Dock Ellis was an All Star, a champion, and threw a drug induced no-no.

Once upon a time there was a pitcher by the name of Dock Ellis. He pitched for a half dozen teams including winning 19 games for the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971. Ellis also started for the National League in the All Star game that season, but will always be remembered for one thing.

Dock … take it away.

Thanks to @GillianJacobs for finding this one. Love her!

Ellis had an eventful playing career. He was the pitcher that gave up Reggie Jackson’s famous All Star blast that is still going. He also beaned Mr. October in obvious retaliation, was maced by a Cincinnati security guard, and beaned nearly every single Cincinnati Red in a 1974 game. Ellis sadly died in late 2008.

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@DugoutDoctors

Big Mac Returns to the Batting Cage

After a few years of staying away from the baseball diamond and clear from cameras, Big Mark McGwire returned to the place that made him famous. Mac only took a few swing off the tee, and is noticeably smaller, but remember “steroids did not make him hit the ball out of the park.”

Whatever that means. Anyways, good to see you swinging again, Mac. It looks like you could hit .200 and knock at least 20 out, right?

The Upton Brothers are ready for a big 2010.

It typically takes years of hard work for a younger brother to finally pass his older brother in talent, but it only takes a few weeks to notice the difference. It did not take long for Justin Upton to pass his older brother Melvin Emmanuel, better known as B.J. (Bossman Junior), talent wise, and once thought of as B.J.’s little brother, these days B.J. is known as Justin’s older brother.

Both were drafted out of high school in Chesapeake, VA, and B.J. graduated high school in 2002 while Justin in 2005. Both were widely known as two of the top prospects in their classes and selected within the top two picks of their respective drafts.

B.J.’s professional career got off to a slow start but five years after being drafted after Bryan Bullington, and ahead of Prince Fielder and Zack Greinke, B.J. went wild in the 2008 playoffs against Boston.

B.J. hit four HR in seven post-season games against the mighty Bo-Sox and the Upton name was here to stay for a long time. Fantasy owners and Tampa Bay management are still holding on to the hope that B.J. can find that stroke again after a dismal 2009 campaign.

Justin was drafted as the No. 1 pick in 2005 and became the youngest player in MLB in 2007 when he came up as a 19 year old. He obviously did not belong in the minor leagues and it only took him one full season to get acclimated to big league pitching.

Last season, younger brother Justin had a monster season, hitting .300, getting on base at a .366 clip, 26 HR, 86 RBI, 20 SB, and 84 R; sheesh! Not bad for a 21 year old kid.

Both still young, B.J. will be 26 in August and Justin will turn 23 in August, a lot of progress is still to be made with the brothers. B.J. needs to make more contact and start getting on base more, while the sky is the limit for “little” brother Justin.

Still in his MLB infancy and already an All Star, Justin needs to hone a few big league skills like baserunning, defensive positioning, and even though he had a great hitting season, the kid still does not have a major league approach at the plate!

He might be younger in years but Justin is much more of a physical presence standing at 6’2” 205 lbs., while B.J. is only 170 lbs. at the same height.

B.J. has failed to live up to the expectations after his post-season HR binge (average has dropped the last three seasons and only hit .241 last year), but his brother has picked up the Upton family slack.

They both play different styles; Justin is a monster of a corner outfielder while Bossman Junior is a fleet footed center fielder, and it is a big year for both Uptons.

Joe Madden has never been the biggest fan of B.J. due to his deficiencies in center field and how he does not utilize his speed enough. Sure, he had 42 SB last season, but he hit .241 and got on base only 31% of the time, hence B.J.’s drop in the Tampa lineup. If those numbers do not improve, you could see the older Upton in another uniform by mid-season.

Justin on the other hand is not going anywhere. He will likely be the face of the Diamondback franchise as soon as Brandon Webb hits the road, which should be shortly, and after Justin tore the cover off the ball as a 21 year old last season, comparisons to Ken Griffey, Jr., are not pretentious.

It is a day most older brothers dread their entire lives, but they know it is inevitable, and it happens unexpectedly.

