Knuckleballer Phil Niekro was a white haired 43 year old on the 21-day disabled list, when the Braves started their season in ’82. Surprisingly though, Phil wasn’t washed up yet. He almost won 20 games while earning the NL gold glove. All he wanted though, was to get his team to win the NL West.
Is it just me or does Claudell Washington look kinda goofy here? Rick Mahler looks like a perfect fit for a southern team with that shave. I’ve always imagined he’s in the middle of telling about a fish he caught earlier.
When spring training opened in 1982, future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry wasn’t signed to any team yet. Being he was just 3 victories short of joining the 300 club, he was sure to get a starting job somewhere to get a chance to reach a couple milestones.