Orioles Legend Jim Palmer Tackles a Challenging Career Quiz

Jim Palmer confronted 870 completely different hitters over the course of a Corridor of Fame profession that spanned from 1965 to 1984. A Baltimore Oriole all through, the now-80-year-old broadcast analyst did so whereas fashioning a 268-152 won-lost file and a 2.68 ERA. A six-time All-Star who captured three Cy Younger Awards, he’s extensively thought of one of the best pitcher in franchise historical past.

How nicely does Palmer keep in mind his matchups in opposition to Carl Yastrzemski, Rod Carew, and different notables from his period? Furthermore, can he appropriately reply questions similar to “Who did you strike out probably the most occasions?” and “Who did you give up probably the most house runs to?” I made a decision to search out out. Given his popularity as an entertaining storyteller with a very good reminiscence, Palmer appeared like an ideal match for our Difficult Profession Quiz sequence.

That he didn’t know who he had confronted probably the most occasions got here as a shock. Palmer confronted Yastrzemski a whopping 197 occasions, together with his subsequent most frequent matchup, Graig Nettles, lagging nicely behind with 160. After all, his not having the ability to identify the Purple Sox icon didn’t imply there weren’t tales. With Palmer, there are nearly at all times going to be tales.

“I got here up on April 17, 1965,” recalled Palmer. “I had performed in A-ball, then went to tutorial ball, they usually determined to maintain me. They’d expanded the roster to twenty-eight, and I used to be within the bullpen. I used to be rooming with Robin Roberts, who was 38 years previous and had 270 wins. I used to be 19 and didn’t have any.

“We bought 5 runs off of [Bill] Monbouquette within the first inning, then they bought three off of Robin,” Palmer continued. “He bought in additional bother within the third, they usually instructed me to rise up. I began throwing, then got here in. Hank Bauer was our supervisor. He mentioned, ‘Are you nervous?’ I mentioned, ‘Effectively, I’ve by no means executed this earlier than,’ as a result of I hadn’t pitched within the large leagues, nor had I ever relieved. Anyway, I walked Yastrzemski [to load the bases] to get to Tony Conigliaro, who was one of the best younger hitter within the American League. He was one of the best younger high-fastball hitter. I by no means allowed a grand slam in 3,948 innings, however I may have executed it there in opposition to Conigliaro. He swung at two excessive fastballs, then I by chance threw one low and away that the house plate umpire referred to as a strike. However that was the primary time I confronted Yaz.”

Palmer went on to say that Yastrzemski — 41-for-169 with 4 round-trippers when dealing with him — as soon as hit a house run in opposition to him that ended up not counting, as the sport was rained out earlier than turning into official. He additionally mentioned that till late in Yaz’s profession, the man Cooperstown inductee had great bat velocity and that it was onerous to beat him even together with your finest fastball.

Who homered in opposition to him probably the most occasions is a two-way tie between Jim Rice and a slugging third baseman who spent the majority of his profession with the New York Yankees. Every went yard 9 occasions, and Palmer named them with no hesitation.

“Nettles and Rice,” he acknowledged. “I noticed Jim yesterday and reminded him that eight of them had been solos. I instructed him, ‘I felt sorry for you, so I allow you to get some solo house runs. You had been only a child from South Carolina and didn’t have numerous associates, so I wished you to be ok with your self.’”

“Nettles drove in probably the most runs [25] of any hitter I confronted,” he continued. “Left-handers are often low-ball hitters, however he was one of many infamous high-ball hitters. Pondering again, I ought to have simply mentioned, ‘Graig, I’m going to throw you a dangling slider proper down the center and see if you are able to do as a lot as you’ve executed in opposition to my finest fastball.’ He couldn’t have executed it.”

Nettles, who accrued 65.7 WAR in his profession, did have success in opposition to him, however Palmer wasn’t precisely helpless when the third baseman stood within the field. All instructed, Nettles slashed a nothing-special .238/.300/.435 in 160 plate appearances in opposition to him.

My subsequent query was tougher: Who went 16-for-47 with 5 bombs?

“That’s not numerous at-bats, so it wouldn’t have been Carlton Fisk [26-for-92 with seven home runs],” Palmer mentioned. “I don’t know. Larry Hisle?”

Nope. Hisle went 12-for-34 and three homers.

“Milwaukee,” the eight-time 20-game winner responded once I instructed him that whereas he had the flawed participant, he did have the precise staff. “It wasn’t Robin Yount, though he hit two house runs on the final day of the 1982 season. Cecil Cooper?”

That was additionally incorrect, as Cooper went simply 20-for-86 with three round-trippers. Third time being the allure, Palmer proceeded to appropriately guess Gorman Thomas.

