Just Hanging Out With A Few Of My Friends

On the afternoon of Saturday, March 22nd, 2008, I had the pleasure and great fortune to meet former third baseman STEVE BUECHELE, relief pitcher JEFF RUSSELL, and first baseman PETE O'BRIEN at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas, home of the Rangers' Double A affiliate Frisco Rough Riders in the Texas League. My son Jackson, my wife Melissa, and I went to the ballpark the day before Easter for Frisco's "Egg-stravaganza" where the little kids could hunt eggs in the outfield on a beautiful, sunny and warm Spring day. My son found a few treats on the right field side... and I was able to meet three of my favorite all-time Rangers in the meantime. Buechele was a marvelous fielder at the hot corner, leading the American League in fielding percentage in 1991 with Texas and the National League in '93 with the Chicago Cubs. His best year at the plate was in 1991, when he split the year with the Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit .262 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs that campaign. Buechele (a Stanford grad) hit .245 with 137 home runs and 547 ribbies in an 11-year career with the Rangers, Pirates, and Cubs. Russell (who broke in with the Cincinnati Reds in 1983) was a two-time all-star for Texas in 1988 and '89. In '89, he led the Junior Circuit with 38 saves and, on four occasions, he saved at least 30 games in a season. He had 186 career saves in his 14 years in the big leagues with a 3.75 ERA over a total of 589 appearances. Russell also pitched for the Oakland A's, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians during his time in "The Show." O'Brien played for the Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and Cleveland Indians during his 12 seasons in the bigs. He was a constant threat at the plate for the Rangers from 1985-87, when he hit a total of 68 homers and drove in 270 runs as a smooth-fielding first sacker. For his career, O'Brien hit .261 with 169 homers and 736 ribbies. What a treat right before Easter... Thanks guys! (Photo by Unknown Nice Guys!)
On the evening of Thursday, January 17th, 2008, I met former Texas Rangers JIM SUNDBERG and TOM GRIEVE at the Cool River Cafe in Irving, Texas. These two gentlemen appeared as part of the winter Texas Rangers Caravan to drum up support for the next season. I previously had my photo taken with Sundberg two years ago in Frisco, Texas, and he graciously signed my photo - and personalized it. Grieve is currently the television broadcaster for the Rangers - a position he has held since 1995. He also has served the Rangers in various other capacities before becoming a standout TV guy (farm director, general manager, etc.) During his playing days, Grieve was one of my favorites because he had a good swing and played the outfield smoothly - just a good all-time Ranger! He hit .249 along with 65 career homers and 254 RBIs in nine seasons for the Senators/Texas Rangers, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals during the 1970s. He had a .982 fielding percentage. Grieve's best season for the Rangers was in 1976, when he hit .255 with 20 dingers and 81 ribbies. His homer total that season tied for sixth in the American League, along with Dan Ford of the Minnesota Twins. He was only 12 homers shy of the AL home run champ Graig Nettles of the Yankees, who had 32 to lead the Junior Circuit that campaign. Sundberg and Grive are both very great representatives for the Rangers and it was a thrill to meet both of them on this special night! Thanks guys! (Photo by Unknown Nice Guy)

On the evening of Monday, December 17th, 2007, I had the pleasure to meet former major league slugger and Oklahoma State University legend PETE INCAVIGLIA at the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) chapter meeting inside The Ballpark at Arlington, Texas. Incaviglia played for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees in a very distinguished 12-year career. He made the postseason with the Phils in 1993, the Orioles in 1996, and the Astros in 1998. In '93, the Phillies lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series when Joe Carter hit a series-ending home run of Mitch Williams. Incaviglia never played an inning of minor league ball before he broke into the majors with the Rangers in 1986, hitting .250 with 30 home runs and 88 RBI. At 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, "Inky" looked like a bodybuilder back before steroids ran rampant in the sport - and to my knowledge, he was always "all natural." He could hit the ball so hard that he put a hole in the outfield fence at spring training during his rookie year, but he says it was "a rotten fence." Yeah, right! For his major league career, he hit .246 with 206 homers. He holds the major league record for most home runs hit by a player with a name ending in "I". At OSU, Big Pete hit an NCAA-record 48 homers and drove in a phenomenal 143 runs in just 78 games in 1985. His 285 total bases and monstrous 1.140 slugging percentage are also single-season NCAA records. In the spring of 2008, he will be the manager for the new independent minor league Grand Prairie (Texas) Air Hogs of the American Association. It was very much a sincere pleasure and thrill to meet Mr. Incaviglia and I hope to write a story soon on this website about the greatest college baseball player ever. (Photo by Unknown Nice Fellow SABR Member)


