Roger Craig

Today I came across an envelope in one of my binders that I’d forgotten about. It was the envelope in which I received a signed card from former MLB pitcher and manager, Roger Craig. Inside the envelope was a sheet with Craig’s answers to a few brief questions that I had asked him when I sent him the autograph request.

As much as I love getting autographs back, the answers to my questions are often more fun yet. Sometimes they say something candid or unexpected. Other times, they simply lead me down a path of research that is (at least for me) as entertaining as it is informing. This was certainly the case today as I looked into Craig’s career.

When asked what he would consider to be the biggest highlight of his career, he mentioned his first game. That, I suppose would be a highlight for many. To spend your whole life dreaming and working and waiting and hoping, I can only imagine the excitement of stepping onto an MLB diamond for the first time. There were two things that made Craig's debut even better though:

1. He pitched GREAT, allowing just three hits and one earned run in a 6-2 complete game victory!
2. Perhaps even more incredibly, Craig mentioned to me that it was not just the first MLB game he pitched...it was the first MLB game he'd ever seen!

You can imagine how star-struck Craig must have been. Nick Diunte quotes him as saying, “When I first walked in that clubhouse with Jackie, Pee Wee, Duke, Furillo, and all those great Hall of Famers, I said, ‘I don’t belong here, what am I doing here?" The Boys of Summer made him feel comfortable though, and his talent took over from there.

While his first start in 1955 certainly made for a great career highlight, Craig could have just as easily chosen his final start of 1955. It was game five of the 1955 World Series, and the rookie hurler earned the victory to put the Dodgers up 3-2 over the Yankees. Two days later, the Dodgers would win game seven, finally defeating their cross-town rivals, and earning Brooklyn's only World Series title.

Craig would pitch in the World Series again in 1956 (which the Yankees won), and then again in 1959 after the Dodgers had moved to Los Angeles. In that Series he matched up in games one and four with Hall of Famer Early Wynn, as the Dodgers won in six.

A few years later, he returned to New York as the Mets chose him in the expansion draft. He was the top pitcher for the woeful Mets, which meant that and he kept getting run out there against the other teams' top hurlers. He started 64 games over two seasons, including the very first game in Mets history. His ERA over those two years was an unspectacular 4.14, but with dreadfully little run support, he lost over 20 games both seasons.

He split time between the bullpen and the rotation, logging a 3.25 ERA in 166 innings pitched. In game four of the World Series, with the Cardinals trailing the Yankees two games to one, starting pitcher Ray Sadecki failed to retire the first four batters. With the Cardinals' season teetering on the brink, manager Johnny Keane hooked him right there, turning to Craig. The veteran got the Cardinals through five innings, striking out eight and allowing just two hits before being lifted for a pinch hitter. That pinch hitter (Carl Warwick), Curt Ford, and Dick Groat all reached to load the bases, and Ken Boyer hit a grand slam to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead that would prove to be the final, earning Craig another World Series victory. He had done his job, and Bob Gibson would pick up two wins in the next three games to give Craig his third World Series ring.

Craig would finish up his playing days with a year each in Cincinnati and Philadelphia. He would later become a big league manager, spending two season in San Diego and seven in San Francisco (in addition to 18 games there in 1985). In 1987, he led the Giants to their first division title in 16 years. Two season later, his Giants would take the 1989 National League pennant, reaching the World Series for the first time since 1962, back when he was pitching for the Mets!

Pick Enterprise...and I'll Pick You(r Autograph) Up

My first (full-time) job after college was with Enterprise Rent-a-Car. I worked for them for a little over eight years (1995-2003), about half in their rental division, and half as an account executive in leasing. During my time at Enterprise, I got to rent cars to a number of famous and semi-famous people, and got to meet a number of others. 

Perhaps none were as special to me as the time I got to rent a van to my boyhood idol, Lou Brock. They say you should never meet your heroes, because they're likely to disappoint you as people. Nothing could have been further from the truth with Lou! He was warm, humble and engaging, and it was truly a joy to get to spend even a few minutes with him. I even got an autograph on a ball I kept in my desk for such an opportunity!

On another occasion, a guy walked in to rent a car, and as he walked up to the counter, I was struck by how much he looked like George Hendrick. I knew it couldn't be him though, because he looked exactly like Hendrick looked when he played for the World Champion 1982 Cardinals, and this was nearly two decades later! I noticed that was wearing a necklace with a bejeweled "25" (Hendrick's uniform number), and I thought perhaps it was his son, who was a basketball teammate of Jason Kidd's at Cal. As he handed me his license though, I was shocked to see it was indeed George! Fifty years old, he didn't look a day over 30! Fortunately, I had another baseball in my desk (always have a baseball on hand for autographs!), and I had him sign it for me.

