Helluva hitter. Went 3-10 with a big homer against us in the 1963 World Series.
As a kid, I always hated him because his error in the 1969 All-Star Game made Mel Stottlemyre the loser that day. As a coach with the Mets, he ruined Mookie Wilson's arm because he insisted on using waterlogged, old baseballs in a spring training drill. But there's something old school you gotta admire in that sort of parsimony.
When he played, he was considered something of a stiff, a big, lumbering giant; a poor man's Boog Powell/Harmon Killebrew.
But looking at his stats now, I see he was a .273 hitter in a pitchers' era; a power hitter who averaged less than 100 strikeouts a year (1,460 in 16 seasons). Rookie of the year in 1960, 4-time All-Star, won 2 home run titles playing with a mediocre Washington team.
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Helluva hitter. Went 3-10 with a big homer against us in the 1963 World Series.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, I always hated him because his error in the 1969 All-Star Game made Mel Stottlemyre the loser that day. As a coach with the Mets, he ruined Mookie Wilson's arm because he insisted on using waterlogged, old baseballs in a spring training drill. But there's something old school you gotta admire in that sort of parsimony.
When he played, he was considered something of a stiff, a big, lumbering giant; a poor man's Boog Powell/Harmon Killebrew.
But looking at his stats now, I see he was a .273 hitter in a pitchers' era; a power hitter who averaged less than 100 strikeouts a year (1,460 in 16 seasons). Rookie of the year in 1960, 4-time All-Star, won 2 home run titles playing with a mediocre Washington team.
RIP, Hondo.
And...just read a great quote from him:
ReplyDelete"The distance of every tape-measure home run depends upon your press agent."
Even his baseball card made a bigger sound in the spokes of my bike. RIP big guy.
ReplyDeleteYou can't beat a nickname like "The Capitol Punisher."
ReplyDeleteA great guy. Very friendly. I met Hondo.
ReplyDeleteFun fact:
ReplyDeleteGame 1 of the Rangers-Diamondbacks World Series was the least-watched ever.
The series opener drew 9.17 million viewers across FOX — less than the pandemic series in 2020.