DEC2010: THE  93^rd  ARTICLE FOR BASEBALL GURU

ONEMOREINNING

  

               WHO?

BILL WHO:WILLIAM FREDERICK “BAD BILL” DAHLEN:

THE  THREE  LONGEST  HITTING  STREAKS  IN  MAJOR LEAGUE  BASEBALL WERE  BY JOE DIMAGGIO (56),  WEE WILLIE KEELER (44),  & TY COBB (44).  WHO WAS THE FOURTH?  HE’S

LITTLE KNOWN TODAY:

“Bad Bill” Dahlen should be better known today! In 1894 he hit in 42 straight games, went 0 for 6 the next day and then went on to a 28 game hitting streak (hitting in 70 of 71 straight games. He earned his nickname because of his terrible temper and was ejected 65 times while manager of the Brooklyn Superbas. Lifetime he has a .272 BA, 2,472 HITS, and 1,233 RBIs.

He is buried in The Cemetary of Evergreens in Brooklyn and died at the age of 80:

JACK WHO:JACK QUINN

Jack Quinn holds some very unique records!

He was the oldest player to hit a homerun in the American League. He did it at the age of 44.

Oldest player to start a World Series game……He pitched in the World Series at the age of 46.

One of six players to play in a game after the age of 50.

Oldest player to get more than one hit (4) in a season. He was a remarkable 49 years old then.

CANDY WHO:CANDY CUMMINGS

How can you go wrong with a name like Candy Cummings?

He had other attributes as well. First pitcher to win two complete games in the same day.

Rumor has it that he invented the curve ball while watching the movement of seashells when they were thrown in the water.

CLIFF WHO:CLIFF MAPES

Cliff Mapes had a vey undistinguished career in the Major Leagues. He played for just five years (all in the American league - 3 with the Yankee and one each with the Browns and Detroit) and hit .242 with 38 hr and 172 RBIs.

There is a special place for him in baseball lore though.

He is the last man to wear the numbers of two Yankee immortals. When New York decided to retire Babe Ruth’s number they asked Cliff if he would give up the number three he was wearing. He graciously said yes.

When Mapes was traded to St Louis the Yankees gave Mickey Mantle the number 7 he had worn all during his minor League career. It was available once Mapes was gone.

As a footnote I will add I was a friend of Mapes and that was one thing he was very proud of.