Posted By:
Jodi BirkholmGreat selections so far, guys. Many of your choices are also favorites of mine.
Samuel,
I also love Zernial's '52 Topps card. He once wrote me a note after I sent him a letter asking him to explain what the heck was going on in that image!!! Gus is one of baseball's truly nice guys.
Bob M.,
Ferguson's nickname is one of the funniest. Another early player, John Chapman, shared the moniker (and one other player if I'm not mistaken).
How can you NOT love Germany Schaefer? He gave those turn-of-the-century Tiger fans more than their money's worth. A guy like Schaefer deserved to spend a few more years with the living.
Steve Bilko was from the same town as Pete Gray. Nanticocke, PA, is a strangely charming coal-mining town near Scranton. In upstate New York and Pennsylvania, old-timers still utter Bilko's name in reverent whispers. From what I've gathered, Bilko was another of the game's first class personalities. His prowess at the plate was apparently matched only by his kind, gentle nature (and ability to put away copious amounts of brew).
Kevin,
I've always loved Weyhing, an incredibly overlooked player who was apparently just as good for a quote as he was for a victory. His brother passed away far too young (I recall that he was in his early twenties), whereas Gus lived to be nearly 90. Oddly enough, this happened a great deal with baseball siblings. Some other instances of this are David (D. 1897) and Frank (D. 1961) Foutz, Gene (D. 1937) and Joe (D. 1977) Connell, and of course Ed (D. 1903) and Frank (D. 1966) Delahanty (with a bunch of brothers in between).