[BigBadBuc]

There will never be another like the great Roberto Clemente. I've never known a player that was as complete a player as Clemente. He had huge wrists that he developed as a kid squeezing an old rubber ball. He had speed and great defensive skills. He could hit for high average and he could hit for power but mostly as a gap hitter but he would hit the ball so hard at times.

He made opposing pitchers so angry because he would hit balls three inches off the ground or tomahawk a ball up around his forehead. Every once in a while he would hit one in the strike zone (ha ha).

His arm is what set him a part from all others. He would throw guys out taking to big a turn at first after a single. He had a rifle like arm to any base including home plate. It was really amazing at times because Roberto was only about 5'10" Tall and weighed about 175 lbs.

ESPN has an article about Latinos in baseball and I started to reminisce.

How about you guys? Who was your favorite as a kid and why?

BBB

[legend]

I just wrote an article on Clemente. Did you know that he wisked away from the Dodgers in a draft of non roster players? The Dodgers tried to hide him up in Montreal, in the minors until he could make the big club, but a man who had groomed another player in Montreal a few years before, now working as GM of the Pirates, drafted him away under an existing rule at the time. Branch Rickey!
Clemente won four batting titles, 2 Series, hit .317 lifetime and had 266 outfield assists. MVP in 1966, he could have been voted it a couple of times besides. The best arm ever, cannot even be debated.

My favorite player ever- Jim Palmer of the Orioles. Despite career threatening arm trouble, won well over 200 games, 3 World Series and 3 Cy Youngs.

[DrCool]

My favorite player as a kid was Alvin Davis of the Mariners. He will never sniff the HOF but he was Mr. Mariner while I was growing up. I loved watching him and the Mariners win their 60 games a year. Davis always went out and played hard even though he was on one of the worst teams in the league for years. He made a few all star teams and was the best player on a bad team. Too bad he never saw the playoffs.

[Lefty Noob]

My favorites growing up were all Dodgers. I started getting interested in Dodger baseball around the time of Fernandomania and spent most of the 80s faithfully following Valenzuela, Hershiser, Pedro Guererro, Steve Sax, Mickey Hatcher, Mike Scioscia, Kirk Gibson and the like. They lost me when they started signing free agents like Strawberry and Eric Davis though.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Pete Rose...but hey, who knew?...All I know is he hustled, the guy had 30 triples in one minor league season and his speed was marginal at best...so it was all hustle...same thing that made him a great player, made flawed human being...but for a while there...he was a hero...

[Mid-depth_Reporter]

Edgar Martinez.

This guy was a class act, and the Mr. Mariner of the Mariners' teams I watched. He was very humble, always worked hard, and was just the guy you would want to meet. There was something about his demeanor. That, and he had the prettiest swing I've ever seen. It was fluid and smooth. During his tenure in the league - all with Seattle - there was not a better swing from the right side of the plate.

[ThePundit]

My favorite player as a little kid was Bobby Murcer. Those were the days when the Yankees were terrible. He was their lone star. Murcer was supposed to be the next Mantle but never lived up. When he was traded for Bobby Bonds in 1975 I was devastated. (Then my favorite became Graig Nettles).

Then Bonds was dealt the following year for Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa. That trade was a big reason the Yankees came back to prominence in 1976.

Murcer was reacquired in 1979 as a part time player and never got to play on a Yankee Championship team.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

My favorite player as a little kid was Bobby Murcer. Those were the days when the Yankees were terrible. He was their lone star. Murcer was supposed to be the next Mantle but never lived up. When he was traded for Bobby Bonds in 1975 I was devastated. (Then my favorite became Graig Nettles).

Then Bonds was dealt the following year for Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa. That trade was a big reason the Yankees came back to prominence in 1976.

Murcer was reacquired in 1979 as a part time player and never got to play on a Yankee Championship team.

Got his cards too Pundit...funny thing is he stop being much of a power hitter when he went to the Cubs in his inbetween stays with the Yanks...fav 1972 season...looked like he was partly going to live up to the Mantle tag...then slid down to just a good solid player...good choice.

