The future ain’t what it used to be
Yogi Berra
Reporter and sports writer Lance McCurley asked me a question the other day that I didn’t necessarily want to answer
“How old are you?” he inquired.
Four possible responses popped into my head in much the same way answers popped into Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger’s head when that guy asked him if he had a dead cat in his room.
Possible responses:
A. Tell the truth
B. Invert the numbers and make myself nine years younger
C. Subtract 20 years and see if he believes that, or
D. Use the line Arnold Schwarzenegger used in “The Terminator” when that guy made his dead cat inquiry
I told him the truth. Not much point in trying to conceal your expiration date.
By comparison, Lance’s expiration date is like the one you’d find on a can of soup and mine is like the one you’d find on a cup of sour cream. No reason to worry about the soup spoiling anytime soon but you better use that sour cream PDQ.
But fossils like me sometimes like to dwell in the past, so that’s what I’m going to do this week.
I take you back to 1965 when Atlanta’s baseball team was called the Atlanta Crackers, and they played in the AAA International League.
The 1965 team had moved from Ponce de Leon Park into brand new Atlanta Stadium while everyone waited on Henry Aaron et al. to head south the following year.
Henry’s little brother Tommie Aaron, who hit the first home run in Atlanta Stadium, played for the Crackers in 1965 before being called up the next year.
Sandy Alomar, the father of Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, was a teammate of Tommie’s. Sandy wound up playing in 1,481 games over a 15-year MLB career with six teams. More Sandys to follow.
Relief pitcher Clay Carroll, born in Clanton, Alabama, was a Cracker.
We pause for a brief musical intermission:
I’m Cracker, he’s a Cracker, we’re a Cracker, wouldn’t you like to be a Cracker, too
Sorry about that. Couldn’t be helped. Now back to the 1965 Crackers.
The Braves traded Carroll to Cincinnati in 1968 and he became a staple in the bullpen for the Big Red Machine.
Adrian Garrett led the 1965 Atlanta team with 20 home runs and totaled 280 dingers in a 16-year minor league career. (Shades of Crash Davis.)
Pat Jarvis, who now lives in Morgan County, threw 74 innings for the Crackers that season and was called up to the Atlanta Braves the next year where he posted a record of six wins, two losses and an excellent ERA of 2.31. He also walked out to the batter’s box at Shea Stadium on Sept. 11, 1966, in the top of the sixth to face a hardthrowing 19-year-old right-hander from Refugio, Texas. Jarvis struck out and became the first of the 5,714 batters Lynn Nolan Ryan would fan. However, Joe Torre welcomed Ryan to the big leagues with a home run in the next inning.
One of the most tantalizing prospects on the 1965 Atlanta Crackers roster the versatile Bill Robinson. He traded to the Yankees for Clete Boyer and then wound up in Philadelphia from 1972-74. He won a World Series in 1979 while playing for the Pirates.
Other notable players in the International League that year included Doc Ellis of the Columbus Jets who went on to pitch a no-hitter for the Pirates while allegedly high on LSD.
Mike Cuellar of the Jacksonville Suns and Pat Dobson of the Syracuse Chiefs joined the Orioles in 1971 and became part of a group of four Baltimore pitchers, including Jim Palmer and Dave McNally, who all won 20 games.
The Crackers played their final game on Sept. 6, 1965, a 4-3 road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Spell check says that should be Leaves). The Crackers moved north in 1966 and became the Richmond Braves, moved back to Georgia in 2009 and eventually became the Stripers. Note: The Stripers retired Tommie Aaron’s No. 23 in 2012.
On MLB’s big stage at the close of the ’65 season, the Dodgers would need seven games to beat the Twins in the World Series, which featured two Sandys. One you know, one you probably don’t.
Sandy Koufax, the one you know, threw 24 innings and gave up only 1 run. Sandy Valdespino, a reserve outfielder for the Twins who played for the ’64 Crackers, collected three hits but none off Koufax.
Zoilo Versalles of the Twins won the AL MVP award, and his teammate Tony Oliva won the AL batting title. Willie Mays won the NL MVP, and Roberto Clemente won the NL batting title.
At some point during the next year, my dad bought me my first real baseball glove made by MacGregor that had the signatures of those four players etched into the pocket.
It was the best glove ever. Alas, some jerkweed stole it.
Selah.
T. Michael Stone has started a twitter account. You can follow him @tmichaelStone5. Lame jokes guaranteed each week.