I just saw him in his last couple years as a young kid. I recall a series at MEt stadium where he and Hank Aaron had a HR hitting contest pre game. back when they did fun stuff like that. He is a great guy for the MN area as well.
Harmon Killerbrew AKA The Fat Kid amoung American League Pitchers.
I will never forget seeing Killebrew hit at Fenway Park, Carl Yastremski, who played leftfield at Fenway as well as anyone ever used to actually lineup pre-pitch on the warning track in front of the Green Monster in left at Fenway when Killebrew stepped to the plate.
I remember a game at Fenway towards the end of Killebrew's career in the early 70s to this date. That night Harmon laced a liner to left but right at Yaz who luckily for The Red Sox was already standing on the warning track when Harmon made contact of a hanging curveball. The ball was hit directly at the not to surprised Yaz (he had been watching Harmon hit for ten years by then) who barely had time to get his glove up to just above his head and snag a frozen rope to end all frozen ropes.
Over the years I saw Killebrew hit 4 or 5 homers during games at Fenway. The Green Monster I'm sure still has some dents in it from long singles hit by Harmon who hit the ball so hard that unless it went out for a homer or careened off to one side of the left fielder or the other he could only make it to first before Yaz had the ball back into an infielder.
Yaz was a master at decoying hitters into trying to stretch hard hit balls hit against the Monster into doubles. I saw him nail Reggie Jackson one night with a beautiful decoy (he would bare hand the ball and fire it to 2nd in one motion as it came off the wall. That night he made a great throw to 2nd to nail the then fast a foot Oakland A's Reggie Jackson's bid for a double after hitting a hard liner half way up the Monster. A thing of beauty for a baeball purest to watch.
I some time wonder what kind of career if Harmon had been signed by Boston way back in 1955. We will never know...
Back to Harmon:
A perfect Home Run Cut by Harmon..
Harmon Killebrew was raised in a farming community in Payette, Idaho. He quickly established himself as gifted athlete, and was a high school All-State quarterback. While playing in an impromptu baseball game Senators scout Ossie Bluege saw his powerful hits and reported back to Washington. He was snatched up by the Washington Senators who offered the 17 year old a surprising $30,000 package, an annual salary of $6,000, the league minimum, and a yearly bonus of $4,000. Since Killebrew was a "bonus baby" he spent the next five years sitting on the bench only getting some minor league playing time, before getting the chance to prove his power. Finally, opening day of the 1959 season Killebrew had his first year as a Senator regular. He was not an instant success as a Major League player, but eventually with practice and patience he became a major hitter.
The Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961 to become the Minnesota Twins, and Killebrew had his best year. While playing for the Twins he had 48 homers in 1962, 45 in 1963 and 49 in 1964. The Twins started getting respect in the industry due to this hard hitting player, and in 1969 he led the Twins to the first American League West title. In 1968 he suffered from a ruptured hamstring which almost ended his career, but bounced back in 1969 and played all 162 games. During his career he did not play a specific position and often played two different positions in one game. Killebrew could typically be found on third base, first base or the outfield. He was a valuable fielder because of his well-known agility.
His last big hitting season was 1970 were he led the Twins into a division title with 41 homers. After difficult 1971 and 1972 seasons Killebrew played less frequently, and began to serve mainly as a part-time designated hitter. His home runs went from 41 in 1970 to 28 in 1971; by 1972 he only hit 26 homers. He ended his big league career in 1975 with the Kansas City Royals. After his retirement he became a Twins broadcaster, later he started an insurance business, Killebrew & Harding, Inc. in Boise, Idaho with a former U.S. Congressman.
Killebrew had numerous achievements during his baseball career. In 1959 he won the home run title with 42 homers. He was able to hit over 40 home runs eight times in his career. In 1969 he won the Most Valuable Player award when he hit 49 home runs. His record makes him third behind Babe Ruth and Ralph Kiner in home run percentage with 7.0. His career total for home runs is 573, and was he named an American League All-Star 11 times. In 1984 Killebrew was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
<B>
“He [Killebrew] kept us in business.”
-- club President Calvin Griffith
“He was the backbone of the franchise.”
-- club President Calvin Griffith
“This team without Killebrew is like dressing up for a formal affair white tie and tails and then wearing muddy shoes.”
-- catcher Earl Batty
"Harmon told me never to chew gum at the plate. He said it makes your eyeballs bounce up and down.”
