Your Random Mid 80's to Early 90's Baseball Player of the Day is Kent Hrbek.
In Minnesota, Kent "Hrby" Hrbek was larger than life. No, he was literally larger than life. Life weighs on the average of about 215 pounds. Kent Hrbek was much larger than that. Kent Hrbek was listed a svelte 235 pounds, which frankly, is a bald faced fucking lie. Hrby who despite evidence to the contrary was not Daniel Baldwin's twin. Hrbek made it possible for other plus size players like Mo Vaughn, John Jaha and John Kruk to enjoy solid baseball careers without the stigma and hatred of being endlessly labeled "fatties".
Hrbek was remembered fondly by Wikipedia as "an outstanding defensive player at his position and a perennial slugger, as well as being charismatic and often chewing bubble gum." Well, then. I asked my buddy Isaacs, a native Minneapolean (and still bitter about Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn) his fondest memories of Hrby, and here was his response...
"Well something that [you] need to include is that before every home game at the dome, when the announcer would say "there is no smoking in the metrodome" Hrby would fake smoke with one hand and wave [no smoking] with the other,and also, most importantly, I was at game 6, 1987 world series when he hit a grand slam and it was glorious like when frank the tank saw blue in heaven."
Unlike some other players we've remembered lately, Hrby was above mediocre. Hrby made the 1982 All-Star team as a rookie, and in 1984, finished second to Detroit closer Willie Hernandez in MVP voting, which is really un-fucking-believable. Over 14 seasons Hrby smacked 293 homers, batted .283, broke 47 clubhouse chairs and remarkably for a man of his girth, had 37 career steals.
Following his retirement from the game after the strike shortened 1994 season, Hrby focused his powers on other ventures. Beloved by Minnesotans, Hrby has not strayed far from the mainstream. Hrby has been the strongest Minnesota voice on trying to raise money and find a cure for ALS (Lou Gherig Disease). Hrby, always a fan of the outdoors has his own television show called "Kent Hrbek Outdoors", which means he probably does shit with nature. Hrby also does his best Billy Mays impersonation hawking products for. Twin Cities-area HVAC company Carrier Heating and Air Conditioning.
Clearly the second most beloved Twin of the 1980's and 1990's, Hrby is still a popular voice in Minnesota. And really, can we blame Minnesoteans? He won two world series rings. He pulled that bitch ass Ron Gant off first base. He ate what he wanted to eat and said what he wanted to say. He's a family man. He's a member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. When he was up for Cooperstown, five people actually voted for him. Minnesota is lucky to have Hrby.
So here's to you Kent Hrbek, while you probably will never make it to Cooperstown, you'll always be Hall of Fame in our book.
In Minnesota, Kent "Hrby" Hrbek was larger than life. No, he was literally larger than life. Life weighs on the average of about 215 pounds. Kent Hrbek was much larger than that. Kent Hrbek was listed a svelte 235 pounds, which frankly, is a bald faced fucking lie. Hrby who despite evidence to the contrary was not Daniel Baldwin's twin. Hrbek made it possible for other plus size players like Mo Vaughn, John Jaha and John Kruk to enjoy solid baseball careers without the stigma and hatred of being endlessly labeled "fatties".
Hrbek was remembered fondly by Wikipedia as "an outstanding defensive player at his position and a perennial slugger, as well as being charismatic and often chewing bubble gum." Well, then. I asked my buddy Isaacs, a native Minneapolean (and still bitter about Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn) his fondest memories of Hrby, and here was his response...
"Well something that [you] need to include is that before every home game at the dome, when the announcer would say "there is no smoking in the metrodome" Hrby would fake smoke with one hand and wave [no smoking] with the other,and also, most importantly, I was at game 6, 1987 world series when he hit a grand slam and it was glorious like when frank the tank saw blue in heaven."
Unlike some other players we've remembered lately, Hrby was above mediocre. Hrby made the 1982 All-Star team as a rookie, and in 1984, finished second to Detroit closer Willie Hernandez in MVP voting, which is really un-fucking-believable. Over 14 seasons Hrby smacked 293 homers, batted .283, broke 47 clubhouse chairs and remarkably for a man of his girth, had 37 career steals.
Following his retirement from the game after the strike shortened 1994 season, Hrby focused his powers on other ventures. Beloved by Minnesotans, Hrby has not strayed far from the mainstream. Hrby has been the strongest Minnesota voice on trying to raise money and find a cure for ALS (Lou Gherig Disease). Hrby, always a fan of the outdoors has his own television show called "Kent Hrbek Outdoors", which means he probably does shit with nature. Hrby also does his best Billy Mays impersonation hawking products for. Twin Cities-area HVAC company Carrier Heating and Air Conditioning.
Clearly the second most beloved Twin of the 1980's and 1990's, Hrby is still a popular voice in Minnesota. And really, can we blame Minnesoteans? He won two world series rings. He pulled that bitch ass Ron Gant off first base. He ate what he wanted to eat and said what he wanted to say. He's a family man. He's a member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. When he was up for Cooperstown, five people actually voted for him. Minnesota is lucky to have Hrby.
So here's to you Kent Hrbek, while you probably will never make it to Cooperstown, you'll always be Hall of Fame in our book.
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