Who is the man: Tim Cullen provided another season of good-glove, no-hit action for the Senators in 1970. He was entering his final year with Washington.
Can ya dig it: This card is a little too grungy for my liking. Gum-stain remnants, scuffing all the way around, and a well-nibbled top right corner.
Right on: Look that ball into your glove, Tim!
You see that cat Cullen is a bad mother: Cullen was named to the Topps Rookie All-Star team for 1967. He features one of those giant trophies on his 1968 Topps card.
Shut your mouth: Cullen's nickname was "The Worm" for the way he hit the dirt to get a groundball. I suppose it's appropriate now that this card is dingy.
No one understands him but his woman: Cullen is the last nonpitcher to bat ninth in an American League game prior to the start of the designated hitter in 1973. While playing for the White Sox against the Yankees in 1968, Cullen started at second base and hit ninth and White Sox pitcher Gary Peters hit sixth.
(A word about the back): I like the brevity of the last sentence in the write-up. "Briefly with Chisox," when "briefly with the White Sox" would work, too. Also, it's true Cullen played just four months with the White Sox in '68 before being traded back to the Senators -- for the same player he was traded to the White Sox for, Ron Hansen.
I remember when Peters played for the Redsox they used him as a pinch hitter
ReplyDeletePeters was a very good hitter especially in 1971. Hit .267 that year. Several pitchers had outstanding years at the plate; Rick Wise, Sonny Siebert, and Ferguson Jenkins hit 6 home runs. Jim Hunter hit .350.
DeleteGetting back to Tim, his BA was worst in the majors in 1971 for over 400 at bats. So he could have batted 9th a lot.