Frank Oliver Howard was born on August 8, 1936 in Columbus, Ohio to John and Erma Howard. His dad was a large man, 6’4″ over 200 pounds. He worked as a machinist for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in Columbus. His mother was a homemaker. Frank was the third of six children. The family lived in a modest frame house. “There was always lots of food on the table” Howard remembered, “but if we kids wanted money, we had to go out and earn it”. Frank shined shoes, caddied, and did the hard manual labor befitting his size. ” When I was 14:, he recalled, ” I worked a 100-pound jackhammer in the streets for the city of Columbus, got paid maybe a dollar and a half an hour, and was glad to get it.” By the middle of his tenure at South High School, he had grown to 6’5″, 195 pounds.
John Howard had played semi-pro baseball around Columbus and he encouraged Frank’s interest in the game. He had no desire to play football but played both basketball, at which he excelled, and baseball, his game of choice. Howard was good enough to be widely recruited to play college basketball, but he decided to stay home and attend Ohio State. His coach there, Floyd Stahl, recalled that Frank was anxious to get an education. But he had almost no money. They did not have the grants-in-aid they have today or the sports scholarships. He told Howard he thought they could get some jobs for him around the school. He did get a little aid from the school, but he worked at odd jobs for four years. When Stahl got him a job working on a cement crew, the foreman told him “Howard does twice as much work as any laborer I’ve had”. Stahl was now worried that he would work too hard and overtrain.
But Howard became a star for the Buckeyes, earning All-American honors as a junior, and setting a Madison Square Garden record in a holiday tournament with 32 rebounds for a game, and 75 for the three games. The next year Howard was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA. He also played baseball for OSU, eclipsing the .300 mark in two seasons and displaying occasional glimpses of the power for which he would become known. The Dodgers were scouting him in 1957. Scout Cliff Alexander noted he was a definite follow. He almost signed that summer but he had promised Stahl he would return for his senior year to play basketball.
After his senior year was over, he let the scouts know he was ready to sign. He had a lot of offers, but the Dodgers had been talking to him for a couple of years and he never really considered any other teams. Alexander remembers that Howard called him up and told him that Paul Richards, who was running the Orioles at the time, had offered him a $120,000 bonus. Howard asked Alexander for $108,000. 100K for himself and 8K to go to a new house for his parents. Alexander agreed and Howard was on his way. He left Ohio State one semester short of a degree in physical education.
Howard was sent to the teams Green Bay team in the Class-B Three-I League. His manager there was Pete Reiser. He had no problem there hitting .333 with 37 long balls and 119 driven in. He was the league’s MVP. One evening at a local pizza parlor, he met Carol Johanski, a secretary for the Green Bay Gazette. Six months later they were married and Howard bought a house in Green Bay and settled there.
In September, Howard was called up to the big club. He made his debut on Sept 10th at Connie Mack Stadium. Hitting against Robin Roberts he went 2-4 including a mammoth homer in his second big league at-bat. The drive hit the billboard atop the left-field roof, causing the left fielder, Harry Anderson to say he was afraid the billboard was going to fall on his head. On the 16th of the month in Cincinnati, he came to bat with teammate, Duke Snider on third. Scully commented about Snider being way off the foul line due to Howard’s penchant for hitting vicious line drives in that direction. Just as Scully said this, Howard hit a vicious line drive that caught Snider square in the head, knocking him unconscious briefly and ending the Duke’s season. Howard finished with a .241 avg in 29 at-bats.
In 59, the Dodgers sent Howard to Victoria in the Texas League. Howard was on his way to a triple crown with a .371 avg, 27 homers, and 71 RBIs. Buzzie Bavasi came and watched the team. When he saw Howard hit a 520 Ft. homer to win a game, he took him back to L.A. with him. He was only with the team a week, going 2-19, and then was sent to AAA Spokane. He hit .316 with Spokane with 16 more long balls. He was called back to the Dodgers in September. With the team in the middle of a pennant race, he only got 2 at-bats. One of them was a PH homer off of Lindy McDaniel on the 23rd. The Dodgers ended up winning the pennant and World Series. After the season Howard was named the Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News.
