Forgotten and/or Memorable Players, All-Time

[OFFNY]

o

 

Mods, my apologies for borrowing the Orioles Talk section for what may be either considered either an MLB Section thread, or a Hangout thread ........ although it might be considered Orioles-related, since numerous players on my list were former Orioles (including one St. Louis Brown from the overall franchise history.)

Since it's March ........ and today's pre-season Orioles game is over with ........ I thought that people might be interested in recalling players that they may feel to be somewhat forgotten and/or that have not been talked about or thought about in a long time.

What is "forgotten" and/or "memorable" to some is not so for others, so there are no "right" or "wrong" answers ........ let's just have some fun on a Tuesday afternoon, and fire away with your list(s.) )  

 

These players can be HOFers, very good (but not great) players, or just players that (for whatever reason) you remember and/or feel that are at least somewhat forgotten. And feel free to go as far back as you want, to players that played well before you were born (as I have for a few of the players on my own list.)

 

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Glenn Beckert

Tito Fuentes

Jim Perry

George Sisler

Ted Sizemore

Dick Allen

John Tudor

George Hendrick

Joe Rudi

Sparky Lyle

Mark Littell

Ken Reitz

Don Wilson

Ferguson Jenkins

Joe Page (One of the First Bonafide Closers of the Modern Era/Past 70-80 Years)

Donn Clendenon

Gary Gentry

Jon Matlack

Len Barker

Terry Puhl

Cesar Cedeno

Rich Coggins

Ron LeFlore

Mark Fidrych

Alex Johnson

Merv Rettenmund

Enos Cabell

Dave Cash

Larry Dierker

Al Oliver

Nelson Briles

Bob Moose

Rennie Stennett

Bill Madlock

Omar Moreno

Ron Hunt

Bob Bailey

Bill Stoneman

Fred Stanley

Mickey Stanley

Willie Horton

Mickey Lolich

Tommy Tresh

Mike Marshall (Pitcher)

Mike Marshall (Outfielder)

Johnny "Blue Moon" Odom

Charlie Spikes

Joe Charboneau

Dick Tidrow

Walt "No Neck" Williams

Mike Kekich

Fritz Petersen

Horace Clark

Cliff Johnson

Andre Thornton

Omar Moreno

Ross Grimsley

Oscar Gamble

Richie Zisk

Ralph Garr

Wilbur Wood

Lerrin LaGrow

Gary Lavelle

Jorge Orta

Amos Otis

Larry Gura

John Mayberry, Sr.

Dock Ellis

Jerry Reuss

Ron Davis (Pitcher)

Ron Davis (Cardinals Outfielder from the 1968 World Series)

Ron Kittle

Ed Whitson

Lee Mazzilli

Chet Lemon

Lenny Randle

Steve Henderson

Jerry Grote

Cleon Jones

Willie Montanez

Claudell Washington

Elliot Maddox

Ed Kranepool

Ron Hodges

Jose Cardenal

Skip Lockwood

Joe Niekro

Reggie Jackson's Lost Season (1976, with the Orioles)

 

o

[OFFNY]

23 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

 

Fist two that came to mind were no neck Williams and Willie Montanez and you took them both.    One of the first games I remember listening to on the radio was while on a camping vacation overlooking the St. Lawrence river and listening to an Orioles-Tigers game with Earl Wilson going against the Orioles.   Had to be 1968 or 1969.    Also, vaguely remember Tom Phoebus pitching a no hitter during the 1968 season, I think.   Used to get up early on Sunday morning and try to get the sports section before my father did so I could just keep looking at the boxscores and the leading batters in the league.

Interesting names. Pardon my spelling.   Bill Monbuoquette and Cocoa LaBoy.    Always like the name of Jim Ray Hart who played for the Giants.,

 

Another memorable guy who pitched in the 80's.  Doug Jones.   A closer who got by with an 88 mph fastball and a devastating changeup.   Batters couldn't tell which one was coming.

