tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17058514689235848192024-02-01T20:57:38.552-08:00The Bespectacled SpectacleBaseball's Glasses-Clad GreatsABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-34751900552548463632011-03-03T06:16:00.001-08:002011-03-03T11:59:46.807-08:00Wally Yonamine 1925-2011There are several more bespectacled superstars residing in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame than in it's counterpart in Cooperstown, but only one was American born and a former pro football player: Wally Yonamine.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEhrxBtxL9VQDWD1rsG3Ih5fo8uTHzQa7fqC_Bt2AI7ED7SlL3ROqttumpbNuhC4BrC6DK2ClDcewd0szNFomiZH0quZRhb0VS8gpDsPeuHasYCwh6VWagXlM9dHNQ8Ibt6iJ-QSjErHa/s1600/sc0000cee5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEhrxBtxL9VQDWD1rsG3Ih5fo8uTHzQa7fqC_Bt2AI7ED7SlL3ROqttumpbNuhC4BrC6DK2ClDcewd0szNFomiZH0quZRhb0VS8gpDsPeuHasYCwh6VWagXlM9dHNQ8Ibt6iJ-QSjErHa/s320/sc0000cee5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579939385240764802" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div>He died Monday at the age of 85. Unlike the bespectacled Hall of Famer on this side of the Pacific, Chick Hafey, whose sinus infections kept him from collecting the numbers he could have, Wally was famous for a hard nosed, rough-and-tumble style of play that made him few friends in Japan's Central League. And as a manager (above) he became the first foreign born manager to win a Japan Series title, balancing that image of the gruff baserunner with that of the bespectacled manager crunching the numbers and filling out line-up cards. After baseball he ran a successful pearl shop in Tokyo, allowing his glasses clad image to finally take over and allow his sensitive side to shine through. Chick Hafey would have been proud. Look <a href="http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Wally-Yonamine,673417.aspx">here</a> for more information on Wally and his life.<br /></div>ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-23396057615690520522011-01-13T09:10:00.000-08:002011-01-13T09:18:09.350-08:00RIP Ryne Duren<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90BEj5Ut78bO7nkHhL1Zu9BGaG7w-xB1IzHs13Mt8_W2M_9Wszdm4Q2V8eoTmkawfUTi070ntl-wp9oMxOMrSGMXUONqdiXwuAaFfLnu4BAcSQyf_8RdfYZEz8NFa0sfgkVNF3NS3MsL3/s1600/sc000153c0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90BEj5Ut78bO7nkHhL1Zu9BGaG7w-xB1IzHs13Mt8_W2M_9Wszdm4Q2V8eoTmkawfUTi070ntl-wp9oMxOMrSGMXUONqdiXwuAaFfLnu4BAcSQyf_8RdfYZEz8NFa0sfgkVNF3NS3MsL3/s320/sc000153c0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561385685748154658" border="0" /></a><br />In the NY Times obituary for Duren (left), Yogi Berra said, "He threw fear into some hitters. I remember he had several pair of glasses, but it didn't seem like he saw good in any of them." Leave it to Yogi to clarify, with true depth, the dilemma of the bespectacled pitcher- do you want the hitter to know that you can see, or terrify him into believing that you can't? Ryne was adept at scaring the hitter, sometimes throwing wild pitches on purpose to strike fear into the batter's heart. Not that the batter was too far off- his vision <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> atrocious, and, on top of that, he was probably about as hung over as you can be. Below is part one of the complete list of four-eyed players from the 60's:<br /><br />Hair and free love seemingly define the 60's in the USA, an image of the straight laced tossing their horn rimmed glasses off their rosy cheeks into a field of sunflowers and naked bodies. Fortunately for us at the Bespectacled Spectacle, the truth is a lot easier to see- some of the greatest bespectacled stars of all time played during the decade. Below is a near complete list (though it may be a bit fuzzy so please leave comments if you notice an omission) of those greats:<br /><br /><br />Faye Throneberry<br />Steve Korcheck<br />Eddie Kasko<br />Bob Will<br />Bob Nieman<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIx_StDnhNEEoE3TRU3lPf5PGzTVMCfzPzfm1nEOEISuV5_AOB-6wCGNFaBvFpmSrB0jHTgPMJ8Q259t4lqL1oBBqljvqmsNtchZqpmOS_LliSpR606YQlbD1ucBAlfXcdgs1rUzjJWsm/s1600/sc0001969d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIx_StDnhNEEoE3TRU3lPf5PGzTVMCfzPzfm1nEOEISuV5_AOB-6wCGNFaBvFpmSrB0jHTgPMJ8Q259t4lqL1oBBqljvqmsNtchZqpmOS_LliSpR606YQlbD1ucBAlfXcdgs1rUzjJWsm/s320/sc0001969d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561386416980677570" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Eli Grba (That may be Grba, right, in the small circle, but , thanks to bespectacled discrimination, it is his ‘doppelganger’ Ryne Duren in the larger photo. One cant help but forgive the lowly Topps staffer for finding Grba as hard to recognize as to pronounce, and the fact that he was confused for the one and only Ryne Duren leads one to believe that he/she was the victim of a drunken prank. There is a story in Duren’s autobiography in which he reminisces about shitting himself while running from the police, case of beer held over his head, after drinking and driving- no other bespectacled superstar can claim a feat anywhere near as badass. Of course, Ryne [namesake for actual HOFer Ryne Sandburg] always required that two of his four eyes be tinted, to shade the other two from the harsh, hangover-punishing sun that a ballplayer unfortunately must work with. There are so many stories about Ryne Duren- all revolving around his drinking- that he has earned a special wing in the Four-Eyed Hall of Fame. Even Mickey Mantle, who narrowly missed getting a bottle of wild turkey on his plaque in Cooperstown, tells a story about ole Ryne- two cases into a plane ride at seasons end, his clowning around led to a near catastrophe as Duren threatened to open the plane door high above ground [check out the full story in the great book <span style="font-style: italic;">Whitey and Mickey</span> (leave it to the bespectacled spectacle to talk about reading about drinking- nerd!)] Nonetheless, Duren proved that all four-eyed professionals weren’t spending Friday night [or Tuesday, or Sunday- hell, every night] in the armchair reading Mallarme. Duren eventually gave up and wrote two great books on the dangers of mixing baseball and booze, and at his death his legacy stood more for helping alcoholics than for being one.)