Bob Botz joined the Mets on October 16th, 1961. His contract was purchased from the Milwaukee Braves. Botz received an invitation to spring training in 1962, but he was returned to the Braves on April 2nd, when he didn't make the team. One month later, Botz was dealt by the Braves to the Angels. In California, he posted a 3.43 ERA over 63 innings pitched that summer, much better than any reliever in Flushing. Botz was at some point given the nickname "Butterball". It was previously believed that Mr. Botz had passed away, but it turns out it was his son who passed on.
I purchased this ball from a long time private collector. The picture is a bit blurry, at some point I need to retake the photo. I also hope to mail a ball to Mr. Botz residence. It was believed he had passed away, but I learned otherwise while writing this post. Baseball Reference even had him listed as dead. It turned out it was his son who passed away, which is still sad. I hope to inquire about a custom signed baseball this spring.
No comments:
Post a Comment