Choo-Choo Coleman, 1935–2016

[Edgy MD]

Adam Rubin reporting the legendary Choo-Choo Coleman has passed away.

[fimg=200:1oz1kv1n]http://www.tradingcarddb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/107164/107164-24681025Fr.jpg[/fimg:1oz1kv1n] [fimg=200:1oz1kv1n]https://paulsrandomstuff.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/choo-choo-coleman-1964-auto.jpg[/fimg:1oz1kv1n] [fimg=200:1oz1kv1n]http://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1963/Topps/27/Choo-Choo-Coleman.jpg?id=9987c006-fe1e-49b1-9941-cdd9c383079a&size=original[/fimg:1oz1kv1n]

[G-Fafif]

One of the truly legendary Originals left us today. Choo Choo Coleman died today in Bamberg, S.C., a little shy of his 81st birthday. (His birthday is, according to his family by way of Mets PR, August 18, 1935, not whatever's listed on BB Ref.)

This George Vescey profile from 2012 worth revisiting.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/sports/baseball/mets-choo-choo-coleman-50-years-later.html?_r=0

[G-Fafif]

Thread title should reflect birth year of 1935, please (noted in above post).

[G-Fafif]

Thank you.

[Benjamin Grimm]

If there's a Kiner's Korner in heaven, the show just got itself a helluva guest.

[Guest themetfairy]

RIP to an Original Met and a true original.

[ashie62]

RIP to an original.

[Guest cooby]

Aw. RIP, Bubb

[Guest d'Kong76]

RIP, Choo-Choo

[MFS62]

RIP, Choo Choo.
You were the best low ball catcher of your day.

Later

[G-Fafif]

AP bio here. It lists the site of his passing as Orangeburg, S.C., though he lived and will be memorialized in Bamberg.

I forgot that he is one of a handful of Mets with the Negro Leagues in his background.

[Zvon]

Awww. RIP Choo Choo.

One of my favorite baseball card adventures involved hunting down a high number 1966 Topps Choo Choo. I was searching for this card for around three years. I finally found an excellent looking one for fiddy bucks at a card show. This was right before grading became a thing. I'd call it a 9. I had seen lesser quality ones selling for more so I was very happy I waited. Still have it.



That's not mine above.
Looking at it now. #561. Border is a little off but it's a beaut.


mfc Colmans below. Ha, I reused the 1 photo for both cards. Well, Topps did that shit too. That's the problem with some of these early Mets. Good pictures are hard to find.
No 1965 or '66 Choo Choos. I'll whip up a '65mfc but the '66t card is sacred to me. I won't mess with that.


[fimg=300]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UVFRq408bVHRUHHyVYOno1dTAcHLSlfWOPpRUqmsuiGT2yC-qDJCVr5wARu25Zu1f9hGjkz9x3Ra4A=w1920-h1080-rw-no[/fimg][fimg=300]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Kf7h--o9ZuT3PHfh2QJ2vLMHy_22Hmk3K12-JI1TGLr--Iec9Pt2o96ua2XIEd69bYzni9ozEzmpOQ=w1920-h1080-rw-no[/fimg]

[Zvon]

Wow, this just popped up on twitter. I wonder if should try and colorize that. The quality is kind of rough. great photo tho. Shared by Mets Report.

[fimg=500:2cznmqw7]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cp7vnZBWcAEhuP1.jpg[/fimg:2cznmqw7]

[Zvon]

Just ran into this.
I've seen this one before, un-cropped too IIRC, but small like this. This might be usable.

I still haven't moved all of my Mets image library photo collection to the new PC. You would not only be amazed at the amount of GBs (space) the Mets take up on my PC, you would also have me committed.

[ashie62]

Zvon wrote: Just ran into this. I've seen this one before, un-cropped too IIRC, but small like this. This might be usable. I still haven't moved all of my Mets image library photo collection to the new PC. You would not only be amazed at the amount of GBs (space) the Mets take up on my PC, you would also have me committed.

FWIW The graded 1966 Choo Choo PSA9 might be more rare than we think. Out of the number of grading submissions for that card I would guess the population that were graded nine may only be two or three.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The rarest Mets shots of Coleman would be of him pictured at Shea Stadium. Coleman's Mets stint included just five Shea Stadium games, all in '66.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Zvon wrote: Wow, this just popped up on twitter. I wonder if should try and colorize that. The quality is kind of rough. great photo tho. Shared by Mets Report. [fimg=500]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cp7vnZBWcAEhuP1.jpg[/fimg]

This could be a Shea shot. On April 21, 1966, Choo Choo's last home game ever played for the Mets, Julian Javier scored a run in the first inning Choo Choo was the Mets starting catcher.

[Benjamin Grimm]

[ashie62]

He looks like Bob Gibson.

[Edgy MD]

Of all the outlets to carry news of Choo-Choo's passing, he gets a write-up in The American Spectator.

There's little new in there, but what I didn't know is that Choo was a 1969 Tidewater Tide, and therefore, amazin'ly, only a foul tip away from being a 1969 champ.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: Choo was a 1969 Tidewater Tide, and therefore, amazin'ly, only a foul tip away from being a 1969 champ.

And he caught in more games than any other '69 Tide.

[fimg=777]https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8113/28951674681_f9f4dc3196_o.jpg[/fimg]

How come he wasn't brought up in September? Legend has it that Gil didn't like having guys on the big club that he knew wouldn't get to play.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Jeez, it was theoretically possible for the '69 Mets to play a game with a starting battery of Al Jackson and Choo Choo Coleman. That probably woulda jinxed the rest of that season, for sure.

[Benjamin Grimm]

If that's true, the Mets should try a reverse jinx this year. Activate Jerry Koosman and Jerry Grote for one inning and see what happens.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Ashie62 wrote: FWIW The graded 1966 Choo Choo PSA9 might be more rare than we think. Out of the number of grading submissions for that card I would guess the population that were graded nine may only be two or three.

Yeah, Beckett doesn't even price a graded 9, it stops at 8 for ~ $200.

[G-Fafif]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Jeez, it was theoretically possible for the '69 Mets to play a game with a starting battery of Al Jackson and Choo Choo Coleman. That probably woulda jinxed the rest of that season, for sure.

Or they would have caught the Cubs sooner.

[G-Fafif]

Ralph and Choo Choo meet yet again.

[Guest cooby]

Lol. Love the Frank Thomas bit