Once in a Blue Moon

BLUE MOON ODOM  [SABR Bio] was the first American League pitcher to steal a base after the advent of the designated hitter, on 25-Apr-1973 He starred for a high school team that won consecutive state championships and then played for a team that won three straight at the major league level. Odom led Ballard-Hudson High School in Macon, Georgia to two consecutive state championships while personally amassing a 42-2 pitching record. He was a member of the Oakland A’s who won the World Series 1972, 1973 & 1974. He used to hate his unusual nickname but grew to love it. Given the nickname “Blue Moon” by a fifth-grade classmate.

ME: Odom later played for the Indians and Braves. He may have worn the widest range of colorful uniforms in history: Green, yellow, white, red, and blue. Odom was also involved in a legendary World Series play.

Come thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing your praise

Streams of never ceasing mercy

Call for songs of loudest praise

I am bound for the kingdom

Will you go to glory with me?

Hallelujah, praise the Lord.

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Hither by your help I come

And I hope by your good pleasure

Safety to arrive at home

Oh to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be

Let your grace, Lord, like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to you

Not much going on with me. Didn’t leave the house on Wednesday. English muffin for breakfast. Quesadillas for lunch. Frozen pizza for supper. Watched the remake of The Star is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. The Alamo Bowl was played last night. I wanted Colorado to win. They lost 55-23.

Couldn’t sleep Tuesday night, so I didn’t go vote Wednesday morning. Will try again tomorrow.

Might be going out to eat on New Year’s Eve with two other couples, Covid be damned.

STEVE BARBER [SABR Bio] the one-time San Francisco Giant boldly wore uniform number thirteen for the Seattle Pilots. He had also worn #13 when he pitched for BAL 1961-67. Played for SFG for 13 games in 1974 to end his career in the majors. He was the first pitcher to win twenty games in a season for his team, but wasn’t the first to do it for the franchise. Barber’s record was 20-13 in 1963, BAL’s 10th season in Baltimore as the Orioles. When the franchise was the Browns and played in St. Louis, 10 different pitchers had 20-win seasons, led by Urban Shocker’s 27 in 1921. He was cut by the Brewers in spring training in both 1970 and 1974. After his best years in Baltimore, he was plagued by arm trouble and never got back to the form that earned him MVP votes in his first two years in the majors and was twice selected for the AL AS team.

ALBERT PUJOLS  [B-R Bio] tied Alex Rodriguez for most home runs ever hit in the month of April when he clobbered 14 in 2007. One year earlier Pujols hit 14 HR in Aril of 2006. He still holds the National League record for most RBI in a season by a rookie, with 120 RBI in 2001. He is the only player in major league history to bat at least .300 with thirty or more home runs and 100 or more runs batted in every one of his first ten seasons. Pujols hasn’t hit .300 in any of the ten seasons since. He is the all-time leader in GIDP (399), but there’s little shame since the next four players behind him are all first-round Hall of Famers. The next four are Cal Ripken (350), Ivan Rodriguez (337), Hank Aaron (328) & Yaz (323).