On some occasions, athletes set up a reservation in advance. When they did this, I tried to have a card or a photo of them ready to have them sign. I've written before about how Rick Ankiel was one of my favorites, and how I had him sign a photo of him that I had taken and blown up to 8x10.

One morning, former Blues forward and Hockey Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan called and set up a reservation to rent a car that afternoon. A little later though, he called back to cancel the reservation because he didn't think he could get a ride there. Just like the commercial, I told him, "We're Enterprise! We'll pick you up!" He was astonished, but gave me his address and arranged for me to pick him up that afternoon. That day at lunch, I stopped by a card shop and purchased a glossy 8x10 of him. When I picked him up that afternoon, he was very engaging, and I had a blast talking hockey with him in the car on the way back to the office. After renting him the car, I asked him if he would mind signing the photo for me and he graciously agreed to do so. The personalized autograph is one of my favorites: 

"To Pete - Thanks for your help! Brendan Shanahan 19" 

Whenever people see it they asked me what I helped him with, and I inevitably respond, "Well, you remember that one season when he got off to a real slow start scoring-wise?" Then, with a chuckle, I tell them the true story.


Other autographs that I got thanks to my time at Enterprise include former baseball players like Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst and slugger, Jack Clark. From the football world, I picked up Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams and (in a roundabout way), Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Danny Wuerffel. But that one's a story for a different day!

The Southpaw Knuckler

Most of the time, the cards I send out are from the 1987 Topps set (sometimes with cards from other sets included as well) as I work on “Project87.” I’ve always thought this was kind of a cool looking card though, so when I saw that Wilbur Wood signed through the mail, I thought I’d send it out.

In my opinion, ’78 Topps cards generally look good signed, due to the simple design and large photo. This one certainly turned out to be no exception! The blue autograph looks great, and unlike many collectors (since I have no intention of ever selling them), I actually prefer personalized autographs. 

Very unique as a lefthanded knuckleballer, Wood was virtually rubber-armed. The first ten years of his career (1961-1970), he pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen, averaging 124 IP with a 2.49 ERA over the last four of those years. In 1968 he pitched In a (since eclipsed) league record 88 games, registering 1.89 ERA over 159 innings pitched.

He then moved to the White Sox rotation in 1971, and over the next five years, he averaged over 336 innings pitched per season, topping out at 376.2 innings pitched in 1972, when he started 49 games. The following year, he started 48 games and tallied 359.1 innings pitched. On one occasion that season, he pitched the final four innings in the resumption of a suspended game, followed by a four-hit shutout in the scheduled game, to pick up two wins in one night. On another occasion that season, he started both games of a doubleheader, becoming the last pitcher to accomplish the feat. 

Regardless of all that, I think we can all agree to this much: MLB needs more players wearing red windbreaker shirts underneath their collared jerseys.

The Base Burglar

My earliest days as a baseball fan were spent sitting in the left field bleachers at Busch Stadium with my mom, watching Lou Brock. He was my first “favorite player,” and still holds that special place in my heart. For that reason, I decided to build a Lou Brock collection. Below are all of his Topps base set cards.

Some of them aren’t in great shape, and perhaps I will one day upgrade them. For now, I’m working on all the other Lou Brock cards that have been produced over the years. League leader cards, Kellogg’s 3D cards, Hostess box bottoms, and cards from other companies. There’s a lot to choose from, so it should be fun! I'll provide updates as I add them.
 

(Update)

In addition to cards, I have a handful of other items that I probably should mention here:

 

A number of old newspapers from when Lou Broke the MLB career stolen bases record, from when he got his 3,000th hit, and from when he was elected to the Hall of Fame. As you can see, they are not in the best of shape, but I was fortunate enough to get him to sign the one from when he set the stolen base record. The paper was 20+ years old at the time, and he seemed genuinely impressed that I even had it!

Lou appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated three times, so I of course needed to get those for my collection:

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Lou's career wound down, the Cardinals honored him with "Lou Brock Day," and my mom took me, as she had to many other games. I remember two things in particular about that day:
1) I found it odd that we weren't sitting in the left field bleachers (as we normally would have), but back then, there was no advance sale of bleacher tickets, and mom wanted to make sure we got tickets for that game.
2) I remember being impressed by the boat that the Cardinals gave him as a gift.

Here is the program we got at that game:     

A 45 RPM record Lou's career highlights

A Couple Lou Bobbleheads

I'm not really a purchaser of authentic replica jerseys, but for Lou, I'll make an exception!

 

I Think I Owe Mom an Apology

In looking through some "This Date in Baseball History" tweets, I was reminded of a doubleheader that I went to on July 7th, 1987. It was a reminder of what a great mom I have, and of how much she contributed to my baseball fandom as a kid.

