BASEBALL'S TOP 10 ALL TIME CHARACTERS
Without these 10 baseball icons, the history of the game just wouldn't have the personality it has today. I hope we see more of these types of colorful and fun-loving gentlemen in future years - although the negative side of me says, sadly, that we may never see the likes of these 10 guys again!
1. YOGI BERRA: Berra, as one of the greatest catchers in the game, had a penchant for saying the wrong thing at the right time - or the right thing at the wrong time, depending on how you look at things. "I really didn't say everything I said," Berra once stated. Maybe not, but while we can never forget his contributions on the field (358 homers, 1,430 RBI, and three MVP awards in 1951, '54, and '55), it was his wit and humor from behind his catcher's mask that we remember the most. Berra's wisdom added just a bit more luster
to the 14 American League pennant winners and nine World Series championship teams that he played on while with the New York Yankees.
2. DIZZY DEAN: To appreciate Dean's greatness on the diamond, just look at his pitching record. He won 150 games and lost just 83 in a career that was eventually cut short by that infamous line drive off the bat of Earl Averill in the 1937 All Star Game. The drive broke Dean's big toe and eventually curtailed his awesome pitching career as he tried to come back too soon and ruined his arm trying to compensate for his injury. As the last 30-game winner in the National League (30-7 in 1934 for the St. Louis Cardinals), Dean brought his colorful lexicon to the airwaves - first as a radio broadcaster, then on NBC's Game of the Week. Whether he was singing "The Wabash Cannonball" or excusing himself on the air with a belch following a six pack (or two) of beer,
Dean's personality never got boring. One of my father Richard's favorite childhood memories is watching the Game of the Week on TV with my late grandpa Orval (with my grandpa drinking iced tea from the biggest cup he could find in the house) as Buddy Blattner called the action play by play - with Dean providing the ultimate in color commentary. Where have those days gone?
3. CASEY STENGEL: Stengel, like Berra, added humor to the clubhouse of The Bronx Bombers that won nearly every world championship in baseball from 1949 to the early 1960s. Stengel was one of the greatest managers the game has ever known with a lifetime record of 1,905 wins and 1,842 losses. His seven Yankee teams that won the World Series were all the more wiser because of Stengel as his humor kept everything on an even keel. My favorite story of Stengel actually comes from his days as a player. When he got traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1918, he was booed unmercifully his first time up before his former Brooklyn fans. When he was in the outfield one afternoon during a game, he caught a bird and slipped it underneath his cap. The next time he came to bat, the crowd started booing again. He kindly
tipped his cap to his adoring former fans - and the bird flew away. Talk about giving the fans the bird! He was always a crowd pleaser. By the way, he was a pretty good player with a .285 lifetime average in 14 seasons. In 1914 with Brooklyn, he led the Senior Circuit with a .404 on-base percentage. Not bad for one of baseball's famous funnymen!
4. HARRY CARAY:: Caray's greatest claim to fame as an announcer was probably his call of Stan Musial's 3000th career base hit when he was calling games for the Cardinals. But, contemporary fans (like me) will always consider him the heart and soul of the Chicago Cubs. Holy Cow! How can you not? After Caray suffered a stroke towards the end of his broadcasting career, I'll admit he wasn't as sharp as he once was. One day during a game between the Cubs and Mets, I somewhat remember Caray saying, "When you spell David Cone's last name backwards, it spells 'Enoc'" Now, that's the kind of keen observation that all serious and cerebral baseball fans can appreciate! I miss Caray.
5. BILL VEECK: Veeck was absolutely the nuttiest owner I have ever heard about. I guess he had to be since he owned the St. Louis Browns and the Chicago White Sox for many years - teams that were pretty mediocre at best during his reign. He had to rely on unusual gimmicks to bring fans to the ballpark. Some worked, like when he signed 3-foot-7 midget Eddie Gaedel to pinch hit for the Browns in a 1951 game. One promotion that didn't work was the infamous "Disco Demolition Night" in 1979 with the Chicago White Sox. The Chisox ended up forfeiting the game as unruly fans stormed the field at Comiskey Park to set fire to records of the Bee Gees and Donna Summer. By the way, coincidence or not, the opponent each time during each of those Veeck promotions were the Detroit Tigers. Another notable promotion I liked of Veeck's was his
letting the fans make the manager's decisions during a '51 contest between the Browns and Philadelphia A's. Unlike most owners today who think fans know nothing about the game, Veeck proved otherwise. The Browns won that game 5-3 behind the strategy imposed by Veeck's "Grandstand Managers."