-- Indians coach Charlie Manuel
"He hit line drives that put the opposition in jeopardy. And I don't mean infielders, I mean outfielders."
-- Washington Senators scout Ossie Bluege
“I waited for the rain to stop in Payette, Idaho and then he hit one a mile over the left field fence. I stepped it off the next morning and measured it at 435 feet. That convinced me. I signed him to a three-year contract for $30,000.”
-- Washington Senators scout Ossie Bluege
“He has power and he has guts.”
-- Washington Senators coach Cookie Lavagetto
"The homers he hit against us would be homers in any park, including Yellowstone."
-- manager Paul Richards
By Harmon Killebrew
"I didn't have evil intentions, but I guess I did have power."
"My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You're tearing up the grass.' 'We're not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We're raising boys.' "
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let's make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own."
"Look for the seams [on a knuckleball] and then hit in-between them."
“I didn’t think much about batting average when I was playing.”
“I found out early in life I could hit a baseball farther than most players, and that’s what I tried to do.”
<!-- #EndEditable -->
I will never forget seeing Killebrew hit at Fenway Park, Carl Yastremski, who played leftfield at Fenway as well as anyone ever used to actually lineup pre-pitch on the warning track in front of the Green Monster in left at Fenway when Killebrew stepped to the plate.
I remember a game at Fenway towards the end of Killebrew's career in the early 70s to this date. That night Harmon laced a liner to left but right at Yaz who luckily for The Red Sox was already standing on the warning track when Harmon made contact of a hanging curveball. The ball was hit directly at the not to surprised Yaz (he had been watching Harmon hit for ten years by then) who barely had time to get his glove up to just above his head and snag a frozen rope to end all frozen ropes.
Over the years I saw Killebrew hit 4 or 5 homers during games at Fenway. The Green Monster I'm sure still has some dents in it from long singles hit by Harmon who hit the ball so hard that unless it went out for a homer or careened off to one side of the left fielder or the other he could only make it to first before Yaz had the ball back into an infielder.
Yaz was a master at decoying hitters into trying to stretch hard hit balls hit against the Monster into doubles. I saw him nail Reggie Jackson one night with a beautiful decoy (he would bare hand the ball and fire it to 2nd in one motion as it came off the wall. That night he made a great throw to 2nd to nail the then fast a foot Oakland A's Reggie Jackson's bid for a double after hitting a hard liner half way up the Monster. A thing of beauty for a baeball purest to watch.
I some time wonder what kind of career if Harmon had been signed by Boston way back in 1955. We will never know...
Back to Harmon:
A perfect Home Run Cut by Harmon..
Harmon Killebrew was raised in a farming community in Payette, Idaho. He quickly established himself as gifted athlete, and was a high school All-State quarterback. While playing in an impromptu baseball game Senators scout Ossie Bluege saw his powerful hits and reported back to Washington. He was snatched up by the Washington Senators who offered the 17 year old a surprising $30,000 package, an annual salary of $6,000, the league minimum, and a yearly bonus of $4,000. Since Killebrew was a "bonus baby" he spent the next five years sitting on the bench only getting some minor league playing time, before getting the chance to prove his power. Finally, opening day of the 1959 season Killebrew had his first year as a Senator regular. He was not an instant success as a Major League player, but eventually with practice and patience he became a major hitter.
The Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961 to become the Minnesota Twins, and Killebrew had his best year. While playing for the Twins he had 48 homers in 1962, 45 in 1963 and 49 in 1964. The Twins started getting respect in the industry due to this hard hitting player, and in 1969 he led the Twins to the first American League West title. In 1968 he suffered from a ruptured hamstring which almost ended his career, but bounced back in 1969 and played all 162 games. During his career he did not play a specific position and often played two different positions in one game. Killebrew could typically be found on third base, first base or the outfield. He was a valuable fielder because of his well-known agility.
His last big hitting season was 1970 were he led the Twins into a division title with 41 homers. After difficult 1971 and 1972 seasons Killebrew played less frequently, and began to serve mainly as a part-time designated hitter. His home runs went from 41 in 1970 to 28 in 1971; by 1972 he only hit 26 homers. He ended his big league career in 1975 with the Kansas City Royals. After his retirement he became a Twins broadcaster, later he started an insurance business, Killebrew & Harding, Inc. in Boise, Idaho with a former U.S. Congressman.
