I have two cards of Ron Blomberg. This one is from 1979 Topps.
Playing career: Ron Blomberg was the number one overall pick
in the 1967 draft, selected by the Yankees. Unfortunately injuries limited him
to just 461 games, 400 for the Yankees and 61 for the White Sox. He hit .293
with 52 HR and 224 RBI for his career. He is best known for being the first
designated hitter in the major leagues for the Yankees in 1973, drawing a walk
in the first plate appearance for the role. A fuller account of his career can
be found at Cardboard Junkie.
Where he is now: He is an active public speaker and is
involved with many charities, and has his own website. He also runs an annual
Ron Blomberg Baseball Camp which he claims is the largest Jewish sleepaway camp
in the United States. In 2012 he wrote a book, Designated Hebrew, about the positive and negative experiences of
being a Jewish baseball star in the south (where he grew up and played minor
league ball) and in New York. It also talks about his experiences managing in
the short-lived Israeli Baseball League.
My memories: He is before my time, but you always hear about
him whenever the topic of the designated hitter is brought up.
Google Autocomplete results: He is first when you type Ron
Bl, ahead of Ron Blank, a continuing education company. There do not appear to
be any other prominent Ron Blombergs.
Coming up next: The next profile will be Ben Blomdahl.
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