Monday, August 31, 2020

1955 Bowman: An Accidental Collection

Two things are true concerning the 1955 Bowman set.

  • I really like the set. It's probably my favorite of all time.
  • I will never complete the set (reasons include: Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, et al.)

I started thinking about this set a little more when looking for some cards for Matt at Diamond Jesters and his Time Travel Trade program. I actually found three dupes of 1955 Bowman cards that I sent to him in exchange for some vintage Cubs I needed.

I never intended to complete this set, but over the years I have accumulated over 1/5 of the cards (around 70 different cards in all; the set totals 320). Most of these were obtained probably close to 10 years ago, when eBay would have them at reasonable prices. I still will look on occasion for new ones from time to time, but only like to pay $1/card shipped, and that doesn't happen very often. I'm not sure of how the value of this set has changed in the last decade, but I'm thinking it's probably increased considerably.

I got my first 1955 Bowman card shortly after learning about the set, maybe about 15 years ago. It was an eBay purchase and I'm thinking I probably paid 99 cents with free shipping. So for me, this is the most recognizable card of the set. And probably my favorite, because there's something about that first card.

1955 Bowman #26, Virgil Trucks

Such a simple, cool, retro design. The TV border is of course the defining characteristic of the set. The card backs are great, too! They feature standard bio information, past year and career stats, and a text section that varies by card. Some of the various topics include, "My Biggest Thrill in Baseball," "My Favorite Baseball Memories," "My Advice to Youngsters," among others. The Virgil Trucks card has this card back:

A great story, but I read somewhere about someone doing research and finding that it couldn't have occurred exactly the way Trucks told it, based on the date and situation and such. Still a great story, though. 

Unlike a lot of my other retro cards, I don't only have commons from this set. Here are a few hall of famers from my collection:

1955 Bowman
#59 Whitey Ford
#10 Phil Rizzuto
#168 Yogi Berra
#103, Eddie Mathews

Yogi has some surface wear, others have some creasing, and one corner of the Rizzuto was the victim of my scissors opening the envelope (GAH!) but overall I think they're pretty nice. The Mathews is probably my favorite of this bunch. My dream card from the set would probably be the Ernie Banks.

Like I said earlier, I have no plans to complete the set, and that's ok. I appreciate the ones I have and it was fun to take a look at these again. Hope you enjoyed them, too!

Monday, August 24, 2020

Some Recent Pickups - of the Lesser Known Variety

One of my favorite Frankenset categories has to be what I call the "lesser knowns." It's a lot of fun to come across cards of guys who instantly remind you of someone else, whether it be someone in the same baseball family or some other famous athlete or maybe actor, etc. I'm always on the lookout for more cards to add to my collection, since the ones that don't make the Frankenset cut are housed in a separate binder. I've now posted a separate page so you can see the list of the lesser knowns that I have accumulated. I'm always seeking new ones, and today I wanted to show some of my most recent acquisitions.

The first three I'll show are guys who had someone in their family achieve more fame in the baseball arena.

2006 TriStar Prospects Plus #10 - Josh Papelbon



Josh Papelbon and his twin brother, Jeremy, are the younger brothers of former Red Sox/Phillies/Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon. Both brothers topped out at Double-A, while Jonathan was a 6-time all-star. Jeremy is also a part of my lesser known collection and has a slot in the Frankenset.


1995 SP Prospects #104 - Dennis Martinez Jr.



Dennis Martinez Jr., son of 23-year veteran pitcher "El Presidente" Dennis Martinez, only made it as high as Single-A in 1997 as a member of the Columbus Red Stixx, where he was a teammate of another lesser known, Mike Glavine (Tom's brother). 


2000 Bowman Chrome Draft #95 - Aaron Herr



Aaron Herr, son of long-time Cardinals second baseman Tommy, played 11 minor league seasons, including three at the Triple-A level. He played both second and third base. 


Next up are a couple of guys who at one time were the better known player with their name, but not anymore. 


2011 Topps #411 - Josh Bell 



The first Josh Bell played parts of three MLB seasons as a third baseman. His career slash line was .195 BA, .223 OBP, .488 OPS. Pirates first baseman Josh Bell has a career slash line of .262/.349/.817 and made the 2019 NL All-Star team. 


