Moe Berg was a spy, Joe Pepitone wore a wig; Pete Reiser had a dangerous habit of running into walls, Pete Grey, was a one armed outfielder, Ted Williams is a popsicle, Bill “Spaceman” Lee sprinkled marijuana on his pancakes and Dock Ellis wore curlers and pitched a no-hitter while high on LSD. That’s just a handful of baseball’s most bizarre.
Bizarre Trades
On April 26, 1962 the Cleveland Indians traded catcher Harry Chiti to the New York Mets for a player to be named later. A few weeks later, The Mets sent Chiti back to the Indians as the player to be named later.
Tim Fortugno, a career minor leaguer, pitched for fifteen different teams. During his baseball career, Fortugno was the "property" of six different major-league clubs. Being traded was a way of life for him. Even Fortugno, however, was probably shocked to learn, in 1989, that the Reno (Nevada) Silver Sox had traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers organization in exchange for twelve dozen baseballs and $2,500.
Joel Youngblood became the first ML player ever to collect hits for two different teams on the same day, when he singled for the Mets off Chicago Cubs pitcher Jim Ferguson in the afternoon and was traded to the Expos after the game. He flew to Philadelphia in time to hit a pinch single off the Phillies' Steve Carlton that night.
What were you thinking? (bad trades)
Christy Mathewson for Amos Rusie
Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi
Steve Carlton for Rick Wise
Ryan Sandberg for Ivan Be Jesus
Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas
Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps
John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander
Jeff Bagwell for Larry Andersen
Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio
Curt Schilling for whatshisname..?
Owners
When you think of baseball’s most bizarre owners most likely George Steinbrenner is the first name that comes to mind. However, George Steinbrenner is only half as bizarre as these owners.
Marge Schott was the chain smoking, swastika carrying, overly frugal owner of Cincinnati Reds. The down right cheap and controversial owner would walk around the stadium turning off lights and copy machines in attempt to save money. Marge Schott was also a huge racist who often referred to players Dave Parker and Eric Davis as million-dollar black persons”. During her fifteen-year tenure she was suspended twice for insensitive remarks towards Blacks, Jews, gays and other minorities.
Chris von der Ahe throughout the 1880s was embroiled in legal battles and baseball disputes that culminated in his own kidnapping. He encouraged players to get into fights and when it became too dark to play, he lit candles in front of the dugout, which ultimately led to the stadium being burned to the ground.
Sore losers
Buck O'Brien went 20-13 for Boston in 1912. When he gave up 5 runs in the first inning of game six of the WS, his teammates beat him up after the game. To add insult to injury, after Boston won the World Series O’Brien was traded to the Chicago White Sox. He left the major leagues after six more games.
Say no to drugs
Long before BALCO it was the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials where cocaine was the drug of choice for several Major League Baseball players. Big-name players like Keith Hernandez and Dave Parker testified that Pittsburgh was essentially the place to go to get your drug fix. Reportedly, one of the drug dealers included the Pittsburgh Mascot “Pirate Parrot” who kept his stash in his nose of his of costume.
Tim Raines admitted to being a cocaine user and that he used to get high during games. Raines told reporters that he would keep a vial of coke in his pocket and would slide headfirst while stealing to make sure the vial wouldn't break. .
Pascual Perez
The animated, rail-thin Dominican hot dog went 15-8 in 1983 and 14-8 in 1984, with Atlanta. A recurring drug problem culminated that year when the flamboyant pitcher spent three months in prison for cocaine possession in the Dominican Republic. In 1985 Perez went 1-13 and was released by the Braves the following April.
Pedro Guerrero was arrested in September of 1999 for trying to buy 33 pounds of cocaine from an undercover agent. However, he was acquitted of drug conspiracy charges in June of 2002 after his attorney argued his low IQ prevented him from understanding that he agreed to a drug deal.
Bizarre Injuries
John Smoltz once burned his chest while ironing a shirt ... which he was still wearing
Kevin Mitchell, the master of all bizarre injuries, once injured himself while eating a cupcake. That, of course, was when he wasn't missing games because of vomiting -induced muscle strains, or strained eyelids.
Glenallen Hill went on the DL because of cuts suffered after smashing a glass table while dreaming he was being attacked by spiders.
Jose Cardenal missed a game in 1974 because he couldn't blink.
