I love it when Joe writes about this story. Because it reminds me of my happiest baseball moment as a boy. It involved my favorite player, Nellie Fox. He hit about 2 homers a year in his career, so I guess compared to Duane he was a real slugger.
I was not quite 10 years old when my team, the White Sox, were on tv on the game of the week in 1961. It was exciting enough that the Sox were on tv at all. Back then it seemed most games of the week involved the Yankees. As I did not live in a major league city, the game of the week was my only option for watching an MLB game.
Anyway the Sox were down 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th. Pinch hitterBilly Goodman hit a game tying two run homer. After another out Nellie came to bat with two outs. He came to the plate with a black- or at least dark colored- bat which I seemed to remember he called “Old Betsy” rather than his normal ash colored bat. (One of my prized possessions was my own Nellie Fox Louisville slugger.) If my memory from an interview with Nellie is correct (and this may be fantasy on my part) , he came up with the intent to hit a homer. And to my utter astonishment and joy he did- a game winning homer in the bottom of the night. I ran around the house shouting in joy.
One of the good things about the internet is the historical stuff you can find. Here is a link to a write up about the game. It’s amazing to see documentation of one of my favorite childhood memories.
Pretty cool company in that Bartolo only has the one (famous) home run. And Joe Niekro just one too, off brother Phil. OK, pitchers, few at-bats, yes. But there are always so many tangential rabbit holes to explore. That's one of the great things about Joe's columns.
Geez, Aug 29, 1977. I was 15, enjoying the Blue Jays inaugural first season, maybe going to the Ex after buying Rush's Farewell to Kings album (released on that date too).
Cool, a Rush mention! I was watching Jeopardy! the other day (do only old people watch Jeopardy!?) and they had a music category. They put up a picture of Geddy Lee and the contestants (the oldest might have been 40) had no idea who he was.
Love this. Love whenever Joe writes about Duane Kuiper. Of course it sent me to Kuiper's Baseball Reference page and ... man, if that guy wasn't drafted a lot. Has Joe written about that? Dude was drafted in '68, '69, '70 (twice!), and '71 before the Indians got him in '72. Six times. All different teams, too.
That made me wonder what the record is. Per ChatGPT (so grain of salt), it's seven times, by both Pete Varney and Luis Medina. Medina also wound up playing for the Indians.
Joe, you should share this with Steve Stone for his recollections, preferably when he's working in the TV broadcast booth for the White Sox and given this season's divisional rivalry beween Chicago and Cleveland..
In 2014, at an Indians - Giants interleague game in SF, the Giants gave away a Kuiper bobblehead of him in an Indians uni to commemorate his only MLB home run - I still have mine somewhere in my sports memorabilia closet!
I love it when Joe writes about this story. Because it reminds me of my happiest baseball moment as a boy. It involved my favorite player, Nellie Fox. He hit about 2 homers a year in his career, so I guess compared to Duane he was a real slugger.
I was not quite 10 years old when my team, the White Sox, were on tv on the game of the week in 1961. It was exciting enough that the Sox were on tv at all. Back then it seemed most games of the week involved the Yankees. As I did not live in a major league city, the game of the week was my only option for watching an MLB game.
Anyway the Sox were down 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th. Pinch hitterBilly Goodman hit a game tying two run homer. After another out Nellie came to bat with two outs. He came to the plate with a black- or at least dark colored- bat which I seemed to remember he called “Old Betsy” rather than his normal ash colored bat. (One of my prized possessions was my own Nellie Fox Louisville slugger.) If my memory from an interview with Nellie is correct (and this may be fantasy on my part) , he came up with the intent to hit a homer. And to my utter astonishment and joy he did- a game winning homer in the bottom of the night. I ran around the house shouting in joy.
One of the good things about the internet is the historical stuff you can find. Here is a link to a write up about the game. It’s amazing to see documentation of one of my favorite childhood memories.
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-18-1961-goodman-fox-win-it-for-white-sox-in-9th-with-unlikely-homers/
Baseball memories of when you were a 10 year old boy are the best.
these are the articles I Love… a seemingly simple premise that turns into a heartwarming boyhood memory of our favorite sport…
thank you, joe …
🤷♂️ ⚾️ ⚾️ ⚾️ ❤️
Happy Anniversary Joe (and Duane)!
Pretty cool company in that Bartolo only has the one (famous) home run. And Joe Niekro just one too, off brother Phil. OK, pitchers, few at-bats, yes. But there are always so many tangential rabbit holes to explore. That's one of the great things about Joe's columns.
Geez, Aug 29, 1977. I was 15, enjoying the Blue Jays inaugural first season, maybe going to the Ex after buying Rush's Farewell to Kings album (released on that date too).
Cool, a Rush mention! I was watching Jeopardy! the other day (do only old people watch Jeopardy!?) and they had a music category. They put up a picture of Geddy Lee and the contestants (the oldest might have been 40) had no idea who he was.
Love this. Love whenever Joe writes about Duane Kuiper. Of course it sent me to Kuiper's Baseball Reference page and ... man, if that guy wasn't drafted a lot. Has Joe written about that? Dude was drafted in '68, '69, '70 (twice!), and '71 before the Indians got him in '72. Six times. All different teams, too.
That made me wonder what the record is. Per ChatGPT (so grain of salt), it's seven times, by both Pete Varney and Luis Medina. Medina also wound up playing for the Indians.
Also a terrific announcer. Cleveland with Tom Hamilton and company cannot be surpassed, but SF with Kuip and Jon Miller et al are fabulous.
Joe, you should share this with Steve Stone for his recollections, preferably when he's working in the TV broadcast booth for the White Sox and given this season's divisional rivalry beween Chicago and Cleveland..
In 2014, at an Indians - Giants interleague game in SF, the Giants gave away a Kuiper bobblehead of him in an Indians uni to commemorate his only MLB home run - I still have mine somewhere in my sports memorabilia closet!
OMG I didn't read the story before I posted this - so nice that you have one of these bobbleheads as well, Joe!
Old step and a dive Kuiper...