“Stormin’ Gorman; he was a high-fastball hitter and I threw excessive fastballs,” Palmer reasoned. “However the query is, [while] he hit 5 house runs — that’s 5 RBIs proper there — what number of runs did he drive in? That was at all times a key. If guys hit house runs, what are they? What’s the rating?”

For these of you scoring at house, Thomas’ .340/.404/.473 slash line versus Palmer appears lots much less spectacular once you think about that it produced a mere 10 RBIs.

“That was a terrific lineup,” Palmer went on to say. “Yount led off. Paul Molitor hit second. Cooper and Ben Oglivie had been there. Hisle was there for awhile; till he damage his shoulder, he was one of many hardest outs. Jim Gantner. I imply, that they had a pleasant ball membership. Now, I do keep in mind beating them 1-0 in [Milwaukee’s] house opener in 1977. That recreation began 25 minutes late due to snow within the middle subject bleachers. I had the shutout going within the ninth inning, [Jim Wohlford] hit a single, however then Charlie Moore tried to bunt. [Rick] Dempsey doubled him up — Dempsey to [Mark] Belanger to Boog Powell — and the following man hit a fly ball.”

Asking which hitter he fanned probably the most occasions elicited one more story.

“Effectively, probably the most memorable man I struck out was Mickey Mantle,” Palmer instructed me. “He went 1-for-14 [with seven strikeouts]. I struck him out the primary two occasions in Yankee Stadium. This was a day recreation in 1966. We had a 2-0 lead and I went 2-0 on Mickey, who was choking up [on the bat] as a result of at that time in his profession he had bother hitting the excessive fastball left-handed. He was significantly better right-handed, as a result of his dangerous knee was the again one. Anyway, I used to be 2-0 on Mickey, however Roger Maris was on deck and even at age 20 I used to be good sufficient to know that you just don’t wish to get to Roger Maris at Yankee Stadium with a 2-0 lead. It was 296 [feet] down the precise subject line with a couple of four-foot wall. I took a bit off the pitch and he hit it into the third deck. That was the hit Mickey Mantle bought off of me.”

I knowledgeable the 80-years-young storyteller that the reply to my query was George Scott, whom he fanned 27 occasions.

“Boomer,” responded Palmer, citing the erstwhile Boston and Milwaukee slugger’s nickname. “When George got here up his first 12 months [1966], I used to be acquainted him. They’d come all the way down to Miami for an exhibition recreation and I watched him take batting observe. He was hitting the sunshine towers. Boomer may play. Nice defensive participant, numerous house runs. However I used to get him to hit the ball right here, at Fenway Park, within the triangle. I do not know how. If he’d have hit it 15 toes to the precise or the left, it might need been bother. Paul Blair would run it down within the triangle, about 410 toes from the plate.”

A hitter he confronted 108 occasions not solely went 34-for-95 for a .358 common, he went down on strikes simply 4 occasions.

“Certain, however they had been singles,” replied Palmer, figuring out the participant in query must be Carew. “The secret’s that when somebody is a good hitter — he gained seven batting titles — you higher get the blokes out in entrance of and behind him. I might enterprise to say he didn’t hit a house run, it was largely singles, and he most likely didn’t drive in lots of runs. I sort of knew that… pay attention, I may give him a single to left subject. Sort of like George Brett. I feel Brett hit one house run off of me, a line drive in Baltimore. So, you determine. Do you wish to let him hit balls into the waterfall in Kansas Metropolis, or do you wish to let him hit singles, or possibly doubles, to the alternative subject? I selected the alternative subject.”

The final of my questions was arguably the toughest of all. Essentially the most triples he gave as much as anyone hitter was three. Who was it?

“It needed to be a Kansas Metropolis participant,” replied Palmer, whose guess was logical but incorrect. Informed that it was a catcher, he initially mentioned Fisk, then shortly pivoted to Thurman Munson.

Bingo.

“I don’t keep in mind any of the triples, however I do keep in mind us dropping 2-0 once they had been redoing Yankee Stadium,” Palmer mentioned. “We had been taking part in at Shea Stadium and he hit a house run to right-center subject. However the first time I ever noticed Thurman Munson was once I damage my arm and we had been in Binghamton. I used to be pitching for Elmira. I pitched in opposition to Steve Kline, who would go on to pitch for the Yankees. Thurman hit the chalk line for double down the precise subject line and I misplaced 1-0.”

“In that recreation, we had a man attempt to steal second, and he was nearer to first base than second when Thurman’s throw bought to the bottom,” continued Palmer. “He had probably the most unbelievable pop occasions. Clearly, he went on to have an important profession. And he was a very good good friend of mine. We’d play the American Airways tournaments, and would at all times go 9 or 18 holes the day earlier than, so I bought to know him. After I’d face Thurman in a recreation, he would give me a bit wink, then I might attempt to get him out. That wasn’t a straightforward factor to do.”