The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 19

I have written before about finding rare baseball pictures on Ebay.  Back in the day, you were lucky to find any such pictures of any players unless they were stars.  That's why finding these pictures now is so cool.
Recently, I came across the picture below of Rick Stelmaszek from his time with the California Angels (pre-Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles).  This is the first real photo I have seen of Stelmaszek in an Angels uni.  His 1974 Topps card is a decent airbrush of him from his time with the Rangers.  His 1975 card is a mediocre airbrushed Cubs card.
I don't know the origin of this photo.  Obviously, it was taken in 1973 (his only season with the Angels).  I am not good enough to pinpoint stadiums on a regular basis, let alone with this limited background view.  I am just guessing it is a home shot, because his uniform looks more like the home uni.  Since he is not wearing the full catcher's gear, other than the mitt, the picture was probably taken pre-game. 
His stance does not indicate he was playing long toss.  He looks more like he was preparing to field a bouncer or maybe an errant throw.
The picture does not tell a lot, but it does do a lot.  It brings back great memories and that childhood feeling when I first fell in love with baseball.

Rick Stelmaszek-Summer 1973.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 18

I routinely check Ebay for oddball items of may favorite celebs.  For athletes, that usually means scrolling by a bunch of trading cards, signed index cards and a handful of signed balls.  Occasionally though, I find some very cool items, like the picture below.
I have written about Rick Stelmaszek a few times before, so I will spare all the whole story.  As most know, he was a backup catcher, the husband of my third grade teacher and is currently a coach for the Minnesota Twins.
In 1971 and 1972 he played for the Denver Bears, a AA minor league affiliate of the Texas Rangers.  The picture below is from his time with Denver.  He is the catcher and unfortunately for him, it looks like the runner was safe.
I love old photos like this.  I just wish they were a bit cheaper on Ebay.  I know it is a free marketplace and the seller has every right to name his sale price.  My problem is that there are a bunch of these type of pictures out there that I would like to purchase, but at the standard sales price of about $15, I can't justify buying more than a couple.
Oh well, while I cannot buy as many as I would like, I can at least enjoy the pictures and present them here for your enjoyment.  I just wonder who the baserunner was.

1976 Topps Traded #661 Rick Stelmaszek

I am "borrowing" intellectual property from several bloggers for this piece.  I first was inspired to create virtual cards after seeing  the outstanding card creations from bloggers including Cards That Never Were (at White Sox Cards), Chachi Cards (at The Phillies Room), random card creations and corrections (at Wrigley Wax), Final Tribute cards (at Garvey, Cey, Russell and Lopes) and random stuff (at Punk Rock Paint).
Over the past couple of years, Matt R. has done an incredible job exploring the 1976 Topps set through his site Project Baseball 1976.  Matt has already gone through the regular set and is now about midway through the "traded" set.  It's not Matt's fault, but one card is missing, a card that never was.  Of course, I am talking about Rick Stelmaszek's 1976 traded card.
Stelmaszek spent the 1975 season playing for Wichita, the Cubs AAA ninor league team.  On January 23, 1976, 25 years ago last Sunday, Stelmaszek was traded to the New York Yankees for Jerry Pirtle (who finally made it to the majors with Montreal in 1978).
In 1976, Stelmaszek played for the Syracuse Chiefs, the Yankees AAA team.  He was unable to beat out Elrod Hendricks and Fran Healy as Thurman Munson's backups and was never promoted to the major league roster.  By 1977, Stelmaszek was with Tucson via an unknown transaction.
While Stelmaszek never officially played for the Yankees nor was he featured on a regular Topps 1976 card, I decided to make a traded card for him.  It's my blog and my insanity.  Besides, I blame Steve, Matt, Jim, Paul...

On the Beat with Rick Stelmaszek

As discussed many times before, I have known Minnesota Twins coach Rick Stelmaszek since his wife was my 3rd grade teacher. I have talked to him on many occasions, but earlier this summer, we officially interviewed him for the first time.

