#12 NL Strikeout Leaders: Bob Veale, Bob Gibson, and Don Drysdale

When I opened up my queue last night to see which card was next, there were only 16 left to write up. I can't tell you how energizing that is; I thought I would never catch up! The next six cards all came from recurring character Ed, who I can't possibly thank enough for his help with this set. This card in particular is a favorite, with two Hall of Famers being dwarfed by the looming figure of the becspectacled and bevested Bob Veale.

1964 was Bob Veale's first full season as a starter, and also marked his only strikeout crown. He whiffed 250 batters in 279.2 innings spread over 40 games (38 starts). He had only 5 games with double-digit K's, but did have a high-water mark of 16 in 12.1 shutout innings against the Reds on September 30. 8 days prior, he turned in his best 9-inning effort by fanning 15 Braves in a hard-luck 2-0 loss. The 1964 race to the top with Bob Gibson was neck and neck. On September 26, Veale's 5 K's in 5 IP left him with 229 total. "Hoot" had 232, and added 4 more in 8 innings on the 28th to give him some breathing room. But Veale's next start was the 16-K game, and Gibson nabbed 7 in his final start on October 2. Interestingly, both men pitched in relief on October 4: working on 3 days' rest, Veale whiffed 5 in 2 innings. Gibson had only a day of rest and added just a pair of strikeouts in 4 innings to finish with 245. Though the Pirates southpaw never topped the league in punchouts again, he established a career high in 1965 with 276, finishing well behind Sandy Koufax's record-shattering 382 K's. Veale is still 32nd-best all-time with 7.96 K/9 IP.

No need to cry for Bob Gibson, who had better years to come. 1964 marked his third straight year with 200+ strikeouts, and he too set a new career best the following year with 270. He too hit double digits in K's 5 times in 1964, topping out at 12 thrice. In his dominant Cy Young season of 1968, he captured his only strikeout title with 268 to go along with a league-best 1.12 ERA and 13 shutouts. He fanned 269 the next year and a career-high 274 the year after that, and retired in 1975 with 3,117 K's - 14th-best all-time.

Don Drysdale already had 3 strikeout crowns to his name by 1964. He got the honors in 1959 (242), 1960 (246), and 1962 (2.32). His 251 whiffs in 1963 were actually his personal best, but that year he trailed both teammate Koufax (306) and Cincinnati's Jim Maloney (265). In '64, he racked up 4 double-digit strikeout games, peaking with a dozen in a 9-inning win over the Cardinals on August 31. Despite a relatively short 13.5-season career, his total of 2,486 K's is still 30th-most in MLB history.

Going on down the line, Topps lists the 51 "top" strikeout men in the National League for 1964. By the time they get down to double digits near the top of the second column it starts getting silly, but it did allow them to squeeze in 43-year-old Warren Spahn at the very bottom. Besides, some 9-year-old who was president of the Don Nottebart Fan Club was probably thrilled to see his hero make it onto a league leaders card.

#468 Larry Brown

Well, I'm back from vacation. Did you miss me? No need to answer. This card wraps up the fiver from John Reid. Thanks again, John!

Fun facts about Larry Brown:

-Larry was born in Shinnston, WV and signed with the Indians at age 18 in 1958.

-His older brother Dick was a catcher for four American League clubs (primarily the Tigers and Orioles) from 1957-1965. His career was cut short by a brain tumor that ultimately claimed his life in 1970.

-Brown debuted with the Indians on July 6, 1963, collecting a single off of Al Downing and a walk in three trips to the plate.

-He saw action in 74 games as a rookie, batting .255 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI. One of his homers was a walkoff shot with two outs in the ninth inning against Detroit's Terry Fox.

-In 1964, Larry received 87 starts at second base for the Tribe and had career highs of 12 home runs and 40 RBI. However, he batted only .230 for the season.

-His best all-around season was 1965, when he matched his previous year's RBI total of 40 and added 52 runs scored and 22 doubles while batting .253. He also led American League shortstops with a .977 fielding percentage.

-A nasty collision with Indians outfielder Leon Wagner in 1966 left him with fractures to the skull, nose, and cheekbone. His power stroke seemed to be lessened after his recovery.

