Sabbatical

Posting over the next few days will be sporadic as Mrs. McCromack will soon be in labor. Hopefully, Fat Willard and the chief can hold things down at HHR. In the meantime, here's come good reading for you GMT fans.

HHR friend Eric Angevine from Storming the Floor has stared a column for ESPN: The Magazine's online site that will focus on sports memorabilia and collecting. Check out the first installment:

The Auction Block: Profiles in Internet Sales Courage

Tiger Tandems

Bo Knows...you've got to be kidding him.

Bo is Bo. Frank Thomas could be one of the best hitters of his generation. But those clowns from the Orioles? Olson was a bust and who's even heard of Stacy Jones (6 career games)?

Stacy Jones, Bo Jackson, Gregg Olson, Frank Thomas
Auburn Tigers
1992 Fleer Super Star Specials #701

Send 'Em Sveum

Hopefully now that he is no longer with the team, Red Sox fans can now laugh knowing Dale Sveum looked as awkward as a player as he does as a third base coach.
Dale Sveum
Shortstop, Milwaukee Brewers
1989 Topps Big #126

Topps Fact: Dale was an All-Northern California High School Choice in '82.
GMT Fact: To this day, that distinction remains the highlight of his playing career.

South Bend Scott

Scott Radinsky
Pitcher, Chicago White Sox
1992 Topps #701

Topps Fact: Scott's 31 Saves led South Bend (Midwest Lea.) in 1989.
GMT Fact: Coincidentally, "South Bend" is the nickname Sox groupie "Midwest Lea" gave Scott's junk.

The Jheri Curl All-Stars

Richie Rich at Home Run Derby presents the "The Jheri Curl All-Stars," featuring, among others, Prime Time and over a half-dozen Dominicans sure to make this site in the near future.

Fundamentally Sound?

No, that's not Luis Lopez showing the proper way to field a ground ball. That's Luis Lopez being weighed down by the humongous medallion around his neck.

Luis Lopez
Infielder, Wichita Wranglers
1991 Line Drive Pre-Rookie #612

GMT Hall of Fame Inductee: Juan Berenguer

He pitched as well as he drank tequila and mowed lawns.

His face is that of an angel.

With pride, we induct him.

• 1989 Topps Big #117
• 1991 Pinnacle #515
• 1990 Bowman #410

GMT Bonus Fact: His stepson Tom starred as Jake Taylor in the hit Major League.

Matt Nokes Has Got it Covered

Matt Nokes
Catcher, Detroit Tigers
1990 Fleer #611

Fleer Fact: Home Poway, CA
GMT Fact: Starred as Lenny Barnes alongside forgettable leading man Lewis Smith in the forgettable classic The Heavenly Kid.

Tom Niedenfuer is Mad as Hell

Apparently our failure to post yesterday left Tom Niedenfuer antsy in the pantsy and he decided to show us his "angry face."

Grrrrr!

Tom Niedenfuer
Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
1987 Topps #538

Topps Fact: He had a 7-3 mark at Washington State University.
GMT: Once a Cougar, now he chases stalks them as they ignore him at bars.

Craig Grebeck Has a Napoleon Complex

Craig Grebeck
Infielder, Chicago White Sox
1992 Fleer #81

Fleer Fact: Craig was one of four rookies to make the Chicago roster out of spring training in 1990.
GMT Fact: Craig, at 5'7" in lifts and a cherub face, likes to caress his mighty lumber.

Reader Participation: Heckle This

Someone's gotten under Jeffrey Leonard's crawl. If you can best tell us how, you win his 1987 Topps card.



Jeffrey Leonard
Outfielder, San Fransisco Giants
1987 Topps #280

Topps Fact: Jeffrey finds relaxation in playing the drums.
GMT Fact: ...naked while smoking a doobie.

Dick Groat

The name alone causes snickers. But when combine the name with a photo of a guy pitching a tent, it's just plain ridiculous.

Dick Groat
Shortstop, St. Louis Cardinals
1988 Pacific Baseball Legends #108

Pacific Fact: Dick led the Pirates to the 1960 World Series hitting a league leading .325, while being named NL Most Valuable Player.
GMT Fact: His name is synonymous with venereal disease.

