#438 Sam Esposito

"Esposito' was my Mom's maiden name. When Sammy Esposito (he was always Sammy to me) was playing she'd jokingly say they were related. We knew better but it made me a fan of the guy.

Esposito signed with his hometown White Sox in 1952. After a couple token appearances with the big club sandwiched around minor league stints and a year in the military he stuck with the Sox in 1956. He never was a full time starter but got 200+ at bats in both '56 and '57 serving as a platoon guy and utility infielder. He hung with the Sox thru early in the 1963 season when he was released and signed on with the Athletics for the rest of the year.

Never an All Star, Esposito was nevertheless part of the White Sox '59 AL title team and he made a couple of  off-the-bench appearances in the World Series that year against the Dodgers. He had two at bats in Game One after subbing at third for Billy Goodman.

After retiring he became the head baseball coach at NC State and held that job from 1967 through 1987. He was this year named to the school's Hall of Fame. In 21 seasons his Wolf Pack clubs never finished below .500 after having had just one season above 20 wins ever. He was twice ACC Coach of the Year and in 1968 they finished third in the CWS. Esposito coached 12 future big leaguers and four who played more than ten major league seasons.

The orange bordered card of Esposito really shows off the terrific cap insignia and the 'flying sock' team logo. I mentioned recently how I have finally tracked one down in my size. Great look I think.

#350 Ernie Banks

Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub. Hall of Famer, baseball ambassador, revered by Chicagoans and pretty much everyone else who was a baseball fan during his era. I could spend a lot of time reviewing Ernie's on-the-field accomplishments but you can see them easily enough over on Baseball Reference or any number of other sites. Here is a list from BR's Bullpen page:

• 11-time All-Star (1955-1962, 1965, 1967 & 1969)
• 2-time NL MVP (1958 & 1959)
• NL Gold Glove Winner (1960/SS)
• NL Slugging Percentage Leader (1958)
• NL At Bats Leader (1958)
• NL Total Bases Leader (1958)
• 2-time NL Home Runs Leader (1958 & 1960)
• 2-time NL RBI Leader (1958 & 1959)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 13 (1955-1962, 1964, 1965 & 1967-1969)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 7 (1955, 1957-1960, 1962 & 1968)
• 40-Home Run Seasons: 5 (1955 & 1957-1960)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 8 (1955, 1957-1960, 1962, 1965 & 1969)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1957 & 1958)
• Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1977

A few lesser known facts.... Ernie played for the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs before signing with the Cubs. He held the record for playing consecutive games at the start of his career (424.. since broken by Hideki Matsui)... he held the record for grand slams in a season as noted on his Topps card cartoon... he was the first black player for the Cubs and made up one half of the majors' first black dp combo when he was paired with secondbaseman Gene Baker... he finished second to Wally Moon in the Rookie of the Year NL balloting but ahead of Hank Aaron (4th).... he has a web page (pretty sparse) and released a wine that benefits his foundation... he has a statue in his honor outside Wrigley Field (see below).

Ernie's card in this set is one of my favorites. Nice picture, more than a routine portrait. I think it captures him pretty well. Green isn't a Cub color but it seems to show off his uni and expression. My copy has some soft corners but it's pretty darn nice overall, at least in the context of my non-graded collection.

I usually avoid editorializing but I'll make an exception here. I was reading (maybe a card blog?) the other day and the writer was implying that perhaps Ernie's numbers didn't really warrant making him a first ballot H-O-F guy. Maybe, maybe not, when it comes to pure numbers. But in my mind the Hall is more than numbers, or it should be. My favorite writer growing up was the Detroit Free Press' Joe Falls who had a column in the Sporting News for as long as I was a reader. He once wrote that he determined Hall worthiness by asking himself  "If I was writing a history of baseball would I have to include this player?". That may not be a perfect way to do it but I always think of it when the yearly Hall debate rolls around. I'll take it a step farther. If I have to include the guy in the opening chapters, he's a first ballot guy.

Ernie Banks would absolutely have to be included in a baseball history book and would have to have a whole chapter to himself. He was more than a great player he drew people to him and made being a baseball fan more rewarding. Look at more than numbers. Look at Ernie Banks and you'll want to say "Let's Play Two!"