<br />Grba, on the other hand, experienced the highlight of his career along with Ryne, as a member of the 1960 AL pennant winning NY Yankees, but never had a chance to face Maz or Roberto in that stunning series. His career ended at 28, most likely due to a switch to contacts.<br /><br />Dave Sisler<br />Dick Hyde<br />Ryne Duren (see above [get glasses if you need to!])<br />Earl Torgeson<br />Jim Baxes<br />Ray Sadecki<br />Clint Courtney<br />Bob Rush<br />George Crowe<br />Chuck Stobbs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJ0R9Pj8v61qLL642adMHMe_Alc_aZv-IZZMWU9fIHoozguhuDj_Ltt0N3ZNJNCPyi1o_xA9ZJ_xbynwI1AyH61MWDzjMo7JAjiT8pufE0cilQmhJCMFV587olrW3FS3p4-VhV2A9iaGE/s1600/bros1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJ0R9Pj8v61qLL642adMHMe_Alc_aZv-IZZMWU9fIHoozguhuDj_Ltt0N3ZNJNCPyi1o_xA9ZJ_xbynwI1AyH61MWDzjMo7JAjiT8pufE0cilQmhJCMFV587olrW3FS3p4-VhV2A9iaGE/s320/bros1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561712626217323842" border="0" /></a><br />Jim Brosnan- See an earlier post on Brosnan and his writing skills <a href="http://thebespectacledspectacle.blogspot.com/2010/05/rebel-professor.html">here</a>. His two books, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Long Season</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pennant Race</span>, are classics in the ballplayer-as-memoirist field, and they set the bar for all to follow. Four eyes and a lot of time resting between appearances equals authorship any day of the week!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bill Virdon<br />Lee Walls<br />Ken Walters<br /><br />Ken MacKenzie-The first bespectacled Met, he was in desperate need of focus as the relief ‘ace’ of the infamous ’62 team. However, the bespectacled power paid off, as his 5-4 record was the only winning percentage on the entire team. A Yale grad (go figure), Ken was a Canadian born dynamo who spent '62 in the Mets pen with the likes of future southern legislator 'Vinegar Bend' Mizell and college football hero Galen Cisco- oh to have been a fly on those Polo Ground walls!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiKpa-PXIIxNwbO5UMp45eJOXzqaGjkLP9NHpmnwM1D5LQjD9tjzxWUQMdSNXjEkkh24U63C7sszzHBF6GRWjpHAPjQ5QqFM7R-j0pn0d1k7_wUwcOABQ-NzZHyWD_vvp4BCIBYFTALsU/s1600/sc0001aed5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiKpa-PXIIxNwbO5UMp45eJOXzqaGjkLP9NHpmnwM1D5LQjD9tjzxWUQMdSNXjEkkh24U63C7sszzHBF6GRWjpHAPjQ5QqFM7R-j0pn0d1k7_wUwcOABQ-NzZHyWD_vvp4BCIBYFTALsU/s320/sc0001aed5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561386721527046530" border="0" /></a>Coming soon, more on the bespectacled stars and not-so-stars of the 60's...ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-2636884156083460442010-07-22T16:36:00.000-07:002010-07-22T17:05:27.385-07:00Four Eyes + Three Swings = Eleven Runs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bD5Fci5IrmOyHJ9mr5i8ELY9XaZpXCJ1wXEoDwZcyM1EzqhXTSi_RRbyV_AlIZR9xLd1U_AN01SvXmpr2F40GEzwmx4HsRuTBfxx0Rj-bVdtA2Eif9kHCu1dnr9QnT8dWvtxvNhElcIM/s1600/sc000461db.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bD5Fci5IrmOyHJ9mr5i8ELY9XaZpXCJ1wXEoDwZcyM1EzqhXTSi_RRbyV_AlIZR9xLd1U_AN01SvXmpr2F40GEzwmx4HsRuTBfxx0Rj-bVdtA2Eif9kHCu1dnr9QnT8dWvtxvNhElcIM/s320/sc000461db.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496882983464766786" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://noboruaota.blogspot.com/2009/05/miracles-pt.html">Shigeya Iijima</a> was seeing double (or quadruple) on the evening of October 5, 1951- dizzy from hitting his second grand slam of the night. Add to that a three run homer, and the bespectacled slugger of the Daiei Stars could claim 11 rbi for a days work. With all four of his eyes he saw 22 runs cross the plate- not bad for someone who didn't even get started until he was 28 years old- either because of the war or due to bespectacled discrimination. His success, including both his duel grand slams and his three all-star game stints, came when he was in his thirties- this delayed gratification is similar to that which you will feel when you finally get to read the next segment of our attempt to list all glasses clad warriors in MLB history. The great four eyed stars of the 60's are coming soon- relocation to another city has occupied much of the Bespectacled Spectacle's time, but the glasses are back on!ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-44231959743830212332010-06-04T05:22:00.000-07:002010-06-04T05:40:16.355-07:00Does that ump need glasses?It's a question that has been asked for a long time. And I don't think <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100603&content_id=10754978&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb">Jim Joyce</a> would look too bad with the right frames (some aluminum frames would look killer with that southern highway mustache). <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1krCZmTLm8y95Qsr9I1VDWgDYnquREhawo89N_obxWBhtFC_LY9iT-RbXB6_qvqQ5X9zN8ERRx8xo98IForyUITQJaPcevI8kpZNdMwZbZ4rdi7CZ2jVhzQTCfmaPVspi_zgxfRyowwS/s1600/sc00004818.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1krCZmTLm8y95Qsr9I1VDWgDYnquREhawo89N_obxWBhtFC_LY9iT-RbXB6_qvqQ5X9zN8ERRx8xo98IForyUITQJaPcevI8kpZNdMwZbZ4rdi7CZ2jVhzQTCfmaPVspi_zgxfRyowwS/s320/sc00004818.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478895256413248306" border="0" /></a><br />Obviously it was a boner of a call; and everyone, including the ump, knows it. But I don't think it's time to start radically altering the sport with instant replay because of a bad call. Umps have made bad calls since there have been umps- and they have always needed better and thicker glasses (and have been reminded of this fact by crazy and casual fan alike). How many perfect games have been ruined by a bad call in the first inning? Because it is so much less dramatic, and because it is impossible to say how many possible perfecto's were ruined by an early bad call throwing off the pitcher's rhythm, no one has ever kept track. There have been hundreds of one hit performances- how many of those can be attributed to a bad call or break?