I've told this before. Went to Fenway in 1979...as a visiting Yankees fan. 18 year veteran Yaz was in LF pregame, practicing caroms off the monstah and firing strikes into 2nd base. That's what made Yaz great folks!
One thing that's never mentioned is the year that Yaz won the triple crown those couple of years from 67-69 was a PITCHER'S ERA. A lot of power hitting numbers dipped during those years - especially in '68 which was a year where Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Norm Cash hit 55 home runs COMBINED. Yaz STILL hit 23 homers but the pitching was so great that year that he won the damn batting title with a .301 avg!! Great all-time top 50 player. One of the most consistently great players as well. Not a Boston fan but always had a lot of respect and love for Yaz. And he has a legitimate claim to greatest fielding left fielder of all time.
LOL Ted had a flair for the dramatic. Yaz was my first sports hero growing up as a young baseball-loving kid when that great '78 Red Sox team played, but while Yaz definitely wasn't the 'greatest player of all time' I do believe there hasn't been as tough a player as Yaz. Not Lou Gehrig, Nolan Ryan, no one. Only 5'10 and 180 pounds, but TOUGH AS NAILS.
Yaz was something else only guy that I know who could turn on the inside fastball even as he got to the age when players are ready to retire plus no hitter has ever held their hands higher with the bat his hands were just so quick!!!
Yo Seth Rabin just wondering how you related to Mark Rabin and Shelly Rabin from Rogers Park in Chicago good family good people. Don't sell Ron Santo short back in the day he was a pretty tough sob. Wasn't always the most well-liked guy by the reporters butt you really can play any harder than him he gave it his all every pitch every play go Ronnie go tough guy
My father produced this documentary eric smith the scene of the kids hitting is my dad pitching to me and my friend , i still have the vhs tape , most of the memorabilia shots of yaz was filmed in out basement by bruce taylor from taylorvision productions , i was 10 when they shot this documentary. Has a warm place in my heart . Yaz was such a great player respect that
I coached PAL basketball on the east end of Long Island years ago and visiting Bridgehampton High School was very special, walking the halls and coaching the boys in the same gym Yaz played in. The stories of Yaz on the east end of Long Island were epic.
I remember that game in "78" Ran home from school to watch the game. Mother was a RedSox fan, father was a Yankee fan, They broke my heart that day and I went to the front porch and cried in my baseball mit. I didn't even watch the 86 WS., some how I knew their fate already.. After the *86" season, I bought a new RedSox hat, and the rest is history :)
I had a premonition after Roger Clemens 20 strikeout game in 1986. I knew that they were going to the World Series, but, that premonition did not allow me the feeling that they would win. In 2004, I had a very similar premonition after the Red Sox won game four against the Yankees. I got the feeling that they were definitely going to win it all.
I was 8 yrs old in '67, and Yaz was the 1st athlete I ever embraced. A local rec dept. rented a bus and I went to Fenway for the 1st time ever, and Yaz hit a 3 run homer. He remained my favorite baseball player of all time. Think of all the great American Leaguers, when being on one team meant something and was the norm; he was the 1st to hit 400 home runs and get 3,000 hits. Think of them all, for whatever reasons, he was the very 1st! And he was the last to win that elusive Triple Crown until Cabrera finally did it 2 years ago. Yaz was the greatest left fielder ever too.
Hey Jim, Same here 😂‼️ I was 9 year's old in '67... I attended 2 game's in that year, my first game was vs. the Yankees, my Dad took me and my cousin. It was Lonborg vs Mel Stotylmire, and it was at the end of Mickey Mantle's career.. he was playing first base at that time, Sox won 7-6, or 8-7. I can still remember the smells upon entering🏟️ Fenway 🌭🥜🍕🍿, it was a night game, once we found our walkway into the seating area... I had NEVER seen anything quite so BEAUTIFUL ‼️ Those great white lights and the brilliant Green GRASS 👌 is a vision that is burnt into my memory all these years later ‼️🤗 I too went with a bus trip, the Saturday morning bowling league I was a part of would take the kid's to a week day game every year. It was vs the Indians, Luis Tiant pitched for the Tribe vs Lee Stange, Sox won.. I was bitten by the love for⚾ Baseball that Summer of '67‼️ Those final few months, didn't miss a game... The majority being on Radio then, sneaking the transistor radio with the 1 headphone to bed with me in order to listen to the 10pm starts when the Sox were on the West Coast, I got caught a few times 🤣, The WHOLE town was buzzing, which was attributed predominantly due to # 8 YAZ of the Cardiac Kid's 😏He BECAME my first Sports HERO and even though they just couldn't overcome the incredible performance of Bob Gibson and the St. L. Card's... Baseball, The Red Sox and YAZ stole this Kid's HEART ♥️in that SUMMER of ' 6️⃣7️⃣‼️
23 seasons 1, ONE trip to the DL! More than half of todays players are on the disabled list multiple times per season. Tough and dedicated and earned every penny he was paid.
Also he had to step into big shoes...Ted Williams was the player he succeeded at that position. Yaz also had intended to play the 1984 season, but changed his mind after a long slump in 1983 at the age of 44.
Probably the best player that no one really talks about anymore. A freaking iron man legend! Imagine being a 9-10 year old Red Sox fan when he went to his first all star game. Then being 30 years old and dude is still an all star! Sharing that with how many generations of fans in the family?!
I agree, Yaz and the great Frank Robinson are too often overlooked - as is the magnificent, stirring Guy Lafleur in hockey (and I'm a Bruins fan, but Guy brought me out of my seat more than any hockey player, with the exception of #4).
The fact that Boston never won wasn't Yazs' fault 67, 75 World Series he was Bostons leading hitter, had a great game in the 78 AL East playoff game 2 for 5 drove in a couple runs. Yaz got very little help & Rices' broken arm & him missing the 75 Series against my Reds was a huge deal.
Later on, Yaz regretted not playing one more season if he knew that Roger Clemens would debut the following year. As it is, he holds the career for most games played in a career with just one team and is tied with Brooks Robinson for seasons with just one team (each played 23 seasons with just 1 team - Brooks Robinson for the Orioles and Carl Yastrzemski for the Red Sox - their career overlapped between 1961-1977). Also to think that he took over left field from Ted Williams and became a Hall of Famer in his own right---is something amazing.
