Odd Memories

[ian2813]

This might seem like a weird idea for a thread, but I hope someone will humor me. I have several random baseball memories that have stuck with me for no real reason, but I have a hard time finding confirmation of them anywhere on the internet. I thought it'd be interesting to post some of these memories here and see if anyone else remembers the same things, and others can post odd memories of theirs as well. Even if no one else shares these memories, it might be fun to see what some people remember (or at least think they do). If no one likes this idea, well...this thread will probably die a quick death.

Here are a couple that are on my mind:

I remember watching a Cubs-Giants game back in 1996 when Bill Mueller first got called up. Retrosheet confirms that his first two games were against the Cubs in April of 1996. The thing that stuck out the most about Mueller though, was that he was so new his jersey didn't even have a name on the back! It was the first time I'd ever seen that happen: a player with no name on his back when his team's uniforms normally had them. My theory for why he wouldn't have a name is that the Giants' uniforms at the time had vertically-arched lettering, so perhaps the nameplates took longer to make. A Google News archive search tells me that he was called up in mid-April because of an injury to Kim Batiste, so it might've been a bit of a rush job to get him on the team.

Another one that I'm less certain about concerns John Wetteland. If you recall, after the 1996 season Wetteland signed a big free agent deal with the Rangers. For some reason I remember a lot of backlash against Wetteland for leaving the Yankees right after they'd won the World Series. I could understand Yankee fans being unhappy about it, but it seemed to be a view shared by many other baseball fans. It's kind of funny to imagine Yankee fans whining about a guy bolting their team for more money in this day and age, but that's how it's stored in my memory bank.

Is it possible that anyone else remembers either of these things?

[MadHatter]

I seem to have a vague recollection that during the lockout that ended the 1994 season, Dan Duquette had deals in place to have Sammy Sosa & John Wetteland join the Red Sox. Those deals got voided when the strike ended. I may have dreamed it.

[Spindlebrook]

I vividly remember infielder Joel Chimelis, a former replacement player, getting called up by the Giants in 1995. However, most of the other Giants vehemently protested the presence of a "scab" on the squad, so he was sent back down after two days. Chimelis never got into a game, and they never even stitched his name on the back of his jersey.

Another memory from that period was when Coors Field opened in 1995 and the first function to take place there was a practice session featuring their replacement player squad. I remember CNN did a story on it and they interviewed an infielder that never made the big leagues named Sam Ferretti. I've never forgotten that name.

I remember watching a Cubs-Giants game back in 1996 when Bill Mueller first got called up. Retrosheet confirms that his first two games were against the Cubs in April of 1996. The thing that stuck out the most about Mueller though, was that he was so new his jersey didn't even have a name on the back! It was the first time I'd ever seen that happen: a player with no name on his back when his team's uniforms normally had them. My theory for why he wouldn't have a name is that the Giants' uniforms at the time had vertically-arched lettering, so perhaps the nameplates took longer to make. A Google News archive search tells me that he was called up in mid-April because of an injury to Kim Batiste, so it might've been a bit of a rush job to get him on the team.

[ian2813]

I seem to have a vague recollection that during the lockout that ended the 1994 season, Dan Duquette had deals in place to have Sammy Sosa & John Wetteland join the Red Sox. Those deals got voided when the strike ended. I may have dreamed it.

You didn't dream it. According to this article snippet, they had Kevin Appier lined up too.

[ian2813]

I vividly remember infielder Joel Chimelis, a former replacement player, getting called up by the Giants in 1995. However, most of the other Giants vehemently protested the presence of a "scab" on the squad, so he was sent back down after two days. Chimelis never got into a game, and they never even stitched his name on the back of his jersey.

From the June 6, 1995 New York Times:

Infielder JOEL CHIMELIS apparently became a victim of replacement-player backlash today when the Giants demoted him to Class AAA Phoenix to make room on the roster for WILLIAM VanLANDINGHAM, who came off the disabled list.

It appears your memory is correct.

Another memory from that period was when Coors Field opened in 1995 and the first function to take place there was a practice session featuring their replacement player squad. I remember CNN did a story on it and they interviewed an infielder that never made the big leagues named Sam Ferretti. I've never forgotten that name.

That name turns up several results in the news archives. From the January 23, 1995 Rocky Mountain News:

Sam Ferretti, 29, is living with his parents in New Jersey, trying to finish college. His father, a dump truck driver, has been out of work since undergoing open heart surgery.

When talk of replacement players being used if the major league baseball strike carries into 1995 surfaced, Ferretti went job hunting. He found one with the Rockies.

It also seems that Ferretti was an early star for the replacement Rockies in Spring Training. From the March 4, 1995 Rocky Mountain News, after the replacement Rockies beat the replacement Brewers 24-2:

Strike? Rockies fans don't care about no stinking strike, not when they have Sam "Boom Boom"Ferretti, everybody's No. 1 pick in the upcoming rotisserie draft, and the Replacement Rockies cutting a wide swath through the Cactus League.

The article has a bit of a facetious tone, especially when the title ("24-2 WIN DOESN'T MAKE IT BIG-LEAGUE") is taken into account.

Interesting stuff!

[MadHatter]

You didn't dream it. According to this article snippet, they had Kevin Appier lined up too.

Ah Appier! Right... I THOUGHT there was a third guy. Way to track that down, and thanks!