<br /><br />The solution? If every MLB player chips in a hundredth of a percent of their salary, the league will have enough bread to buy the thickest, most performance enhancing glasses there have ever been. The answer is always <span style="font-style: italic;">thicker lenses</span>. Spread 'em around.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-38171945187391152042010-05-17T19:03:00.000-07:002010-05-20T18:55:41.514-07:00Butch EdgeThe Bespectacled Spectacle was recently featured in a short post in the excellent <a href="http://number5typecollection.blogspot.com/2010/05/type-site-bespectacled-spectacle.html">Number 5 Type Collection</a>. Matthew (the author) also left an amazing <a href="http://thebespectacledspectacle.blogspot.com/2010/01/are-glasses-performance-enhancement.html#comments">comment</a> on a previous Bespectacled Spectacle post featuring Mr. Mark Lee, the sun bleached bespectacled beach bum with the most prized pair of frames this side of Bogota.<br /><br />The story of Mark Lee's <a href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070928&content_id=308148&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp">mid-inning retirement</a> features one of our favorite four-eyed mound-bums: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Butch Edge</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAC9xoW5z5oYRDj3svMt2NOk48czoLQEkTm6ZO4BrI0CmKVqa6sVAgF8J-P-H9gIB5wfl37qQRmcHCwO5ldoWEeYn2RWKPxZfTg3yK_NReUBstyIE6D-rlLvAZwLX5hm_Ge4kCVhqeUAq/s1600/sc00082e09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAC9xoW5z5oYRDj3svMt2NOk48czoLQEkTm6ZO4BrI0CmKVqa6sVAgF8J-P-H9gIB5wfl37qQRmcHCwO5ldoWEeYn2RWKPxZfTg3yK_NReUBstyIE6D-rlLvAZwLX5hm_Ge4kCVhqeUAq/s320/sc00082e09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472437518553911442" border="0" /></a><br />A former 1st round pick for the Brew Crew, Butch had only a sip of coffee in the bigs- winning 3 and losing 4 for the Blue Jays in 1979. From the looks of his card, he did not take a shower during that entire stretch. It's possible he was just living up to his name- second only to Evil Knievel in pure bravado. Were the glasses just a front, to throw off those who might suspect his second life as a daredevil ne'er-do-well and man of the range?<br /><br />By the time he was replacing the retiring Lee, one can imaging that he looked even shaggier (and were they sharing glasses at that point?). In our bespectacled minds eye (or eyes), heaven can be found in the bullpen of the Portland Beavers in 1982- Lee and Edge and pray for rain (to clean their lenses).<br /><br />Whatever happened to Butch seems to be a mystery- a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a vest wrapped in turtle shell. More than likely he is a lion tamer in Burkina Faso, or a planet hopper in pursuit of Buckaroo Bonzai, maybe just a bartender in Williamsburg, Brooklyn- we may never know.<br /><br />Coming soon- the long awaited list of Specs from the Sixties...ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-56069724278931970792010-05-05T17:55:00.000-07:002010-05-15T12:21:17.834-07:00The Rebel; the Professor<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >More from the 50's...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHo00EQiFIM0RpbhuDkPNnZ3degxXRUHnFHvKAW-RuCcCuJjRRc3QPQEiVlBtI_CsAWvhkywpqkz_BanfWinoNkDsRMcCFMGFT_dqlGJLypRSeFURI1REVWfk0VH_p-AQuPf0mH14XBco/s1600/sc0003ccdd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHo00EQiFIM0RpbhuDkPNnZ3degxXRUHnFHvKAW-RuCcCuJjRRc3QPQEiVlBtI_CsAWvhkywpqkz_BanfWinoNkDsRMcCFMGFT_dqlGJLypRSeFURI1REVWfk0VH_p-AQuPf0mH14XBco/s320/sc0003ccdd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471572666509485074" border="0" /></a>Very few ballplayers become writers. Even fewer writers turn into ballplayers. Jim Brosnan was the latter, though he didn't know he was a writer when he stepped on his first Appalachian League rubber in 1947. He was already half-way there, sporting a pair of specs that could write their own novel.<br /><br />After a few lackluster years with the Cubs, Jim was traded to the Cardinals where he aced the second part of the 1958 season, going 8-4 with 7 saves in 33 games. It was enough to convince new manager Solly Hemus keep him around for at least the first part of '59- but his 1-3 record led to his swift removal to Cincinnatti where, once again, he excelled. The length of that season, the drama, the move- everything went down into his notebook.<br /><br />From there, into a book unlike any baseball book that came before it- one that would shed light on the everyday, behind the scenes baseball life that many thought should remain part of the mystique of the Major League Baseballist. <br /><br />Though published in 1960, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Season-Jim-Brosnan/dp/1566634180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273950923&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Long Season</span></a> was a chronicle of baseball life in the tail end of the fifties, by a bespectacled bookworm commonly referred to as "The Professor"- a stereotype not often found in 50's baseball but almost always in the four-eyed scene. Not as controversial as the book it inspired, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ball Four</span>, it did have it's critics. But there was no breaking down of the Mantle Myth, so no threats from Elston Howard.<br /><br />They could have seen it coming- but one can guess that, because of Jim's four eyes, the presence of a pencil and paper seemed normal. Add to that the events of the previous year: his skill had already been recognized by several in the sports writing world- enough to get him several offers to cover the Cards while he was touring Japan with them in October and November of 1958 (see <a href="http://noboruaota.blogspot.com/">A Noboru Aota Fan's Notes</a> for more on the tour and his articles).