Mark Fydrich brought a lot of excitement to the game for one summer.

Sam Horn with one of the most memorable opening days for the Orioles of all time against the Royals.

 

I remember one year the Orioles were in the pennant race and played the Brewers and the game got called because there was a curfew for playing past a certain hour. The game, I believe, was resumed the next morning at 10 or 11 AM. I managed to get it through the static on my transistor radio on WBAL up here in NJ. I believe Grant Jackson either got the win or was involved somehow.   The Orioles, again just going by memory, had a short armer named Bob Reynolds and Grant Jackson as their one two punch in the bullpen.

 

o

 

Yes, at that time, there was a rule ONLY FOR THE AMERICAN LEAGUE that stipulated than an inning could not be started after 1 A.M.

If you started the top half of an inning at 2 minutes before 1 AM, it was OK to finish that inning, even if it wound up taking 35-40 minutes. But after that, if the game was still tied, then the game was suspended and to be finished at a later date.

 

The National League never had any such rule, which is why you saw the Mets and the Braves play a 19-inning game that ended at 3:15 AM in 1985. And because it was the 4th of July, the Braves then went ahead and gave the fans (whomever was still there) the fireworks that were promised after the game.o 

 

 

[tntoriole]

Some have already been mentioned...the Tom Phoebus no hitter...I was in the Safety Patrol as a kid and it was Safety Patrol Day at Memorial, but I couldn't go because it was my Little League opener.  But my friend next door, Phil, who hated baseball and had never been to a game went that day because he was the head of the Safety Patrol.  So, Phil saw 1 game in his entire life, even as an adult, and it was that no-hitter while I have been going to games for over 50 years and have never seen one. 

Sudden Sam McDowell...he was pitching in Memorial Stadium and got tossed in the second inning.  He was arguing at home and was so mad that he reared back and threw the ball as hard as he could into the upper deck.  It went straight over my head  behind home plate like a jet plane and it daggone almost went out of the top of the Stadium.  Never seen such a throw before or since. 

Rocky Colavito threw out Boog Powell on the fly at home from RF on a sac fly that was literally on the warning track...amazing. 

Rod Carew and George Brett were my two favorite non Oriole greats.  Rod Carew could make a bat sing, he would just get hit after hit after hit no matter who was pitching and Brett, he just put the absolute smoothest swing on a baseball with such focused concentration. 

[tntoriole]

Colavito also hit 4 homers in - single game at Memorial Stadium in 1959 and was the last position player to get a pitching win before Chris Davis did it again.  Colavito, then with the Yankees, pitched 2 and 2/3 in the first game of a DH against the Tigers of Kaline, Horton and scored the winning run himself. 

[InsideCoroner]

There are a lot... but for some reason one that came to me immediately was Fred Lynn hitting walk-off homers in back-to-back games against the Twins in '85. 

[Fuzzball22]

I got two. As a kid I remember reading in the newspaper that Tony Cloninger hit two grand slams in one game. Pretty rare but especially rare in this case since Cloninger was a pitcher. The other one is Chico Salmon when he played for the O's. Not sure what year it was (69-72) but I think it was the first time the Orioles wore all orange uniforms. There was a quote from Chico along the lines of how much he really liked the all orange uniforms.

[Number5]

 

[osfan83]

14 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Now that you got me started, I remember being on vacation with my family in Lavallette, NJ at the shore and watching the All-Star game on a little portable TV, black and white, with rabbit ears (antenna).   The reception was terrible.   The screen was very snowy but we watched the game and could barely see the play where Pete rose scored the winning run by bowling over Ray Fosse at the plate.

Went to my friends wedding in October of 1986.   Kept getting updates on Game 6 of the Mets/Sox game 6 world series.   Went back to his house and watched the last two innings of a classic game.