By the spring of 1960, stories about Howard’s prodigious homers and his vicious line drives threatening the lives of runners on base were already being repeatedly told around the league. In a time when many players were not even six feet tall, and when the biggest stars in the National League, Mays, Aaron, Banks and Robinson, were all around 180 pounds, Howard had reached almost 6’8″ and 250 pounds. He was heavier at times in his career. His teammate, Jr. Gilliam, all 5’10” of him spoke for many when he said,“a man that big should hit 50 homers every year, and I mean every year”. He was still a work in progress. Playing first base and the outfield, usually right. His strike zone was huge and he still swung at too many bad pitches. Until he finds himself, LA is just going to have to settle for a mere mortal.
He still had the task in the spring of 1960 to make the roster of a Championship team. He did ok in spring, hitting .268 with a couple of homers. But then he had a run-in with Walter Alston over his playing time. So he was sent back to Spokane to start the year. He wasn’t there long, hitting .371 in 26 games. He returned to the Dodgers and had a .268 BA with 23 homers. After the season he was named the Rookie of the Year. He was the team’s 5th recipient of the award.
His 61-season started off slow with a chipped bone in his thumb. Alston had intended to move him to first base, but the injury and his recovery took time. He ended up hitting .296 with 15 HRs in just 267 at-bats. He started in only 72 games, usually in RF. He was increasingly frustrated with his inability to stay on the field. After the 61 season, the Dodgers lost both of their first basemen, Hodges and Larker, to the expansion draft.
Alston moved Ron Fairly to first to give Howard more playing time. Playing in only 123 games he hit .296 with 31 HRs and 119 RBIs. He still was undisciplined and struck out 108 times with only 39 walks. The Dodgers were a good offensive team and won 102 games in their new home, Dodger Stadium, only to fall to the Giants in a playoff.
In 1963 Howard began wearing glasses. He immediately hit 3 homers in four games. He was hot in April, but a slump in May and June cost him his starting job. He alternated with Wally Moon the rest of the year. He still managed a .273 BA with 28 HRs, by far the most on the team. He also set a Dodger record for K’s with 116. Since obliterated by a couple of current Dodgers.
In the first game of the World Series, he hit a ball 460 feet to left-center off of Whitey Ford for the longest double in the 41-year history of Yankee Stadium. Landing near the monuments which were in the field of play in that era. Then in game 4, he hit a 450 HR into the loge section at Dodger Stadium, again off of Ford. Frank went 3-10 in three games.
After the 63 season, Howard, who had been compared to Ruth was pretty realistic. He said, I can never be a great ballplayer, because great players do five things well, fun, field, throw, hit, and hit with power. I am mediocre at four of those, but I can hit with power. So, he went in to talk to Bavasi to find out where he stood with the team. Over his time with the Dodgers he had appeared in about 2/3rds of their games. He averaged 24 homers a year. Both Bavasi and Alston said they believed in him. But he got off to a slow start in 64, and eventually, Alston began platooning him again. He ended up with a .229 avg and 24 homers in 433 at-bats. Both Alston and Bavasi had come to the conclusion that they could not win with power and they needed pitching and defense and speed to win in Dodger Stadium. In the off-season, Frank asked the Dodgers to trade him and they obliged.
On Dec 4th, he was sent to the Senators along with Ken McMullen, Phil Ortega and Pete Richert for Claude Osteen, John Kennedy, and $100,000 in cash. Asked if he was disappointed going to DC, Frank said” Oh no, I knew it was time. I am at the stage of my life where I need to find out if I can play everyday”.
His manager in DC was former teammate Gil Hodges. Howard remained his own biggest critic. He knew he was not a great fielder, but he worked very hard trying to improve. Howard is being paid to hit, was a quote from Hodges. Frank, playing mostly LF for the Senators, battled injuries and finished with a .289/21/84 line to lead the team in all those categories. He had a similar year in 66 with a .278/18/71 in 146 games. Looking back on his record from those days, you have to remember how depressed run-scoring was in the 60s. Although Howard was not a star, his OPS of .790 compared favorably to the AL’s .670. He also continued to make news and add to his legend, with his long home runs. In one of those games, in DC against the White Sox in April, Tommy John threw him a ball that he hit right back at him with John falling-off of the mound trying to get out of the way, CF, Tommy Agee, came in like he was going to catch a line drive and the ball took off like it was a shot from a 2-iron and ended up in the upper deck in center field. They painted another seat. The Senators began painting seats where Howards’ homers had landed.
