Walk Off Bunts

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Oakland A's Legend Vida Blue

Vida Blue made his debut with the Oakland A’s in at 19 in 1969. It would be 1971 before he would experience a full major league season, and what a season it was for Blue. In 1971, he would win both the American League Cy Young Award and American League Most Valuable Player Award.

He would finish the season with a won-loss record of 24-8 with a league leading ERA of 1.82. He would also toss 8 shutouts on the season. He fanned 301 hitters in 312 innings.

Blue would be a six time all-star, playing for the A’s, Giants, and Royals. He was a member of the 72-74 Oakland A’s World Series Champions. In three seasons he would win over 20 games, and finish his career 209-161 with an ERA of 3.27.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star John Roseboro

John Roseboro was one of the best defensive catchers during the 1960’s. However, he is best remembered for an incident where he was hit in the head with a bat by San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal.

Roseboro was a six time all-star, won the Gold Glove award in 1961 and 1966. He played on three World Series Championship teams in 1959, 1963 and 1965. He caught two of Sandy Koufax’s no hitters, and was the catcher for 112 shutouts.

He lacked prowess with the bat with a hitting line of .249/.326/.371.  He had 104 career home runs and knocked 548 runs.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Kong: Dave Kingman

Dave Kingman was known for his ability to crush long towering home runs, a poor glove, and an abrasive personality. Kingman was drafted by the San Francisco Giants out of USC (University of Southern California) in 197. He made his Major League debut in 1971 with his first full season in 1972, a strike delayed season, he hit for the cycle on the second game of the season (April 16, 1972). Kingman would hit 29 home runs that season with 83 RBI, but he would finish with a sub par slash line of .225/.303/.478 which would become indicative of what was to come in his career.

His offensive numbers continued to dip over the next two seasons. The Giants gave up on Kingman as a third baseman after making 12 errors in only 59 chances in 1974. His run production had slipped from his rookie campaign. He hit only 18 home runs with 55 RBI, and a slash line  of .223/.302/.440. He would be traded to the New York Mets after the 1974 season. 

In New York, he was moved to the outfield where he put up career high in 1975 in home runs with 36 and RBI with 88. During the 1976 season on June 4th, he would hit three home runs in an 11-0 thumping of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He would accomplish this feat five times in his career. He also set a new high in home runs during the season with 37. 

The 1977 was a poor season for Kingman, who was traded to the San Diego Padres, and after performing poorly was waived and claimed by the California Angels on September 6th. Only nine days later he was shipped to the New York Yankees. He is one of the few players in Major League history to play for four teams in the same season.

In 1978, he would sign as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs.  He would hit 28 home runs and drive in 79 runs in his first year on the north side of Chicago. He followed it up by having the best year of his career hitting 48 home runs driving in 115 with the best slash line of his career at .288/.343/.613.  He was named to the National League all-star team for the second time in his career. He was an all-star with the Mets in 1976, and would be named an all-star with the Mets again in 1982. The Cubs tiring of Kingman's personality traded the outfielder back to the New York Mets.

In his last six seasons he hit thirty or more home runs four times. Including the last three seasons with the Oakland A's. Despite hitting 35 home runs with 94 RBI , he wasn't offered a contract. Despite lofty home run totals Kingman was plagued by a poor slash his entire career finishing .236/.302/.478. He hit 442 home runs in his career with 1210 RBI. He became the first hitter with more than 400 home runs not to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He was entertainment on many mediocre teams in New York, Chicago, and Oakland.

2016 Buster Posey San Francisco Giants Highlights

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

The Alou Brothers

They were three brothers that all escaped poverty in the Dominican Republic, and were each signed by the San Francisco Giants.  The Alou brothers were the first set of three siblings to play in the outfield together on September 15, 1963. They were also the first set of three siblings to bat in the same half inning only 5 days earlier. They never started a game together in the outfield.

Jesus Rojas Alou at the time of his signing the Giants considered him the best prospect of the three brothers. The Giants signed him for $4,000. July 10, 1964 was the best game of his career going 6 for 6 with a home run and five singles. He never developed the power the Giants expected. He had a career high of 9 home runs in  1965. 1970 with the Houston Astros was his best offensive season slashing .306/.335/.384, but with only one home run his was traded to the Oakland Athletics. In Oakland, he would be part of the 1973-1974 Oakland A's World Series Champions. Always a solid outfielder, he had a long career with 15 seasons in the Major Leagues.

Mateo "Matty" Rojas Alou made his Major League debut for the Giants on September 26, 1960.  His career was wasting away in San Francisco as platoon player. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and under the instruction of Harry "The Hat" Walker his career was revived. In his first season with the Pirates in 1966, he won the National League batting title hitting .342/.373/.421. It was the start of a four-year stretch where he hit .330 or above. He was a National League all-star in 1968-1969. He was also a member of the 1972 Oakland A's World Series Champions. He closed out his career with the Cardinals, Yankees, Padres, and a three-year stint in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Felipe Rojas Alou signed with the Giants in 1955 for$200. When he made his debut in 1958, it would be the start of a 17-year career in Major League Baseball. It wasn't until 1961 that he started to get enough playing time for his power to blossom. He hit 18 home runs that season, he would hit 25 and 20 respectively before being traded to the Milwaukee Braves. In 1966, he enjoyed the best season of his career hitting 31 home runs with 74 RBI. He topped the National League in runs scored (122), hits (218), and had the best slash line of his career .327/.361/.533/.894. 1968, he again led the NL in hits with 210 hits, but at 33 his power was tapering off at a rapid rate. He would bounce between the Oakland A's, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, and Milwaukee Brewers to close out his career. He was 3-times all-star (62, 66, and 68). He served as manager of the Montreal Expos from 1992-2001, and was National League Manager of the Year in 1994. He also managed the San Francisco Giants from 2003-2006. In 2015 he was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, and 2016, Alou was elected to the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame.

