John Stearns, 1979 All-Star

[batmagadanleadoff]

Funny thing is the pillbox caps (and not just on the Buccos) would seemingly place the photo in 1976, but the teams these guys are representing places it a few years later --- in the 1977-1978 or 1978-1979 off-season.

We covered this years ago. Those are '79 uniforms, just like the ones worn at the ASG in Seattle. Ozzie Smith and Roger Craig are the giveaways, as they're wearing a one-year only style Padres uniform. As an aside, the Padres seemingly had more one-year only unis in the '70's than most teams have had in their entire history. That's probably not really true, but it does seem that way. Those caps are bicentennial style caps, but not the real Mccoys. Too many rows of stripes. Actually, the Pirates pillboxes have the right number of stripes, but their '76 caps were gold/yellow with a black P and black stripes. The Pirate caps in the photo above are from their mix and match era of Mizuno unis ('77-'84).

Why are Joel Youngblood's stirrups black?

OE: Candelaria's cap has the right Bicentennial look, but it's probably not a '76 cap.

[Zvon]

You gotta believe when Ozzie Smith ordered his hat he said :"AfroSIZE-IT!"

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'm more interested in the brand of cleat worn there by Tanner, the Dodger trainer, and the squatting front-row Phillie (Brusstar?) Is the M for Mizuno?

[metirish]

Got to be Mizuno, looks like the old Pirates guy with his hands on the suits shoulders is sporting a pair too....and golf pants?

[Edgy MD]

That's Chuck Tanner, sonny.

[metirish]

Ah, I thought Tanner was the Dodger trainer......read it wrong.

[Edgy MD]

That's OK. Before your time, certainly.

Tanner was the original Jim Leyland. Old-guy manager, questionable in approach, but widely loved by players and peers.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Plus, the Mets 1979 road unis had numbers without, or sans, serif. Stearns front uni number "1" digit is correct. Youngblood's isn't.

The first thing I noticed when I saw this photo yesterday was how ridiculous a man of Tanner's age, like Tanner, looked in that uniform. I could see why Connie Mack chose to wear suits in the dugout. Of course, Connie also owned the team, so his players were less likely to spit chaw on his leather shoes.

[metirish]

Yes, he looks almost as ridiculous as the asshole in the Cialis commercial.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Who's the asshole doing Cialis ads in Pirates' mix and match unis?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Did you notice Juaquin Benoit had the same brand sneaks?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Did you notice Juaquin Benoit had the same brand sneaks?

Hmmm. Upon investigation seems Benoit wears New Balance. N, not M.

Mystery continues...

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Mitre cleats?

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Who are the two old guys in suits crouching in front? Get out of there! People want the players, not you goofballs!

[Edgy MD]

I could certainly be wrong, but I'm thinking yellowjacket is Chub Feeney.

You have to love how the NL and AL were still such separate entities back then that they couldn't even get together on sending an All-Star team abroad for good baseball diplomacy.

[dinosaur jesus]

Edgy MD wrote: I could certainly be wrong, but I'm thinking yellowjacket is Chub Feeney.

Looks like Dr. Strangelove to me.

[dgwphotography]

Why is Ted Williams wearing a Padres uniform?

[dgwphotography]

My bad - that's Roger Craig, the Padres' manager

[Edgy MD]

I was gonna guess that it was because Williams' first minor league team was PCL San Diego Padres.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Bill Buhler, Dodgers trainer (kneeling, bottom row, left corner)
Tom Lasorda (behind Buhler)
Steve Garvey (kneeling next to Buhler)
Roger Craig (hand on Buhler's shoulder)
Aurelio Lopez (behind Craig)
Dave Parker (behind Lasorda and Lopez)
Dave Kingman (head only, behind Parker)
Ellis Valentine (cap only, behind Lopez)
Mike Schmidt's face/Larry Bowa's body (kneeling next to Garvey)
John Stearns (in his own row, behind Bowa/Schmidt and Garvey)
Ted Simmons (behind Stearns's right shoulder)
unidentified (blue cap, likely Dodgers, behind Simmons)
Ozzie Smith (behind Stearns's left shoulder)
Jim Bibby (behind Smith)
Craig Reynolds (behind Bibby's right shoulder)
Gene Garber (next to Smith)
Bert Blyleven (partial face behind Garber)
John Candelaria (behind Garber's left shoulder)
unidentified (kneeling suit next to Larry Schmidt)
Bill Giles (kneeling suit next to unknown suit)
Tug McGraw (next to Garber)
Bob Forsch (behind Tug and Candy)
Chuck Tanner (backrubbing Giles)
Greg Luzinski (behind Chuck & Tug)
Gary Matthews (rubbing shoulders with Tanner)
Blake Cullen (... was to the NL what Jay Horwitz is to the Mets -- behind Tanner and Matthews)
George Foster (behind Matthews)
Joel Youngblood (to Matthews's left)
Phil Niekro (behind Youngblood)

[HahnSolo]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Mike Schmidt's face/Larry Bowa's body (kneeling next to Garvey) unidentified (blue cap, likely Dodgers, behind Simmons)

Now that you mention it, we definitely have had this Schmidt/Bowa discussion before.
For unidentified, Lasorda and Garvey are not wearing pillbox caps, so I would guess it's not a Dodger. The cap looks a little like Lopez's Tiger pillbox though.

[batmagadanleadoff]

HahnSolo wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Mike Schmidt's face/Larry Bowa's body (kneeling next to Garvey) unidentified (blue cap, likely Dodgers, behind Simmons) Now that you mention it, we definitely have had this Schmidt/Bowa discussion before. For unidentified, Lasorda and Garvey are not wearing pillbox caps, so I would guess it's not a Dodger. The cap looks a little like Lopez's Tiger pillbox though.

I vote Bowa.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The one player I figured shoulda been there, but wasn't, was Keith Hernandez, who broke out into superstar territory that season. I figure he was young enough that he'd be eager to go. Wonder what his story was? Dave Winfield and J.R. Richard are also notable MIA's. I'll give Bench, Perry, Brock and Stargell a pass on age.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Who's the Yankee (top row, center)? Link to follow.

[MFS62]

Ike's dad?

Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

Hint: He made the '86 ASG as a Met.

[HahnSolo]

I saw this mini-doc on Grantland yesterday. Lasorda going apeshit on him was hysterical.

[batmagadanleadoff]

HahnSolo wrote: I saw this mini-doc on Grantland yesterday. Lasorda going apeshit on him was hysterical.

Here's the link. http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/10000759/our-latest-30-30-documentary-short-tells-story-how-guy-detroit-ended-conning-just-every-sports-league-country The Met/Yankee all-star is Barry Bremen.

I was hoping for some Lasorda-Phanatic type action in that '86 ASG segment.

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