Before the 1967 season, Hodges worked with Howard to retool his swing. He asked him to use a slight uppercut instead of a level swing and to move closer to the plate so he could pull the ball. The result was a 36 HR season, he had 24 by mid-season, Even though he led the league in K’s with 155, his OPS was .849, eighth in the league. Hodges moved on to the Mets in 68. In the year of the pitcher, when the AL hit .230 and had shutouts in 20 percent of its games, Howard to a step forward and became the hitter people predicted he would be a decade earlier.
He hit .338 in April, but his best stretch came in May when he collected 10 HRs and 17 RBIs in a six-game span. He set records for the most homers in four games(7), five games (8), and six games (10). Joe Sparma, who gave up HR #8, said” He is always good for 30 homers anyway, this year he is hitting my best stuff, he will probably hit 70″. As usual, Howard was less impressed than the press. ” I am just trying to have 3 good at-bats a game”. He said.
Howard settled down for a final .274/44/106 line. He played in his first all-star game going 0-2 in the AL’s loss. He gave a lot of credit for his success to his manager, Jim Lemon. Lemon also used him at first base 51 times that year. At 32 it seemed Howard had finally figured it out.
Howard, who had been nicknamed “Hondo” early in his career picked up a couple more in DC, “Washington Monument” and “The Capital Punisher“. After the 10th place finish in 1968, new owner Bob Short took over in January and fired Lemon. He then lured Hall of Famer, Ted Williams, out of retirement, surprising everyone around the game. For Howard, it would be another turning point, perhaps the most important one. Williams thought he knew how to make Howard a better hitter.
Williams called him into his office one day in the spring, he said, “Bush, come on in here“. “I’d only been in camp a couple of days and I am thinking, I’m not in his doghouse already am I”? “Can you tell me how a guy who hit 44 HRs only got 48 walks?” Howard explained and then Williams got to the point. “Well let me ask you, can you take a strike? I’m, talking about if it’s a tough fastball in a tough zone, first pitch. Or if it’s a breaking ball and you are sitting on a fastball… Can you take a strike? Try to get yourself a little better count to hit in”? Howard said he could. “Well try it for me”.
Howard increased his walks from 54 to 102. He decreased his K’s from 141 to 96. He hit 48 HRs and drove in 111 while hitting .296. He led the league with 330 total bases and was among the leaders in slugging, .574, and OBP, .402. He hit a homer off of Steve Carlton in the All-Star game which was held at his home park in DC.
He hit 44 HR’s the next year with 126 RBIs and led the league in walks, 132. Coming off of his three best seasons, the 35-year-old Howard tailed off in 71. His drop-off might have had something to do with the fact that he reported to camp at a whopping 297 pounds. He worked very hard to get the weight off. It might have affected him at the start of the season, but the big story in DC was the protracted effort to find a local buyer for the team. It was resolved late in the season when Short was given permission to move the team to Arlington Texas. Howard hit the last homer by a Senator in DC, but the game was ultimately forfeited to the Yankees when angry fans stormed the field. Baseball would not return to DC for 34 years.
Howard was one of the highest paid players in the game, reaching $125,000 in 1970. He held out for a small raise in 72 but then settled, by keeping his salary at $120,000. He still lived in Green Bay where he owned several shopping centers. He eventually reported to the team, and after a brief players’ strike that spring. On April 27, Howard appropriately hit a home run in his first at bat as a Ranger, the first homer in Arlington Stadium. It was a long blast to center field.
Howard was not the same hitter though. On August 31 he was sold to the Tigers. He joined a team fighting for a division title. He had one really good day when he went 3-4 and hit a homer off of the O’s, Dave McNally. The Tigers won by 1/2 game. Because he joined the team on September first, he was ineligible for post-season play.
In 1973, the DH was brought into the AL. It was made for a guy like Howard. In 85 games he hit .256 and slugged 12 homers. In October, he was released, and his MLB career was over. He signed for the 1974 season to play with the Lions of the Japanese Pacific League. He hurt his back in his first at bat and never played again. He was 37 years old.
After his playing days were over, Howard had a long career in MLB, mostly as a coach. He also was interim manager a couple of times, with the Brewers and then with the Mets. Most of his employers thought he was too nice to be successful as a manager. Besides those two teams, he served as a coach for the Mariners, Yankees, and the Rays.
He relocated from Green Bay to Northern Virginia. He and his wife raised six kids, but their marriage ended in 1991. Howard remarried. He and his wife were still married as of 2012. When the Expos moved to DC in 2005, Howard became the link between the old team and the new. Especially when they began playing in RFK stadium, where Howard had played.
