10 Things About Razor Shines

[Guest AG/DC]

1. He was the 2005 Southern League Manager of the Year with Charlotte and has gone 508-470 (.519) in seven minor league seasons, numbers I feel confident that Tim Teufel will never sniff.
   
   
2. He was managing La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League when he got the third-base appointment with the Sox in 2005, at a time when Americans were staying the heck out of Venezuela.
   


3. Spent parts of 16 seasons in the minor leagues, including nine with the Indianapolis Indians (68 homers). He would become a legend for (and meet Jerry Manuel with) Indianapolis, setting up his offseason home there and eventually being honored with a "Razor Shines Day," unusual in that he was on that day the manager for the visiting Charlotte Knights.
   


4. Played every position down there except second and short, including catching 1711 games in the minors (but none in the bigs), and pitching three and a third innings in the minors and one in the majors, all scoreless.
   


5. Reportedly, when once asked by a fan what it's like being in the bigs, he boyishly exclaimed, "My Mama's so proud of me. I'm a Major Leaguer!" He actually had played his last big league game at that point but was in camp with the Pirates and still apparently starstruck.
   


6. His son Devon was drafted by the White Sox in 2007. (I'm sort of disappointed that he didn't name his son Sun or Monkey or something.)
   


7. The Baseball Encyclopedia has his name as "Anthony Raymond," as the UMDB does also.
   
   �Wrong,� says Shines. �It�s Anthony Razor Shines. They just assumed my name was Raymond and that Razor was a nickname. Nobody asked me.
   
   
   
   �Razor�s a family name. My grandfather was a Razor. He gave that name to my father and he gave it to me. My son�s middle name is Razor. When my son has a boy, if he doesn�t want to name him Razor, well, that�s fine, but I wasn�t going to be the one who stopped it.�

   You should have asked him, Ben Grimm.
   



8. He managed the only hit in a Dennis Eckersley one-hitter in 1985.
   


9. He tried to make it through the Montreal system primarily as a catcher but found his aspirations stymied and the system bottlenecked for catchers by Gary Carter. He eventually switched to third base just in time to get in line behind Tim Wallach. He finally got an opening day start at first in 1985, before learning that he was just keeping the bag warm until Andres Galarraga was ready.
   
   In a funny kharmic turnabout, He now is a roadblock of sorts for Gary Carter's aspirations.
   


10. He will, in all likelihood, wave home the first ever Mets run at Citi Field.
    

Welcome to the Mets, Anthony Razor Shines.

[Zvon]

That is a kool name.
When I first saw it I thought it was the name of a horror movie.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'd have figured Manuel and Razor would have come across one another (not literally) in the Montreal system. Or is that Indianapolis? I can't recall at the moment what the Expos AAA team was then.

[Frayed Knot]

He competes with both Urban Shocker and Van Lingle Mungo for my favorite names in MLB honor roll.

[DocTee]

Good, but not quite up to par with Stubby Clapp and Shake Moore.

[Frayed Knot]

But still above both Sibby Sisti and Dick Pole

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Have we of all people already forgotten Johnny Dickshot?

Though for what it's worth, my money is on Rusty Kuntz.

[DocTee]

And there's always Antonio Bastardo and Pete LaCock.

[Guest AG/DC]

Well, there won't always be. Tony Suck, for instance, is no more.

[Benjamin Grimm]

="AG/DC":y0ghyf2a]The Baseball Encyclopedia has his name as "Anthony Raymond," as the UMDB does also. [/quote:y0ghyf2a] No, the UMDB has it right. Until yesterday afternoon, it was simply "Ray Shines" which must have come from when I pasted the box score data. But yesterday I corrected it to "Anthony Razor." I never had it as "Anthony Raymond."

seawolf17 Oct 24 2008 07:52 AM

metirish Oct 24 2008 09:04 AM

Razor was part of the White Sox fantasy camp in 08 http://chicagofantasybaseballcamp.com/photo_gallery.htm

AG/DC Oct 24 2008 10:38 AM

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1bigdur9]I'd have figured Manuel and Razor would have come across one another (not literally) in the Montreal system.[/quote:1bigdur9] Reports appear to be mixed. John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 24 2008 10:45 AM Well, Indianapolis was a MTL affiliate throughout the 80s. The seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" 86 roster shows they were teammates, and they probably would have encountered one another frequently though training camp,etc. They were both southern blacks and infielders, tho Manuel is 3 years older. MFS62 Oct 24 2008 04:07 PM Houston had two players in the minors during the 60's named Putz and Schmuck. They were teammates for a while. Back to Shines. Anthony? And all this time I thought his first name was ATRA. Later *62 Oct 24 2008 06:11 PM ="DocTee":3s43brbw]And there's always Antonio Bastardo and Pete LaCock.[/quote:3s43brbw] Pete LaCock, by the way, is the son of long time Hollywood Squares host, Peter Marshall. Guess which one changed their name. Edgy DC Feb 24 2009 07:36 AM Twelve rings. Johnnny, of course, is right about them meeting in the Montreal system.

[seawolf17]

[metirish]

Razor was part of the White Sox fantasy camp in 08

http://chicagofantasybaseballcamp.com/photo_gallery.htm

[Guest AG/DC]

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1bigdur9]I'd have figured Manuel and Razor would have come across one another (not literally) in the Montreal system.[/quote:1bigdur9] Reports appear to be mixed.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 24 2008 10:45 AM

Well, Indianapolis was a MTL affiliate throughout the 80s. The seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" 86 roster shows they were teammates, and they probably would have encountered one another frequently though training camp,etc. They were both southern blacks and infielders, tho Manuel is 3 years older.

MFS62 Oct 24 2008 04:07 PM

Houston had two players in the minors during the 60's named Putz and Schmuck. They were teammates for a while. Back to Shines. Anthony? And all this time I thought his first name was ATRA. Later

*62 Oct 24 2008 06:11 PM

="DocTee":3s43brbw]And there's always Antonio Bastardo and Pete LaCock.[/quote:3s43brbw] Pete LaCock, by the way, is the son of long time Hollywood Squares host, Peter Marshall. Guess which one changed their name. Edgy DC Feb 24 2009 07:36 AM Twelve rings. Johnnny, of course, is right about them meeting in the Montreal system.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Well, Indianapolis was a MTL affiliate throughout the 80s. The seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" 86 roster shows they were teammates, and they probably would have encountered one another frequently though training camp,etc. They were both southern blacks and infielders, tho Manuel is 3 years older.

[MFS62]

Houston had two players in the minors during the 60's named Putz and Schmuck. They were teammates for a while.

Back to Shines.
Anthony? And all this time I thought his first name was ATRA.

Later

[Guest *62]

="DocTee":3s43brbw]And there's always Antonio Bastardo and Pete LaCock.[/quote:3s43brbw] Pete LaCock, by the way, is the son of long time Hollywood Squares host, Peter Marshall. Guess which one changed their name.

Edgy DC Feb 24 2009 07:36 AM

Twelve rings. Johnnny, of course, is right about them meeting in the Montreal system.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Twelve rings.

Johnnny, of course, is right about them meeting in the Montreal system.