I was 15 at the time, and my friend, Craig, and I attended a bunch of games (~20) together that summer. Our ordinary practice was to have one of our parents drop us off at the stadium, and then a different parent would pick us up afterward. Often we would try to get autographs from players after the games, so we would call on a pay phone (in those pre-cell phone days) when we were ready to get picked up.

The Cardinals and Dodgers were scheduled to play four games in three days July 6th-8th, but they were rained out on Monday the 6th. Because it was the last time the Dodgers were scheduled to come to St. Louis, it was imperative that they get the four games in on the 7th & 8th, so they had to play back-to-back doubleheaders. Making matters even worse was the fact that it continued to rain on the 7th. Game one was scheduled to start at 5:35pm, but it was delayed until nearly 8:00, and even then began with the rain still falling!  

The Cardinals won the first game 5-4 as southpaw reliever Rick Horton (making his first of six starts that season) kept the Cards in the game with his mound work, and also contributed the first extra-base hit of his career. After 5.1 innings pitched, he turned things over to fellow lefty Ken Dayley, and ultimately Todd Worrell, who was the pitcher of record when the Redbirds scored an unearned run to take the lead in the 7th that they would never relinquish.

This is where the story gets interesting. By the time the second game started, it was already after 11pm. Since we didn't have cell phones back then, my mom (who was going to pick us up) had no way to reach us. And since I was a 15-year old boy who was intent on watching another baseball game, I didn't take the initiative to call her.

The game ended up being a thriller, featuring a 9th inning game-tying two-run homer from Cardinals catcher Steve Lake, followed by a 10th inning game-winning single from Jack Clark at 3am sharp.I don't remember exactly what my mom said when I called home, but I do remember that she was (quite understandably) not at all happy. Regardless, she did come and get us, which was probably more than we deserved.

The Cardinals and Dodgers played two more the next night (or later THAT night, to be more precise), with the Redbirds again taking both games, including taking the nightcap again in walkoff fashion. That gave the Cardinals four wins in 28 hours, and ran their winning streak to seven games. It would also be the first of three straight walkoff wins.

While the Cardinals were flying high, the Dodgers had to wearily fly to Chicago, where they had a Thursday AFTERNOON game They would fall behind early 6-0, on their way to a 12-5 loss. So all told, LA played (and lost) five full games in two different cities over a 48 hour span! As tough as that was for the Dodgers, at least they were getting paid for their efforts. Moms getting called at 3am to come pick up their sons are not so well remunerated. Even though they should be.

Sorry, mom.

My First T-206

I had always wanted to get a card from the famous T-206 set. The problem is they tend to be VERY expensive! I knew I couldn’t afford one of a well-known player (much less a Hall of Famer), so I figured I’d try to find one of a player who played in my hometown of St. Louis. For some time, I’ve been keeping my eye on eBay, looking for something in my price range (~$25). 

Recently I came across this card of a pitcher named Bill Graham, which appeared to be in pretty good shape. I bid on the card, and then I did a little research on Graham. It turns out that his name may actually have been spelled "Grahame," despite baseball cards and newspaper articles which omit the "E" at the end of his name. Of further interest (to me, at least) not only did he pitch for the St. Louis Browns, but he was from Owosso, Michigan, just down the road from the Flint area where I now live. In fact, he even pitched one season (1906) for the Flint Vehics in the only year of the Class C Interstate League! 

 

It seemed clear to me that I had to get this card (or at least try to), so even though the bidding ended up going a little higher than I wanted ($32), I went ahead and pulled the trigger on it. As a result, I am the proud owner of my first T-206! 

 

I later uncovered the fact that he was nicknamed "Wild Bill," which one would assume had to do with his control on the mound. Then again, my research also yielded the fact that he was arrested at least once for playing baseball on a Sunday, so maybe it was more about his lifestyle! 

Born July 22, 1884, Grahame died at the age of just 51 on February 15, 1936 in Holt, Michigan. I found a picture of his tombstone online. It is located at a cemetery a little over an hour from my home, and I may have to go visit it sometime.

Below, see some clippings from the April 22, 1908 edition of The Detroit Free Press, detailing Grahame's first career victory.

The Hawk

When I first started this blog, it was for the purpose of reminiscing and sharing items from my childhood. The more I reminisced, the more I got bit by the collecting bug once again! I needed to figure out a project to focus on though, and I settled on trying to get as many 1987 Topps cards signed as possible. After a couple years out to players, I got up to almost 200.

Due to a lot of reasons, I got away from the project. I've decided to get back to work on it though, and the first new additions were these two of Andre Dawson (one from the base set, one from the "traded" set). In 1987, Dawson won the MVP despite playing for a last place team AND tying for 25th in the National League in WAR. But he led the league with 49 home runs and 137 RBIs. He had two other seasons where he came in second in the MVP voting (1981 & 1983) and won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1977, on his way to a Hall of Fame career.