We asked Rick about the new stadium. Rick has praise for the new stadium. Of course, he liked it much better than the old Dome.
Then we asked him about being third on the all-time list of tenured coaches with one team. I thought he was behind Nick Altrock and Manny Mota. Rick's answer is pretty funny. I think it's cool that he knows where he ranks and talks about it a bit. He isn't bragging, just stating facts.
It was a bit surreal interviewing Rick in the Twins dugout, considering our history. Thirty some years ago, I was just hoping to get his card in the pack I bought at the corner store.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 16

About a year ago, thanks to Steve over at White Sox Cards, my old friend Rick Stelmaszek has a 1974 Topps Traded baseball card. Steve is a master at such creations. He has also helped me with a Mick Kelleher Cardinals card, a Ricky Seilheimer White Sox card and a couple Mike Squires cards. Steve is so dedicated that he sent me a corrected version after he realized he mistakenly listed Rick as a pitcher. Ironically, I didn't even catch the error!
The Chicago Cubs would be Stelmaszek's last major league team. After finishing the 1974 season with the Cubs, Stelmaszek spent all of 1975 with the Wichita Aeros (the AAA affiliate of the Cubs). In January of 1976, he was traded to the New York Yankees for Gerry Pirtle (who never pitched for the Cubs, was released two years later and pitched in 19 games for the 1978 Montreal Expos).
Stelmaszek played one season in Syracuse (the Yankees AAA affiliate) before heading back to the Texas Rangers organization for one season. Finally, he landed with the Wisconsin Rapids Twins (the A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) as a player-manager.

However, Stelmaszek's career started in the Washington Senators' (now the Texas Rangers) organization. There is an Ebay auction ending in two days which features a very young Stelmaszek while with the Senators. The picture has to be about 40 years old. It's a great piece of baseball nostalgia.

Vintage Rick Stelmaszek photo as found on Ebay (#390211387607)

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 15

I have been collecting baseball cards since 1973. Over the last 15 years or so, I haven't bought as many, but I have purchased more specifically desired cards. With this internet thing, it has become a lot easier finding these desired cards.
I thought I knew and had all of the cards of my favorite players. I even have a few more virtual cards of some of them, thanks to Steve (at White Sox cards) and other nice bloggers. Then Steve sent me a link to the card pictured below.
It is a 1974 Venezuelan sticker card of Rick Stelmaszek. As you can see, it is done in the style of a 1968 Topps card. It has a blank back.
Back in those days, I knew Stelmaszek played some winter ball, but had no idea these cards were printed. I wonder if even Stelmaszek knows.
It's a bit pricey, with a VG card going for about $10. Still, that's not bad for a 40 year old card. It's not like I'm buying the entire set.

Rick Stelmaszek's 1974 Venezuelan sticker card.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 14

Tomorrow marks the 30th year Rick Stelmaszek will be a coach for the Minnesota Twins. That makes him the Dean of Coaches (active with one team). This is the third-longest such tenure with one team in baseball history. Nick Altrock spent 42 years with the original Washington Senators. Manny Mota is entering his 31st consecutive year as a coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Stelmaszek joined the Minnesota organization in 1978 as Manager-Player for the Wisconsin Rapids Twins (single A club). Stelmaszek hit .273 in 55 at bats for the WR Twins. More importantly, had started his managerial career which would produce a 199-212 record over three seasons. Even more importantly, he helped such future Twins as Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Jim Eisenreich and Brad Havens.
It looks like I will be venturing up to Minneapolis later this summer to cover the new stadium. Until then, I wish Rick and the Twins the best of luck. With Nathan's injury, they are going to need a lot of luck.

Rick Stelmaszek and me in the MetroDome in Minneapolis, MN-July 2007.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 13

You had to know this one was coming. Today is Rick Stelmaszek's birthday. Our favorite ex-Cubs catcher and current Twins coach turns 61 today!

Stelmaszek just finished his 29th consecutive season as a coach with the Twins. This ranks 3rd all-time in mlb history (behind Nick Altrock with 42 and Manny Mota with 30 and counting).
For his birthday present, Stelmaszek and the Twins got a trip to the playoffs this season (along with another post here). On Tuesday, the Twins beat the Detroit Tigers to win the AL Central. Unfortunately for the Twins, they face the New York Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.

