Baseball BeatNovember 03, 2006
Foto Friday #3
By Rich Lederer

Foto Friday #1 (with Follow-Up)

Foto Friday #2

As in the first two contests, name the date, location, and subjects in the photo.

Good luck!

Foto Friday3.jpg

ANSWERS ADDED @ 6:00 p.m. PST

DATE: July 9, 1974.

LOCATION: Anaheim Stadium. Baltimore Orioles at California Angels.

SUBJECTS: (left to right) Earl Weaver, Bill Haller, Bobby Valentine, and Bill Kunkel. Weaver and Valentine were exchanging the lineup cards with home plate umpire Haller before the game. Third base ump Kunkel is enjoying the prank.

OCCASION: As Bob Timmermann correctly noted in the comments section below, "The Angels had lost 9 straight games and hoped that Valentine (wearing 13 and carrying a black cat) would change their luck. It didn't. They lost to the Orioles 3-1."

SPECIAL NOTES: Haller is the brother of former major league catcher Tom Haller. Bill umpired his first big league game when he was 26. He retired in 1982 after a 21-year career at the age of 47. Kunkel pitched for the Kansas City Athletics in 1961-63. Here is his 1962 Topps baseball card. He is the father of former Texas Rangers infielder Jeff Kunkel. Bill had just celebrated his 38th birthday two days before that photo was taken. He died 11 years later.

BONUS PHOTO: Not only was Valentine, in his #13 jersey, carrying a black cat but he walked underneath a ladder on his way to home plate. Ellie Rodriguez and Bob Oliver (right-hand side) and my Dad (far left) look on from the dugout.

Foto Friday3 Bonus.jpg

Comments

The presence of Bobby Valentine (#13) puts this between 1973-75. That's all I got so far...

Posted by: DaveMac at November 3, 2006 8:50 AM

July 9, 1974 at Anaheim Stadium. The Angels had lost 9 straight games and hoped that Valentine (wearing 13 and carrying a black cat) would change their luck.

It didn't.

They lost to the Orioles 3-1.

Posted by: Bob Timmermann at November 3, 2006 9:27 AM

One guy in the photo is obviously Earl Weaver.

Retrosheet lists the umpires that day as Bill Haller (who is the guy behind Weaver), Armando Rodriguez, Merle Anthony, and Bill Kunkel.

So I don't know who the other umpire is, but it's probably not Armando Rodriguez.

Posted by: Bob Timmermann at November 3, 2006 9:36 AM

Wow - the player on the right looks like Grady Sizemore. But the Angels jersey and the presence of Earl Weaver on the field tells me it's probably not Grady.

Posted by: SDfan at November 3, 2006 10:41 AM

A metaphor for the 1979 playoffs...

Posted by: RevHalofan at November 3, 2006 3:01 PM

Great shot. I love old black & white baseball photo.

Posted by: Al Doyle at November 3, 2006 3:50 PM

I remember a scary note that appeared in our local paper (The Hoboken Reporter, Mr. Snitch, or the Hudson Disgrace, I forget) at the time of hometown hero Bill Kunkel's death.

Kunkel sat back in his easy chair and said..."I just don't feel right."

They took him to the hospital and found that cancer had swept through his body.

He was gone soon after.

Posted by: Repoz at November 3, 2006 10:32 PM

Is this what derailed Bobby Valentine's playing career??? 1974 was the last season Valentine had over 300 at-bats! Check it out:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/valenbo02.shtml

That's what I call taking one for the team!

Posted by: Ralph C. at November 4, 2006 3:18 AM

Way to stomp on superstitions! Great pictures.

Posted by: Maddux Sports Blog at November 5, 2006 4:34 PM