The Eyes Have it!

This blog has featured guys with glasses, guys with crossed eyes, guys with eyes closed, and guys with painted portraits that just totally butcher the eyes.  As for this post, well, it’s all those things ... and more!

The wandering eye …

Vic Harris was up for eight years, mostly as a weak-hitting (.217 career average) backup infielder.  He also tried his luck in Japan, with one terrific year (22 homers!) and then not so much.

Not a lot on ol’ Vic out there.  In fact, the one post I found, on cardboardgods.net, is almost 99% about the author.  Then again, most posts on that blog are about the author as well.  ;^)

There was also a Negro Leagues player of the same name.  He played for and managed the legendary Homestead Grays.  He was at the helm for eight straight pennants.

Wandering the other way …

Leon McFadden was a poor man’s Vic Harris, if you can imagine that.  McFadden was up for three years, getting in only 121 at bats (and finishing with a .215 average).  He also tried his luck in Japan, with very similar results.

Leon’s main claim to fame is probably attending high school with four other future major leaguers: Brock Davis, Willie Crawford, Bobby Tolan, and Bob Watson.  

There is also an NFL player named Leon McFadden.  Now, what are the chances of that? Wait ...  Hold on a minute …  It’s Leon’s son!  

Alright, now let’s try the other eye …

I remember this guy!  He pitched for my beloved Pirates for four years in the mid-70s.  

Though he was up for only those four years, he did have a decent 29-23 record and 3.72 ERA.  Classic case of arm trouble, I’m afraid.  He was out of baseball by age 27.

By the way, Larry is the son of former Negro League pitcher Artist Demery.  And his brother, Art, also played pro ball, in the Royals organization.

If you want to find some more info on this guy, be sure to type “Larry Demery baseball.” There’s another Larry Demery out there whose main claim to fame is shooting Michael Jordan’s dad.

Wandering, wandering …

Not to be confused with Lou Merloni (and if you know who I’m talking about, you probably spend entirely too much time thinking about baseball), Lou Marone notched only one card. He was up for two years with the Bucs, for 35 innings one year and a cup of coffee the next. 

That first year actually wasn’t so bad.  I’m talking a 2.55 ERA, a 1.035 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts.  Not sure what happened to him.

Marone was mostly known for being overweight.  I’m talking 5’9” and 220 lbs.  His other claim to fame was working as a bartender in the off season.  Maybe these things are all connected somehow.

Wandering inward … both of them …  

Tom House had an okay career.  He was up for eight years, mostly in the bullpen, and finished with a 29-23 record, 33 saves, and a 3.79 ERA. The highlight, though, may have been his catching Hank Aaron’s 715th home run ball in the Atlanta bullpen.  

You are getting sleepy …

Jim Beauchamp was a minor league star, hitting .337 with 31 home runs and 105 RBI to win Texas League MVP one year, 34 homers the next, and .319 with 25 home runs and 77 RBI another year.

Unfortunately, that really never translated into anything remotely similar in the bigs. Over 10 years, he never got more than 162 at bats in any one year. Over his 600-some total at bats, he hit .231 with 14 HRs and 99 RBIs.

He was involved in a ton of trades, including one with Leon McFadden (see above). That tends to happen with those minor league stars that never pan out. I guess everybody just thinks they’ll be the ones when the magic finally happens. 

After his playing years, he coached in the Braves organization for a number of years. Overall, he spent 50 years in baseball. His son Kash (yes, Kash) also played professional ball.

You are getting ugly, very ugly …

Yup, the dude really looks like this.  I see he made the all-ugly team on this site, the wonderfully named Gin and Tacos.

Um, yeah, he sure did make up for on the field, though, didn’t he?  In fact, I think you can make an argument that he belongs in Cooperstown.  

I have a theory that you can compare players across different eras by seeing who led their leagues in standard, Triple-Crown categories like homers, RBIs, wins, and ERA.  It lets you see, for example, how sluggers equate over the dead ball era (Gavvy Cravvath), the live ball era (Babe Ruth), and the juice ball era (Barry Bonds).  
And what I’ve found is that players who have led their league five times or more have a pretty good bet of making it into the Hall.  So, guess what?  Yup, over a period of three years, George led the NL in RBIs three times, homers twice, and runs once.  Add those all up, and you get … hold on minute … um, er … five!  Unfortunately, the Baseball Writers of America do not seem to be able to add as well as I do.