-In the late 1960s, he was Cleveland's everyday shortstop. During that time, he ranked among the league leaders for most at-bats between strikeouts. He whiffed once per every 10.8 trips to the plate in 1968, and once per 10.9 at-bats the next season.

-Larry spent time as a backup with the Athletics (1971-1972), Orioles (1973), and Rangers (1974). He finished his career with a .233 average, 47 home runs, and 254 RBI.

-Both his final career home run (May 13, 1973) and his final career hit (a single on September 22, 1974) came against pitcher Lindy McDaniel!

#457 Bob Kennedy

Housekeeping Update: This is probably the last update before July 4, as I'm going on a much-anticipated vacation. Enjoy the holiday!

Ah, it's been a while since we've had a truly well-worn card to enjoy. The condition of this card also complements the weary, befuddled expression on Bob Kennedy's face. It's as if he's saying, "What's this 'head coach' malarkey?"

Fun facts about Bob Kennedy:

-Bob signed with his hometown Chicago White Sox in 1937, when he was only 16! Previously he had worked as a vendor at Comiskey Park.

-After a 3-game taste of the majors in 1939, the 19-year-old third baseman played 154 games with the Pale Hose in 1940, making him the first teenager in 40 years to top 150 games in a season. He hit .252 with 74 runs scored and 52 driven in, but slugged only .315.

-During World War II, he served first in Naval Aviation, and later in the Marines.

-In June 1948, Kennedy was traded to the Indians, and hit .301 in limited duty for the duration of the season. There are no specific pinch-hit stats available for that season, but we do know that he hit .395 (17-for-43) as a sub. He appeared in three World Series games, collecting an RBI single in one of his two at-bats as Cleveland won their last championship to date.

-In an expanded role in 1949 and 1950, he hit a cumulative .284 with 50 doubles, 10 triples, 18 home runs, and 111 RBI in 267 games with the Indians.

-He spent most of the 1954 season with the Orioles, who had just moved east from St. Louis. On July 30, his grand slam off of Yankee hurler Allie Reynolds was the first bases-loaded homer for any Oriole.

-Bob also played for the Tigers and Dodgers, and retired in 1957 with a .254 career average, 63 home runs, and 514 RBI in parts of 16 seasons.

-About that "Head Coach" thing: after the Cubs lost 94 games in 1960, owner Phillip K. Wrigley decided to institute a "College of Coaches" in place of a traditional manager. Basically, a small group of coaches from within the organization would rotate in the manager's position with the major league club, ensuring that there was a uniformity of instruction from the minors to the majors. I'm sure you predict a few problems. Players complained that each manager shuffled player roles as he saw fit, and the results were certainly poor: the Cubbies lost 90 games under four coaches in 1961, and plummeted to 103 losses the following year with three men sharing the helm. Kennedy was hired as the man at the top in 1963, but was still saddled with the title of "Head Coach". He oversaw a big improvement to 82-80 that year, though it was still only good for seventh place in the National League. Chicago slipped to 76-86 in 1964, and the Head Coach was cashiered early the next season with a 24-32 record. Leo Durocher was hired prior to the 1966 season, and unequivocably stated in his introductory press conference that his title would be "Manager". So that's that.

-Bob was hired as the Athletics' manager for their first year in Oakland in 1968, and again steered a significant turnaround, from 62-99 to 82-80. Seeking a contract extension at the end of his first season in charge of the A's, he was instead fired by fickle owner Charles O. Finley. He never managed again, but held front office jobs with the Cardinals (Director of Player Development and then Assistant GM), Cubs (GM), Astros (Assistant GM), and Giants (Assistant GM). He passed away in 2005 at the age of 84.

-A pair of his sons played pro ball. Bob Jr. was a seventh-round pick of the Cardinals in 1971, and never reached beyond Class A in five seasons. He later spent a decade scouting for the Mariners, Cubs, and Astros. Terry was also a Cards' draft pick, taken sixth overall in the first round in 1977. He was a catcher for 14 years in the majors with St. Louis, San Diego, Baltimore, and San Francisco. He was a four-time All-Star with a .264 average and 113 career home runs. He has managed in the minors for 11 seasons, and is currently the skipper for San Diego's AAA Tucson club.

