The Unibrow (60s Version)

According to Wikipedia, the unibrow (or monobrow) is considered a mark of attractiveness in some cultures, especially for women.  They cite India, Iran, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan, and point out that women in those countries sometimes paint one on when they are not so naturally endowed.  They say it’s associated with virility (in men) and purity and virginity (in women).  Hey, it’s in Wikipedia.  It has to be true, right?

Given that, it’s good to know there is no shortage of virility (if perhaps not purity or chasteness) in major league baseball.  You’ve already seen some fine exemplars from the ‘50s.  Now check out these virile dudes from the ‘60s …

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Not so bad.  I think I like Bob’s expression here more than anything.  I couldn’t decide whether to put him here or  Coach, I Don’t Feel So Good.   That said, maybe his look simply expresses how he felt about being drafted by les Expos.

Bob “Beetle” Bailey was a pretty decent ballplayer.  He was up for 17 years, getting in almost 2000 games.  Baseball-reference.com has him on the leader board 57 times.  Unfortunately, a good chunk of those were for strikeouts, double plays grounded into, and caught stealing.

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Again, not so bad. 

You’ve met Max Alvis before, where I shared his stats.  I didn’t mention it there, but Max was one of the few major leaguers to go on the DL with spinal meningitis. 

In 1964, what was turning into one of his best years ever went south very quickly when Max was diagnosed.  He sat out six weeks, came back, and still managed to finish with 18 homers in 381 at-bats.
 

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It’s subtle.  But you’ve got to admit, there’s really nothing like topping off the whole ugly ensemble – ears, face, teeth – with a unibrow.

I talked about Bobby’s career, both playing and managing, in another post.   I’ll bet you didn’t know, though, that Bobby Wine had a son and grandson in organized baseball.  Unfortunately, neither of them made the majors.  Guess they must have inherited Bobby’s hitting genes.

More of that handsome mug right here.

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The Italian guys always seemed to have an unfair advantage. 

Some people would like to put Rocky Colavito in the Hall of Fame.   Baseball-reference.com, however, says no.  The only stat that gets him there is his grey ink, where he has 152 to the average HoFer’s 144.  His black ink and HoF monitor and standards scores are all sub-par.   And his similar players include such perennial also-rans as Boog Powell, Frank Howard, George Foster, and Norm Cash.
 

Once again, not too bad.  I do like how they’re combined with some big-time arching though.

Another pretty decent player, Jim Landis was mostly known for his glove.  I’m talking five Gold Gloves in an 11-year career and a career fielding average of .989.  That’s 11 errors in 3031 chances, folks!

Great Q&A session with some Little Leaguers right here.

Wow!  These look like something that should be standing outside a McDonald’s. 

I shared some of Don Demeter’s stats before, when I made fun of his smile.  (Wait.  You made fun of his smile?  How do you make fun of someone’s smile, fer crissakes?)

Apart form the stats, Don was one of the first Fellowship of Christian Athlete types.  And on retirement, he became a pastor.  Great clip of him on YouTube by his grandson.

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Ditto.  And then some. 

Ken Hunt was chosen by the Angels in their expansion draft.  In their first year, he led them in RBIs and came in second in homers with 25.  Nice pick.

Outside of baseball, Ken’s main claim to fame is being the step-father of Butch Patrick.  Remember?  Eddy?  On the Munsters?

Wait a minute.  That’s gotta be a mistake.  Those two definitely had to be blood relations.

Curt has opted for the more straight-across, Herman Munster look.

Curt Blefary was the 1965 AL Rookie of the Year.   Eight years later, he was out of baseball.  Though with enormous potential, he became know more for his poor defense (he was nicknamed “Clank”), his temper, his reputation as a loose cannon, and his love of the night life.  He wore out his welcome in eight major league cities and was done with baseball before he turned thirty.

Superb bio right here.

So, what is it with these Italian guys anyway?

Joey Amalfitano has been in baseball for 58 years.  That includes a forgettable ten years in the majors, managing the Cubs for three, and manning the third base coach’s box for 16 years for the Dodgers.  Currently, he’s a special assistant to the Giants, specializing primarily in bunting.

I’m not sure which name I like better – Rocky Colavito or Joey Amalfitano   Now, that’s Italian!

Wow, here’s an odd couple for ya ...  The guy on the left gave up nine runs in 19 innings lifetime.  Of the 17 hits he gave up, four were homers.  He also managed to give up 11 walks in those 19 innings.

The guy on the right won over 300 games and struck out over 4000 batters lifetime.  He won the Cy Young Award four times and is in the Hall of Fame. 

Guess who’s got the better eyebrows though? Fritz Ackley, take a bow!

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Not quite Andy Etchebarren, but the two – like Ken and Butch – have definitely got to be related somehow.

Tex Clevenger was a decent reliever for several teams in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s.  He led the AL in games played in 1958.

And if you're ever in Porterville, CA, you can buy a Fiesta or Focus from him at Clevenger Ford.  Tell ‘em Cliff sent you. 


You didn’t think we forgot Andy Etchebarren now, did you?  That guy’s up there with Wally Moon, and definitely deserves his own post.  Be sure to tune in next week.


* - author has this card