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwle1LkNdFKvxsVeXbt_XmXv0HyYlTLk33ChpbNianGAHV6xVzc0WqhBmIKyhTseWtKhTNYjiK4UtI0gtk3PS8KQ0jYB98fXo6Pxv6nU6HgTU41l37v3X-e6Pw6zYekGBP8XroTylef1hH/s1600/sc0003aaaf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwle1LkNdFKvxsVeXbt_XmXv0HyYlTLk33ChpbNianGAHV6xVzc0WqhBmIKyhTseWtKhTNYjiK4UtI0gtk3PS8KQ0jYB98fXo6Pxv6nU6HgTU41l37v3X-e6Pw6zYekGBP8XroTylef1hH/s320/sc0003aaaf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471573185855856242" border="0" /></a><br />His best season was with the '61 Reds, who hung onto him long enough to get a 10-4-16 season and his assistance to the World Series against the M & M boys (fresh from their 115 home run season), where he tanked in his only relief appearance. It wasn't all bad- that winning season proved to be excellent fodder for yet another book- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pennant-Race-Jim-Brosnan/dp/1566635497/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273950984&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pennant Race</span></a>.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-39125594317742730452010-04-18T18:32:00.000-07:002010-05-05T19:01:27.189-07:00The 1950's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3URtM1d2rpD-PInLPCa-rEyZEohvjVC7utJHEaiLJdcWqosOcaRGEOwrEYp9QGA0jqpwyzKn-CZg-5dXpOLN3B0epjPt36FPajj2_GVyRcdwefpXn4NtbdZRvO0goPDNeGyBdLPUayvAc/s1600/sc00072e5c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3URtM1d2rpD-PInLPCa-rEyZEohvjVC7utJHEaiLJdcWqosOcaRGEOwrEYp9QGA0jqpwyzKn-CZg-5dXpOLN3B0epjPt36FPajj2_GVyRcdwefpXn4NtbdZRvO0goPDNeGyBdLPUayvAc/s320/sc00072e5c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462031492013071074" border="0" /></a>The Project begins- our attempt to chronicle every player who donned a pair of specs in the history of the MLB. To start with, the first real four-eyed decade: the 50's. After WWII, advances in eye wear technology, along with the GI Bill, led to the first bespectacled decade. Below is a list of all those brave warriors to make it on to a line-up card- or, at least, we hope it is. One goal of this project is to fill in any gaps that may exist, so please leave in the comments section any names that should be on the list:<br /><br /><br />Dom DiMaggio<br />Bob Dillinger<br />Bill Rigney (Nicknamed 'specs' when he was with the Oakland Oaks, Rigney [below] had a decent career in the infield for the Giants, though his most productive years were prior to 1950. However, he will be remembered for his managerial work, leading the first Giants of the San Francisco bay. The team consisted of Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, and other greats, all who would sing his praises for years to come.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7v4iyaEGNavsi8-QKnzVknD8fvHsqRTEez3eV_MOZlk3o9XWLOf33E0g_6PFzBBV5sSuYBZnABj5AWiR1aSgPnfcJSODGPGCn8CNo6uXdgliYzEgXC7OrcB3ZrsqKQSNOctt72PuMcycn/s1600/sc0006e85f.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7v4iyaEGNavsi8-QKnzVknD8fvHsqRTEez3eV_MOZlk3o9XWLOf33E0g_6PFzBBV5sSuYBZnABj5AWiR1aSgPnfcJSODGPGCn8CNo6uXdgliYzEgXC7OrcB3ZrsqKQSNOctt72PuMcycn/s320/sc0006e85f.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462031855286484194" border="0" /></a>)<br /><br />Jim Konstanty<br />Walt Masterson<br />Earl Torgeson<br />Thurman Tucker<br />Don Richmond<br />Clyde King<br />Hal Erickson<br />Tom Gorman<br />Dick Cole<br />Clint Courtney<br />Hubbard<br />Dizzy Trout<br />Al Sima<br />Ed Blake<br />Joe Ostrowski<br />Harry Elliot<br />Jim Bolger<br />Ernie Oravetz<br />Ray McMillan<br />Dave Sisler<br />Lee Walls<br />Charley Thompson<br />Jim Brosnan<br />Don Bessent<br />Del Ennis<br />Eddie Kasko<br />George Crowe (Starting at first base for the Braves in their last year in Boston, Crowe [below] was the first bespectacled African American in the Majors. Like George Mikan before him, he excelled at basketball [in college, of course- those four eyes needed to study as well as play ball], but baseball was his true calling. He played in the Negro Leagues as well as in pre-integrated professional basketball with the Harlem Rens, but made his mark in the majors as a pinch hitter. He set the record (since broken) for pinch hit home runs, and had his best season with the Reds in 1957, when he hit 31 homers and had a .989 fielding average [think about playing first with a piece of glass less than an inch from <span style="font-style: italic;">your</span> eye]. George is the last living member of the Rens, and we hope he keeps on going for a long time, glasses and all.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx5YsRPwrvtQkSBwnznlVAeIDgxpY9iKQey5bzFEzGOy7o1tYsEUXBffG3V5A6Lnis_bdXVHbcxnwzx4-960aCkHsaAq3wTkXwACMMJD0UFp1j9AP2QD875PiH1I5SXEApHD8noMTiBQM/s1600/sc00071135.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx5YsRPwrvtQkSBwnznlVAeIDgxpY9iKQey5bzFEzGOy7o1tYsEUXBffG3V5A6Lnis_bdXVHbcxnwzx4-960aCkHsaAq3wTkXwACMMJD0UFp1j9AP2QD875PiH1I5SXEApHD8noMTiBQM/s320/sc00071135.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462032323952161842" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dick Hyde<br />Roy Smalley<br />Whitey Herzog<br />Carl Sawatski<br />Mel Roach<br />Chuck Coles<br />Steve Korcheck<br />Bob Nieman<br />Howie Nunn<br />Jim Baxes<br /><br />Coming next- the 60's, as well as some more 50's profiles. Please comment if you see any errors or glaring omissions.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-44179177349668776432010-03-28T09:09:00.000-07:002010-03-28T12:07:55.702-07:00Greg!?