Killebrew had numerous achievements during his baseball career. In 1959 he won the home run title with 42 homers. He was able to hit over 40 home runs eight times in his career. In 1969 he won the Most Valuable Player award when he hit 49 home runs. His record makes him third behind Babe Ruth and Ralph Kiner in home run percentage with 7.0. His career total for home runs is 573, and was he named an American League All-Star 11 times. In 1984 Killebrew was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
<B>
About Harmon Killebrew
</B>
“He [Killebrew] kept us in business.”
-- club President Calvin Griffith
“He was the backbone of the franchise.”
-- club President Calvin Griffith
“This team without Killebrew is like dressing up for a formal affair white tie and tails and then wearing muddy shoes.”
-- catcher Earl Batty
"Harmon told me never to chew gum at the plate. He said it makes your eyeballs bounce up and down.”
-- Indians coach Charlie Manuel
"He hit line drives that put the opposition in jeopardy. And I don't mean infielders, I mean outfielders."
-- Washington Senators scout Ossie Bluege
“I waited for the rain to stop in Payette, Idaho and then he hit one a mile over the left field fence. I stepped it off the next morning and measured it at 435 feet. That convinced me. I signed him to a three-year contract for $30,000.”
-- Washington Senators scout Ossie Bluege
“He has power and he has guts.”
-- Washington Senators coach Cookie Lavagetto
"The homers he hit against us would be homers in any park, including Yellowstone."
-- manager Paul Richards
By Harmon Killebrew
"I didn't have evil intentions, but I guess I did have power."
"My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You're tearing up the grass.' 'We're not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We're raising boys.' "
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let's make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own."
"Look for the seams [on a knuckleball] and then hit in-between them."
“I didn’t think much about batting average when I was playing.”
“I found out early in life I could hit a baseball farther than most players, and that’s what I tried to do.”
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Harmon KIllebrew: is that a great sports name (esp for a power hitter) or what? imo, he should have won back to back mvp awards. off the top of my head, he finished 2nd to boog powell in 1970. in 1968, the ruptured hamstring, happened in the all star game. he was playing 1st, made a long stretch, and his hammy just ripped.
one of my alltime favs for a live baseball game was in abt '73 or '74, a bizman special at the old met. steve busby vs bert blyleven. stonecold pitching duel. amos otis homered in the 8th or 9th, to put kc up 1-0 or 2-1. in the bottom, neither tony oliva nor harmon were in the starting lineup, but they both came up to pinch hit & both lined ringing base hits, still the other twins came up short and the twins lost. one of my fav live games of all time. beautiful day that day in minny & the vendors used to sell those long necked beers (and they didn't cost $9 like now). used to park over at howard johnson's for free, so's i could afford another beer. my great seats used to cost $4.50. those were the days.
one of my alltime favs for a live baseball game was in abt '73 or '74, a bizman special at the old met. steve busby vs bert blyleven. stonecold pitching duel. amos otis homered in the 8th or 9th, to put kc up 1-0 or 2-1. in the bottom, neither tony oliva nor harmon were in the starting lineup, but they both came up to pinch hit & both lined ringing base hits, still the other twins came up short and the twins lost. one of my fav live games of all time. beautiful day that day in minny & the vendors used to sell those long necked beers (and they didn't cost $9 like now). used to park over at howard johnson's for free, so's i could afford another beer. my great seats used to cost $4.50. those were the days.
From the October 23, 2008 Wall Street Journal......
<!-- ID: SB122453063968851133 --> <!-- TYPE: Sports --> <!-- DISPLAY-NAME: Sports --> <!-- PUBLICATION: The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition --> <!-- DATE: 2008-10-23 17:36 --> <!-- COPYRIGHT: Dow Jones & Company, Inc. --> <!-- ORIGINAL-ID: --> <!-- article start --> <!-- CODE=SUBJECT SYMBOL=OLEM CODE=STATISTIC SYMBOL=FREE CODE=SUBJECT SYMBOL=OSPO --> The Man Behind the MLB Logo
Jerry Dior Designed the Oft-Imitated Silhouette
By DAVID DAVIS
Every night when Jerry Dior sits down to watch the baseball playoffs in his Edison, N.J., home, the television reflects his life's most enduring handiwork.