Wow, really enjoyed watching this again after many years. I'm approaching 60 and as a Little Leaguer in 1969 thru Babe Ruth League, I wore #8 because Yaz was my favorite player. I can remember going to Fenway his last season in 1983, only ticket I could get was an "obstructed view" seat behind one of the steel pillars at Fenway and Yaz hit a HR that day.
Growing up on the Cape and then Marblehead, and in my first years on my own in downtown Boston, I was an obsessed Red Sox fan. I've had two and only two sports heroes in my life, Muhammad Ali and Yaz. It's impossible to exaggerate the electric thrill of seeing his swing, the crack of the ball being hit, and it then screaming into the stands. Or when he was in left... taking a ball off the Green Monster and consistently throwing guys out at second. My God, what a rush. I was at Fenway on the last day and I'll confirm what others have said. I stood there as he trotted around the field and I cried like a child, and EVERYWHERE I LOOKED every other guy was doing the same. I'm not talking about a few tears, I mean... crying.
Funny how you love the 2 lovable loser teams. Yeah, I know they finally won and even being a Brewers fan I'm happy for your teams. I was a Cubs fan until the Brewers went to the national league and even now I can't hate them but fck the white Sox.
@@daBEAGLE1017 I dunno if blitzedPIG took that into account by Yaz being his favorite player (maybe he did), but Yaz epitomized what a Man's Man should be: tough as nails, played hurt, never complained, never showboated, and loyal. Those attributes (and the fact that he was a helluva player lol) are a BIG reason why Yaz will always be my favorite player, and probably why so many consider Yaz as their favorite, as well.
@@daBEAGLE1017 | that's awesome!! I'm from Chicago and i was always a Brewers fan. I love their old uniforms and of course the old Fulton County Stadium. Fuck the white sox.
I don't think a lot of people understand why I don't have "heroes" in sports anymore. I love my teams, love the players. But when I was a kid, I watched Carl Yastrzemski and Bobby Orr play in Boston. How can you have more heroes after that?
If sports surgery was like what it was today, Orr may have played a lot longer than he did. He fell 65 points short of 1,000 for his career, but that career was over just 657 games (631 with Boston). The one who may get lost in the shuffle is Brad Park (most times a Norris finalist without winning it - 6 times).
Agreed. All my sports heroes are from this bygone era. Free agency blew out of control and we rarely get the dozen + years of service, let alone over 2 decades' worth! Of course, there are exceptions, but up until the mid-80s, baseball teams remained largely the same, year in, year out. And that helped form relationships and deep-seeded emotions. I am a Yankee fan, but Yaz is an all-timer. A boss.
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C Massive in 240 countries huh? Thats interesting, because according to the United nations, there are only 193 countries in the world, 195 if you include the Holy See and the state of Palestine. Most European countries have a total land size comparable to us states and similar populations to US states. In fact, if you took Europe and plopped it onto the united states. All of Europe (44 countries) would fit inside just the continental United States alone (not including Hawaii and also not including the biggest state in America, Alaska). North America has two countries in it. TWO, counting the number of countries who follow a sport is an irrelevant and arbitrary way to determine the popularity of said sport. By your logic, if the US and Canada devided itself into European sized countries, then North America would have more countries than the all the other continents put together. Here are relevant facts: 1: Soccer (football) is arguably one of the oldest sports in the world, invented thousands of years ago. ive seen estimates for the invention of early forms of soccer with full rules and guidelines established in China between 200 B.C.- 200 A.D. at the very least, its safe to say all of the known world was familiar with soccer before North and South America were even discovered, the sport has had some time to gain popularity. Fact two: In contrast to soccer (football), baseball was invented sometime in the mid 19th century, didnt become an official sport until later and if memory serves me correctly I believe 1903 was the first year the world series was played and is typically considered the beginning of baseball. Fact 3: since 1903, baseball has become the most popular sport in America (3rd largest country by population in world), its popularity has spread to mexico and canada but more so in the carribean, in particular the Dominican Republic, but also Cuba, aruba, curuçao, Puerto rico, etc. and many central American countries and is only gaining in fans, in addition to the western hemisphere, Japan and Taiwan have joined baseballs proverbial "bandwagon". Where has soccer spread to in the past half century?
Buck | YAZ and Orr...two of the greatest men of all time. I had 3 heros. Walter Payton, Michael Jordan and my father. My pop could not dunk, so he ranks 3rd on the list.😀
I am a Brewers fan and during the late 70s early 80s, when Milwaukee was an American league team, I remember Yaz always hurting us. He wasn't an average player, he was one of it's greats.
When I was a kid growing up in Brookline, I held my bat straight in the air with my hands next to my ear. The bat? It was a Louisville Slugger Carl Yastrzemski autograph model. Nothing else would do. As players came and went, it was always a comfort and a source of hope for each season that #8 was still on the roster and capable of bringing forth miracles. Yaz personified Boston Red Sox baseball, maybe more than any player ever did or will.
I remember my first trip to Fenway, in 1961 - my Grandpa Charley Weir took me up the first-base side, so we came out on the loge level, to see all that green . . . . we were sitting in the rightfield boxes, and during BP the bleacher bums are riding the left fielder. Grandpa hollered "leave the kid alone, he'll be all right" - I think Yaz turned out OK.
as a young kid i was a Micky Mantel fan. I can remember my favorite aunt who lived in Exeter R.I. stopping as she washed the dishes because Yaz had come up to bat. She would listen intently to the radio ss he was up to bat. He was one of the true heroes of that great era of baseball.
Also raised Catholic there were not one but two idols I worshiped: Jesus and Yaz! Until this day the many iconic memories of the innumerable breathtaking moments he left Red Sox Nation with live in my mind as if they happened five minutes ago,!! Thanks Yaz!!! Much love from all!
