Thursday, April 23, 2015

#411 Lee Smith and Dennis Eckersley

About the Front: These two All-Star closers have more vastly diverging body types than any other duo in this subset. I do like the way their photos capture their pitching deliveries at nearly the same point.

About the Back: Want to know how much baseball has changed over the years? As late as 1964, the single-season saves record was 29, co-held by Dick Radatz and Luis Arroyo. In 1992, Dennis Eckersley topped that number by the All-Star break.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: It would probably be intimidating enough to face either Lee or Eck in a game...imagine both of them rocking back and firing towards you at once!

On This Date in 1993: April 23. The Mariners rally for four runs against Jim Abbott and the Yankees in the bottom of the seventh inning to win, 6-3. Seattle's rookie lefthander Mike Hampton, appearing in his second major league game, tosses two and two-thirds scoreless innings to earn credit for the victory. He'll win 148 games in total before retiring in 2010.

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