Bob Beamon delivering his world record long jump of 29 feet 2 1/2 inches in the 1968 Olympics, shattering the record by nearly two feet.

Hoyt Wilhelm

143-122
2.52 ERA
227 Saves

What a great thread. Thanks oak.

Mike Shannon

There's a kinda funny backstory to this entry.

I was a 7 year old kid living in Atlanta when the Braves came to town. The very first game that I ever went to was the Braves vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.

My folks never had a lot of money, but my dad fixed a television set for a guy who had some nice season tickets - right over the visiting bullpen (in those days - right behind the visiting dugout on the 3rd base line).

I had brought my glove to the game hoping to catch a foul ball.

The game itself, must have been fairly uneventful as I can't remember anything about it. But at some point, I wandered down to the railing right above the visiting bullpen. Mike Shannon (unknown to me at the time - period) was catching for a relief pitcher who was about to be summoned in.

I sat there at just watched the two players throwing the ball back and forth. I found this about as interesting as anything else going on.

Well at some point when the two players were done warming up, I hear this voice say, "hey kid!". I looked down and saw one of them (Mike Shannon) with a ball in his hand. He lobbed it up to me and I caught it! What a souvenir!

I took the ball home and made up some sort of makeshift trophy stand for it (a block of wood an a mustard jar lid, I think). I placed the baseball there and it just became like a shrine for me.

My brother and I owned most all of the gear used in neighborhood sandlot pick-up games. We had a closet full of balls, bats and gloves.

One day a bunch of kids were over at our house for a loosely organized game. While I was in the bathroom peeing, one of the kids asked through the bathroom door where he might find a baseball. I told him to look in my bedroom.

As I exited the bathroom, still zipping up my fly I turned into my bedroom and noticed the now empty home made display case!

I went flying out the front door hoping to retrieve my trophy ball. Two steps out the door I heard the sound of ash meeting horsehide. I watched the ball sail over the top of our house and into a veritable jungle of woods and vines in the area behind our house. We all stopped (about 18 - 20 kids) and searched the wooded area as thoroughly as we could ... to no avail. My trophy baseball was gone forever.

But that brief encounter with a real life baseball player - Mike Shannon did more to create a love for the game with me than anything else. I've always hoped to meet him one day to tell him this story!

Billy Martin

The straw that stirs the drink pontificates....

Martin looks thrilled.

For some reason I can't drop a picture here; but here's to Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins who could have been the best ever if given the chance. There is no Doc J or MJ if he didn't come first.

Thanks; no Idea why I can't copy/paste photos in this web site. I still remember Connie dismantling Dave Debuscherre (I can't spell either) in his first all star game. I've never seen someone shoot a finger roll underhand shot from the foul line before or after than - not even George "Ice" Gervin who also bears mention here.

There's another nice shot of Gervin back on page 2.

Frank Howard

382 HR

Randy Johnson

303-166
3.29 ERA
4,875 K's

Randy Johnson

303-166
3.29 ERA
4,875 K's

And one Bird

Tom Matte

Tom Matte

I remember the playoff game where he had to fill in as QB with the plays written on his wristbands like it was yesterday - good one

Harmon Killebrew

573 HR

Ralph Sauer

Great story Rusty on Mike Shannon!
Yep, a HR Derby for the ages -- Big Frank, Dave King Kong & the Killer -- in his book from 1969-70 or so Ken Hawk Harelson wrote a whole chapter about Frank Howard

but awesome & a different one of Bob Beamon's mind- & record-shattering feat in the 68 Olympics -- could be wrong but wanna think it's George not Ralph Sauer in that late-1960s Jets photo

Det. pinch-hitting legend Gates Brown, Drysdale...real nice -- Drysdale's autobiog is worth a read, esp. the chapter "The Game I Love, But..."

Doug Rader

155 HR
5 Gold Gloves

Charley Taylor

Evel Knievel

Billy Bruton

Larry Doby. First African American in the American League.

Jim Bouton, author of one of the best baseball books ever, "Ball Four".

Orlando Cepeda, "The Baby Bull"

379 HR
1365 RBI