I saw Yaz's last game on Oakland against the A's & his final at bat he hit a home run & everyone RED SOX & A's fans applauded him & he raised his helmet in recognition and after the game all us RED SOX fans went down by the dugout to see if we cold get an autograph he came out & signed autographs until it was done a true baseball legend l mean l am 17 years old & everyone there thanked him w/tears in our eyes a wonderful day being a RED SOX fan that day. #8 forever
That's a hero right there , for sure. When I was 10 in '78, I remember his Topps baseball card with the stats on back.. there were so many years there, and they were printed in such tiny numbers..the only card I ever had like that..well, him and Pete Rose, too
Hey you stat addicts and trolls who call Yaz a mediocre player... yeah, that's why he's an absolute god to three generations of serious sports fans across six New England states.. because he was mediocre. That's why he almost single handedly dragged his team into two world series, why he consistently threw guys out at second off the wall... that's why he performed so many game saving miracles. Because he was mediocre. But that's fine, you go ahead and be thrilled by the stats of steriod/HGH circus freaks. Knock yourselves out. It's just sad that you have no clue about the true nature of baseball.
edfou5 Yaz had 4 great seasons: 1967, 68, '69, 70. From 71 - 83, he was pretty mediocre. An average 162 game season for Yaz, he hit .285 with 22 honers and 90 RBIs. In a career that spanned 23 seasons, he only exceeded 23 home runs in 4 seasons. He was certainly very talented and he was brilliant the last month of 1967 season, but he also had some dog in him and he was not well liked by his teammates. He was a very good outfielder and played the Fenway left field very well. But something happened after 1970, he just wasn't the same player after that.
I remember as a kid, the first WS I actually watched was 1967. My Mom was from St. Louis, my step dad didn't much care for sports but loved the Cardinals. Of course I was for Boston! When I played baseball, we kids always tried to imitate Yaz stance, the bat high over the head, etc.(none of us could do it as well as Yaz) he was a great player, one of my favorites growing up, & into my early adult life. I remember I saw a game on the old NBC Game of the Week, Yaz had been injured I think, but he came into the game, & hit a HR! As he was sitting on the bench after the round tripper, one of his team mates grabbed a towel,& was fanning him off! I still laugh about that! I feel priveledged to have seen him play, he was always at his best, in the big games. Great ball player, after watching this, I'm an even bigger fan, as he was a great competitor, & a great person.
real reason he retired is he asked manager Ralph houk if the team would be a winner soon and houk said '2 or 3 years' houk was right..and neither he or yaz would be around for it
Yaz, My All-Time hero. Yaz played left field better than anyone period !!! Never going on the disable list,steroid free and durable. Played 23 years with no problem.
The guy he succeeded in left, Ted Williams, was also pretty good in left as well. That said, 3308 games with 1 team will likely never be matched. No one is within 275 games of him (next is Stan Musial with 3026).
@@AEMoreira81 Adam, Adam, Adam...Ted was a good left fielder. Yaz was maybe THE best left fielder who ever played the position. That's right, you never should have bothered mentioning Ted in this context.
Watching this for the first time i had no idea YAZ was this great. A phenomenal work ethic. Playing until 44 and hitting 323 at the break is amazing because i dont think this was the era for longevity in MLB.
67 is one of the rare redsox seasons...no expectations, no internal strife, no racism in the dugout or the gms office, a united fandom (as the country itself tore itself apart) a media not promoting drama (real or not) and going beyond all expectations
I liked Al Kaline too. I'm a Pirates fan. But one has to respect greatness when one sees it.(like the Tigers BTW I rooted for the in 1968, Mickey Lolich had a great Series. Denny McClain won 31 games,but only 1 in WS) many yrs ago, but there have been some outstanding players)
Carl Yastrzemski nicknamed "Yaz" He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yaz played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox (1961-1983). He was primarily a left fielder, but also played 1st base and DH. Yastrzemski is an 18-time All-Star, the possessor of 7 Gold Gloves, a member of the 3,000 hit club, and the first American League player in that club to also accumulate over 400 home runs. Yaz is 2nd on the All-Time list for games played, and 3rd for total at-bats. YAZ is the Boston Red Sox' All-time leader in career: RBIs, runs, hits, singles, doubles, total bases, and games played, and is third on the team's list for home runs behind Ted Williams and David Ortiz. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Yastrzemski
Don't forget his Triple Crown! He was the last man to do it until, that big fellow from the Tigers finally broke through. National League hasn't had one since Medwick of the old Cardinals Gas House Gang yrs. (I used to know all this stuff, but now in my early 60s I'm not sure if my memory serves me correctly.)
No one in MLB ever carried a team like Yaz in 1967. Four teams in the greatest pennant race of all time, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and Minnesota. He hit 7-8 with 6 RBIs in the deciding 2 games to clinch the pennant. He hit .417 in September and .491 the last 15 games of the season. He won the Triple Crown and was Mr. Clutch whenever a hit or great fielding play was needed. The best individual clutch performance I have ever seen. Unfortunately everything he did after that although good was never as great. The press and fans expected greatness every year which was of course impossible. They sometimes rode him pretty hard which was unfair considering he would play even when he was hurt but he never used that as an excuse. Also absolutely the best left fielder. He had a rocket for an arm. Only fielder that was better in my lifetime was Roberto Clemente. One of the great HOF members. Thanks for the memories Yaz.
I had a Yaz signature Louisville slugger when I was a kid. I have no idea how I came to possess it because I was/am a Pirate's fan. It was one of my prize possessions though.
My favorite bat was the Ted Williams model.(I'm a Pirate fan too, loved Clemente, didn't care for his style of bat. My next favorite style was Vada Pinson's.)
@@patrickgray5633 ...you mean like the Pope USED TO BE. Catholic church needs to be completely REFORMED! Start with priests can marry women and women can become priests - reduce the child molestation ASAP!
The man was comparable to Lou Gehrig. Wasn't he the only player for decades to have won the Triple Crown? That always stood out for me as well as the fact that he played for ONE team his entire 23 years, playing through all the pain. Just an amazing example of a sports legend that really doesn't get nearly enough of that recognition that he so rightfully deserves.
Yaz was my first hero growing up. He might have been THE toughest baseball player ever. It's a shame he never won a World Series, but he was still the epitome of a hard-nosed player, last player to win the Triple Crown, 18-time All-Star, 7-time Gold Glove winner.
Yankee stadium had a 295' RF foul pole. Really short porch. People would say what if Mantle played for Boston,& Williams played for Yankees, think of their HR numbers. Mickey Mantle used to say, football,basketball, & nearly every other sport has defined parameters of their playing field, not baseball. The dimensions are different in every park. He had a point, still had he concentrated on baseball, & left the babes & booze alone, who knows how great he could've been.