When they moved to the new stadium in 2008, they unveiled three statues. Walter Johnson, their HOF pitcher from the early days, Josh Gibson, a star in the Negro Leagues for the Homestead Grays who played in old Griffith Stadium, and Frank Howard, who represented the expansion, Senators. Howard may not have reached the heights many predicted for him, and he was his own biggest critic. But he had some good years, and now he has a statue at a ballpark. Not many players have one of those. Yep, the pitcher’s worst nightmare. The Capital Punisher indeed.
Wow Bear, great write-up on Frank Howard. I didn’t realize how huge that dude was! I love that he worked a jackhammer as a teenager. Must of made his arms jacked!
Bobby, thanks for the awesome pics! I love going to Opening Day games. What a treat having those F-35s fly over.
The Dodgers are going to make me expect a huge inning every game the way things are going.
Well, that didn’t take long. We’re in 1st place and Belli is one of the best hitters on the team. Right behind Lux and Taylor. Lucky TM isn’t the GM, Lux and Belli would be gone!
Just curious, Kershaw who pitched more than anyone this Spring gets pulled after 80, but they leave Bueller in for 98 with all those guys in the pen? Why?
It was very nice of Fraley to help out turning Will Smith’s double into a homer.
It was awesome seeing Freddie get that standing ovation to go with a couple of knocks and his family and friends fill up that suite. Freddie belongs here. Thanks Seags, for making this possible. BTW – How do you like last place? Was the money worth it?
Well, they finally moved Muncy out of the cleanup spot. When are they going to swap Trea and Freddie and put them where they belong?
Lux was too hot, had to sit him yesterday. Probably rest Belli today?
Still pissed about the Apple+. I took the day off today for Good Friday, so it’s indeed a good Friday. Last Friday of lent, no meat, so I won’t be going to In N Out today. Maybe I’ll sign up and install Apple+ on all my TV’s, Roku, Firesticks today.
I was thinking about passing on the game tonight, but I can’t resist watching on Jackie day. Possibly the best person to ever play the game and another big reason to be a proud Dodgers fan.
42!
Supposedly Kershaw only threw 101 pitches this spring. Taking him after 80 pitches in his first start made sense. This was Beuhler’s second start; he threw 78 pitches in his first. So extending him is expected. We’ll see how many pitches Kershaw throws in his next start but I wouldn’t be surprised if they limit him.
Freeman is my new favorite Dodger. He was asked about the crowd chanting “Freddie…Freddie” and he seemed really moved by that. He’s local. He’s a genuinely nice person. He wants to be here and is grateful for it.. He always has a quality at bat. I love this signing, and I’m actually glad Seager left to make it possible.
Seager can languish in Texas, and he’s gonna be on a losing team for a while. Texas tried to buy legitimacy. They don’t have a good farm system and they didn’t address their woeful pitching.
One thing that irritates me about the Seager thing were some reports that he was lobbying Kershaw to sign with Texas. It’s like, “Ok, you’ve moved to another team. Stay out of the Dodgers business. Don’t mess with our team.”
So yeah, if Seager stays in baseball purgatory there’s a little bit of schadenfreude for me. Besides. He has all the charisma of a door mat. Did I mention I love Freeman?
Hey Patch,
I usually have much love for you, but not on this post-your harsh words toward the great Corey Seager were a bit over the top for my liking. After all, he was huge for us winning the WS two seasons ago, and was a beast for us since day one. He was my favorite Dodger but even I’ve forgiven him for taking that huge contract…..but I also can’t agree with you on this- I’d rather have Seager than Freddie, although I do love Freddie. Muncy can play 1B. Cheers…..
I normally am not one of those people who harbor grudges against former Dodgers, and I don’t hate Cory for leaving. I just don’t think he really had much motivation to stay in LA, which bothers me a little, he didn’t really offer any goodbye or thanks to the fans of LA or to the Dodgers for his time here and for giving him a chance to play and be a part of a winning franchise, which smacks of ingratitude, and I don’t particularly care for him trying to drag other players along with him.
He made the choice not to be a part of a winning organization that cultivated his talents and gave him an opportunity and he went for a big payday. If he finds himself now stuck on a perpetually losing team and continually watching the playoffs on his TV, that’s the decision he made.
