Pacific Rim Baseball in the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
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Osaka Stadium was home to the Nankai Hawks
@YusufToropov @stlcolorbaseball @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @cwgrody @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices This was the first time a Black player was on a team in Japan with another Black player. Jimmy Bonner broke the color barrier in Japan in 1936.
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Right? Two legendary Negro Leagues stars on a team without a home field, have a MLB stadium that opened in 1960 in common, and it still isn’t their home ballpark.
They were about a year apart in the Bay Area as well. Hank left to play in another league. Just like the Clowns.
@RuthODay @YusufToropov @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Aaron and Stone both started at Candlestick Park.
How about “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” by San Francisco’s own Vince Guaraldi?
Everyone who got on that mound was casting their fate to the wind.
Vince wrote soundtracks for the “Peanuts” shows, so this comes back around to the Clowns and “Peanuts” Davis.
@RuthODay @YusufToropov @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Here’s a bigger hint, during Aaron’s last game in the park, he scuffled for two errors with the glove, but hit a two-run jack. It was September of 1974.
Like their careers with the Clowns, they would not cross paths.
@RuthODay @YusufToropov @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Another good guess, but not in Washington, D.C.
@RuthODay @YusufToropov @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices I’ll give everyone a big hint.
@RuthODay @YusufToropov @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Another good guess, but not in New York.
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Right? To have even some warmup footage of the two of them today? That would be gold.
While thinking about a selection for tomorrow, I have a fun trivia question.
If you put their appearances together, Toni Stone and Hank Aaron started 120 games at what MLB ballpark?
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices I knew it had to be middle infield because the “whatcouldabeen” factor hits me every time I remember Henry Aaron with the Clowns. Toni and Hank? Together? Kicking some ass and drawing scouts? Yes please!
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Indianapolis Clowns and second base?
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Terrific find. A legend too. Honi Coles and Cholly Atkins met in 1940 while working with Cab Calloway, and after the war, the duo performed together for years.
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Marichal and Roseboro had no lingering animosity either. There are a lot of lessons to draw from August 22, 1965. Especially about turning something ugly into a teachable moment.
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Right? Furthermore, there’s always some sort of narrative chasing a Black pitcher around when they don’t hit a guy more often.
It’d be smarter to teach every young pitcher who catches crap for not being a headhunter about the career line of Sandy Koufax. 18 HBP. Total. Sandy wasn’t intimidated by a hitter.
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Bob pitched inside, but averaged only 7 HBP a season over his career. His control was what made his fastball so scary.
Juan Marichal averaged only 3 hit batters a season.
Randy Johnson plunked an average of 11 per season. His early lack of control didn’t hurt his chances to intimidate for a whole career.
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Let’s enjoy Jeni Le Gon and Bill Robinson dancing to the piano of Fats Waller before it turns into a timeless duet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87e8UPd0rsk
Thanks for indulging me.
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices As always, thank you for appreciating the levels of music nerd that exists in my world.
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices How about the man of the hour himself?
Bill Robinson performing “Doin’ the New Low Down”
@YusufToropov @RuthODay @tabletopmania @ted_duffield @Jaden3 @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @AlisonW_RedSox @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices Robinson ran 100 yards in 13.5 seconds. That’s mighty impressive, but he did it backwards and set the world record. That’s basically impossible.
The New York Black Yankees went 243-462-19 over the course of their existence. The Seattle Mariners went 246-400 from 1977 to 1980.
Both teams were beloved tho.
@RuthODay @YusufToropov @tabletopmania @stlcolorbaseball @ted_duffield @cwgrody @cbtryon @sendtherunners @aurelia @BigEarl @baseball @OhhJim @APBAreplay @AlexanderRaine7 @mattmaison @blackvoices A quartet of leagues in four different countries. Fields belongs in the Hall.