Card fact: This is the second and last card of a player named Buddy in this set. The other was Buddy Bell.
Actually, there is a third player named Buddy in the set. Buddy Solomon was a pitcher for the Dodgers that we'll see when the Rookie Prospects cards show up. But he is referred to by his given name "Eddie" in this set.
What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it. In fact, there was an African-American pitcher named Larry Bradford who pitched for the Braves in the late '70s. By the time I was aware of Buddy Bradford, I assumed they were the same person and Buddy decided to go by his given name of "Larry."
What I think about this card now: It is all kinds of miscut. I might have to search out a new copy at the card show coming up.
Other stuff: Bradford was a platoon-type player for several teams, mostly the White Sox, between 1966-76. He didn't hit for a high average (.226 for his career), but he had some power, which kept him attractive to some teams. The Indians, Reds, Cardinals and the White Sox, for a second time, all traded for him.
After his major league career ended in 1976, Bradford played for a year in Japan. He later became a successful businessman.
Back facts: OK, I am going to say this one time. The final pitch that Don Larsen threw to pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell that was called strike three by Babe Pinelli and clinched the only perfect game in World Series history was NOT A STRIKE. Too close to take? Maybe. But irksome just the same.
Other blog stuff: Today's date produced plenty of baseball breakthroughs. On this date in baseball:
- The Cardinals debuted their "birds on a bat" uniforms in 1924.
- Pete Rose made his first major league plate appearance in 1963 (he walked).
- The Astros and Dodgers played the first MLB game on synthetic grass in 1966.
- The Royals, Padres, Expos and Pilots all made their MLB debuts and each won in 1969.
- Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's all-time home run record with No. 715 in 1974.
- Frank Robinson made his debut as baseball's first African-American manager in 1975.
- The Mariners registered their first major league victory in 1977.
- Jim Abbott made his major league debut in 1989.
- Chan Ho Park was the first Korean to play in an MLB game in 1994 (his team was no-hit by Kent Mercker)
2 comments:
I was really enjoying the list of events that happened until you got to Chan Ho. He remains one of, if not the, worst signings in Rangers history.
The last pitch of Larsen's perfecto sure looked high and away to me, but it's not the best camera angle. I'll bet Milt Pappas wished he'd had Pinelli behind the plate instead of Bruce Froemming, who, to his credit, did not expand the strike zone to call a perfect game.
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