Was still living at home (just barely) for the 1983 WS.   I had to watch the 5th game up in my room, again on a small portable TV (maybe even black and white).   I was too worked up to watch it with anyone else in the room.   I ran out into the street and yelled a few hoorays which was pretty strange in NJ but everyone knew I was an Orioles fan amongst all of the Yankee and Met fans.

Funny, I was at a friends wedding during the 1986 Buckner game. We all moved into the bar at the reception hall to watch the end of the game. My best friend a Mets fan and my girlfriend at the time a Sox fan....it was interesting. 

[25 Nuggets]

Since we could list a thousand such players if we had time, I'll do a theme -- successful managers who younger people may not realize were very good players:

None of those guys played while I was old enough to remember as a fan, but I sure know them as managers.

In my opinion, and yes again I didn't actually see him play -- Joe Torre was a Hall of Fame player.  But, he is ineligible since he is now a Hall of Fame manager.

RIP Jim Fregosi.

[CP0861]

2 hours ago, 25 Nuggets said:

Since we could list a thousand such players if we had time, I'll do a theme -- successful managers who younger people may not realize were very good players:

None of those guys played while I was old enough to remember as a fan, but I sure know them as managers.

In my opinion, and yes again I didn't actually see him play -- Joe Torre was a Hall of Fame player.  But, he is ineligible since he is now a Hall of Fame manager.

RIP Jim Fregosi.

Mike Hargrove was ROY back in his day.  Lee Mazilli was good.....then I think he got hurt early in his career.

I went through some of my baseball cards recently......it's amazing to go back through my "commons" and see all the names of guys who are now coaches/managers/gms.  I've got several Wayne Kirby and Scott Coolbaugh rookie cards....John Russell........Ruben Amaro....Billy Beane (I didn't even realize he played until I found him while sifting through my cards).....John Farrell.....and on and on.

 

[25 Nuggets]

2 hours ago, CP0861 said:

Mike Hargrove was ROY back in his day.  Lee Mazilli was good.....then I think he got hurt early in his career.

I went through some of my baseball cards recently......it's amazing to go back through my "commons" and see all the names of guys who are now coaches/managers/gms.  I've got several Wayne Kirby and Scott Coolbaugh rookie cards....John Russell........Ruben Amaro....Billy Beane (I didn't even realize he played until I found him while sifting through my cards).....John Farrell.....and on and on.

 

Yeah most managers / coaches played in some capacity but were "JAG"s at the major league level (or like Buck, never made it to the majors).

Hargrove is a good catch.  He won nearly 1200 games with two AL pennants with the Indians.  He got a raw deal with the Syd Thrift Orioles.  But as a player he had a career .396 OBP and walked nearly TWICE as many times as he struck out. 

I completely forgot Lee Mazzilli was part of the 1986 champion Mets team!  Coached by the aforementioned Dave(y) Johnson.  I wouldn't call him a successful manager though. 

[LA2]

Zoilo Versalles' MVP season (1965)

Carlos May, mainstay of the White Sox outfield, twice an All-Star (1969-75)

Max Alvis, Jerry Adair, Aurelio Rodriguez.

[Frobby]

On 3/14/2017 at 9:26 PM, Fuzzball22 said:

I got two. As a kid I remember reading in the newspaper that Tony Cloninger hit two grand slams in one game. Pretty rare but especially rare in this case since Cloninger was a pitcher. The other one is Chico Salmon when he played for the O's.

Cloninger had an RBI single in that game as well.

[Frobby]

How 'bout Jimmy "The Toy Cannon" Wynn?    He was listed at 5'10" tall and 160 pounds, and yet hit 291 career homers, playing most of his home games in the cavernous Astrodome.   Tremendous power in a tiny package.   

[Moose Milligan]

Can anyone find a photo of Lou Piniella in an Orioles uniform?

EDIT:  It's probably impossible.  I knew he didn't play for the Orioles long, but I thought it was longer than he actually did (4 games in 1964, with one plate appearance).