Instead, I've got a card that while not a Cub, is still Cubs-related.
This is Cubs TV color man Bob Brenly's Topps Big card from 1988. I picked up the whole set recently and this card stood out.
Bob doesn't look too much different today than the picture on the card. But here is what caught my eye. Look on the back.
There are three different cartoons. The one that really grabbed my attention was this one.
Bob Brenly, a catcher with catcher-like "speed," hit an inside the park home run!! It was 26 years ago today that he accomplished the feat. I've enjoyed the many stories Bob has told during Cubs telecasts about his playing career. His tale about his four errors in one inning game (which he later won with a walk-off home run) is classic. But I don't recall him talking about an inside the park home run. So I did some digging around the web to see what I could find.
The game was in Montreal on August 29, 1984. Brenly hit a line to center field that went off of Tim Raines' glove. I'm guessing it rolled to the wall and Bob sprinted (?) around the bases. The way the card describes it, you would think it was a walk off. But since the game was Montreal, the Expos got one more crack at bat to tie the game but failed.
I've sent an email to Len and Bob about this momentous event. I sure hope that Bob adds some details. I'd love to hear his version of the story.
Very interesting! If he talks about it on the telecast, please provide an update. I'm a long distance Cub fan. Only get the home team broadcasts on XM & MLB.com. My luck, he will get your email and talk about it during a road game. I'm partial to Pat & Ron (WGN/XM) anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Giants fan and was at the game when Bob made those MLB record four errors in one inning. One of my most vivid memories ever. Bob was slightly out of position, playing his occasional third base when not behind the dish. Actually, Bob committed five errors that inning (a soft liner right to him kicked off his glove into left field), but a botched scoring decision by a bleeding heart scorekeeper left him with four official. Four unearned runs scored as a direct result. He even made two errors on one play.
ReplyDeleteBut his redemption came in three plate appearrances. His next at bat, the fans booed lustily. He hit a home run, and the fans cheered temporarily until he entered his home run trot, then with three runs he still owed, the boos erupted again as he circled the bases. Then to boos again his next at bat he hit an RBI double, which resulted in more booing. In the bottom of the ninth, the crowd exploded in boos as Bob approached the plate, demanding full payment for his sins. He hit a walk-off homer and the fans went ballistic.
Manager Roger Craig said Brenly should get the comeback player of the year award for that game alone. What an amazing day at the ballpark.
Now for a shameless plug: I recently started a 1974 Topps blog:
http://1974topps.blogspot.com