Yes indeed, George has starred in this blog before.  Here he is looking angry.  You’ll probably be seeing some more of him in the future.  He’s quite a looker.

I’m thinking this one might’ve been touched up, I don’t know.

Yup, you’ve seen this guy here before too.  Previously, we’ve recognized him for his eyebrows and for the insane degree to which he chokes up on his bat.  I think I may have already shared everything there is to know about Felix Millan on those posts.

Oh, one thing I didn’t mention was his later coaching career.  He coached in the Mets’ minor league system for several years and, today, does a fair amount of international clinics for MLB, in places such as Italy, the Netherlands, and Africa.  He also started a Little League on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, to encourage baseball in the inner city.

There is something funny on the back of this one.  The little quiz asks, “Which pitcher once had 3 putouts in one inning?”  The answer is Bob Heffner … though I have the sneaking suspicion Bob is not the only one to accomplish this incredible feat.  Two pop-ups and covering first on one to the first baseman’s right, correct? Heck, I think my 15-year-old has done that.

It’s bad enough that your last name sounds just like the female reproductive organ.  But when they don’t care enough to take a second shot to make sure your eyes are open … 

Well, as you can probably imagine, there’s not a lot of information out there on Mike Overy. In fact, I’m going to have to rely on the stats on baseball-reference.com almost entirely for this post.

Mike’s major league career was very brief (and rather ugly) – 5 games, 7 1/3 innings, 6 hits, 3 walks, and 5 runs.  Interestingly, though, he did strike out eight.  His fielding was even less fortunate – 1 error in 3 chances, for a .667 average.

By the way, Mike’s real first name is Harry.  Yup, like in Hairy Ovary.  No wonder he went by Mike.

Hey, I did find something …  In Angels Journal: Year by Year and Day by Day with the Los Angeles Angels, by John Snyder, Mike is mentioned as part of the disastrous 1973 California Angels draft.  Mike and one Pat Kelly were the only ones to make the majors, playing only eight major league games between them.

That handsome devil to Mike's left?  Don't worry - you'll be seeing plenty more of Greg Minton.

Alright, Now I’m Pissed

“That makes me angry!  And when Dr. Evil gets angry, Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset!  And when Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset ... people DIE!”

Dr. Evil, Austin Powers

“You want me to do what?”

Pedro Borbon was a rubber-armed workhorse in the bullpen for the Big Red Machine, pitching in over 60 games for eight straight years.  Overall, he tallied 69 wins, 80 saves, and over 1,000 innings – pretty much all from the pen.  Borbon shone in particular in the post-season, pitching 26 total innings, with a 2.42 ERA and 0.962 WHIP.

He was also quite a character.  Stories about him include a voodoo curse, a Mike-Tyson-like brawl (where he bit his opponent in the side), and his taking a bite out of a hat.  (Fittingly, his nickname was “Dracula.”)

Pedro was a licensed barber and participated in cockfighting as a hobby.  He also had a son, Pedro Jr., who pitched in the majors, as well as a grandfather who lived to the age of 136 (according to Pedro, at least).

“Take the goddamn photo, would ya?”

Doug “The Red Rooster” Rader was a great fielder (five straight Gold Gloves), a pretty decent hitter, and also a decent manager.  He’s better known, though, for being – again – quite the character.  Peter Gammons describes him as:

“The zany, flaky Houston Astro third baseman who sat on a birthday cake in the clubhouse; Doug Rader, the madman in Jim Bouton's book Ball Four who advised kids to eat baseball cards to ingest all the information printed on them“

Gammons also relates the following additional shenanigans:

“There was the time, for example, when he went to the movies, bought an ice cream bar, ate the paper and tossed the ice cream away. Sometimes after games, he and Astro roommate Roger Metzger would lie on their backs in the clubhouse shower and slither across the floor in what were called ‘the upside-down seal races.’ One evening when Astro teammate Norm Miller and his wife were coming to his house, Rader decided he wasn't in the mood to entertain, so he greeted them stark naked. His guests quickly departed. Said Rader afterward, ‘That works every time.’"

Rader also thought he was a pirate or a Tahitian warlord in a former life.  Is he channeling one of them for this photo?

“I said take the goddamn photo already!”

As far as I know, Carlton “Pudge” Fisk was not a major character.  He was, though, an incredible ballplayer.  In fact, you can make an argument he’s the best catcher ever.  He’s number one in years played; two in games, at bats, hits, and runs; and third in hits and homers.  On the awards side, he was Rookie of the Year (unanimous choice), an 11-time All Star, a three-time Silver Slugger winner, a one-time Gold Glover, and a second-ballot Hall of Famer.