<cite>Donna Dior</cite>Jerry Dior, standing in front of the logo he designed, at his home Tuesday.
Forty years ago, Mr. Dior worked as a graphic designer at Sandgren & Murtha, a New York City-based marketing company. In 1968, Major League Baseball commissioned the agency to design an original logo. The mark was to serve two purposes: to signify that MLB was placing league-wide merchandizing rights under the auspices of a new umbrella company, and to commemorate the national pastime's upcoming centennial.
"Baseball was going through a bad period," says Tom Villante, an advertising executive who helped choose the logo. "The NFL was gaining rapidly, and baseball was viewed as my grandfather's sport. We needed something to give the sport a boost."
Mr. Dior's all-American design -- that of a silhouetted batter poised to swing at a ball, against a red-blue background -- won over a selection committee that included Mr. Villante, New York Yankees president Mike Burke, Licensing Corp. of America executive Joe Grant and the then-attorney for the National League, Bowie Kuhn, who later became MLB commissioner. First unveiled in the fall of 1968, the horizontal logo appeared on players' uniforms during the 1969 season, accompanied by the words "100th Anniversary."
"It just came to me," Mr. Dior says. "I did the rough sketch and cleaned it up a bit, and that was that. I never thought anything about it until I turned on the television and saw it on the New York Mets' uniforms" during the 1969 World Series.
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Mr. Grant recalls that the cost for the logo was between $10,000 and $25,000.
Some 40 years later, the logo is ubiquitous. It appears on every uniform, cap, helmet, warm-up jersey and wristband worn by players, managers and umpires before and during games. It's plastered on stadium walls and fields and league-licensed merchandise and souvenirs. Industry tracker "Licensing Letter" estimates revenue of MLB-licensed goods to be $3.3 billion in 2007.
"[The logo] is like the Coca-Cola mark. It's highly recognizable," says Mr. Villante, who later served as baseball's executive director of marketing and broadcasting. "It's the symbol of professional baseball."
"It never got the publicity it deserved," says designer Juan Concepcion, who worked alongside Mr. Dior at Sandgren & Murtha. "It's still fresh today."
The logo also resonates beyond the diamond. Echoes of Mr. Dior's classic scheme can be found in the logos of professional golf, volleyball, hockey, soccer, horse racing and even paintball organizations. Baseball also uses a variation of the original logo for its website, MLB.com, and for its nascent MLB Network.
Most familiarly, the National Basketball Association's logo echoes Mr. Dior's work. One of his former colleagues at Sandgren & Murtha, Alan Siegel, fashioned the NBA logo in 1969. Mr. Siegel said that when the NBA contracted for its emblem, then-commissioner Walter Kennedy told him that he "wanted to have a visual alliance with Major League Baseball, the great American game. So we used the white silhouette to create that visual harmony with baseball's red, white and blue logo."
The baseball and basketball emblems emerged during what Mr. Siegel calls "the golden era of logos that came into vogue during the 1970s."
He adds that Mr. Dior's trademark works -- and has been widely imitated -- because it captures the sport's dynamic essence. "The Major League Baseball logo was a real breakthrough in sports because it's a very powerful graphic expression," he said. "It has set the tone for many of the brand identities that are being used by sports organizations around the world."
Mr. Siegel recalls that he tweaked an action photograph of Jerry West, the Los Angeles Lakers' Hall of Fame guard, for the figure in the NBA logo. By contrast, Mr. Dior maintains that the player in the baseball logo is "pure design."
His son once heard a radio broadcaster say that Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew served as his model for the logo. Mr. Dior's response: "That's completely untrue. It's not Harmon Killebrew. It's not anyone in particular."
Not long after concocting the logo, Mr. Dior left Sandgren & Murtha to become a free-lance designer and illustrator, primarily crafting commercial packaging. He never collected any royalties for his baseball logo, nor did he expect to receive any. "The logo belongs to baseball," he says.
Now 76, Mr. Dior is retired. He says he enjoys seeing his creation whenever he and his wife, Lita, watch his favorite team, the Yankees. He has one regret: Major League Baseball has never acknowledged his contribution. No team has invited him to throw out the first ball at a game. Mr. Dior has petitioned MLB for recognition, although he admits to not possessing any visual evidence of his work.
What he can provide is the testimony of former colleagues. "I ran the project and I saw him design it," Mr. Siegel says. "I swear on a stack of Bibles that Jerry Dior designed the damn thing."
