Header - Baseball by the Letters

Year: 2011

Baseball ‘Truly Blessed’ Pitcher Tom Bradley

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What’s behind those
dark glasses?

Blame Baseball Digest.

A 1971 article about the White Sox newcomer began by telling about Tom Bradley’s vision without glasses. These days, paraphrasing historians on the ‘net talk of Bradley being legally blind before specs.

He responded with interest to my query about hitters being worried about his eyesight:

“Not tough to pitch with glasses. Dark ultra-gray lenses may have intimated a few hitters.”

When Chuck Tanner took over the ChiSox, he toyed with a three-man rotation: Wilbur Wood, Stan Bahnsen and Bradley. How did Bradley survive?

“No pitch counts when I pitched. Threw on the second day between starts.”

Bradley’s humility floored me. He threw six shutouts in 1971, three against the Oakland A’s. Yes, the division-winning team with 101 victories! His simple, humble reply?

“I matched up against them well.”

When I saw the second page of Bradley’s reply, I realized what a grateful guy he was.

“I have been truly blessed, having been in baseball 57 of my 64 years. Played L League, Babe Ruth, American Legion, Falls Church High School, F.C.Virginia, Clark Griffith League, 3 years in the VA Valley league. Signed in 1968 after junior year at Maryland. With the Calif. Angels. Played on 5 teams in 1969, culminating in Sept. ’69 call-up. Spent 6 more years in the majors, 1970-75. Finished with Tucson Toros in 1976.

Then got into college coaching from 1977 to 2000. One year at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Von Hayes and Tom Candiotti were on the team). 1978 through 1990, head coach at Jax. Univ. in Jax., Florida. Then went to my alma mater, the Univ of Maryland, from 1990 to 2000. Then 10 years as pitching coach, 5 with the Toronto Blue Jays in A ball and five with San Diego Padres in A ball.

I am now the pitching coach at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where my son Andy is the head coach. Somewhat of a role reversal, as he is now my boss.

I have been happily married for 36-1/2 years to Kathy Bradley. We have a daughter Alix Bradley Simmons, who works for Macy’s as a buyer in San Antonio, Texas.

Thank you for asking.

Tom Bradley”

Tomorrow: Meet Lee Harmon, the super-fan behind “The Amazing Shea Stadium Autograph Project.”

Harmon Killebrew + Uppity Ump Humble Chicago Hurler Ken Frailing!

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Another matching autograph!
His sig still makes every letter count!

Pitcher Ken Frailing shared a sly sense of humor with me in his thoughtful reply.

While Frailing didn’t have the longest career, he spent it all in Chicago, going from the White Sox to the Cubs. I asked how it felt being part of the four-person deal to obtain legend Ron Santo on Dec. 11, 1973.

“Ron Santo was, and is, an icon in Chicago. We had met a few times. He was a great guy as well.

It was a real break for me. The Cubs needed left-handed pitching and I needed to be on another team. The Sox had great young arms, Rich Gossage and Terry Forster, for example.”

The Cubs got a quick return on their investment. Frailing worked in 55 games for the 1974 Cubbies. The stat shows just part of his workload, Frailing confirmed:

“I was up in over 100 games in 1974. I was tired at the end of the season.”

Frailing wasn’t an exclusive reliever for his new team. On May 27, 1974 (with thanks to http://www.retrosheet.org/), the lefty compiled an unusual complete-game win against the Giants at Wrigley Field. While he wasn’t the day’s most mystifying moundsman, Frailing put on a show at the plate: three hits and three RBI.

“I had a nifty 14-hitter and a complete game. I threw 158 pitches in that game.

I remember getting those hits and especially against a left-handed pitcher (Mike Caldwell).”

When Frailing summed up feelings about his career, he added one amazing bonus, writing:

“Baseball was a great part of my life. I really enjoyed my time and the memories are priceless.

Example: my major league debut in old Yankee Stadium. It doesn’t start any better than that.

Let me share one story from my career. 1972 — Chicago White Sox.

I am pitching to Harmon Killebrew. I got 1 ball, 2 strikes and throw a breaking ball over the heart of the plate. The umpire calls it a ball.

When the inning is over, I am walking to the dugout and the umpire meets me at the foul line and says, “Hey, rookie. Who do you think these people pay to see, you pitch, or Killebrew hit?”

I knew where I stood in the scheme of things.

Tom,

Thanks for your interest. May God bless!

Ken Frailing”

Tomorrow: Happy 57th baseball anniversary, Tom Bradley!

