Today...

[houbb]

My favorite oddball (I mean that as a compliment)...


Bill Lee 2/2 1 week (1970 & 1979 Topps)
305 Common View Dr.
Craftsbury, VT 05826


...and my favorite "odd" batting stance (also meant as a compliment)...

Richie Hebner 3/3 1 week (1970, 1973, & 1979 Topps)
6 Therault St.
Walpole,MA 02081

I loved watching both of these guys play back in the '70's. Lee is probably the most colorful character the game has ever seen. In fact, Woody Harrelson owns the screen rights to his story. Now that sounds like one Woody Harrelson movie I'd like to see!

Hebner, quite frankly, had the most unusal stance. He had a low crouch and his hands were so low they almost touched the ground. In all seriousness he looked like he was digging a hole with a shovel...which is what he did in the off season back then. He used to dig graves for $35 a hole in the off season. In his last spring training, with the Cubs, manager Dallas Green allegedly called him into his office and said, "Looks like it's time to start digging those holes in the summer time, Richie."

Now...how's that for colorful?

 

[rangersfan1982]

Nice pickups!1

 

[CW13]

those are two great returns...both are solid signers and even cooler, Lee won an independent game this year, throwing 5.1 innings.. pretty sweet

 

[dbarbos1]

I love watching those "fun" batting stances.
Great successes!

 

[mrhaverkamp]

Thanks for the writeup, Jim......Hebner was my 2nd favorite player as a kid (surpassed only by Rod Carew). Does he have a suggested charity for his signature requests, or are they free?

If you like Bill Lee, you may be interested in a great book published last spring called "Cardboard Gods", authored by Josh Wilker. He has some great stories on his blog about meeting Lee during a book signing this summer. - Jim

 

[Dsrsn5]

Nice ones, congrats!!!

 

[stlcardtrader]

congrats..

 

[houbb]

Thanks for the writeup, Jim......Hebner was my 2nd favorite player as a kid (surpassed only by Rod Carew). Does he have a suggested charity for his signature requests, or are they free?

If you like Bill Lee, you may be interested in a great book published last spring called "Cardboard Gods", authored by Josh Wilker. He has some great stories on his blog about meeting Lee during a book signing this summer. - Jim

No, there was no fee for Hebner or for Lee.

Chris mentioned earlier that Lee won a game in an Independent league this past season, at age 63, and I'm glad he brought that up. I love Lee's line about the Cosmic Snowball theory. You can check out the story to that game by following the link below. Enjoy!

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=sh-billleewins090510

 

[chieftazmisty]

Congrats
Nice pick ups
Job well done
Chief

 

[Therion]

More great stuff from Jim

 

[levi]

Congrats

 

[supershriner]

Congrats!