Monday, February 24, 2014
no. 265 - jim northrup
Who is the man: Jim Northrup produced the third of his three best seasons in 1970. Between 1968-70, he was a potent force in the Tigers' lineup, good for 20-plus home runs. His play began to decline after 1970.
Can ya dig it: I'm sure that bat is larger than it appears, but it looks like he could hit the ball no more than 20 feet with that thing.
Right on: Crooked field! There were a lot of those when I was chronicling the 1975 set. I don't recall quite as many in this set, or maybe I'm just not paying attention.
You see this cat Northrup is a bad mother: I can't think of anything more bad-ass than getting a game-deciding triple in Game 7 of the World Series off of the pitcher (Bob Gibson) who had mowed down your team in two straight games. And that's what Northrup did in 1968.
Shut your mouth: Northrup did not get along with Tigers manager Billy Martin. "It was all 'I, I, I' and "me, me, me," Northrup said about Martin. "I did not respect him in any way. But I had to play. So I ignored what he said and played ball."
No one understands him but his woman: Northrup was an intelligent guy even though it took him 40 years to graduate from high school because he signed with the Tigers. He considered going to medical school before choosing a baseball career.
(A word about the back): Wow, reading that second sentence makes me want to have been around to see him in 1968.
I wasnt around to see him in '68...but I was around to hear him tell us how great he was in '68 for 20 years as a Tiger announcer. Billy was right.
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