On Saturday, February 24th, 2007, I met former major leaguer WAYNE TERWILLIGER at Autographs Ink in Colleyville, Texas. Terwilliger is 81 now but he's just as spry and witty as ever - sharp as a tack! He played mostly second base for nine years in the majors - with the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Senators, New York Giants, and Kansas City Athletics. His lifetime batting average was .240 over 666 career games. His best year as a player was 1950 with the Cubs when he hit .242 with a career-high 10 home runs and 32 RBI in 133 games. He also had a good year in 1953 with the Senators, hitting .252 with career highs in both hits (117) and ribbies (46). Terwilliger (who now resides in Weatherford, Texas) also coached in the majors with the Washington Senators, the Texas Rangers and the Minnesota Twins. With the Twins, he won World Series championship rings in both 1987 (over the Cardinals) and 1991 (over the Braves!) He's also coached two independent teams - the St. Paul Saints and the Fort Worth Cats. He managed the Cats to a league title in 2005 at age 80 - becoming the oldest manager in pro baseball history to win a title. He now coaches first base for the Cats - still going strong. He has an autobiography titled "Terwilliger Bunts One," published in 2006. I am in the process of reading it. He also has a very good website at http://www.wayneterwilliger.com and you can order his book there if you want. I plan on putting my own spin on Terwilliger's career later as a feature story on this website - so stay tuned. And, thank you to Autographs Ink for the chance to meet Wayne Terwilliger! What a gentleman and a credit to the game he is! (Photo by Michael Willoughby of Autographs Ink)

On Saturday, January 21st, 2006, I met former Texas Rangers catcher JIM SUNDBERG at the 2006 Texas Rangers Caravan in Frisco, Texas. The caravan was held in conjunction with the Frisco Rough Riders 2006 Open House - Frisco being the current Double A minor league affiliate of the Rangers. Sundberg was a six-time Gold Glove catcher during his 16-year major league career. He was a three-time American League all-star and is in the Rangers' Hall of Fame. He also played with the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Royals, where he won a World Series championship in 1985. His hitting was overshadowed by his flawless mitt and his bullet arm, but he could swing the stick nonetheless. His best year at the plate was in 1977, when he hit .291 with 65 RBI. A career .248 hitter, Sundberg led the league's catchers in fielding percentage six times. When he retired, Sundberg had the third-best fielding percentage (.993) among catchers in major league history in 1,927 games caught - fifth most in history according to the ESPN Baseball Encyclopdedia. It was a thrill to meet Mr. Sundberg, a player I idolized when I was a young player back in the day. (Photo by Unknown Nice Man)


