EXCERPTS - Bob Henige - WEB - Excerpts.pdf · Michigan football was never the same. In Bo's first year as the Wolverine’s coach, Michigan upset Woody Hayes’ great 1969 Ohio State

EXCERPTS

Section 1.1 – Imagine No Barry, Bo,

Stevie, Gordie, and Cobb

FSS: Imagine Michigan sports without Barry Sanders, Bo Schembechler, Steve Yzerman, Gordie

Howe, and Ty Cobb.

If the decision were up to the management of the Lions, Wolverines, Red Wings, and Tigers, our

rich sports history would not have included Barry Sanders, the greatest Detroit Lion; Bo

Schembechler, the greatest college football coach in Michigan history; Ty Cobb, the greatest

Detroit Tiger; Stevie Yzerman, the greatest Red Wing player this side of Gordie Howe; and “Mr.

Hockey” himself.

Barry Sanders - It was the 1989 National Football League draft and the Detroit Lions had the

third pick overall. They were salivating at the thought of drafting Tony Mandarich, the

gargantuan Michigan State offensive tackle. This was before the Matt Millen era when the Lions

placed a premium in drafting quality linemen. At 6’ 6” and over 310 pounds, Mandarich dazzled

everyone with his super-human physique, skills, and speed. Plan A went awry when Mandarich

was “snatched” from their grasp by the Green Bay Packers as the number two pick overall. The

poor Lions had to “settle” for Barry Sanders. Just think: the Lions could have been associated

with what many consider the “one of biggest busts in the NFL draft.” Instead, they were stuck

with the NFL’s most prolific human highlight film and the best player who ever wore a Lions’

uniform. Barry dazzled Lion fans and the whole NFL with his ability to leave defenders gasping

at his elusiveness. He holds virtually every Lions rushing records and is the third leading career

rusher in the NFL. One stat I love: Despite playing on mostly Lion teams that lacked talent,

Sanders finished with a 99.8 yard per game average for his career, second only to the immortal

Jim Brown. A special thank you to Packer management for allowing Lions sports fans to watch

one of the greatest running backs in NFL history perform in the Honolulu Blue and Silver.

They’ll be much more on Barry later in FSS.

Quick Fact:

In the 1989 draft, four of the first five draft choices made it to the Hall of Fame. Derrick Thomas

(KC) and Deion Sanders (Atl) were fourth and fifth. Green Bay must feel like the Pistons do

after drafting Darko Milicic in 2003 NBA Draft and passing on Carmelo Anthony, Duane Wade,

and Chris Bosh.

FSS Trivia:

Who was the number one pick in the 1989 NFL draft before Mandarich and Sanders?

Bo Schembechler – It was 1969 and Don Canham, the Michigan Wolverines’ Athletic Director,

had to replace the head football coach. In only his second year on the job, Canham set out to hire

the best coach he could find. After interviewing many candidates, he set his sights on Penn

State’s Joe Paterno, whose team was coming off an 11-0 record in 1968. Paterno was in the

middle of preparing for the 1969 Orange Bowl when Canham approached the ageless one.

Paterno balked at Canham’s offer, but he offered Canham a bit of advice: check out this guy at

Miami University in Ohio. Canham heeded Pa Jo's suggestion and eventually offered the job to

a little-known coach by the name of Bo Schembechler. After Bo was hired, Detroit newspaper

headlines read “Bo Who?”

Michigan football was never the same. In Bo's first year as the Wolverine’s coach, Michigan

upset Woody Hayes’ great 1969 Ohio State Buckeyes team, the first battle in the "Ten-Year

War" (1969-1978). There's more on the "Ten-Year War" later.

In the twenty-one years with Schembechler as head coach, Michigan football went 194-48-5 and

won or shared thirteen Big Ten Conference championships, a record he shares with Woody

Hayes, his former mentor.

Bo's confidence in his ability and in the Michigan football program can be summed in a single

quote, "Those who stay will be champions."

For an interesting conversation with Canham regarding Bo’s hiring: http://www.michigandaily.com/content/michigan-football-needed-turnaround-enter-don-canham#

Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes

Bo was inducted into College HOF 1993.

Woody was inducted in 1983.

Stevie Yzerman - Red Wing’s General Manager Jimmy Devellano made no bones about it. He

wanted local product, Pat LaFontaine (Waterford, Michigan), with the fourth pick in the 1983

NHL draft. When the New York Islanders tabbed LaFontaine as their top pick, the Wings were

forced to settle for a 5’ 11”, 160-pound young man whose worth to the Red Wings’ franchise can

be summed up in two words: “The Captain.” Yzerman spent his entire twenty-two-year career

as a Red Wing during which Detroit won three Stanley Cup Championships. In June of 2009,

John Kreiser of NHL.com rated Yzerman as the NHL’s best-ever number four draft pick. In

2007, Yzerman’s #19 became the seventh Red Wing jersey retired.

Yzerman's blast in the second overtime against the St. Louis Blues in the seventh game of the

1996 Conference Semi-finals was rated the fifth best overtime goal by The Hockey News. The

goal gave the Wings a 1-0 victory. Detroit loss in the 1996 Conference Finals to the Colorado

Avalanche marked the beginning of a fierce and often violent rivalry against the Avs.

Steve Yzerman celebrating his overtime laser against Jon Casey.

That's Bob Errey (#21) celebrating with The Captain.

Here is an excerpt from an article about Yzerman's goal at The Hockey News website:

"Arguably the greatest goal Yzerman ever scored started when St. Louis’ Wayne Gretzky

couldn’t handle the puck at the Detroit blueline and Yzerman grabbed it and raced into the Blues

end, firing a perfect shot over the right shoulder of Blues goalie Jon Casey in the second

overtime of Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series."