So I hope he suffers the soul withering infernal torture for all of eternity in Texas purgatory, where asp tongued demons burst his eyeballs and drink the fluid that runs down his face, and he is spit roasted in the flames of hell while his entrails are wound into a stick and fed to the toothless, foul-breathed swine of Gahenna.
Was that too harsh?
I think Freddie is a better fit. Seager’s already declining defense was not going to get any better.
I’m with you. He WAS my favorite player. I appreciate what he did for us. But, he chose to leave when he could have stayed. He wanted the money, so he can go rot with some crappy team.
Welcome Freddie! I love it when home town kids get to play with the Dodgers. Hell, I was happy for Danny Duffy and he didn’t even get to play. But, this is Freddie Freaking Freeman! I absolutely loved seeing that suite filled up with family and friends for him. They all looked so excited to be here. That standing ovation really looked like it touched him and he handled himself with grace. I loved every minute of it.
I haven’t been this excited since Mookie Betts, boy are we spoiled.
…” Last Friday of lent, no meat, so I won’t be going to In N Out today”
You could always go to Carl’s instead. I don’t think that’s meat they put inside their burgers 😉
I think Carl’s actually has that Beyond Meat stuff on the menu, which actually isn’t vegetarian because it’s made out of people.
Anyone get that reference?
Soylent Green.
Nice one!
https://youtu.be/8Sp-VFBbjpE
Note to Bear: re: last thread’s comments regarding bears. I like bears and have some knowledge of them. Besides having watched Bad News Bears, I have enjoyed a backpacking experience having bears visit me while camped on snow at over 10,000 feet elevation . A lonely vulnerable and threatening experience in the middle of the night. The best part was me making noise and shining a light at them and have one of them stand on their back legs about 4 feet from the opening of my tent. I think that qualifies as up close and personal.
Yeah, a little. But having them in your backyard everyday is a little different. Do not disparage bears. Also the last time I checked, there are no trashcans at that altitude.
Wow! I just saw a picture of the stadium from last night. It looked like every seat had a butt in it! Huge crowd. Attendance is listed as 52,995.
Great write up Bear. Love Frank Howard. Is there anybody you’d rather have up there late in crunch time than the Fresh Prince! See Mark keep the faith with Belli. Progress ain’t linear! Better plate discipline has been a key for Lux and will also be for Bellinger. Great take on a fastball up in the zone in Belli’s third ab for a walk after a horrible swing out of the zone for a K in his second ab. But I see plate discipline improving for Bellinger.
Thanks Cassidy. I appreciate it.
I was in the pavilion seats when Freddie came up in the eighth, our section started yelling his name before he hit… it was so cool to see him acknowledge our gesture! I had never seen a player do that while on the field! Great win, Freddie-Freddie! Will Smith was huge too! Big hit, threw out baserunner and a big HR!!! The kid is clutch!
So far, he just looks like a great guy. He looked like he was soaking it all in after that double. His family and friends were going nuts in the suite. It was a great decision for him to come home. I’m so happy for him, I’m so happy for us. This really helps cushion the blow of Seager going to Texas.
Agreed! Was bummed Seager left but sure loved getting Freeman!
Thanks guys, I am enjoying doing these stories, Sis has the Apple app on her TV, so I can watch the game. Old friend Kyle Garlick called up by the Twins. Derreck Rodriguez, who gave up the three HR’s in a row, designated for assignment.
I have a Samsung TV. Do you or anyone on this blog know how I can access Apple TV ? My Samsung model doesn’t include Apple TV on their recommended apps. I don’t want to miss tonight’s game. Thanks!
I’m sure you can find the app in the app store. If there’s a voice button on the remote, you should hold it down and say “Apple TV” and it should find it for you.
Great interview with Kersh last night on the broadcast. As great a ball player as he is, he’s even a better person! As much as I love the Dodgers, I love Kersh even more!
Are you missing the “spring” weather of Colorado Bear? Give your brother our LAdodgertalk best!
It was 32 degrees when I left, there was snow on Monument and it was very foggy when I got up there. Gas is outrageously high in Cali, But it was 6,30$ in Nevada. My brother is doing well. To you In N Out guys, I doubt you know what real meat is. All you eat out here is processed and packaged. Go to a real steakhouse, or maybe shoot your own. Elk is great and so is Buffalo.
