Birthdays: 4/10

[chicoruiz]

Reds:

Chris Dickerson (30) -Wow, that was quick...I still think of him as a prospect.

Jeff Gray (49) -Forkballing reliever whose career was cut short by a major stroke in 1991. Currently coaches for the GC Reds and co-owns a "Beef O'Brady's" restaurant in Sarasota with Jody Reed.

Ken Griffey Sr. (62) -I don't know anything about Senior that you don't- sorry.

Joe Gibbon (77) -A Red in the "lost year" of 1971, but better known as a Pirate. Reds fans also remember him for giving up the hit to Bobby Tolan that won the 1970 LCS for the Reds. Other trivia: In his Reds year, Gibbon was the pitcher in the only game that ever ended with a walk-off catcher interference call. In the bottom of the ninth with the score tied, Manny Mota tried to steal home and Johnny Bench stepped out in front of the plate before the pitch was delivered. Harry Wendlestadt made the call.

Others:

Marvin Freeman (49) -Known as "Starvin' Marvin" for his skinny build. He worked for a while in a factory making violin bows, and has also done some coaching.

Chuck Connors -Interesting life. Played for the Cubs and Dodgers, as well as the Boston Celtics (with the Celtics he became the first NBA player to shatter a backboard). Then became a TV star on such shows as "The Rifleman", "Branded", "Arrest And Trial", and "Cowboy in Africa". A friend of Richard Nixon; he was invited to the White House where he met Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev. He and Brezhnev becam close friends, and when Brezhnev died Connors petitioned the State Department to go to the funeral.

Ross Youngs -A HOF fielder despite a career cut short by kidney problems. When he returned home from his first professional season he found that his girlfriend had jilted him for his brother. Being a class act, Ross wished them well..

[Bob Borkowski]

Originally Posted by chicoruiz

Ken Griffey Sr. (62) -I don't know anything about Senior that you don't- sorry.

Seems to me that Griffey is a bit under-appreciated as a member of the BRM. Easy to be kept in the background by that group I suppose.

[cumberlandreds]

When Griffey came up he was really fast. He had a ton of infield singles. IIRC, they compared his BA with and without his infield hits and without, he hit .230 in 1975. I thinkh e had some injuries later in his career that took his speed away. May have been from playing on that concrete turf too many years also.

[RedFanAlways1966]

The anti Ted Williams lol? Of course most know that both Ken Sr and Ken Jr were born in the same town as Stan Muscial.

Griffey's best season came in 1976, when he came just short of winning the batting title behind Bill Madlock of the Chicago Cubs. Griffey chose to sit out the final day of the season to protect his batting title and it came back to haunt him as Madlock collected four hits that same day. Griffey entered the game late after hearing the news, and went 0 for 2. Many baseball purists were disappointed in Griffey (and perhaps more so in his manager, Sparky Anderson, for choosing to sit him out to gain an individual accolade). Griffey finished with a career high .336.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Griffey,_Sr.

[mth123]

Originally Posted by cumberlandreds

When Griffey came up he was really fast. He had a ton of infield singles. IIRC, they compared his BA with and without his infield hits and without, he hit .230 in 1975. I thinkh e had some injuries later in his career that took his speed away. May have been from playing on that concrete turf too many years also.

Young Griffey was every bit as fast as Deion Sanders was and I'd guess close what Billy Hamilton is speed wise and was a better hitter who could hit the ball with authority. Younger guys on here who may remember him as a simply a fat old guy playing with his son missed out on a real specimen.