Here are my sons, James and Brooks (who just had to toss in his Astros cap) at the Ernie Banks statute during Christmas week of 2010.

#82 Bob Boyd

For a time in the fall of 1960 Baltimore sports fans could cheer on the exploits of two guys named 'Bob Boyd' who were playing for the local professional franchises. 'Bobby' Boyd was, that September, a rookie cornerback with my cherished Baltimore Colts. Drafted out of Oklahoma he played very stellar football for a decade in Memorial Stadium. But at the opposite end of the age spectrum was a steady pro playing in the orange and black trimmed uni of the city's baseball team.

In the twilight of an effective stint with the Orioles was sweet swinging 'Bob' Boyd who's smiling visage on a nice '59 Topps card is featured today. Nicknamed 'Rope' for his line drive hitting, Boyd was a Mississippi native, born in 1919. He began his career as a member of the Negro League's Memphis Red Sox in 1947. 

By 1950 he's been signed by the White Sox and split time between them, their farm system, and the Cardinals system after a 1954 trade. He was out of pro ball in 1955 but he was drafted by the Orioles for the '56 season and began a span of production that saw him hit very well for four years as a regular or close to it. Boyd hit .300 or better for his first three years in Charm City with a smattering of power. He was fourth in the AL in 1957. He was the first Oriole to finish with a better than .300 average in the century. 

He ranked as one of the majors oldest players at the time and was indeed the oldest in the AL as he wound down his career in Kansas City in 1961. Traded to the Braves that year he became the oldest player over there as well. Boyd died at age 84. He was named as member of the Negro League Hall of Fame and of the National Baseball Congress Hall of Fame.

Yellow bordered O's card, Yankee Stadium background, a little off centered but with good corners. Nice card. Here's a bonus... Bob Boyd of the Memphis Red Sox and Orioles:

And Bob (aka Bobby) Boyd on the Baltimore Colts (whatever happened to that franchise, anyway?)

#445 Cal McLish

I'm only going to type this once.... Cal McLish's full name is: Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. He claimed that he was the first of his family's eight children that his father was 'allowed' to name so he made the most of the opportunity and tagged Cal with the long moniker. We only have Cal's word on that I suppose. 

But it brings up an interesting point about the back of McLish's '59 Topps card. Note the cartoon and the statement that "Cal is the proud papa of 8 kids." If that's to be believed than he had fathered 8 kids by 1959. Not to mention that he was from a family of eight kids! Quite a coincidence I'd say. Did Topps get their facts crossed? I did some digging. I read the LA Times obit that followed McLish's death in 2010 and they list five surviving children. OK, so maybe three of his kids had passed on. Entirely possible. So I decided that the Topps blurb was correct and was an interesting fact, not an error. 

Then I found a Baseball Digest story written in 1959, same year as the card. The story mentions his marriage and the fact that McLish children began arriving early and often. Then they mentioned five names. So he had five kids by 1959, not eight. The point? Well, I guess there isn't any except the guys who wrote the backs of Topps cards in 1959 could have benefited from Google. And the fact that sometimes I fixate on the minutae of baseball cards. 

EDIT: See the comments for clarification. I'm losing my eyesight. 

Anyway, Cal McLish took a long and winding road to his best season, the one that saw this card issued, 1959. He was signed by the Dodgers as a poor Oklahoma sandlotter in the mid 40s. He'd been an ambidextrous pitcher and switch hitter in American Legion ball. He was lit up in his debut season of 1944 in Brooklyn. Spent 1945 in the military and the next nine season bouncing between the Dodgers, Pirates and Cubs and their various minor league affiliates. 

McLish's dogged determination landed him in Cleveland in '56 as a member of the Indian's bullpen and he transitioned to a starters job in 1958, winning 16 games. That nearly matched the 19 he had won in his career previously. In 1959 he won a career high 19 and made his only All Star team. 

Following his banner year McLish was dealt to the Reds and then went on to White Sox and Phils. He never could match his '58/'59 form. He retired after the 1964 season. He's been released mid-year by the Phils. 

Following his playing days he remained in the games as a pitching coach and scout. The closest he ever came to winning a championship was as a member of the staff of the '82 AL champion Brewers.