The following URL contains a video of Yzerman's goal. Real cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJTAnyLn_RI

Quick Fact:

Devellano was the first man hired by Mike Ilitch when he purchased the Wings.

Quick Fact:

Yzerman was Devellano’s first draft pick as Detroit’s GM.

Quick Fact: Other notable Red Wing draft picks in 1983 are Bob Probert (third round) and Petr Klima (fifth

round).

FSS Trivia:

Steve Yzerman was the Red Wings' captain for a record 20 years. Who was the captain for the

next most seasons?

FSS Trivia:

Who was the Wings' captain for the four previous seasons before Steve Yzerman was given the

honor?

Gordie Howe – There are two things that happened that could have derailed Mr. Hockey’s

career in the Winged-wheel jersey.

In 1943, the fifteen-year-old Howe had a tryout with the New York Rangers at their training

camp in Winnipeg. Rangers’ management rejected Howe, primarily due to his scrawny

physique.

I found this crazy-good article at The Hockey Writers website in which Howe relates the story

about his Ranger tryout. Here is an excerpt:

“I had never been out of my town before,” Howe recalled. “I took the train there and I had to

walk to the hotel. I had no idea where the hotel was, and had no money either.”

Growing up without a lot of money, Howe never had a full set of hockey equipment. Before

boarding the train, Gordie took whatever gear he could borrow from his brother.

Once he got to training camp, Howe was not well received by the Rangers. Although Howe got

the equipment he needed from his brother and the organization, he had to watch the other

players put the gear on first so he would know how to do so.

Howe received more than his fair share of ribbing from the Blueshirts. In addition to the verbal

abuse, a member of the Rangers took Howe’s meals from him. Until veteran Alf Pike stood up for

Gordie, this continued for some time, and it took a huge toll on the kid.

“It might have been funny at the time for some individuals,” Howe laments, “but I was young

enough that things (like that) hurt a little bit.”

The above excerpt was taken from the following URL:

http://thehockeywriters.com/how-could-the-new-york-rangers-pass-on-gordie-howe/

The Rangers passed. The Wings signed Howe the following year and the rest, as they say, is

history. I wonder if Howe, who had a notorious long memory for on-ice incidents, ever

administered one of his famous razor-sharp elbows in the corner on any of the clowns who had

made fun at him and stole his lunch at the Ranger tryout.

Now, this is funny. The Rangers did sign a Howe; Gordie's younger brother, Vic. Vic's first

season in New York was in the 1950-1951 season, a year after the Wings won the Stanley Cup.

In that same season, Gordie led the NHL in goals and assists, and was awarded the Art Ross

Trophy as the NHL's top scorer, a full 20 points more than runner-up Henri "The Rocket"

Richard (MTL). Vic played three seasons for New York, totaling seven points in 29 games.

Gordie's home town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,

Unveiled this statue of the famous

Howe elbow on September 25, 1993

Howe was only seventeen years of age and the youngest player on the team when he played his

only minor league season (1945-46) with the Omaha Knights of the United States Hockey

League (USHL). Tommy Ivan was the Omaha head coach. Ivan later became the head coach of

the Wings (1947-48 through 1953-54) and guided Detroit to three Stanley Cup Championships.

He was elected to the NHL Hall of Fame in 1974.

Here is an interesting situation that could have had Howe wearing a Montreal jersey instead of

the winged-wheel. I found this story amazing. While on a scouting trip, Frank Selke, Sr.,

Montreal Canadians' General Manager, was "blown away" by Howe's performance for the

Knights. Selke later noticed that Ivan had left Howe unprotected by omitting Howe's name from

the "negotiation list." Due to his strong relationship with Jack Adams, Red Wings' General

Manager, Selke paid Adams a visit and told him about the youngster, the "best player at Omaha."

Adams had a high regard for Selke's opinion and wrapped up his prize prospect immediately.

Can you picture this happening today in professional sports?

Selke related the story years later to his son, Frank Selke, Jr., waiting until after Ivan's death so

as not to tarnish his good friend's reputation.

I found this quote of what Selke told Adams on the Greatest Hockey Legends website:

“I can tell you that you have an Omaha Knights player who is better than any of the protected

players on your negotiation list,” warned Selke. “You have one day to claim him, otherwise the

Canadiens will sign him.”

The article found in the link below asks the question:

"Ever wonder what would have happened had Gordie Howe played for the Canadiens alongside

the likes of Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau?"

Here is the URL containing this story: http://www.nhlsnipers.com/gordie-howe-was-almost-a-montreal-canadien/

I found a similar article at the Montreal Canadians website questioning Selke's decision that was

titled "Howe could you?" Nice play on words.

Frank Selke, Sr., was named to the NHL Hall of Fame in 1960 as a Builder. He is forever

honored by the Frank Selke Award given annually to the NHL's top defensive forward.

Here's another cool fact about that same Omaha Knight squad of the 1945-46 season. One of the

Omaha goaltenders was Lefty Wilson, who became the trainer of the Wings for 32 years (1950-

1982). Wilson finished the 1945-46 season with the USHL St. Paul Saints before playing the

next three years with the AHL Indianapolis Capitols (1947-48 – 1949-50), another Detroit Red

Wings farm club. He joined the parent club as their trainer before the 1950-51 season.

Wilson was instrumental in the development of goalie masks and made the first mask worn by

Red Wings great, Terry Sawchuk.

