A thorough guide to baseball’s wild, weird and unusual

Posted Jun 2, 2010 by Bob D'Angelo

Updated Jun 27, 2010 at 07:01 PM

Baseball’s history is so diverse, and yet the sport itself caters to stat freaks. I confess, I love statistics and can recite plenty of them. But the game also had plenty of colorful characters, people who did not necessarily make the Hall of Fame but nevertheless had an impact on the game.

So an irreverent look at baseball, written by a member of the Society for Baseball Research, is a perfect marriage.
“The Underground Baseball Encyclopedia: Baseball Stuff You Never Needed to Know and Can Certainly Live Without,” (Triumph Books, paperback $14.95) was written by SABR member Robert Schnakenberg.

And if the information doesn’t draw you into the book, the cover certainly will. The top half of the cover is adorned with a pair of photos — and it looks like Rollie Fingers (on the left-hand side of the cover) is giving a long, hard look at Alyssa Milano. The television actress has a bat slung over her shoulder and is wearing a shirt that bears the slogan “Touch.”

It’s a provocative start. What’s inside the book is compelling, too.

There are famous fans, like Hilda Chester (Brooklyn Dodgers), Robert Szasz (Tropicana Field’s “Happy Heckler.”) and Krazy George Henderson (who called himself the World’s Sexiest Professional Cheerleader).

Ballparks have their share of colorful vendors, and they are included here: Houston vendor “Arnie the Peanut Dude,” Rockies vendor “Captain Earthman,” the Tigers’ Singing Hot Dog Man; and Minnesota’s “Wally the Beer Man.”
Wild promotions? Check out the listings for Disco Demolition Night and the Great Pierogie Race. Mascots like Raymond (Rays) and Chief Noc-A-Homa (Braves) are included, too.

What I enjoyed most about this book were some of the obscure entries. For example, Steve Hamilton’s Folly Floater, Strat-O-Matic Baseball (but where, oh where, is APBA Baseball, the best baseball dice board/strategy game ever invented? Sorry, Strat fans …). And even Jay Mazzone (Orioles bat boy who had metal claws for hands).

It’s 282 pages of pure fun. More fun than a smooch from Morganna the kissing bandit (Page 173), a mouthful of Big League Chew (page 28) or singing along to “The Curly Shuffle” (Page 76).