On Saturday, January 21st, 2006, I met former major league relief pitcher JOHN WETTELAND at the 2006 Texas Rangers Caravan in Frisco, Texas. Wetteland signed on last November to become the pitching and bullpen coach for the Frisco Rough Riders, the Double A minor league franchise for the Texas Rangers. He was Texas' roving pitching instructor the last three seasons. Wetteland was a fireballer for 12 seasons, pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Rangers. He had 330 career saves (currently 9th on the all-time list) and a 2.93 career ERA. Wetteland, whose career record was 48-45, topped 30 saves eight times and 40 saves four times. A three-time American League all-star, his best year was in 1996, when he saved a league-leading 43 games for the Yankees and earned World Series MVP honors after saving each of New York's four wins against the Braves. Wetteland also saved 43 games with Montreal in 1993 and 43 with Texas in 1999. It was nice to meet Wetteland, one of the game's premier relief pitchers. EDITOR'S NOTE: Just six days after this photo was taken, Wetteland was signed to be the new bullpen coach for the Washington Nationals - formerly the Montreal Expos. He saved 105 games for the Expos from 1992-94, and ranks fourth on the franchise's career saves list. His 43 saves in 1993 was the team record until Chad Cordero finished with 47 last season for Washington. (Photo by Todd Newville)
On Saturday, November 22, 2003, I met former negro league first baseman JAMES "RED" MOORE at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Moore was reknowned in the negro leagues as a slick-fielding first baseman and often liked to show off for the fans before games by catching the ball during infield behind his back. He played with some legendary teams in the negro leagues such as the Atlanta Black Crackers, the Baltimore Elite Giants, and the Newark Eagles. He roomed with Roy Campanella while with Baltimore and he played against Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Cool Papa Bell among other greats. A master at turning the 3-6-3 double play, Moore donated his time to sign autographs during the annual Toys For Tots drive. It was certainly a pleasure to meet Mr. Moore today. (Photo by Unknown Nice Man)


On Saturday, August 30th, 2003, I met former major league standout OSCAR GAMBLE at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Gamble had a solid 17-year career in the majors, beginning with the Chicago Cubs in 1969. He also played for the Phillies, Indians, Yankees, Padres, White Sox, and Rangers, mostly in the outfield and at DH. He had a breakthrough year in 1973 with Cleveland, hitting .267 with 20 homers. His best year, though, was in 1977 with the White Sox, when he clouted 31 homers with 83 RBI and a .297 batting average. In split duty with the Rangers and Yanks in 1979, Gamble hit a robust .358 with 19 HR and 64 RBI over 100 games. He also played for the Yanks when they lost the World Series to the Reds in 1976 and was a valuable member of post-season New York teams in 1980 and '81. For his career, Gamble hit .265 with 200 homers, 1,195 hits, and 666 RBI in 1,584 games. A nice fellow with one of the best baseball names in history, Gamble drove himself to Georgia from his home in Montgomery, Ala., to sign autographs this particular Saturday afternoon. A really friendly and humble person, you would have never guessed this man to have played major league ball for 17 years. I enjoyed meeting Mr. Gamble very much! CLICK HERE to read a story about Gamble, written by Todd Newville. (Photo by Melissa Newville)

On Saturday, August 16th, 2003, I had the opportunity to meet current major league first baseman ROBERT FICK at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Fick made the American League All-Star team in 2002 with the Detroit Tigers when he hit .270 with 17 homers and 63 RBI. In the off-season, he signed with the Atlanta Braves for just $1 million, a paltry sum by today's standards. But, he wanted to be with a winner and, at the time this photo was taken, he was helping the Braves lead the National League's East Division once again with a .286 batting average, 10 homers, and 66 RBI (which already establishes a career high for him.) He also is a hero of sorts in our household because he rescued a stray kitten in New York earlier in the 2003 season at Shea Stadium. Of course, he named the cat "Shea" and now he has four kitties - just like my wife and I. It was pretty cool meeting Mr. Fick, who at 29 years old is just entering his prime years in the majors. (Photo by Melissa Newville)