In Wilson’s early days with the Wings, NHL teams only carried one goaltender. Wilson served

as an emergency goaltender for both the home-town Wings and the visiting teams. Sure enough,

I found his goaltending stats on www.hockey-reference.com. He played in one game each for

the Wings (1953-54 season), the Toronto Maple Leafs (1955-56), and the Boston Bruins (1957-

58). Lefty gave up one goal in a total of 81 minutes of play. It came when playing for the

Boston Bruins at Olympia on December 29, 1958. The goal was scored by Detroit's Jack

McIntyre, assisted by Alex Delvecchio and Nick Mickoski. Pretty cool.

The 1945-46 Omaha Knights team that included

Howe, Ivan, and Wilson

Here is a link with the 1945-46 Omaha Knights stats. Despite being the youngest player on the

team, Howe finished third in scoring on the team. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0004071946.html

I won't even pose the question as to who the team's leading scorer was. It was none other than

Carl "Winky" Smith, born eleven years before Howe in 1917. Smith had a brief stay with the

Wings in the 1943-44 season, playing in seven games and accumulating one goal and one assist.

His last professional season was with Omaha in the 1948-49 season.

For some more interesting reading regarding Howe’s early years: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-11-10/sports/9611100118_1_gordie-howe-jack-adams-hot-flash/3

Here is an interesting excerpt from the above link about Howe's first NHL game on October 16,

1946.

"Was the old coach crazy, or what? All week the Red Wings practiced, and all week Jack Adams

never said a word. Not a thing. Start Gordie Howe, the 18-year-old rookie from Saskatoon,

Saskatchewan, on opening night? Against the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Had he known, Howe wouldn't have daydreamed during the national anthem. No way. When he

was a kid, he collected pictures of NHL players by sending in labels of Bee Hive corn syrup. And

now, four years later, here it was, 1946, and Howe was looking up and down Toronto's blue line,

searching for the players he had in his scrapbook--Syl Apps (have it) . . . Turk Broda (have it) . .

. Nick Metz (have it). . . ."

Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman finished their careers as the top two in career goals, assists,

and points in Red Wings history. The following URL can be used to view and sort Detroit Red

Wings individual records. There are some interesting names for long-time Red Wing fans. http://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/teams/detroit-red-wings-players-career-nhl-stats.html

FSS Trivia:

Quick, before you look at the above link, who played in over 300 Wings' games and leads the

franchise in career points-per-game?

The two greatest players in Red Wing history,

Steve Yzerman and Gordie Howe

FSS Trivia:

Do you know the definition of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick?

Quick Fact:

Gordie Howe’s first jersey number for the 1946 Detroit Red Wings was #17. When Roy

Conacher moved on to the Chicago Blackhawks after the 1946–47 season, Howe was offered

Conacher's #9. Although he had not requested the change, Howe accepted it when he was

informed that "9" entitled him to a lower Pullman berth on road trips. Mr. Hockey wore the

familiar #9 for the remainder of his career in Detroit.

Quick Fact:

After Howe's unsuccessful tryout with the Rangers, he played locally for the Saskatoon Lions in

the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey League (SAHA) in the 1943-44 season. After Gordie was

signed by the Wings in 1944, he was supposed to play on the Galt Red Wings in the Junior A

Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) league for the 1944-45 season. Gordie dressed for only one

game that season but did not play due to the fact that Galt had exhausted its import quota.

Gordie recalls his season spent with Galt in this quote from an article found at the URL below.

“I wasn’t allowed to play in games due to the rules, so I just learned how to fight well, and

worked on my skills,” Howe recalls. “They gave me my first pair of decent skates.” http://www.sportsnet.ca/magazine/canadian-cathedrals-partiii-galt-arena/

I found it interesting that Gordie talked about learning how to fight in the same breath as honing

his hockey skills. No doubt it worked because played well enough to be "the best player at

Omaha" and make it to the NHL after his one-year stint with Omaha the following season. And,

we all know Howe was most able in the pugilistic arena.

The Gordie Howe Website statistics page verifies Howe spent the season with Galt, but did not

play in a game.

http://www.gordiehowe.com/?p=54

The 1944-45 Galt Red Wings and no Gordie

Wikipedia Photo

Ty Cobb - It was the spring of 1907 and Detroit Tigers’ GM and Manager Hughie Jennings had

enough of the volatile Cobb. After an incident in which Cobb slapped an African American

groundskeeper, choked the groundskeeper’s wife, and fought with a white teammate, Jennings

immediately offered his young, twenty-one-year-old budding star to the Cleveland Naps for a

player by the name of Elmer Flick. Cleveland stayed with Flick and the Tigers were stuck with

Cobb. Cobb won the American League batting an amazing nine consecutive seasons and twelve

out of the next thirteen. Cobb also won the Triple Crown (1909) and the American League Most

Valuable Player Award (1911).

The conversation between Jennings and Cleveland Nap owner Charlie Somers went like this:

“We’ll give you Ty Cobb for Elmer Flick. Straight up.”

“I think we’ll just keep Flick.”

Elmer Flick about 1910

Library of Congress Photo

Flick had a fine career through 1907 until he came down with an internal ailment. He never

played regularly again and, after appearing in only ninety-games over the next three seasons, he

retired following the 1910 season. In 1963, the Veterans Committee voted Flick to the HOF, two

years after Cobb’s death.

Visit the Society for American Baseball Research for more information on Flick. http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/f99aac04

FSS Trivia:

I love this question. I think it is one of the best Michigan sports trivia questions that I ever came

across. Who are the six individuals whose careers spanned twenty years or more and who played

their entire career with a Detroit team?

FSS Trivia:

Who is the only player to win the Triple Crown in the American League twice?

FSS Trivia:

Who is the only player to win the Triple Crown in the National League twice?

