Birthdays- 9/2

[chicoruiz]

Reds:

Pat Watkins (38)

Rich Aurilia (40) -Wonder how the wife's singing career is going...

Jeff Russell (50) Pride of Wyoming H.S. and father of James Russell

Mel Behney (64) -All I remember about Mel is that he came through the system at about the same time as Milt Wilcox, and I kept getting them confused. As it turned out, the difference was that Milt could actually pitch a little. Mel was eventually traded away in a deal for two veteran bench players: Phil Gagliano and Andy Kosco.

Others:

Rex Hudler (51)

Drungo Larue Hazewood (52) -I just put him on the list because of his ultracool name.

Danny Goodwin (58) -#1 overall pick in the draft on two occasions, which I'm sure most of you already knew.

Marv Throneberry -Marvelous Marv!

Al Spalding -The game was a little different back in Al's time; he pitched 617 innings in the 1874 season.

[cumberlandreds]

I know Mel Behney kept showing up as a Reds Rookie on my baseball cards for quite a few years it seemed.

I wonder what was Spaldings pitch count that season?

[RedFanAlways1966]

Rex Hudler (51)

Marv Throneberry -Marvelous Marv!

Rex... watch your "bags" at the airport!

Marv... my earliest memories of Miller Lite beer commercials. And a great commercial.

[marcshoe]

I have no memory of Mel Behney, but I do remember the Reds trading someone for kosco and Gagliano. Weird.

As to that 617-inning season, I guess that's the reason Spalding's not still pitching in the big leagues. You can't just send a guy out like that and expect him to have a long career.

I guess the umps got so used to seeing him, though, that they just started writing his name on the balls for him to use.

[chicoruiz]

Okay, let's talk about Lamar Johnson (62)...Lamar always seemed to me like someone who'd be a fine player if he got a chance: a big power-hitting 1B who made enough contact to hit .336 in AAA one year. But the teams that actually owned him (mostly the White Sox) were always sticking him on the bench behind someone like Jim Spencer. I guess they're the professionals...

Lamar did have one big day: On June 19, 1977, he sang the national anthem before a game between the Sox and the A's, then hit two homers and a double, providing the only Sox runs in a 2-1 victory.

[Big Klu]

As good a player as Albert Goodwill Spalding was, he was an even better entrepreneur. He published the first official rules guide for baseball (in which he stated that only Spalding baseballs should be used, as they were of higher quality than other baseballs). He also founded the Baseball Guide, which was the most widely-read baseball publication of its time. He also began using a glove when he pitched, primarily because he and his brother had begun selling baseball gloves, and it was good advertising.

[oneupper]

In Venezuela "Pelota Spalding" was synonymous with a hardball. That is, if you were playing with a Pelota Spalding you were playing with a real baseball (not a rubber one or a taped one or some of the other stuff we played with).

Even if it was a Wilson or some other brand.