Some team history

[sadoug]

This whole thread has made me think that the Astros have had an extraordinary run of bad luck as far as hugely promising players struck down early in their careers by cancer, lukemea,stroke,hit by pitch, etc....how tragic can it get?....sort of like we are cursed.

Even without the horrific stupidity of management, we have had some damn bad luck. Think of the guys we lost
Walt Bond
d*ckie Thon
JR Richard
Jim Umbright
Bruce?
maybe others
Don Wilson

It just seems that for a franchise that is less than 50 years old we have lost lots of All Star talent....possible hall of Fame talent....shame on me for not being able to remember all their names

[crashtest]

That's most of them. I guess injuries are part of the game, but the injuries seem to hit us very hard. Remember when Bagwell got his yearly fractured hand in his prime - what, three years in a row? Cedeno suffered a bad knee injury in his prime. Morgan was knocked out of an ASG start with a fractured kneecap suffered in batting practice. To have no WS wins nor anybody wearing our cap in the HoF after nearly a half-century of play indicates an extra-ordinary string of bad luck.

[crashtest]

Here's a good site, the Curse of Judge Roy:

www.experiencefestival.com/curse_of_judge_hofheinz

[sadoug]

thanks for the site....but what i was talking about was not even injuries....lukemia, stroke, suiside/asphiation/cvancer......d*ckie Thon was injured...but the rest were taken

[crashtest]

sadoug said:

thanks for the site....but what i was talking about was not even injuries....lukemia, stroke, suiside/asphiation/cvancer......d*ckie Thon was injured...but the rest were taken

Quite true. Don Wilson was the JR of his day. He and JR were the two best African American pitchers in team history. Wilson had 2 no-hitters and lost a 3rd when Preston Gomez pulled him after 8 for a pinch hitter 9-4-1974 because we were losing 2-1. Three no-hitters in 8 seasons is pushing Nolan Ryan territory. But, like you said, BANG, 4 months later, he was dead, one month shy of 30, at the top of his game. It would be as if we lost Oswalt next week - Wilson was every bit as good. Likewise, JR ws felled at the very top of his career. The only case remotely similar that I can recall affecting another team was when Kile died in mid-season while with the Cardinals.

Walt Bond's case was a little different in that I think it was known that he had leukemia when he was with Cleveland. We'll have to ask James, but that fact is that we probably wouldn't have gotten him from Cleveland if he had a clean bill of health. He hit 6 HR in only 50 ABs in a cup of coffee in '62. He did not play in the majors in '63 (health problems?, needs for Hunter Pence seasoning in the minors?) We purchased him from Cleveland - I wonder if being close to the Texas Medical Center had anything to do with it - although MD Anderson only opened in 1971. I seem to recall that The Methodist was on the cutting edge of Heme/Onc in the mid 60's. Anyway, it is hard to figure why a guy like Bond could otherwise be had for the provrbial bucket of baseballs - even Bill James asked that question in his Historical Baeeball Abstract (on re-reading his essay, I doubt James was aware that it was known that Bond was suffering from leukemia as a possible reason why Cleveland kept him down on the farm.

An injury similar to Thon's was Tony Conigliaro's BoSox. Yeah, they b*tch and moan(ed) about their fnckin' Bambino Curse. Add to that Conigliaro times 3 or 4, no World Series Championships in ALL of team history - approaching half a century. Cry me a river, bean-turds, cry me a river. I read in a Tal Smith blurp, that in the years he was GM here, he signed the MOST players to end up in the majors than ANY other organization. We've had a wealth of talent. We had an original owner, R E "Bob" Smith who could have taken us to great heights of success. But, instead, we ended up with the likes of Hofheinz who buried the club into GE/Ford receivership, to an owner like John McMullen who was more interested in hockey than baseball (some foresight there, huh?) The 15 year reign of Drayton is just a glimmer of what could have been. Paul Richards conducted the best draft (re: Win Shares) of the original expansion. We still ended up with jack. Still, by the end of the decade, we had developed some of the finest young talent in all of baseball. Yet it was either p!ssed away or destroyed by bolts from Olympus. No team could suffer the WinShare gutting we experienced from either stupidity or very, very bad luck.