Ty Cobb Hassan Cigarettes 1912 Baseball Card

Library of Congress Photo

Section 2.1 – Who was better? Cobb or Ruth?

FSS: Is there any statistical evidence that can tell us if Cobb or Ruth is the better of the two?

It’s the age-old argument between baseball historians and fans. What an advantage for those

who had the privilege of watching how each player affected baseball games in their era. The

problem is there aren’t many around who saw both men play.

Perhaps, the answer may be found in what could be considered Cobb’s greatest accomplishment.

And it occurred years after he retired.

In 1936, Major League Baseball held its initial Hall of Fame (HOF) vote. The first group of

inductees included Cobb, Ruth, Christy Matheson, Honus Wagner, and Walter Johnson. Despite

the fact that Cobb retired 8 years previous in 1928 and Ruth had just retired the previous year in

1935, and despite the fact Cobb was one of the most despised baseball players ever and Ruth was

the most popular athlete of his time, Cobb was the top vote getter, receiving 222 votes or 98.2%.

Cobb’s 98.2% has been exceeded only three times in the history of MLB HOF voting: by Tom

Seaver in 1992 (98.84%), by Nolan Ryan in 1999 (98.79%), and by Cal Ripken, Jr. in 2007

(98.53%).

The 1936 MLB HOF vote was strange by today's standards because members were allowed to

vote for active players. There were forty-two players (retired and active) in that year's vote who

were eventually inducted into the Baseball HOF. Here are some of the players who were retired

before 1936 that did not get elected: Cy Young (inducted into Baseball HOF in 1937), Nap

Lajoie (1937), Tris Speaker (1937), Grover Cleveland Alexander (1938), George Sisler (1939),

Eddie Collins (1939), Willie Keeler (1939), and Rube Wadell (1946).

Use the following link for a detailed list of the 1936 Baseball Hall of Fame voting. Check out

the HOF players who did not make it. http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_1936.shtml...

Section 2.11 – Hamburger for Steak and Cash

FSS: Within a week prior to the start of the 1960 season, the Detroit Tigers orchestrated two of

the club's biggest trade victories with the Cleveland Indians.

The 1960 swap meet with Cleveland started on April 12, 1960, exactly one week before opening

day. The Tigers obtained third-year player Norman Cash for second-year player Steve Demeter.

The shocker came just two days before the two clubs met on opening day in Cleveland. On

April 17, 1960, Detroit obtained Rocky Colavito, the defending home-run champion, for Harvey

Kuenn, the defending batting champion. It was one of the biggest trades in Major League

Baseball history. I cannot imagine the emotions of the fans, especially in Cleveland where

Colavito was worshipped.

Detroit and Cleveland participated in four trades during the 1960 season, beginning with the ho-

hum Cash/Demeter exchange. In 1959, Demeter batted only eighteen times in his rookie season

for Detroit. Cash had 104 at-bats, finishing with just four home-runs, sixteen RBIs, and a .240

average. At the time, it was a swap of part-time, young players. It turned our great for Detroit.

Demeter batted five times in Cleveland in 1960 and played his last professional baseball game in

Baltimore on May 6, 1960. His only two call-ups during his 19-year minor league career were in

1959 (with Detroit) and his short 1960 stint with the Indians. In 1972, Steve hung up the spikes

to serve as a manager in the Pittsburgh Pirates' minor league system for ten seasons (1972-1980,

1987). In 1985, Steve was part of Chuck Tanner's coaching staff that left after the disastrous,

104-loss season. Demeter became Pittsburgh's director of scouting in 1988. He passed in 2013.

By the end of the 1960 season, Cash became the Tigers starting first baseman. Stormin' Norman

broke out the following year, winning the AL batting title with a .361 average and leading the

league with 193 hits and an on-base percentage of .487.

Cash also had 41 homers and 132 RBIs to form a formidable one-two punch with Colavito that

rivaled the more famous Yankees' duo of Maris and Mantle. There's more on that comparison

later in this entry.

Cash played fifteen years in Motown, totaling 377 HRs, 1,043 RBIs, with a .271 average.

Demeter batted five times for the Indians in 1960 and was out of baseball.

The Kuenn for Colavito Trade

When Cleveland received Kuenn, Cleveland Indians General Manager Frank "Trader" Lane

proudly declared, "Hamburger for steak.” Lane thought he was giving the Tigers ground-round

(Colavito) for filet mignon (Kuenn). Lane was wrong.

Ironically, opening day pitted Detroit at Cleveland for the first two games of the 1960 season.

Detroit swept. It was a sign of things to come.

The Tigers beat the Indians on opening day 4-2 in fifteen innings on a two-run single by Kaline.

Colavito went hitless in six at-bats, striking out four times. Kuenn had two hits in seven at bats.

Cash had a pinch-hit walk. The winner was Pete Burnside. The loser was Mudcat Grant.

Detroit won the second game 6-4 when Kaline broke a 4-4 tie in the 9th

inning with a home-run.

Colavito had a three-run dinger and Cash blasted a pinch-hit, game-tying round-tripper in the

eighth inning. Kuenn didn't play. The winning pitcher was Tom Morgan. Paul Foytack picked

up the save. The losing pitcher was Indians' starter Jim Perry.

On April 22, 1960, in his first home at-bat for the Tigers in Briggs Stadium, Colavito homered as

Detroit won their third straight game to start the season by a score of 6-5 over the visiting

Chicago White Sox.

The Tigers started the 1960 campaign with five straight wins. They promptly lost their next ten

and finished in sixth place with a 71-83 record.

