Throwback Thursday: Honkbal!

Reposting from January 9, 2017. Thought it would be fun with the WBC around the corner.

#TBT - 2013 WBC Canada vs Italy

To this day, this game sticks in my craw so why not share the misery? And no, this isn't the game that knocked Canada out of the tournament after they beat the US. This  game is even worse.

#TBT - Dunedin 1977 and some personal memories

My uncle, who died a week ago, and my aunt brought me back this coin from their trip to Dunedin in 1977. They made the trip every year until my aunt's health made it impossible to go.

#TBT - 1993 WS Game 4

Game 6 lives in the collective memories of not just Jays fans but baseball fans who like history and a flair for the dramatic. But not so well remembered is the slug fest that was game 4.

#TBT - Barry Bonnell

Bonnell came over to the Jays in the Chris Chambliss trade in 1980 I mentioned last week. He was here for four years, the high point of his career. As a Jay, he put up a 3.4 WAR, slashing .281/.331/.416. (You can see his complete stats here.) He played all three outfield positions as well as third base.

#TBT - Pete Vuckovich

He was an original Blue Jay. He wasn't here long. He recorded the first Jays shutout. He recorded the first Jays save.

Surviving September Baseball

Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dosh

 

(With profuse apologies to Stanley Kubrick)

Everyone's Seen This Movie Right?

Part One : Turning The Corner....

Forgotten Fan Favourites Vol #2: Jim Clancy

 1985 Donruss Card....No Mustache !

Yes... Jim Clancy...or Big Jim....or Diamond Jim...or as I've seen listed James Petrosky ..whichever...it's a moot point.

The man could pitch.

#TBT John Mayberry

I loved Mayberry while he was a Jay. He was on the downswing by then but he was the first legitimate power hitter the team had. It was fun watching his towering shots leave Exhibition Stadium. He was a great player for a kid to see.

#TBT Beatdown in Beantown

June 12, 2015. The dump known as Fenway. The men of my family are sitting near the monster. I'm sitting at home with my mom watching it on tv because girls aren't allowed to go. Ya'll were very supportive.

#TBT - Steve Grilli

With the trade of Jason Grilli, much is being made of the fact that his dad had been a Jay. So who was this guy?

He was drafted by the Tigers in 1970 out of Gannon University. As far as I can tell, he's the only player ever drafted from there. Working his way through the system, he made his major league debut in 1975 as a September call up and stayed in the bullpen the next couple of years, making 36 appearance in 1976 and 30 in 1977.

At the end of that season his contract was sold to the Jays. He spent the next 2 years in Syracuse, getting a September call up in 1979, He pitched in one game, 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. That was the last time he saw the majors.

He went back to Syracuse in 1980 and was released by the club at the end of a horrific 1981 spring training. The O's bought his contract and sent him to Rochester. While there, he pitched in the longest game ever, coming in the 33rd inning. He faced 3 batters, got none out, and then gave up the game winning hit. This got his baseball cap into the Hall of Fame. He retired at the end of the season.

This article is a thorough summary of his playing career. BRef's page is here.

The best story I could find from his playing days was when he was with the Chiefs. In 1979, while pitching for the Chiefs, he would do an air banjo routine to a Doobie Brothers song during the seventh-inning stretch. Sadly I wasn't able to find out which one.

In 2010, he was featured in a book called A Bitter Cup of Coffee: How MLB and The Players Association Threw 874 Retirees a Curve by Douglas J. Gladstone. The book outlines how a bunch of players got shafted when the pension rules changed in 1980. This article talks about the book.

These days he runs a bar in Syracuse, The Change of Pace. Rumour has it they have the best wings in town. As they say, the Anchor Bar created them, The Change of Pace perfected them.

He also is the colour analyst for the Chiefs' tv broadcast. He moved into the radio booth upon retirement because everyone loved his personality and at some point transitioned to tv. Time Warner broadcasts 24 games a season. I bet he doesn't talk about how big and strooooong a player is.

Which brings me back to his son. A month ago he did a radio interview in which he talked about Jason and pitching injuries in general. You can listen here. And a fun fact -  they were the first American father-son duo to both save games in the majors.

Assuming this is Jason with his dad. I know you'll all love the facial hair.

The original hot dog

I was a kid when the Jays came to Toronto. I remember the names Roy Howell, Dave McKay, Doug Ault, Bob Bailor, and Pete Vuckovich but the first player that I can see in my mind is Rick Bossetti.

He was the perfect player for a kid. In 1979, he played all 162 games for the Blue Jays, hitting .260/.286/.362 (complete stats here) and leading all AL outfielders in putouts, assists, and errors.

He wasn't the greatest player but he played hard, was flashy and a prankster. He grabbed the imagination of the fans, who called him Hot Dog. What I didn't know as a kid was his habit of watering the field. During the game. Or that he hated clothes (something I can totally relate to.)