That set was classic. What a great card of Hundley.

Rick Schwab says in his book "Stuck on the Cubs" that Hundley was famous for never swearing. Hundley deserves a lot of credit for the strength of the Cubs pitching in the late-60's and early-70's.

Randy's 160 games caught in a season may NEVER be surpassed. This is a record that will stand for a long time.

Hundley was indeed durable, but Durocher didn't have the sense to rest him regularly.  Perhaps if he had, Hundley would not have been useless at the plate come September.

(year, BA,OBP,SLG)

1966. 145/202/205
      
1967. 212/240/313
      
1968. 155/209/214
      
1969. 162/247/237

His career might have been prolonged by a few years had he caught 20 or so fewer games each season.

Hundley a player was before my time (always one of my mother's favorites), so I only know him first-hand through the booth.  Later today I'll recount my favorite Randy broadcast moment (if only because it was so ridiculous)...the gay puppy.  Anyone else listening that day last April?

I love Randy and I love him on broadcasts when he has subbed.

I was glad that what happened with Todd didn't sour his relationship with the Cubs.

And Todd failing was such a huge disappointment.

And that was so tough on Santo during those games because Ron is Todd's godfather and Randy and Ron are thisclose.

I had the opportunity to play golf with Randy this past summer.  He is an absolute perfect gentleman.  He did not curse either, although the way we were playing he had ample opportunity to do so.  The man can pound the ball.  When asked about the Agee play Reb responded "I tagged him so hard I almost dropped the bloomin' ball".  One of my all time favorite players.  

Had a walk off 3-run HR vs. NYM in 1973 to complete a DH sweep when the Cubs were on a great roll and looked like the Mets were buried...I was so happy that day looked like their year to finally do it.

Famous game in 69 at Shea where he thought he tagged a guy out at the plate call went against them and Mets capitalized...

Al and others probably remember these games.

Backup caught Holtzman's 2nd No-no I think it was Danny Breeden (splg). Ridiculous the amount of games he played vs. today taking day off routinely day game after nite game agree no one will match his 160 G played..how many of those did he start, I wonder.

Marble mouth in the booth with that deep voice didn't like him much but didn't hear much of content may have offered more than Ronnie...that's not saying much, of course.

Fantasy camps a great invention and kept a lot of that group together for the Cub fans of that era, of which there are so many.

And, of course, that was followed by the famous film clip of a black cat strolling in front of the Cubs dugout at Shea. This is still why I hate the Mets.

Hate to bring it up...but anyone remember? I recall Hundley's jumping up out of frustration when the safe call was made, but dunno details of when this happened...the same series or game as the black cat??

The curse continues...but not like the Cubs lost div. that year by a few games...mets finished miles ahead of them with 100+ wins to the Cubs 92.

However, one key play or game mighta made a big diff...we'll never know.

Just checked out Randy's fantasy camps page (last updated 2004?) promises this year's coaches come from a group incl. Rick Ruschell--ouch!! Bilecki also misspelled, but that's a little more understandable (two of my faves!!).

Will give the Rebel a pass for today only to fix these errors!!

wandered by sometime in that series. I doubt if it took place  the same game, but you get the sense of the symbolism when the clip surfaces. The Cubs didn't have a frigging chance as Leo Durocher overplayed his hand -- Hundley would be one of the players who was never rested -- and the Mets, and Tom Seaver just kept on coming, and coming.

Unlike the debacles of 1984 and 2003, this was was drip.....drip...drip...every day, another game vanished off the lead -- an 8 and a half game lead vanished to a 8 game deficit. A 16 and a half game swing!!! I hated the Mets then way more than I despise the Cardinals today. And, I really don't hate the Cardinals...this was pure broken-hearted-ness on my part then.

I had the chance to meet and talk with Tom Seaver in the early 90s, and he was a wonderful man. I really enjoyed my chat with him, and we discussed that season -- it was just unbelieveable, for him, a rookie. I told him of being on the other side of the 'miracle' and he 'got it' as he felt he had many lows in his career, too (Did he feel my pain? He didn't have many lows in his career, as far as I can tell. But I think his departure from the Mets hurt, reading between his lines.) He was thankful for all that baseball allowed him to achieve. A true pro.  You might say I lost a bit of that... Mets hatred.

But, back to that era -- it was the New York hype -- "The Miracle Mets!" C'mon, they had only been around for 7 friggin' years. Big deal. At that time, the Cubs were working on (only -- and I say "only" because we're still waiting today) but it was "only" 24 years of not winning, at that moment in time. You can compare that to those who were of age for the '85 Bears. It's been a similar stretch of time (almost) since the Bears grabbed the ring. (And let us not wait for another 25 years)

Since guys like Al and I were just kids then, we might not have grabbed the significance -- but, it was the first time we felt we could win something. At that time -- historical reference --
the Bears were 1-13, the Bulls were 2 years old (and losing, although they actually made the playoffs their first season ) the ChiSox sucked -- they barely drew 700,000 people and played 10 games in Milwaukee that season and the Blackhawks were the best team in town!! Sold out every night at Chicago Stadium with Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and the rest, and won. (league and division titles) I know it's probably hard for you to believe, but we were hanging our hat on a Stanley Cup (hopefully) from the Blackhawks. They were EVERYTHING then. (And, this is why I mourn what has happend to the franchise over the past 15 years. The Blackhawks owned Chicago.)

But, for all our innocent glee, the 1969 season all turned to ash and dust, leading to broken-hearted kids, like me. And, the beginning of pure, outright hatred for the Mets.

...the frickin' smelly, stinky, icky Ritz Theater in Berwyn. I haven't seen a reference to that 'palace' in 30 years. It still seems amazing that we went to a movie theater to watch a hockey game. And, at least 4 theaters were equipped with this 'closed-circuit' TV feed, if I recall -- the only other one I remember was in Morton Grove. (off Touhy?) My Dad and I probably sat next to you. I was able to score tix in the 1st game at the Stadium, but that was all we could scrounge up. I couldn't make The Ritz for game 7 against the Habs....but my radio was sacrificed when Henri Richard scored the game winner in Game 7. That night, I sounded like Ron Santo does, in the current era. The scream could have been heard in Aurora.....

We just had NOTHING TO CHEER ABOUT IN THE 60's and 70's.....NOTHING! (Who needs stinkin' championships?) In ANY sport. But the Hawks were all we had -- as hard as that is believe, for Chicago kids today. Sure, there were individual players to get behind, but at that time -- Chicago was the 'city of big shoulders, but small trophy cases.'

*Full disclosure -- too young to enjoy the Blackhawks last Stanley Cup in 1961, Bears NFL title in '63. So, there was some Chicago success in the 60s, although I could not savor it.

...with the roof antenna until AT LEAST 1966.
That's probably why I also became a big AFL fan -- since only the Bears road games were televised. NBC would usually be running 2 AFL games, and the second game would almost always be the Chargers or the Raiders, depending on who was home and starting at 3:30 CST. So, it was either the nasty, dark, goofy looking Raiders with old-man-and ex-Bear George Blanda or the sleek, cool-looking Chargers with those snazzy uniforms and John Hadl throwing to Lance Alworth on every play. (Easy choice.)

And, ironically -- the voice of the Mets -- Lindsay Nelson -- would be calling Bears games. (In those days, CBS assigned personnel to cover the team the entire season.) Little did I know I would be following the words of an announcer closely attached to a team I would hate, very soon. He did have a strange staccato sing-songy announcing style...

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/frick_bios/nelson_lindsey.htm