Oh, what’s that you say?  He was also a Red Sock?  No, no, I’m sure that has nothing to do with my seeing him as number one all-time at all.  

I’d be pissed off too if I had to wear that stupid uniform.

Jim Essian, though a catcher, was definitely no Carlton Fisk.  Over 12 years, he managed only 1,855 at bats, finishing with a .244 average.  He also had a short (and equally nondescript) career as a manager, going 59-63 with the Cubs in 1990.

A couple of interesting things relating to that brief managerial gig though:

• Jim was the first manager of Armenian extraction
• He is now the manager of the Greek national baseball team
• He inspired this odd blog

You want me to do what?

You may have heard of this dude too.  I believe he’s got a plaque at Cooperstown as well.  

Okay, so no reason to go over this guy’s many accomplishments.  Here’s some good trivia about him though:

• His parents were sharecroppers
• He didn’t play baseball until 11th grade
• He was a walk-on in college
• He was a florist after retirement
• He’s also an ordained minister

Expressions of Weirdness (the Later Years)

I really shouldn’t poke fun.  I mean, there’s no shortage of yearbook horrors, driver’s license abominations, and passport terrors for yours truly.

But, you know, that kind of thing never stopped me before, did it?  Alright, let’s get started!

I'm not even really sure how to describe this one.

You may have heard of this guy before.  I understand he was a really good catcher.  Heck, I even heard a rumor he might make it to Cooperstown someday.

Alright, everybody knows this guy.  Here are a few things you might not know about him however.  In particular, did you know that Johnny Bench was:

• The valedictorian of his high school class
• The first baseball player to appear alone on a box of Wheaties 
• A professional golfer after retiring
• The lead in a Cincinnati version of Damn Yankees

“Who me?  No, I was just standing here.  Fondlin’ this baseball.  Thass  all.  Why?”

Here’s another guy you may have heard of.  And here are some bits of trivia about Hank Aaron that you may not have:

• He had seven siblings
• He was an Eagle Scout
• He is no longer the first player in the Baseball Encyclopedia
• There is a book out there called The Ultimate Hank Aaron Fun Fact And Trivia Book

Wondering who beat out Hank?   See below for answer.

*

“Somebody up there …

You’ve met Bob Aspromonte before, where I made fun of his poses and shared some bio info.  So, here’s some good trivia for him:

• He was the last ex-Brooklyn Dodger to retire
• His brother Ken played in the majors as well
• He went to the same high school as Sandy Koufax
• His nickname when he played for the Astros was “Aspro”
• He and his brother own a $15 million dollar company in Houston

… likes me.”

This one is rather ironic, as J.R. Richard is probably best remembered for his unfortunate medical history.   Things started out pretty good for J.R. though.  After never losing a high school game, he was drafted second in the 1969 draft, and made the majors in 1971.  He then went on to lead the league in strikeouts twice and ERA once – all over a period of just two years.

In mid-season 1980, however, he suffered a stroke while warming up.  And that was pretty much the end of what was a very promising baseball career (even though Richard did attempt a comeback with the Astros and also bummed around the minors for a couple of years).

After that – and this may be hard to believe – things actually got a lot worse.  In fact, at one point, J.R. found himself sleeping under a Houston underpass.  He was saved by a local pastor, though, and then became a minister himself.  So, I guess somebody really was looking after you after all, J.R.

Why so coy, Elliott?  Why so coy?

Elliott Maddox was up for 11 years with six teams.  He got over 300 at bats (the mark of a regular for me) in five of those years.  He also hit .300 twice and got 20 stolen bases once.  Similar players include Jo-Jo White, Ted Uhlaender, Dude Esterbrook, and Bris Lord (I did not make that last one up, by the way).

Now, seeing as we seem to be on a trivia roll in this post, I certainly don’t want to leave Elliott out.  Did you know that:

• He’s another first-round draft pick
• His team in high school was called the Farmers
• He once sued the Mets, his employer at the time, for an injury he incurred on the field
• He worked as an investment banker after retiring from baseball
• He’s a convert to Judaism (to continue the bris theme)

“Bu’ why?  I’m still a good player.  Really I am.  I ain’t been in the pokey or nuthin yet.  Really.”

So, this guy’s been in this blog twice already, once and twice.  In those posts, I shared some highlights of his rather interesting bio as well as some trivia – but no stats.  