#245 Joe Pepitone

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the umpire ruled Joe Pepitone off of the bag whenever he caught the throw. You can't just set up shop smack in the middle of the infield grass, Joe!

Fun facts about Joe Pepitone:

-Joe was a Brooklyn boy who signed with the Yankees out of high school in 1958. He supposedly spent his $20,000 to $25,000 bonus on a Ford Thunderbird and a speed boat.

-After hitting .239 with 7 home runs and 17 RBI as a rookie in 1962, he took over as New York's starting first baseman the following year and made the first of three consecutive All-Star teams. His .271 average and 27 home runs trailed only Elston Howard for the team lead, and he topped all Yankees with 89 RBI. However, "Pepi" went just 2-for-13 (.154) in the World Series and made a crucial error in Game 4 that set up the Series-clinching run for the Dodgers.

-On August 29, 1964, he drove in seven runs via a first-inning grand slam and an eighth-inning three-run homer. The Yankees pounded Boston 10-2.

-Pepitone rebounded in 1964 to swat 28 home runs and a career-high 100 runs as the Yankees captured another pennant. They fell in the World Series again, with their young first baseman again managing a scant .154 average (4-for-26). However, his eighth-inning grand slam in Game 6 did fuel a series-tying Yankee win.

-Joe was recognized three times as the top-fielding first baseman in the American League, winning Gold Gloves in 1965, 1966, and 1969.

-He was famous for his hard-partying ways and vanity. According to Jim Bouton in Ball Four, Pepi had two different toupees: one for everyday wear and a "game piece", the latter to be worn only on the diamond. One of the famous anecdotes in the book had Bouton and Fritz Peterson sneaking into the clubhouse during a game to sprinkle talcum powder in Joe's hair dryer. After the game (a Yankee loss), Joe applied his "everyday" rug and turned on the dryer to straighten his actual hair, and WHOOOOSH...as Bouton told it, "he looked like an Italian George Washington". So did Pepi actually wear a rug? You tell me.

-Though he usually did not hit for a high average, his power and the lower offensive standards of his era made Pepitone a valuable player throughout the 1960s. For instance, a .255 average and .290 on-base percentage in 1966 are mitigated when you consider that the Yanks hit .235 with a .299 OBP overall that season. He also hit a personal-and-team-best 31 home runs, and finished with an 118 OPS+ (again, 100 would be league average).

-Between 1970 and 1973, Joe played for the Astros, Cubs, and Braves before heading to Japan. In a dozen big league seasons, he hit .258 with 219 homers and 721 RBI.

-He did not adjust well to Japan. He hit only .167 in 14 games for the Yakult Atoms, blew off games to go to night clubs, and soon jumped the team.

-He briefly served as Yankee hitting coach in 1982, and has spent the last decade and change employed in the club's front office. He is currently in their public relations area.

-Pepitone has run afoul of the law several times in his post-playing days. In 1985, he and two others were arrested in Brooklyn after their car ran a red light. The car contained drugs and paraphrenalia, a pistol, and $6,300 in cash. He wound up serving four months at Rikers Island and was freed for a work-release program when George Steinbrenner offered him a minor-league player development position. In 1992, he was charged with a misdemeanor assault and released on bail. Four years later, he lost control of his car in the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and charged with driving under the influence.

#208 Tommy John

Tommy John's name is synonymous with the elbow ligament replacement surgery that was patented by Dr. Frank Jobe. I realize that Dr. Jobe has benefited financially from his medical breakthrough, but I can't help but wonder whether he's bitter over it. Wouldn't you think they'd call it Frank Jobe surgery?

Fun facts about Tommy John:

-Tommy was born in Terre Haute, IN. He was a star basketball player in high school, but signed with the Indians in 1961 because he thought his career prospects in baseball were better.

-He was only 20 when he debuted with Cleveland in September 1963. The following May 3, he earned his first career win by shutting out the Orioles on three hits.