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhld2T4CNKh6chVUot3dwoW0Zb4vQcXm96SqjC5NhED8gxCbqw3ZbfqHhQygRez44VoT8oX4t_r4vEziA6Vb0GIPCoI2FAS18cYw_sU1WX5oShMqbvpCgibf8HTZMdsvo_BZ9BnuI85foOQ/s1600/sc0000c2d3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhld2T4CNKh6chVUot3dwoW0Zb4vQcXm96SqjC5NhED8gxCbqw3ZbfqHhQygRez44VoT8oX4t_r4vEziA6Vb0GIPCoI2FAS18cYw_sU1WX5oShMqbvpCgibf8HTZMdsvo_BZ9BnuI85foOQ/s320/sc0000c2d3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453760144261456818" border="0" /></a><br />Pictured right is Greg Briley setting back the "bespectacled-ballplayers-don't-have-to-be-nerdy" cause several years. And I thought Upper Deck had a more thorough vetting process for images. <br /><br />On a more serious note, bespectacled catchers, like Greg here, are rare. A recent request seeking to confirm that <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Clint_Courtney">Clint Courtney</a> (a real scrapper who did nothing but advance the cause mentioned above) was, in fact, the first four-eyed backstop (and no evidence found so far contradicts that fact) has led the Bespectacled Spectacle to begin a project- to chronicle every spec-ed up pro since the dawn of the major leagues. This means catchers, pitchers (the majority) and everyone else. <br /><br />Staring soon, we will begin listing those hallowed individuals by decade, asking (pleading) for any comments or additions to the list. The first decade to be covered will be the 50's, so stay tuned...ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-46107927513770079422010-03-14T12:06:00.000-07:002010-03-16T18:28:01.355-07:00Blurring the Mendoza LineGeorge Brett: Bully. Leave it to Mr. Perfect (didn't the comparison between George and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curt_Hennig">Curt Hennig</a> always seem too easy?) to pick on the eternal baseball 'nerd': the good field/no-hit infielder. And in this case, a no-hit infielder with glasses: Mario Mendoza. Could Mario even see his own line?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8OJUKVRegz0-Swm8w3vbSyOhXBbOpKpYQaabRdYv3-Lm5bnQ22AkcpJ6rXamZHwyPmXFyDCeHYtqaXqDxj3uxepZqstsSnjZsqRAoY0rwTMTJoCMUE-a7A93E2K0jqccwnPnATZXj6t6/s1600-h/sc000036df.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8OJUKVRegz0-Swm8w3vbSyOhXBbOpKpYQaabRdYv3-Lm5bnQ22AkcpJ6rXamZHwyPmXFyDCeHYtqaXqDxj3uxepZqstsSnjZsqRAoY0rwTMTJoCMUE-a7A93E2K0jqccwnPnATZXj6t6/s320/sc000036df.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449402857555463106" border="0" /></a>Mario was <span style="font-size:130%;">not</span> the worst hitting player in history (that title goes to Bill Bergen [.170 min. 2500 AB] and George McBride [.218 min. 5000 AB]), but it was his misfortune to be at the bottom of the stat line during the Brett era. Hence, the Mendoza line. Now the internationally recognized term for the lowest a pro ball player can go before finding the red ticket in the locker, the line stems from a 'compliment' Brett gave to Mendoza in an interview. After all, those players below the Mendoza Line are the ones who can't cut it, right? So Mario stands for the worst of the best, not the worst of the worst. Thanks George. Like most bullies, he was not original in his analysis: the term was really coined in the clubhouse, by Mendoza's own teammate Tom Paciorek. However, it took Brett, the star, to popularize it.<br /><br />Mendoza, born in Mexico and now back in his home country after managing in the Mexican League, didn't need a strong bat to be a great ball player. His golden glove and razor sharp vision (possibly the product of his 'performance-enhanced' eyes?) even robbed bully Brett of the elusive .400 mark late in the 1980 season, and those soft hands earned him a place in the <a href="http://www.salondelafama.com.mx/salondelafama/trono/alfasf.asp?x=137">Salon de la Fama</a>.<br /><br />He joins <a href="http://thebespectacledspectacle.blogspot.com/2010/01/are-glasses-performance-enhancement.html">Cookie Rojas</a> as yet another crossover Hall of Famer in our Glasses Hall, blurring the Mendoza line to the point that even Brett needs some specs.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-76990915557038587942010-02-21T17:10:00.000-08:002010-02-22T19:02:33.280-08:00Lil Prof<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyHh0zSeG3Jr8pC-Np3z9HF67sxRPcdU3r_ajQ1K4DnszRrJv3aKSdGF2omLiZVMiQtDjEA2N3J4qEQHYpkDyd_7TTzRLPVASjXx0JfLhDfHLfarIjlaHtxJUkQorA2tfxf0zQEnFFgOU/s1600-h/sc00014f9d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyHh0zSeG3Jr8pC-Np3z9HF67sxRPcdU3r_ajQ1K4DnszRrJv3aKSdGF2omLiZVMiQtDjEA2N3J4qEQHYpkDyd_7TTzRLPVASjXx0JfLhDfHLfarIjlaHtxJUkQorA2tfxf0zQEnFFgOU/s320/sc00014f9d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441258963279449426" border="0" /></a><br />Dominick DiMaggio's nickname, the Little Professor, exemplifies the studious perception of the bespectacled ballplayer. With this obvious advantage in IQ, Dom was one of the best center fielders of all time- a seven time all-star in a war shortened career. He finished his stay in center Fenway with 3859 putouts in 4,095 chances, giving him a career average of 2.98 chances per game, tops for all AL outfielders. He led the league in games and putouts several times, and his intelligence in the lead off spot earned him a .383 OBP (in the top 50 all time for right handed batters) and over 1000 runs scored for his career, even after missing three full seasons due to the war (he led the league twice). I am guessing that, as a Navy man, he was frequently sea sick.<br /><br />Historically overshadowed by his mythical brother, Dom nonetheless made it into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, a place his brother will never invade. Dom always seemed like the more professional, but less successful brother, who was still one up on the problem child (Vince, the "Prince of the Minor Leagues"). Bill James rates Dom as the #24 best center fielder of all time (to brother Joe's #5), but includes this ditty in his Baseball Abstract:<br /><br />"Total Baseball ranks Joe DiMaggio at +51 runs as an outfielder- but rates Dom at +101, Vince at +71. 'How can he be the greatest center fielder of all time,' asks Bill Deane, 'if he's the third best center fielder in his family?"<br /><br /> Though Dominick was never as mythologized as Joe (who ever was?), he was just as popular (in a more regional, Boston v. NY, sense), and was able to propel those advantages into business success in his post-baseball career: he didn't need Mr. Coffee or Paul Simon to add to the interest in the bank as an owner of the NE Patriots.