6. MARK FIDRYCH: I was only seven years old when Fidrych broke into the major leagues with a bang in 1976. But, I remember it well. He was called "The Bird" because of his curly mop and gangly stride. He also liked to talk to the baseball between pitches and he groomed the mound before each inning with his hands. He was odd to say the least. But, he could certainly pitch that year. He won American League Rookie of the Year honors after going 19-9 with a league-leading 24 complete games and a 2.34 earned run average for the Tigers. He hurt his arm the next year and wound up just 29-19 after five all-too-brief seasons. Despite his short career, he certainly made an impact on the game with his personality.
7. RICK DEMPSEY: When players today go sliding across the tarp during rain delays, remember that Dempsey was the one who made it fashionable to do so. I remember this from his days with the Baltimore Orioles in the 1980s. Dempsey was certainly a character to remember, but he could also play. He was pretty good behind the plate, his specialty being his masterful handling of the Orioles' pitching staff of Jim Palmer, Mike Boddicker, Storm Davis, and Mike Flanagan. He also could rise to the occasion during big games with his bat, which usually wasn't so potent. In 1983, he was named World Series MVP after hitting .385 during a five-game matchup in a winning effort against the Philadelphia Phillies.
8. BILL LEE: Lee was nicknamed "The Spaceman" for good reason. For one thing, he admitted one time to reporters that he liked to sprinkle marijuana on his pancakes - an admission that got him a $250 fine from then-commissioner Bowie Kuhn. He also wished he could have worn the number "337" instead of just "37" because, "If you turn that upside down, it spells LEE," he explained. "Then, I could stand upside down and people would know me right away." Lee had various opinions on numerous subjects during his career. He was a bit like comedian Dennis Miller with a baseball glove. Three years in a row, he won 17 games for the Boston Red Sox from 1973 to '75. He also pitched for the Montreal Expos and introduced Canadians to his brand of wit after being traded in 1979. "Baseball players are the people who stay kids the longest," Lee said one time. I'd have to agree with him - wholeheartedly.
9. JIM PIERSALL: Piersall was a tremendously talented ballplayer who hit .272 in a 17-year career. He was a two-time American League all star with the Red Sox in 1954 and '56. He led the Junior Circuit in doubles (40) in 1956 and three times (in 1956, '61 and '62) led AL outfielders in fielding percentage. But, he was a bit of a flake, too. He was the subject of a baseball movie titled "Fear Strikes Out" as Anthony Perkins (of "Psycho" fame) played the outfielder who let his nerves get the best of him sometimes. In '63 as a New York Met, he hit his 100th career home run and proceeded to run the bases - backward. It was his only homer as a Met.
10. RUBE WADDELL: Waddell was pitching one afternoon (for the Philadelphia A's I believe) when he heard a fire truck pass by outside the ballpark. If not a baseball player, Waddell probably would have been a firefighter. He was so enthralled by the sirens that, in between innings, he scooted out of the park and after the engine. When the A's came back onto the field the next inning, they were without their star pitcher! Other Waddell stories include how he carried six people from a burning building during one of his firefighting adventures. George Edward Waddell was nicknamed "Rube," but he was no slouch on the mound. He had seasons of 24-7 in 1902, 21-16 in 1903, 25-19 in 1904, and 27-10 in 1905 for Connie Mack's Athletics. In 1904, he struck out a then-record 349 batters and, in that same year, he was the first to strike out 16 batters in an American League game. He once pitched six games in a row - and won five of them. Another time, in a span of 14 days, he completed 11 games. In 13 years, Waddell was 193-143 with 2,316 strikeouts and a fantastic 2.16 ERA.
In the spring of 1912, he stood in freezing floodwaters in Hickman, Ky., helping the residents fill and stack sandbags as the Mississippi River flooded its banks. He developed a severe cold and, two years later, died of tuberculosis at age 37. He died on April 1, 1914 - April Fool's Day.
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