2002 Topps #257 - Nelson Cruz



The original Nelson Cruz was primarily a reliever and actually appeared in 204 career games. But he is overshadowed by the Twins 6-time all-star slugger, who is 4th on the active homerun list with 410 for his career.


Finally, how about a few guys with names you would be more likely to recognize from the NFL?


1994 Bowman #344 Bubba Smith



Baseball's Bubba Smith was primarily a first baseman who actually played 16 minor league seasons. His best season was probably 1997 with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City 89ers where he batted .255, clubbed 27 homers, and drove in 94. The better known Bubba Smith is noteworthy for both his NFL career and his acting career, perhaps most famously for his role in the Police Academy series of films. Both guys had the birth name Charles.


1997 Bowman #86 Robert Smith



Baseball's Robert Smith was one of many Robert Smiths to play professionally. He went by Bob or Bobby and played parts of five seasons for the dreadful Devil Rays teams of the late 90s and early 00s. Football's Robert Smith played eight seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. He rushed for 1,000 yards four consecutive times before retiring at age 28 in 2000.


1989 Star Minor League #76 Tommy Kramer



Baseball's Tommy Kramer typically went by Tom. He had a pretty good season of work in 1993, but couldn't stick on a roster at the major league level. Football's Tommy Kramer played 14 seasons as an NFL quarterback, all but one as a member of the Vikings. He made the Pro Bowl in 1986.


1992 Classic Best #158 Tim Brown



Baseball's Tim Brown was one of several players by that name to play professionally. Brown topped out at Triple-A as a pitcher in the Blue Jays organization. Football's Tim Brown played 17 seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver, made 9 Pro Bowls, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 


Do you have a favorite "lesser known" or can you think of someone not on my list? 


Thanks for reading!

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Some Guys You Might Know: Donruss Names Series Finale

Welcome to the final part of the Donruss Names Series, where we look at some of the more interesting names on the back of Donruss baseball cards. This series takes advantage of the fact that from 1981 to 1992, Donruss printed the players full legal name on the back of their cards. If you're new to this series of posts or just want to reminisce, here's what we've covered so far:

Part 1: Famous players who went by their middle name

Part 2: Players who you thought had a nickname, but their nickname was their real name

Part 3: Players with a unique first name (Part 1)

Part 4: Players with a unique first name (Part 2)

Part 5: Players with a unique middle name

Part 6: Players who went by a nickname (Part 1 - 70s/80s)

All of the previous posts in the Donruss Names Series can be accessed by clicking here.

The final installment of the series today will feature players from the 80s/90s era who went by a nickname. I'm using a quiz format again to spice things up a bit, but if you want to skip ahead to the answers, feel free. The questions and answers are repeated below along with the cards that show the info. 

Let's dive in!

1) Which three-time all-star slugger had the given first/middle name Charles Theodore?
A) Cecil Fielder
B) Chili Davis
C) Danny Tartabull
D) Chet Lemon

2) Which pitcher who spent 13 years as a starter and reliever in the American League (and only played part of one season in the National League), had the given first/middle name George Earl?
A) Storm Davis
B) Goose Gossage
C) Turk Wendell
D) Tug McGraw

3) Which speedy one-time all-star had the given first/middle name Leon Joseph?
A) Otis Nixon
B) Willie Wilson
C) Bip Roberts
D) Mickey Rivers

4) Which long-time reliever had the given first/middle name Richard Michael?
A) Rollie Fingers
B) Goose Gossage
C) Willie Hernandez
D) Sparky Lyle

5) Which athletic outfielder had the given first/middle name Vincent Edward?
A) Kenny Lofton
B) Lonnie Smith
C) Bo Jackson
D) Barry Bonds

6) Which future manager had the given first/middle name Harry Ralston?
A) Bud Black
B) Torey Lovullo
C) Terry Francona
D) Dusty Baker

7) Which star shortstop had the given first/middle name Osborne Earl?
A) Ozzie Guillen
B) Ozzie Canseco
C) Ozzie Virgil
D) Ozzie Smith



Ok, let's see how you did!



1) Which three-time all-star slugger had the given first/middle name Charles Theodore?
A) Cecil Fielder
B) Chili Davis
C) Danny Tartabull
D) Chet Lemon



Chili got his nickname after a particularly bad haircut as a child. Other kids made fun of the haircut by saying it looked like someone had put a chili bowl over his head to cut around.


