Tuesday, February 21, 2012

#19 - George Frazier


What a card: George Frazier finished out the 1984 season with the Cubs after beginning it with the Indians. He was traded to the Cubs in mid-June in the deal that brought Joe Carter to the Indians. I'm impressed that Topps was able to get a picture of him in a Cubs uniform -- albeit, not a great picture.

My observation on the front: Frazier appears to be in mid-sentence in this photo, which is appropriate as he's a color commentator for the Colorado Rockies now.

More opinion from me: During the beginning of last season, when MLB runs its free Extra Innings preview, I caught a Rockies game or two and was horrified by their announcers. Frazier was one of the broadcasters. The whole crew sounded like unprofessional homers. I don't know if that's an accurate observation as I saw only 1 or 2 games, but I remember being immediately appalled.

Something you might know: Frazier is known as the only pitcher to lose three World Series games in a seven-game series. He did it in 1981 while pitching for the Yankees against my Dodgers. He's practically my hero. (P.S.: He also pitched for a World Series winner, the 1987 Twins).

Something you might not know: Frazier gave up 11 hits and 10 runs in 1 1/3 innings while pitching for the Yankees on Aug. 3, 1982. In the second game of a doubleheader against the White Sox, he allowed more runs in a shorter span of time than any other pitcher in 25 years. The White Sox won 14-2, but Frazier didn't even get the loss.


My observation on the back: I wonder if pitchers get annoyed when home runs are mentioned on the back of their cards?

The blog wants to speak now: Not a lot to say. Updated the Ballgames and Pop Culture categories with some minor stuff.

5 comments:

MCT said...

Prior to Frazier, IINM, only one picther had ever lost three games in the same World Series. That player was Claude "Lefty" Williams of the 1919 White Sox. Williams was one of the players implicated in the Black Sox scandal, though, so he presumably wasn't really trying to win those games. I remember seeing Frazier referred to as "the first honest man to lose three games in a World Series".

You mentioned that Frazier is the only pitcher to lose three times in a seven-game series. Williams's three losses came in an eight-game series, during a brief period when the World Series was expanded to best-of-nine. Has anyone since Frazier lost three in a series that ran less than seven games?

night owl said...

I don't think anyone has lost 3 games in a 7-games-or-fewer World Series. I believe the "in a seven-game Series" reference was to differentiate Frazier from Williams, whose Series had more games.

Play at the Plate said...

Were those guys broadcasting for MLB network or was MLB picking up the local tv guys?

Play at the Plate said...

I guess you said he was the Rockies color guy. Aren't all those local guys homers for their teams?

night owl said...

Some are worse than others.