[crashtest]

And then.... and then, when we finally do come into dominance in the late 90's, we get trapped in the unprecedented run the Braves had. Bagwell did not play a single game that was part of a season in which the Braves did not make the post-season. Their Big Three pitchers - Maddox/Smoltz/Glavine knew EXACTLY how to shut down Biggio and Bagwell. I think Smoltz even bragged about that the last series with them. Then, when we win 102 games and finally escape the Braves, we get to face Brown what, 3 times in the haze of non-prime time. So yeah, cry me a river, BoSux nation. If y'all don't win another WS in another 200 years it will still be too soon.

[sadoug]

Dont get me started about the braves...The most dominate pitching staff of modern times and they only win one series?....thats why I think Bobby Cox is way over rated...

As for Biddio and bags...they kept Biggio off the bases any way they could and just walked Bagwell....over, and over, and over...nobody behind him

But the best team we ever had never got to play together...Morgan, Cedeno. Watson, Mayberry, Staub, Bond...oh crap...I cant even think about it

[sadoug]

Also...I was at that game where Wilson got pulled for the pinch hitter in the 8th...Damned shame....but at the time, it was not Ryan, but koufax that was the record holder for no hitters with THREE!!!...I couldnt fault Gomez though...the stros were behind 1-0 at the time

[crashtest]

sadoug - small world, my dad and I were at that game, too. We were in the left field side of the CF pavillion bleachers. Dad was so po'ed after Wilson got pulled that he packed up his binoculars to get ready to leave. I think it was Cosgrove who came in and the first batter was Tony Perez who lined a clean single to CF to break up the no-hitter. That did it, we up and left. It would have been Wilson's THIRD no-hitter and only the second time in MLB history that a pitcher got the L in a 9 inning no-hitter - the other, of course was Ken Johnson. Ironically, Gomez had pulled Clay Kirby in an identical situation when he managed San Diego. Tommy Helms was the pinch hitter - he had an BA/OBP of .279/.313 vs Wilson's .227/.286. Hence, if Gomez faced that situation 1,000 times, Helms would get on base 27 more times than Wilson. Furthermore, Wilson had 5 extra-base hits in 63 ABs - about one every 13 vs 27 in 452 (one in 16). Losing 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Gomez stood a better chance of Wilson getting into scoring position as the tying run than he did pinch-hitting with Helms. Considering Wilson had a no-hitter going, it was really stupid to take him out. Consider, if he had pinch hit with another PITCHER - Tom Griffin, he could have had .294BA/.324OBP/.456SA at the plate. At any rate, I don't think a less than 3% advantage in avoiding the out was worth costing Wilson his shot at a THIRD no-hitter. Morever, he brought in Cosgrove (a Lefty) to face Perez (RH, -8), Chaney (SH), Geronimo (LH, BB), Concepcion (RH, GIDP).

Here is the box score:

www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU197409040.shtml

Wilson had the added misfortune of leading off the 8th because Watson GIDPed to end the 7th. I guess Gomez might have PH'ed for Wilson in the 7th if Watson had just made an out since there would have been runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs, trailing 2-1. Of course, if Watson had gotten a hit to tie it, Wilson would have stayed in the game, but he probably would have been lifted eventually in extra-innings and still not have gotten credit for a no-hitter.

[jamesa46]

Walt Bond's case was a little different in that I think it was known that he had leukemia when he was with Cleveland. We'll have to ask James, but that fact is that we probably wouldn't have gotten him from Cleveland if he had a clean bill of health. He hit 6 HR in only 50 ABs in a cup of coffee in '62. He did not play in the majors in '63 (health problems?, needs for Hunter Pence seasoning in the minors?) We purchased him from Cleveland - I wonder if being close to the Texas Medical Center had anything to do with it - although MD Anderson only opened in 1971. I seem to recall that The Methodist was on the cutting edge of Heme/Onc in the mid 60's. Anyway, it is hard to figure why a guy like Bond could otherwise be had for the provrbial bucket of baseballs - even Bill James asked that question in his Historical Baeeball Abstract (on re-reading his essay, I doubt James was aware that it was known that Bond was suffering from leukemia as a possible reason why Cleveland kept him down on the farm.

