June 2009
Happy Birthday Harmon!
By Craig Muder
The gray hair and quick smile make the nickname seem almost laughable.
Killer? This light-hearted, friendly man playing golf and shaking hands? But when he swung a bat 40 years ago, there was no one more valuable in the American League.
Harmon Killebrew turns 73 today, and during his career was one of the most feared hitters in the AL. Killebrew topped the 40-home run mark eight times, finished with 573 home runs (fifth all-time at the time of his retirement and still ninth overall) and won the 1969 AL Most Valuable Player Award.
The 5-foot-11 Killebrew made up for in power what he lacked in size — yet was a limber enough fielder to play more than half of his big league games at either third base or left field. He led his Minnesota Twins to the postseason three times and was named to 13 All-Star teams.
Today, Killebrew remains an ardent ambassador of baseball — and one of the game’s true gentlemen.
But for baseball fans in the 1960s — especially those of opposing teams — Killebrew’s lethal nickname was truly appropriate.
Happy birthday, Harmon.
Craig Muder is director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Phillies fans celebrate World Series title in Cooperstown
By Craig Muder
Larry Shenk has seen his share of fanatic Phillies fans. But Shenk, the longtime head of the Phillies communications department and now a team vice president, couldn’t help but be impressed with the turnout on Saturday in Cooperstown.
“It’s great to look out and see all that Phillies red,” said Shenk, who was in Cooperstown on Saturday to present a 2008 World Series ring to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “It was eight months ago today, Oct. 27, when the Phillies clinched the World Series title. And we’d like to come back and do this again next year.”
The overflow crowd in the Museum’s Autumn Glory exhibit cheered Shenk’s proclamation, then took turns taking pictures of the ring Shenk presented to Hall of Fame Senior Vice President Bill Haase. The ring will become part of the Museum’s collection and will soon be displayed in the Museum’s Autumn Glory exhibit, which is dedicated to baseball’s postseason.
After the presentation, Shenk and his wife Julie — who wore her World Series pendant, given to player’s and executive’s wives — walked down to see the 2008 World Series trophy, which is on display at the Hall of Fame through Sunday, June 28.
“This is the 10th state we’ve brought the trophy to since we won it,” Shenk said. “But it’s the first time we’ve had it in New York. I think it was safer to bring it to Cooperstown, New York, than Flushing, New York — with all those Mets fans there.”
Museum visitors can view the 2008 World Series trophy until 5 p.m. on Saturday and then from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The chance to see the World Series trophy is included with regular Museum admission.
Craig Muder is director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Long enjoys Hall of Fame visit
By Bill Francis
Terrence Long, who became accustomed to postseason baseball during big league playing career, found time during his first trip to Cooperstown to show his young family the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on Thursday.
Long, his wife and four sons made the trip from their home in Montgomery, Ala., because 9-year-old Jalon has been playing in one of the local baseball camps. According to Long, Jalon, a right fielder on his 10-and-under travel team, and his brothers are all good athletes.
“They are star players on their teams,” said Long, after looking at his clippings file at the Hall of Fame Library’s A. Bartlett Giamatti Research Center. “Hopefully, I rubbed off on them in some kind of way.
“They might be a little bit better than me,” said Long. “They’ve got a lot more tools than I think I had.”
Long played for eight big league seasons from 1999 to 2006, spending time with the New York Mets, Oakland A’s, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees. But it was his years in Oakland where both he and the team excelled.
For four straight seasons, from 2000 to 2003, with Long a starting outfielder, the A’s qualified for the postseason – only to get knocked out each time in the American League Division Series.
“I do miss it,” said the 33-year-old Long. “My first couple of years out of baseball I missed October baseball. I got a chance to play in October in four of my six full seasons, so that was a blessing. I do miss my teammates, but I really miss playing in October.”
In one of the more famous plays of recent postseason action, Long’s two-out double in the seventh inning against the Yankees nearly scored Oakland teammate Jeremy Giambi from first base in Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS. The A’s had won the first two games of the five-game series, and were losing 1-0 in Game 3 when Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter picked up an errant throw from the outfield and flipped the ball to catcher Jorge Posada. Giambi, who didn’t slide, was tagged out on a close play.
“We had Eric Byrnes, who was probably the fastest guy on the team, ready to pinch-run,” recalled Long. “But I can’t… Jeremy was my buddy. It will be on TV forever, though.”
Long was a first round draft pick of the Mets in 1994, but didn’t establish himself in the majors until he was traded to the A’s for pitcher Kenny Rogers on July 23, 1999.