<br /><br />And Joe thought he was so cool with that 56 game hitting streak- well, Dom had a 34 game streak in 1949, good for a tie for 10th longest of all time. Take <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span>, Joe. He was also the only bespectacled star of the 40's, and had no real competition for that title until Bill Rigney showed up. Still, Rigney was only a part-time four-eyes; Dom was the real deal, a true blind base-ballist star.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-63986550216890767922010-01-25T17:29:00.000-08:002010-01-25T17:49:27.705-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMGEy_XlSL5uju2EonEb3aGCHQsVmWMbkGldo91KS2m8AsJfShyGI1bIIeg7zALy5DWmHUi2v9osc3rsIuFOgj3M0LHWR6ADbNzFhtgh4qmgahkSqf9Y1Ropvmc5p3V38fvv7POZ01dS_/s1600-h/sc000331b6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMGEy_XlSL5uju2EonEb3aGCHQsVmWMbkGldo91KS2m8AsJfShyGI1bIIeg7zALy5DWmHUi2v9osc3rsIuFOgj3M0LHWR6ADbNzFhtgh4qmgahkSqf9Y1Ropvmc5p3V38fvv7POZ01dS_/s320/sc000331b6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430854779321500242" border="0" /></a>PSA rates these frames a <span style="font-size:130%;">7</span>, but we here at the Bespectacled Spectacle rate them closer to a <span style="font-size:130%;">5.5</span>- a clear tone and basic shape that have class but lack pizazz. Bob, a Kent State grad, was kind of the same way; he hit a home run in his first <span style="font-style: italic;">two</span> at bats in the majors, and rates (according to Bill James) as the 119th finest left fielder in the history of the game. He came close to an MVP once (7th place), but was never an All-Star, just like those flairless frames. Coming soon- more graded glasses...ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-35842572783374746662010-01-10T11:32:00.002-08:002010-01-20T08:39:32.110-08:00Are Glasses Performance Enhancement?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgep4r61zvS94cB0lYDHaXN_Qe0cwC3LwdfOqOkGFrnSNWAFxModIBD5xfYYfAku0SVBN2X7cyz_tox7HoigWQW0ZYYqnU6PAg_qCJlh1y-4R5-yQX59RFMiatdfZyja0BSAfTD2zkXv6ol/s1600-h/sc000a5df3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgep4r61zvS94cB0lYDHaXN_Qe0cwC3LwdfOqOkGFrnSNWAFxModIBD5xfYYfAku0SVBN2X7cyz_tox7HoigWQW0ZYYqnU6PAg_qCJlh1y-4R5-yQX59RFMiatdfZyja0BSAfTD2zkXv6ol/s320/sc000a5df3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426052926295215122" border="0" /></a><br />Oh, Days of Wine and Roses....<br /><br />Now that we have entered the Hall of Fame season, it is time to announce the newly elected members of the Glasses Hall of Fame, where performance enhancers are a requirement. But first, a look back at another established member- <span style="font-size:130%;">Cookie Rojas</span>.<br /><br />As has already been <a href="http://thebespectacledspectacle.blogspot.com/2009/09/introduction.html">mentioned</a>, the only cross-over member of our Hall of Fame as well as the one in Cooperstown is Chick Hafey (though Reggie and some other sun-glassed greats are on the periphery). However, we do have an additional dual-membership, not in Cooperstown, but in Cuberstown:<br /><br />Octavio Rojas, who was a 1982 inductee to the (phase 2 of the post-revolucion) Federacion de Peloteros Professionales Cubanos, or the <a href="http://www.cubanball.com/cubahall2.html">Hall de la Fama</a> for Cuban born baseball stars. With <a href="http://www.cubanball.com/cienfuegos.html">Cienfuegos</a> Cookie was part of a stellar double play combo (along with Chico Cardenas), but it was with Bobby Wine in the Phillies infield that we witnessed the "plays of Wine and Rojas", or, according to the 1966 Baseball Digest "greatest plays", the "daze of Wine and Rojas".<br /><br />A second baseman who hit over .300 twice in his career, he was primarily known for his glove. In his best years he was competing with either Bill Mazeroski or Bobby Grich for the gold glove- stiff competition that reasonably resulted in a gold-less career. He did turn 953 double plays in his career, not so far behind Mazeroski (1706 ) and Grich (1302), but he must get credit for turning-two with four eyes: Multiplied by two, he had 1906, by far the most - did he have an <span style="font-style: italic;">unfair </span>advantage because of his glasses? Definitely- those performance enhancing frames were built for nothing but speed. Why else was he named, in 1969, as the greatest Phillies second basemen EVER? <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKlJMNkflRdLgGuqs1pNqcb4nw2Pyzj_h4zN3mn1TXZ_HCr7pAGX7tftdCDeTO6oIn0WaWF4QT694tl6HyQj6qtY_o7q_kbo08FzeiK7KsF6lAUMKF1li9os8fbZbnq2XAQL3AigV-J2i/s1600-h/sc000a8666.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKlJMNkflRdLgGuqs1pNqcb4nw2Pyzj_h4zN3mn1TXZ_HCr7pAGX7tftdCDeTO6oIn0WaWF4QT694tl6HyQj6qtY_o7q_kbo08FzeiK7KsF6lAUMKF1li9os8fbZbnq2XAQL3AigV-J2i/s320/sc000a8666.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426053085551503554" border="0" /></a>Our newest inductee is Pepperdine alum Mark Lee, who obviously spent a bit too much time in the Malibu sun. Is there a Bloomingdales in Malibu?- if not, I am guessing that the Padres, nervous that the harsh landscape of San Diego would scare those fragile eyes, softened from years of beach-squinting, outfitted him with performance-enhancing dazzle. However, the only performence enhanced was his modeling career:<br /><br />He had one winning season, for the '78 Pad's, aided by the runner up for Rookie of the Year Ozzie Smith, Dave Winfield and, of course, <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=oscar+gamble&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">Oscar Gamble</a>, who must have been into Mark's frames more than anyone. Congratulations to Mark and his super powered hydro-vision.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-2563306287383714302010-01-10T11:32:00.001-08:002010-01-10T15:53:34.476-08:00End Game.<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-ReOl08or1pRXVSah-NsxJ3LKGcWTtqK55DNCWA_7UMrqT5d7C0N5zbjI-nCBNLsPs34j-KDcrTpqSKofQTOa8OuMGiOVVhYW13XeQDpfiTWyvxCjwm24aKQtIobb2KHjuWpFjjZXp23/s1600-h/sc00075580.