-A three-team trade sent John to the White Sox in 1965. To reacquire slugger Rocky Colavito, the Tribe gave up John, Tommie Agee, and Johnny Romano. The young southpaw went 14-7 with a 3.09 ERA in his first season in Chicago.

-In all, Tommy won 82 games with a 2.95 ERA in seven seasons with the Pale Hose. He went to his first All-Star Game in 1968, when he posted a 10-5 record and a 1.98 ERA in an injury-shortened season.

-In December 1971, Chicago dealt him to the Dodgers for slugger Dick Allen. He benefited greatly from pitching for a contender, winning 73 percent of his decisions (40-25) in his first three years in L.A. However, his career looked to be over on July 17, 1974. Pitching against the Expos, he allowed the first two batters to reach in the third inning before blowing out the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow while facing Hal Breeden. In a revolutionary procedure, Dr. Frank Jobe replaced the torn UCL with a ligament from John's right forearm. The rest, as they say, is history.

-Following more than a year of rehabilitation (assisted by teammate and physical fitness guru Mike Marshall), Tommy returned to the Dodger rotation in 1976 and went 10-10 with a 3.09 ERA and a league-best 0.3 home runs allowed per nine innings. He was named N.L. Comeback Player of the Year, and went on to pitch in the big leagues for 14 years post-surgery.

-He had his greatest stretch of success from 1977-1980. He won 20, 17, 21, and 22 games in those four seasons, went to three All-Star Games, and had a pair of second-place finishes in Cy Young voting. He also signed a lucrative free-agent deal with the Yankees prior to the 1979 campaign.

-Tommy managed to be on the losing end of three Yankees-Dodgers World Series: 1977-1978 (LA), and 1981 (NY). But he did his part, with a career 6-3 record and a 2.67 ERA in 14 postseason games.

-Throughout the 1980s, he pitched for the Yankees, Angels, Athletics, and Yankees once again. He retired in 1989 after tying the major league record with 26 seasons played. He had a 288-231 record and a 3.34 ERA, and 2,245 strikeouts.

-Since hanging up his spikes, Tommy has broadcast games for the Twins and done some managing and coaching. He was a pitching coach in the Expos organization in 2002-03 and managed the New York-Penn League's Staten Island Yankees in 2004. From 2007-09, he managed the independent Bridgeport Bluefish. He is not currently in the Hall of Fame, having garnered just 31.7% of the vote in 2009, his final year on the ballot.

#20 Jim Bunning

I'm chugging towards the finish line, and this is the first card in a batch of five that John Reid sent me back in February. I believe Jim Bunning is the only U.S. Senator in this set.

Fun facts about Jim Bunning:

-A native of Southgate, KY, Jim was a teenager when he signed with the Tigers in 1950. He later completed a bachelor's degree in economics at Xavier University.

-He was 23 when he debuted with Detroit in July 1955. However, he didn't spend a full season in the majors until 1957, his eighth year as a pro.

-Bunning was worth the wait for the Tigers, going 20-8 with a 2.69 ERA in 1957 and leading the American League in wins and innings pitched (267.1). He made the first of seven All-Star teams.

-On July 20, 1958, he no-hit the Red Sox, allowing just two walks while striking out a dozen Boston batters.

-After seven straight seasons of double-digit wins for the Tigers and a couple of strikeout crowns (201 each in 1959 and 1960), Jim was traded to the Phillies prior to the 1964 season.

-The righthander accomplished a rare feat on June 21, 1964, hurling a perfect game against the Mets. He struck out 10 batters in becoming one of the few men to pitch no-hitters in both the American and National Leagues.

-Though he won 19 games in each of his first three seasons with the Phils, Bunning's career year came in 1967, when he was just 17-15 for a mediocre squad. He had a career-best 2.29 ERA and 16 complete games, and was the league leader with 40 starts, 6 shutouts, 302.1 innings pitched, and 253 strikeouts. He finished a distant second in Cy Young voting to the Giants' Mike McCormick, who had a gaudy 22-10 record but inferior peripherals (2.85 ERA, 150 strikeouts).

