Mantle out of Baseball... sort of

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn wasn't messing around. Today in baseball (1983) he banished one of the icons of the sport from having any official position in Major League Baseball. On the day Mickey Mantle was named Director of Promotions for the Claridge Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City he was informed he had to give up his part-time coaching job with the Yankees. Ever accommodating, the former Yankee great said he understood, "I don't blame him. He did what he thinks is right or he wouldn't have done it."

There was a precedent for what Kuhn did. Four years earlier he did the same to baseball great Willie Mays after he accepted a position as a greeter for Bally's Park Place Casino in Atlantic City. According to the Associated Press (AP), Kuhn said about Mantle, "His situation is like Willie Mays. Baseball and casino employment are inconsistent." The Commissioners office made a point of saying that Mantle will be able to play in old-timer's games and make appearances for the Yankees since those aren't "official" positions in the game.

Mantle acknowledged that Bowie Kuhn tried to talk him out of taking the casino job by saying why not do commercials like Reggie Jackson for Panasonic or Joe DiMaggio for Mr. Coffee. Mantle said, "I've been out of baseball 14 years and I don't have Panasonic and Mr. Coffee knocking at my door."

Contributing Sources:
Associated Press (AP), New York, New York, February 9, 1983
Mickey Mantle: America's Prodigal Son, by Tony Castro, Published by Brassey's Inc., 2002
Baseball's All-time Greatest Hitters: Willie Mays, by Mary Kay Linge, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005

The Heartbreak Kid

REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS - Tony Conigilaro was born on this date in 1945 outside Boston, Massachusetts. He would grow up to realize the dream of many Boston area kids - to play for the Red Sox. He debuted with his hometown team at age 19. He was the youngest American League player to reach the 100 home run mark. The dream, along with his cheekbone, was shattered on the night of August 18, 1967 when he was hit in the face by a fastball from Jack Hamilton of the California Angels. Teammate and friend Rico Petrocelli was in the on-deck circle when Tony C got drilled and later wrote in his book, Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox:

"I always believed there was a spot where Tony couldn't see the inside pitch. If you threw it to the right spot, he'd hit that ball nine miles. But then there was this blind spot, a little more inside. Sometimes he moved too late to get out of the way, and sometimes he never moved at all."

Conigliaro was knocked unconscious. He had to be carried off the field on a stretcher. His cheekbone was broken and his left eye severely damaged, for a time it was feared he might not survive. The cheekbone healed but he had a hole in his retina. He missed the entire 1968 season. Then his vision miraculously cleared up and he played again in 1969. He hit 20 home runs and drove in 82, and was named comeback player of the year. He had the best year of his career in 1970 when he hit 36 home runs and drove in 116. He was traded that off-season to, ironically the California Angels.

Tony C's eyesight deteriorated again in 1971. He hit just .222 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI. He was increasingly difficult to deal with. According to the Associated Press (AP) his manager, Lefty Phillips, told reporters after a loss that Conigliaro "was ready for the insane asylum." Conigliaro sadly announced his retirement from baseball July 10, 1971, "I have lost my sight and on the edge-of-losing my mind."

Conigliaro died of kidney failure on February 24, 1990. He was 45.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
Associated Press (AP), July 11, 1971, Oakland, California
Seeing it Through, by Tony Conigliaro
Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox, by Rico Petrocelli

Improving with age

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - It doesn't seem like a whole lot today, but 39-year old Ted Williams signed a one year contract with the Boston Red Sox on this date in 1958 for a reported $125,000. It made him the highest paid player in history. Red Sox General Manager Joe Cronin said the raise was much "deserved." Williams didn't seem to slow down a bit in '57. He hit .388.

According to Joe Kelley of the Associated Press (AP) Williams was in such a good mood he sat down for more than an hour and chatted with reporters he'd clashed with many times before. The left fielder said, "I feel wonderful and feel I can do anything I could do five years ago." He was asked about doing what many aging players had done defensively, "I don't know about first base, it wouldn't look good in left field," Williams deadpanned. Seriously, he didn't think it would be that easy to switch from outfield to first base as he approaches his 40's.

Williams played three more seasons and probably could have played more. He played 113 games in his final season, 1960, and finished with 29 home runs, 72 runs batted in and a .316 batting average. And, oh what might have been. Williams, like many players of that era, missed three full seasons during World War II when he was in his 20's. He missed parts of two more seasons during the Korean War. He finished with 521 home runs. If he had played those seasons it's quite certain he would have hit well over 600 home runs.

Theodore Samuel Williams was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966.

Contributing sources:
Joe Kelley, Associated Press (AP), Boston, Massachusetts, February7, 1958

If I had a Hammer

MOBILE, ALABAMA - It's Henry Aaron's birthday. Hammerin Hank was born on this date in 1934 in Mobile, Alabama. He would go on to become major league baseball's all-time home run king in 1974 when he eclipsed Babe Ruth's record of 714. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs. Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record in 2007, tainted, however, by allegations of steroid use.

Henry Aaron, not unlike his unassuming demeanor, quietly set many major league records and is among the leaders of many more. Here are some as compiled by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR):

Most seasons with at least 20 HRs               20(1st)
Most career RBI                                        2,297(1st)
Most career extra base hits                      1,477(1st)
Most career total bases                            6,856(1st)
Most seasons at least 100 runs scored         15(1st)
Most career home runs                               755(2nd)
Most career runs                                      2,174(2nd)
Most career at-bats                               12,364(2nd)
Most seasons at least 100 RBI              11(3rd tied)
Most seasons at least 100 hits                     21(3rd)
Most career hits 3,771                                      (3rd)
Most career games                                 3,298 (3rd)
Most seasons batting .300 or better     14(6th tied)

It's also remarkable, considering he was the all-time HR king for almost 40 years, the lists Aaron is not on
Most seasons with at least 60 HRs                         0
Most seasons with at least 50 HRs                         0

Henry Louis Aaron was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

*Did you know that Barry Bonds finished his career with just 7 more home runs than Aaron? There's something just not right about that.

Contributing sources:
The SABR Baseball List & Record book, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), Edited by Lyle Spatz, Published by Scribner, 2007

Career home run leaders

Aaron wikipedia bio

Free Agents Here We Come

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - Do you think Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees knows who Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith are? He and every other ballplayer of today should tip their hats to the two pitchers who haven't played in thirty years. On this date in 1976 a federal judge in Kansas City upheld a decision allowing McNally and Messersmith to hawk their wares to the highest bitter. They could bargain with whichever team they chose. They were free-agents.

With rare exceptions, players hadn't been free agents since pretty much the beginning of the modern era in the late 1800s. When owners started raking in profits they realized that if players could sell their talents to the highest bidder salaries would skyrocket. The owners instituted a reserve clause in contracts; even when a contract ended, and just about all of them were for one year only, a player's fate remained with that team. The only recourse a dissatisfied player had was to hold out, not play. The only way he played for a different team is if he got traded.

Dave McNally of the Montreal Expos (today's Washington Nationals) and Andy Messersmith of the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Players' Union President Marvin Miller directing, decided to challenge the reserve clause. They played the 1975 season, their option years, without contracts, the thinking being when the option year lapsed the reserve clause ceased to exist. The owners' position was that the reserve clause just kept renewing itself. The parties went to arbitration and arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled in favor of the players. Major League Baseball appealed, thus today's ruling. We've had free-agency ever since and salaries have... skyrocketed.

Contributing sources:
Associated Press (AP), February 5, 1976, Kansas City, Missouri
More on the reserve clause