and hard breaking pitches. Some also called him a southpaw version of Nolan Ryan. On three occasions McDowell led the AL in both K's and BB's in the same season and led the league in both categories five times overall. In a 15-year career, mainly with the Indians, he had an 8.9 K/9 ratio, good for ninth on the all-time list. At the time of his retirement in 1975, only Koufax and Ryan had better rates. His 2,453 career K's are second on the all-time Indians list, trailing only Bob Feller.
Bob Nieman was the only player to ever hit home runs in his first two major league plate appearences in his first game, for the St. Louis Browns in 1951. He didn't hit any more that year, in 45 plate appearances, but hit his next one on opening day in 1952. He went on to play 12 major league seasons, as a regular but ordinary outfielder.
Claude Osteen pitched for several organizations between 1957 and '75. He averaged 16 wins in 9 seasons with the Dodgers and had a 0.86 ERA in three World Series starts.
Ty Pickup played one inning for the Phillies on April 30, 1918. He got a hit and caught a fly ball, as the Phils beat the Giants, 8-4. And went home and mailed in his income tax return.
According to historian David Nemec, Nolan Ryan dominated his era in five categories: most no-hitters, most strikeouts, most walks, most children of teammates named after him, and most commercial endorsements, and pitched his seventh no-hitter at age 44.
This was Luther Hayden Taylor who pitched for the NY Giants in the first decade of the 20th Century, winning 116, losing 106 and posting a career 2.75 ERA.
Luther was a deaf mute, and in that oh so sensitive age, naturally he was nicknamed "Dummy", just like William "Dummy" Hoy. Since he was deaf, Taylor communicated with his teammates on the field with a set of special signs, many of which are still used in the game, including most pitching signs.
Taylor was an enormous hero and role model for the deaf community of America, being the highest paid deaf person in the nation at the time. After his career ended, he coached baseball at a school for the deaf, and outlived three wives.
This was Luther Hayden Taylor who pitched for the NY Giants in the first decade of the 20th Century, winning 116, losing 106 and posting a career 2.75 ERA.
Luther was a deaf mute, and in that oh so sensitive age, naturally he was nicknamed "Dummy", just like William "Dummy" Hoy. Since he was deaf, Taylor communicated with his teammates on the field with a set of special signs, many of which are still used in the game, including most pitching signs.
Taylor was an enormous hero and role model for the deaf community of America, being the highest paid deaf person in the nation at the time. After his career ended, he coached baseball at a school for the deaf, and outlived three wives.
U....
I'll bet all three wives complained that he never listened to them.
Chase Utley - a really good ball player.
V..............
Last edited by Ridgerunner; 09-22-2011 at 05:14 AM..
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