Rick Stelmaszek in a very early photo with the Washington Senators-late 60's/early 70's.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 13

I have been going to AU Sports in Skokie (IL) for years. They have the largest supply of sports card singles in the country. The best part is that you are allowed behind the counter to find your own cards in the boxes on the wall of cards. I have spent many hours in AU Sports, looking for cards, meeting players or just talking to other collectors. I have also had many great chats with owner Steve Gold or his late mother Audrey (a dear woman).
For years I tried to get Steve to approach the former Chicago Cubs catcher about doing a signing. Well, that day finally occurred several years ago. Of course I had to check it out. Stelmaszek drew a pretty good crowd. He has several key accomplishments that a collector might value.
-Member of the Chicago Cubs
-World Series winner twice as a coach with the Minnesota Twins
-Local Chicagoan
-Longest current tenured coach with one team
Of course, there is also that near-miss with Nolan Ryan's no-hitters. Darn it.
It was fun to witness this. I still remember nervously (even though he was a neighbor) approaching him 30 years ago for his autograph. Wow...time does fly.

Rick Stelmaszek and me at AU Sports in Skokie, IL-early 00's.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 12

This post could also be called 'Cards That Never Were', but I decided to stick with the 'Stelmaszek' theme. Besides, the CTNW title really belongs to Steve over at White Sox Cards.
Steve has a great White Sox blog and occasionally creates specific cards for players, who either needed a different card or missed being part of a certain set. Steve is also producing a cool bunch of cards called 'Birth Year Cards', an imaginative collection showcasing current White Sox players featured on cards from their birth year.
A few days ago, I asked Steve if he would produce a card of Rick Stelmaszek in a Cubs uniform from a picture I had. Stelmaszek did have a Cubs card, but that 1975 Topps card was one of their trademark airbrushes. I gave Steve 3 options (1974 Traded, 1975 Regular or even a 1976 Regular, though that would be a stretch).
Much to my surprise, I was catching up on stuff after a 3 day weekend in Milwaukee and Minneapolis, when I checked Steve's White Sox Cards site and saw 'Cards That Never Were #8', featuring Stelmaszek in a Cubs uni on a 1974 Traded card. How very cool.
Steve selected the '74T because he felt it made the most sense. I totally agree, but I wanted to give Steve options.
Steve's creation is very special for several reasons. First, it is now the only card of Stelmaszek legitimately in a Cubs uni. Ironically, his regular '74 card features him in an airbrushed Angels cap.
Second, most '74T featured a close headshot or even some airbrushing. Steve's creation shows a nice posed shot of Stelmaszek.
Finally, this brings to life my first autographed picture. I got this picture at an athletic banquet at my school in 1975. Now, Steve has breathed fresh life into it.
I really appreciate Steve's efforts. I know creating these cards is no small task and I am thankful for his effort. I also highly recommend his site, whether you are a White Sox fan or not.

A 1974 Topps Traded card of Rick Stelmaszek as created by Steve at White Sox Cards.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 11

After a decent 1977 season at AAA Tucson in the Texas Rangers organization, Rick Stelmaszek joined the Wisconsin Rapids Twins (the single A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) as a player-manager. At the age of 29, Stelmaszek's playing career was near the end, but his coaching career was just beginning.
Stelmaszek had 55 at-bats in 23 games for the Twins. More importantly, he guided them to a 62-76 record.
The WR Twins did not have a lot of promise. In fact, only Mark Funderburk ever even made it to the majors (and only for 31 games in parts of 2 seasons).
Stelmaszek's 1978 TCMA card (courtesy of TwinsCards.com) shows just how much things have changed in 30 years. Black and white pictures are generally only used in 'throwback' type cards now. Not only is the picture colorless, the card itself appears to be a simple black + 1 color (green). It is hard to tell from the scan, but this card has a non-glossy front.
One last thing to note is the very boring cap. Any good marketer knows you won't be selling many souvenir caps with WR block letters.

