Let’s Remember a Guy!

[Ken]

Missed a couple of days. I used to live in Norfolk and had season tix for the Mets AAA team. Horn hit a HR dead center almost over the flag pole. The stadium dimensions were the same as Shea so it was 410' or something like that to CF. Longest HR I have ever seen in person. Probably struck out 10 times in that series but the HR is all I remember.

I distinctly remember him playing for the Rangers at the end of his career. Looking it up he had 1 hit in 9 AB for them. Why do I remember him? Weird.

[pitbull]

Today's Guy

Sam Horn
Sam Horn came on like a house on fire during the 1987 season, smacking 14 HRs in just 158 ABs, forever searing himself into Red Sox lore. He was one of those all-or-nothing sluggers, but seemed to be able to rise above that. He never did.

He entered the 1988 season with high hopes, but the magic had faded: he hit just .148 through June 4th when the Red Sox had enough, and he found himself back in the minors for the remainder of the season. He didn't fare any better in 1989 either, hitting an identical .148, and the BoSox released him after the season.

He signed with the Orioles and made an immediate impact, smacking 2 3-run HRs on opening day for them, and went on to post a decent season with a .248/.332/.472 line with 14 HRs, and had his best season in 1991 when he hit 23 HRs.

He bounced between the majors, minors and Mexican League the next few years, retired in 1996, then mounted a comeback in the Independent League in 2000-2001 before hanging them up for good.

Today, Horn is a revered member of Red Sox Nation, having hosted a number of shows in the Boston area since his retirement.

That's today's guy, Sam Horn!

Bring back memories. I was watching that game when he hit those 2 HR opening day while I was preparing for my first ever auction. Thought I got a steal when I got got Horn for about $6 (think that was the price). Could have had Cecil Fielder for about the same price but I thought he looked slow with a long swing so I passed.

[Judge Jude]

Longest HR I have ever seen in person.

only time I ever gasped at a batted ball was when Mo Vaughn was a Met. had seats behind home plate at Shea Stadium, and he hit a nuclear shot. I was sure it was going over their CF scoreboard, which is impossible. instead it hit near the top of the Budweiser video board, and the board started oscillating.

https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/2/...budweiser-sign

I looked it up -estimated at 505 feet!

the only possibly longer Mets HR I know of was in the 1970s. Dave Kingman - a monster if flawed slugger - hit one so far out of Wrigley Field that it sailed out of the park and beyond the street. it landed on some lady's porch, and she came out to see what the commotion was. lol

and I looked THAT up

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...aveland-avenue

"On Wednesday, he caught what may have been the longest home run ever hit out of Wrigley Field.

Dave Kingman of the New York Mets hit it off pitcher Tom Dettore in the sixth inning. It was an awesome blow which exploded off Kingman's bat and soared high into the 16-mile-per-hour jetstream which was blowing toward left-center field.

Keiber, the man who has a duffel bag full of baseballs at his home .. the man who caught Ron Santo's 200th .. the man who dreams of someday playing shortstop for the Cubs, was stunned.

He estimated it traveled 600 feet.

"I was sitting on the curb, across Waveland Avenue [behind the left-field bleachers], listening to Vince and Lou on the radio and when I heard the crowd I knew it was coming my way," recounts Keiber.

"But when I finally saw it ... high above that 40-foot screen and as high as the top of the flagpole, I just couldn't believe it."

Keiber wasn't the only disbeliever. At least a half-dozen other home run chasers had congregated around the popular intersection of Waveland and Kenmore--and three youngsters with gloves, when they saw Kingman's home run coming, turned and started running north on Kenmore.

The ball sailed over their heads, struck the porch of the third house from the Waveland Ave. corner on the fly, and caromed back."

[B-Fly]

only time I ever gasped at a batted ball was when Mo Vaughn was a Met. had seats behind home plate at Shea Stadium, and he hit a nuclear shot. I was sure it was going over their CF scoreboard, which is impossible. instead it hit near the top of the Budweiser video board, and the board started oscillating.

https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/2/...budweiser-sign

I looked it up -estimated at 505 feet!

the only possibly longer Mets HR I know of was in the 1970s. Dave Kingman - a monster if flawed slugger - hit one so far out of Wrigley Field that it sailed out of the park and beyond the street. it landed on some lady's porch, and she came out to see what the commotion was. lol

and I looked THAT up

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...aveland-avenue

"On Wednesday, he caught what may have been the longest home run ever hit out of Wrigley Field.