McLish is a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. 

#80 Minnie Minoso

Minnie Minoso was born 'Saturnino Orestes Armas Miñoso Arrieta' in Havana, Cuba in 1925. That's one name for each decade he played in the majors. Yes, Minoso played big league ball in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. Or at least he made appearances in those decades. The 'playing' he did in 1976 and 1980 with the White Sox was really just PR, a couple of 'cup of coffee' whirls that got headlines when they happened. And add to this time spent in the independent Northern League in the following two decades makes Minoso the only guy to have played professionally in seven decades! (I played intramural softball in four decades at the University of Houston but that's a different discussion.) 

The five (or seven) decade hype kind of overshadows a pretty accomplished major league career put together by Minoso. Following a run as a Negro League player in the late forties Minoso debuted with the Indians in 1949. For the next dozen years, covering two separate tours with both the White Sox and Indians, Minoso led the AL at least once in triples, doubles, hits, stolen bases, total bases and hit-by-pitches. He made seven All Star squads and routinely garnered MVP votes. Three Gold Gloves line his mantel as well. 

His days as a regular player ended with stints with the Cardinals and Senators in the early 60's. But Minoso wasn't through as he played several seasons in Mexico after that. Then came the publicity tours with the Sox and  independent ball. Crazy.

Minoso still remains active with card show appearances and he threw out the first pitch at last season's White Sox' opener. He's got a well designed webpage with some great pictures and, of course, the opportunity to purchase Minoso gear. (Cool hat, but $45???!!!) 

I have a pretty lousy copy of this card as you can see. But Minoso is an interesting guy and I have liked him since I saw him play first in 1960 This one is on my 'upgrade asap' list.

Here's one of the pics you can buy at his site. 

Hey, look! That's me in background in the upper deck at Yankee Stadium, My Dad is off getting the first of my three hot dogs. ;-)

Frank Sullivan News Flash

This is just something I thought was worthy of a different sort of post.

The newest issue of Sports Illustrated, the 2012 MLB Preview issue hits newsstands tonight or tomorrow. In it is a story about Frank Sullivan, one of this blog's Saturday St. Patrick's Day entries. The story's author, Jane Leavy, relates how in her book The Last Boy, a great book about Mickey Mantle, she has 'killed off' poor old Frank. She learns of her mistake in a call from Mrs. Frank Sullivan who is seated next to her very-much-alive husband.

Ms. Leavy goes on to write about her mistake in declaring Sullivan dead. She also writes of Sullivan and Mantle and their days of playing as opponents in the 1950's. She's a great writer (in my opinion) and I recommend either of her baseball books. The SI article is worth a read as well. See the link connected to her name above.

Here's the 6'7" Frank Sullivan one more time...

And the Norman Rockwell painting referenced in the story....



#204 Casey Wise

Casey Wise a.k.a Kendall Cole Wise... 'Kay Cee', get it? Classic 'good field, no hit' infielder. He hit .174 for his career which consisted of 321 at bats over four seasons. 

Wise began in the Cubs organization and hit pretty well. He made his debut with the Cubs in 1957 was traded to the Braves the next year and finished with the 1960 Tigers.

Before you write this guy off consider this... he had three big league homers and got himself a World Series share in 1958. He actually came up to bat in a World Series game in Yankee Stadium. OK, so Ryne Duran struck him out... how many of us have gotten to bat in a World Series? Or had two homers and a triple in one big league game including a dinger off Vinegar Bend Mizell? (one previous homer and he hits two in a game? And a triple? Holy cow!). Or actually worn that amazingly gorgeous Milwaukee Brave cap on a real big league diamond? So there.

His dad Hugh, and brother, Hugh Wise Jr. both played pro ball. His father played for the Tigers and was a scout for decades. Why Baseball Reference doesn't make note of that I don't know. His brother played in the Braves' chain for a few years as an outfielder.

After he retired Casey Wise became an orthodontist in Florida. His brother was a doctor as well and through Google I believe he does/did scientific research in D.C. Pretty cool family.

Blame my scanner for the dark around the edge on the card. It's really much nicer than it looks here.