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-ReOl08or1pRXVSah-NsxJ3LKGcWTtqK55DNCWA_7UMrqT5d7C0N5zbjI-nCBNLsPs34j-KDcrTpqSKofQTOa8OuMGiOVVhYW13XeQDpfiTWyvxCjwm24aKQtIobb2KHjuWpFjjZXp23/s320/sc00075580.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425237451026211490" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Tekulve">TEKULVE!</a></span>ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-24395336732545402392009-11-14T04:31:00.001-08:002009-11-26T12:25:59.685-08:00Hal Laycoe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuhKb2Nmxxm9_T31FnsOeMmkj6x4dnrj33OFaCuXSE6D2gAvLKaOXFfTzBd3kzctRgzNzHAcvj5c71sD4bLwxt06OfxMSPMhQ7mXYzZi3v2z4GsL0crr4LiMPZGTIuvtqDw1NIsclr8iW/s1600/sc000be585.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuhKb2Nmxxm9_T31FnsOeMmkj6x4dnrj33OFaCuXSE6D2gAvLKaOXFfTzBd3kzctRgzNzHAcvj5c71sD4bLwxt06OfxMSPMhQ7mXYzZi3v2z4GsL0crr4LiMPZGTIuvtqDw1NIsclr8iW/s320/sc000be585.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408501473946870450" border="0" /></a><br />Not a ball player, per se, but the bespectacled spectacle does not discriminate. You have to have a lot of pucks to play ice-hockey without a helmet- and even more to place two glass discs a few inches from your eyes. Hal sold cars in the off-season, but on the ice... <br /><br />I am sure he could see forever, see every minute detail of the puck as it was flying towards his face. Determined not to live up to the nerd image, he also reportedly got into a fight with hockey hall of fame bruiser Rocket Richard that eventually led to a riot in Detroit.<br /><br />No Yale or MIT degree, but he exploited his own braininess as a coach in the Western Hockey League as well as the NHL. Hal died in 1998- see his obituary in the NY Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/02/sports/hal-laycoe-75-nhl-player-whose-high-stick-led-to-riot.html">here</a>.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-36511485440439260832009-11-06T02:50:00.000-08:002009-11-06T03:05:31.664-08:00The Relic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZRSxGZMMrOfxtvjckWQPDD05FfFJtu_-q-5uwS-7zFxR416fBDpd4d_95LgkMcKqYTOJgGaUIyzOWtKKb_SgmX1KjqQrWfiAGBt2UxKZNu7HYnPUkUgom5iHGfsqsW9J7zRFF6OT1HYx/s1600-h/sc00003033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZRSxGZMMrOfxtvjckWQPDD05FfFJtu_-q-5uwS-7zFxR416fBDpd4d_95LgkMcKqYTOJgGaUIyzOWtKKb_SgmX1KjqQrWfiAGBt2UxKZNu7HYnPUkUgom5iHGfsqsW9J7zRFF6OT1HYx/s320/sc00003033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400941707390262290" border="0" /></a><br />As was mentioned at the start of this thing, some players make it here because they are great, and happen to wear glasses; others just happen to wear their glasses great. A small contingent in the Bespectacled Spectacle belongs to those pairs of glasses that made it with no help from man.<br /><br />I imagine that these things (left) were forged in the fires of creation, worshiped by medieval peasants, maybe sought by Mr. Indiana Jones. <br /><br />One thing is for certain- they made it to the majors without the assistance of Jim Breazeale. The back of this card points to his most storied accomplishment- he was back-up first baseman to Hank Aaron. Not that making the majors is some small feat, but I can only imagine that it was the power of those two ton frames, forged from meteorites consisting of unknown metals, that willed him from the minors to the majors.<br /><br />In the end, I can completely understand his deal with the devil- I would wear those even if they brought me regional softball fame, or, even if they simply could stay on my face and guide me through the day.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-54198490630025634882009-11-01T15:21:00.000-08:002009-11-02T19:01:21.774-08:00Inductee #43<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHCyfXDxg3v7q4btspEgHhxL35n9rrJSMmRs1XvR2ZZ-ggB8Vl7zCQWKnp3X9P_GhPoRh_aCw67B-L33SLr4WWpKHVrY89UFkkdu6QYLwPAYfvDi4IQVUqUP-fp8u6hsA8i1qY-G_zVCk/s1600-h/sc0000db39.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHCyfXDxg3v7q4btspEgHhxL35n9rrJSMmRs1XvR2ZZ-ggB8Vl7zCQWKnp3X9P_GhPoRh_aCw67B-L33SLr4WWpKHVrY89UFkkdu6QYLwPAYfvDi4IQVUqUP-fp8u6hsA8i1qY-G_zVCk/s320/sc0000db39.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399706420752932498" border="0" /></a><br />Dave Sisler is one of the most suave, good looking, custom cool men to ever slap on a pair of frames in the big leagues. Unlike the patron saint of the bespectacled ballists, <a href="http://thebespectacledspectacle.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html">Chick Hafey</a>, Sisler wore his like a Cadillac wears it's chrome.<br /><br />6'4" and lean, the son of Hall of Famer George Sisler (who was cut from that tough old stock, suffering from a similar sinus ailment as Hafey, but coming back from it to have an all-star second half of a career), Dave pitched for Boston and Cincinnati as a starter and a reliever, but never had as much success as his father or brother. He did have a great rookie season with the Red Sox, going 9-8 with 98 K's in 1956, supported by Jackie Jenson, Jimmy Piersall, Micky Vernon and Ted Williams.<br /><br />However, despite the size and the looks, Dave still possessed some of the traits we admire at the Bespectacled Spectacle- he was a trained engineer with a degree from Princeton (class of '53), and he had a similar link to literature as Dave Hilton- his brother, Dick, was the focus of a conversation between the young and old fishermen in The Old Man and the Sea:<br /><br />"They lost today," the boy told him.<br />"That means nothing, the great Dimaggio is himself again."<br />"They have other men on the team."<br />"Naturally, but he makes the difference. In the other league, between Brooklyn and Philadelphia I must take Brooklyn. But then I think of Dick Sisler and those great drives in the old park."<br />"There was nothing ever like them. He hits the longest ball I have ever seen."ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-46638272877032760742009-10-13T16:04:00.000-07:002009-10-16T08:51:51.257-07:00Inductee #13Specs are often associated with intellectual pursuits, and though the connotation of nerdiness is derived from this association, the results of such intellectual activity are not relegated to the passive- think violence (atomic warfare) and action (3-D); think baseball. However, the <span style="font-style: italic;">need</span> to <span style="font-style: italic;">read</span> was the mother of invention in this case, and the link between literature and sport is nowhere better represented than in our next honoree:<br /><br />Dave Hilton<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyF4ZVt4_6e7tTletIZMdW4458NOsfyCa5ioopOGJvT5BanF2Py0_6KSN7mhzpRHioMSUEiCKPPcg62uJKoofYbT6258U-n3ZAy01xFZ4lSglk1orXLfsR0QL7YtGCXiadLRogjBZkqHY/s1600-h/sc00013bf5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyF4ZVt4_6e7tTletIZMdW4458NOsfyCa5ioopOGJvT5BanF2Py0_6KSN7mhzpRHioMSUEiCKPPcg62uJKoofYbT6258U-n3ZAy01xFZ4lSglk1orXLfsR0QL7YtGCXiadLRogjBZkqHY/s320/sc00013bf5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393000554658484882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A rookie for the Padres in 1972, he played a few seasons as a utility infielder for a San Diego team that featured Dave Winfield and Nate Colbert, as well as a young Leron Lee, who would later play a long career with the Lotte Orions in Japan. And in Japan it was that Mr. Hilton reinforced the pesky relationship between glasses and literature- in April 1978, <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/features/murakami/site.php?id=">Haruki Murakami</a> was in the outfield stands for a Swallows game, when in the bottom of the first Hilton slammed a double into left field. At that exact moment, Murakami decided that he could write a novel- up until that moment he had been running a jazz club, and though he continued with the club for some time afterwards, he began writing his first novel as well. Write he did, and after producing such classics as <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Kafka On The Shore</span>, he is still composing.<br /><br />The grand irony- Dave had lost two of his four eyes when he put on the Swallows uniform:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2SiLldBPDL9nDN2RqPI4P-DTQ9bSfHmGhjV4tmFFscejdoL77zkpHOkCr3sbhVo0aQkQjDFYMkS9xX_Cla4vrI7_J8eAW_6AptRBTJgouFxQjBKwNeesShQj-JkQsmw1RKVaya6zEMxt/s1600-h/sc000156bf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2SiLldBPDL9nDN2RqPI4P-DTQ9bSfHmGhjV4tmFFscejdoL77zkpHOkCr3sbhVo0aQkQjDFYMkS9xX_Cla4vrI7_J8eAW_6AptRBTJgouFxQjBKwNeesShQj-JkQsmw1RKVaya6zEMxt/s320/sc000156bf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393000769877455906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's possible that Dave never took the glasses off- they became his eyes while his bat became a weapon for literature, sending the extra eyes into the left field bleachers where the Murakami's were waiting. Too bad he could never have done that in San Diego.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705851468923584819.post-74184124995374946792009-09-12T03:41:00.000-07:002009-10-06T19:23:31.942-07:00IntroductionThis site is meant to honor not only the greatest ballplayers who ever donned a pair (of glasses), but also the greatest glasses to adorn a ballplayer. In addition, we (and all of our eyes) will try to cover some of the history of glasses in baseball and baseball in glasses.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-Ctyw2Jj7CPaU5syqYZrIbMkcRB0WXME-gkBB9ic0y58yUdgi5r9PhvcSHRXdIIP_TVX8n81qbDRFWYxfyQWQVmVCn6aEFW61nkXdD7ZbMs6FYIqpCiXvjZlef1HPU6CqsD8VIl9pIWr/s1600-h/sc00004818.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-Ctyw2Jj7CPaU5syqYZrIbMkcRB0WXME-gkBB9ic0y58yUdgi5r9PhvcSHRXdIIP_TVX8n81qbDRFWYxfyQWQVmVCn6aEFW61nkXdD7ZbMs6FYIqpCiXvjZlef1HPU6CqsD8VIl9pIWr/s320/sc00004818.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389665679905992898" border="0" /></a>The first honoree is a natural one- the only bespectacled Hall of Famer (well, you can count Reggie Jackson, but Reggie fits more with the glasses-jet-set. See below). Chick Hafey is not only the only multi-eyed HOFer, but he is probably the nerdiest on many fronts. For instance, one can't imagine that any other enshrined member was forced to cut his career short due to a chronic sinus infection. Bill James has included him in his list of those who entered the Hall due to the supposed cronyism of Mr. Frisch in the early 70's- if so, I am very glad, as otherwise OUR Hall of Fame would have one less credential.<br /><br />On to OUR Hall of Fame- that is, the Glasses HOF. As mentioned above, inductees require either great play + glasses or great glasses + play, or maybe both (all HOF's are somewhat vague in their rules, right?). The first entry (below) is Chuck Hartenstein, who looks as if he drove his truck straight to Toronto from Spring Training in FLA. Chuck was apparently from the same small Texas town as Freddy Patek, who was, for a time, the shortest player in the big leagues.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoWCOyVcDpVCbN4ZBtf1NRb4JBK9sHjJ4qQE5SZm8lIB2CHC1ZUTkmLqXtQ8ZKUx8vgQcTt7bo0iCeIjT5qioq2EHSwUj04kZM6aHmWvB1i7oWd3D-08_c3486_P3GJfv7MtpwWPOgo-L/s1600-h/sc000085ea.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoWCOyVcDpVCbN4ZBtf1NRb4JBK9sHjJ4qQE5SZm8lIB2CHC1ZUTkmLqXtQ8ZKUx8vgQcTt7bo0iCeIjT5qioq2EHSwUj04kZM6aHmWvB1i7oWd3D-08_c3486_P3GJfv7MtpwWPOgo-L/s320/sc000085ea.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389669844561246962" border="0" /></a>Chuck falls into a special category of the Hall- those that wore sunglasses, as opposed to those who wore the more square (as in melvin), non-tinted specs. Reggie, if he were to accept, would be in this wing as well. The honorees to come will fall into both categories, but coming soon will be a few from the clear spec set. Near sighted or far, they avoided playing it cool in favor of seeing the ball clearly. Go figure.ABhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00110721827199073259noreply@blogger.com0