It is when the younger brother takes over as the better player, but what most older brothers forget is, the younger brother was made a better player by their hero, their older brother.

So for all you Justin Upton fans, do not thank Justin, thank his older brother Melvin Emmanuel, AKA B.J.

Matt Anaya
@MatAnaya
@DugoutDoctors

Postseason baseball is shaped by the iconography that is baseball itself. In the last quarter century, some of baseball’s most memorable moments played out on what proved to be the biggest stage possible.

From dramatic homeruns (who can forget Kirk Gibson in 1988 or Joe Carter going deep five years later?) to the straight up weird (we were treated to two in 2003…Steve Bartman in Chicago and the Pedro Martinez throw down of Don Zimmer), baseball fans have pretty much seen it all.

On October 25, 1986…the world bore witness to a routine ground ball that changed the course of the World Series for one team, prolonged a curse for another and overshadowed what was a pretty good career for Bill Buckner.

Much like the Bartman incident or Gibson hobbling around the bases, that ball going under Buckner’s mitt is one of baseball’s most widely known images and to one man…it is the cornerstone of a rather unique collection.

Seth Swirsky is the keeper of, if you ask me, one of the best privately owned baseball collections. Recently, I had the privilege to talk to him.

HOVG: You’ve accomplished plenty. Songwriter, artist, author, filmmaker…but, I’m cutting right the chase on this one. How did you end up in possession of the “Buckner Ball”? It was owned by Charlie Sheen before you got your paws on it, right?

SETH: Yes. Charlie was the first owner of the ball. He bought it at auction, in 1992. He auctioned it in April, 2000 and I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get one of those iconic pieces. The underbidder to both Sheen and me was Keith Olbermann.

HOVG: Okay…now that that is out of the way, let’s talk some baseball and not just about one ball. If someone were to head over to your site and look at your collection, what would be the first piece you’d want them to see…the crown jewel?

SETH: There are many. The letter from Commissioner Kenesaw “Mountain” Landis that banned “Shoeless” Joe Jackson; Reggie Jackson’s 3rd Home Run Ball from Game 6 of the ’77 World Series: Tom Seaver’s ’69 World Series Home Jersey; The “Buckner Ball”…rare autographs of the midget Eddie Gaedel and “Shoeless” Joe (who was illerate); a baseball signed by The Beatles on the night they played their famous Shea Stadium concert, in August, 1965. Too many “favorites” to mention. They all are part of the many themes in my collection.

HOVG: How did you get started with collecting? What was your first piece?

SETH: In November 1994, I bought, off of QVC, a baseball signed by the living members of the ’69 Mets. I grew up loving that team, so I bought the ball. I found that I really enjoyed looking at the ball with all those signatures. I then saw a 1952 N.Y. Yankees team ball with Mickey Mantle on it. It was a beautiful ball. I bought it and still have it. I then got to spend an afternoon with the famed collector, Barry Halper and I saw the quality of his things. Every piece told a story. Barry loved themes and truly historic pieces. I was very fortunate to have met him and become a good friend of his.

HOVG: Any recent finds?

SETH: I just picked up the first home run hit at Wrigley Field in it’s first-ever night game. It was hit by Lenny Dykstra in 1988. It goes with a theme I have called “Like Night and Day” and includes a baseball used in baseball’s first-ever night game (in May, 1935, in Cincinnati), a program from that game, a letter from the starting Reds pitcher that night and a ticket to that game. I also have a ball used in the first night game in Brooklyn Dodgers history that also happened to be the occasion of Johnny Vander Meer’s 2nd no hitter. Along with those things, I have a ball used in the first night game in St. Louis history (a Browns game in 1940) along with a very old photograph of Thomas Edison…whose invention of the lightbulb made baseball at night possible!

HOVG: Is there anything that your wife Jody looks at and wishes you didn’t purchase?

SETH: No. She digs my passion.

HOVG: Despite your allegiance to the New York Mets, your baseball hero was, if I’ve done my homework correctly, Mickey Mantle. Tell me about your 1994 meeting with “The Mick”.