Walt Bond's leukemia was discovered around 1958 when he was serving his required military service as was the case in those days. Although at the time the Army doctors determined that the disease was inactive, at some point they knew that it would become active - that's just the way it is with the disease.

Walt seemed to be more worried about losing time practicing with the team at spring training and possibly losing any chance to make the Cleveland team then the news of what the military doctors had discovered. At that point, the Indians were made aware of Walt's disease and confirmed by team doctors. When he was finally brought up late in the season in '62 he tore up the league.

But, the Indians had already decided on a lineup and it didnot include Walt. So, they sent Walt back down to AAA in 1963. Paul Richards heard that the Indians were interested in moving Bond and even though Richards was also made aware of Walter's illness, Paul Richards decided to take a chance with him....and in 1964, Walt Bond's first full season in the major leagues totaled 20 home runs and 85 RBI's not bad for a rookie. Plus, Walt Bond was extremely agile and fast for his size (6'7" tall and 250 lbs).

When the Astros moved to the Dome in 1965, Walt's offensive numbers plummeted, publicly, no one knew why Bond could not seem to at least equal or surpass the numbers he had put up in 1964 but as was confirmed by teammate, Astros pitcher Bob Bruce, the leukemia had become active and it was effecting his ability to play - Walt told his teammates of the problem but it was among that secret clubhouse chatter that never made it outside the clubhouse and kept secret. In fact when Bond left for ST at Cocoa, Florida with the Astros in the spring of 1965, team doctor Dr. Hatch W. Cummings, Jr. had written a letter to Walt telling him that his physical showed that the leukemia had become fully active and asked Walt to call him. Walt would not return Cummings phone calls and had already left for Florida. Walt simply refused to talk about it or use it as an excuse for his poor play.

Walt Bond wanted to play ball. He loved the game and simply refused to dwell on the illness. Bond was going to keep playing until he couldn't play anymore - which finally occurred on Sep. 14, 1967 when Walt Bond finally succumbed to leukemia at the age of 29.

When he heard of the death of Walt Bond, Mickey Herskowitz had this to say about Walt:

"I will always wonder if Walter Bond was one of the bravest men I ever knew, or one of the most stubborn, or both."

Mickey Herskowitz pretty much summed up Walt Bond both as a man and a player.

Astros team physician Dr. Hatch Cummings had this to say about Big Walter in a letter he had sent to Houston Post columnist Clark Nealon:

"Walter Bond died today and I am sad because I have lost a friend and a patient. During the several years that I have known Walter, I have liked him as a person and respected him as a man. It has been my sad duty to stand by - and help when I could - while a strong proud man succumbed to a relentless disease....he (Walter) showed the strength of character and will that only champions possess. It was an exhibition of courage, and in the best tradition of baseball"
- Hatch W. Cummings, Jr. M.D. - September 14, 1967

Sad indeed.....

Here are a couple of photos of several provided to me by Walt Bond's son Donald Bond.



This photo is of Walt Bond's favorite off-field pastime - spending time with neighborhood kids and showing them the finer points of hitting






This photo of of the basketball team that Walt and Joe Morgan put together called "The Magnificent Seven". They would travel to local Houston schools and put on exhibition games to help collect funds to finance local schools sports programs. #25 Tex Harrison in the back row was a member of the Harlem Globetrotters. The "Toy Cannon" is in the front row wearing - of course - #24.

Walt's son Donald Bond still lives in Houston. Donald is a CPA and also teaches at TSU....he is also one of the finest gentlemen I've had the privilege to get to know.

[crashtest]

Thanks, James. That was simply terrific. I remember you had done a feature story on Walt, but I had forgotten some of the exact details. OK, I am stunned that Cleveland could not find a single AB in the '63 season for a guy who had hit SIX HRs in FIFTY ABs in '62. That was a Ruthian feat. I think Bond's '64 season (at old Colt Stadium, perhaps the WORST hitter's park in the history of baseball) ranks as one of the finest in team history.