On Saturday, August 16th, 2003, I met former New York Yankees pitcher "BULLET" BOB TURLEY at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Turley began his career with the St. Louis Browns in 1951, then spent most of the next two years in the military. In 1954 with the Baltimore Orioles, Turley went 14-15 and led the American League with 185 strikeouts. He was traded to New York in an 18-player transaction in December 1954 - a deal which also involved Don Larsen, Billy Hunter, Gene Woodling, Willie Miranda, and Gus Triandos among others. Turley promptly went 17-13 with 210 whiffs and a 3.06 ERA for the Yanks in 1955. After a 13-6 season in '57, Turley won the Hickok Award and the 1958 Cy Young Award with the Yankees (back when they awarded only one) by going 21-7 with 168 strikeouts and a 2.97 ERA. In the '58 World Series against the Milwaukee Braves, he won two games, saved another, and was voted MVP of the Fall Classic. He finished second to Boston's Jackie Jensen for MVP honors in '58, too. Turley (who also pitched for the Los Angeles Angels and the Boston Red Sox in a 12-year career) was reknowned for picking up opposing hurlers' pitches from the dugout and whistling to teammates to let them know what was coming. He called many pitches for Mickey Mantle which went for round-trippers. It was great to meet Mr. Turley, who had a career 101-85 record with 1,265 strikeouts and a 3.64 ERA. (Photo by Melissa Newville)
On Saturday, May 3rd, 2003, I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary BOBBY THOMSON and RALPH BRANCA at Field of Dreams inside North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Ga. These two gentleman were responsible for creating what Baseball Todd believes is the greatest single moment in baseball history. On October 3, 1951, Thomson's New York Giants and Branca's Brooklyn Dodgers played the third and final game of the National League playoff to determine who would go to the World Series. With the score 4-2 in favor of the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth, Thomson delivered Branca's second pitch over the left field wall at the old Polo Grounds for a three-run homer, now known as "The Shot Heard 'Round The World." That led to Russ Hodges' legendary home run call: "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" Thomson was a three-time NL All-Star with the Giants and hit .270 with 1,705 hits and 1,026 RBI in a 15-year career which also included stints with the Milwaukee Braves, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles. Branca pitched 12 years in the big leagues, posting an 88-68 record with a 3.79 career ERA. Branca (who also pitched for the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees) had his best year in 1947 - going 21-12 for the Dodgers with 2.67 ERA. Needless to say, it was a thrill to meet both men. (Photo by Melissa Newville)

On Saturday, March 15th, 2003, I had the opportunity to meet former major league shortstop BERT CAMPANERIS at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. A six-time American League All-Star, Campy's career was marked by several instances of unique brilliance. He made his major league debut on July 23, 1964, and promptly hit a home run on the first pitch he ever saw in the big leagues. On Sept. 8, 1965, he became the first player ever to play all 9 positions in a single game. On Aug. 29, 1967, he tied a major league record with three triples in one contest. On May 24, 1976, he stole five bases in a single game. While with the Kansas City and Oakland A's, he led the AL in stolen bases six times and had at least 50 steals in a season on seven occasions. He played on three World Series champions as the A's beat the Reds in 1972, the Mets in '73, and the Dodgers in '74. He was a .259 career hitter over 19 seasons and also had 2,249 hits and 649 lifetime stolen bases. Besides the A's, Campy also played for the Rangers, Angels, and Yankees. He still wears his 1974 World Series ring and is proud of it. Unfortunately, he told me in his deep Cuban accent that his other two rings were stolen from him. Campaneris is a nice fellow. My dad and I were both excited to meet him. (Photo by Richard Newville)


On Saturday, March 8th, 2003, I had the pleasure of meeting JOHNNY BLANCHARD at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Blanchard was a reserve catcher and outfielder for the superb New York Yankee clubs of the early 1960s. He played in five straight World Series with the Bronx Bombers - winning two world championships (in 1961 and '62) and hitting .344 (10-for-29.) In '61, the Yankees beat the Reds in five games as Blanchard hit a robust .400 (4-for-10) with two homers in the Series. During the regular season, the '61 Yanks clubbed a then-Major League record 240 homers and Blanchard contributed 21 of the circuit blasts while also hitting .305 with 54 RBI in only 243 at-bats. Blanchard was a "jack of all trades" and, if not for a couple of guys named Elston Howard and Yogi Berra, he probably could have been a regular star. He was a great pinch hitter in the World Series - going 3-for-9 in clutch situations. For his career, Blanchard hit .239 with 67 home runs over eight seasons. He broke in with New York in 1955. He ended his career in 1965 with the Kansas City A's and Milwaukee Braves. I could tell Blanchard really enjoyed his days as a Yankee - and especially his first roommate, Enos Slaughter. (Photo by Melissa Newville)