One of my fave burgers is that Carl’s $6 burger. I had it last night post game. It now costs $8.50. Great burger, but way over priced.
Apple TV games will be free, provided you have an Apple ID.
Caribou and Kangaroo are pretty good as well.
If you go to a game at Great American Ballpark in Cincy, you can get this:
https://www.frischs.com/
Not as good as The Workingman’s Friend, but close!
That’s a Bob’s Big Boy! They still have one out in Norco. They almost put one at Beach and Atlanta, but the City wouldn’t approve the Big Boy statue. A-holes! I love that place.
If you knew what real meat was, you wouldn’t eat at Carl’s or Jack n the box.
true. I rarely eat beef anymore anyway.
Best Burger on the Planet:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/workingmans-friend-indianapolis
Here’s the video:
It’s a little “hole in the wall” and they only accept cash, but I have taken people from all over the country here and to a man (or woman) they agree it is the best cheeseburger they have ever had.
Are you really trying to make that a thing? The only time I hear it is on Dodgers Broadcasts and from you. lol
Sorry, I got to go out and get me a burger!
Im on my way!
B&P, there’s also a Bob’s Big Boy on Riverside Drive in Burbank.
That hot fudge chocolate ice cream cake is still absolutely amazing there.
That’s awesome. The place is solid. I wish they had one closer. I always loved that hot fudge chocolate ice cream cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They do a brownie like that at Woody’s in HB. Not the same.
Always liked Frank Howard, who I think of as the first of the Bunyanesque sluggers. (First in my memory, anyway.) Later came Kingman and Sexson and who else? I liked McGwire too but felt cheated by the revelations of steroids came along. (Say it ain’t so!) Aaron Judge is the latest–and a better athlete than the other Bunyans. (Unless we count Dave Winfield.)
At any rate, the trade for Osteen worked out fine.
Fascinating to learn how Ted Williams fixed Howard. His physical gifts were obvious, but Howard didn’t reach his potential until he was in his 30s and getting tutelage from the greatest hitter ever. The story gives me more reason to hope that Andrew Heaney really will keep delivering.
Big men today have a better chance of excelling with all the tools they have. Howard had a manager who pretty much had a platoon mentality, Alston, for his formative years. Hodges tweaked his swing a little. Williams made him recognize that he could get into better hitters counts. His size also gave him a huge strike zone.
Agree with B&P and Bobby on Bob’s Big Boy! Been going to the one on Riverside Drive in Burbank since I was 16 and we would be lined up a half mile back on Pass Avenue just to “cruise” through the drive-in car hop area on Friday and Saturday nights. I turn 76 next week and live in walking distance now…..that is a commitment to a great burger!!
Great story. We had one in Huntington Beach, near Golden West College and the house I grew up in. My dad was a merchant seaman and hated to eat out. But, he would go out for a burger and that was the main place we would go. My mom loved Mexican food, so my dad would always order an Ortega burger when we went to the Mexican place.
I used to study for tests at Big Boy’s when I was at Golden West.
Frank Howard sticks in my memory for 2 reasons. First, my Dad used to talk about a game he attended when the Dodgers played the Pirates and Don Hoak played 3B. Hondo was going 1st to 3rd on a ball hit to RF. The ball and Howard got there at about the same time. He slid into Hoak so hard that Hoak was airborne, landed past the 3B coach’s box and was unconscious, but held onto the ball so Howard was out.
Later, I watched Howard DH for the Tigers on a Saturday Game of the Week. He was badly fooled on a curveball low and away and swung 1-handed. It was the hardest hit ball I ever saw. It was a low liner that ended up going out down the left field line. You heard the crack of the bat and then the ball was out. It couldn’t have taken much more than a second. Even fat and old and one-handed he could really mash.
I saw him be Mr. Clean during pregame fun.
When I was in high school some of the kids stole the Big Boy and hoisted it to the top of the gymnasium. I think that was a thing for a while. I loved the Bob’s in Tustin.
https://youtu.be/wuVw-GJpNNo
Yes, that was a thing. I remember the Big Boy being “gone” from the Huntington Beach location. Great video!
I worked my way through college at Bob’s as a manager. Early one morning I heard something downstairs, went to investigate and saw someone standing there. Scared the heck out of me! It turned out my coworkers had gotten permission to “borrow” the statue to celebrate my birthday. A great memory :).
We get Caleb and Kahnle back I think our Pen will be really really good. Not to mention D May in the latter half of the season.
