Randy Bush was a guest speaker at a Twins season ticket holder event and I was surprised that I did not know anything about his 200 mile home run! It was mentioned, and confirmed, that Randy hit a home run that travelled 200 miles. I knew I had to get a story ball about that event! Today I received the ball and Randy wrote how he hit a home run in Charleston, WV for the Toledo Mud Hens and it landed on a train coal car and it kept on moving until Pittsburgh, PA! Fun story and a great baseball!
Category: Story Ball Collection
“The Hometown Kid”
I recently sent a baseball to Dick Bremer asking him to write his call of Joe Mauer’s 2000th hit on a baseball and he did not disappoint! His call was “Up the middle and through! It will score two runs and the hometown kid reached his milestone at home!” I was at the game and was proud to be a cheering part of that moment. It was SUPER cold and I was underdressed for the weather as I swung by the ballpark ‘just in case’. I left right after the hit and didn’t warm up until I was home. But it was all worth it!
Pine Tar Game Fiasco
We all can recall something of the Pine Tar Game in which George Brett hit a home run and Billy Martin protested the game. A number of years ago I received a really cool story ball from Tim McClelland who was the home plate umpire. Today’s mail brought in a story ball from Davey Phillips. The umpire who provided an affidavit to the game’s conclusion’s umpiring crew that all players touched each base. He wrote about it on the ball as well as on a sheet of paper. He also included a signed card and a business card.
A Sticky Event!
My son and I were watching the MLB Presents Special on George Brett recently and I realized Denny Matthews, the Royals announcer, was present at the Pine Tar Game so I thought I would send him a request for a story ball. I got it back to day and he said his play-by-play guy was doing the broadcast at that moment so he just sat back and took it all in! It would have been really cool to get a story ball from the play-by-play guy but he had long passed away.