On Saturday, March 8th, 2003, I had the chance to meet former New York Yankee great RON BLOMBERG at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. On Opening Day in 1973, Blomberg made baseball history as the first designated hitter against Luis Tiant of the Boston Red Sox. He drew a walk with the bases loaded to drive in a run and wound up 1-for-3 in a 15-5 loss to the Bosox. Tabbed as the first pick in the 1967 amateur baseball draft, Blomberg was picked ahead of such future major league stars as John Mayberry, Jon Matlack, Ted Simmons, Bobby Grich, Don Baylor, Dusty Baker, Steve Yeager, and Richie Zisk. The strong and ebullient Blomberg was a big bopper, hitting .293 in his career with 52 homers and 224 RBI. His best years for the Yanks were in 1972 (.268, 14 HR, 49 RBI), 1973 (.329, 12 HR, 57 RBI), and 1974 (.311, 10 HR, 48 RBI). A strapping first baseman and outfielder when not a DH, injuries curtailed his promising career and he ended his stint in the majors in 1978 with the Chicago White Sox. I really enjoyed meeting Blomberg, who is a super nice guy and takes as much time as YOU want to talk baseball. I wished we had more Ron Blombergs in baseball today. (Photo by Melissa Newville)


On Saturday, February 15th, 2003, I met "The Original" FRANK THOMAS at All-Stars Sports Colllectibles in the Piedmont Village Shopping Center in Marietta, Ga. Groomed as the replacement for slugger Ralph Kiner, Thomas was a three-time National League All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954, '55, and '58. His best year was probably in '58 when he hit .281 with 35 homers and 109 RBI. As an original New York Met in 1962, he had 34 homers and 94 RBI as the cleanup hitter. His homer total stood as a single-season record for the Mets until Dave Kingman broke it with 36 roundtrippers in 1975. An outfielder and third baseman, he hit .266 with 286 lifetime homers and 962 RBI in a 16-year career. Thomas also played for the Reds, Braves, Cubs, Phillies, and Astros. A proud former major leaguer, Thomas is a really nice fellow and I enjoyed visiting with him tremendously. Read more about Thomas by CLICKING HERE.(Photo by Myron L. Kirkes)

On Saturday, January 25th, 2003, I jumped at the chance to meet former major league slugger GEORGE FOSTER at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Foster was one of the leanest and meanest power hitters of the 1970s and a vital cog for the Cincinnati Reds and "The Big Red Machine." He led the National League three consecutive years in RBI - with 121 in 1976, 149 in 1977, and 120 in 1978. A five-time NL All-Star, Foster earned MVP honors after he hit a league-leading 52 homers for Cincy in 1977 - the only time between 1965 (Willie Mays with 52) and 1990 (Cecil Fielder with 51) that someone clubbed 50 dingers in a single season in the majors. Foster also led the NL with 40 homers in 1978 and helped the Reds to two World Series championships (1975 and '76.) His 18-year career batting average was .274 and he also had 348 career home runs along with 1,239 RBI and 1,925 hits. Foster (who at 54 years old still looked like he could play) began his career with the San Francisco Giants in 1969 and ended it with the New York Mets in 1986. One more Foster tidbit: The man has got some mitts. What a grip! (Photo by Unknown Pretty Woman)