Max Alvis Saw Few Dividends In Brewers Trade

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My Alvis autograph
on his letter is a
LETTER PERFECT
match to this card!

Max Alvis got in on the ground floor with Milwaukee. The new Brewers needed tested talent fast. How did he see the transaction?

“My trade to the Brewers was a surprise, but it probably should not have been. I had knee surgery in 1969 and it was untested, plus the Indians had gotten (Graig) Nettles. It should have been an opportunity for me, but I got off to a slow start and did not contribute much.”

I don’t think Alvis wants any sympathy, however. He concluded:

“I was a hard worker and I was always trying to improve, especially as a fielder. I enjoyed every minute that I was a major league baseball player and I have no regrets.”

I just found a memorable essay of a Cleveland fan who wanted to look like Max Alvis as a boy. Be sure to check out the prize package the Plain Dealer may offer this essayist: a Bob Feller autographed baseball and more!

Tomorrow: Rubber-armed reliever Ken Frailing remembers.

Run, Jim Kaat! Max Alvis Grabbed A Bat!!!

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As a kid, I thought the
Topps “Giants” set only
had the tallest players.
Alvis looks like he’s
ready to swallow
a whole baseball!

Pssst…don’t tell Cooperstown.

Voters have toyed with the idea of Jim Kaat gaining Hall of Fame membership. He’s worthy on many counts. However, he might want to leave his encounters with Max Alvis off the application.

Thanks to http://www.retrosheet.org/, I relived some of those 1960s match-ups. Of those 31 hits against the lefty, Alvis pounded half those for extra bases. I’m guessing that most of those nine walks were no accident, either.

The most remarkable part of chasing Mister Kaat? It was news to Alvis. He wrote:

“Jim Kaat was one of the greatest pitchers that I ever played against. Not only could he pitch, but he could hit and was the best fielding pitching I ever saw. It is a surprise to learn that I was that successful against him.

I must have been real lucky.”

Alvis is one of the decade’s top “what if” hitters. How many extra homers would he own hitting in a cozy ballpark, instead of Cleveland’s canyon-like Municipal Stadium?

“Cleveland Municipal Stadium was a big stadium. Probably because it was home to the Cleveland Browns, also. The park was not real Home Run friendly, but the great pitchers of the Indians probably appreciated that fact. We always had good center fielders who could roam that big space and protect the pitchers.”

Don’t miss “Max-imum Overdrive,” a fine tribute to the slugger written by Todd Newville.

Tomorrow: Alvis reflects on his Cleveland departure and overall career.

How Does 1960 Yankee Hal Stowe Really Feel?

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I imagined Topps having
the scenic background
posters, like the
discount photographers use!

“It’s not you, it’s me…”

How many times have you heard that on a TV show or movie? I’m surprised more autograph collectors don’t hear that from more retired players.

Pitcher Hal Stowe was a kid when his life changed. Ask anyone who says they were perfect and mature at age 23, making all the right decisions, and I’ll bet that puppet’s wooden nose might be growing.

Stowe began his pro career in 1959. In 1960, after reeling off a dozen straight wins, he got his promotion to the bigs. Stowe shut down the Red Sox in one September relief outing. In 1961, after an impressive spring training, legend has it that a dispute developed between the pitcher and manager Ralph Houk. Banished to the bench for an entire season, Stowe’s demotion to AAA proved to be a career ender.
Stowe penned on my letter

“To Tom, My Best to you and God bless

Hal Stowe, Yankees ’60”

However, his answers were terse:

I asked if he saw the Red Sox as just another foe or a special rival before his debut.

“Yes”

(Indicating that the opponents were just that.)

Being with the legendary Yankee personalities, I wondered if he’d have roommate tales. Who were his roomies, and what adventures did they have?

“Robin Roberts, Phil Linz, Clete Boyer”

Phil Linz?!? Did Stowe like harmonica music better than Yogi Berra would?

Lastly, I hoped to get a comment about the 1962 Topps cards. Check out the background. I guessed it was a minor league setting or spring training. Trees like that growing in Yankee Stadium?!? Most of all, I asked Stowe how he felt (or feels today) seeing that card.

Stowe answered with two question marks. Nothing more.

The lesson I take from Stowe’s response? Even 50 years later, disappointment may not disappear. If you don’t get a response from your letter, if a question is ignored or a card isn’t autographed, don’t take it personally. We’ll never truly know how it felt then to be a major leaguer…or how it feels today.

(Kudos to Historic Baseball for pointing out Stowe’s enduring fame at Clemson University, where he pitched stellar college ball.)

Tomorrow: Run, Jim Kaat! Max Alvis is coming!!!