By Paul Casey Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. Make like Wally, and release your inner James Joyce. Show us your stream of consciousness as you try to decipher the answer.
You could call me gas and electric because I was all about utility. Shoot, about the only positions I did NOT play were the battery. I broke in at short. Then came along some young star. They moved me to the hot corner. That didn’t last too long. Can’t stand in the way of a hall of famer. I guess they knew what they were doing seeing as how they won the World Series about a decade after they traded me. That guy at third hit a lot of home runs, but I got one on him. I was the first player to ever hit a home run at the Vet. Yeah, I can take that to the grave. They may have retired his number, but I got the first dinger in that cookie cutter of a stadium. When I was traded, it was quite a deal. Seven guys were involved. Yeah, one of the guys going in the opposite direction won a Cy Young award. Too bad he got hurt in a skiing accident that off-season. He never was quite the same after that. I never could figure out why they traded for him. He hadn’t done much in the four or five years since the accident. One of the other guys had a brother who was pretty good. His brother won an MVP. He is in the Hall too. I never quite got to that level. I did get to the fall classic once. I had three hits in 14 at bats and scored four runs. We lost in seven games. In fact, the other team’s coach was inducted into Cooperstown this year.
Who am I?
Well … I have to get going to work. What we know from the clues is that this utility player preceded Mike Schmidt at 3B for the Philles back in the mid-late ’60s and then played on the Brewers squad in ’82 that lost the WS to the Cardinals and Whitey Herzog. So … for the next 45 mins or so, I will be in transit. Hopefully, somebody can “take us home” on this one in the meantime. Later.
I guy who played a lot of positions in his career and was a member of the ’82 Brewers…well, I know we’re not talking about Paul Molitor because he’s in the Hall of Fame. So, I’m going to say Don Money.
OK … after an hour plus of commuting and settling into the office, I’ve had some time to rack my brain for utility guys who played on that ’82 Brewers AL pennant winner. (I remember quite well watching that World Series in the social room at my dorm freshman year of college … with a bunch of guys from Missouri and Wisconsin of course). So who comes to mind? Jim Gantner might fit the bill, but i don’t think he was old enough to have played in the ’60s. Paul Molitor came on the scene for the BrewCrew at about that time and I’m sure that was very early in his career … he played 3B mostly. Robin Yount was the SS. Cecil Cooper anchored first. Now, Sal Bando played for Milwaukee after Oakland, obviously a 3B, but maybe he was DHing or pinch-hitting if Molitor was at 3rd. To my knowldge, Bando never played for Philly. Then there’s Don Money who was a long time Brewer that played several positions … including 3B … and I think he was near the tail end of his career in 1982. I have no idea if he ever played for the Phillies!!! Is it Don Money???
I guess I was channeling Chas again … but I didn’t know he responded while I was writing.
Casey … are we “on the Money” with this one? 😉
I guess your long-windedness finally came back to bite you. I got a little help from your clues in focusing in on the answer, but I think I would have got it anyway.
I’m pretty sure were right. I kept looking back at Casey’s clues and thinking we were wrong because I was sure he would have made some pun reference to the player’s last name.
More helmet stickers for this discussion. Great job.
Chas – I thought about including a pun (it would have been nice had Don Money played in the same infield as Dave Cash), but I am still kicking myself with the “Barber” quote for Sal Maglie. I had a weak moment with that one. 🙂
Wally – the image of you dwelling on the WAI while surfing the Houston traffic brings a smile to my face.
Chas – have you tried Benchwarmer porter yet?
Casey, yes I’ve had Benchwarmer and I think it’s the best beer made by Cooperstown Brewing Co: https://left-field.blogspot.com/2009/02/tale-of-two-breweries-part-2.html