Sunday, August 26, 2012

no. 86 - mike kilkenny


Who is the man: Mike Kilkenny had just completed his second season in the majors as a swingman for the Tigers. His ERA skyrocketed in 1970, after being named the Tigers' top rookie in 1969.

Can ya dig it: We're on a little bit of a streak of players with long last names. Lachemann, Grabarkewitz, Kilkenny. And the streak isn't over.

Right on: Every time I see Kilkenny's card, I think of South Park.

You see this cat Kilkenny is a bad mother: Kilkenny threw four shutouts in his rookie year.

Shut your mouth: According to wikipedia, Kilkenny gave up Frank Robinson's 500th home run in 1971. But this newspaper report from Sept. 15, 1971 says that Kilkenny surrendered Robinson's 499th home run in the first game of a doubleheader. Then Fred Scherman allowed Robinson's 500th in the second game.

I know you're shocked, but wikipedia is wrong.

No one understands him but his woman: Kilkenny is one of the few major leaguers to play for four major league teams in one season (Dave Kingman is the one who is most often cited). He played for the Tigers, A's, Padres and Indians in 1972, getting traded three times.


(A word about the back): Kilkenny returned to Canada to play baseball for a Canadian league team, the London Majors, helping them win a title in 1975. Kilkenny just had his number retired by London in June.

3 comments:

  1. I keep getting this card in trades. Good to know a bit more about this bad mother. And, I always think of South Park, too. You bastards.

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  2. You know, you could fix Wikipedia. You could even site the box score if you are feeling frisky.

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  3. Wikipedia was wrong!!?? Four shutouts in a rookie season is pretty badass.

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