Mr. Concepcion recalls his proposal placing second to Mr. Dior's, adding, "His was a better solution."
Major League Baseball spokesman Matt Bourne said in a statement that his organization has had "a number of discussions with Mr. Dior and his family and are researching the history of the silhouetted batter in connection with its 40th anniversary."
Mr. Dior says that he would be grateful for official credit, if only to share his hardball legacy with his four children and four grandchildren. "Just to be recognized as the person who came up with the logo," he said, "that would be great. It's what I'm most proud of in my entire career as an illustrator."
<!-- ID: SB122453063968851133 --> <!-- TYPE: Sports --> <!-- DISPLAY-NAME: Sports --> <!-- PUBLICATION: The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition --> <!-- DATE: 2008-10-23 17:36 --> <!-- COPYRIGHT: Dow Jones & Company, Inc. --> <!-- ORIGINAL-ID: --> <!-- article start --> <!-- CODE=SUBJECT SYMBOL=OLEM CODE=STATISTIC SYMBOL=FREE CODE=SUBJECT SYMBOL=OSPO --> The Man Behind the MLB Logo
Jerry Dior Designed the Oft-Imitated Silhouette
By DAVID DAVIS
Every night when Jerry Dior sits down to watch the baseball playoffs in his Edison, N.J., home, the television reflects his life's most enduring handiwork.
Forty years ago, Mr. Dior worked as a graphic designer at Sandgren & Murtha, a New York City-based marketing company. In 1968, Major League Baseball commissioned the agency to design an original logo. The mark was to serve two purposes: to signify that MLB was placing league-wide merchandizing rights under the auspices of a new umbrella company, and to commemorate the national pastime's upcoming centennial.
"Baseball was going through a bad period," says Tom Villante, an advertising executive who helped choose the logo. "The NFL was gaining rapidly, and baseball was viewed as my grandfather's sport. We needed something to give the sport a boost."
Mr. Dior's all-American design -- that of a silhouetted batter poised to swing at a ball, against a red-blue background -- won over a selection committee that included Mr. Villante, New York Yankees president Mike Burke, Licensing Corp. of America executive Joe Grant and the then-attorney for the National League, Bowie Kuhn, who later became MLB commissioner. First unveiled in the fall of 1968, the horizontal logo appeared on players' uniforms during the 1969 season, accompanied by the words "100th Anniversary."
"It just came to me," Mr. Dior says. "I did the rough sketch and cleaned it up a bit, and that was that. I never thought anything about it until I turned on the television and saw it on the New York Mets' uniforms" during the 1969 World Series.
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Mr. Grant recalls that the cost for the logo was between $10,000 and $25,000.
Some 40 years later, the logo is ubiquitous. It appears on every uniform, cap, helmet, warm-up jersey and wristband worn by players, managers and umpires before and during games. It's plastered on stadium walls and fields and league-licensed merchandise and souvenirs. Industry tracker "Licensing Letter" estimates revenue of MLB-licensed goods to be $3.3 billion in 2007.
"[The logo] is like the Coca-Cola mark. It's highly recognizable," says Mr. Villante, who later served as baseball's executive director of marketing and broadcasting. "It's the symbol of professional baseball."
"It never got the publicity it deserved," says designer Juan Concepcion, who worked alongside Mr. Dior at Sandgren & Murtha. "It's still fresh today."
The logo also resonates beyond the diamond. Echoes of Mr. Dior's classic scheme can be found in the logos of professional golf, volleyball, hockey, soccer, horse racing and even paintball organizations. Baseball also uses a variation of the original logo for its website, MLB.com, and for its nascent MLB Network.
Most familiarly, the National Basketball Association's logo echoes Mr. Dior's work. One of his former colleagues at Sandgren & Murtha, Alan Siegel, fashioned the NBA logo in 1969. Mr. Siegel said that when the NBA contracted for its emblem, then-commissioner Walter Kennedy told him that he "wanted to have a visual alliance with Major League Baseball, the great American game. So we used the white silhouette to create that visual harmony with baseball's red, white and blue logo."
The baseball and basketball emblems emerged during what Mr. Siegel calls "the golden era of logos that came into vogue during the 1970s."