Buckle in going to be a fun ride.
Phil Bickford will also be back. He’s rehabbing at AAA Oklahoma City.
Don’t forget V-Gone
SPTony Gonsolin R
0-0 3.00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
SS Trea Turner R
DH Max Muncy L
3B J. Turner R
C Will Smith R
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Chris Taylor R
2B Gavin Lux L
0% Rain
63° Wind 7 mph Out
A new wrinkle on the Trevor Bauer saga. He’s gonna crash Dodger stadium on Sunday.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2022-04-15/trevor-bauer-dodgers-paid-leave-suspension-rob-manfred
As the great Ric Flair once said:
Whooooooooo
Ric Flair was good, although for pure performance art I have to say no one did it better than the Macho Man.
https://youtu.be/8C4lK41SX-Q
Back in the day for me, chili burgers and chili tamales after a Dodger game at Tommy’s, Rampart & Beverly LA. My favorite Mexican restaurant, El Tepeyac on Evergreen in East LA. The Manuel Special burrito. They used to be about $5 back in the 60’s. They’re over $30 today. I think they would pay you $200 if you could eat 2 in an hour. Of course there’s great Mexican food all over southern California. Best pastrami, The Hat, Valley Blvd., Alhambra. Those are my 3 staples and they’re all still in business.
Sorry JR, but the Hat is good, but no where near Langer’s or Canter’s. I’ve been to that Tommy’s on Rampart when I was a teen and going to a lot of concerts / gigs. We have a Tommy’s in Valley. We called them sh$%burgers due to the way they look. Never get two chili items on the same order. Whenever I went to Tommy’s in the middle of the night, I would immediately start hiccuping. Something about the yellow chilis in vigar and and that chili.
Now they ask if you want chili on the burger. It used to be automatic. You had to call it out if you didn’t want chili.
The Tommy Burger is glorious, but I feel like I need new pants after I go there.
I have to concur with Canter’s and Langer’s. Canter’s corner beaf and slaw sandwich with mustard is still one of my favorite things in LA. Huge Dodger history on their wall to boot. Tommy could likely attribute at least some of his girth to frequenting Canter’s. The bar attached also hosted Guns and Roses as their house band back in 1985. LA landmark.
For tonight game,
Mlbshow.com
Love to see the Lux stolen base. So instead of a Freeman double play we have a runner on third with one out. And TT delivers! Cmon Doc let them loose!
I agree. Great to see him show off those wheels. He smoked that single to left as well.
I hate this broadcast.
Tony “Too Many” (Pitches) Gonsolin did his thing. Real dirty, early exit. He should be throwing that splitty 35-50% of the time.
All that footwork during Anderson’s delivery must distract them from hitting the ball.
I’m with you on this Apple team. Fingernails on the chalkboard! And the deer is no longer bothered by the headlights! And Betts is stealing as well. That’s a great sign! Let em loose Doc! And Belli has to do damage on those middle middle pitches. Fouled off 2 90 mph fastballs
Wow! Too many bad ab’s with runners on third with less than 2 outs!
As a kid I went to Russell’s on Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. Best burgers I have ever had.
Freddie Freeman looks a lot like Frank Howard. Same smile and almost the same height One difference is Freddie bats left handed and Frank bats right handed..
60-day IL
RHP Tommy Kahnle (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Early May
Kahnle has made two rehab appearances with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The right-hander has tossed two scoreless frames. Kahnle continues to make progress and could be back with the Dodgers within a couple of weeks, according to manager Dave Roberts. — Juan Toribio (Last updated: April 15)
LHP Caleb Ferguson (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Mid-May
Ferguson came into camp healthy after missing the 2021 season after surgery, but the left-hander felt soreness on the left elbow during one of his last bullpen sessions in camp, causing the Dodgers to be cautious. Roberts believes Ferguson could be back sometime in mid-May. — Juan Toribio (Last updated: April 15)
RHP Dustin May (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Late this season
May has thrown a couple of bullpen sessions, including one on Tuesday that manager Dave Roberts described as “as good a ‘pen as I’ve seen from him.” The right-hander, who threw around 25 pitches, is in the process of building up his velocity. His fastball is currently sitting around 90 mph, according to Roberts. But mechanically, May was sound. “The repeated throw was really impressive,” said Roberts. — Sarah Wexler (Last updated: April 5)