Off topic

[OX 92]

I know LB played baseball. Does anyone know or know where I can find his stats. I always thought / had been told he was a starter at 1B but didn't play his senior yr due to being drafted by Boston.

 

[BankShot]

You'll need to ask Tom James, but I think that LB only played in one "token" game for ISU Baseball @ 1B...

 

[4Q_iu]

Larry's stats...

According to the 1980 ISU Baseball media guide (link below); Larry appeared in two games, had 2 at-bats, 1 hit (for 2 RBI) and struck out.

He's not credited with an extra-base hit...

The guide doesn't say which games (Trees were 41-11, 2nd in the MVC to the Shuckers)

http://scholars.indstate.edu/handle/10484/1276

 

[SycamoreSage]

LB Was Great Softball Player

Larry was an outstanding softball player in the Glenn Rec League during his undergraduate years.

 

[TJames]

Larry played in doubleheader against Wisconsin-Parkside....

he was a first baseman one game and a DH the other game. He about caused his prospective agent, Robert Woolfe, to have a heart attack in the stands when LB collided with the ISU catcher trying to haul in a pop up down the first base line. The catcher called him off, but LB being LB, he went for the ball. There was a collison and LB wound up with the catch. Bird laid there on the ground for a few minutes and people were worried. Turned out LB had swallowed some chewing tobacco that he had in his mouth when he collided with the ISU catcher. It was kind of funny after the fact.

The reason LB played in the doubleheader was two-fold: He had taken a baseball coaching class from ISU coach Bob Warn. Warn was always teasing him about coming out for baseball since Larry was an outstanding softball player. On top of that, Warn was a master promoter. He knew that if Larry came out to play one or two games, the crowds at Sycamore Field would balloon.

Larry took him up on his offer and that's what happened.

 

[ISU_TREE_FAN]

I believe that Quabachi's avatar on this forum is a copy of a baseball card for Larry Bird when he played for the Sycamores? As Sycamore Sage says, he only played in a DH and drew about 2000 - 2500 fans to the games. The usual crowd was about 200 fans even though the Sycamores were pretty darned good at that time.

I have the sealed card around here somewhere ?

 

[4Q_iu]

he was a first baseman one game and a DH the other game. He about caused his prospective agent, Robert Woolfe, to have a heart attack in the stands when LB collided with the ISU catcher trying to haul in a pop up down the first base line. The catcher called him off, but LB being LB, he went for the ball. There was a collison and LB wound up with the catch. Bird laid there on the ground for a few minutes and people were worried. Turned out LB had swallowed some chewing tobacco that he had in his mouth when he collided with the ISU catcher. It was kind of funny after the fact.

The reason LB played in the doubleheader was two-fold: He had taken a baseball coaching class from ISU coach Bob Warn. Warn was always teasing him about coming out for baseball since Larry was an outstanding softball player. On top of that, Warn was a master promoter. He knew that if Larry came out to play one or two games, the crowds at Sycamore Field would balloon.

Larry took him up on his offer and that's what happened.

Wisc-Parkside? The Baseball Media Guide doesn't have us playing Wisc-Parkside until 1980... Surely the Celtics wouldn't have let LB rtn to The Haute to play the Rangers...

 

[ISU_TREE_FAN]

Tried to insert photo of card; can't get it to work?

 

[Bob Evans]

I went to those games. I can't remember the opponent. I think he would have made the ISU team if baseball had been his chosen sport.