Rick Stelmaszek's 1978 TCMA Wisconsin Rapids Twins card.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 10

In the Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 9, I noted that Stelmaszek's career was better than his 2 1970 cardmates. Today, I am going to compare him to his 1973 Topps cardmates.
Sergio Robles was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968. Robles was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1971 (as part of the big Frank Robinson deal). Robles got 2 hits in 21 AB's in 16 games over 2 seasons with the Orioles.
Baltimore sold Robles to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975 and they sold him to the Dodgers in 1976. Robles never played for the Cardinals, but made it into 6 games (going 0-3) for the Dodgers. His major league career ends there, but he did play 19 seasons in Mexico.
All told, Robles hit .095, going 2 for 21. He had no HR's, RBI's or R. He did walk 3 times in his career.
George Pena started in the Los Angeles Angels organization in 1963. By 1973, Pena was 29 and with his 6th organization, the Cleveland Indians. He would seem to be an odd choice for Topps. Still, he hit about .250 in the minors with a little pop in his bat, but he never made i to the majors, retiring after the 1975 season (2 teams removed from the Indians).
Much like for the 1970 card, Stelmaszek is once again King of his card. Stelmaszek played parts of 3 seasons, collecting 10 hits in 88 AB's (including a couple big hits off of future Hall of Famers). Of course, currently he is in his 29th year as a bullpen coach with the Twins.
The book value of this card is $5. If you are into autographs, Stelmaszek is very good, but I have no idea about Robles or Pena.

Rick Stelmaszek's 1973 Topps Rookie card.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 9

The Washington Senators became an American League franchise in 1961. They endured many sub-.500 seasons, until 1969, when Manager Ted Williams guided them to a 86-76 season.
In the 3rd round of the 1965 amateur draft, the Senators selected outfielder Gene Martin. In the 8th round of the 1966 draft, they selected pitcher Dick Such. In the 11th round of the 1967 draft, they selected Rick Stelmaszek. Those 3 players are forever connected via their 1970 Topps Rookie Stars card.
By the time this card came out, Martin's major league career was already over. Martin played in 9 games, getting 4 hits in 11 AB's. Martin played in the Philadelphia Phillies system from 1971-73 and in the San Diego Padres system in 1973. Martin went on to have a good career in Japan, hitting 189 HR's or 1 every 13.5 AB's.
Such made it to the majors in 1970, going 1-5 in 21 games. Such stayed in the Rangers organization through 1974, but never made it back to the majors. Such would go on to spend 17 years as the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins (joining Stelmaszek), helping them to 2 World Series.
It can therefore be argued that Stelmaszek had the best mlb career of these three. Stelmaszek played parts of 3 seasons, collecting 10 hits in 88 AB's (including a couple big hits off of future Hall of Famers). Of course, currently he is in his 29th year as a bullpen coach with the Twins.
The book value of this card is $4. If you are into autographs, Stelmaszek and Such are consistently good signers. I don't know Martin's signing habits.

Rick Stelmaszek's 1970 Topps rookie card.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 8

Last week, I mentioned a great website called TwinsCards.com, on which I found seemingly unending info on the Minnesota Twins. Within the many pages, I found a card of Rick Stelmaszek which I never knew existed.
Back in the 70's, minor league card sets were not a huge deal. They were usually printed midway through the season and offered only at the ballpark.
In 1977, Stelmaszek was back in the Texas Rangers organization, playing for the Tucson Toros. He had a decent season, hitting .283 in 83 games, but he did not get a call up to the Rangers. The Rangers were well-stocked at catcher, with Jim Sundberg in his prime, backed up by Bill Fahey, John Ellis and Ed Kirkpatrick.
The Toros finished 65-73 in 1977. Only a few players went on to have decent major league careers. Pat Putnam, Tommy Boggs and Len Barker enjoyed the most success in the majors.
A few other players had been in the majors for a while and were fighting to return. Kurt Bevacqua made it back for several solid seasons as a utility player. David Clyde and Mike Wallace did not make it back.
After the 77 season, Stelmaszek joined the Wisconsin Rapids Twins as a player-manager. At 29, his playing days were about over, but his career really had just begun. By the way, is that woman in the background checking out Stelmaszek?