He adds that Mr. Dior's trademark works -- and has been widely imitated -- because it captures the sport's dynamic essence. "The Major League Baseball logo was a real breakthrough in sports because it's a very powerful graphic expression," he said. "It has set the tone for many of the brand identities that are being used by sports organizations around the world."
Mr. Siegel recalls that he tweaked an action photograph of Jerry West, the Los Angeles Lakers' Hall of Fame guard, for the figure in the NBA logo. By contrast, Mr. Dior maintains that the player in the baseball logo is "pure design."
His son once heard a radio broadcaster say that Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew served as his model for the logo. Mr. Dior's response: "That's completely untrue. It's not Harmon Killebrew. It's not anyone in particular."
Not long after concocting the logo, Mr. Dior left Sandgren & Murtha to become a free-lance designer and illustrator, primarily crafting commercial packaging. He never collected any royalties for his baseball logo, nor did he expect to receive any. "The logo belongs to baseball," he says.
Now 76, Mr. Dior is retired. He says he enjoys seeing his creation whenever he and his wife, Lita, watch his favorite team, the Yankees. He has one regret: Major League Baseball has never acknowledged his contribution. No team has invited him to throw out the first ball at a game. Mr. Dior has petitioned MLB for recognition, although he admits to not possessing any visual evidence of his work.
What he can provide is the testimony of former colleagues. "I ran the project and I saw him design it," Mr. Siegel says. "I swear on a stack of Bibles that Jerry Dior designed the damn thing."
Mr. Concepcion recalls his proposal placing second to Mr. Dior's, adding, "His was a better solution."
Major League Baseball spokesman Matt Bourne said in a statement that his organization has had "a number of discussions with Mr. Dior and his family and are researching the history of the silhouetted batter in connection with its 40th anniversary."
Mr. Dior says that he would be grateful for official credit, if only to share his hardball legacy with his four children and four grandchildren. "Just to be recognized as the person who came up with the logo," he said, "that would be great. It's what I'm most proud of in my entire career as an illustrator."
For Joe Falls.
Box Score of game at the old Met on the afternoon of July 31st 1974 in which Steve Busby outpitched Burt Blyleven for a 3-2 Royals win. Harmon hit a pinch hit single in the ninth and then was pinch run for but the Twins could not bring in the tieing run off Doug Bird who saved the game for Busby when he came in with one out in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and a 3-1 lead..
Bottom of the 9th, Twins Batting, Behind 1-3, Steve Busby facing 5-6-7
Al Cowens replaces Vada Pinson playing RF batting 2nd
B Darwin Single to LF
S. Braun Lineout: CF
Harmon Killebrew pinch hits for Jim Holt batting 7th
H Killebrew Single to LF; Darwin to 2BLuis Gomez pinch runs for Harmon Killebrew batting 7th
D Thompson Single to CF; Darwin to 3B; Gomez to 2B
Doug Bird replaces Steve Busby pitching; Jerry Terrell pinch runs for Danny Thompson batting 8th
G Borgmann Flyball: LF/Sacrifice Fly; Darwin Scores; Gomez to 3B; Terrell to 2B
Soderholm Groundout: SS-1B
1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Royals 3, Twins 2. Game over...
Link to entire box score.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN197407310.shtml
wil.:toast:
PS: Amos Otis hit a two run homer off Blyleven in the top of the ninth to give the Royals a 3-1 lead, at the end of the eighth the score was tied 1-1.
Box Score of game at the old Met on the afternoon of July 31st 1974 in which Steve Busby outpitched Burt Blyleven for a 3-2 Royals win. Harmon hit a pinch hit single in the ninth and then was pinch run for but the Twins could not bring in the tieing run off Doug Bird who saved the game for Busby when he came in with one out in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and a 3-1 lead..
Bottom of the 9th, Twins Batting, Behind 1-3, Steve Busby facing 5-6-7
Al Cowens replaces Vada Pinson playing RF batting 2nd
B Darwin Single to LF
S. Braun Lineout: CF
Harmon Killebrew pinch hits for Jim Holt batting 7th
H Killebrew Single to LF; Darwin to 2BLuis Gomez pinch runs for Harmon Killebrew batting 7th
D Thompson Single to CF; Darwin to 3B; Gomez to 2B
Doug Bird replaces Steve Busby pitching; Jerry Terrell pinch runs for Danny Thompson batting 8th
G Borgmann Flyball: LF/Sacrifice Fly; Darwin Scores; Gomez to 3B; Terrell to 2B
Soderholm Groundout: SS-1B
1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Royals 3, Twins 2. Game over...