Dave Kingman of the New York Mets hit it off pitcher Tom Dettore in the sixth inning. It was an awesome blow which exploded off Kingman's bat and soared high into the 16-mile-per-hour jetstream which was blowing toward left-center field.

Keiber, the man who has a duffel bag full of baseballs at his home .. the man who caught Ron Santo's 200th .. the man who dreams of someday playing shortstop for the Cubs, was stunned.

He estimated it traveled 600 feet.

"I was sitting on the curb, across Waveland Avenue [behind the left-field bleachers], listening to Vince and Lou on the radio and when I heard the crowd I knew it was coming my way," recounts Keiber.

"But when I finally saw it ... high above that 40-foot screen and as high as the top of the flagpole, I just couldn't believe it."

Keiber wasn't the only disbeliever. At least a half-dozen other home run chasers had congregated around the popular intersection of Waveland and Kenmore--and three youngsters with gloves, when they saw Kingman's home run coming, turned and started running north on Kenmore.

The ball sailed over their heads, struck the porch of the third house from the Waveland Ave. corner on the fly, and caromed back."

The Kingman HR story reminded me of the longest HR that I remember seeing while watching a live TV broadcast, by Glenallen Hill at Wrigley in 2000, that soared out of the stadium and landed on a roof on the other side of the street. That HR by Hill, as well as the ones you mentioned by Vaughn and Kingman, are all here:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2698852-the-longest-home-runs-in-mlb-history

[TranaGreg]

Good stories.

The only time I remember gasping at a batted ball, it was ironically, a foul line drive. I was sitting on the third base side, maybe 15 rows up from field level, just back of the base - so maybe 150-200 feet away from the plate. It was the one year that Jose Canseco DH'ed for the Jays (1998, I had to look it up). Whoever was pitching threw a change up, and Canseco was in front of it ... and in the blink of an eye the ball was about 10 feet in front of my face. I have played a LOT of ball in my life, but I've never seen anything like that - I literally had no opportunity to react (no hands up, no head bob, nothing ... and I was paying attention!). If that had hit someone I don't know how it couldn't have killed them, it was unbelievable to me. Fortunately it hit in an area where nobody was sitting (it was the Jays in '98, there weren't a lot of reasons for fans to come to the park) ... but it still stands as one of the most incredible things I've ever seen at a ball game. A few days later Jose hit one into the fifth deck - I think he must have just been trying to hit the longest HR ever at the dome.

[revo]

Today's Guy

Brad Lesley
Brad "The Animal" Lesley only spent parts of four seasons in the majors, but he certainly made an impact. The 6'6" righty bullpenner may have had his best season in 1982, pitching 38 innings with a 2.55 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, but it was his over-the-top antics that got him more noticed -- he would rip his arms back, like a professional wrestler, after a strikeout and scream, and would aggressively smack teammates across the head on his handshakes. He was well-liked by fans, teammates and coaches.

He took 1983 for granted, and didn't make the team out of spring training. He was recalled in May, but was angry when the club demoted him and placed him on the minor league DL for a shoulder strain suffered during a fall while with the Reds. He sued the club because he felt he should have been placed on the major league DL and not minor league DL. He won the case and the higher pay, but injured his standing with the Reds. He pitched one more season for them before being sold to the Brewers for the 1985 season, where he spent the entire year in AAA.

His contract was sold to the Japanese League in 1986, and it was there where "The Animal" persona really came out. He grew his hair long and added a bushy beard, and had the name "Animal" on the back of his jersey. He learned the language and immersed himself in Japanese culture. He continued his antics, was a huge hit with the fans and was eventually offered acting roles.

After a shoulder injury, Lesley decided to retire and he joined the cast of "Takeshi's Castle" in 1988. The show lasted until 1992, but years later it would resurface as a cult hit in the US called "MXC." Following Takeshi's Castle, Lesley popped up in various movies like Mr. Baseball, Mr. 3000, and Little Big League, and other shows like Son of the Beach.