2) Which pitcher who spent 13 years as a starter and reliever in the American League (and only played part of one season in the National League), had the given first/middle name George Earl?
A) Storm Davis
B) Goose Gossage
C) Turk Wendell
D) Tug McGraw



Storm apparently got his nickname from a book his mother read while pregnant with him.


3) Which speedy one-time all-star had the given first/middle name Leon Joseph?
A) Otis Nixon
B) Willie Wilson
C) Bip Roberts
D) Mickey Rivers



Bip got his nickname from pronouncing certain words incorrectly during childhood, such as "bip" instead of "bit."


4) Which long-time reliever had the given first/middle name Richard Michael?
A) Rollie Fingers
B) Goose Gossage
C) Willie Hernandez
D) Sparky Lyle



A friend thought Rich looked like a goose when he looked in to read the signs from the catcher.


5) Which athletic outfielder had the given first/middle name Vincent Edward?
A) Kenny Lofton
B) Lonnie Smith
C) Bo Jackson
D) Barry Bonds



Bo was short for "boar hog," which Vincent was compared to as a child due to his penchant for getting into trouble.


6) Which future manager had the given first/middle name Harry Ralston?
A) Bud Black
B) Torey Lovullo
C) Terry Francona
D) Dusty Baker



Harry's sister started calling him Bud after the son in the 1950s sitcom Father Knows Best.


7) Which star shortstop had the given first/middle name Osborne Earl?
A) Ozzie Guillen
B) Ozzie Canseco
C) Ozzie Virgil
D) Ozzie Smith



Thanks for reading the final installment of the Donruss Names Series. As a thank you, I'm happy to announce you've stumbled into a "Pick 3" giveaway! 

Anyway, this giveaway is simple. There are three sets of players. Pick one player from each of the groups of names. Enter your names in the comments below. The first 6 people that comment will win and receive a PWE of cards of those three players. I'll try to include some interesting cards if I have them. Also, in the comments, if you want cards of that player from a particular team, you can say so, and I will try to accommodate. No doubling up on names. Once a player is taken by someone, you need to pick someone else in the group.

In subsequent giveaways, players chosen in the previous giveaways will not be available to choose again until some unknown date in the future. (Names with strikethrough below are not available.)

If you win, please provide your name and address via email by accessing my Blogger profile. If I've traded with you or have sent you cards before, you can skip this step. 

Remember, pick one player from each group!


HOF - Group 1

Roberto Alomar Whitey Herzog Cal Ripken Jr.
Sparky Anderson Trevor Hoffman Ivan Rodriguez
Jeff Bagwell Reggie Jackson Pete Rose
Harold Baines Randy Johnson Babe Ruth
Craig Biggio Chipper Jones Nolan Ryan
Bert Blyleven Barry Larkin Mike Schmidt
Wade Boggs Tony LaRussa Tom Seaver
George Brett Tommy Lasorda Lee Smith
Steve Carlton Greg Maddux Ozzie Smith
Gary Carter Edgar Martinez John Smoltz
Andre Dawson Pedro Martinez Bruce Sutter
Dennis Eckersley Paul Molitor Don Sutton
Carlton Fisk Jack Morris Frank Thomas
Tom Glavine Eddie Murray Jim Thome
Goose Gossage Mike Mussina Alan Trammell
Ken Griffey Jr. Phil Niekro Larry Walker
Vladimir Guerrero Tony Perez Dick Williams
Tony Gwynn Mike Piazza Dave Winfield
Rickey Henderson Kirby Puckett Robin Yount
Tim Raines
Jim Rice
Grover Alexander Reggie Jackson
Luke Appling Fergie Jenkins
Earl Averill Walter Johnson
Ernie Banks Chuck Klein
Johnny Bench Nap Lajoie
Jim Bottomley Joe Morgan
Lou Brock Stan Musial
Rod Carew Brooks Robinson
Mickey Cochrane Frank Robinson
Joe Cronin Tris Speaker
Bob Feller Willie Stargell
Rollie Fingers Bill Terry
Jimmie Foxx Honus Wagner
Frankie Frisch Paul Waner
Bob Gibson Billy Williams
Goose Goslin Ted Williams
Lefty Grove Carl Yastrzemski
Gabby Hartnett
Rogers Hornsby