My late brother took me to Fenway Park and from way back behind Pesky Pole and we watched Carl pop the ball out of the park to the opposite field. UP OVER EVERYTHING and into Kenmore Square. Cleared the net by a number of feet. Takes a Helluva slug to do that. Not many righties can do that and they were pulling the ball.
I've got a question for red sox fans. Why do they ever wear that kick ass old school uniform anymore than just says boston across the chest without any added fancies? That is such a cool, tough look and I never see it anymore. As a Mets fan I've hated our uniforms ever since they went away from the mid-late 80's look of the pin stripes with the orange and blue line down the arms and pants. Old school is ALWAYS better in sports. By the way, I've always loved Dwight Evans. Something about that cat was awesome.
Something? You can start with Evans' 8 Gold Gloves - and go from there! Since Mazeroski (.260) is in the HOF, Dewey should be too. sabr.org/bioproj/person/fbfdf45f
Well, just before that, 'we' won 4 in 5 years and came within one inning of 5 in 6. And Jeter, Posada, Williams, Mo and Andy laughed their asses off. So did I. Cheers.
Same here. I got physically I'll, when a girlfriend's son was collecting. He gave me a price guide, 1990. I looked up the 1970 Topps cards I had...my God I couldn't believe the prices, had Nolan Ryan's Rookie, worth $1200 then, plus others worth $100, etc. Mom through them all away when I joined the Navy. Not to mention the ones I clothespinned on my my bike, to get that "authentice motor sound". LOL. I do however have an entire closet full of 1990-1995 sets of various companies cards, plus basket ball & football sets. Had a great job & could afford the whole sets. Of course the thrill of the old wax packs, opening them up & pulling 1 of your favorite players! My grandson gets my cards.
33:30 Steroids make me sick. I can tell you, when Yaz hit # 400 it was a BIG deal. Now, nobody cares if one of these dopers hits 500 or 600 - see AFRAUD. I can't wait for the ballplayers who succeed with hard work and guts to come back and the dopers slink off forever into mediocrity.
This is the most complete video profile on Carl Yastrzemski I've ever seen. I guarantee every Yaz fan will agree!
I've told this before. Went to Fenway in 1979...as a visiting Yankees fan. 18 year veteran Yaz was in LF pregame, practicing caroms off the monstah and firing strikes into 2nd base.
That's what made Yaz great folks!
One thing that's never mentioned is the year that Yaz won the triple crown those couple of years from 67-69 was a PITCHER'S ERA. A lot of power hitting numbers dipped during those years - especially in '68 which was a year where Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Norm Cash hit 55 home runs COMBINED. Yaz STILL hit 23 homers but the pitching was so great that year that he won the damn batting title with a .301 avg!! Great all-time top 50 player. One of the most consistently great players as well. Not a Boston fan but always had a lot of respect and love for Yaz. And he has a legitimate claim to greatest fielding left fielder of all time.
BALLPLAYER !!! Pure Respect. I recognize !! (I'm a Yankee Fan)
@@lawrencebenjamin502thanks a legend! I respect the legendary Yankees also
Ted Williams said that in the last month of the crucial 1967 season, Yaz was the greatest player of all time, the prefect ballplayer.
LOL Ted had a flair for the dramatic. Yaz was my first sports hero growing up as a young baseball-loving kid when that great '78 Red Sox team played, but while Yaz definitely wasn't the 'greatest player of all time' I do believe there hasn't been as tough a player as Yaz. Not Lou Gehrig, Nolan Ryan, no one. Only 5'10 and 180 pounds, but TOUGH AS NAILS.
Ted had a good eye for spotting good ballplayers, so his remark is well on target. 🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯 ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾ 😁😁😁😁😁
Since Yaz was Ted's successor, this statement is quite self cpmplementary.
Great left fielder
As a Twins fan watching those last 2 games of the 1967 season against the Red Sox, I have to agree...
I'm a 24 year old Cubs fan but I just became a Carl Yastrzemski fan just from watching this episode.
Yaz was something else only guy that I know who could turn on the inside fastball even as he got to the age when players are ready to retire plus no hitter has ever held their hands higher with the bat his hands were just so quick!!!
You ok? You hit your head?
You are nothing but a fucking jack ass ....
Yo Seth Rabin just wondering how you related to Mark Rabin and Shelly Rabin from Rogers Park in Chicago good family good people. Don't sell Ron Santo short back in the day he was a pretty tough sob. Wasn't always the most well-liked guy by the reporters butt you really can play any harder than him he gave it his all every pitch every play go Ronnie go tough guy
Yaz, My hero growing up, and my all time favorite baseball player.
Just an average guy ... who made himself into a monster.
My father produced this documentary eric smith the scene of the kids hitting is my dad pitching to me and my friend , i still have the vhs tape , most of the memorabilia shots of yaz was filmed in out basement by bruce taylor from taylorvision productions , i was 10 when they shot this documentary. Has a warm place in my heart . Yaz was such a great player respect that
I coached PAL basketball on the east end of Long Island years ago and visiting Bridgehampton High School was very special, walking the halls and coaching the boys in the same gym Yaz played in. The stories of Yaz on the east end of Long Island were epic.
🔥
I remember that game in "78"
Ran home from school to watch the game.
Mother was a RedSox fan, father was a Yankee fan,
They broke my heart that day and I went to the front porch and cried in my baseball mit.
I didn't even watch the 86 WS., some how I knew their fate already..
After the *86" season, I bought a new RedSox hat, and the rest is history :)
I had a premonition after Roger Clemens 20 strikeout game in 1986. I knew that they were going to the World Series, but, that premonition did not allow me the feeling that they would win.
In 2004, I had a very similar premonition after the Red Sox won game four against the Yankees. I got the feeling that they were definitely going to win it all.
I was 8 yrs old in '67, and Yaz was the 1st athlete I ever embraced. A local rec dept. rented a bus and I went to Fenway for the 1st time ever, and Yaz hit a 3 run homer. He remained my favorite baseball player of all time. Think of all the great American Leaguers, when being on one team meant something and was the norm; he was the 1st to hit 400 home runs and get 3,000 hits. Think of them all, for whatever reasons, he was the very 1st! And he was the last to win that elusive Triple Crown until Cabrera finally did it 2 years ago. Yaz was the greatest left fielder ever too.
Hey Jim,
Same here 😂‼️
I was 9 year's old in '67...
I attended 2 game's in that year, my first game was vs. the Yankees, my Dad took me and my cousin.
