Jimmy Ray Hart has passed.....link and comment..

[K2C Sooner]

Former Giant Hart was really a great 3rd baseman in an era of great third basemen. The Boyer brothers, Harmon Killebrew (moved to 1st base) and Eddie Matthews come to mind in that era. I'm sure their are others I'm missing.

The point of my post....Hart worked at a Safeway warehouse for ten years after retirement. Mathews died in a run down trailer house, dead broke. What has the Players Union or even the ownership of Major league baseball done for these former great players in retirement? These guy's played before the huge salaries we see being paid today, not counting the current pension system. Well, rest in peace Mr. Hart. Check his stats in the link. Not bad......

http://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/Former-Giants-third-baseman-Jim-Ray-Hart-dies-7873510.php

 

[CTOkie]

I saw Hart hit a home run off Cincinnati's 18 year old pitcher Gary Nolan on April 25, 1967, in a 6-1 Giants win. (I was visiting my brother, stationed in Stockton before he went to Vietnam, and we drove into SF to see the game).
Marichal pitched a complete game striking out 8 batters, but gave up a homer by Tony Perez in the 6th inning for the Reds' only run.
I remember damn near freezing to death that night at Candlestick Park. I drank the worst cup of hot chocolate I ever had that night trying to keep warm.

 

[K2C Sooner]

I saw Hart hit a home run off Cincinnati's 18 year old pitcher Gary Nolan on April 25, 1967, in a 6-1 Giants win. (I was visiting my brother, stationed in Stockton before he went to Vietnam, and we drove into SF to see the game).
Marichal pitched a complete game striking out 8 batters, but gave up a homer by Tony Perez in the 6th inning for the Reds' only run.
I remember damn near freezing to death that night at Candlestick Park. I drank the worst cup of hot chocolate I ever had that night trying to keep warm.

Juan Marichal was one of my favorite pitchers in that era. How many of us tried to copy the "High Kick" and failed. I remember Gary Nolan also. Boy wonder...

I was at Busch stadium when Tom Seaver went against Bob Gibson and the Cards won 1-0 on a McCarver? home run. Can't remember the year, but little did I know I was watching a classic in person......

 

[CTOkie]

Juan Marichal was one of my favorite pitchers in that era. How many of us tried to copy the "High Kick" and failed. I remember Gary Nolan also. Boy wonder...

I was at Busch stadium when Tom Seaver went against Bob Gibson and the Cards won 1-0 on a McCarver? home run. Can't remember the year, but little did I know I was watching a classic in person......

That night at Candlestick I saw 3 Hall of Famers play in Marichal, Mays and Perez.....and while he is never going to Cooperstown, Pete Rose did not play that night. His deeds on the field are HOF worthy, but I do not believe he should be inducted.
I saw many games with my older brother at the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium (the old version up until 1973, the next version from 1976-2008 and the newest version from 2009), Shea Stadium, Wrigley Field, Candlestick, the Astrodome and Minute Maid Park. We saw great teams and players in our lives as well as a much better brand of baseball in those old days.

 

[K2C Sooner]

I'm testing my memory here, but I saw Don Mattling hit his 13th straight home run in consecutive games at Arlington Stadium. I saw where Texas is going to build a new stadium. That will be three in my lifetime.

 

[K2C Sooner]

BTW....I forgot Brooks Robinson in that era. I think Perez played third at that time. CT?

My edit: I think Frank Robinson played third base before moving to the outfield?

 

[CTOkie]

BTW....I forgot Brooks Robinson in that era. I think Perez played third at that time. CT?

Deron Johnson was at third and Perez was at first the night I saw them play at Candlestick. Tommy Helms was at second for the Reds that night.
Perez went back and forth between first and third up until 1972, when he stayed full time at first. He played one game at second in 1967.

 

[K2C Sooner]

Help me on some others in that generation.....Didn't Orlando Cepado (sp) start out as a third baseman? Not many American leaguers being mentioned.

 

[Oklabama]

Tommy Helms' name brings back bad memories for me. I lived in Houston a couple of times, and was an big Astros fan when they didn't have many. While I was living there and going to as many games as I could afford to go, the Astros traded away Joe Morgan in a multiple trade that included Tommy Helms coming to Houston. Tommy Helms for Joe Morgan!!!! That trade was big for the Reds. How many pennants did they win after that trade, I've lost count. Don't even talk about the Toy Cannon going to the Dodgers.

