You are right.  The bad part was not that he flipped his bat but rather, as Jack Buck said at the time, he stood there looking at it like he was Babe Ruth (this was pre-Albert) and the damn ball cleared the fence by about 3 feet or maybe less.

A few minutes later, the camera panned down a side view of the Cards dugout to show three of four of the younger players, including John Morris, grinning and feeling of the bat.  When they looked up and saw the camera, Morris had about the most guilty look I've ever seen on a grinning kid.  It was like they were peaking through the hole into the girls shower room.

The next year, Brunansky had come to the Cards in the Tommy Herr trade and Frankie Viola had signed a big contract with the Mets.  Before the first regular season game that Viola started against the Cards, someone asked Brunansky how he felt about facing Viola.  He said he wasn't worried because he'd be using Tom Lawless's bat.

I believe it was in that same series that no-way Jose homered too.  Anyone recall who was pitching for the Twins.

artie_fufkin wrote:

Mags wrote:

I believe it was in that same series that no-way Jose homered too.  Anyone recall who was pitching for the Twins.

I don't, but I think the Twins only used three starters in that series - Viola, Blyleven and Les Straker.

For some reason I thought Oquendo homered in the San Fran series.  I suppose he could have homered in both, but that would really have been a shocker.

At some point maybe I'll work through my general laziness and actually find an answer

Thanks AP, that confirms what I remembered.  Oquendo hit his HR against SF.  Game 7 against Atlee Hammacker.  Lawless hit his HR off of Viola.

Mags wrote:

Thanks, both of you.  No wonder I couldn't find it.

Both Viola and Hammaker were lefties, I think.  I'm trying to recall if it was Hammaker who beat the Cards in St. Louis in a game against Tudor.  We froze our butts off and I'm pretty sure that was the last game I've seen in Busch, II or III.

Well it turns out it was Dave Dravecky

Atlee Hammaker is the answer to a trivia question. Anyone know what it is?
I suppose I can be sporting and give a hint, but the only hint I can think of would give away the answer.

Last edited by artie_fufkin (11/24/2010 7:15 pm)

Mags wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

Mags wrote:

Thanks, both of you.  No wonder I couldn't find it.

Both Viola and Hammaker were lefties, I think.  I'm trying to recall if it was Hammaker who beat the Cards in St. Louis in a game against Tudor.  We froze our butts off and I'm pretty sure that was the last game I've seen in Busch, II or III.

Well it turns out it was Dave Dravecky

Atlee Hammaker is the answer to a trivia question. Anyone know what it is?
I suppose I can be sporting and give a hint, but the only hint I can think of would give away the answer.

Which player had only one of his parents was born in Asia?

While that may be true, it's not what I was going for.
OK, here's a relatively benign hint. He was involved in an event that's happened only once in baseball history.

forsberg_us wrote:

Only grand slam in All Star history?  Fred Lynn. If you go the extra step.

Ding, ding. Give Fors an extra piece of apple pie.