In the 1990s and 2000s, he got back into baseball as a minor league coach and even opened a baseball school with Dave Henderson.

Brad "The Animal" Lesley died of kidney failure in 2013 at age 54.

That's today's guy, Brad Lesley!

[revo]

Today's Guy

U L Washington
We all hope to be as cool as U L Washington. From what I remember, the guy played a flawless shortstop with a toothpick in his mouth at all times. All times! At bat, in the field, running, it didn't matter. And U L, what is that short for? Nothing! His name is U L! Just oozes cool.

He was known more for his fielding expertise (career .251 hitter), but Washington had a big season for the 1982 Royals, hitting .286 with 10 HRs, 60 RBIs and 23 SBs, and the next year followed that up with a 40 SB campaign. He played the first 8 seasons of his career with the Royals (1977-1984), but was traded by the Royals in 1985 to the Expos, where he was used mainly in a late inning defensive role. He then finished up his career with the Pirates and retired in 1987.

He made a brief comeback for the Orlando Juice in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball League for their 1989 season, the only full season of their existence (the league folded midway through the 1990 season), then became a minor league manager/coach for 16 years.

That's today's guy, U L Washington!

[Don Quixote]

Good stories.

The only time I remember gasping at a batted ball, it was ironically, a foul line drive. I was sitting on the third base side, maybe 15 rows up from field level, just back of the base - so maybe 150-200 feet away from the plate. It was the one year that Jose Canseco DH'ed for the Jays (1998, I had to look it up). Whoever was pitching threw a change up, and Canseco was in front of it ... and in the blink of an eye the ball was about 10 feet in front of my face. I have played a LOT of ball in my life, but I've never seen anything like that - I literally had no opportunity to react (no hands up, no head bob, nothing ... and I was paying attention!). If that had hit someone I don't know how it couldn't have killed them, it was unbelievable to me. Fortunately it hit in an area where nobody was sitting (it was the Jays in '98, there weren't a lot of reasons for fans to come to the park) ... but it still stands as one of the most incredible things I've ever seen at a ball game. A few days later Jose hit one into the fifth deck - I think he must have just been trying to hit the longest HR ever at the dome.

That brings back a memory--The hardest-hit ball I've ever seen was at the Great American Small Park, a foul hit by Barry Bonds in 2005. Went through the notch where the upper deck ends down the RF line. I've rarely seen an entire stadium gasp like that. I'm pretty sure it went into the river on the fly. Fair ground, a grand slam by Dave Parker of the Pirates (who grew up a short walk from Crosley Field and a mile from Riverfront) in 1978. Pitch-swing-red seats (upper deck) in that short a time. If you blinked, you missed it.

[onejayhawk]

ULW chewed a box of toothpicks a week. You will see his name mentiuoned on lists of non-tobacco chewers. Better than hair I guess.

He and Frank White are the only members of the Royals Academy to play extensively in the major leagues. That said, the Academy was successful. It helped stock an expansion team's minor league roster on the cheap.

J

[revo]

ULW chewed a box of toothpicks a week. You will see his name mentiuoned on lists of non-tobacco chewers. Better than hair I guess.

He and Frank White are the only members of the Royals Academy to play extensively in the major leagues. That said, the Academy was successful. It helped stock an expansion team's minor league roster on the cheap.

J

How does one play with a toothpick in his mouth? At least Dusty Baker used them as a manager!

[[echo]]

so none of you assholes can teach me how to post a pic and make it show up .. not just post a link to it?

[B-Fly]

so none of you assholes can teach me how to post a pic and make it show up .. not just post a link to it?

Put a url ending in .jpg, .jpeg, .png or .gif between [img] and [/img].

[revo]

so none of you assholes can teach me how to post a pic and make it show up .. not just post a link to it?

When you post, there is an icon of a pic in the reply box. See that? Then choose a pic from your computer or put in the URL and uncheck "retrieve remote file."

[heyelander]

so none of you assholes can teach me how to post a pic and make it show up .. not just post a link to it?

Is this really the fault of the teachers or the student?

[cleo]

testing out linking to an image.... thought I would link to one of the better baseball cards LOL. I did not know how to do this, so thanks Revo and Bfly