It was Lonborg vs Mel Stotylmire, and it was at the end of Mickey Mantle's career.. he was playing first base at that time, Sox won 7-6, or 8-7.
I can still remember the smells upon entering🏟️ Fenway 🌭🥜🍕🍿, it was a night game, once we found our walkway into the seating area... I had NEVER seen anything quite so BEAUTIFUL ‼️
Those great white lights and the brilliant Green GRASS 👌 is a vision that is burnt into my memory all these years later ‼️🤗
I too went with a bus trip, the Saturday morning bowling league I was a part of would take the kid's to a week day game every year. It was vs the Indians, Luis Tiant pitched for the Tribe vs Lee Stange, Sox won.. I was bitten by the love for⚾ Baseball that Summer of '67‼️ Those final few months, didn't miss a game... The majority being on Radio then, sneaking the transistor radio with the 1 headphone to bed with me in order to listen to the 10pm starts when the Sox were on the West Coast, I got caught a few times 🤣, The WHOLE town was buzzing, which was attributed predominantly due to # 8 YAZ of the Cardiac Kid's 😏He BECAME my first Sports HERO and even though they just couldn't overcome the incredible performance of Bob Gibson and the St. L. Card's... Baseball, The Red Sox and YAZ stole this Kid's HEART ♥️in that SUMMER of ' 6️⃣7️⃣‼️
Lifetime Yankees fan. When Frank Robinson came to town, I sat in the lower right field stands at old YS. When Yaz came to town, lower LF.
He broke the heart of every Twins' fan in 1967, but he was still one of my favorite players.
You know what is weird I’m a big Reds fan & Yaz is a favorite player of mine.
Rember that well we’ll most well.
23 seasons 1, ONE trip to the DL! More than half of todays players are on the disabled list multiple times per season. Tough and dedicated and earned every penny he was paid.
Also he had to step into big shoes...Ted Williams was the player he succeeded at that position. Yaz also had intended to play the 1984 season, but changed his mind after a long slump in 1983 at the age of 44.
@@AEMoreira81 Yaz's dedication to the game was awesome.....'nough said. ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾ 👍👍👍👍👍 😁😁😁😁😁
Probably the best player that no one really talks about anymore. A freaking iron man legend! Imagine being a 9-10 year old Red Sox fan when he went to his first all star game. Then being 30 years old and dude is still an all star! Sharing that with how many generations of fans in the family?!
I agree, Yaz and the great Frank Robinson are too often overlooked - as is the magnificent, stirring Guy Lafleur in hockey (and I'm a Bruins fan, but Guy brought me out of my seat more than any hockey player, with the exception of #4).
The fact that Boston never won wasn't Yazs' fault 67, 75 World Series he was Bostons leading hitter, had a great game in the 78 AL East playoff game 2 for 5 drove in a couple runs.
Yaz got very little help & Rices' broken arm & him missing the 75 Series against my Reds was a huge deal.
@@patrickgray5633legend!
Later on, Yaz regretted not playing one more season if he knew that Roger Clemens would debut the following year. As it is, he holds the career for most games played in a career with just one team and is tied with Brooks Robinson for seasons with just one team (each played 23 seasons with just 1 team - Brooks Robinson for the Orioles and Carl Yastrzemski for the Red Sox - their career overlapped between 1961-1977). Also to think that he took over left field from Ted Williams and became a Hall of Famer in his own right---is something amazing.
I'm not sure he could have nursed his back through the 1984 season. Yaz was tough 1 of my favorite players but the body eventually breaks down.
👍👍👍👍👍 ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾ 😁😁😁😁😁
As a boy I watched Mantle and Mays, since then I have watched many. He was as good bar none as I ever saw.
Great Sports Century 👍 My uncle played against him in Long Island in the late 50’s and he really could hit a major league fastball at 18👍
Great memories 67 impossible dream!
The cool part about east Long Island is you could get Yankees and Red Sox games on the radio.
didnt even know who this dude was but very cool that he played till he was 44. respect.
Love this
Wow, really enjoyed watching this again after many years. I'm approaching 60 and as a Little Leaguer in 1969 thru Babe Ruth League, I wore #8 because Yaz was my favorite player. I can remember going to Fenway his last season in 1983, only ticket I could get was an "obstructed view" seat behind one of the steel pillars at Fenway and Yaz hit a HR that day.
Man, I wish I was alive when Yaz was playing! My favorite Red Sox EVER
*#8 FOREVER*
One of the greats of the game. And I mean GREATS. And a Class act all the way.
Growing up on the Cape and then Marblehead, and in my first years on my own in downtown Boston, I was an obsessed Red Sox fan. I've had two and only two sports heroes in my life, Muhammad Ali and Yaz. It's impossible to exaggerate the electric thrill of seeing his swing, the crack of the ball being hit, and it then screaming into the stands. Or when he was in left... taking a ball off the Green Monster and consistently throwing guys out at second. My God, what a rush. I was at Fenway on the last day and I'll confirm what others have said. I stood there as he trotted around the field and I cried like a child, and EVERYWHERE I LOOKED every other guy was doing the same. I'm not talking about a few tears, I mean... crying.
That's funny they were my Dad's favorites as well and he's now 74
I'm a Chicago Cub fan, and Yaz is my all time favorite baseball player. YAZ!!!😇😇
Funny how you love the 2 lovable loser teams. Yeah, I know they finally won and even being a Brewers fan I'm happy for your teams. I was a Cubs fan until the Brewers went to the national league and even now I can't hate them but fck the white Sox.
@@daBEAGLE1017 I dunno if blitzedPIG took that into account by Yaz being his favorite player (maybe he did), but Yaz epitomized what a Man's Man should be: tough as nails, played hurt, never complained, never showboated, and loyal. Those attributes (and the fact that he was a helluva player lol) are a BIG reason why Yaz will always be my favorite player, and probably why so many consider Yaz as their favorite, as well.
@@daBEAGLE1017 | that's awesome!! I'm from Chicago and i was always a Brewers fan. I love their old uniforms and of course the old Fulton County Stadium. Fuck the white sox.
My first Baseball book was a small little book I ordered from Scholastic...Yaz how to play baseball..1970
I don't think a lot of people understand why I don't have "heroes" in sports anymore. I love my teams, love the players. But when I was a kid, I watched Carl Yastrzemski and Bobby Orr play in Boston. How can you have more heroes after that?