“It was exciting having been in the Mets organization and not getting to play much and then getting traded to Oakland. They gave me a chance to play and we had some good teams,” Long said. “Thanks to the Mets for drafting me and a special thanks to Billy Beane (A’s general manager) for giving me a chance to play. That started my career off.”
It was in 1999, the year Long made his big league debut with the Mets, that he became teammates with Rickey Henderson. Henderson will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Joe Gordon and Jim Rice on Sunday, July 26.
“I got a chance to hang out with Rickey then. It was great,” Long said. “He took care of me. He taught me a lot and that was good. He’s a great guy, teaches the game, great sense of humor. A real laid back, down to earth guy. I wish I could be here to see him get inducted.”
These days Long spends his time coaching his sons and fishing.
“Just teaching the kids the game of baseball. I enjoy it. It takes up a lot of my time,” Long said. “I never thought that I would spend eight seasons in the big leagues. Maybe one day we’ll come back and my sons will be in the majors.”
Bill Francis is a library associate for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Kent, Timlin savor time in Cooperstown
By Bill Francis
Of the 26 former big league players who participated in Sunday’s inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic, only two were in the big leagues as recently as last season. One says he’s retired for good; the other is willing to listen to offers.
Jeff Kent was a slugging second baseman who captured the 2000 National League MVP Award, while Mike Timlin a stalwart relief pitcher who helped four teams win World Series titles. Between the pair of baseball veterans are 35 seasons and almost 3,400 games of major league action.
According to Kent, who ended last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers with 377 career home runs, including his record-setting 351 as a second baseman, he’s ready for the next phase of his life.
“I’m 41 now and my desire to compete is going out a little bit,” Kent said before the Classic. “I’ll probably always think I could compete, but at what level I don’t know. It’s time for the younger kids to start taking on the game.
“I think the last 10 years of my career I played the game a lot better in my mind than I did with my body.”
For Timlin, 43, while he sees the writing on the wall, he’s unwillingly to completely concede his playing career has come to an end.
“Nothing’s totally official,” said Timlin, who played the last six seasons with the Boston Red Sox. “I had my name out there in spring training, so something could happen this summer. If someone gives me a call that I would deem worthy to walk away from the family for a little while, it could happen.”
Both players have been generous over the years about donating artifacts from their careers to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
“They’re probably collecting dust in the basement,” joked Kent, who donated, among other things, the bat he used to hit his 278th homer as a second baseman, breaking Ryne Sandberg‘s former career mark. “It’s neat that I was a part of history for the 17 years that I played.”
Among the Timlin artifacts in the Museum – which like all artifacts are kept in climate-controlled environments – are the spikes he wore when he made his 1,000th appearance as a pitcher.
“It’s an honor just to be asked to have something in there,” Timlin said. “I know my career numbers are not going to put me in there with a plaque on the wall, so it’s nice to actually have something in there that is part of me.”
Timlin’s last visit to Cooperstown was with the Red Sox as a participant in the 2005 Hall of Fame Game.
“My mom passed away from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease), so I took a picture with Lou Gehrig‘s first baseman mitt,” Timlin said. “That was pretty neat.”
This was Kent’s first visit to Cooperstown, but with the career he’s had he could one day find himself with a Hall of Fame plaque of his own.
“I’ve never been a baseball historian, so because of that I’ve never really been able to compare myself to anybody else. I never got caught up in the history of the game because I felt like that might erase some of my competitive nature,” Kent said. “I always competed for the moment rather than competing for the past or competing for the future. When you know that history about me, for me to think about where I stand within baseball history, I have no idea.”
But Kent did admit to some curiosity after being around some of the Hall of Famers as part of the Hall of Fame Classic.
“I’m learning more about the intrigue, the specialness, the mystery of the Hall of Fame and the classiness of these players that are in the Hall. And to say that I can be a part of that in the future I appreciate,” Kent said. “I’ve always tried to separate myself from things I can’t control. I played the game and I played it right and hopefully that’ll stand up for itself. We’ll see.
“Being able to say that I was one of the better players is an honor in itself whether somebody votes for me or not.”
And with his long career possibly having come to an end, Timlin can look back with a certain wide-eyed awe.
“God’s blessed me tremendously just to do what I’ve done,” he said. “It has been awesome.”
Bill Francis is a library associate for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Perfect relief
By Samantha Carr
When Babe Ruth retired from baseball, he was the all-time leader in home runs with 714 — 336 more than anyone else. His name still appears all over the offensive record books, more than 60 years after his death.
Ninety-two years ago today, however, Ruth’s name was recorded next to one of the rarest pitching feats in history – with a lot of help from teammate Ernie Shore.
