[Eugene Church]

EC is really enjoying another baseball book, "Twilight of the Long-ball God" by John Schulian. Don't let the title turn you off. It's really full of stories about the sadly obscure-career minor leaguers, the guys that tore up the minors, but never made the major leagues because of 'Uncle Charlie, the widow-maker and the hipper-dipper" - names for those curves balls and breaking balls that broke the hearts of many MLB wannabes..

I am changing my ways. I read a good story and tell myself this is one I need to share in my IPA dynasty. A lot of pages go by and I want to post the story as the super scribe write it, but I can't find it in the book. Now I intend to post the story when I read it. It's sad to say my memory has deprived you of many wonderful and unique stories. I can still remember obscure "one-hit wonders" and their songs. Folks like Dale and Grace and "I'm Leaving It All Up To You" , Ernie K-Doe's "Mother-in-Law" and "This Time" by Troy Shondell.and I can still remember minor league superstars that most of you probably never heard of. Like Bob Lennon of the Nashville Vols, who sent longballs flying out of Sulphur Dell in the 1950s, Ron Necciai, who is best remembered for the unique feat of striking out 27 batters in a nine-inning game, which he accomplished while playing with the Class-D Appalachian League team, the Bristol Twins, on May 13, 1952. He is the only pitcher ever to do so in a nine-inning, professional-league game.

At 20 years old, Necciai posted a 1–6 record for the Pittsburgh Pirates with 31 strikeouts and a 7.08 earned run average in his 55 innings pitched from August 10 to September 28, 1952, the single season comprising his entire Major League Baseball career.

Here's quick story from John Schulian's fine book:

"Wit, Quips and Quotes From the Diamond Minds"
"In the 1920s John King had one of the sweetest southpaw strokes the East Texas League ever saw. However. he couldn't have connected against a left-hander if the left-hander has run across the plate carrying the ball. Understandably, this shortcoming prevented King from rising to the majors. He responded by despising lefties of every persuasion, even the blind street fiddler he once gave a silver dollar. Whe King saw what hand the fiddler held his bow with, he took his money back.

His foul mood lasted long after he stopped batting .330 and started drilling oil. Indeed, he went so far as to turn his back on Lubblock, Texas, where he'd made millions. The reason King said should have been self-expanatory: "Too many left-handed neighbors".