Baseball-reference has a great play-by-play feature:

www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLE/1962_sched.shtml

Bond's cup of coffee was poured Sept 16, 1962. He had an oh-fer. In the next 11 games he had 46 official AB - he had 6 HRs and 3 doubles knocked in 17 and scored 10 playing RF. The Indians thought better to give a Willie Tasby 75 games and 200 ABs to hit 4 HRs and 17 RBI. Taz impressed them so much they gave him 52 games and 116 ABs (.224/4/5) in '63, but they had no room for Walt. Of course, there was no hope breaking into an outfield featuring Tito Francona (500/.228/10/41). And remember, we didn't see fit to break spring training with Hunter Pence - so I'd imagine the Indians had a similar brain-fart line-up lock that inexplicably kept Walt off the team.

[crashtest]

www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/walt-bond/

Here is a great article on Walt's career, noteworthy for providing stats of the players who played ahead of him. Bond deserves the nickname "Starbucks" - the greatest cup of coffee in MLB history.

"Toward the conclusion of James's essay on Bond, he includes the remark: "I can't quite remember what it was, but I vaguely recall that he was involved in some kind of unseemly incident ... in '65." I haven't been able to find any corroboration."

I think Bill James needs to print a retraction if he ever updates his Historical Abstract. Since he never mentioned the fact Walt died of leukemia, that was probably the "unseemly incident" he vaguely recalled. Since Bill James has such a wide readership, that may be the only thing people might remember of Walt Bond, and he did nothing to deserve that smirch upon his character.

[Ken]

In 46 seasons, there have been 17 Opening Day Catchers: Ausmus (8), Ashby (7) Edwards (5) and Bateman (4) had the most. Eight players had but one OD start

This is a great thread. I dare the icehouse to even attempt this kind of mind candy....any way you could post the Astros players with the most opening day starts at each position?

[sadoug]

as a twist.,..i bet Biggio can qualify as the most opening day starts at DIFFERENT positions

[jamesa46]

"Toward the conclusion of James's essay on Bond, he includes the remark: "I can't quite remember what it was, but I vaguely recall that he was involved in some kind of unseemly incident ... in '65." I haven't been able to find any corroboration."

I think Bill James needs to print a retraction if he ever updates his Historical Abstract. Since he never mentioned the fact Walt died of leukemia, that was probably the "unseemly incident" he vaguely recalled. Since Bill James has such a wide readership, that may be the only thing people might remember of Walt Bond, and he did nothing to deserve that smirch upon his character.

Crash-
Bill James indeed needs to set the record straight.
I talked to Bob Bruce at length about Walt and what happened in '65 concerning Walter's inability to at least match his '64 stats and I also think people forget that at old Colt Stadium the foul lines were 360 ft. in distance and 420 ft. to dead center. It was a big ballpark.
Nothing from his family indicated some dark secret in Walt's past either.

Nothing "unseemly" occurred in Walt's career except when he was first signed to a professional contract. I found out that Walt was actually signed originally by the Cardinals and not the Indians so whatever stats information bureaus have on Walter is incorrect.

When Walt was sent to the Cards instructional league along with other young black ballplayers, there was a racial incident by some whites that didn't seem to care for the Cardinals signing black ballplayers and it was so bad that the team bus was nearly turned over. After that incident, the Cardinals traded all of these young black players with Walt going to Cleveland. Unfortunately, that's the way it was back in those days.

Walt tried a comeback in 1966 with Minnesota and Clark Nealon ran into Walt at spring training. Clark heard someone yelling at him from the outfield and when the ballplayer came running in to talk to Clark, Nealon realized it was Walt. He had lost a lot of weight and was now wearing glasses. He told Clark he had lost the weight to increase his speed to play the outfield. Of course, the reality of the matter was that the leukemia was continuing to destroy Walter's body.

Later, Bond received a letter from the Mets who stated that they were interested in signing him. Walter went to New York. Days later when his wife was packing up to move her and their son Donald to New York, she received a phone call from Walter. He said he was coming home. The leukemia had finally ravaged Walter to the point that the realization finally hit him that he simply could no longer physically perform as an athlete anymore. He came home and entered the hospital where all the doctors could do was watch him slowly die.