Spring Training

The Fan Teaser Solution: Week 123

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With Major League Baseball’s Spring Training in full swing, we thought it’d be fun to take a trip down memory lane with a few variations on a theme of campy group MLB photos. Let’s see how you do figuring out who’s in each of the following three images that have a similar appearance.

Image 1

Who are these four Bums from Brooklyn and, as a bonus, who’s the tennis star egging them on?

This fun group was photographed in Vero Beach, FL, circa 1955 or so. At far right is professional tennis player, Gussie Moran, who did some work as a sportscaster at New York’s WMGM radio station. This undated photo may have been while she was there. Moran’s highest U.S. ranking was fourth and she advanced to the U.S. Open singles semifinals in 1948 and the Wimbledon singles quarterfinals in 1950.

The Brooklyn Dodgers leaping skyward with their tennis rackets are, from left, Don Zimmer, Duke Snider, Carl Erskine, Walt Moryn. Erskine was the last surviving member of this photo, dying at the age of 97 on April 16, 2024.

Brooklyn Dodgers Players & Gussie Moran
From left, Don Zimmer, Duke Snider, Carl Erskine, Walt Moryn, and Gussie Moran. (Brooklyn Dodgers Photo)

Image 2

There are 27 Gold Gloves, 24 All-Star appearances, two MVP winners, and one World Series-winning manager in this photo.

The Baltimore Orioles of the late 1960s and early 1970s were a talented team that’s for sure. Most of the notoriety went to the pitching staff that featured the likes of Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally, and Jim Palmer. It’s infield wasn’t too shabby, either. In this undated spring training photo is Baltimore’s starting infield of Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger, Davey Johnson, and Boog Powell.

Of those Gold Gloves referenced in the clue, 24 of them were on the left side of the infield. Robinson won 16 and Belanger eight!

Baltimore Orioles Infield
From left, Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger, Davey Johnson, and Boog Powell flash some leather during spring training. (Baltimore Orioles Photo)

Image 3

There are nearly 10,000 career base hits, 42 All-Star appearances, four MVP winners, and two Rookies of the Year in this photo.

What a star-studded quartet this was in the middle of the California Angels’ lineup during the 1982 season! Sure, each of them was beginning to play the proverbial back nine by the time they gathered in Anaheim, but Don Baylor, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, and Fred Lynn posed a formidable heart of the batting order.

Carew and Jackson both have plaques hanging in Cooperstown, Lynn was the first league Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (1975 Boston Red Sox), and Baylor was as professional a hitter as they came.

Here’s a look at their career totals:

  • Baylor – 2,292 Games/2,135 Hits/338 HRs/1,276 RBIs/.260 BA/1979 AL MVP
  • Carew – 2,469 Games/3,053 Hits/1,015 RBIs/1,424 Runs/.328 BA/1967 RoY/1977 MVP
  • Jackson – 2,820 Games/2,584 Hits/563 HRs/1,702 RBIs/.262 BA/1973 MVP
  • Lynn – 1,969 Games/1,960 Hits/306 HRs/1,111 RBIs/.283 BA/1975 RoY/1975 MVP
California Angels Big Hitters
From left, Fred Lynn, Don Baylor, Reggie Jackson, and Rod Carew. (California Angels Photo)

Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.

The Fan Teaser: Week 20 Solution

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Back in ’81 things were really looking up for this guy.

If you guessed Los Angeles Dodgers’ lefthanded pitcher Fernando Valenzuela as this week’s Fan Teaser answer you’re correct.

Forty-two years ago, Fernandomania began regionally in southern California, but by the time the season had reached its halfway point it was a full-blown epidemic nationwide. His unusual windup that had him gazing skyward for a moment fascinated, as did his reliance on the screwball, a pitch that was not featured by many in the Majors.

And what a magical season it was. Valenzuela, just 20-years-old, won the National League Cy Young Award, the NL Rookie of the Year Award, was the NL’s All-Start Game starting pitcher, and also won the Silver Slugger Award for best hitting pitcher (batted .250 with seven RBIs, and a triple). Oh yeah, his went 3-1 over five post-season starts as his Dodgers won the World Series.

Fernando Valenzuela
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela had a unique delivery.

Valenzuela played in the Majors until 1997 and was still actively pitching professionally – as we learned from former “Conversations with Sports Fans” guest Zach McClellan (Season 1, Episode 33) – he was still pitching professionally as a 46-year-old for Mexicali in the Mexican Pacific Winter League in 2008. The Dodgers will honor Valenzuela this season by retiring his #34. Read about his impact on the Los Angeles community here by Los Angeles Times columnist, Bill Plaschke.

The very same Los Angeles Times produced a 9-episode YouTube series in 2021 celebrating the 40th anniversary of Fernandomania. It is, to borrow a phrase from another Fernando, “mahvaloous.” You’re able to view those episodes below.

Episode 1 – Fernando, the Hero

Episode 2 – Fernando, Discovered

Episode 3 – Chavez Ravine Ghosts

Episode 4 – Mexican Sandy Koufax

Episode 5 – 1981 Opening Day

Episode 6 – A Changed Fanbase

Episode 7 – The Screwball

Episode 8 – The Media Adapts

Episode 9 – Meeting President Reagan

Just to review, The Fan Teaser comes courtesy of longtime buddy, Pat Schutte. The cropped photo below and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you by the early kickoff on Sunday.

The Fan Teaser: Week 19 Solution

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The prequel to Pillow Fight Night @ Tucson Electric Park?

As MLB’s Spring Training kicks into gear, it seems only fitting to look back at one of the most … unusual? … iconic? … infamous? … moments from Grapefruit or Cactus League action this century.

On March 24, 2001, future Baseball Hall of Famer and then-Arizona Diamondback lefty, Randy Johnson unleashed one of his fastballs in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Tucson’s Electric Park and – midway to homeplate – it struck a bird that picked the wrong time and wrong path to visit its feathered friends on the other side of the grandstand.

Randy Johnson bird hit
Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitcher Randy Johnson, catcher Rod Barajas, and batter Calvin Murray all gaze
at the explosion.

As we dug into this memory a bit, we discovered this retrospective in the USA Today from a couple years ago. Within, we learn that the batter was a player named Calvin Murray who played 288 career MLB games. He might be better known as the uncle of current Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback, Kyler Murray.

Long-since retired, Johnson now focuses on his photography where – unsuprisingly – he’s co-opted the exploding bird as his logo. Check out his Randy Johnson Photography website here.

Just to review, The Fan Teaser comes courtesy of longtime buddy, Pat Schutte. The cropped photo below and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you by the early kickoff on Sunday.