SETH: It was the first autograph “show” I went to. It was in San Francisco, around Thanksgiving, 1995. I remember shaking Mickey’s hand. A warm, huge hand. He was such a nice man. And so nice to everyone in line. A real good guy. I asked him, of all the rings he’s won, which was he wearing? He said “my Hall of Fame ring…you know, I went in with Whitey”, referring to his great friend on the Yankees, pitching great, Whitey Ford. He showed it to me. It was a neat experience. He died about 10 months later. I was so glad to have met him. He really made an impression…of a warm, nice, real human being!

HOVG: Which brings me to your books. You said in a 2000 interview that Mantle’s was the one letter that you wished you had gotten in return. For those that aren’t familiar, you’ve authored three books where, basically, you re-print letters that you’ve received from baseball players, as well as some of the game’s more popular fans. Where did you ever come up with the idea? Did it start as another way to get some cherished memorabilia or fodder for a book? Or both?

SETH: No, I wrote those letters because I started to delve deep into the rich history of the game and I simply wanted answers to some questions from the players that participated in some of the great moments. Tons of players wrote back…very famous players and not so famous players. I just loved their stories, in their handwriting, with other people.

HOVG: Of all the replies that you’ve received…do you have a favorite?

SETH: I love Cal Ripken Jr.’s letter about how he became close to his dad. He wrote that he had five brothers and sisters and his dad, who was a coach with the Orioles, would take him to the ballpark with him as none of his other siblings wanted to go. I used to love to “go to work” with my dad growing up and it reminded me of that poignant moment. But, there are so many. Handwritten letters from Sir Paul McCartney, President George W. Bush, Ted Williams, Tom Seaver…they run the gamut.

HOVG: You’re a huge baseball fan, clearly. But as you’ve said, your “soul is in music”. Tell me about that letter you received from McCartney?

SETH: I saw him on TV at a Yankees game. During the seventh inning stretch, the organist played The Beatles great song, “I Saw Her Standing There”. Paul got up and sang it out loud. I thought, I’m going to write to Paul to get the story of how he got into liking baseball and what it was like for him to hear Beatles songs over huge loudspeakers while he’s a spectator at a baseball game. A week later, I got a Fedex from London, opened it and out pops a two paragraph, handwritten letter from Sir Paul for my third book of letters called “Something to Write Home About: Great Baseball Memories in Letters to a Fan”. It was thrilling to get his letter.

HOVG: Let’s talk music and that love of The Beatles. Great artists and songwriters, who, collectively…are, quite possibly, are one of the greatest bands ever assembled. In your estimation…who would be the baseball equivalent of The Beatles?

SETH: The closest I can think of is the 1976-1981 New York Yankees. They went to the World Series four times in those years. They had a cast of “cool” characters (“Reggie”, “Sweet Lou” Pinella, Bucky Dent) and they could beat you in many ways…like the many ways The Beatles could make you feel when listening to their albums.

HOVG: One last Beatles-related question…when are we going to be able to see the documentary, “A Year in the Life”, you’ve been putting together?

SETH: It is being edited now with a hopeful release next year.

HOVG: Anything you want to add? What’s going on currently in your life and what is next?

SETH: I’m finishing up my new solo record called “Watercolor Day”. 15 pop songs. Due out, this January. Check out www.seth.com. Also, my band, The Red Button, will have a new album out in the spring and we’re going on a European tour in April-May.

Seth Swirsky

Seth Swirsky is an American pop music songwriter, recording artist, author, filmmaker and memorabilia collector. His music credits include working with the likes of Celine Dion, Tina Turner, Air Supply, Michael McDonald and Al Green.

Most recently, he has recorded with The Red Button alongside Mike Ruekberg. Their debut album “She’s About To Cross My Mind” was released in 2007 to critical acclaim.

Swirsky’s three books “Baseball Letters: A Fan’s Correspondence With His Heroes”, “Every Pitcher Tells A Story: Letters Gathered by a Devoted Fan” and “Something to Write Home About: Great Baseball Memories in Letters to a Fan” are half of the books I’ve read in the last two years.

Shawn also writes for The Hall of Very Good(HOVG). If you liked this article, please follow the link to the HOVG and tell them the Drs. sent you!