Link to entire box score.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN197407310.shtml
wil.:toast:
PS: Amos Otis hit a two run homer off Blyleven in the top of the ninth to give the Royals a 3-1 lead, at the end of the eighth the score was tied 1-1.
Last edited:
truly; a gr8 thread;
ty
I still wince remembering Hammaerin' Harman stretching for that putout as first baseman in all-star game.>>
OUCH
Almost as painfull as peter j rose leveling Fosse at plate in all star game
Those were the days; I actually saw a game live at the met in 1970's
Was I ever that young???..>>>
Thanks for the memories..
Now what about Boog Powell????
lol
gl
:toast:
:howdy:
ty
I still wince remembering Hammaerin' Harman stretching for that putout as first baseman in all-star game.>>
OUCH
Almost as painfull as peter j rose leveling Fosse at plate in all star game
Those were the days; I actually saw a game live at the met in 1970's
Was I ever that young???..>>>
Thanks for the memories..
Now what about Boog Powell????
lol
gl
:toast:
:howdy:
:toast:
thanks mucho, wil. brings back the memories. not bad recall for a meaningless game played 35 yrs ago. got most of it right, the pitching matchup, score (pretty close), amo otis's hr. beautiful day, 77 degrees. could've sworn tony oliva was not in the starting lineup & both tony and harmon had back to back pinch hits. loved the boxscore u sent, george brett hitting 8th, buck martinez, al cowens (he bought me a beer once), carew at the top of his career. what is it, 3 hof's in that game & two more right on the edge (blyleven & oliva). those longnecked grain belt's tasted pretty smooth that day.
iowa and the red sox just don't seem to go together. why are you such a red sox fan? and for how long? i would think you would dump the red sox and take up the rays. i missed it, how did u handle the rays/bosox alcs?
the first game i ever saw, was twins/bosox at the met. no recall on the that baby, cept i went w/my grandpa & i think, yaz was a rookie.
8ate
I have to admit back in the 60s and 70s I was never much of an Oriole fan but as a lover of baseball it was hard not to enjoy Boog Powell's play. He brought a sense of the friendly gentle giant with him whenever he played which really disguised a strong will to excel and most of all win.
During the big man's 16 year career mostly with the O's but with brief stops in Cleveland and Los Angeles (Dodgers) at the very end he was on 4 all star teams, won the AL MVP Award with Baltimore in 1970. Played first base on two World Series winning teams, the 66 and 70 Orioles. And oddly was AL comback player of the year twice - first in 1966 with Baltimore and later in 1975 with Cleveland.
Powell joined the Orioles after leading the International League in home runs at Rochester in 1961, and spent his first three seasons as a slow-footed third baseman and left fielder before switching to first base in 1965. Offensively, he was an immediate success, hitting 25 home runs in 1963, then leading the American League in slugging percentage (.606) in 1964 while blasting a career-high 39 home runs despite missing several weeks because of a broken wrist. He slumped to .248 with 17 home runs in 1965, then won the American League Comeback player of the Year honors in 1966 (.287, 34 home runs, 109 runs batted in) while being hampered by a broken finger.
In 1966, Powell led the Orioles to the 1966 World Series, and there they surprised the baseball world by sweeping the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to become baseball's world champions.
Before the 1968 season, Powell lamented, "once, just once, I'd like to go through a whole season without an injury," and he did just that, playing over 150 games each of the next three seasons.
In 1969 he hit a career-high .304 with 37 home runs and 121 runs batted in, and in 1970 he was the American League Most Valuable Player, narrowly missing a .300 average on the last day of the season and hitting 35 home runs with 114 runs batted in.
In the 1970 World Series, Powell homered in the first two games as the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds in 5 games. Prior to the 1971 season, Powell appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the 1971 baseball preview issue.
Powell helped Baltimore to a third straight World Series that year, blasting a pair of home runs in game two of the American League Championship Series against the up-and-coming Oakland Athletics, but he hit only .111 in the 1971 World Series as Baltimore lost to the "We are Famalee" Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games.