-Late in his career, Jim had brief stints with the Pirates and Dodgers before returning to the Phillies and retiring in 1971. In parts of 17 seasons, he was 224-184 with 151 complete games, 40 shutouts, and a 3.27 ERA. His 2,855 strikeouts were second only to Walter Johnson at the time, and he currently ranks 17th in batters whiffed. He was the second pitcher (following Cy Young) to ever record 100 wins and 1,000 strikeouts in both the American and National Leagues.

-He managed in the Phillies farm system from 1972-1976, making stops in Reading, Eugene, Toledo, and Oklahoma City. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996 as a Veteran's Committee selection, and the Phillies retired his #14 in 2001.

-As mentioned above, Bunning went into a successful career in politics. He represented Kentucky in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987-1999 and went on to serve two terms in the U.S. Senate, finally bidding Congress farewell earlier this year after choosing not to run for reelection.

#344 Wes Parker

Here's the other card that I obtained through Topps' Million Card Giveaway thingamajig. Using one of my code cards, I unlocked a 1963 Jerry Kindall. First I swapped it for a 1963 Billy O'Dell, and after careful consideration, I traded the O'Dell for Wes Parker here.

Fun facts about Wes Parker:

-Wes was born in Evanston, IL and attended Claremont McKenna College and the University of Southern California before signing with the Dodgers in 1963.

-He hit .315 in his first pro season, and jumped from AA to the Dodgers to begin the 1964 season. As a rookie he hit .257 in 214 at-bats.

-Parker took over at first base for L.A. in 1965 and showed value beyond his .238 average. He walked 75 times to boost his on-base percentage to .334, and scored 80 runs.

-In the 1965 World Series, Wes hit .304 (7-for-23) with 3 walks, a hit-by-pitch, a triple, a homer, and 2 RBI as the Dodgers bested the Twins. His run-scoring single off of Jim Kaat in Game 7 was crucial, as the clincher ended in a 2-0 final.

-Known as a particularly smooth defender, he won six consecutive Gold Gloves at first base (1967-1972).

-Wes had a banner year in 1970, leading the Dodgers with a .319 average and 111 RBI despite totaling only 10 home runs. His league-high 47 doubles were a contributing factor. He finished fifth in MVP voting.

-Parker hit for the cycle on May 7, 1970 in a 7-4 win over the Mets. He drove in three runs, including a game-winning two-run triple off of Jim McAndrew in the tenth inning.

-He was only 33 when he retired in 1972. In 10 seasons he'd hit .267 with an 111 OPS+. He totaled 64 home runs and 470 RBI, and had a .996 fielding percentage.

-After broadcasting Reds games in 1973, he played one more season with the Nankai Hawks in Japan. He batted .301 with 14 home runs and won the Diamond Glove Award.

-Wes also called games for NBC and USA in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and did some acting as well. He had guest spots on shows like The Brady Bunch and MacMillan and Wife. You can see his full filmography here.

#340 Tony Oliva

Okay, one last card from December's "pack" from Randy. You may have noticed that all five of these players were very good at baseball. If you were a kid in 1965 and you got a pack with Tony Oliva, Hoyt Wilhelm, Joe Torre, Norm Cash, and Gil Hodges, you probably would have passed out. Thanks again, pal!

Fun facts about Tony Oliva:

-A native of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Tony signed with the Twins in 1961.

-He made his major league debut in 1962 at age 24. In his first start, on September 14, 1962, he went 2-for-3 with a double, 2 walks, and 3 RBI.

-After short stints in the majors in 1962 and 1963, Tony became the Twins' everyday right fielder in 1964 and captured American League Rookie of the Year honors. He also made the first of eight straight All-Star teams, and led the league with 109 runs scored, 217 hits, 43 doubles (the first of four career doubles crowns), a .323 average, and 374 total bases. In addition, his 9 triples, 32 home runs, and .557 slugging percentage would all prove to be career highs.

-He repeated as batting champ in 1965 with a .321 mark, doubled 40 times, and drove in 98 runs in helping the Twins capture the pennant. He finished second to teammate Zoilo Versalles in MVP voting.