Kuenn had led the AL in hits four times in his seven full-time seasons in Motown. In his only

season Cleveland in 1960, Kuenn played in only 126 games and batted .308. His 146 hits were

his lowest output since his rookie year (1951) in a season in which he played in only nineteen

games. After the 1960 season, Lane traded his "steak" to the San Francisco Giants for Johnny

Antonelli and Willie Kirkland. Antonelli went 0-4 with a 6.56 ERA in 1961 before Lane sold

Antonelli's rights to Milwaukee. Kirkland played three seasons for the Indians, batting .232 with

63 dingers. Bottom line: Colavito for Antonelli and Kirkland!?!?! I'll bet if someone wrote a

Fantastic Sports Stuff book about Ohio sports, this trade would be filed in the “You Gotta Be

Freakin’ Kidding Me?! Right?!” section. LOL!

Rocco Domenico Colavito was a tall (6' 3"), muscular (190 lbs.), handsome Italian who was a

fan favorite in Detroit as well as Cleveland. In today's world, the Rock's face would be plastered

across billboards and in television commercials. Rocky's four seasons with Detroit were

phenomenal. He slugged 139 homers with 430 RBIs and batted .271. His big season was 1961,

the year the Tigers won 101 games. Colavito had 45 HR's and 140 RBIs and made the All-Star

team. The worst part for Indian fans is that they got to see Rocky slug his way through four

seasons as a Tiger. During the four seasons with The Rock as a Tiger, Detroit went 43-27 vs.

Indians and Rocky batted .281 with 20 HRs and 54 RBIs.

Cash and The Rock vs. The Mick and Maris

As I said before, Cash and Colavito compared favorably to the more renowned Maris and

Mantle. Since Mantle broke down in 1963 and Cash was a part timer in 1960, I limited my

comparisons to the 1961 and 1962 seasons when all four sluggers had two of the best seasons in

their career.

To say the quartet were at their peak is an understatement. In 1961, all four players had their

career high in home-runs and all but Mantle had their highest RBI total. Mantle had 128 RBIs

that season, two less than his career high of 130 in 1956. Maris was the AL MVP in 1961, his

second consecutive award. Mantle was the AL MVP in 1962. You can see what the Tiger duo

was up against these two seasons.

From left to right (1961 stats in parenthesis):

Roger Maris (NYY-61 HRs, 141 RBIs),

Rocky Colavito (DET-45 HRs, 140 RBIs),

Norm Cash (DET-41 HRs, 132 RBIs),

Mickey Mantle (NYY-54 HRs, 128 RBIs)

NOTES:

Bolded numbers designates the AL leader.

Bolded numbers in duo stats indicate leader in group stats.

WAR is Wins Above Replacement-All

1961 Individual Totals

1961 Cash Rocky Maris Mantle

ABs 535 583 590 514

Runs 119 129 132 131

Hits 193 169 159 163

HRs 41 45 61 54

RBIs 132 140 141 128

Avg. 361 .290 .269 .317

OBP .487 .401 .372 .448

Slug .662 .580 .620 .687

TB 354 338 366 353

WAR 9.2 7.7 6.9 10.5

In 1961, the four sluggers were:

1-2-3-4 in Total Bases

1-2-4-6 in Slugging %

1-2-5-6 in Home-runs

1-3-4-5 in RBIs

1-2-4-5 in Offensive WAR (Kaline was 3rd

with 8.4)

1961 Tandem Totals

1961 Cash/Rocky Maris/Mantle

ABs 1,118 1,104

Runs 240 264

Hits 362 322

HRs 86 115

RBIs 272 269

Avg. .325 .293

OBP .444 .410

Slug% .621 .653

TB 692 719

I found it interesting the Tigers' duo had more RBIs.

1962 Individual Totals

1962 Cash Rocky Maris Mantle

ABs 507 601 590 377

Runs 94 90 92 96

Hits 123 164 151 121

HRs 39 37 33 30

RBIs 89 112 100 89

Avg. .243 .273 .256 .321

OBP .382 .372 .356 .486

Slug .513 .514 .485 .605

TB 260 309 286 228

1962 Tandem Totals

1962 Cash/Rocky Maris/Mantle

ABs 1,108 967

Runs 184 188

Hits 287 272

HRs 76 63

RBIs 201 189

Avg. .258. 288

OBP .379. 412

Slug% .513 .521

TB 569 504

Harmon Killebrew (Minnesota Twins) led the AL in 1962 with 48 HRs and 126 RBIs. Pitchers

Camilio Pasqual (MIN) and Hank Aguirre (DET) were tied for the top WAR (6.2). Mantle was

4th (6.0) and Colavito was 5

th (5.8). Mantle was tops in Offensive WAR with a mark of 7.7.

Quick Fact:

Aguirre was 16-8 and led the AL with an ERA of 2.21 and a WHIP of 1.051. It was Hank's best

season and the only time he made the All-Star team. Aguirre, known for his anemic bat, hit .027

with two hits in 75 at-bats. More on Hank the hitter later.

Now, this is hilarious. Aguirre was acquired by Detroit in a trade with, you guessed it, the

Cleveland Indians. On February 18, 1958, Detroit traded Jay Porter and Hal Woodeshick for Jim

Hegan and Hank. Aguirre accumulated a 64-64 record with a 3.49 ERA in ten seasons with the

Tigers.