The aging slugger was traded to Cleveland with Don Hood for Dave Duncan and a minor leaguer before the 1975 season, affording Powell the chance once again to play every day. He responded well to the challenge, hitting .297 with 129 hits and 27 home runs for the Indians that year (his highest marks since 1970), plus fielding his position at a .997 clip. He was AL Comback Player of the Year again. But he hit only nine home runs in 1976 and none as a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers in 1977 and was released August 31, 1977, his long career finished.
In a 17-season career, Powell posted a .266 batting average with 339 home runs and 1187 RBI in 2042 games. Powell hit three home runs in a game three times, and was second only to Eddie Murray on the Orioles all-time home run list before Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed Powell in 1998.
Still a very popular figure in the state of Maryland, Powell currently owns Boog's Barbecue, which sells barbecue sandwiches and ribs along Eutaw Street at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and along the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. Boog Powell is also an avid angler, kicking off the Maryland Fishing season with the governor.
Boog Powell has led a heck of life so far, born with a gift of size and power he has made the most of it..Baseball could use more Boog Powells.
Boog Powell on the 1971 MLB Preseason Sports Illustrated Cover.
Stats and career info from wikipedia.
wil..
I have to admit back in the 60s and 70s I was never much of an Oriole fan but as a lover of baseball it was hard not to enjoy Boog Powell's play. He brought a sense of the friendly gentle giant with him whenever he played which really disguised a strong will to excel and most of all win.
During the big man's 16 year career mostly with the O's but with brief stops in Cleveland and Los Angeles (Dodgers) at the very end he was on 4 all star teams, won the AL MVP Award with Baltimore in 1970. Played first base on two World Series winning teams, the 66 and 70 Orioles. And oddly was AL comback player of the year twice - first in 1966 with Baltimore and later in 1975 with Cleveland.
Powell joined the Orioles after leading the International League in home runs at Rochester in 1961, and spent his first three seasons as a slow-footed third baseman and left fielder before switching to first base in 1965. Offensively, he was an immediate success, hitting 25 home runs in 1963, then leading the American League in slugging percentage (.606) in 1964 while blasting a career-high 39 home runs despite missing several weeks because of a broken wrist. He slumped to .248 with 17 home runs in 1965, then won the American League Comeback player of the Year honors in 1966 (.287, 34 home runs, 109 runs batted in) while being hampered by a broken finger.
In 1966, Powell led the Orioles to the 1966 World Series, and there they surprised the baseball world by sweeping the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to become baseball's world champions.
Before the 1968 season, Powell lamented, "once, just once, I'd like to go through a whole season without an injury," and he did just that, playing over 150 games each of the next three seasons.
In 1969 he hit a career-high .304 with 37 home runs and 121 runs batted in, and in 1970 he was the American League Most Valuable Player, narrowly missing a .300 average on the last day of the season and hitting 35 home runs with 114 runs batted in.
In the 1970 World Series, Powell homered in the first two games as the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds in 5 games. Prior to the 1971 season, Powell appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the 1971 baseball preview issue.
Powell helped Baltimore to a third straight World Series that year, blasting a pair of home runs in game two of the American League Championship Series against the up-and-coming Oakland Athletics, but he hit only .111 in the 1971 World Series as Baltimore lost to the "We are Famalee" Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games.
The aging slugger was traded to Cleveland with Don Hood for Dave Duncan and a minor leaguer before the 1975 season, affording Powell the chance once again to play every day. He responded well to the challenge, hitting .297 with 129 hits and 27 home runs for the Indians that year (his highest marks since 1970), plus fielding his position at a .997 clip. He was AL Comback Player of the Year again. But he hit only nine home runs in 1976 and none as a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers in 1977 and was released August 31, 1977, his long career finished.
In a 17-season career, Powell posted a .266 batting average with 339 home runs and 1187 RBI in 2042 games. Powell hit three home runs in a game three times, and was second only to Eddie Murray on the Orioles all-time home run list before Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed Powell in 1998.
Still a very popular figure in the state of Maryland, Powell currently owns Boog's Barbecue, which sells barbecue sandwiches and ribs along Eutaw Street at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and along the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. Boog Powell is also an avid angler, kicking off the Maryland Fishing season with the governor.
Boog Powell has led a heck of life so far, born with a gift of size and power he has made the most of it..Baseball could use more Boog Powells.
Boog Powell on the 1971 MLB Preseason Sports Illustrated Cover.
Stats and career info from wikipedia.
wil..
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