-Oliva won his only Gold Glove in 1966, a year in which he committed 10 errors (the most by any outfielder) but also ranked highly in advanced metrics like range factor, total zone runs, and defensive wins above replacement (WAR). Maybe the voters were ahead of their time, but I suspect that his .307 average and 25 homers had more to do with it.

-In a June 29, 1969 doubleheader at Kansas City, the outfielder collected hits in eight straight at-bats. He went 3-for-4 in the opener, stroking three singles after a flyout in his initial trip to the plate. In the nightcap, he went 5-for-5 with a pair of home runs, a double, and 5 RBI as the Twins romped 12-2 to salvage a split.

-Despite his .440 average (11-for-25) and .840 slugging percentage in the 1969 and 1970 playoffs, the Twins lost all six postseason games over those two seasons to the Orioles.

-Tony's last great season was 1971, when he was the top batter (.337) and slugger (.546) in the league and totaled 22 homers and 81 RBI in only 126 games.

-Knee problems seriously curtailed Oliva's career, and he retired at age 37 in 1976 with 1,917 hits in only 1,676 games. His lifetime average was .304 with 220 home runs and 947 RBI.

-He coached with the Twins from 1976-1978 and 1985-1991. He has been a minor league hitting instructor ever since. The Twins retired his #6 in 1991 and selected him as a charter member for the club's Hall of Fame in 2000. Just last April, they unveiled a statue in his likeness at Target Field.

#276 Hoyt Wilhelm

This is a card that I'm particularly excited to have. I wonder if Hoyt Wilhelm ever got tired of posing for photos while exhibiting his knuckleball grip. I mean, it is the pitch that made him famous.

Fun facts about Hoyt Wilhelm:

-Hoyt was born in Huntersville, NC. After graduating from high school, he pitched for Mooresville of the independent North Carolina State League in 1942. He was then drafted into the U.S. Army and served three years in World War II, earning a Purple Heart for being wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

-In 1946, he returned to Mooresville and won 41 games in two seasons. The Braves acquired him, but lost him in a minor league draft to the Giants a month later.

-Wilhelm was 29 by the time he made the Giants' big league club in 1952, but he came equipped with a great knuckleball. He'd learned the pitch in his youth by emulating former Senators moundsman Dutch Leonard. Hoyt used the knuckler to go 15-3, leading the National League in winning percentage, ERA (2.43), and games pitched (71). He also compiled 11 saves, but finished a distant second to Dodgers reliever Joe Black, who put up comparable numbers but had the added benefit of playing for the pennant winner.

-Far from a skilled hitter (.088/.139/.106 career AVG/OBP/SLG), he hit his first and only career home run in his first at-bat! It came off of Braves pitcher Dick Hoover on April 23, 1952.

-He went to the first of five career All-Star Games in 1953, but had his best year as a Giant in 1954. That season, he went 12-4 with 7 saves and a 2.10 ERA (194 ERA+). He appeared twice in the club's four-game World Series sweep of the Indians, allowing a single hit in two and a third scoreless innings and picking up a save in Game Three.

-After his performance slipped in the ensuing seasons, the Giants traded him to the Cardinals in February 1957. He was then waived twice within a year, going first to Cleveland and then to Baltimore. It's somewhat surprising that the Tribe put him on waivers, as he had a 2.49 ERA in 90.1 innings to that point, but it wound up paying almost instant dividends. On September 20, 1958, he no-hit the Yankees in just the ninth start of his career.

-In 1959, O's manager Paul Richards converted Hoyt to a full-time starter. In 32 games (27 starts), he went 15-11 with 13 complete games and a league-best 2.19 ERA.

-By mid-1960, Wilhelm was back in the bullpen. Over the next three seasons, he won 27 games and saved 40 more for the Orioles with a 2.63 ERA. Prior to the 1963 campaign, he was traded to the White Sox in a six-player deal that brought legendary shortstop Luis Aparicio to Baltimore.

-Though he was 40 when he arrived in Chicago, the cagey veteran (I've always wanted to say that) saved 92 games in six seasons with the team, compiling a 1.92 ERA in 675.2 innings. He seemed to be improving with age.

