You're Outta Here!

As baseball fans everywhere undoubtedly know by now, baseball lost two of its heroes on January 19, 2012 - Cards slugger Stan "The Man" Musial, and longtime manager and hothead, Earl Weaver.

1974 Topps Earl Weaver, #308

Because most news stories and blogs will focus on the hard-hitting Musial, I have decided to dedicate the balance of this post to Earl Weaver. Those of us who grew up watching baseball in the 70s and 80s remember a red-faced Weaver standing nose-to-nose with an umpire - any umpire - arguing calls. In fact, I've mused that while a good pitcher can work the dirt on the mound with his feet to make his pitch do his bidding, Weaver could expertly work (read: kick) the dirt around the umpire's shoes to insult his enemy. 

But Weaver wasn't just a hot-headed manager. He was a baseball purist who believed in simplicity when it came to coaching. He preached solid pitching, good defense and dingers that left the park. He eschewed base stealing, bunting and other tactics he considered gimmicky in favor for old-fashioned pitching and hitting.

Weaver managed the Baltimore Orioles from 1968-1982 and again 1985-1986. In 17 years of managing the Orioles, he endured only one losing season - his last with the club before retiring in 1986.

1969 Topps Earl Weaver, #516

Weaver was thrown out of a stunning 91 games during his coaching career for berating umpires over what he thought were questionable calls. Perhaps even more notable is that he was ejected from both games of doubleheader matchups on three separate occasions.

In addition to his knowledge of the game and his rabid dog approach to conflict resolution, Weaver was known for his biting sense of humor - with his players, the media and especially the umpires. After one ejection, Weaver reportedly shouted to the umpire that he was going to check the rule book. The umpire offered his rule book to Weaver, but Weaver declined, saying, "I can't read Braille."

Weaver was also known for spinning his cap around backward so that we could get as close to an umpire's face as possible without actually touching him and earning an instant ejection.

He earned three American League pennants (1969, 1971 and 1979) and one World Series in 1970. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996. His #4 jersey has been retired by the Orioles, never to be worn again.

Weaver died while on an Orioles fan Caribbean Cruise with his wife of nearly 50 years. Weaver liked spending time with Orioles fans and often joined fans and other Orioles players and coaches on the cruises.

Cruise organizer Ken Nigro said Weaver displayed his trademark bulldog behavior just days before his death, arguing over the scores of a Jeopardy game he was playing with other guests.

"It’s not 4-3, you lost that point," Nigro recalled Weaver saying. "It’s still 3-3."

Said Nigro: "He just started complaining. It was the old Earl Weaver all over again. He had that competitiveness until the end.”

Weaver was 82.

Johnny Bench - All-American Hero

If you were a boy who grew up in the 1970s or early 1980s and you even occasionally saw a baseball game, you knew that insofar as catchers were concerned, Johnny Bench was The Man. Bench epitomized all that was good about baseball. He had a great name. He played for one of the most beloved sports franchises to ever take the field (Cincinnati Reds) and he was one of the best - if not the very best - catchers in the game.

Making Bench even more of a god to young boys of the era was the fact that he was a decent guy. He was known to sign a lot of autographs, was appreciative of fans (especially youngsters) and despite his stardom, remained a regular guy. The fact that he was a power hitter, a RBI machine and perennial all-star certainly didn't hurt.

1969 Topps Johnny Bench


I played catcher in Little League largely because I wanted to be Johnny Bench. I remember donning my catcher's gear and checking myself out in a mirror at home (yeah, I know...). I remember thinking that I couldn't possibly look cooler. Making things even better for me was that I played for the Indians (I don't remember our sponsor) and we wore red shirts, hats and socks with white pants. Even though I played for the Indians and not my beloved Reds, I was still wearing red. Once I had the catcher's gear on, all you could see was that I looked strikingly similar to Johnny Bench. Really.

As a side note, I learned a few really important life lessons while playing catcher:

1. It is possible to sit too close to the batter. You'll know you're too close when you get clocked upside the head with a bat and your coach and parents are suddenly on the field trying to revive you.

2. Sometimes, you can be sneaky S.O.B. and snatch the ball from right over the plate just ahead of the batter's swing. Remember, we're talking Little Leagurers here, not George Brett. Of course, you also can get your catcher's mitt knocked nearly to first base.

3. Most importantly, though, you'll learn that if you elect not to wear a cup while playing catcher that the sound the ball makes when it hits your crotch is quite similar to the sound it makes when it hits your catcher's mitt. The sensation is somewhat different, however. This is a mistake you're likely to make just once.

Now, back to Bench...

A few details about the specific card pictured here: This is #95 of a set of 664 cards released in 1969. Regardless of the All-Star Rookie trophy shown on the front of the card, this really isn't Bench's rookie card.

This one is:

1968 Topps Johnny Bench Rookie

The 1969 Johnny Bench card is one of several cards in which Johnny was pictured sitting posed in the classic catcher's position including the 1970 and 1975 Topps cards. The back of the 1969 Topps card boasts that Bench's first big league home run was hit September 27, 1967. I just recently purchased a copy of the 69 Bench card and it is one of my all-time faves.

A few details about Johnny Bench: Bench was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 and The Sporting News named him the 16th greatest player to ever play the game. He is a two-time league MVP, 14-time all-star, 10-time Golden Glove winner, and was the MVP of the 1976 World Series. His #5 was retired by the Reds organization in 1984.

Since retiring, Bench has remained very active in charity, proving that he's just as a good a man off the field as he was on it. He is 64.