Birthdays: 2/7

[chicoruiz]

Reds:

Charlie Puleo (57) -When the Reds allowed Seaver to finish out his career with the Mets, Charlie was part of what we got back for him...Okay... When I was a little kid, there was a group that used to appear on shows like Ed Sullivan called "Johnny Puleo and the Harmonica Gang". Johnny was a dwarf, or little person, and the act consisted of Johnny and his bandmates playing harmonicas and doing slapstick stuff- kicking each other in the shins and the like. I guess you had to be there; is anyone else out there old enough to remember this? Anyway, I'm wandering far afield here, but my point is that it's hard to take a guy seriously as a pitcher when you're wondering if he's related to a harmonica-playing dwarf.

Pat Moran -19th-century catcher who managed both the Reds and the Phillies to their first world championships. Also given credit for developing Grover Cleveland Alexander as a pitcher. Might have been one of the great managers of all time, but he drank himself into an early grave.

Others:

Carney Lansford (55) -In the 1994 remake of "Angels In The Outfield", Carney plays "Hit Or Die Kesey", who gets struck out by Tony Danza in a climactic scene.

Dan Quisenberry -Bill James wrote a nice obit for Dan in the New Historical Abstract; read it if you can. One quick note: In the 1983 and '84 seasons, Dan pitched 268 innings combined, and walked only 23.

Burt Hooton -Went directly from college to the majors. Pitched a no-hitter in his fourth career start. Relied on a knuckle curve he called "The Thang"...

Charlie Jamieson -Another largely forgotten guy, but he could play: 222 hits in 1923 and 213 in 1924. Triple plays are rare, and triple plays started by outfielders are even rarer; Charlie started two triple plays from the outfield in the same season (1928).

[Bob Borkowski]

Reds:

Charlie Puleo (57) -When the Reds allowed Seaver to finish out his career with the Mets, Charlie was part of what we got back for him...Okay... When I was a little kid, there was a group that used to appear on shows like Ed Sullivan called "Johnny Puleo and the Harmonica Gang". Johnny was a dwarf, or little person, and the act consisted of Johnny and his bandmates playing harmonicas and doing slapstick stuff- kicking each other in the shins and the like. I guess you had to be there; is anyone else out there old enough to remember this? Anyway, I'm wandering far afield here, but my point is that it's hard to take a guy seriously as a pitcher when you're wondering if he's related to a harmonica-playing dwarf.

Man, am I glad that I'm not the only one whose mind runs in directions like this. We are few and far between on this board, chico.

Yes, I remember the Johnny Puleo group well. They were on all of the early TV variety shows like Millton Berle, etc. Talented and pretty entertaining, I thought, but, of course, back then just having a test pattern on the screen was enough to keep me watching.

[RichRed]

Anyway, I'm wandering far afield here, but my point is that it's hard to take a guy seriously as a pitcher when you're wondering if he's related to a harmonica-playing dwarf.

I think this is one of my all-time favorite sentences on RedsZone.

[cumberlandreds]

Burt Hooten never smiled. So Tommy LaSorda gave him the nickname "Happy".

I remember watching Ed Sullivan but don't remember the Puleo band.

[Bob Borkowski]

I remember watching Ed Sullivan but don't remember the Puleo band.

Here's Johnny Puleo but not from a Sullivan Show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pnv42IRmNY

[cumberlandreds]

Good old fashion slapstick comedy. That's something that's never seen anymore.