On this day in 1978, Johnny Bench — one of the greatest catchers of all time, and the best of the 70s in my opinion — hit his 300th career home run on his way to an eventual (and well-deserved) enshrinement in Cooperstown. The server of gopher ball #300 was Mets hurler Nino Espinosa, who would never be a Hall of Famer, but who certainly belongs in the Big Hair & Plastic Grass Hall of Fame for his impressive afro alone. But just when I was about to crown Nino's coif as the greatest Mets 'fro of all time, I ran across this photo of Billy Baldwin...
Baldwin — who just passed away a few weeks ago — didn't get much playing time in the Bigs, so you (or I) wouldn't be faulted for not remembering him. The Tigers called him up in late July '75 after he'd hit a combined .302 with 16 homers for their Montgomery and Evansville farm teams, and started him in right and center during August and September, as one of the worst Tigers clubs in history played out the string. He hit .221 with 4 homers and 8 RBI in 30 games for Detroit, who then shipped him to Queens in the off-season as a throw-in in the Mickey Lolich-for-Rusty Staub deal. He spent most of the '76 season the minors, but earned a late-season call-up to the Mets with a .271, 17 homer, 72 RBI performance at Tidewater. He posted a .273 mark with the Mets in September, but failed to catch on with the team the following spring — and despite turning in a nearly identical performance at Tidewater in '77, never played an inning in the Majors again. He did, however, leave us with this stunningly 'fro-tastic photo.
Rest in peace, Nino and Billy. May you both be grooving mightily on the Soul Train line in the next world.
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