Wood vs. Wood #86

Only five votes last time, with 1962 squeaking by, 3-2. Will this matchup generate more interest?

Donn Clendenon is showing off some pretty big arms for 1962. He was as much a man of brain as he was of brawn. Though he is in a Pirates uniform here and spent most of his career in Pittsburgh, he will always be remembered as a Met. Clendenon, whose father died of leukemia when he was a baby, was raised by his stepfather, former Negro Leagues star Nish Williams. Clendenon graduated high school when he was 15 and attended Morehouse College, which had a program that partnered freshmen with "Big Brothers". Clendenon's Big Brother was a recent graduate who was attending divinity school - Martin Luther King Jr. After graduating from Morehouse Clendenon turned down offers from the Cleveland Browns and Harlem Globetrotters to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates. By 1962 he was a regular with the team, and became part of Pittsburgh's "Lumber Company" alongside stars like Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell. Though he never attained their level of success, he was a consistent hitter with some power. His best season was 1966, when he hit .299 with 28 HR and 98 RBI, while also attending Duquesne University's law school. After a disappointing 1968 season where he led the NL in strikeouts, he was claimed by the Expos in the expansion draft, then traded to Houston. He retired rather than report to Houston, ended up unretiring to stay with the Expos, and was traded to the Mets mid-season to help with their pennant run. Clendenon emerged as a leader for the young Mets, and forever earned a place in team lore by hitting .357 with three home runs in the World Series, earning MVP honors. He retired after the 1972 season and got his law degree. He practiced law for many years, at law firms and as a general counsel. He died of leukemia in 2005. In 1,362 games he hit .274 with 159 HR and 682 RBI.

Nate Snell has a proud, almost shrewd look, on his card. Snell did not break into the major leagues until he was 31, partly because it took him a while to fully corral his stuff, partly because of Baltimore's deep pitching staff. He excelled as a long reliever during his brief major league career. In 104 games from 1984 to 1987, he went 7-6 with 5 saves and a 3.29 ERA. After his retirement he worked for UPS for 28 years, and does community outreach for the Orioles.