Conversation from tonight's Ranger game against the Angels after C.J. Cron pulled two straight foul balls into the Angels' dugout on the 3rd base side...
Steve Busby: Remember Keith Marshall? He was with us...
Tom Grieve: Keith Marshall?
SB: ...back in the 80s.
TG: No.
SB: Outfielder?
TG: (after a pause) My memory only goes back to about '89, '91.
SB: Right handed hitter. He cleaned out the Angel dugout on 5 consecutive foul balls one night. Just ripping the ball into the Angel dugout, and he finally got everybody to leave the dugout.
TG: That was David Hulse, wasn't it?
SB: No. Hulse was a left-handed hitter. Marshall was a right-handed hitter.
TG: Well, I don't remember that.
There's a reason why Tom doesn't remember that. It didn't happen.
The facts that Keith Marshall batted right-handed and that Hulse was a lefty were the only facts Busby got right. For one, Keith Marshall never played for the Rangers. He also never played in the 80s. According to retrosheet.org, Keith Marshall played in 8 games for the 1973 Royals... and that was it. And Grieve was right, it was Hulse who peppered the Angel dugout with several consecutive foul balls, causing everyone to leave the dugout. It's also odd that Busby would assume that the more likely guy to hit foul balls into the 3rd base dugout would be a right-handed hitter and dismiss the idea that a left-handed batter could manage it.
To be fair, the '73 KC team this Marshall guy played on featured Steve Busby as its ace. And Marshall did play a game in California against the Angels. It was only 1 plate appearance, but it was his first major league hit (half his career total), so it's possible he fouled off 5 straight pitches into the Angel dugout in that one at bat. But the more likely thing is... Busby is losing it.
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2 comments:
It is sad that Grieve is the better half of that duo. They are as unlistenable as the Rangers are unwatchable. Thank goodness for mlb.tv.
I remember when Hulse did that!
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