#142 Dick Stigman The Sporting News Rookie Stars

I can usually count on the Baseball Reference 'Bullpen' page for some tidbits about a player I'm posting. Apparently the guy who did Dick Stigman's page was in a hurry. Here it is in it's entirety:

In 1965-66, Stigman became the first pitcher ever to make ten consecutive starts without a decision. This is still a record, although it has been tied by Randy Lerch and John D'Acquisto, both in 1977.

OK, so I turn to the ever trusty SABR bio project and sure enough I learn that:

1) Dick Stigman was signed out of Minnesota by the Cleveland Indians' Cy Slapnicka, the same scout who signed Bob Feller, Bob Lemon and Herb Score. 

2) Stigman was picked for the All Star team by White Sox manager Al Lopez but sat out both of the games played that year.

3) He was a member of the 1965 Twins that made the World Series but didn't get into a game.

4) On May 26, 1959 while pitching for San Diego, the AA affiliate of the Indians he pitched 10 and two third innings of no hit baseball. Unfortunately he chose to shine the same night Harvey Haddix pitched his incredible 'Almost' Perfect Game. Stigman's feat got buried on the back pages.

SABR never disappoints.

Stigman pitched six years in the minors before his 1960 debut. He went 5-11 that year which makes one wonder why Lopez tabbed him for the All Star team. It was not a case of needing a Cleveland rep since Vic Power was on the squad. Looking at his 1960 game logs shows that Stigman was 4-4 when the squad was likely chosen but he had a decent ERA. It also shows he walked 10 batters(!) the day before the July 11 All Star Game for the Indians against Al Lopez' White Sox(!!). But the AS game was being played in Cleveland so I can see Lopez asking him to "come back tomorrow, kid. You can't possible do worse than you did today."

Stigman pitched one more year for the Indians and was traded to the Twins where he blossomed. He went from 2-5 in 1961 to 12-5 as a swing man with the Twins in '62. He was 12-12 in 1963 as a starter and then was moved back to the bullpen.

He was traded to the Red Sox for the 1966 season, lasted one year and was traded again, this time to the Reds. He spent the '67 year pitching in the Reds' chain and then retired.

#274 Jerry Kindall

Here is another card of a Chicago Cub. Seems they have come up a lot lately. Jerry Kindall signed as a 'bonus baby' with the Cubs in 1956 fresh off a College World Series championship with the U of Minnesota. He spent the minimum mandated by rule two seasons on the big league roster playing sparingly, mostly as a pinch runner and defensive replacement although he did get nearly 200 at bats in 1957.

He spent the next two season mostly in the minors before returning to the Cubs as a platoon infielder in 1960. He was traded to Cleveland and in 1962 and he was the Indians regular second baseman. That must have soothed the pain of thinking he was about to get the Cubs regular shortstop job as Ernie Banks was being moved to first. That year in Cleveland was his only year as a full time player. He hit .232 but managed 13 homers for the Tribe. He also led the league in assists and 'total zone runs'. I have no idea what that latter stat means but it sounds like something Adrian Peterson might excel in.

A three way deal sent Kindall to the Twins for 1964 and he had again captured a starting slot in '65 until getting hurt late in June. Healthy by World Series time Kindall had to sit and watch as Frank Quillici, who had taken his spot and done well, played every inning of the Series against the Dodgers. He was released at the end of spring training the next spring and went to work coaching at his alma mater.

He went on to coach at the University of Arizona from 1973 through 1996 winning 860 games and three NCAA crowns. 209 of his players signed big league contracts, 34 received All American honors and 32 went on to play in the majors. Among those are Trevor Hoffman, Kenny Lofton and Terry Francona. Kindall is also a well respected author of baseball instructional books.

His long, successful and influential coaching career led to many awards, some of which are written about in this interview. Even better is the comprehensive article on him found on the SABR site. More on his coaching days here.

I found very little on Marcelino Solis on the net but the opposite is true on his major and minor league  teammate Jerry Kindall. And a lot of it was very interesting stuff. But even more interesting, to me at least, is the uniform that Kindall wears in this card. Somewhat hidden but definitely there is the C-U-B-S included on the front of the clubs road jersey. Using both city and nickname on a uniform is pretty unique, at least in the modern history of the game. Even better is the cap featuring red piping. This uni/cap combo marks this photo as being from 1957. The only other club that used cap piping that I recall seeing was the Senators of the mid-60's.

Here is the teams' 1957 uni set from Dressed to the Nines on the Baseball Hall of Fame site.

Lastly the card back bears a cartoon reflecting the fact that Kindall signed a 'handsome' bonus. But the team cited is the Cards. Nope, as we've seen, it was the Cubs. Uncorrected error.

#186 Mudcat Grant

Jim "Mudcat" Grant.... two time A.L. All Star selection, the American League's first black 20 game winner, author, nightclub performer ("Mudcat and the Kittens" appeared on the Tonight Show), broadcaster, poet, baseball historian, activist, public speaker, Twitter user, and holder of one of the coolest nicknames in modern baseball history. Quite a guy, yes? 

There are several stories as to how Jim Grant became 'Mudcat" Grant, there's even one on the back of his '59 Topps. But I prefer the the one that attributes it to teammate Larry Doby who described Grant as "ugly as a Mississippi mudcat".

Grant signed with Cleveland, making his pro debut in 1954. He hit the big time in 1958 which is likely when this '59 card picture was taken. He went 67-63 pitching for some lousy Indians teams before being dealt to the Twins in June of 1964 for Lee Stange, George Banks and $$$. According to his Baseball Reference bio page the Indians seemed embarrassed by the deal (they needed the money) and nobody there had the guts to tell him about it. He had to ask why his gear was no longer in his locker.

The trade to the Twins was a turning point, Grant went on to a nice finish in '64 but his 1965 season turned out to be a career maker. He was 21-7 and won two more in the World Series against the Dodgers (along with hitting a homer). He was the first black [American League*] pitcher to win a World Series game. His numbers were impressive but he chose to put them up in a year Sandy Koufax dominated and Grant didn't get a sniff of the Cy Young (Those were the days of one award).

Grant went on to pitch for the Twins through 1967 and then for 5 other clubs with modest success until retiring in 1971. 

Since the Mudcat Grant has experienced a whole lifetime of baseball roles. He served as an executive and broadcaster for the Indians, broadcaster for the A's, and has written a book entitled The Black Aces chronicling the careers of some of baseballs' best hurlers. Mudcat also has another website (which is likely unofficial) and Twitter account (although the later doesn't appear very active to say the least).

As I've said previously I'm constantly amazed at the things I learn with the bits of research I do to make these postings. Mudcat Grant is right up there with Don Hoak as multi-faceted men worth reading more about. Frank Deford had an entertaining story originally published in Sports Illustrated in 1968 thats reprinted on Mudcat's official (Black Aces) site. Well worth the read. 

*=Thanks to a reader for alerting me to my omission on this.