Vince Coleman missed the 1985 World Series after getting rolled up in the tarp machine.
Doc Gooden missed a start when Vince Coleman accidentally struck him with a golf club in the clubhouse
Ricky Bones went on the disabled list in 2000 after injuring himself while changing channels on the clubhouse TV
Wade Boggs injured himself while pulling on his cowboy boots
Roger Craig cut his hand on a bra strap
Charlie Hough broke a finger shaking hands with a friend
Red Murray and Ray Caldwell were Struck by lightening.
Tony Gwynn missed a game after breaking the tip of his finger by slamming it in the door of his Porsche on the way to the bank.
Public Relations
Dave Kingman threw a ten gallon bucket of ice water on a sportswriter and sent a rat to a female reporter
Ted Williams lifted Boston globe writer Hy Hurwitz up by his necktie, then cut the tie with scissors
Bret Saberhagan sprayed a container of bleach on reporters
Deion Sanders doused Tim McCaver three times with ice water
Big Fans
Eddie Waitkus
Chicago Cubs’ Eddie Waitkus’s bright career took an infamously tragic turn after he received a cryptic note summoning him to meet a young fan, Ruth Steinhagen. When Waitkus entered her hotel room, she proclaimed, “I have a surprise for you,” and then she just as quickly shot him in the chest. Waitkus survived and Steinhagen went to a state mental hospital for nearly three years.
Whitey Witt was hit on the head with a bottle and knocked unconscious. To avoid further inciting the St. Louis fans, American League president Ban Johnson announced that Witt had stepped on the bottle, causing it to leap up and strike him in the head
Can you hear me now?
An Oakland Athletics’ fan threw a cell phone at Texas Rangers outfielder Carl Everett.
Urre out!
Tim Hurst had a reputation for settling arguments over disputed calls by striking arguing players on their heads with his mask or his fists. In 1897 an irate fan tossed a beer stein at Hurst. The umpire threw it back, hit the wrong fan, and was fined $100 and dismissed by the AL. After a stormy five years as a NL ump, Hurst joined the AL. After an argument with New York manager Clark Griffith, he followed Griffith to the dugout and knocked him cold. On August 4, 1909, he spit in the eye of Athletics second baseman Eddie Collins, ending an argument and igniting a riot. Hurst was fired by the AL.
Roberto Alomar spit in the face of ump John Hirschbeck during a heated argument.
Minor league umps Samuel White and Ora Jennings were killed by fans during a game.
Lost in Translation
Yogi Berra
“I didn't really say everything I said”.
“Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical”
“Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded”.
“This is like deja vu all over again”
“If you come to a fork in the road, take it”.
“It’s never happened in the World Series competition, and it still hasn't”.
George Weiss
“I will never allow a Black man to wear a Yankee Uniform”
Casey Stengel
“When I finally get a black person, I get one who can’t run” (Elston Howard).
“I don't like them fellas who drive in two runs and let in three”.
“The trouble is not that players have sex the night before a game. It's that they stay out all night looking for it”.
“They say some of my stars drink whiskey, but I have found that ones who drink milkshakes don't win many ball games”.
“We are in such a slump that even the ones that aren't drinkin' aren't hittin'”
“They told me my services were no longer desired because they wanted to put in a youth program as an advance way of keeping the club going. I'll never make the mistake of being seventy again”.
Barry Bonds it’s called talent. I just have it. I can't explain it. You either have it or you don't.”
The MVP’s Of Bizarre
Edd Roush fell asleep in the outfield during the game
Babe Herman doubled into a double play.
Ed Stewart once swung so hard he knocked himself out.
Dan Friend once played left field in a robe
Jose Canseco had a fly ball bounce off his head and land over the fence for a homer
Marv Thorneberry hit a triple and was called out for missing first base…and second.
Mark Fidrych talked to the ball and shook hands with his infielders after good plays.
Jim Kern the king off bizarre once came out on the field wearing his uniform backwards and fell backward off the mound, suffering a concussion.
Dave Kingman sent a rat to a female reporter.
Jose Rijo kept a voodoo doll in his locker.
Don Stanhouse liked to hang upside down in the bullpen…until he fell on his head.
Jackie Brandt blamed his inconsistent defensive play on the fact that when he ran hard, his eyeballs jumped up and down.
Jim Piersall… enough said.