could Shantz compete today in MLB? This is the real question. I know a few years back much was made of Mike Hampton's size. He was listed at 5ft 10 but of course the "official" sizes are always a couple of inches north of reality.
MLB looks for talent. They project based on size so the bigger guys tend to have an advantage but talent trumps all.
They were smaller back then though. When I played for an Angels rookie ball team I wore a hand me down uniform that Vic Power had used and it was a bit small for me. I'm only 6' on a good day and I was pretty darn skinny back then.
They were smaller back then though. When I played for an Angels rookie ball team I wore a hand me down uniform that Vic Power had used and it was a bit small for me. I'm only 6' on a good day and I was pretty darn skinny back then.
quote:Originally posted by CADad:
MLB looks for talent. They project based on size so the bigger guys tend to have an advantage but talent trumps all.
They were smaller back then though. When I played for an Angels rookie ball team I wore a hand me down uniform that Vic Power had used and it was a bit small for me. I'm only 6' on a good day and I was pretty darn skinny back then.
CA.. Vic Power! you still have that jersey? He was a very interesting player to me from a historical perspective.
for me the size thing hit me square between the eyes several years ago when I saw up close Dave Cash and Dave Collins.. they were managing minor league teams in A ball. These two guys were very good players in the 70's and early 80's. You dont necessarily expect second basemen to have any size but heck Collins played some first base back in the day. I mean they were tiny... tiny!
Nah. We didn't get to keep them. He played for the Angels back in '65 and I was wearing it in about '74 so it was already pretty worn.
Wow, that's interesting CADad, that you had Vic Power's uniform. What's even more interesting is that they still used those that many years later. That's the minor leagues for you! 
Interesting Vic Power note:
On August 14th 1958, Vic became one of the very few guys to steal home twice in the same game. He was a first baseman and he only stole three bases all season. The second steal won the game in the bottom of the 10th inning. Just one of those inexplicable things that happen in baseball.
Interesting Vic Power note:
On August 14th 1958, Vic became one of the very few guys to steal home twice in the same game. He was a first baseman and he only stole three bases all season. The second steal won the game in the bottom of the 10th inning. Just one of those inexplicable things that happen in baseball.
Not minors. It was similar to the scout ball of today although there were more older players in the mix and sometimes local players from the minors during the off season.
I am a lurker but not poster but this thread definetly caught my eye. My mother saw one professional game in her life....this one with my dad. they paid $2.20 for their bleacher seats. One of my best memories of my parents (both gone)was them telling me about the game later in life ( I was born in 62)....anyway'... I have both stubs in a shadow box with a 60 Maz card....biggest kicker is the program that my dad kept score in for the whole game---with a big STAR for the walk off... they have super 8 film of some of the game, but not the hit...just the pandamonium after... great memory that I never saw
stennet7for7,
Interesting memory! That's some great stuff you have from the game too. So often baseball has a tie-in to memories of our parents if we love the game. By the way, you must be a fan of Rennie Stennett, the Pirates second baseman. I remember that 22-0 game versus the Cubs in September 1975 where he became the only man in that century to go 7 for 7 in a nine inning game.
Interesting memory! That's some great stuff you have from the game too. So often baseball has a tie-in to memories of our parents if we love the game. By the way, you must be a fan of Rennie Stennett, the Pirates second baseman. I remember that 22-0 game versus the Cubs in September 1975 where he became the only man in that century to go 7 for 7 in a nine inning game.
I watched this last night and enjoyed it thoroughly. In addition to many of the observations already noted, I was struck by the pace of the game - pitchers worked very quickly and the batters were pretty much ready to go after each pitch. I also chuckled as almost every batter warmed up with 2 bats, swinging them as they approached the plate before handing one back to the batboy. Also, when a pitcher came in to pitch in relief, it was interesting to see the batter stand casually by he plate as the picther warmed up.
I had a smile on my face through the entire broadcast. 
Clemente was routinely called Bobby by Bob Prince and his radio sidekick Jim Woods. There were nicknames for many of the Pirates. Maz, the Tiger, the Quail, the Dog, the Deacon, the Kitten, the Duck. Prince and Woods themselves went by the nicknames of the gunner and the possum.
Groat, the shortstop won the NL batting title in 1960, and had been a very good basketball player at Duke. (3rd pick in the '52 nba draft).
Clemente used a giant bat. You can get an idea of it from the centerfield shots.
That year's team had a lot of hoopla and enthusiasm surrounding it. They had a lot of narrow victories, and Bob Prince was famous for his "we had'em all the way" call.
We were paying attention to the game somehow in school, and the Maz home run occured when we were on the bus on the way home. I can remember exactly where the bus was when the girl who had the transistor radio said we had won on the home run.
I saw Yogi at a charity signing about 20 years ago and made the mistake of mentioning that game. His face fell like a deflated souffle. You could literally see the pain of it after 30 years. Had I been a little smarter, I wouldn't have mentioned it.
Clemente was routinely called Bobby by Bob Prince and his radio sidekick Jim Woods. There were nicknames for many of the Pirates. Maz, the Tiger, the Quail, the Dog, the Deacon, the Kitten, the Duck. Prince and Woods themselves went by the nicknames of the gunner and the possum.
Groat, the shortstop won the NL batting title in 1960, and had been a very good basketball player at Duke. (3rd pick in the '52 nba draft).
Clemente used a giant bat. You can get an idea of it from the centerfield shots.
That year's team had a lot of hoopla and enthusiasm surrounding it. They had a lot of narrow victories, and Bob Prince was famous for his "we had'em all the way" call.
We were paying attention to the game somehow in school, and the Maz home run occured when we were on the bus on the way home. I can remember exactly where the bus was when the girl who had the transistor radio said we had won on the home run.
I saw Yogi at a charity signing about 20 years ago and made the mistake of mentioning that game. His face fell like a deflated souffle. You could literally see the pain of it after 30 years. Had I been a little smarter, I wouldn't have mentioned it.