On June 23, 1917, Ruth was a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He took the mound during the first game of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators and faced the Senator leadoff batter Ray Morgan.
Umpire Brick Owens called ball-four and gave Morgan a base-on-balls to begin the game. Ruth rushed to the plate to argue. Owens warned Ruth that he would run him from the ballgame if he didn’t get back to the mound.
“If you chase me, I’ll punch your face,” Ruth said as reported by the Washington Post.
Subsequently, Owens tossed Ruth – and Ruth hit Owens in the head, behind his ear. After players broke up the argument and helped Ruth to the dugout, Shore came on in relief.
Morgan was thrown out attempting to steal second, and Shore set down the next 26 straight batters, earning a 4-0 win and – at the time – a perfect game. Boston also won the nightcap, 5-0.
“We will take care of Ruth,” American League President Ban Johnson was quoted as saying.
Johnson handed Ruth a 10-game suspension, lighter than some expected – and the game was later changed to a combined no-hitter.
Less than three years later, much of Ruth’s pitching success became a distant memory when the Sultan of Swat was sold to New York – a move that resulted in birth of the Yankee dynasty.
Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 as part of the inaugural class.
Samantha Carr is the media relations coordinator at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Fans, players share the fun at Hall of Fame Classic
By Craig Muder
Their smiles were so big, you’d have thought they’d all just won the lottery.
Mike Timlin, bending over near home plate so players could sign his jersey. Jeff Kent, drilling homer after homer to win the pregame Hitting Contest. Lee Smith, signing autographs until every fan was happy at Doubleday Field.
It was the inaugural Hall of Fame Classic on Sunday in Cooperstown, and the fans cheered lustily at every opportunity — thrilled to have their heroes back on the playing field. But it was the players who seemed to be the most grateful.
“Thank you for having us here,” said Kent, who was playing in the major leagues this time last year. “It’s really a thrill to be in Cooperstown.”
The day’s longest ovation was reserved for Bob Feller, who started the game and revved up his legendary fastball one more time at 90 years of age. When he left in the middle of the first inning, the crowd of 7,069 fans at Doubleday Field gave him a standing ovation. When he received his first standing-O on the baseball mound, Franklin Roosevelt was president.
“Thank you for coming,” Feller said the the crowd after his Team Wagner defeated Team Collins 5-4.
No, Bob.. Thank you for coming.
It could only happen in Cooperstown, the home of baseball dreams — for fans and players.
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Classic Hall of Famers thrill packed crowd, promise more
By Trevor Hayes
There were literally no empty seats in the Grandstand Theater for the Hall of Fame Classic Voices of the Game. And this special Father’s Day edition delivered with the same impact the four Hall of Famers on stage had during their careers.
The sellout crowd listened for as Triple-Crown winner Bob Feller, 300-game winner Phil Niekro, 3,000-hit Club member Paul Molitor and 16-time Gold Glove Award winner Brooks Robinson reflected on their careers and talked about the game they love.
All four legends and fellow Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins headline the signature event of the weekend, the Hall of Fame Classic on Father’s Day at Doubleday Field.
The theme of fathers and sons has been a principal element throughout this inaugural Hall of Fame Classic Weekend and was present during Voices of the Game. Niekro spoke vividly of his relationship. As a youngster in Ohio, he looked up to his father, who taught him the weapon that would be his bread and butter in a 24 season career.
“”If it wasn’t for the knuckleball, I probably would have ended up coal mining,” Niekro said. “I didn’t know what it was. I just had fun playing knuckle ball in the back yard. Then I was able to get Little League guys out.”
His success continued and he hitched a ride to a tryout with the Milwaukee Braves. He signed for $500. Early on, Knucksie as he became known, was unsure of his talents. When the Hall’s manager of museum programs Steve Light, who moderated the event asked Niekro how he fared against the two accomplished hitters on either side of him, Knucksie started laughing.
“I faced Brooks early on during a Spring Training game,” he recalled. “One of my 77-mph fastballs got away from me and I hit him in the head.”
Robinson countered, “Didn’t hurt a bit.”
“I thought I was going to be done the next day for hitting Brooks Robinson with a fastball,” Niekro said.
Robinson’s start wasn’t something to brag about either, though he did. He played most of the 1955 season for the York (Penn.) White Roses – a B-League team in the Piedmont League. Robinson got the call at the end of the season and got two hits in his first start.
“I called home and said, ‘This is cake. Why did I play in [the minors] all year? I should have been in the big leagues.’”