Rick Stelmaszek's 1977 Tucson Toros card.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 7

The Minnesota Twins are in Chicago for a 3 game series with the White Sox. This is a homecoming for Rick Stelmaszek, Twins coach and Chicago native.
While searching the web for Stelmaszek's baseball cards, I found a great site called TwinsCards.com. This site has pictures of every one of Stelmaszek's baseball cards (majors, minors, local issues...), along with just about anything you'd ever want to know about the Twins. Everyone, who ever played for the Twins (and some who didn't quite make it), can be found on the site.
There are sections of blogs, forums, memorabilia and statistics. Of course, there is also baseball card info, lots of baseball card info. This site is simply amazing.
If you aren't a fan of the Twins, you are not left out. Located on the left is a scroll bar, where you can find equally great sister sites for each mlb team.

One last item could be included in the Cards That Never Were feature. Below is a custom 1981 Topps card of Stelmaszek which would make Steve (a master at such creations) at White Sox Cards proud.

Rick Stelmaszek's custom 1981 Topps card courtesy of TwinsCards.com.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 6

In a previous post, I talked about Rick Stelmaszek not being one of the 7 different catchers to catch a Nolan Ryan no-hitter. Stelmaszek and Ryan share another connection.
After going 0-9 for the Washington Senators in 1971, Stelmaszek did not appear in the majors in 1972. By 1973, the Senators had become the Texas Rangers and Stelmaszek was back in the majors with them.
Stelmaszek started the season going 0-8 in his first six games of action. In the 7th game, on May 19, 1973, Stelmaszek replaced Ken Suarez behind the plate in the bottom of the 7th inning.
In the top of the 9th, with the Rangers trailing 9-1 to the Angels, Nolan Ryan was going for a complete game, having surrendered just 3 hits. Vic Harris lead off with a groundout. Stelmaszek stepped to the plate with 1 out. He laced a line drive to short right-centerfield for his first major league hit. Jim Mason batted next, hitting into a double play and ending the game.
In his 18th at bat, in his 13th major league game, Stelmaszek had gotten his first hit and it was off of a future Hall of Fame pitcher, Nolan Ryan. It would be Stelmaszek's only hit and his last game with the Rangers. The next day, Stelmaszek was traded to the California Angels, where he would become teammates with Ryan. I wonder if Stelmaszek's hit off of Ryan had anything to do with the Angels dealing for him.

1974 Topps Rick Stelmaszek and Nolan Ryan.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 5

Jeff Torborg, Art Kusnyer, Tom Egan, Ellie Rodriguez, Alan Ashby, John Russell and Mike Stanley are forever linked with Nolan Ryan and his 7 no-hitters. Those 7 men were the catchers for Ryan's gems. The fact that Rick Stelmaszek is not among that group of 7 annoys me to no end.
Technically, Stelmaszek and Ryan were only teammates from May 20, 1973 to July 28, 1974. Also, technically, only 1 of Ryan's no-hitters happened during that time frame (7/15/73 with Kusnyer catching). Also, all 7 of those catchers did play more than Stelmaszek.
Still, this would have been a great coup for Stelmaszek.
I have previously mentioned Stelmaszek's place in the record books for catching 4 strike outs in one inning. This forever linked him with pitcher Bill Bonham. Had Stelmaszek been one of the 7 (or had Ryan gotten another with Stelmaszek catching), he would have really had a place in baseball history.
Those 7 catchers rode Ryan's jersey tail into the record books, the Hall of Fame displays and the memorabilia circuit. A nice lithograph signed by the Special Seven brings a decent buck and would have assured Stelmaszek a place in the world of baseball memorabilia.