 

[CTOkie]

Cepeda was a left fielder and first baseman. He played four games at third in 1959 and only 19 games in RF.
I was at OU in March of 1969 when the Cardinals traded him to Atlanta for Joe Torre. My roomie from St. Louis was very excited to get Torre, then only 29 years old.

 

[CTOkie]

Tommy Helms' name brings back bad memories for me. I lived in Houston a couple of times, and was an big Astros fan when they didn't have many. While I was living there and going to as many games as I could afford to go, the Astros traded away Joe Morgan in a multiple trade that included Tommy Helms coming to Houston. Tommy Helms for Joe Morgan!!!! That trade was big for the Reds. How many pennants did they win after that trade, I've lost count. Don't even talk about the Toy Cannon going to the Dodgers.

Yeah, and I remember how happy the Houston fans and media were, getting 1B Lee May and Helms, plus IF Jimmy Stewart....for Morgan, IF Dennis Menke, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo and Ed Armbrister. This trade set the Astros back considerably, in all fairness to Helms and May.

 

[CTOkie]

The other Astros trade that should have been negated by MLB was the 1969 trade of Rusty Staub to Montreal for Donn Clendenon and Jesus Alou. Clendennon refused to play from Astros manager Harry Walker, a very bigoted man, and he refused too come to Houston.
Astros wound up with Alou, P's Jack Billingham and Skip Guinn and $100,000.00.
Clendenon was traded in June and helped the Miracle Mets win the World Series over heavily favored Baltimore....in five games. Clendenon was the Series MVP.

 

[CTOkie]

Tommy Helms' name brings back bad memories for me. I lived in Houston a couple of times, and was an big Astros fan when they didn't have many. While I was living there and going to as many games as I could afford to go, the Astros traded away Joe Morgan in a multiple trade that included Tommy Helms coming to Houston. Tommy Helms for Joe Morgan!!!! That trade was big for the Reds. How many pennants did they win after that trade, I've lost count. Don't even talk about the Toy Cannon going to the Dodgers.

Wynn was traded to the Dodgers for 34 year old Claude Osteen....who went 9-9 in his only year with the Astros in 1974.

 

[Oklabama]

Yeah, and I remember how happy the Houston fans and media were, getting 1B Lee May and Helms, plus IF Jimmy Stewart....for Morgan, IF Dennis Menke, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo and Ed Armbrister. This trade set the Astros back considerably, in all fairness to Helms and May.

I remember that you were a Houston resident around that same time and would appreciate recalling the "Trade". I happened to know Menke and Staub. My best friend's son was Balor Moore who signed with Montreal around the same time that Rusty went to the Expos. Balor worked out with Denis and Rusty in Houston during the off season and I got a chance to spend a few weekend out door party's with them in the early '70's. Rusty was a good source for financial guidance. I was staying at the old Executive House in Chicago when the Reds were there and had dinner with Denis and Clay Carroll one night. Denis introduced me to Bench that same night and he was a prick. I told Denis that I played against Bench in a tournament in Washington, OK and we kicked his ass, but added that it was no surprise that he made it to the majors. He played short stop that game.

 

[K2C Sooner]

I remember that you were a Houston resident around that same time and would appreciate recalling the "Trade". I happened to know Menke and Staub. My best friend's son was Balor Moore who signed with Montreal around the same time that Rusty went to the Expos. Balor worked out with Denis and Rusty in Houston during the off season and I got a chance to spend a few weekend out door party's with them in the early '70's. Rusty was a good source for financial guidance. I was staying at the old Executive House in Chicago when the Reds were there and had dinner with Denis and Clay Carroll one night. Denis introduced me to Bench that same night and he was a prick. I told Denis that I played against Bench in a tournament in Washington, OK and we kicked his ass, but added that it was no surprise that he made it to the majors. He played short stop that game.

That's not the first time I heard that Johnny Bench was a jerk. My local watering hole (dead p****'ers club) has a guy that went to high school with him. He used to date his sister. He has nothing good to say about him............. Great player, Great TV presence, but an asshole in real life.

 

[Oklabama]

That's not the first time I heard that Johnny Bench was a jerk. My local watering hole (dead p****'ers club) has a guy that went to high school with him. He used to date his sister. He has nothing good to say about him............. Great player, Great TV presence, but an asshole in real life.

I'll just say that the guy who introduced us apologized to me after Bench walked away. Of course that was in June 1973 when Johnny Bench was an established star and one of the most popular Reds on a great Cincinnati ball club. But still!