OT-Jim Gentile ties Maris for RBI crown...49 years later!

[brian1961]

Hooray for Jim Gentile, and the attention it is bringing him. I love Maris, but Jim deserves the RBI honor. I am also glad this was discovered while he was still alive and can enjoy the news, etc. That idea of the Orioles giving Jim the 5K bonus belatedly is a great idea. It would bring the Orioles organization a lot of kudos and admiration for such a gesture, particularly having Lee MacPhail's relative present the check to Jim, while giving him a "day" at an Orioles home game. Lots of extra fans would come to the game just to see them do it.

Though I have no stat book in front of me, Jim Gentile did have one spectacular 1961 season. If you check, I think you will find his runs batted in was accomplished on relatively few hits. Now, in 1961 Jim tied Ernie Banks' then major league record of 5 grand slam home runs. Thus, he created 20 of those runs with only five at-bats. Regardless, every player has potentially the same opportunity, but Jim Gentile drove in 142 runs on just a few more hits. Amazing. Plus, he still hit .302.

As for baseball cards, my first year collecting was 1961. It was a dark rainy late summer night, and I accompanied my Dad to Wahlgreen's in Skokie, Illinois where we lived. I got one pack of Topps cards. Lo and behold, one of the five was Jim Gentile. The main reason I remember is that was the ONLY pack of '61 high numbers I ever got. For whatever reason, I was not able to make it back to the Wahlgreen's, which was not in walking distance for me as a 7-year-old. The Gentile card was, of course, off-center some, but I still have it. A terrific-looking card, if I may say so.

My favorite memory of Jim Gentile baseball cards came the following year. Post Cereal was having its largest baseball card promotion in 1962, and I was an ardent collector of them. There was a Post Cereal TV commercial with Jim Gentile and his two sons. Father and sons were having a little game of baseball, and Jim hit one to his son, who was pitching, and was thrown out at first, where his other son was playing. Dad Gentile was being a good sport about it, then he began talking to us kids at home about these great Post Cereal baseball cards. The camera displayed images of several cards, particularly Gentile. Naturally, after seeing the cool commercial, I made sure to pick out a Post box with Gentile on the back. I knew I probably would not complete that 200-card set, which was true, but you best be sure I was going to get a Gentile Post Cereal card.

It is fascinating how some things you saw on TV as a kid leave such an impression upon you, they come back to mind after 49 years. I guess the story about Jim finally "winning" the 1961 AL RBI crown got me reflecting.

--Brian Powell