Who Am I? & The Dedication & Re-creation of Butterball Field

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Who is this Spring Picnicking Met at The Forbidden Zone? bump

Could that be Buzz Capra?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Okay. Here's the ultimate trivia question. I'm gonna need the answer, and good proof. What uniform number did Butterball wear with the Mets during Spring Training, 1962?

Butterball!! I love this guy!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Zvon wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Who is this Spring Picnicking Met at The Forbidden Zone? bump Could that be Buzz Capra?

[Edgy MD]

That shot was just too sexy for me to look at and think at the same time.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Danny Frisella and wife Pam frolicking at The Forbidden Zone. This could go in the Vintage/Retro Wifey Watch Thread. Do we have one?

[batmagadanleadoff]

"It's a godammn orgy over at that Forbidden Zone. No wonder it's forbidden".

[Zvon]

And here's Ron Swoboda (1967) at the renovated Butterball Field, cage included. The water fountain ties the old and new versions of the field. Who am I extra credit. This question is worth two 2 two clapping gifs. Who's giving Ron batting tips? More from the Swoboda batting tips session. A better shot of the cage. Hint: He was a Rookie of the Year and a four-time all star. bump In profile the guy kinda looks like Robin Ventura in a few years. Bill Virdon

Gil McDougald?
I'm looking at a list of ROYs and I still can't get it.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Who is this Spring Picnicking Met at The Forbidden Zone? bump Could that be Buzz Capra?

Really? The outfield glove made me think wild guess.

Edgy MD wrote: That shot was just too sexy for me to look at and think at the same time.

I thought todays players were spoiled. He had a sexy food taster!!

[batmagadanleadoff]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Okay. Here's the ultimate trivia question. I'm gonna need the answer, and good proof. What uniform number did Butterball wear with the Mets during Spring Training, 1962? Butterball!! I love this guy!

bump

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: There's more work to do at Miller-Huggins, Zvonnie. We've got to figure out the Clendenon side, where the field backs up against the neighborhood instead of the lake.

Doable. Start with the water tower and the street and work our way around.


I'm not sure about the Cardinal picture but I put it in my Sadecki Spot folder so I hope its Huggins.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Okay. Here's the ultimate trivia question. I'm gonna need the answer, and good proof. What uniform number did Butterball wear with the Mets during Spring Training, 1962? Butterball!! I love this guy! bump

He wore 45 on the Braves. I'll go with that but I looked pretty hard (meh, 5 minutes, but that's a lot in internet time) and I can't find Metly proof. I have Brave proof. http://mlblogsthesproutingnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/bob-botz-braves.jpeg

[batmagadanleadoff]

Today's Met, Larry Stahl (foreground), Butterball Field (background).

[batmagadanleadoff]

Dennis Ribant and Jack Fisher at the clubhouse at Butterball Field. The Stengel bench is in view.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Where's my double applause for Bill Virdon?

[batmagadanleadoff]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Where's my double applause for Bill Virdon?

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Who is this Spring Picnicking Met at The Forbidden Zone?

Do we really care who the man is in this photo?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Zvon wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Okay. Here's the ultimate trivia question. I'm gonna need the answer, and good proof. What uniform number did Butterball wear with the Mets during Spring Training, 1962? Butterball!! I love this guy! bump He wore 45 on the Braves. I'll go with that but I looked pretty hard (meh, 5 minutes, but that's a lot in internet time) and I can't find Metly proof. I have Brave proof. http://mlblogsthesproutingnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/bob-botz-braves.jpeg

Butterball doesn't strike me as the sort of pitcher who, in 1962, could demand a specific uniform from his team. The reason I'm asking for strong evidence is because I myself don't know the answer. This is a very tough question. Botz's number might be in a Spring Training roster, if the Mets printed one. Botz's photo might've appeared in newspapers when the Mets won their first game ever. But even so, the Mets didn't have uniform numbers on the front of their jerseys in 1962, so a photo of Botz might not be of any help in solving this question.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Butterball doesn't strike me as the sort of pitcher who, in 1962, could demand a specific uniform from his team. The reason I'm asking for strong evidence is because I myself don't know the answer. This is a very tough question. Botz's number might be in a Spring Training roster, if the Mets printed one. Botz's photo might've appeared in newspapers when the Mets won their first game ever. But even so, the Mets didn't have uniform numbers on the front of their jerseys in 1962, so a photo of Botz might not be of any help in solving this question.

Bob lives in Milwaukee. I'll call him up on the tele-phone. I'd feel really bad if he didn't remember though.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Zvon wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Butterball doesn't strike me as the sort of pitcher who, in 1962, could demand a specific uniform from his team. The reason I'm asking for strong evidence is because I myself don't know the answer. This is a very tough question. Botz's number might be in a Spring Training roster, if the Mets printed one. Botz's photo might've appeared in newspapers when the Mets won their first game ever. But even so, the Mets didn't have uniform numbers on the front of their jerseys in 1962, so a photo of Botz might not be of any help in solving this question. Bob lives in Milwaukee. I'll call him up on the tele-phone. I'd feel really bad if he didn't remember though.

You could also mail him some of those Butterball Mets cards you made, and ask him, by mail, if he remembers what his Met uni # was. He might ask you, in return, what the hell is the Sadecki Spot? And he definitely won't know about the cage, which wasn't installed until 1964.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Butterball doesn't strike me as the sort of pitcher who, in 1962, could demand a specific uniform from his team. The reason I'm asking for strong evidence is because I myself don't know the answer. This is a very tough question. Botz's number might be in a Spring Training roster, if the Mets printed one. Botz's photo might've appeared in newspapers when the Mets won their first game ever. But even so, the Mets didn't have uniform numbers on the front of their jerseys in 1962, so a photo of Botz might not be of any help in solving this question. Bob lives in Milwaukee. I'll call him up on the tele-phone. I'd feel really bad if he didn't remember though. You could also mail him some of those Butterball Mets cards you made, and ask him, by mail, if he remembers what his Met uni # was. He might ask you, in return, what the hell is the Sadecki Spot? And he definitely won't know about the cage, which wasn't installed until 1964.

Ha. That would be a trip. I have no plans to make these cards in three dimensional form. But I did print out two on glossy paper, even taped the card back to one, and it looked pretty damn kool. That's BobWs thing. But I see what you're saying. Instead of asking for an autograph, ask his uni #. lol. I just might do that. just send him a glossy. He can just shoot me back an Email if possible. I do still accept regular mail.

As far as the Sadecki Spot I could always direct him to the page I plan on doing for it at the card site. At first I was going to write it up as a novelty, fun, joke kinda thing. But I think that might be shortchanging a very interesting subject. Now I'm not sure how I'm going to approach it for the blog post.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Seaver and Ryan at Butterball Field. You can see the rectangular white sign in the Seaver photo.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Jim Hickman and family. A rare view of the Butterball Field cage from the parking lot.

[Zvon]

Now I'll be running into this clubhouse a lot, I imagine.

Somethings going on back there. Can't tell what.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The Met prospect with his back to the photographer at Butterball Field never made it to the big show. Who is he and where is he now? Playing his french horn? Golf? Something?

[Zvon]

Those shoes. Sid Finch.

[Zvon]

Finally, a good color pic of Salty Parker in a Met uniform! And a Met manager card for him! And its at Butterball Field!
TRIPLE PLAY!

[Edgy MD]

That's some tan on Salty.

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: That's some tan on Salty.

It's Boehneriffic! So too much orange?

[Zvon]

This looks like a more proper skin tone. If Salty didn't have rosy cheeks, he does now.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Zvon wrote: Those shoes. Sid Finch.