Frank Thomas Trivia I'm Surprised I Did Not Know

[Guest Edgy DC]

Boomp.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Randy Niemann?

I know he didn't play in the 1986 Mets postseason.

He was also with the Twins in 1987 and the Astros in 1980. But that gives him two World Champions and one division title. And I don't know whether or not he saw any postseason action with either of those teams.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's a great guess.

Randy Niemann appeared with the 1986 Mets, who won a championship, but he didn't appear in any post-season games.

He appeared with the 1987 Twins, who won a championship, but he didn't appear in any post-season games. I suppose this team could qualify as the pennant winner in my question, although they exceed that.

He appeared with the 1980 Astros, who won the National League West Division, but he didn't appear in any post-season games.

But that's it. None of the other teams he played for won so much as a division, though the 1983 Pirates came in second, six games behind the Philadelphia Wheeze Kids.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The answer is Bob Heise. He played ten years and probably even earned a pension, despite hitting only one home run in 1232 plate appearances. (The victim was Dan "Puffy" Coombs of the San Diego Padres.)

Despite a career .293 slugging percentage that would make most typical milquetoast reserve infielders blush, Bob got around with some big teams. He got 10 plate appearances with the champion 1969 Mets, 11 with the division-winning 1971 San Francisco Giants (before being traded), a whopping 138 backing up Rico Petrocelli for the 1975 pennant-winning Red Sox, and finished his run of luck grabbing 66 plate appearances behind Frank White with the division-winning 1977 Royals.

[Theoldmole]

An irrelevant piece of trivia which just popped into my head. My friend Ray Barry ( Dead Man Walking, Year of the Dragon, Born on the Fourth of July, Training Day) holds the Ivy League record for longest punt in the wrong direction.

[MFS62]

TheOldMole wrote: An irrelevant piece of trivia which just popped into my head. My friend Ray Barry ( Dead Man Walking, Year of the Dragon, Born on the Fourth of July, Training Day) holds the Ivy League record for longest punt in the wrong direction.

Sounds like there's a story there. Care to provide it?

And, check my response in the comic book thread.

Later

[Theoldmole]

Basically, Ray brought the same intensity to football (for Brown) that he was later to bring to acting, and he gave his all to this particular kick. But he got a little out in front of it, and and it went sailing over his head, Pele-bicycle-kick style, and landed about 30 yards behind him.

[MFS62]

TheOldMole wrote: Basically, Ray brought the same intensity to football (for Brown) that he was later to bring to acting, and he gave his all to this particular kick. But he got a little out in front of it, and and it went sailing over his head, Pele-bicycle-kick style, and landed about 30 yards behind him.

LOL!
Thanks.

Later