Who is the man: Steve Kealey had just completed his third season with the Angels in 1970, although he appeared in just 17 games as a reliever.
Can ya dig it: So many of the structures on major league baseball fields in the 1970s look like high school facilities. I know most of these photos were taken during spring training, but it really shows you how relatively little money was in baseball as compared with the game today.
Right on: This is Kealey's first solo card. He appeared with some very memorable glasses on a 1969 Angels Rookie Stars card.
You see this cat Kealey is a bad mother: Kealey, even though he was groomed in the minors to be a relief pitcher, threw a shutout in his first professional start on Aug. 21, 1969. It came against the Baltimore Orioles, who would go on to appear in the World Series that season.
Shut your mouth: Kealey grew up in California and was a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. But when it came time to try out, the Dodgers were offering a one-day tryout. The Angels were offering a three-day tryout. Kealey figured his chances were better at a three-day tryout and turned down his boyhood favorites.
No one understands him but his woman: For 35 years, Kealey was the last White Sox pitcher to hit a home run in a major league game. He hit it on Sept. 6, 1971. In 2006, the White Sox's Jon Garland hit a home run in an interleague game.
(A word about the back): Among Kealey's high school teammates at
I'm hoping you have Steve Kealey's 1969 Topps card because it needs to be in your glasses contest on your original blog.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, you spelled Torrence High incorrectly. It is actually spelled Torrance. The only reason I know is that it's the next town over from where I live in Southern California.
Last pitcher to hit a homer for 35 homers qualifies as pretty bad ass.
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