Billy Herman on the 1932 Cubs/Yankees World Series
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Billy Herman (July 7, 1909 – September 5, 1992) played second base during the 1930s and 1940s for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also managed the Pirates and the Red Sox.
Herman broke into the majors in 1931 with the Chicago Cubs and asserted himself as a star the following season, 1932 by having 206 hits, 102 runs and a .314 batting average. A fixture in the Chicago lineup over the next decade, Herman was a consistent hitter and solid producer. He regular hit .300 or higher (and as high as .341 in 1935) and drove in a high of 93 runs in 1936.
Herman missed the 1944 and 1945 seasons to serve in World War II, but returned to play in 1946 with the Dodgers and Boston Braves (after being traded mid-season). He was traded again prior to the 1947 season to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he assumed managerial duties, but only played 15 games. His final record as a major league manager was 189-274 (.408).
Herman finished his career with a .304 batting average, 1163 runs, 47 home runs, 839 RBI and a minuscule 428 strikeouts. He won four National League pennants (in 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1941) but no World Series championships, and was 189-274 as a manager.
Herman holds the National League records for most putouts in a season by a second baseman and led the league in putouts seven times. He also shares the major league record for most hits on opening day, with five, set April 14, 1936.
Herman was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.
Henry "Hank" Aaron broke into professional baseball in 1951 for the Indianapolis Clowns. One year later, the 18 year old helped the team with the Negro League's World Series. One year later, Aaron was playing for the Boston Braves, who later moved to Milwaukee. These were not easy times for black baseball players and Aaron will never forget Jackie Robinson's contribution to breaking down the color barrier and the impact it had on his life.
Duke Snider Admired Jackie Robinson Growing Up in L.A.
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Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider played in his first Major League game in 1947 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was also the first big league game he ever saw. That day was also important in American History, and he tells why.
Harmon Killebrew Remembers His Most Embarrassing All-Star Moment
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Harmon Clayton Killebrew had a 22 year major league career, and retired as the career leader in home runs by a right-handed batter (the record has since been broken).
Killebrew became one of the American League's most feared power hitters of the 1960s, belting 40 homers in a season eight times. In 1965 he helped the Twins reach the World Series, where they lost to Don Drysdale's Los Angeles Dodgers. Killebrew had his finest season in 1969, hitting 49 home runs, driving in 140 runs, and winning the MVP Award. Killebrew led the league in home runs six times, in RBI three times, and was named to eleven All Star teams. As a result, he was nicknamed "Killer" – a portmanteau linking the first 5 letters of his last name with his legendary hitting ability.
With exceptional upper-body strength, Killebrew was known not just for home run frequency but also significant "tape measure homer" distance. He hit the longest measured home runs at the ballparks in Minnesota and Baltimore, and was the first of just four batters who cleared the left field roof at Detroit.
Despite his "Killer" nickname and his powerful style of play, Killebrew was in fact a quiet, kind man who was not much given to the partying lifestyle enjoyed by his peers. Asked once what he liked to do for fun, Killebrew replied, "Well, I like to wash dishes, I guess."
Killebrew never hit 50 home runs in a single season, but he did hit 49 homers in a season twice (1964, 1969). He hit the most home runs for any player in the 1960s. For his entire career, he hit 573 home runs (ninth best all time, most by an American League right-hander, and second in the AL only to Babe Ruth, as of 2005) and drove in 1,584 runs. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, the first Minnesota Twin to be so honored.
Following his retirement, Killebrew was a television broadcaster for the Twins from 1976 to 1978, the Oakland Athletics from 1979 to 1982, the California Angels in 1983 and back with Minnesota from 1984 to 1988. While with Oakland, he also served as a major- and minor-league hitting instructor. In 1990 he retired from business to pursue endorsement and charity work, especially in the fields of preventive and palliative health care charities and international causes. Killebrew currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he chairs the Harmon Killebrew Foundation.
This data was drawn from Wikipedia.
This episode was originally broadcast as a national radio syndication in July 1987.
George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953 in Glen Dale, West Virginia), a third baseman, was the youngest of four sons of a sports-minded family which included his oldest brother Ken, a major-league pitcher who had pitched in the World Series in 1967 at 19 years old. Brothers John and Bobby had brief careers in the minor leagues. Although George was born in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, the Brett family moved to the Midwest and later to El Segundo, a suburb of Los Angeles, just south of Los Angeles International Airport. George grew up hoping to follow in the footsteps of his three older brothers. He graduated from El Segundo High School in 1971 and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the second round (29th overall) of the 1971 baseball draft. His high school teammate was pitcher Scott McGregor.
His 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th all-time. Baseball historian Bill James regards him as the second-best third baseman of all time, trailing only his contemporary, Mike Schmidt. Brett was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, with what was then the fourth-highest voting percentage in baseball history (98.2%), trailing only Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Ty Cobb. In 2007, Cal Ripken Jr. passed Brett with 98.5% of the vote. His voting percentage was higher than all-time outfielders Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, and Joe DiMaggio. That same year, he ranked Number 55 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Brett is one of four players in MLB history to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average (the others are Stan Musial, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron). Most indicative of his hitting style, Brett is sixth on the career doubles list, with 665 (trailing Tris Speaker, Pete Rose, Stan Musial, Ty Cobb, and Craig Biggio). Combining his superior hitting skill with his great defensive ability and team focus (and humility), George Brett is arguably one of the most complete baseball players of all time.
