Ken was known as “The Chin.” Ken “The Chin” Reitz.
Actually, Ken’s real nickname was “The Zamboni” – because of his skills at scooping up hot shots at the hot corner. In fact, he led the league in fielding no less than six times. Ken was a Golden Glover and an All Star as well. He finished an 11-year career with almost 5,000 at bats and over 500 RBIs.
Interestingly, he was picked in the 31st round – overall, the 732nd player chosen.
Steve “Right Side of the Face” Rogers.
Not to be confused with Captain America, Steve Rogers pitched for 13 long years with the Montreal Expos. Not a bad pitcher, he finished with a 158-152 record, 3.17 ERA, and over 1,600 strikeouts. He was a five-time All Star, and led the league in ERA once and shutouts twice.
Oddly, he has a degree in petroleum engineering.
Rennie “Lips” Stennett.
Rennie Stennett was the Pirates’ second baseman through most of the ‘70s. A decent hitter who could also steal a base, he was pretty handy with the glove as well. He signed with the Giants after the ’79 season, but turned out to be one of the first free agent busts.
Amazingly, Stennett’s one of only three MLB players who went 7-for-7 in a single game.
Mike “The Jaw” Anderson.
Mike Anderson was basically a backup outfielder, though I see he was also a pitcher as well. Currently, he is the head basketball coach for University of Arkansas (he formerly was head baseball coach at Nebraska).
I see he also played in the NFL (as well as the CFL), is a well-known curler, and is pretty handy with the skateboard. Rounding out his renaissance man resume, Mike also moonlights as director of the The Simpsons.
Wow, the things you learn on Wikipedia!
Joe “The Nose” Torre
We’ve met Joe before, at the beginning of his major league career. There, I shared some of his playing stats. Though he was quite a decent player, he’s in Cooperstown mainly because of his managing prowess. To summarize:
- 29 years
- 2,326 wins (#5 all time)
- 6 pennants and 4 World Series titles
- 2 Manager of the Year awards
Pete “Raccoon Face” Redfern.
Pete Redfern’s been here too, in a post where he sported a very ‘70s perm. Some things I forgot to mention there:
- He was a first-round pick
- He’s come back from being paralyzed in a diving accident
- He seems to be a genuinely great guy
The title? It’s from an old Firesign Theatre song:
Back from the shadows again
Back where an Injun’s your friend
Where the vegetables are green
And you can pee right into the stream
(And that’s important!)
Back from the shadows again
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