Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Cake or gum? 1976 Felix Millan

Last time it was a 10-0 blowout for gum. Will this be closer?

Felix Millan chokes way up on the bat, as he was famous for doing. These pictures both appear to have been taken at the same time, with Millan standing near the on-deck circle on the first base line. The only bit that is throwing me is the screen in front of the pitcher, seen on the Topps card but not the Hostess. Perhaps Millan is just perfectly angled to block the screen on the Hostess card, or maybe the screen was added or removed during the shoot.

Millan's extreme batting stance was productive, and he had some of the best bat control of all time. He struck out in just 4.2% of his at-bats, which is 25th all-time, and the lowest for anyone who played after 1965. He was a lifetime .279 hitter and won two Gold Gloves. He came up with the Braves in 1966 and was excellent for them for several years. He was traded to the Mets before the 1973 season and was a big reason for their surprise pennant that year. After his last game in the US, in 1977, he played three years in Japan, winning a batting title in 1979. After his retirement he was a coach in the Mets organization and ran a baseball academy in Florida. At age 81 he still does appearances for both the Braves and the Mets, teaches a youth bible class in Puerto Rico, and is the honorary commissioner of the Felix Millan Little League, which operates on Manhattan's Lower East Side.


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