If sports surgery was like what it was today, Orr may have played a lot longer than he did. He fell 65 points short of 1,000 for his career, but that career was over just 657 games (631 with Boston). The one who may get lost in the shuffle is Brad Park (most times a Norris finalist without winning it - 6 times).
Agreed. All my sports heroes are from this bygone era. Free agency blew out of control and we rarely get the dozen + years of service, let alone over 2 decades' worth! Of course, there are exceptions, but up until the mid-80s, baseball teams remained largely the same, year in, year out. And that helped form relationships and deep-seeded emotions. I am a Yankee fan, but Yaz is an all-timer. A boss.
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C Massive in 240 countries huh? Thats interesting, because according to the United nations, there are only 193 countries in the world, 195 if you include the Holy See and the state of Palestine.
Most European countries have a total land size comparable to us states and similar populations to US states. In fact, if you took Europe and plopped it onto the united states. All of Europe (44 countries) would fit inside just the continental United States alone (not including Hawaii and also not including the biggest state in America, Alaska). North America has two countries in it. TWO, counting the number of countries who follow a sport is an irrelevant and arbitrary way to determine the popularity of said sport. By your logic, if the US and Canada devided itself into European sized countries, then North America would have more countries than the all the other continents put together.
Here are relevant facts: 1: Soccer (football) is arguably one of the oldest sports in the world, invented thousands of years ago. ive seen estimates for the invention of early forms of soccer with full rules and guidelines established in China between 200 B.C.- 200 A.D. at the very least, its safe to say all of the known world was familiar with soccer before North and South America were even discovered, the sport has had some time to gain popularity. Fact two: In contrast to soccer (football), baseball was invented sometime in the mid 19th century, didnt become an official sport until later and if memory serves me correctly I believe 1903 was the first year the world series was played and is typically considered the beginning of baseball.
Fact 3: since 1903, baseball has become the most popular sport in America (3rd largest country by population in world), its popularity has spread to mexico and canada but more so in the carribean, in particular the Dominican Republic, but also Cuba, aruba, curuçao, Puerto rico, etc. and many central American countries and is only gaining in fans, in addition to the western hemisphere, Japan and Taiwan have joined baseballs proverbial "bandwagon". Where has soccer spread to in the past half century?
Buck | YAZ and Orr...two of the greatest men of all time. I had 3 heros. Walter Payton, Michael Jordan and my father. My pop could not dunk, so he ranks 3rd on the list.😀
Larry Bird and Tom Brady?
I brought his jersey and didn't know much about him until I watched this wow what a great baseball player
That was cool seeing him and his grandson
Actually, I'm a Lifelong Yankees fan. And I teared up when Mike came to Boston.
Yaz is definately one of the best all around ball players of all time.
Is this when you decided you wanted to become a sprots agent?
and the moronic jack ass continues to post stupid,ignorant garbage.
It's sad that these days he is considered not one of the greatest. He should be more known imo.
I am a Brewers fan and during the late 70s early 80s, when Milwaukee was an American league team, I remember Yaz always hurting us. He wasn't an average player, he was one of it's greats.
When I was a kid growing up in Brookline, I held my bat straight in the air with my hands next to my ear. The bat? It was a Louisville Slugger Carl Yastrzemski autograph model. Nothing else would do. As players came and went, it was always a comfort and a source of hope for each season that #8 was still on the roster and capable of bringing forth miracles. Yaz personified Boston Red Sox baseball, maybe more than any player ever did or will.
I'm from NYC. We loved Yaz.
I sat in LF when he came to town, and RF when Frank Robinson came to town. Yaz was a sensational fielder.
I remember Yaz, I remember him well. I loved the guy---Boston fan.
So did I - Yankees fan.
Mad mad respect.
I remember my first trip to Fenway, in 1961 - my Grandpa Charley Weir took me up the first-base side, so we came out on the loge level, to see all that green . . . . we were sitting in the rightfield boxes, and during BP the bleacher bums are riding the left fielder. Grandpa hollered "leave the kid alone, he'll be all right" - I think Yaz turned out OK.
as a young kid i was a Micky Mantel fan. I can remember my favorite aunt who lived in Exeter R.I. stopping as she washed the dishes because Yaz had come up to bat. She would listen intently to the radio ss he was up to bat. He was one of the true heroes of that great era of baseball.
So sad, I can't hear this. Yaz is my all-time favorite player.
Also raised Catholic there were not one but two idols I worshiped: Jesus and Yaz! Until this day the many iconic memories of the innumerable breathtaking moments he left Red Sox Nation with live in my mind as if they happened five minutes ago,!! Thanks Yaz!!! Much love from all!
I saw Yaz's last game on Oakland against the A's & his final at bat he hit a home run & everyone RED SOX & A's fans applauded him & he raised his helmet in recognition and after the game all us RED SOX fans went down by the dugout to see if we cold get an autograph he came out & signed autographs until it was done a true baseball legend l mean l am 17 years old & everyone there thanked him w/tears in our eyes a wonderful day being a RED SOX fan that day. #8 forever
Met Yaz at Hills Dept store in lanesboro in 1988 Massachusetts...got 2 autographs from him...can't believe he signed 1000 signature that day
That's a hero right there , for sure. When I was 10 in '78, I remember his Topps baseball card with the stats on back.. there were so many years there, and they were printed in such tiny numbers..the only card I ever had like that..well, him and Pete Rose, too
@@jameshudson105legend
Hey you stat addicts and trolls who call Yaz a mediocre player... yeah, that's why he's an absolute god to three generations of serious sports fans across six New England states.. because he was mediocre. That's why he almost single handedly dragged his team into two world series, why he consistently threw guys out at second off the wall... that's why he performed so many game saving miracles. Because he was mediocre. But that's fine, you go ahead and be thrilled by the stats of steriod/HGH circus freaks. Knock yourselves out. It's just sad that you have no clue about the true nature of baseball.
edfou5. Awesome post and very true.
edfou5
Are you Paul Pierce. That was the Truth !!
