Another Rookie of the Year

Bob Grim, the 1954 AL Rookie of the Year, played for the Yankees and five other teams in his short career (1954-62). He was an All-Star selection once (1957) and he won a World Series title in 1956. He went 20-6 in 1956 with a 3.26 ERA. He died in 1996.

Here is a 1956 Topps...

An Oriole Star Gone Too Soon

Mike Cuellar, nicknamed Crazy Horse, was one of the Orioles four fabled 20-game winners in 1971...and the third to pass away. He died of stomach cancer last year, leaving only Jim Palmer from the '71 pitching staff that features the current record of four 20-game winners. Cuellar ranks in the Orioles top five in wins (143), strikeouts (1011), innings pitched (2028), and trails only Dave McNally among left handers in wins and shutouts.

Cuellar was a four-time All-Star selection (1967, 1970, 1971, 1974), a World Series champion (1970), and the 1969 co-AL Cy Young Award winner (with Denny McLain of the Tigers).

Here is a signed 1973 Topps...

Happy Birthday Frank Robinson!!!

Frank is turning 76 today and he is still the only player in MLB history to win MVP awards in both leagues. He powered his way into the Hall of Fame by hitting a then MLB rookie record 38 home runs on his way to winning the 1956 NL Rookie of the Year award. He went on to hit 586 home runs for his career, ended up with 2943 hits, 1812 RBIs, a .294 batting average, he played for four Pennant-winners, won two World Series titles, and hit for the AL Triple Crown in 1966. He also holds the distinction of being the first African-American manager at the Major League level. He was a first ballot inductee, in the class that featured Hank Aaron, in 1982.

Here it is...

Two for Tuesday

A two for Tuesday special: a dual signed Upper Deck featuring two Cy Young award winning San Diego Padres: Jake Peavy (2007) and Gaylord Perry (1978)

It is Peavy's only Cy Young award to date and it was the second of two for Perry, who became the first pitcher to win an award in each league.

Here it is...

Pretty cool huh?

Happy Birthday Ted Williams!!!

The "Splendid Splinter" would've been 93 today, he passed away in 2002. He wanted people to see him walking down the street and say "There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived." He more than lived up to that billing, winning two Triple Crown awards (1942, 1947), he is the most recent player to hit .400 or better during a season (.401, 1941), he was a veteran of two wars (World War II, Korea), he won two AL MVP awards (1946, 1949), very nearly became the only player to ever win three Triple Crowns when he lost the batting title to George Kell in the last game of the 1953 season, he also just missed out on hitting .400 again sixteen years after the first time he did it but hit .388 for the season in 1957, and he hit a home run in his last at bat.

He went on to be inducted into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.

Williams made his last official baseball appearances in the 1999 All-Star Game and World Series when he was elected as part of Major League Baseball's 30-man All-Century Team.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1966 and ended up with a career batting average of .344 and 521 home runs.

Here is the moment you've all been waiting for...

World Series MVP: Episode 1.1

The beginnings of a series of short segments on World Series Most Valuable Player Award winners and their contributions to the winning, or losing, team. We begin with Jerry Coleman, the second inaugural winner of such an award.

Coleman is one of only a handful of players who is a veteran of two different wars during his playing career, he served in World War II and Korea. In the 1950 World Series, He went 4-14 with a double, two runs scored, 3 RBI and two walks as the Yankees swept the Phillies 4-0.

Cy Young Award Ball

In an earlier post, I referred to not continuing my Cy Young ball project...which features only two signatures: Don Newcombe and Vern Law. The reason I didn't continue it is because I purchased a Cy Young Award logo ball signed by 24 past winners.

The signatures include: Bob Turley, Vern Law, Jim Lonborg, Mike McCormick, Denny McLain, Jim Perry, Vida Blue, Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Steve Carlton, Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver, Randy Jones, Ron Guidry, Sparky Lyle, Rollie Fingers, LaMarr Hoyt, Roger Clemens, Steve Bedrosian, Mark Davis, Tom Glavine, Dennis Eckersley, David Cone, and Roy Halladay.