Munsters

The Munsters – Season 1, Episode 29: "Herman the Rookie":

Herman is playing baseball in the park with Eddie when he hits a baseball so far it hits Leo Durocher, the manager of the Dodgers.  When Mr. Durocher finds out how far the ball park is, he wants to recruit whoever hit it.  He finds Herman and signs him up for the team.  Herman plays baseball in front of Mr. Durocher - convincing him that maybe he wouldn't be the greatest asset.

I remember it like it was yesterday (and isn’t too bad they didn’t have the DH way back then?). 

Funny, though.  I don’t remember any of the guys below as extras.  They just had to be there, though, right?  Right?

Not too bad.  The slight widow’s peak, the pointy ears, and the suggestion of evening dress, though, tell me that Andy is indeed one of the “creatures of the night.”

Andy Kosco was up for ten years, playing as a regular in two.  He hit 15 and 19 homers in those years, but could never get his batting average high enough, finishing with a career average of .236. 

It’s probably not too surprising that Andy became an insurance salesman when he retired.  But would you believe that the company he founded is called the Ghoulish-Kosco Insurance Agency?  Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case. 
 

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One of the undead?

Joe (“I’d like to buy a vowel”) Grzenda was a well-traveled reliever, playing for six teams over eight years.  Interestingly, he never made an error in those eight years.  He and Heath Bell are the only ones to ever do that (and Heath’s still playing).

Hey, wanna look up Joe's nostrils? Click right here.

Definitely a zombie.  Just look at that stare.

Gary Geiger was a light-hitting, rather sickly outfielder who played for 12 years, mostly for the Red Sox.  He was a starter for them for four of those years.

There’s a reason why Gary’s not smiling in this picture, by the way.  Poor guy had a complete set of false teeth by age 22.  I could only find one card, the 1961, where he’s smiling.

Very detailed bio right here.
 

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Baseball-reference.com says nothing about Sammy’s nickname being “Lurch.”  I guess this is what happens, though, when you put a catcher in the infield.

You’ve met Sammy Taylor before, where he posed for a biscuit.

By the way, make sure you don’t confuse this Sammy Taylor with this Sammy Taylor:

Which, arguably, might be rather hard to do. 
 

To continue with our separated at birth theme …

One is a weird looking pitcher with a really goofy name.  The other is a famous movie vampire.  Jim Duffalo, meet Nosferatu:
 

Jim Duffalo pitched for five years, all but a half a season with the Giants.  Not a bad pitcher at all, he finished with a 3.39 and a record of 15-8.  Couldn't find any stats on Mr. Nosferatu, I'm afraid.
 

Kevin took out the bolts in his neck just for this picture.

Kevin Bell started off with a bang.  He was a first-round pick in 1976, and was the youngest players in the majors when he made his MLB debut that same year.

Apart from an inside-the-park grand slam, though, his subsequent career was a major disappointment.  He finished with a .222 average and only 13 homers in 700-some at bats.  It happens.

Thomas Vaultonburg of zombielogicblog.blogspot.com says this card scared him as a child.  His exact words were, “recoiled in fear.”  He also wonders how it was possible for Twitchell’s image to actually be captured on film.

Wayne Twitchell was up for ten years, mostly with the Phillies.  Bouncing between starting and relieving, the 6’ 6” pitcher had one great year, 1973, when he finished 13-9, came in third in ERA at 2.50, and was an All Star.  He’s in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.

Looks aside, it sounds like Twitchell was a great guy.  Here’s his obit from 2010, the year he succumbed to cancer at the age of 62.

Ohmigod, would you take a look at this guy!  He looks exactly like …  Wait a minute.  This is …  This is …

This is pure genius.  Thank you, whoever came up with this.

* - author has this card