GMT's Slo-Pitch All-Stars

Dave Stapleton
Second Baseman, Boston Red Sox
1981 Fleer #236

Fleer Fact: ML Avg. .321
GMT Fact: Refuses to acknowledge that there is no base stealing in 10-foot-arc slo-pitch. He has been thrown out 3 times.

Pete O'Brien
First Baseman, Seattle Mariners
1992 Score #141

Score Fact: He excels in scooping up low throws and at turning the 3-6-3 double play.
GMT Fact: Refers to everyone as "Meat," except Bob Kearney who he calls "Shithead."

Bob Kearney
Catcher, Seattle Mariners
1987 Topps #498

Topps Fact: Bob and his wife are parents of a daughter.
GMT Fact: After Kearney sanded down and repainted a Miken composite bat (which he calls his "daughter"), his team would joke that "all it does is make Bob pop-up higher."

GMT Bonus Fact: Bob loves yelling 'COMING DOWN' in situations other than games.

Have You Gotten Your Tickets?

...to the Rob Murphy Gun Show?

Rob Murphy
Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
1990 Fleer #281

Fleer Fact: Walk Ratio: 3.5
GMT Fact: Is a 7th degree yellow belt in Rex-Kwon-Do.

Q: What Do You Get...

When you mix one of the greatest pitchers and one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game with cartoon characters?

A: Crap in your basement.

Nolan Ryan (with Sylvester the Cat)
Pitcher, Texas Rangers
1991 Upper Deck Looney Toons Baseball #97

Reggie Jackson (with Tweety Bird)
Retired, California Angels
1991 Upper Deck Looney Toons Baseball #79

Re-Airbrush Reid's Cap

While I didn't doctor this card, it looks like someone doctored Reid's cap...and his face for that matter. Perhaps it was an airbrush artist on the Seaside Heights, NJ boardwalk.

Reid doesn't really play for the Sox. This was his Trentonian Softball Player of the Night photo.


There are much better airburshed hats he cold have spent his money on. Personally, I'd have gone with "Booty Hunter."

Reid Nichols
Outfielder, Chicago White Sox
1986 Topps #364

Topps Fact: Born: 8-5-58, Ocala, Fla.
GMT Fact: Reid's eyes are made of Italian marble.

3 Sets You Probably Don't Own

What do the Phanatic, Youppi! and Bad News Brown have in common besides having never been in your kitchen? You probably don't own their trading cards.

Phillie Phanatic
Mascot, Philadelphia Phillies
1992 Donruss Triple Play #133

Triple Play Fact: He has a lot of fun with fans, players, managers and umpires and is very friendly.
GMT Fact: ...unless your name is Lonnie Smith.

Youppi!
Mascot, Montreal Expos
1993 Upper Deck Fun Pack/Mascot Madness

Upper Deck Fact: A young 14 years old, Youppi! still performs with the joy of a rookie as he makes as he makes his way around Olympic Stadium entertaining the fans when things aren't going well for the home team.
GMT Fact: Youppi! has the notorious distinction of being the first mascot thrown out a game, August 23, 1989, and was often ridiculed by players, announcers, fans and fellow mascots alike for being, well, Youppi!. He turned to a life of heavy drinking and spousal abuse.

Bad News Brown
Heel, World Wrestling Federation
1989 Classic WWF #79

Classic Fact: Bad News doesn't have any friends or allies, nor does he want them.
GMT Fact: Bad news doesn't use any deodorant or toothpaste, nor does he want to, thus, the lack of friends and allies.

Your Crap

the chief, ever the artist, passed along the following:

"Here's an artistic rendering of the Marty Barrett baseball i used to have."

Viper: KC's Top Gun

Pat Sheridan
Outfielder, Kansas City Royals
1986 Topps #743

Topps Fact: Pat's first TOPPS cards was: 1984 #121.
GMT Fact: Pat flew with your old man. VF-51, the Oriskany. You're a lot like he was. Only better... and worse. He was a natural heroic son of a bitch that one.

Look Like a Ballplayer

Ron Oester had it all, and by "all" I mean a bunt and a muffin top.

Bunt (or foreign object in trunks)

Do you know the Muffin Man?

Ron Oester
Second Baseman, Cincinnati Reds
1991 Upper Deck #611

Upper Deck Fact: Bats: Both
GMT Fact: Yes, he does. Yes, he does.