1967 Scrapbook - Cookie Rojas

Another installment of a new series called "1967 Scrapbook". A few months ago, I found a baseball scrapbook I had made in 1967, containing photos that I clipped from the Philadelphia sports pages that summer. Most of the photos are from the previous night's Phillies game.


June 5th - Rojas dons the catching gear in the top of the 9th. With the Phillies behind 10-2 in the bottom of the 8th, manager Gene Mauch pinch-hit for Bob Uecker (who had earlier replaced starting catcher Clay Dalrymple). Mauch sure liked to make moves!


June 30th - Cookie pitched the 9th, adding a 9th position to his resume:


June 9th:


July 27th:


August 12th:



EDIT: On 1/20/2012, I found this great post about Cookie Rojas on a KC Royals blog.
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1967 Scrapbook - Mantle, Ford, Mays

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Today I'm starting a new series called "1967 Scrapbook". A few months ago, I found a baseball scrapbook I had made in 1967, containing photos that I clipped from the Philadelphia sports pages that summer. Most of the photos are from the previous night's Phillies game, with the exception of the two photos in this first installment.


WHITEY FORD'S RETIREMENT - May 31



WILLIE MAYS - July 1



The back of the Willie Mays photo may be more interesting than the front. Here, not only do we see Mets' rookie pitcher Tom Seaver helping his wife with the grocery shopping, but on the far left, there's a picture of Phillies' farmhand Lowell Palmer, for once photographed without his trademark sunglasses.

1960s Blog Hall of Fame (#1)

Welcome to the first 1960s Hall of Fame balloting. (Yes, I ripped off this idea from White Sox Cards, and tailored it to my blog.)

To jump start the membership, for this first ballot, vote for 1 player at each position (except for 3 outfielders, 4 starting pitchers, 2 relievers, and 2 managers). To keep things organized, there is a separate poll for each position.

Subsequent ballots will have all nominees combined on one ballot, and only those getting a certain percentage of votes will be elected.

Voting will continue until January 15th, at which time the winners will have their plaques (a/k/a baseball cards) featured together in a montage post.

Unlike all other halls of fame, balloting will probably occur more than once a year (mainly because I'm impatient). Use the comments to suggest other nominees for future ballots.

Have at it!
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RIP - Matty Alou

Matty Alou left us on November 3rd, at age 72, from complications with diabetes.

Matty came up with the San Francisco Giants in 1961, the 2nd of three Alou brothers to do so. (Felipe arrived in 1958, and Jesus in September 1963.) Felipe left the Giants after the 1963 season, but not before all 3 brothers played in the same outfield.


Matty was traded to the Pirates after the 1965 season, where he immediately became the everyday center fielder. In his first season in Pittsburgh, he led the NL in batting with a .342 batting average. (Brother Felipe, by then with the Braves, was 2nd with a .327 average.)

Alou spent 5 seasons as the Pirates' regular center fielder. In his last 2 years with the Bucs, he led the NL in at-bats, with over 670 in each season. He missed the Pirates' glory years in the early 1970s, as he was traded to the Cardinals after 1970 for pitcher Nelson Briles and outfielder Vic Davalillo.

Matty bounced around to several teams (Athletics, Yankees, Padres) before being released in July 1974. He then played several seasons in Japan.