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⚾ Baseball’s Centennial “Greatest Players Ever”
1969 Marked the 100th year of baseball - Looking back on the polls now and then
July 21, 1969, Major League Baseball celebrates the national pastime’s centennial anniversary with a gala banquet at the All-Star Game. The festivities include the announcement of an all-time team. Hall of Famer Babe Ruth is voted the "Greatest All-Time Player." Another Hall of Famer, Joe DiMaggio, is selected the "Greatest Living Player."
Marty Appel took revisited this event 44 years later and here are his thoughts:
Bowie Kuhn, the new acting commissioner was ready to wake up the sleepy game of baseball in its first year of division play, and was talking to Gillette about underwriting fan voting for the All-Star starting lineups the following year.
But first, there was the centennial to mark, with a Nixon White House celebration, an All-Star Game in Washington, a poster, a US postage stamp, and a record album narrated in part by Jimmy Stewart.
A special logo to be worn on all uniform sleeves and that patriotic looking logo remains the MLB logo today – the batter who looks a lot like Harmon Killebrew, but isn’t. (That, according to the designer, Jerry Dior).
And the cornerstone was to be the selection of baseball’s all-time teams – one covering all of baseball history…greatest players ever, and one for “living players.” Individually, each team was to have its own poll for its own all-timers and “greatest moment ever.”
The greatest all-time team included Lou Gehrig at first, Rogers Hornsby at second, Honus Wagner at short, Pie Traynor at third, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and DiMaggio in the outfield, Mickey Cochrane catching, Walter Johnson as the right handed pitcher, and Lefty Grove as the left handed pitcher. John McGraw was the manager.
The great living players were George Sisler and Stan Musial (tied) at first, Charlie Gehringer at second, Joe Cronin at short, Traynor at third, DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Willie Mays in the outfield, Bill Dickey catching, Bob Feller right hand pitcher, Grove left hand pitcher, and Casey Stengel, manager. Mays was the only player still active.
One thing that jumps out is how Pie Traynor’s stock seems to have fallen. The number one third baseman on both lists would be recognized by very few young fans today, and might have trouble making the top ten if such a vote was cast today.
It is also interesting to see DiMaggio on the all-time team having surpassed Tris Speaker, whom most old timers held sacred, both for his defense and offense, as the middle outfielder between Ruth and Cobb. Speaker’s time was now over.
On the living team, this would surely have been the moment that Mays over Mantle stirred hard feelings in New York. But even Mickey would come to acknowledge that in the end, Mays had the better career. Mantle, just four months after his retirement announcement, was at the peak of his popularity, but the memory of four rather ordinary final seasons was very much on people’s minds.
The selection of Cochrane at catcher could be seen as putting an end to the debate over Cochrane, Gabby Hartnett, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey. Today, Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza would be part of the discussion. Cochrane’s supremacy prior to Bench’s big years is noteworthy. Also, Dickey winning over Berra would probably not be the case today if both were living.
Little thought seems to have been given to the Negro Leagues, where Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson stood above all others. The Hall of Fame did not embrace the Negro Leagues until two years later.
I recall some chatter at the time about a few of the living selections being “cooked.” Cronin, a lifetime .301 hitter, may well have deserved the nod as greatest living shortstop, (over Luke Appling, Pee Wee Reese, Phil Rizzuto and Lou Boudreau), but one suspects that the baseball powers pre-ordained that he would emerge on top – given that he was the reigning American League President and a key figure at the White House event.
Likewise, one wonders now if Sisler won at first base but Musial, who was the head of the President’s Council on Fitness and Sports, was slipped in to create a tie.
Grove, the greatest living left-hander over Sandy Koufax? So it was decided, and with merit. (Bowie Kuhn liked to talk about Grove during the White House visit, pulling over some 19th century chair and plopping his feet on it as he relaxed).
There will come another anniversary – there are always anniversaries – and a chance to have another vote. But the takeaways from the 1969 vote were that 1) It was, in a sense, the debut of modern marketing for Major League Baseball, not yet known as “MLB”, 2) the event gave DiMaggio 30 years of introductory commentary, which he greatly enjoyed, and 3) so seemingly important at the time, but not even worthy of the 1970 Baseball Guide. Here is the full article.
Todays featured Podcast:
Did you know?
July 21, 1970, San Diego Padres manager Preston Gomez lifts starter Clay Kirby for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, even though the right-hander has a no-hitter in progress. With the Padres trailing 1-0, Gomez decides to play for the win instead of letting Kirby finish. The Padres eventually lose both the game and the no-hitter. Gomez would repeat the mistake in 1974 as well.
TRIVIA
What former manager's son represented the winning side in the first arbitration case in which a player was awarded $10M + ?
Hint: #1 He, not his son, holds a masters degree in Athletic Administration from Montclair State.
Hint: #2 He replaced John Roseboro behind the plate in the third inning in San Francisco on 22-Aug-1965.
July 21, 1959, the Boston Red Sox become the last team to debut a black player when Elijah “Pumpsie” Green appears in a game as a pinch-runner and shortstop. Green’s debut with Boston comes 12 years after Jackie Robinson’s historic debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
July 20, 1958 -- During the first game of a doubleheader, Tiger right-hander Jim Bunning no-hits the Red Sox, 3-0. Bunning strikeout a dozen Red Sox and walking 2 and hitting a batter. It is Bunnings sixth win in seven decisions (8-6).
The future Hall of Famer and U.S. Senator will become the first modern-day pitcher to toss a hitless game in both leagues when he throws a perfect for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Mets in 1964, and once again Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy will be behind the microphone doing the play-by-play, as he is today for Boston.
Jim Bunning on his greatest Sports Thrill 1958
July 20, 1965 -- Yankees' pitcher Mel Stottlemyre hits an inside-the-park grand slam against the Red Sox. The fifth-inning shot to deep center field proves to be the difference in the 23 year-old right-hander's 6-3 complete-game victory at Yankee Stadium.
He is the first pitcher to hit an inside-the-park grand slam since Deacon Phillippe did it for the Pirates in 1910. Stottlemyre's bases-loaded drive in the 5th off Bill Monbouquette assures him a 6 - 3 victory over the Red Sox.
July 20, 1976 -- At County Stadium Hank Aaron hit his last big league homer off California Angels' hurler Dick Drago en route to a 6-2 Brewers' win. The round-tripper is 'Hammerin' Hank's' 755th and establishes the all-time major league record for career home runs. Jerry Augustine gets the wins for the Brewers
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July 20, 1985 -- Driving in seven runs on two homers, Darryl Strawberry leads the Mets to a 16 - 4 drubbing of the visiting Braves. Straw's first home run is a grand slam in the 1st inning and his next is a three-run home run in the 4th. The Mets also get homers from Howard Johnson, Danny Heep and Clint Hurdle.
July 20, 1985 -- San Diego Padres starter LaMarr Hoyt gives up five hits in eight innings to record his 11th straight win as the Padres beat the Pirates, 4 - 2.
July 20, 1987 -- Don Mattingly ties a major league mark when he makes 22 putouts in the Yankees' 7-1 victory over the Twins in the Metrodome. 'Donnie Baseball' matches the one-game record established in 1906 by Hal Chase, another Bronx Bomber first sacker.
During the same game, Mattingly's homerun streak comes to an end with an 8th inning double.
Quote of the day:
"I will get one someday" - Bill Singer after losing a no hitter in the 7th the game before he got one