This is Terry Forster, a man of many interesting distinctions, including being the last American League pitcher to steal a base in a regular season game before the introduction of inter-league play (October 3, 1972) and the player with the highest career batting average in 50 or more at bats (.397). He's also the only player to be called a "Fat tub of goo" on national television by a prominent late-night talk show host, and the only one to record a novelty rap single as a response. To read more about "Fat Is In," Forster's ill-considered attempt at chart glory, check out my latest "Bloop Hits" piece for Fox Sports' Just a Bit Outside site.
Speaking of Bloop Hits, did you know that the tragic Red Sox heartthrob Tony Conigliaro recorded five singles? Yeah, I didn't either, at least until I started doing research for THIS Bloop Hits piece. I knew about "Playing the Field," but the man clearly had quite the stylistic range, even if his vocal range didn't quite keep the pace...
I also wrote a Bloop Hits on "I Love Mickey," the 1956 "duet" between Teresa Brewer and Mickey Mantle. It's interesting to me that "I Love Mickey" was the only hit of Brewer's long career that she had a hand in writing. It also wasn't even the most insane-sounding thing she ever cut.
Finally, I shook off the cobwebs accumulated during my happiest Christmas ever by writing a piece for Rolling Stone on this year's Hall of Fame inductees. Though I mention in it that Pedro Martinez may well be the first player with a Jheri curl on his HOF plaque, I somehow spaced on the fact that Rickey Henderson already beat him to it. Well, that's Rickey being Rickey for ya, but I still hope that Pedro's plaque lets his soul glo...
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