I think everyone knows he’s the last pitcher to win 30.  Some other career highlights include:

• Going 24-9 the year after the 30-win season
• Winning the Cy Young Award two years in a row
• Leading the league in wins, games started, and innings pitched twice
• Leading the league in HRs allowed three times
• Leading the league in complete games, but also losses, hits allowed, and earned runs once

And all of that was within the space of ten years!

“Um, E, N … Is that an L?  Okay, W, N …  Z?  Uh, theta?  Er, is that Cyrillic?  I don’t speak Russian, you know.”  Ladies and gentlemen, Cecil “The Optometrist” Upshaw.

Cecil was a pretty promising pitcher.  A sidearmer, he tallied 86 saves over nine years, and was the Braves’ closer for four of those.

He lost a year, though, and undoubtedly affected his career overall with the following major-league stupid-baseball-player-injury incident:

"He and two other Braves players were walking down an Atlanta sidewalk and one of the other players bet him he couldn't jump up and touch an overhead awning. He did reach the awning, but a ring on his pitching hand ring finger got caught on a projection off of the awning and tore ligaments in his hand."  (Wikipedia)

Some other favorites of mine, by the way, are: Wade Boggs’ and his cowboy boots, John Smoltz and his iron, Bob Stanley and his trash, Rich Harden and his alarm clock, and Joel Zumaya and Guitar Hero.  Complete list right here.

Duke is lookin’ so mellow …  Duke, you been smokin’ those funny-smelling cigarettes in the parking lot again?

Duke Sims is another repeat offender.  Just a couple of weeks back, we made fun of his mouth breather tendencies.  I shared some trivia there too, so here are – to paraphrase Sgt. Friday – “just the stats, ma’am”: 

• 11 years, 5 teams
• 800-some games, 2000-some at bats
• One year over 400 at bats, one year over 20 HRs (but, interestingly, not the same year)
• 6 stolen bases, 16 caught stealing
• 2 times leading the league, once in errors committed and once in passed balls

“Aw, c’mon coach.  Throw me the ball!  I’m ready.  C’mon!”

So, I’m not sure how ready Bob Hansen really was.  I’m talking 2 years, 2 homers, 2 stolen bases, 149 at bats, and a .242 average.  I must admit, though – this is a great look for a guy who was drafted in the 21st round.  By the way, this was Bob’s only card.

Some other bloggers have pointed out Bob’s resemblance to Ernest Borgnine and Keith Moon.  Along the same rough lines, did you know that Bob also shares his name with a famous serial killer (though the two don’t look a bit alike)?

I don’t know – Chaney doesn’t sound too excited about this.

Darrell Chaney was a light-hitting shortstop who was up for 11 years, seven with Cincinnati and four with Atlanta.  His best year was that first one with the Braves, the year this card was issued.  It was the only year he was a regular, and he set highs for average, hits, runs, RBIs, and stolen bases.  (He also led the majors in errors committed with 37, but let’s just keep that to ourselves, okay?)

After retiring, he was an announcer for the Braves for a number of years.  Currently, he’s a motivational speaker, Sr. Vice President of Sales at Prime Retail Services in Gainesville GA, and Chairman of the Board of Major League Alumni Marketing.

So, see, Darrell?  It didn’t turn out so bad after all, did it?

“I say, old chap, did you just pass some Grey Poupon?”

On the plus side, Bill Greif was the Padres opening day starter for 1974.  He also was a big boy (especially in that era), at 6’5”.

On the minus side, well, there’s actually quite a lot.  He finished his career with a 31-67 record (that’s a .316 “winning” percentage, by the way), and had an ERA over 5.00 for four of the six years he was up in the bigs.  Also, his sole league-leading stat was hit batsmen, in 1974.  

Oh, and he really did look like this.  The handful of cards he was on all look pretty darn goofy.  I can recommend his rookie card and his 1975, but his 1976 is an absolute gem.  Good greif!  

Ever wondered what Bill looks like in mustard yellow? Click here.

Wow, what a look!  This guy looks some spy from the last days of the Ottoman Empire.  All he needs is a black fez and an unfiltered cigarette in his hand.  I can see him walking through the souk in Cairo right now.  He really should be twirling one of those mustachios though, don’t you think?

Okay, everybody knows this guy as Nick Swisher’s father.  Before parenthood, though, it’s interesting to note that Swisher Sr. actually had a major league career of his own.  

