In 2004 Barry Bonds joined a very exclusive club in professional baseball’s storied history: the 200 BB in a single season club. Contrary to popular belief, Bonds was not the first ballplayer to achieve this rarified height. In 1949 a former MLB all-star first broke the 200 barrier while a member of the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League. Taking advantage of his “big fish in a little pond status” this PCL star produced the following batting line for the second place Pads:


The average slash line for a non-pitching hitter in the PCL in ’49? .279/.355/.403.

"A clumsy fielder who was erratic in the outfield," this 3 time PCL HR champ was a part of the league’s honored tradition of slugging 1B/OF types whose position would most accurately be described as “hitter.” He began his professional career as an 18 year-old with the Sacramento Solons, and would spend two years with the San Francisco Missions before being purchased by the Boston Braves. A member of the NL’s 1940 All-Star squad, this player would contribute the game-winning HR during a shutout victory for the senior circuit. After missing 3 years due to WWII he would rejoin the PCL ranks with San Diego, where he was a beneficiary of their hitting friendly ballpark, Lane Field—a hastily constructed WPA project that was 330 ft. down the lines and 87 ft. down the 1B path—from 1947 – 1950, and would spend the final four years of his professional ballplaying career at the PCL’s friendliest hitting environment of its era, the Wrigley Field in L.A. before retiring to join the sporting goods business, where he designed the jerseys for the ’56 & ’57 Los Angeles Angels.

Who is this MLB All-Star and slugging PCL Hall of Famer?

Easy one. But since it's from my era will let others wonder.

Easy one. But since it's from my era will let others wonder.

Yeah, that would make sense--after all, you are the lone primate to have actually seen Josh Gibson play, I believe. . . .

Tib:

Should I mention that the ASG ruined what looked to be a really good season for said player?

I got 47 out of 50 on the ESPN baseball history trivia thing, and I'd never even heard of this guy until I looked it up. He must have had a pretty crappy second half in 1940, because there's nothing in his season line in 1940 or previous years to suggest he was anything close to an All-Star.

CP:

Yes. He banged a wall in the ASG and it ruined his year

I knew the name, but nothing about the guy in question. He looks like an interesting player - he was young and good the preceding season (6th in the NL in OPS+ at age 22) and was athletic enough to have played a plurality of his games in center in '40.

Wow, Sibby Sisti was playing in '40. I forgot that.

Wow, Sibby Sisti was playing in '40. I forgot that.

The first and maybe last 10+ year player to have an exclusive career with the Braves. Are there any others now that Smoltz has officially played in the AL?

Bruce Benedict. Biff Pocoroba.

Chipper Jones. (holding breath)


Derek Jeter for President!

Derek Jeter, by the way, is obliterating even my expectations for him this year.

Also, he's now in Year 9 of his monster deal ($189 million, 2001-2010) and it's ended up being a much better than some might have predicted. His slash line is .312/.381/.452, plus 182 SB with an 82% sucess rate, while averaging 149 games a year. The defense has been all over the map, of course, but on the whole I'd say the Yankees should be pretty pleased with that contract.

And my last Jeter note for today, via Pete Abe:

One of the reporters asked [Jeter] last year what was the best birthday he ever had. The Captain smiled. “Aw, you know I can't tell you that,” he said.

I can only imagine

Trust me, you can't.

My one son while in between wives had a birthday where he shot around par at Black Wolf Run, saw WI beat Iowa 31-0 (via TV) and then had a wild night as he was dating a Chicago Bulls cheerleader.

That sounds like a pretty good day

Derek Jeter, by the way, is obliterating even my expectations for him this year.

I think my favorite part of Old Man Jeter's season is that he has stolen 17 bases in 18 attempts this year. And he's starting to steal third again like he used to, it's a beautiful thing to watch.

1944: At the Polo Grounds with over 50,000 fans looking on, the three New York major league teams played against each other in a six inning three-team game (a team played consecutive innings against the other two teams then sat out an inning). The contest, which was played to raise money for war bonds ended with the final score of Dodgers 5, Yankees 1, Giants 0.

That's pretty wild. Three teams playing against each other.

I've always thought it would be kind of cool in soccer or hockey, if three teams played on a triangular field and two teams could gang up on their opponent. Seems like the two bad teams would gang up on the best of the three, then once one of them got a substantial lead, the other two would gang up on them. But it's really hard to know what the heck would happen.

My one son while in between wives had a birthday where he shot around par at Black Wolf Run, saw WI beat Iowa 31-0 (via TV) and then had a wild night as he was dating a Chicago Bulls cheerleader.

Harveys, that first phrase could be read two very different ways. I'm presuming your son was between wives when he had the great day.

As for Tiboreau's always welcome Dugout entry, the number that jumps out at me is not the 201 walks but the 189 games. Not really being really familiar with the PCL, I had no idea they played that many games.

Post 18:

He's a bigamist as well as a philanderer. You got a problem with that??

Ha!

Understood on the phrasing.

Michael Jackson

Should I mention that the ASG ruined what looked to be a really good season for said player?

Yeah, I figured the key to figuring out the name of the mystery player was his memorable '40 All-Star appearance.

As for Tiboreau's always welcome Dugout entry, the number that jumps out at me is not the 201 walks but the 189 games. Not really being really familiar with the PCL, I had no idea they played that many games.

Not only did they often play over 180 games in a season, there were several seasons when the PCL played a 200 game schedule. The PCL took advantage of the milder Pacific climate and its California-centric makeup to play a larger schedule. They also played a different type of schedule due to the opportunity to play so many games--rather than the traditional 3 game series of the MLB schedule PCL teams spent one week in a city, playing 7 game series including a Sunday double header.

That description is wrong about Max not being hurt. He banged himself pretty good and I am pretty sure the remainder of the season he hit maybe one or two home runs. I almost certain I recall him saying he didn't feel the same the rest of that year and for some time into the offseason. Shoulder AND ribs methinks.......

That description is wrong about Max not being hurt. He banged himself pretty good and I am pretty sure the remainder of the season he hit maybe one or two home runs. I almost certain I recall him saying he didn't feel the same the rest of that year and for some time into the offseason. Shoulder AND ribs methinks.......

I must admit that prior to your mentioning it I had no idea that West hurt himself in that game. There isn't any mention of it at Wikipedia or BR's Bullpen, and all my PCL sources are, well, PCL-centric. I appreciated learning about it.

I wonder how how Max West would've done if he hadn't missed his prime years due to WWII; he did make the splash in the MLB after the war that he had prior--was it due to taking a while to recover from the war & not getting the chance or was it simply old player skills taking effect, an inability to catch up to the heater, etc. . . .

Tib:

I met Max as a boy and then years later when by mere chance while traveling. I am all but certain he told me that injury spoiled his season but he refused to sit out of fear of losing his job.

Oh, I don't doubt either you or Max.

And now I'm triply glad that I made the Max West post--not only could you fill me on a portion of his career but also it was ballplayer that a poster has actually met!

SHP Pat Venditte promoted to Tampa; fun of my upcoming trip to Charleston slightly diminished.

Alyssa Milano tweeted that Ronald Belisario was arrested on DUI charges. Yes, thanks to the magic of Twitter, Alyssa Milano is breaking stories.

mark derosa to st. louis for a ptbnl and chris perez.
take that milano!

and both appear to be true!

and you knew that she tweeted because...

oh, wait, that's a good reason.