Past Stars - Group 2

Mark McGwire Curt Schilling
Kevin Mitchell Mike Scioscia
Raul Mondesi Gary Sheffield
Dale Murphy Ruben Sierra
Graig Nettles JT Snow
John Olerud Sammy Sosa
Paul O'Neill Dave Stewart
Magglio Ordonez Darryl Strawberry
Rafael Palmeiro Rick Sutcliffe
Dave Parker Danny Tartabull
Lance Parrish Miguel Tejada
Larry Parrish John Valentin
Lou Piniella Fernando Valenzuela
Darrell Porter Andy Van Slyke
Aramis Ramirez Greg Vaughn
Manny Ramirez Mo Vaughn
Jeff Reardon Robin Ventura
Edgar Renteria Omar Vizquel
Kenny Rogers Tim Wakefield
Scott Rolen Tim Wallach
Bret Saberhagen David Wells
Tim Salmon Vernon Wells
Deion Sanders Lou Whitaker
Benito Santiago Frank White
Steve Sax Bernie Williams
Matt Williams
Willie Wilson
Don Zimmer

Current/Recent Stars - Group 3

Jose Abreu Robinson Cano
Ronald Acuna Jr. Matt Carpenter
Ozzie Albies Starlin Castro
Jose Altuve Matt Chapman
Elvis Andrus Willson Contreras
Chris Archer Carlos Correa
Nolan Arenado Nelson Cruz
Jake Arrieta Yu Darvish
Josh Bell Khris Davis
Cody Bellinger Jacob deGrom
Andrew Benintendi Ian Desmond
Mookie Betts Josh Donaldson
Charlie Blackmon Jacoby Ellsbury
Michael Brantley Freddie Freeman
Alex Bregman
Joey Gallo Kyle Schwarber
Paul Goldschmidt Chris Sale
Didi Gregorius Carlos Santana
Zach Greinke Max Scherzer
Bryce Harper Jean Segura
Felix Hernandez Luis Severino
Jason Heyward Andrelton Simmons
Aaron Judge George Springer
Clayton Kershaw Giancarlo Stanton
Dallas Keuchel Trevor Story
Cory Kluber Stephen Strasburg
Jon Lester Dansby Swanson
Francisco Lindor Ichiro Suzuki
Evan Longoria Noah Syndergaard
Manny Machado Masahiro Tanaka
Trey Mancini Troy Tulowitzki
JD Martinez Justin Turner
Andrew McCutchen Trea Turner
Yadier Molina Justin Upton
Matt Olson Joey Votto
Salvador Perez Adam Wainwright
Tommy Pham Christian Yelich
Buster Posey
David Price
Jose Ramirez

Monday, August 10, 2020

The Best of the Rest: Challenges of Building a Frankenset

When I first learned about the concept of a Frankenset, I was excited. I had been setting aside unique cards for quite some time, and now I had a way to meaningfully organize them. Hunting for cards to fit the holes in your set is a fun pursuit, too. It's like hunting for cards in a regular set, but there's an added dimension because you have to find a card to fit the slot first. 

That's the stage I'm at with my Frankenset. I'm still hoping to fill 792 slots, and not surprisingly, most of the cards I need are in the 700s. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely I suppose. I figure I can make some custom checklist cards to fill 6 or 7 slots eventually if I can't find anything that fits some of those higher numbers. Lately, I've been scouring Trading Card Database and looking at sets that go above 660 in the hopes of filling some of those numbers. I'm about 50 to 75 cards short right now, but honing in on a wish list to get me closer. I'll post that soon when I have it organized, so if you can help, I'd be glad to swing a trade or two.

But this post is going to take a different angle on my Frankenset. For every card with #738 you find, there might be 2 or 3 or 4 cards with #135 that you'd like to put in your set.

But you can only pick one. That leads to some tough decisions. And cards that are more than worthy of finding their way into the set are suddenly on the outside looking in. This post is dedicated to some of those cards. 

The following pairs are cards with the same number. The card on the right made it into the Frankenset, and the card on the left was relegated to the "Best of the Rest" section at the back of the binder. I picked some of my favorite second place finishers to display, so hope you enjoy them. 