Okay, so he only got 1400 at bats.  And he finished with a .216 average.  And he came in 1681st all time on the JAWS rankings for catchers.  And comparable players include Merv Shea, Glenn Borgmann, and Tubby Spencer.

Did I mention he’s Nick Swisher’s dad?

Hmm ... Are Steve and Dave related?

Dave Collins was up in the bigs for 16 years, but played with 8 different teams. It looks like you never quite knew what you would be getting with ol' Dave. I'm talkin' one year at .216 and the next at .318, one year with 60 steals and the next with less than half that.

One thing you could count on more than others though seemed to be speed. Dave finished with not quite 400 steals and - according to Wikipedia - was known as the "fastest white man in baseball" (I kid you not). 

“Whuh?  Did he just say what I think he did?  He can’t say that, can he?”

Now, I like candid shots, but I have to wonder if this is really what they had in mind.  It kind of looks like Kemp might be thinking that the guy on the left might be totally full of crap, off his rocker, entirely too vainglorious and perhaps a tad deranged …

I have mixed feelings about Steve Kemp.  He was one of those veterans that my beloved Pirates signed in the 1980s in a desperate attempt to be any good.  George Hendrick, Lee Mazzilli, and Bill Almon are others (Bill who?).  The Buccos always managed to get these guys just as their careers were going from “downhill” to “over the cliff.”

Up to when he joined the Bucs, Steve had had a pretty decent career.  He was the first pick in the 1976 draft and played just one year in the minors.  His best year was 1979, when he was an All Star and finished with 26 homers, 108 RBIs, and a .318 average.  With the Pirates, Steve hit .250 and .188, with three homers in 252 at bats.

By the way, Steve is Armenian.  Yup, the original family name was Kempinian.  

(Um, I made that last bit up, by the way).

Mug shot and baseball card, all in one!

Fernando Gonzalez was up for six big league seasons, with five teams (including the Pirates twice).  He finished with just over 1000 at bats and 100 RBIs, with a .235 average.  He played all or parts of 13 seasons in the minors.

Fernando liked to supplement his meager salary by holding up convenience stores and dealing drugs.  

(Okay, okay.  I made that one up too.)

Wow!  Rob’s got it all going on, doesn’t he?  Chipmunk cheeks, heavenward gaze, weird eyebrows, brillo hair, cheesy mustache …

According to Wikipedia, Rob Picciolo “was notorious for not drawing bases on balls. In 1,628 major league at bats, he walked only 25 times.”  And that’s exactly what you want to do when you’re a light-hitting middle infielder with a career .234 average, let me tell ya.

Somehow or other, though, Rob managed to last nine years in the bigs.  That’s seven years less, however, than the 16 years he hung on as a coach for the Pads.  

Here’s another post that does a fine job of making fun of our Rob.

Wow!  I’m at a loss for words.

Eric Rasmussen was up for 11 years, but only totaled 50 wins (for a .394 winning percentage).  Some prime Rasmussiana:

• Legally changed his name from Harold to Eric
• Major league career was interrupted by some time playing in Mexico
• Similar players include Elmer Jacobs, Hub Perdue, and Dana Fillingim 

More of ol’ Harold – er, I mean Eric – here and here.


Want some more weirdness?  Check out these dudes.

Answer: Why, Dave Aardsma, of course


* - author has this card

Phils, Red Sox, Cardinals: Lend Me Your Ears (‘70s Version)

Think of them as mobile satellite dishes.  Just stick them on the left and right sides of your head and – voila – you can pick up audio waves wherever or whenever you like. 

Yup, ears.  The latest in bioelectromechanical marvels.

And, just like satellite dishes, these ear things come in many shapes and sizes.  Which means we’ll have plenty of things to make fun of here in this post.  Alright, let’s get started …

Not too bad.

I like this guy.  Somehow, Vic Davalillo managed to parlay a 5’7”, 150-pound frame into a 16-year major league career.  And that includes a Gold Glove, an All Star appearance, and tying the record for pinch hits in a season (since broken). 

He was also the oldest player in the bigs for four years in a row.  Which, of course, is nothing compared to his playing until age 50 in the winter leagues in his native Venezuela.

Davalillo was a huge star there, by the way, with a ballpark and the winter league MVP award named for him.  He was also part of the inaugural class for the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame.

Once again, not that bad.  I think it’s their shape that really struck me.  Aren’t these things supposed to be bigger at the top?