He then went 0-for-18. He recovered and became one of the cornerstones of the great Orioles teams of the 1960′s and 70′s. He appeared in four World Series, winning a pair of rings. Robinson played on a lot of great teams, but he feels one of the best didn’t achieve to the level that some of his other teams might have.
In honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Miracle Mets, Light asked Robinson about the 1969 World Series.
“I thought our ’62 team was our best,” he said. “But anything can happen in a seven-game series. We beat [Hall of Famer Tom] Seaver and lost the next four, straight.”
Baltimore was back in the Series again the next season and Robinson took the MVP honors, hitting .429 against the Big Red Machine from Cincinnati. He drove in six and hit a pair of home runs. Molitor like Robinson achieved October glory by winning the MVP Award in 1993 with the Blue Jays.
During that Fall Classic, he hit .500 with a pair of doubles, a pair of triples and a pair of homers while driving in eight against the Phillies. Molitor’s best memory of that Series however, was not one of his personal achievements.
“The ’93 Series, I was on first base when Joe Carter hit that ball over the wall,” he said. “I was thinking if it goes off the wall and I hustle, I can score and end this thing, but then it went out and it was all over anyway.”
Another highlight of Molitor’s career was reaching 3,000 hits. Pure consistency throughout his career allowed The Ignitor to retire with a career .306 batting average and 3,319 hits. In 1987, he took a run at one of the game’s longest standing records, Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. Molitor hit safely in 39 straight.
“Whether it’s milestones or streaks, players don’t really play for those, but numbers are big in baseball,” he said. “Falling 17 games short is still a long way away from that number and my perspective changed after that streak.
“I always tell people: The way you handle success is directly related to the way you handle failure, because 3,000 hits means 7,000 outs.”
Knucksie, a member of another elite club – the 300-game winners – applauded Molitor on the achievement. He said pitchers have help in winning games, but hitters are alone.
Niekro’s 300th came in his last start of 1985 as a Yankee. It was a special moment for him and his father, who was faltering in health. Niekro was 46 at the time and at the end of his contract.
“If I didn’t win it, I would have had to wait until the next spring and he wasn’t going to hold on that long,” he said. “So really that was a blessing for both of us.”
Feller missed 300 wins by 34. But he recorded a career-high 27 in 1940 followed by 25 in 1941 before leaving baseball for most of four seasons to serve in the Navy during World War II. Light noted that the Grandstand Theater is a replica of Chicago’s Comiskey Park where Feller authored one of his three no-hitters and the only Opening Day no-no in the history of the game.
“Well it was 69 years ago and I remember it quite well,” the Indians ace recalled. “It wasn’t my best no-hitter. I didn’t have great stuff that day. I only struck out eight and we won 1-0. I remember that my catcher, Rollie Hemsley, hit a triple with my rommmate on base to score the only run.”
At 90, Feller’s memory is as sharp as if he were reading a box score. Light asked him about his famous high-leg kick and he laughed.
“That high leg kick…You’ve seen the picture taken in Yankee Stadium in 1936 or ’37 with my leg kicked over my head and the photographer laying flat on the ground,” Feller said. “That is all for show. It was just symbolism. But it’s the most popular picture they’ve got of me and it sells well at card shows.”
Another Feller myth was confirmed, when Light asked the former fireballer about the motorcycle and his fastball. Feller said that, that also happened in Chicago. He was wearing a tie and a dress shirt during the exhibition, but when he wound up with the motorcycle ten feet behind him, the ball beat the bike to the target. Using a timer and the vehicles speedometer, it was figured that he threw the ball 104 mph. Later a similar event was held and Feller clocked in at 107 mph.
Apparently worried by this, Molitor interrupted the story, “Can I ask him how his arm is feeling, since I have to leadoff against him tomorrow? I’ve heard stories of him hitting the first batter, so I’m just curious.”
Once the laughter subsided, and it was confirmed that Molitor would be the first batter to face the Classic’s starting pitcher – the 90-year-old Feller – Light asked Robinson how he felt knowing that he’d be the first guy to dig in against Knucksie in the bottom of the first.
Recalling their Spring Training encounter, Robinson looked worried and Niekro laughed, “Put your helmet on big boy, it’s coming.”
It is coming. In less than 24 hours, the legends will take the field at Doubleday and the inaugural Hall of Fame Classic will begin with Molitor facing Feller and Robinson against Niekro. Feller’s words seemed to sum up the entire weekend.
Baseball is a game of luck and there’s a lot of good and a lot of bad,” he said, noting the rain that fell on Cooperstown for most of Saturday. “We’re going to have a lot of fun tomorrow, rain or shine.”
Trevor Hayes is editorial production manager at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
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