#219: 1983 Topps Mike Armstrong vs. 1994 Collector's Choice Jose Offerman



The Mike Armstrong card is an all-timer. Serial killer look paired with serial killer glasses. But I like the Offerman card. Apparently, the runner tried to break up a double play not by sliding, but by running straight into Offerman while the second baseman decided to get uncomfortably close to the play for some reason. Plus, it's the Silver Signature version!


#157: 1992 Donruss Triple Play Greg Harris vs. 1983 Donruss Goose Gossage


The glove on the head makes me want to choose Harris. The glasses make me want to go with Gossage (though Harris's are fantastic, too). The tiebreaker here is star power. I'm going with the Hall of Famer.


#274: 1995 Score Darren Lewis vs. 1982 Fleer Jack Morris

Darren Lewis appears to be trying to break up a double play here. But picture him for a moment on a waterslide... Works, doesn't it? 

There's just too much to like with the Jack Morris card, though. The odd shadow or possibly UFO surrounding his hat. The chain link fence. And of course, the off-center photo cutting off Black Jack's entire right arm. 1982 Fleer delivers again.


#586: 1993 Donruss Joe Oliver vs. 1975 Topps Tim McCarverI might be willing to change my mind on this one. I really like Oliver biting the dust (Is he mid-air?), but McCarver just doesn't look right with the Red Sox. He only played 22 games with them. So, for now at least, I'm going with Joe Buck's old sidekick in the booth.



#36: 1992 Topps Scott Ruffcorn vs. 1985 Topps Fred Breining

Here we have what I can only assume is a senior picture vs. Fred Breining, who as I pointed out in a previous post, looks like Jerry Seinfeld when he wore those big glasses in an episode of Seinfeld. Going with Jer--- I mean Fred, on this one.


#4: 1992 Classic Best Scott Sharts vs. 1997 Score Rockies Team Edition Ellis Burks

The juvenile humor is so tempting here (I assume you know what a "shart" is), but I decided to be an adult and pick the fun Ellis Burks glove-on-head card.


#128: 1991 Pacific Senior League Baseball Razor Shines vs. 1969 Topps Tommie Aaron

An all-time great name vs. an all-time great "lesser known." I like the Aaron card better, so going with Tommie.

 

#387) 1992 Stadium Club Ruben Sierra vs. 2002 Upper Deck Al Leiter 

A top vs. bottom matchup this time. The Sierra is such a unique card, but I love the angle on the Al-Leiter card a lot. And bonus points because the ball is still in the frame, too. Going with Mr. Leiter here.


Well there you have it. Let me know your thoughts. Favorite card of the bunch? Want to make a case for one of the second place finishers? Put your comments below!


Sunday, August 2, 2020

Building a Dynasty on Nicknames: Donruss Names Series Part 6: Early 80s Edition

Welcome to part six of the Donruss Names Series, where we look at some of the more interesting names on the back of Donruss baseball cards. This series takes advantage of the fact that from 1981 to 1992, Donruss printed the players full legal name on the back of their cards. If you're new to this series of posts or just want to reminisce, here's what we've covered so far:

Part 1: Famous players who went by their middle name
Part 2: Players who you thought had a nickname, but their nickname was their real name
Part 3: Players with a unique first name (Part 1)
Part 4: Players with a unique first name (Part 2)
Part 5: Players with a unique middle name

All of the previous posts can be accessed by clicking here

This week, we'll look at players who went by a nickname and get the scoop on their real names. 

Interestingly, three of this week's players were prominent members of both the '77 and '78 New York. So if you know your late 70's Yankees, you should score well with this quiz. I'll mix the non-Yankees in with the Yankees. 

If you want to skip ahead to the answers, feel free. The questions and answers are repeated below along with the cards that show the info. 