I’m afraid there’s not a whole heck of a lot out there on Dill Billman.  Seems he was up for only two years, finishing with a pretty forgettable 7-12 record.  Things did start out very well for him though.  He began his career with 12 straight shutout innings and four straight wins.  

Not sure what happened after that.  Similar players include Jim Golden, John Gabler, and Sweetbread Bailey.  Baseball-reference.com says nothing about any nicknames for Bill, but I think "Pickles" would have been perfect.

Still not totally bad.

Ray Sadecki was not a bad pitcher.  He was up for 18 years, won 20 once, and picked up the win for the Cards in the first game of the ‘64 World Series.  He was also once traded straight up for Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda.

Now, I’m not saying that Ray was a good pitcher either.  In fact, his sole league-leading exploits include losses once and errors twice.  He also wrapped up his long career by playing for six teams in two years. 

Ah well.  Let’s just say his career was “mixed.”

Okay, bad.  Real bad.

Not unlike John’s baseball career.  John David Donaldson was a middle infielder who somehow managed to notch six years in the bigs, though finishing with a .238 average and only four homers. 

Interestingly, John is a native Charlatan …  er, I mean Charlottean.  What I mean is, he was born in my hometown of Charlotte, NC.

It’s not an uncommon name, so I wasn’t surprised to find 13 John Donaldsons out there on Wikipedia.  I did learn, though, that another one of them was also a baseball player.  John Wesley Donaldson was an African-American pitcher who played before the Negro Leagues were formed.  It sounds like he may have been legitimate Hall of Fame material, but unfortunately there simply isn’t enough documentation of his talents.

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Bad plus seriously dopey expression.

Wikipedia tells me that Mike de la Hoz was "primarily a utility player." And that means that, over nine years, he never got more than 200 at bats in a single season. Similar ballplayers include Lou Stringer, Ollie Bejma, Heinie Schuble, and Herb Plews (!!!).

I might have to give Mike his own post. The guy accounted for some seriously bad baseball cards.

Don’s nickname was “Earflap.” 

Don Money was – honestly – not a bad ballplayer.  He was a four-time All Star and led his league’s third basemen in fielding three years.  Over a 16-year career, he tallied over 6,000 at bats. 

After hanging up his spikes, Don managed in the Milwaukee farm system for over ten years.  He is currently a special instructor for the Brew Crew.  He was inducted into their Walk of Fame in 2005 (I have no idea if brats and brews – let alone kielbasa and kapusta – were involved).

Alright, time for some controversy ...  Wikipedia says Don’s real nickname was “Easy” [groan].  Baseball-reference.com says it was “Brooks.”  C’mon, what was it?  (My money is on "Earflap.")

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Wow!  Weird dude.  Ears, expression, stick figure body.  You might be seeing more of him in this blog.

The stick figure body I can account for.  Hamilton was 6’6” and 190  lbs.  He actually played in the NBA for two years.  In fact, he’s one of only two people who have played in a World Series and an NBA final.  

Extra points if you can name the other one.  Hint, hint:  He had big ears too.  Answer below.

Sideburns are in, I know.  They’re really not for everyone, though, Mike.  Sometimes, they draw too much attention to …  Ah, never mind.

Mike Thompson makes John Donaldson, Bill Dillman, and Ray Sadecki look like first-ballot Hall of Famers.  Thompson, a pitcher, finished with a remarkable 1-15 record.  That’s an .063 winning percentage, folks!  And that number kinda makes Mario Mendoza look like Babe Ruth.

Not sure what’s going on here. Doyle’s ear seems to cover almost as much square footage as the brim of his hat.  Also, not sure what happened to his left ear.  Honestly, it’s all just a total mystery.

Doyle Alexander may be the best ballplayer in this post.  He played for 19 years, finishing just under 200 wins.  Well-traveled, he notched wins against all 26 ball clubs then in existence.

The postseason wasn’t so kind to him however.  Over 29 innings, Doyle compiled an 0-5 record and a 8.38 ERA.

Debated putting George and Doyle in Separated at Birth.

You’ve met George Stone before, where I made fun of his expression.  Not much else to say about this guy, I’m afraid.

Unsurprisingly, we’ve got another super common name here.  Wikipedia lists ten George Stones, including an outfielder, a drummer, an Irish archbishop, a British socialist and journalist, and an American arms collector and author.

* - author has this card

Dig big ears?  Check out these beauts from the 50s and 60s.

Answer:  GeneConley