Wood vs. Wood #209

Last time 1962 shut out 1987 for the second matchup in a row, 9-0. Will 1987 get on the board this time?

Jim Fregosi poses in spring training on his rookie card. (In 1987, he would appear for the first time on his own Topps card as a manager, though he was previously in Topps Traded, Donruss, Fleer and Topps team cards as a manager.) Fregosi came up with the original Angels team of 1961 as a 19-year-old, and by 1963 was the regular third baseman. He had some solid seasons, and was a six-time All-Star due more to the lack of star power on the Angels then him being a premier third baseman. He had five seasons when he hit better than .275, and five seasons of 10+ HR, and led the AL with 13 triples in 1986. He was a very good fielder, winning a Gold Glove in 1967. Coming off a down year in 1970, the Angels sent him to the Mets for Nolan Ryan in what became one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history. The Mets sold Fregosi to the Rangers in 1973, where he spent a few years as a backup, and he ended his playing career with the Pirates. He was still on the Pirates in 1978 when the Angels expressed interest in him as a manager, and Pittsburgh let him retire to take on that role. Eight years after being traded for Ryan, Fregosi was now managing him. He guided the Angels to their first postseason in 1979, but was let go after down years in 1980 and 1981. He also had stints with the White Sox, Phillies and Blue Jays, winning an NL pennant in 1993 with Philadelphia. He died in 2014 after suffering a series of strokes onboard an MLB alumni cruise.

Rick Schu is caught in game action at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, his pants already ripped from a slide earlier in the game. He only played in one day game there in 1986, entering in the bottom of the seventh as a defensive replacement for Mike Schmidt on July 20, with the Phillies leading 9-0 (they would win 9-2). Schu would have one at-bat and flew out, so the rip would have had to come on a fielding play. Perhaps it was ripped catching Buddy Bell's lineout to end the eight, or handling Wade Rowdon's groundout to start the ninth. As a rookie in 1985, the Phillies were so impressed with Schu that they moved Mike Schmidt to first base to make room for him. Schu didn't live up to the hype (.252, 7 HR, 24 RBI) and Schmidt struggled with the position change. The Phillies moved Schmidt back to third in 1986, and he responded with an MVP season, while Schu did better in a backup role, with higher average, HR and RBI totals in exactly half the at-bats. After the 1987 season the Phillies traded Schu to the Orioles for Mike Young. Schu bounced around the majors for a few more stints with the Tigers, Angels and finally the Expos for one game in 1996. After his playing career he was a hitting coach for several teams, most recently the Giants in 2018 and 2019. He appears to now be retired.