Yaz was my Hero for sure
Yep and he hit .500 in the final 8 games or so in 1967.
edfou5 Yaz had 4 great seasons: 1967, 68, '69, 70. From 71 - 83, he was pretty mediocre. An average 162 game season for Yaz, he hit .285 with 22 honers and 90 RBIs. In a career that spanned 23 seasons, he only exceeded 23 home runs in 4 seasons. He was certainly very talented and he was brilliant the last month of 1967 season, but he also had some dog in him and he was not well liked by his teammates. He was a very good outfielder and played the Fenway left field very well. But something happened after 1970, he just wasn't the same player after that.
I remember as a kid, the first WS I actually watched was 1967. My Mom was from St. Louis, my step dad didn't much care for sports but loved the Cardinals. Of course I was for Boston! When I played baseball, we kids always tried to imitate Yaz stance, the bat high over the head, etc.(none of us could do it as well as Yaz) he was a great player, one of my favorites growing up, & into my early adult life. I remember I saw a game on the old NBC Game of the Week, Yaz had been injured I think, but he came into the game, & hit a HR! As he was sitting on the bench after the round tripper, one of his team mates grabbed a towel,& was fanning him off! I still laugh about that! I feel priveledged to have seen him play, he was always at his best, in the big games. Great ball player, after watching this, I'm an even bigger fan, as he was a great competitor, & a great person.
real reason he retired is he asked manager Ralph houk if the team would be a winner soon and houk said '2 or 3 years' houk was right..and neither he or yaz would be around for it
Yaz, My All-Time hero. Yaz played left field better than anyone period !!! Never going on the disable list,steroid free and durable. Played 23 years with no problem.
redhead5150 he is the Sox version of the Iron horse ! How bout him drinkin beer n smokin in the lockerroom too!? Just incredible specimen
The guy he succeeded in left, Ted Williams, was also pretty good in left as well. That said, 3308 games with 1 team will likely never be matched. No one is within 275 games of him (next is Stan Musial with 3026).
@@AEMoreira81 Adam, Adam, Adam...Ted was a good left fielder. Yaz was maybe THE best left fielder who ever played the position. That's right, you never should have bothered mentioning Ted in this context.
His grandson plays for the SF Giants!!
Watching this for the first time i had no idea YAZ was this great. A phenomenal work ethic. Playing until 44 and hitting 323 at the break is amazing because i dont think this was the era for longevity in MLB.
1967 ....the AL penannt race .....UNBILIEVABLE !!!!
Yaz was one of those perfect players: fine outfielder, solid arm, triple crown winner. He benefited by playing in Fenway.
I think I could listen to Bill Lee all night.
67 is one of the rare redsox seasons...no expectations, no internal strife, no racism in the dugout or the gms office, a united fandom (as the country itself tore itself apart) a media not promoting drama (real or not) and going beyond all expectations
67 and 2013
Winning usually cures most ills, in the locker room and in the stands.
I am a Detroit Tigers fan, but Carl Yastrzemski was a favorite of mine.
I liked Al Kaline too. I'm a Pirates fan. But one has to respect greatness when one sees it.(like the Tigers BTW I rooted for the in 1968, Mickey Lolich had a great Series. Denny McClain won 31 games,but only 1 in WS) many yrs ago, but there have been some outstanding players)
And now Yaz’ grandson is a giant! The world is a strange place
Carl Yastrzemski nicknamed "Yaz" He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yaz played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox (1961-1983). He was primarily a left fielder, but also played 1st base and DH. Yastrzemski is an 18-time All-Star, the possessor of 7 Gold Gloves, a member of the 3,000 hit club, and the first American League player in that club to also accumulate over 400 home runs. Yaz is 2nd on the All-Time list for games played, and 3rd for total at-bats. YAZ is the Boston Red Sox' All-time leader in career: RBIs, runs, hits, singles, doubles, total bases, and games played, and is third on the team's list for home runs behind Ted Williams and David Ortiz.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Yastrzemski
If he played left field his whole life he would probably have 15-16 good gloves easily
Don't forget his Triple Crown! He was the last man to do it until, that big fellow from the Tigers finally broke through. National League hasn't had one since Medwick of the old Cardinals Gas House Gang yrs. (I used to know all this stuff, but now in my early 60s I'm not sure if my memory serves me correctly.)
No one in MLB ever carried a team like Yaz in 1967. Four teams in the greatest pennant race of all time, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and Minnesota. He hit 7-8 with 6 RBIs in the deciding 2 games to clinch the pennant. He hit .417 in September and .491 the last 15 games of the season. He won the Triple Crown and was Mr. Clutch whenever a hit or great fielding play was needed. The best individual clutch performance I have ever seen. Unfortunately everything he did after that although good was never as great. The press and fans expected greatness every year which was of course impossible. They sometimes rode him pretty hard which was unfair considering he would play even when he was hurt but he never used that as an excuse. Also absolutely the best left fielder. He had a rocket for an arm. Only fielder that was better in my lifetime was Roberto Clemente. One of the great HOF members. Thanks for the memories Yaz.
In 1967 my mom let me stay home from school to watch that special world series...and get my heart broken 💔
I miss Yaz!
❤ Yaz & jim rice combinations in the Boston red socks
I miss all the old baseball players...they are immortal!!! I miss the way baseball used to be played the most.
I had a Yaz signature Louisville slugger when I was a kid. I have no idea how I came to possess it because I was/am a Pirate's fan. It was one of my prize possessions though.
My favorite bat was the Ted Williams model.(I'm a Pirate fan too, loved Clemente, didn't care for his style of bat. My next favorite style was Vada Pinson's.)
Yastrzemski,Musial,Paciorek comprise the greatest Polish-American outfield.🇵🇱😉
No GREG " THE BULL" LUZINSKI??? JUST KIDDING 😂😂😂 BUT, BOY COULD HE HIT.
He could play Left Field in his sleep.
Watching Yaz play such awesome defense in 1967, Ted Williams admitted he should have worked on his fielding more. Williams was decent, but not great.
@@davidlafleche1142 but Williams taught Carl everything about that Wall 🧱 ... he learned ... and then he amplified it.
Legend
The greatest all around ball player to ever walk on to a diamond.
Yaz is God
thank you yaz. I love you, but so does everybody
Yaz was bigger than life to me one of my sports idols he's like The Pope.
@@patrickgray5633 ...you mean like the Pope USED TO BE. Catholic church needs to be completely REFORMED! Start with priests can marry women and women can become priests - reduce the child molestation ASAP!