[legend]

When Murcer won the game for Munson with a home run and ninth inning double, he cemented his place in Yankee lore. He was more devastated than anyone over his trade, and the two parks he was sent to, Candlestick and Wrigley {for a left hander} were murder on his power numbers. You must also remember he had to play in pitcher friendly Shea Stadium for a while as Yankee Stadium was being renovated. So, in effect, he lost at least 5 prime years where he could have been hitting homers into the reachable right field seats as a Yankee. As a Giant, Bobby Murcer knocked in 91 runs in 1975 with only 11 homers, 90 the next year with 23 hrs. He got himself out of SF when he claimed that Patty Hearst could be hiding in the upper deck at desolate and dreary Candlestick and nobody would ever find her! He put up good numbers{27 hr, 89 RBI} in 1977 with the Cubs. He fell to 9 and 64 in 1978 and was traded back to the Yankees in 1979, and he was only 33! He never got the chance to play regularly after that. One of the classiest guys in the sport and a great Yankee who deserved better during his playing days.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by legend

When Murcer won the game for Munson with a home run and ninth inning double, he cemented his place in Yankee lore. He was more devastated than anyone over his trade, and the two parks he was sent to, Candlestick and Wrigley {for a left hander} were murder on his power numbers. You must also remember he had to play in pitcher friendly Shea Stadium for a while as Yankee Stadium was being renovated. So, in effect, he lost at least 5 prime years where he could have been hitting homers into the reachable right field seats as a Yankee. As a Giant, Bobby Murcer knocked in 91 runs in 1975 with only 11 homers, 90 the next year with 23 hrs. He got himself out of SF when he claimed that Patty Hearst could be hiding in the upper deck at desolate and dreary Candlestick and nobody would ever find her! He put up good numbers{27 hr, 89 RBI} in 1977 with the Cubs. He fell to 9 and 64 in 1978 and was traded back to the Yankees in 1979, and he was only 33! He never got the chance to play regularly after that. One of the classiest guys in the sport and a great Yankee who deserved better during his playing days.

I seem to recall a game in 1978 or so, where he hit a homer on National TV for a sick kid or something like that, didn't he?

[ThePundit]

Gotham: Not only did Murcer slow down after he left the Yankees but as Legend points out when he played in Shea Stadium for the Yankees in 1974, he only had 10 homers. Balls that were dingers in Yankee Stadium were now long outs.

I don't know if either of you remember but in 1974, Murcer was moved out of center field in favor of Eliot Maddox who was clearly a better fielder (Maddox ended up ripping up his knee in a Shea drain pipe and was never the same after).

So between the power loss and the position change, it's not so surprising that he got traded. But as a little kid, you don't think so logically. All you know is that your favorite player was traded.

Gotham: I don't recall any homer for a sick kid but it could have happened. Anyone else hear about it?

[desertrat]

Growing up I was and still am an Angels fan. I lived in Long Beach and went to many Angels and Dodgers games but chose Angels as my team to go against my dad and his Dodgers. Favorite player was Brian Downing. He was the all time hits leader for the Angels but I think now he has been passed by Garrett Anderson? There were a lot of bad years for the Angels but Downing was always a consistent hitter. They also had Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew, Lyman Bostock, Frank Tanana, and league MVP Don Baylor back in the 70s.

[ThePundit]

Ah desertrat...That team will always be the "California" Angles to me no matter how many cities they choose to call themselves.

Those were classic Angel teams. Bobby Grich, Rick Burleson, Dave Chalk and Joe Rudi were on those teams also. Remember when Guidry mowed down 18 Halos on a Saturday night in the Bronx?

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

Ah desertrat...That team will always be the "California" Angles to me no matter how many cities they choose to call themselves.

Those were classic Angel teams. Bobby Grich, Rick Burleson, Dave Chalk and Joe Rudi were on those teams also. Remember when Guidry mowed down 18 Halos on a Saturday night in the Bronx?

Yes, I remember that nightmare. I also remember when Nolan Ryan pitched a 1-hitter against those Yankees and later that week struck out 18 Red Sox. I was at that Red Sox game. Good times.