• Back Issues

  • Thursday, March 1, 2001

    All-Star State Teams: Oklahoma

    March 1, 2001 1:23 PM
    By baseballtodd
    Pos Player Birthplace Notes
    1B Willie Stargell Earlsboro PIT/475 HR, 1540 RBI, ’79 NL Co-MVP, ’79 WS
    2B Johnny Ray Chouteau PIT, CAL/.290, 1502 H, Led NL Twice in 2B
    SS Alvin Dark Comanche BOS-N, NY-N, STL-N, CHI-N, PHI-N, MIL-N/.289, 2089 H, ’54 WS
    3B Pepper Martin Temple STL-N/.298, 1227 H, 2X WS Champ, Gas House Gang
    LF Lloyd Waner Harrah PIT, BOS-N, CIN, PHI-N, BRO/.316, 2459 H, 4X 200 H, 20 3B in ’29
    CF Mickey Mantle Spavinaw NY-A/536 HR, 1509 RBI, 18 WS HR, 3X MVP, ’56 Triple Crown
    RF Paul Waner Harrah PIT, BRO, BOS-N, NY-A/.333, 3152 H, 605 2B (62 in ’32), 8X 200 H
    C Johnny Bench Binger CIN/389 HR, 1376 RBI, 2X MVP, 2X WS, 10 Gold Gloves
    RHP Allie Reynolds Bethany CLE, NY-A/182-107, 3.30 ERA, 7-2 In WS, 6X WS, 2 No-Hitters in ’51
    LHP Harry Brecheen Broken Bow STL-N, STL-A/133-92, 2.92 ERA, 2X WS, P Coach 14 Yrs (BAL)
    RP Lindy McDaniel Hollis STL-N, CHI-N, SF, NY-A, KC/141-119, 3.45 ERA, 172 Saves
    MGR Alvin Dark Comanche 994-954, .510 Win Pct, ’62 NL Pennant w/SF, ’74 WS w/OAK

    Bench: Bobby Murcer (OF), Dale Mitchell (OF), Joe Carter (OF), Paul Blair (OF), Harland Clift (3B), “Indian” Bob Johnson (OF), Don Demeter (OF), Fred Patek (SS), Bill Russell (SS), Mickey Tettleton (C), Darrell Porter (C), Cal McLish (P), Tom Sturdivant (P).

    (originally published in Baseball Ink Vol. 1, No. 4 – March 2001)




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    Friday, December 1, 2000

    Former Yankee Tom Tresh Recalls Stellar Rookie Year

    December 1, 2000 12:05 AM
    By baseballtodd

    By Todd Newville

    Imagine being a rookie with one of the greatest franchises in professional sports – the New York Yankees. You go on to win the American League’s Rookie of the Year award and the Yankees go on to win the World Series in a thrilling seven-game matchup with the vaunted San Francisco Giants.

    Fiction, you may say. However, for former Yankee Tom Tresh, the dream was a reality in which he played a vital role. Tresh is one of only six players to win Rookie of the Year honors and play with a World Series champion in the same season.

    Since the Baseball Writers Association of America instituted the Rookie of the Year award in 1947, only Gil McDougald with the Yankees in 1951, Jim Lefebvre with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965, Fernando Valenzuela with the Dodgers in 1981, Chuck Knoblauch with the Minnesota Twins in 1991, and Derek Jeter with the Yankees in 1996 have matched Tresh’s feat.

    Tresh, a lifetime .245 hitter in nine years with the Yankees and the Detroit Tigers, hit 153 career home runs, including seasons in which he clouted 25 in 1963, 26 in 1965 and 27 in ’66.
    (more…)




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    Friday, September 1, 2000

    One Cool Cat

    September 1, 2000 8:00 AM
    By baseballtodd

    By Todd Newville

    Former Cardinals Pitcher Harry “The Cat” Brecheen Was A Crafty Lefty For The 1946 World Series Champs

    Former left-handed pitcher Harry “The Cat” Brecheen from Ada, Okla., didn’t need much help when he was on the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1940s. Brecheen usually helped himself out of jams because he was a crafty moundsman who threw a wicked screwball and handled a slick glove.

    Like all cats, there were a few times during Brecheen’s tenure with the Cards when it looked like he would have to spend one of his nine lives to get out of a pickle. However, on one particular occasion, teammate Enos Slaughter made sure that Brecheen wouldn’t have to do that. (more…)




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