On Friday, December 13th, 2002, I had the pleasure of meeting TOM PACIOREK at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Paciorek donated his time as part of the annual Toys For Tots program. Paciorek played 18 seasons in the majors with the Dodgers, Braves, Mariners, White Sox, and Rangers. An outfielder and first baseman, Paciorek made the 1981 All-Star Team while with Seattle, hitting a robust .326 with 14 home runs and 66 RBI that campaign. For his career, Paciorek hit .282 with 1,162 hits and 503 RBI. A wealth of information (he's a broadcaster now with FOX), Paciorek thinks that Pete Rose should be allowed back into baseball if he "comes clean" and admits he indeed gambled on baseball - and I agree. Paciorek is just a real nice guy and anybody who gets a chance to meet him would think the same. CLICK HERE to read an exclusive story about Paciorek, written by Todd Newville.(Photo by Pat Skok)

On Friday, December 13th, 2002, I had the chance to meet former New York Yankee great CLETE BOYER at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Boyer was a superb third baseman and, if not for a fellow by the name of Brooks Robinson, he might have won a few Gold Gloves. Still, he hit .242 with 1,396 hits, 162 home runs, and 654 RBI over the span of a 16-year career, coming up first with the Kansas City A's in 1955. He also played for the Braves, for whom he had his best year at the plate in 1967 with a 26 homers and 96 RBI. Even though Boyer broke his left leg three weeks before this photo was taken, it didn't stop him from donating his time for the Toys For Tots program. Read more about Clete Boyer by CLICKING HERE. (Photo by Pat Skok)


On Sunday, November 10th, 2002, I met the great BILL "MOOSE" SKOWRON at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Skowron stated the 1961 Yankees were definitely the best team he ever played on. Skowron (who played first base) also played with the Dodgers, Senators, White Sox and Angels in his 14-year career, but he will always be remembered as a New York Yankee. He played with some of the greatest - Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Elston Howard, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek. He had a .282 career batting average with 211 homers and 888 RBI. Skowron (who turns 72 in December) was a six-time American League all-star and hit .293 with eight homers and 29 RBI in World Series competition. He won four world titles with New York. (Photo by Melissa Newville)

On Saturday, November 9th, 2002, I met former major league slugger DARRELL EVANS at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Evans played 21 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, and Detroit Tigers. In 1973 with Atlanta, he hit 41 home runs to join Davey Johnson (43) and Hank Aaron (40) as the first trio of teammates to all hit 40 or more homers in a single season. In 1984, he won a World Series championship when Detroit beat the San Diego Padres in five games. In 1985, Evans (at age 38) became the oldest player to win a home run title by leading the American League with 40 dingers for the Tigers. Evans hit .248 with 414 home runs and 1,354 RBI in his career. He also ranks 10th on the all-time list with 1,605 walks. (Photo by Melissa Newville)


On Saturday, October 19th, 2002, I met former Yankee standout TOM TRESH at the Venture Sports Show in Duluth, Ga. Tresh was the 1962 American League Rookie of the Year with the New York Yankees and he played a key part in helping the Yanks that year beat the Giants in a thrilling seven-game World Series. Tresh, who played with the Yankees from 1961-68, also played with the Detroit Tigers in 1969. A two-time AL all-star, Tresh hit .245 with 153 homers and 530 RBI in his career. A Gold Glove outfielder in 1965, Tresh slammed 25 homers in 1963, 26 homers in 1965, and 27 homers in 1966. His dad Mike was a catcher for the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians for 12 years (1938-49). Read more about Tresh by CLICKING HERE. (Photo by Melissa Newville)

On Saturday, July 13th, 2002, I met Hall of Fame knuckleball pitcher PHIL NIEKRO at the Lowe's grand opening in Snellville, Ga. Niekro won 318 games in his 24-year career pitching mostly for the Atlanta Braves. In 1967, Niekro led the National League with a miniscule 1.87 ERA. In 1969, he helped the Braves with their first NL West Division title by going 23-13. He led the Senior Circuit twice in victories (20 in 1974 and 21 in 1979) and, in 1977, he led the NL with 262 strikeouts. In 1982, Niekro (at age 43) helped Atlanta to its second NL West Division crown by going 17-4 for a league-leading .810 winning percentage. The Braves have retired his number "35" and Niekro is arguably the best knuckleball artist of all time. (Photo by Melissa Newville)