The man was comparable to Lou Gehrig. Wasn't he the only player for decades to have won the Triple Crown? That always stood out for me as well as the fact that he played for ONE team his entire 23 years, playing through all the pain. Just an amazing example of a sports legend that really doesn't get nearly enough of that recognition that he so rightfully deserves.
As a kid, I loved Yastrzemski. However, Frank Robinson (Baltimore Orioles) won the AL Triple Crown in 1966; one year before Yaz! Wake up.
1201NColombo You are correct, but then no one won it until 2013. I would say Yaz and Frank were the best in their era.
@@1201NColombo i think the Mick went back to back, with it in 56-57, as well
#8 is #1.
Yaz ! All that needs to be said !
His Brother looked just liked him
Great ball player
I think you're right. Down the stretch, he was God in human form.
In my eyes Yaz was the best there was, but God no. Jesus was God in human form.
Yaz was my first hero growing up. He might have been THE toughest baseball player ever. It's a shame he never won a World Series, but he was still the epitome of a hard-nosed player, last player to win the Triple Crown, 18-time All-Star, 7-time Gold Glove winner.
1Cabrera won the Triple Crown in 2012,so he's the last. But tons of respect for Yaz!
Yaz!!!
his grandson Mike plays for San Francisco giants now
Always loved Yaz and I'm a Yankee fan.
same here,; i honestly don't see how any yanks fan could not have loved yaz, just like any sox fan, could have not loved a jeter.
@@davidr5961
We DID love him.
Nobody booed Yaz.
And Arnold Bread sold 'Yaz' bread in NYC!
@@davidr5961 Didn't love Jeter but I admired him. And Mariano and Chambliss too.
Can someone ex[plain why Tom Seaver never had a SportsCentury done about him?
My idol growing up the best.
Legend
Anybody have the Ted Williams episode????
Imagine that short right field porch in Tiger Stadium for an entire career....damn.
Yankee stadium had a 295' RF foul pole. Really short porch. People would say what if Mantle played for Boston,& Williams played for Yankees, think of their HR numbers. Mickey Mantle used to say, football,basketball, & nearly every other sport has defined parameters of their playing field, not baseball. The dimensions are different in every park. He had a point, still had he concentrated on baseball, & left the babes & booze alone, who knows how great he could've been.
My late brother took me to Fenway Park and from way back behind Pesky Pole and we watched Carl pop the ball out of the park to the opposite field. UP OVER EVERYTHING and into Kenmore Square. Cleared the net by a number of feet. Takes a Helluva slug to do that. Not many righties can do that and they were pulling the ball.
Yaz single-handedly carried that Red Sox team to the World Series in 1967. There may have been a better left fielder, but I never saw him.
Randy Bailin Barry Bonds?
@@KM-vl5wc Bonds great hitter Yaz great hitter the biggest weakness Bonds had no throwing arm which Yaz did.
At @6:10 ~ He grabs a Busch beer and drinks in the clubhouse! lol At@38:22, I cried.
notice how these guys dont look like there on steroids and they still crushed the ball
I've got a question for red sox fans. Why do they ever wear that kick ass old school uniform anymore than just says boston across the chest without any added fancies? That is such a cool, tough look and I never see it anymore. As a Mets fan I've hated our uniforms ever since they went away from the mid-late 80's look of the pin stripes with the orange and blue line down the arms and pants. Old school is ALWAYS better in sports. By the way, I've always loved Dwight Evans. Something about that cat was awesome.
Something? You can start with Evans' 8 Gold Gloves - and go from there! Since Mazeroski (.260) is in the HOF, Dewey should be too.
sabr.org/bioproj/person/fbfdf45f
Sometimes a ballplayer, a man is more important than a championship. I'll take Yaz over any World Series victory.
Had the 'Carl Yastrzemski Action Baseball' game as a kid. Lame game but we played it all the time.
.650 as a HS senior, lol
sick
Mickey Mantle and Yaz, 2 legends who told Ted Williams to go away with all that scientific hitting nonsense.
Lmao
38:39 wow.... awesome
Loved Yaz anybody have the Cal Ripken Jr Sportscentury???
Yaz is like Musial
Well we've won 3 in 11 years. Authored the best comeback in sports history in Yankee stadium while Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada cried like children
Well, just before that, 'we' won 4 in 5 years and came within one inning of 5 in 6. And Jeter, Posada, Williams, Mo and Andy laughed their asses off. So did I.
Cheers.
@ 28:33 Bucky Effing Dent!
at the 13"10 mark , check out yaz"s dads arms and forearms ....... yikes ...!
Playing wiffle ball in the street bat lefty w the bat up high like Yaz.
Great days.
Mel Ott sure had it easy signing autographs.
Is that Tremont Street at 19:51 lookin north?
I wish I still had my baseball cards.
Same here. I got physically I'll, when a girlfriend's son was collecting. He gave me a price guide, 1990. I looked up the 1970 Topps cards I had...my God I couldn't believe the prices, had Nolan Ryan's Rookie, worth $1200 then, plus others worth $100, etc. Mom through them all away when I joined the Navy. Not to mention the ones I clothespinned on my my bike, to get that "authentice motor sound". LOL. I do however have an entire closet full of 1990-1995 sets of various companies cards, plus basket ball & football sets. Had a great job & could afford the whole sets. Of course the thrill of the old wax packs, opening them up & pulling 1 of your favorite players! My grandson gets my cards.
I can't remember the exact year, maybe '79 or '80, but I had a Yaz card..so incredible seeing all those years of stats in microscopic size print
Legend
Visual evidence supporting Bill's nickname: Spaceman. 4:18
33:30 Steroids make me sick. I can tell you, when Yaz hit # 400 it was a BIG deal. Now, nobody cares if one of these dopers hits 500 or 600 - see AFRAUD. I can't wait for the ballplayers who succeed with hard work and guts to come back and the dopers slink off forever into mediocrity.
Yeah, and I've got ocean front properties to sell ya in the Mojave Desert if you believe that 💩! Moron! 😠😠😠😠😠
Al Kaline had 399 home runs. The most he ever had in a season was 29.
The second best left fielder of all time
Which begs the question...
Is anyone else getting monaural sound on this video?
I kept hearing a high pitched whine of sorts.
New York Native Son
Nobody played left field & Hustled at Fenway like “Yaz” #8
The last of the WW2 era ball player. 2 packs of cigarettes a day, never injured enough to miss a game.