1)   Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of John Milton? (1982 Donruss)
A) Roy White
B) Bucky Dent
C) Lou Piniella
D) Mickey Rivers

2)   Which part-time player from the late 70s and early 80s had the given first/middle name Gene Ellis? (1981 Donruss)
A) Denny Walling
B) Champ Summers
C) Mickey Klutts
D) Broderick Perkins

3)   Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Russell Earl? (1982 Donruss)
A) Paul Blair
B) Bucky Dent
C) Lou Piniella
D) Mickey Rivers

4)   Which future manager who played 17 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of John Albert? (1981 Donruss)
A) Buck Martinez
B) Cito Gaston
C) Ned Yost
D) Tony Pena

5)   Which relative of a more famous player had the given first/middle name of Elliott Taylor? (1982 Donruss)
A) Dale Berra
B) Ken Brett
C) Larry Yount
D) Bump Wills

6)   Which pitcher from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Albert Walter? (1982 Donruss)
A) Sparky Lyle
B) Dick Tidrow
C) Goose Gossage
D) Ron Guidry

7)   Which future pennant winning manager who played 19 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of Johnnie B.? (1986 Donruss)
A) Dusty Baker
B) Cito Gaston
C) Ned Yost
D) Terry Francona

8)   Which long-time Cub and Dodger had the given name Robert James? (1982 Donruss)
A) Ron Cey
B) Rick Monday
C) Bill Buckner
D) Rick Sutcliffe

9)   Which pitcher who carved out a 19-year career as a reliever had the given name Frank Edwin? (1982 Donruss)
A) Willie Hernandez
B) Bruce Sutter
C) Lee Smith
D) Tug McGraw



OK, time to see how you did. 



1)   Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of John Milton? (1982 Donruss)
A) Roy White
B) Bucky Dent
C) Lou Piniella
D) Mickey Rivers



2)   Which part-time player from the late 70s and early 80s had the given first/middle name Gene Ellis? (1981 Donruss)
A) Denny Walling
B) Champ Summers
C) Mickey Klutts
D) Broderick Perkins



Mickey Klutts belongs in the all-time pantheon of great baseball names in my opinion.

3)   Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Russell Earl? (1982 Donruss)
A) Paul Blair
B) Bucky Dent
C) Lou Piniella
D) Mickey Rivers



Red Sox fans especially might find it surprising that Bucky Dent's middle name is Earl and not f***ing.


4)   Which future manager who played 17 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of John Albert? (1981 Donruss)
A) Buck Martinez
B) Cito Gaston
C) Ned Yost
D) Tony Pena



Buck only managed a season and a half with Toronto, but for some reason I thought his tenure was longer. He had a winning percentage of .465. 


5)   Which relative of a more famous player had the given first/middle name of Elliott Taylor? (1982 Donruss)
A) Dale Berra
B) Ken Brett
C) Larry Yount
D) Bump Wills



Bump played in Japan in 1983 and 1984 before retiring. 


6)   Which pitcher from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Albert Walter? (1982 Donruss)
A) Sparky Lyle
B) Dick Tidrow
C) Goose Gossage
D) Ron Guidry



The acquisition of Goose Gossage for the 1978 season caused some tension with Lyle, who was the shutdown closer in 1977.


7)   Which future pennant winning manager who played 19 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of Johnnie B.? (1986 Donruss)
A) Dusty Baker
B) Cito Gaston
C) Ned Yost
D) Terry Francona



Dusty's back in the managerial role with the Houston Astros in 2020.


8)   Which long-time Cub and Dodger had the given name Robert James? (1982 Donruss)
A) Ron Cey
B) Rick Monday
C) Bill Buckner
D) Rick Sutcliffe



The flag-saving outfielder opted for Rick instead of Rob, Robbie, Bob, or Bobby. 


9)   Which pitcher who carved out a 19-year career as a reliever had the given name Frank Edwin? (1982 Donruss)
A) Willie Hernandez
B) Bruce Sutter
C) Lee Smith
D) Tug McGraw





How did Tug McGraw become Tug McGraw? I'll leave you with this funny excerpt from McGraw's SABR biography

“I never answered to another name,” he told author Stanley Cohen in A Magic Summer. “My mother started calling me Tug when I was an infant because of the way I nursed. ‘He’s a real Tugger,’ she said.

“On my first day of kindergarten, the teacher called the roll and when she finished she said, ‘Is there anyone whose name I didn’t call?” I raised my hand. ‘My name is Tug McGraw,’ I said. She looked at the roll and said, ‘I have a Frank McGraw.’ I said, ‘No, that’s my dad. He already went to kindergarten.’”


How'd you do on the quiz today? Which name surprised you most? Thanks for reading.