1961-1962 Individual Totals Cash Rocky Maris Mantle

ABs 1,042 1,184 1,180 891

Runs 203 219 224 227

Hits 316 333 310 284

HRs 80 82 94 84

RBIs 221 252 241 211

Avg. .302 .281 .257 .319

OBP .434 .386 .364 .446

Slug .589 .546 .552 .652

TB 614 647 652 581

1961-1962 Tandem Totals

Cash/Rocky Maris/Mantle

ABs 2,227 2,071

Runs 422 451

Hits 649 594

HRs 162 178

RBIs 473 452

Avg. .292 .287

OBP .414 .412

Slug% .513 .521

TB 1,261 1,233

The Cash/Colavito tandem led the two AL MVPs in six of the nine above offensive categories

for the combined 1961-1962 seasons.

Colavito received a lot of grief for holding out after the 1961 season for more money than Al

Kaline. He was paid $54k, more than the $49k paid Kaline. Detroit remedied that situation by

giving Al a $55k salary in 1963.

Truth be told, Cash and Colavito were bargains compared to Maris and Mantle. Here are the

salary comparisons

1961 1962 1961-2

Cash $13k $29k $42k

Colavito $35k $54k $89k

Maris $42k $70k $112k

Mantle $75k $90k $165k

The Yankees paid $277k for their duo, double the $131k Detroit paid for theirs.

NOTE: Salaries obtained from www.baseball-almanac.com.

Section 4.1 – Legalizing the Forward Pass

FSS: The forward pass was legalized to save lives.

It was called a "projectile pass" in its infancy. Today, we call it the forward pass and there isn't a

fan alive that could imagine the game of football without it.

In the early 1900s, American football was in a state of flux with the overwhelming public

concern over the amount of deaths attributed to the game. Support to discontinue football was

increasing. Developed after the game of rugby, the violence had become a national issue. In

1905, the Chicago Tribune reported there were eighteen deaths and 159 serious injuries

attributed to football in college and high school. I read the amount of deaths from 1990-2005

were estimated to be over 300 when considering play at all levels - high school, college, and pro.

Football was the most popular game in town, attracting five-figure crowds and vastly outdrawing

professional baseball. The clamor for reform was gaining support. President Theodore

Roosevelt stepped in and made it clear that something had to change.

I found this quote attributed to President Roosevelt at the Smithsonian website:

“Brutality in playing a game should awaken the heartiest and most plainly shown contempt for

the player guilty of it.”

In December of 1905, 62 collegiate representatives met to modernize the game and to make it

safer. Several rules were adopted, none more important than the legalization of the forward pass.

Other rules set in place included:

Teams were required to move the ball ten yards for a first down, up from the former rule of

five yards for a first down.

The neutral zone was established between the offensive and defensive lines.

The "flying wedge" offensive formation was banned.

Each team must have at least six men on the line of scrimmage.

Unnecessary roughness penalties were increased to a fifteen-yard walk-off and could result in

an ejection.

Initially, the rules accompanying a forward pass made it less attractive to adopt the strategy.

Passes could not be completed within five yards of the center, taking away the middle of the

field from the passing game.

Passes could not be completed within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

Oddly, a catch in end the end zone was ruled a touchback.

An incomplete pass resulted in a penalty of a 15-yard walk-off or, in some cases, a turnover.

The forward pass was met with resistance by the established college powerhouses of the east.

Passing was considered "sissified."

I laughed when I read this because I could relate to the stubbornness of the Big Two, Ohio State

and the University of Michigan Bo and Woody resisted the temptation to build an offense on

anything other than "three yards and a cloud of dust" throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

Ohio State head football coach Woody Hayes has been credited with the quote, "Three things

can happen on a pass play and two of them are bad." I can't imagine why the Big Ten had so

much trouble in the Rose Bowls back then. (Wink-wink)…

Section 4.5 – Sanders–5 Seasons Over 1,500 Yards

FSS: Sanders is the only NFL rusher to have five seasons of 1,500 yards rushing or more.

Only Eric Dickerson, Edgerrin James, and Walter Payton have rushed for 1,500 or more in a

season four times. Tiki Barber, Jim Brown, Clinton Portis, Emmitt Smith, O. J. Simpson, and

LaDainian Tomlinson have done it three times.

Here are Barry’s 1,500 yards rushing seasons. He just missed a sixth and seventh when he

rushed for 1,491 yards in 1998 and 1,470 yards in 1989.

1997 2,053 yards

1994 1,883 yards

1996 1,553 yards

1991 1,548 yards

1995 1,500 yards

In 1997, Barry averaged 6.1 yards per carry, the highest yards-per-carry average for any NFL

rusher with 300 or more rushing attempts in a season. In 1973, O. J. Simpson averaged 6.0

yards-per-carry with 332 rushing attempts. In 2012, Adrian Peterson averaged 6.0 with 348

attempts. In 1963, Jim Brown averaged 6.4 with 291 rushing attempts.

I wasn’t aware how rare it has been to average at least five yards per carry in a season with 250

or more rushing attempts. According to my research, it has been accomplished 28 times.

Brown, Simpson, and Sanders are the only rushers who are on the list three times. Here are

those who accomplished it:

Year Avg Att Yards

Jim Brown 1963 6.4 291 1,863

Barry Sanders 1997 6.1 335 2,053

O. J. Simpson 1973 6.0 332 2,003

Adrian Peterson 2012 6.0 348 2,097

Jim Brown 1958 5.9 257 1,527

Barry Sanders 1994 5.7 331 1,883

Eric Dickerson 1984 5.6 379 2,105

Chris Johnson 2009 5.6 358 2,006

Walter Payton 1977 5.5 339 1,852

O. J. Simpson 1975 5.5 339 1,817

Clinton Portis 2003 5.5 290 1,591

DeAngelo Williams 2008 5.5 273 1,515

Frank Gore 2006 5.4 312 1,695

Jamaal Lewis 2003 5.3 387 2,066

Ahman Green 2003 5.3 355 1,883

LaDainian Tomlinson 2003 5.3 313 1,645

Jim Brown 1965 5.3 289 1,544

Earl Campbell 1980 5.2 372 1,934

Tiki Barber 2005 5.2 357 1,860

LaDainian Tomlinson 2006 5.2 348 1,815

Larry Johnson 2005 5.2 336 1,750

Priest Holmes 2002 5.2 313 1,615

O. J. Simpson 1976 5.2 290 1,503

Terrell Davis 1998 5.1 392 2,008

Shaun Alexander 2005 5.1 370 1,880

Tiki Barber 2006 5.1 327 1,662

Garrison Hearst 1998 5.1 310 1,570

Barry Sanders 1996 5.1 307 1,553

FSS Trivia: Who replaced Barry Sanders as the featured back on the Detroit Lions after Sanders retired just

before the 1999 season?

FSS Trivia:

There are four players in the top 30 all-time rushers who spent their entire career with one team.

Brown and Sanders are two of them. Who are the other two?

Section 5.1 – The Origination of the

Winged-Wheel Logo

FSS: The Detroit Red Wings team name and their Winged-Wheel logo were established by

James E. Norris when he purchased the franchise in 1932.

One of the reasons I wrote Fantastic Sports Stuff was to satisfy my curiosity about several sports

mysteries. One of those mysteries was the origination of the Detroit Red Wings famous logo, the

Winged-Wheel. So, I did a little research.

In 1932, James E. Norris purchased the Detroit NHL franchise and renamed the Detroit Falcons

to the Detroit Red Wings. The Winged Wheel insignia was derived from the jersey that Norris

wore while playing for a Montreal Hockey Club (MHC) team called the Montreal AAAs. The

MHC was part of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA), a multi-sport

organization that is Canada's oldest athletic association.

The winged-wheel logo was altered from the Montreal version. The Montreal version had wings

vertically attached to a wheel, while the Detroit Red Wings' design has the wings attached

horizontally. The wheel was replaced with a tire to signify the Motor City capital of the world.

Montreal AAA double-winged wheel jersey

Here is a link to a video on the Wings' website about the history of the winged wheel: http://video.redwings.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=49910

The Montreal AAA winged-wheel and

Today's Red Wing winged-wheel

Origination of the MAAA Winged-Wheel Logo

The winged-wheel originated in the early 1880s with the establishment of the Montreal Amateur

Athletic Association (MAAA), an organization that exists today. The MAAA was created by

combining the Montreal Snowshoe Club, the Montreal Lacrosse Club, and the Montreal Bicycle

Club. The Montreal Hockey Club (MHC) became part of the MAAA in 1884. MHC used

MAAA's winged-wheel logo and, at times, their teams were called the Montreal Winged-

Wheelers after the Montreal Bicycle Club.

The Montreal Bicycle Club (1885)

Notice the winged-wheel on his cap

Wikipedia photo/Canada Public Domain

The MAAA gymnasium 1887

I saw this picture and couldn't resist

Notice everyone has a winged-wheel on their shirt

Wikipedia photo/Canada Public Domain

The MAAA's official website: http://www.clubsportifmaa.com/?p=22&v=87422361151a3cb229b0f11.47015284...

Section 5.8 –Don Cherry Disses the Wings' Style?

FSS: Don Cherry’s rant that the Wings can’t be successful because they don’t fight holds no

weight at all.

I listen to sportscasters and sometimes wonder how they can say some of the things they say.

When Verlander was marching to the 2011 Cy Young Award, an ESPN analyst gave his take on

why Sabathia should get the award. His reasoning was Sabathia pitched in a stronger division. I

accepted that. Then, he threw out the “fact” that Sabathia gets less support. I’m sure there were

viewers who shook their head in agreement just like the “expert sportscasters” in the ESPN

newsroom did during the broadcast. But, when I heard the comment, I cringed. So, I did a little

research. The problem was, according to espn.go.com, Sabathia’s run support was over six runs

a game most of the season and ended up at 5.58, while Verlander’s finished at 4.56. At the time

of the broadcast, the gap was almost two runs a game.

A few years back, I was watching a round-table breakdown of the upcoming World Series. A

distinguished “expert” gave his take on what the underdog manager could do to beat the

prohibitive favorite. “I would try to get a five run lead.” The other experts around the expert

table nodded their expert heads in approval. I couldn’t believe this insightful idea. Holy

Smokes! What a revelation! Major league baseball managers had to be scurrying about to

change their game plans because no other expert had every thought of that.

And, now, I have to listen to Don Cherry spew his rubbish. Here’s just some of what appeared in

Greg Krupa’s article in the Detroit News on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Cherry claimed the

Red Wings aren’t tough enough to win the Stanley Cup.

"Detroit doesn't fight at all! They're not tough!"

"You know the number one team in the league that fights? New York Rangers," Cherry said.

"And where are they?"

So, I had to defend my beloved Red Wings. You've heard about the Detroit Red Wings: the only

team that won four Stanley Cups in the last sixteen seasons through 2013. In fact, no other team

has won four in the last twenty-five seasons.

I was curious as to the affect team fighting majors had on winning the Stanley Cup

championship. So, I did a little research.

I analyzed the Stanley Cup finalists over the last sixteen seasons (through 2012) in relation to the

team’s standing in the amount of fighting majors for that year. Here is what I found.

