Sunday, November 1, 2009

Blow Out the Candles



HOF second baseman, John "Bid" McPhee was born on this date in 1859. Bid played his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds. Johnny Bench is the only other HOFer to play his entire career with that organization. Bid played the first 14 years of his career without a glove, the last second baseman to do so.


1981 Topps Traded #850

Six time All-Star with the Dodgers, Fernando Valenzuela turns 49 today.

1990 ProSet #79

South African golf legend, Gary Player celebrates his 74th birthday today. Gary won 9 majors in his career including the Masters and the British Open 3 times each.


2001 Topps Heritage #A-AA

HOFer Al Arbour turns 77 today. Al was a member of the last Chicago Blackhawks team to win the Stanley Cup in 1961. He was also the last player to wear glasses on the ice.


The "Dean of American Sports Writers", Grantland Rice was born on this date in 1880. Rice was the man who dubbed the 1924 Notre Dame backfield "The Four Horsemen":

"Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below."

Here's Grantland Rice interviewing Ty Cobb on the radio:



1 comment:

  1. Bid McPhee was born in Massena, N.Y., not far from where I am. I wrote a story on him when he was elected to the Hall of Fame.

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