A lithograph celebrating Nolan Ryan's 7 no-hitters with a little Johngy revision.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 4

Over the last month or so, I have written posts highlighting the career of my old neighbor and current Twins' bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek. Today, I am going to feature Rick's ability to hit the long ball.
In the major leagues, Stelmaszek had 108 plate appearances and 1 big home run. It did come off of a Hall of Famer, however (although not one of my favorite HOF'ers).
On August 20, 1974, the Chicago Cubs were hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Don Sutton was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers and he had an 18-2 lead going into the 6th inning.
Andre Thornton started the inning with a groundout. Jerry Morales followed that with a single. Stelmaszek came up with 1 out and 1 on base. Stelmaszek took a mighty swing and crushed Sutton's pitch onto the catwalk in Wrigley Field.
The crowd went wild, with the Cubs now within 14 of the Dodgers, but Sutton recovered and retired the next 2 batters. The Dodgers hung on for an 18-8 win.
I find it quite fitting that Sutton gave up Stelmaszek's lone HR. I have debated Sutton's Hall of Fame credentials for a long time, but at least Stelmaszek can say all of his HR's were off of Hall of Famers.
In a sign of pure support (and lunacy), when my friends Jim Gekas and Chuck 'Cuzz' Gekas visited the Baseball Hall of Fame, they attempted to remove Sutton's plaque. This gesture still brings a tear to my eye.

Jim Gekas and Chuck 'Cuzz' Gekas in Cooperstown, NY-Summer 2004.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga-Part 3

Last week I wrote a post about Rick Stelmaszek's record-setting performace in his second game with the Chicago Cubs. Today, I am featuring one of the lowlights of Stelmaszek's time with the Cubs.
His third game with the Cubs was on August 1, against the New York Mets. Stelmaszek was on a roll, having started the 2 previous games, while going 2-5 with an RBI.
His third game wasn't so good, starting out 0-3 with 2 passed balls. Then things got worse.
With Stelmaszek behind the plate, New York Mets 3rd baseman Wayne Garrett fouled off a pitch by Steve Stone. Unfortunately, that foul ball struck Stelmaszek in the throat. After several minutes and a failed attempt to walk off the field, Stelmaszek was taken off by a cart.
Below are a couple pictures I saved from the newspapers the next day. As I have said before, I love the nostalgic feel of these type of old photos. I love figuring out who the other players are.
In the top photo, #25 is Cubs Manager Jim Marshall, #11 is ss Don Kessinger and #21 is Cleon Jones of the Mets. Also there is #18 Cubs 3rd baseman Bill Madlock (3rd from right in the foreground). Behind him to the right I am guessing is Cubs 1st baseman Carmen Fanzone. I am not sure of the rest. Could Steve Stone be the guy behind to the left of Madlock?
In the lower group of photos, #6 Cubs coach J.C. Martin and #40 Cubs pitcher Herb Hutson. Cubs Manager Jim Marshall is also on the scene.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 2

Last week I wrote a post about Rick Stelmaszek's short-lived move from Chicago to California. Today, I will be highlighting a record setting performance by Stelmaszek.
Stelmaszek was traded by the California Angels to the Chicago Cubs on July 28, 1974. On July 31, 1974, in Stelmaszek's second game with the Chicago Cubs, he put his name in baseball's record books. He also enabled Cubs pitcher Bill Bonham to join him.
Only 14 pitchers have had 4 strike outs in one inning and only 14 catchers have caught 4 strike outs in one inning. Chicago Cubs teammates Bonham and Stelmaszek were the last to accomplish this feat.
The Cubs were hosting the Montreal Expos. In the top of the second inning, trailing 2-0, Bonham struck out Expos pitcher Mike Torrez. However, Stelmaszek allowed a passed ball and Torrez reached first base (and actually stole 2nd base, rubbing salt in the wound). Bonham then struck out the next 3 Expos ( Ron Hunt, Tim Foli and Willie Davis).
Bonham finished the game with 6 K's and the loss. For the year, he went 11-22, but was a much better pitcher than that would indicate. In 10 seasons, Bonham went 75-83. A sore arm hindered his career.
Still, Bonham holds a record that might never be broken. And he owes it all to Rick Stelmaszek.

1975 Topps Rick Stelmaszek & Bill Bonham.