Following the end of his baseball career, Brett became a vice president of the Royals and has worked as a part-time coach, as a special instructor in spring training, filling in as the batting coach, and as a minor league instructor dispatched to help prospects develop. In 1998, an investor group headed by Brett and his older brother, Bobby, made an unsuccessful bid to purchase the Kansas City Royals. He also runs a baseball equipment company, Brett Bros., with Bobby and, until his death, Ken Brett. He has also lent his name to a restaurant on the Country Club Plaza.
In 1992, Brett married the former Leslie Davenport and they currently reside in the Kansas City suburb of Mission Hills, KS. The couple has three children: Jackson (named after the ballplayer's father), Dylan, and Robin (named for fellow Hall of Famer Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers).
This data was drawn from Wikipedia.
This episode was originally broadcast as a national radio syndication in July 1987.
Despite playing most of his 21 year career with Milwaukee, Hall of Famer Paul Molitor's favorite All-Star game memory was in his home town of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Few major leaguers come from that area, but for this All-Star game, Paul remembers how three local heroes shined.
Al Kaline's Biggest Thrill in Baseball was Getting His First MLB Uniform
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Al Kaline never spent time in the minor leagues and played his entire career for the Detroit Tigers. His biggest thrill in the majors was fulfilling a life long dream of wearing a big league uniform
Nolan Ryan fondly remembers Little League Baseball
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Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. (born January 31, 1947) is a former American right-handed pitcher who played in a major league record 27 seasons for the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers, from 1966 to 1993.
Ryan, a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, threw pitches that were regularly recorded above 100 mph, even past the age of 40. The media tagged him, or more specifically his pitching, as "The Ryan Express" (a reference to the 1965 film Von Ryan's Express).
Ryan was an eight-time MLB All-Star, and his 5,714 career strikeouts rank first in baseball history. He leads the runner-up by over 1,000 strikeouts as of early in the 2007 season. The pitcher in second place as of early 2007 varies between Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson, who are both active and who are both over the 4,600-strikeout mark. Similarly, Ryan's 2,795 bases on balls lead second-place Steve Carlton by 962—walking over 50% more hitters than any other pitcher in Major League history.
Ryan is also the all-time leader in no-hitters with seven, three more than any other pitcher. He is tied with Bob Feller for the most one-hitters with 12. Ryan also pitched 18 two-hitters.
"King" Carl Hubbell, NY Giants 1928-43, Surprised Hall of Famer
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Nicknamed "King Carl" by the fans and "The Meal Ticket" by his teammates, Carl Hubbell played his entire career for the New York Giants between 1928-1943. With a slow delivery of his devastating screwball, Hubbell recorded five consecutive 20-win seasons for the Giants (1933-37), and helped his team to three NL pennants and the 1933 World Series title.
In the 1934 All-Star game played at the Polo Grounds, Hubbell set a record by striking out in succession five batters destined for Cooperstown: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin. For the 50th anniversary of this legendary performance, Hubbell was on hand at the 1984 All-Star Game at the Giants' Candlestick Park in San Francisco to throw out the first pitch (a screwball of course).
Hubbell died due to injuries sustained in an auto accident in Scottsdale, Arizona at 85 years of age in 1988.
This interview, recorded during the Giants' 1987 Spring Training camp, features Hubbell talking about his first game in the Major Leagues and being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
This episode originally aired August 24, 1987, 44 years after his final game.
Roger Clemens Recalls His First Game with the Red Sox
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Roger Clemens big league debut with the Boston Red Sox was May 15, 1984. In this interview conducted during Spring Training of 1987, he recalls a cold night against Cleveland.
After Pete Rose completed his playing career as one of the most celebrated baseball players ever, he became a playing manager, then managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1984-1987. Beyond playing, Rose had a tremendous knowlege of baseball history. He shares his thoughts on the game's greatest player.
Kirby Puckett Shares the Influence of His Mother on His Career
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Kirby Puckett had only played in the Major Leagues for two seasons when this interview was recorded during Spring Training of 1987. His career lasted through 1995.
In 1987, Puckett led the Twins to the World Series. Their second since relocating to Minnesota (1965 loss to the LA Dodgers) came after batting .332 with 28 home runs and 99 RBI in the regular season. His performance was even more impressive in the seven-game Series upset over the St. Louis Cardinals, batting a whopping .357. (wikipedia)
This episode originally aired the second week of May, on Mother's Day, 1987.
Hall of Fame Shortstop Pee Wee Reese was from Louisville, Kentucky and never knew a black person until Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Pee Wee remembers that day and his teammate fondly.
Home Run King Hank Aaron talks about his vivid and not so vivid memories of the day in 1974 that he hit Home Run #715, breaking Babe Ruth's home run record.
Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider played in his first Major League game in 1947 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was also the first big league game he ever saw. That day was also important in American History, and he tells why.
