Baseball

(and other cool stuff)

By Andrew Linker

The Daily Pitch

St. Louis manager Johnny Keane on sticking with starting pitcher Bob Gibson during an uncharacteristic shaky performance in the Cardinals’ 7-5 victory over the New York Yankees 61 years ago today in the seventh and deciding game of the 1964 World Series:

“I never considered taking him out. I had a commitment to his heart.”

Pic of the Day

Quote of the Day

Today’s Baby Boomer Alert: Happy birthday to Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, who turns 80 today. During his 19 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles from 1965-84 – injuries cost him the 1968 season – Palmer goes 268-152 with a 2.86 earned-run average. He ends up pitching 3,948 innings and never, ever gives up a grand slam among the 303 homers he allows. Twice during his career, Palmer wins at least 20 games in four straight seasons, the first coming from 1970-73 with the second from 1975-78. His resume also includes three Cy Young Awards, three World Series titles, four Gold Gloves and six All-Star Game selections.

 

Limited offers (for those who need that little extra something)

Today’s exercise in downsizing brings some hard-to-find items that you may want to add to your collection … and, of course, you do!

First, a rare 1995 Philadelphia Daily News poster signed by Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn. The poster — measuring approximately 10.5 x 13 inches — was limited in production and commemorated Ashburn’s 1995 induction into the Hall of Fame. Please check out the Merch Stand for more details. Price: $85, including shipping. SORRY, THIS ITEM IS SOLD OUT!

Second, a team-signed baseball by the 1998 Arizona Fall League’s Sun Cities Solar Sox. The ball from the prospect-oriented fall league is loaded with 27 signatures, including those of Mark DeRosa, Michael Barrett and Randy Wolf, as well as manager Fredi Gonzalez and pitching coach Darold Knowles. The ball is in outstanding condition with the signatures clear and bold. Team-signed baseballs from the AFL are hard to find, especially one from 25 years ago. Price: $32, including shipping.

Third, an Eastern League baseball signed by Tommy John, the 288-game winner in the major leagues who was Harrisburg’s pitching coach during the 2002 season. While there are tons of Tommy John-signed baseballs on the market, there are precious few Tommy John single-signed Eastern League baseballs available. Price: $65, including shipping.

Also available is a limited 1982 Hall of Fame metallic card signed by long-ago Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees infielder Joe Sewell. The card and signature are graded a mint 96 by SGC. Beautifully signed in black Sharpie. The special gold anodized aluminum card is the same size as a standard baseball card and features a replica of Sewell’s Hall of Fame plaque. Only 1,000 of them reportedly were made from 1981-89 and initially sold only through the Hall of Fame. Price: $32, including shipping. SORRY, THIS ITEM IS SOLD OUT!

For more information on ordering and to see other items, please check here. More than 100 other items may be found on the website’s eBay page. Thanks for looking!

A Look At Harrisburg’s Rich Baseball History

( just click the arrows on the left and right to see the caption for each photo)