.The Cleveland Indians Sudden Sam McDowell

Sam McDowell was 6-5 southpaw with a nice easy motion when he delivered the ball to plate gave rise to the nickname Sudden Sam. McDowell broke in with the Cleveland Indians as an 18-year old. When in his only appearance he walked five, and fanned 5 hitters in a 6.1 innings of work. It was an omen of things to come for McDowell.  in 1962 & 1963, he struggled to find his spot on the pitching staff. 

1964 was to be McDowell's break out season. He finish with a won-loss record of 11-6 with an ERA of 2.70, he walked 100 batter, while striking out 177, in 173.1 innings of work.  In 1965, he would go 17-11 with a league leading ERA of 2.18. He would lead the league in strike outs with 325, walks 132, and 17 wild pitches. Effectively wild?  Five of the next six seasons he would lead the American League in strikes outs.  Five of the next seven seasons, he would lead the league in walks.  1970 would be his only 20 win season of his career, and after that season his numbers began to tail off. 

After the 1971 season he was traded to the San Francisco Giants where he won 10 games in 1972. McDowell would make stops at the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates before calling it a career. He was six time American League all-star (1965, 1966, 1968-1971).  His won loss record was 141-134 with an ERA of 3.17, and finished with 2,453 strike outs.

Matt Cain's Perfect Game

June 13, 2012, Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants tosses a perfect game. It is the second of the season, and only the 22nd perfect game in Major League Baseball history. It is the first in Giants history, the Giant thump the Astros 10-0 in the game.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Barry Bonds Passes Babe Ruth

May 28, 2006. Colorado Rockies pitcher Byung-Hyum Kim serves up the 715th home run of San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds. Bonds moves into second place on the all-time home run list ahead of Babe Ruth.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Buster Posey Injured In Collision At Home Plate

>

May 25, 2011. San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is injured in a collision at home plate with Scott Cousins of the Florida Marlins. Posey is lost for the season with a broken left fibula, and three torn ligaments in his left ankle. The injuries require surgery to repair, and MLB begins to look at home plate collisions which leads to changes in regulating plays at home plate.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Angel Pagan Hits Walk-Off Inside-The-Park Home Run

May 25, 2013. San Francisco Giants outfielder Angel Pagan hits a two run inside-the-park walk-off home run in the 10th inning giving the Giants a 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Bill Terry was the last to accomplish the feat for the Giants in 1931 at the Polo Grounds.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Adam Wainwright Hits Home Run In First At Bat

May 24, 2006. Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a home run on the first pitch to him. The St. Louis Cardinals go on to beat the San Francisco Giants 10-4 at AT & T Park in San Francisco. Tossing three innings of relief, Wainwright earns his first career win.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Jake Peavy Sets Padres Strikeout Record

May 22, 2006.  Jake Peavy sets the San Diego Padres franchise record by striking out 16 Atlanta Braves. In 2007, Peavy would tie his own record by fanning 16 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Jake Arrieta Improves To 8-0

May 20, 2016.  Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta improves to 8-0 beating the San Francisco Giants 8-1. A scary moment in the game for the Cubs came in the first inning when Jason Heyward crashed into the wall.

Barry Bonds Ties Babe Ruth With 714th Home Run

May 20, 2006. Oakland A's southpaw Brad Halsey serves up the of the home run moves Barry Bonds into a second place tie with Babe Ruth. Bonds had gone through a streak of 29 at bats without a home run before crushing the pitch against Halsey at the McAfee Coliseum.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Sandy Koufax No-Hits The Giants

May 11, 1963.  Lefty Sandy Koufax hurl the second of his four career no-hitters. He no-hits the San Francisco Giants 8-0 beating future Hall of Famer Juan Marichal. Koufax had a perfect game going when walked Ed Bailey on a 3-2 pitch in the eighth inning.

Charlie Lea No-Hits The Giants

May 10, 1981. Montreal Expos hurler Charlie Lea no-hits the San Francisco Giants 4-0 . Lea also becomes the first French born pitcher to hurl a no-hit game. Lea had a won-loss record of 62-48 with an ERA of 3.54. His career was cut short by arm, and shoulder injuries. Lea died on November 11, 2011 at the age of 55.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Mike Piazza Passes Carlton Fisk

May 5, 2004. Mike Piazza of the New York Mets hits his 352nd home run as a catcher off pitcher Jerome Williams of the San Francisco Giants. The home run passes Carlton Fisk, and makes Mike Piazza the all-time leader for home runs at catcher. 

Willie Mays Smashes Four Home Runs

April 30, 1961, Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Mays smashes four home runs off the Milwaukee Brewers at County Stadium in Milwaukee. All four home runs were over 400 feet. Mays shot for a record fifth home run are denied as on deck when the last out is made by the Giants in the 9th inning. The Giants routed the Braves 14-4.

Warren Spahn No-Hits Giants

April 28, 1961, 40-year old Warren Spahn no-hits the San Francisco Giants 1-0 with Hank Aaron driving in the only run of the game. Spahn was an All-Star seventeen times, 1957 Cy Young Award winner, and he tossed two no-hitters. He had a won-loss record of  363-245 with an ERA 3.09, and 2,583 strikeouts during his career. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.