-As the 1960s lapsed into the 1970s, Hoyt passed through the clubhouses of the Angels, Braves, Cubs, and Dodgers, finally retiring after Los Angeles released him in mid-1972 at age 49. Amazingly, he made his last All-Star team in 1970 as a 47-year-old (6-5, 13 SV, 3.40 ERA). In parts of 21 seasons, he was 143-122 with 227 saves and a 2.52 ERA. His record of 1,070 games pitched stood until Dennis Eckersley broke it in 1998.

-He managed in the low minors for the Braves organization in 1973 and 1975. Wilhelm was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985, which was his eighth year on the ballot. He was 80 when he died of heart failure in Sarasota, FL in 2002.

#200 Joe Torre

Hey Joe, whaddaya know? For the younger fans out there, let this card serve as proof that Joe Torre didn't lose his good looks with age.

Fun facts about Joe Torre:

-Joe was born in Brooklyn, NY and signed with the Braves as a teenager in 1960. His father Joe Sr. was a New York City police detective as well as a scout for the Braves (1955-1961) and Orioles (1962-1971).

-His brother Frank was a first baseman for the Braves (1956-1960) and Phillies (1962-1963), but the siblings never played on the same team in the majors.

-After a cup of coffee in 1960, Joe took over the Braves' starting catcher job in 1961. He hit .278 with 21 doubles, 10 home runs, and 42 RBI in 113 games and earned a runner-up finish to Billy Williams in N.L. Rookie of the Year voting.

-Was an All-Star for five straight seasons with the Braves, peaking in 1966 with a .315/.382/.560 line, 36 home runs, and 101 RBI. Also won a Gold Glove at catcher in 1965.

-In March 1969, Atlanta traded him to the Cardinals even-up for Orlando Cepeda. The Cards already had Tim McCarver (and eventually Ted Simmons) at catcher, so they primarily used Torre at the corner infield positions, which likely prolonged his career. He added four more All-Star nods to his resume (1970-1973), and won the N.L. MVP in 1971 with league-best totals of 230 hits, 137 RBI, a .363 average, and 352 total bases. He also belted 34 doubles, 8 triples, and 24 homers that year.

-He hit for the cycle on June 27, 1973. He hit an RBI double in the first, solo homer in the third, and leadoff triple in the fourth, but grounded into a double play in the fifth. He led off the eighth inning with a walk, and asked to be pinch-run for with St. Louis already up 11-4 on the Pirates. But manager Red Schoendienst left him in, and he completed the cycle with a two-out RBI single in the ninth.

-He returned to New York in 1975 via a trade to the Mets. He manned third base until June 1977, when he retired as a player shortly after being named the club's manager. In parts of 18 seasons, he batted .297 with 252 home runs and 1,185 RBI.

-Joe's managerial career did not go smoothly, though few truly do. He won only 40.5% of his games as Mets skipper before leaving to take the Braves' post for the 1982 season. Atlanta won the N.L. West in his first season at the helm, but fell in the playoffs to the Cardinals. He was fired after slipping to third place in 1984, and spent several seasons broadcasting Angels games. He got another shot at managing with St. Louis in 1990, but had a losing record (351-354) when the club axed him after a quarter of the 1995 season.

-When George Steinbrenner hired him as the Yankees' manager prior to the 1996 season, the decision was widely ridiculed. But "Clueless Joe", as the headlines called him, seemed to have the right disposition for the job. New York won the World Series in four of his first five seasons on the job after a 15-year "drought", and collected 10 A.L. East pennants and a pair of Wild Cards in his 12 years on the job. He ultimately walked away after the 2007 season, and won two more division crowns in three years as Dodgers manager before retiring at the end of the 2010 season. He finished with 2,326 wins in 29 years, fifth-best all-time. It's widely expected that he will be selected for the Hall of Fame before long. The rest of the top 10 in managerial wins are already in Cooperstown with the exceptions of Tony LaRussa, who is still active, and Bobby Cox, who also just retired.

-Joe is still active in baseball, serving Bud Selig as MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations. He oversees the umpires, disciplinary measures, and more.