1964 Met Posts Review on Amazon

[G-Fafif]

Ironman pitcher Bill Wakefield endorses a Mets book that covers his tenure.

Haven't read it, but the same author wrote a great book on the New York Titans.

Bill (or William) held single-season games pitched record for Mets for 13 years.

[Theoldmole]

Dick Wakefield, for the younger set, was one of the original crop of late 40s-early 50s "bonus babies," at a time when Organized Baseball, to discourage the practice of throwing huge $5000 bonuses at young players, instituted a rule which stipulated that when a Major league team signed a player to a contract in excess of $4,000, the Major League team was required to keep that player on the 40-man roster for two full-seasons.

The most famous of these was Clint Hartung of the New York Giants, signed as both a pitching and hitting sensation, proving to be neither. Wakefield was another, and he had a few decent seasons with the Tigers, but never justified the thousands that were thrown at him (of course WWII had something to do with that).

[RealityChuck]

I seriously doubt Hartung is more famous than Sandy Koufax, Al Kaline (the most famous battery in baseball) or Harmon Killebrew.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Bill Wakefield also made a post on the UMDB back in 2004:

Memories of May 31, 1964

[G-Fafif]

RealityChuck wrote: I seriously doubt Hartung is more famous than Sandy Koufax, Al Kaline (the most famous battery in baseball) or Harmon Killebrew.

The guys you mention, yeah, they probably get top billing over Hartung as baseball players, but Hartung's fame for being a highly touted bonus baby is probably unsurpassed.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I met Bill R (the author) at the SABR meeting, but didn't buy his book. I have read both his protohistorical books "Blackguards & Red Stockings" and "When Johnny came Sliding Home" and they're both fascinating. He said he was working on a thrd 19th century book.

[Theoldmole]

I meant Hartung became the poster boy for bonus babies who flopped (one of his nicknames was "Floppy").

[RealityChuck]

But Hartung really wasn't all that big a flop -- six years and 192 games in the majors and a world series appearance. He was part of the Giants starting rotation for two seasons -- including one after his bonus baby status had expired and he could have been released or sent down. His pitching stats are poor, but not so horrible that the Giants didn't think he could contribute, and they liked him enough to try him out as a reserve outfielder for two years.

Frank Leja, OTOH, appeared in only 26 games and 23 ABs. Paul Martin only got in 7 games with a 14.14 ERA. Jim Brady pitched in six games, generally as a mop-up man, and had a 28.42 ERA. Leroy Powell wasn't even credited with an at bat (and appeared in only two games). Dave Hill only pitched in two games and had a 27.00 ERA in 2 1/3 innings.

Hartung's reputation is built on the fact the he was was a modest success (in terms of a career), but never a top player. Ironically, if he had been a total flop, he wouldn't have been remembered, but because he was good enough to hold on for respectable number of years, he was.

[Guest attgig]

TheOldMole wrote: but never justified the thousands that were thrown at him

heh. only if players were that cheap now...