NOTE:

B- designates team in bottom ten in fighting majors for that year

B5- designates team in bottom five in fighting majors for that year

T- designates team in top ten in fighting majors for that year

T5- designates team in top five in fighting majors for that year

Season (Teams) Winner Loser 2011-12 (30) LAK (18th) NJ (11th)

2010-11 (30) T5-BOS (2nd) B10-VAN (23rd)

2009-10 (30) B10-CHI (21st) T5-PHI (2nd)

2008-09 (30) B10-PIT (23rd) B5-DET (30th)

2007-08 (30) B5-DET (30th) PIT (12th)

2006-07 (30) T5-ANA (1st) B10-OTT (22nd)

2005-06 (30) B5-CAR (28th) EDM (18th)

2004-05 (no season-strike)

2003-04 (30) B10-TB (22nd) T5-CAL (2nd)

2002-03 (30) NJ (18th) B10-ANA (23rd)

2001-02 (30) B5-DET (30th) B5-CAR (29th)

2000-01 (30) COL (14th) T10-NJ (10th) 1999-00 (28) T10-NJ (10th) DAL (16th)

1998-99 (27) B10-DAL (21st) T10-BUF (10

th)

1997-98 (26) B5-DET (25th) B5-WAS (26th)

1996-97 (26) B5-DET (23rd) T5-PHI (fourth)

1995-96 (26) B5-COL (24th) FLA (12th)

Let’s take the top ten and bottom ten teams in total fighting majors for the year:

Sixteen times a team in the bottom ten in fights made the Stanley Cup Finals

Eight times a team in the top ten in fights made the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ten times a team in the bottom ten won the Stanley Cup Finals.

Three times a team in the top ten won the Stanley Cup Finals.

Let’s take the top five and bottom five teams in total fighting majors for the year:

Nine times a team in the bottom five in fights made the Stanley Cup Finals

Five times a team in the top five in fights made the Stanley Cup Finals.

Six times a team in the bottom five won the Stanley Cup Finals.

Two times a team in the top five won the Stanley Cup Finals.

Stanley Cup winners:

Bottom ten 10-3 advantage over top ten.

Bottom five 6-2 advantage over top five.

Stanley Cup finalists:

Bottom ten 16-8 advantage over top ten.

Bottom five 9-5 advantage over top five.

Oh, by the way, Detroit won the following Stanley Cups during this fifteen year period.

2008 – They were thirtieth (and last) in total fights.

2002 – They were thirtieth (and last) in total fights.

1998 – They were twenty-fifth out of twenty-six teams in total fights.

1997 – They were twenty-third out of twenty-six teams in total fights.

Here's some more. I went back to the 2000-01 season when the NHL expanded to 30 teams and

placed the teams into three groups of ten. NOTE: (2000-01 through 2012-13)

Top ten teams in fighting majors made the playoffs 55 times (4.58/year).

Middle ten teams in fighting majors made the playoffs 65 times (5.42/year).

Bottom ten teams in fighting majors made the playoffs 72 times (6.2/year).

Sorry, Don. What’s your point again?

I obtained the above information at the following website. Look for yourself. http://www.hockeyfights.com/archives/

Section 6.2 – The Bad Boys' Team Concept

FSS: The Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons are the only NBA championship team to have eight players

average over twenty minutes a game in the playoffs, doing it twice in the 1988-89 and 1989-90

seasons.

After coming so very close in the previous season, the Piston franchise won their first and second

NBA Championship with a unique combination of guard offense, team defense, irreverence, and

blue-collar work ethic. The Pistons had a lethal, three-guard rotation and two sets of forwards

that contributed on a nightly basis. They were coached by Chuck Daly, the Piston all-time top-

winning coach. But, make no mistake. This was Isiah Thomas’s team. He was their

unquestioned leader, both on and off the court.

In the 1988-89 season, the Pistons raced to the title with a 15-2 playoff record. They led the

Eastern Conference in defense and held their opponent to under 100 points in the first fourteen

playoff games. Only Thomas and Joe Dumars averaged 30 minutes per game. Vinnie Johnson

completed the guard rotation. The front-line featured the Baddest Bad Boys Bill Laimbeer and

Rick Mahorn, Mark Aguirre, and third year players Dennis Rodman and John Salley. Dumars

was the MVP. Here are statistics for the players. Detroit just missed having a ninth player

average twenty minutes-per-game when James Edwards had 18.6.

1988-89 Piston Playoff Statistics

Player PPG MPG APG RPG

Isiah Thomas 18.2 37.2 8.2

Joe Dumars 17.6 36.5 5.6

Vinnie Johnson 14.1 21.9

Mark Aguirre 12.6 27.2

Bill Laimbeer 10.1 29.2 8.2

John Salley 8.9 23.1

James Edwards 7.1 18.6

Dennis Rodman 5.8 24.1 10.0

Rick Mahorn 5.7 21.2

Source: http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/

1989.html#all_playoffs_per_game

In the table above:

PPG – Points Per Game

MPG – Minutes Per Game

APG – Assists Per Game

RPG – Rebounds Per Game

On their way to the title in 1989, Detroit got sweet revenge by sweeping both the Boston Celtics

and Los Angeles Lakers.

In 1987, it was Larry Bird’s steal of a Thomas inbounds pass in the final seconds that allowed

Boston to pull out a victory in Game Five at home, thereby preventing them from facing an

elimination game in Detroit. Detroit won Game Six, 113-105, forcing a seventh game at Boston

Gardens. The Celtics prevailed 117-114.

In 1988, the Lakers benefited from what Piston faithful refer to as the “phantom foul.” It

occurred with two seconds left in the sixth game with Detroit leading, 102-101, and on the verge

of clinching the championship. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made both free throws and Los Angeles

pulled out Game Six. The Lakers won Game Seven 108-105.

With their playoff run in 1989, Detroit exorcised both demonic memories…

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