Ray Herbert Interview...

[Lip Man 1]

Hi gang:

Hope everyone is well, Happy Halloween by the way.

As you know I'm now writing for the Chicago Baseball Museum but the mods at WSI are allowing me to post the link to my stories that appear at that location.

I've got a revised and updated interview with former Sox 20 game winner Ray Herbert up now.

I first spoke with Ray in depth in June 2004 and stayed in touch but never really took the time to see how he's doing and his thoughts on baseball today. So I called him recently and got his thoughts on those areas.

Here is the link to the interview:

http://www.chicagobaseballmuseum.org...t-20131030.pdf

There are new photos connected to the interview, a new opening / scene setter and again his thoughts on baseball today and how he is fairing.

I hope you will enjoy reading it.



Lip

[cards press box]

Great interview, Lip. When you look back at pitchers the Sox acquired from other teams like Bob Shaw, Turk Lown, Ray Herbert and Juan Pizzaro and see how well they did here. you have to think that Ray Berres was just an outstanding pitching coach and Al Lopez was a great handler of pitchers.

[LITTLE NELL]

I remember the 1962 season very well as that was the year I was a vendor. Saw many of Herbert's wins that year. Went to a Sat afternoon game in mid August, got in free but didn't feel like vending that day and watched Herbert beat the Tigers 2-0, went all nine innings allowing 3 hits.

PS Sox had went 85-77 that year which was their worst year since I started following them in earnest in 1954 but one of the best games I ever saw was the last Friday night home game of the season when the Sox scored 6 runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Yankees 7-6. IIRC the winning hit was a by a guy named Deacon Jones.

[Noneck]

I remember my dad always wanting a pinch hitter for Hansen. (he didnt like Hansen because he was no Looie) He called for Herbert on occasion.

[LITTLE NELL]

Hansen was a very good fielder and had a couple years when he drove in 65 runs. He hit 20 homers in 64 which was huge for a Shortstop in those days. I think he hurt his back in 65 and was never the same.

[Noneck]

Originally Posted by LITTLE NELL

Hansen was a very good fielder and had a couple years when he drove in 65 runs. He hit 20 homers in 64 which was huge for a Shortstop in those days. I think he hurt his back in 65 and was never the same.

It didnt matter what he did to my dad, he wasnt Looie.

[RCWHITESOX]

I was pretty happy when the Sox traded for Herbert. As a kid back then I was always looking forward to the winter meetings to see who the Sox would get. A much simpler time back then; kind of miss it.

[LITTLE NELL]

Originally Posted by Noneck

It didnt matter what he did to my dad, he wasnt Looie.

No doubt about it, Aparicio was one of the greatest. That being said the trade that brought us Hansen, Ward, Wilhelm and Nicholson for Aparicio and Al Smith after the 62 season was a pretty good trade and helped us average almost 96 wins a year for the 3 years following the trade. We had a down year in 66 with only 83 wins but came back and almost won the AL pennant with 89 wins in 67.

[Paulwny]

Thanks for the memories. Another great interview Lip.
I never knew that back then there weren't any pitching coaches in the minors.

[Noneck]

Originally Posted by LITTLE NELL

No doubt about it, Aparicio was one of the greatest. That being said the trade that brought us Hansen, Ward, Wilhelm and Nicholson for Aparicio and Al Smith after the 62 season was a pretty good trade and helped us average almost 96 wins a year for the 3 years following the trade. We had a down year in 66 with only 83 wins but came back and almost won the AL pennant with 89 wins in 67.

I agree but no one could ever convince my dad.

[LITTLE NELL]

Originally Posted by Noneck

I agree but no one could ever convince my dad.

There were a lot of fans who were upset with Aparicio when he said after being traded that it would take another 40 years for the Sox to win another pennant, as we all know he was off by 6 years.

[TheVulture]

Originally Posted by cards press box

Great interview, Lip. When you look back at pitchers the Sox acquired from other teams like Bob Shaw, Turk Lown, Ray Herbert and Juan Pizzaro and see how well they did here. you have to think that Ray Berres was just an outstanding pitching coach and Al Lopez was a great handler of pitchers.

The frozen balls, high grass and 360 ft down the lines probably didn't hurt either.

[LITTLE NELL]

Originally Posted by TheVulture

The frozen balls, high grass and 360 ft down the lines probably didn't hurt either.

It was 352 down the lines but the power alleys were 385 even though the markers said 375.
Old Comiskey was for sure a pitchers park but Berres and Lopez were still the best handlers of pitchers I've ever seen.

[BigKlu59]

Originally Posted by LITTLE NELL

It was 352 down the lines but the power alleys were 385 even though the markers said 375.
Old Comiskey was for sure a pitchers park but Berres and Lopez were still the best handlers of pitchers I've ever seen.

And so was the Conundrum of the Sox vs Yankees rivalry. Opposing pitchers that made a mistake and those long drives that died in Comiskey ended up rattling seat backs in "The House That Ruth Built"...

Sox always had great pitching...

BK59