Saturday, February 23, 2008

From Bill Strong #1


MAX PATKIN, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Max Patkin

6 comments:

Buckles said...

Who needs Steroids?

24-HOUR-MAN said...

That's funny!!!!

We had a minor league team in my home town, the "Springfield Giants", & occasionally one of these baseball comics would come in perform between innings. Don't know if there are any around today?

Anonymous said...

Billy Baker please phone home... we have found your Father!

Anonymous said...

Max Patkin was called the "clown prince of baseball." He traveled aroud the country for years performing at minor league baseball games. Sports Illustrated magazine did a wonderful profile of him about 15 or 20 yrs ago.

Someone could write a book about all the between innings entertainment that has appeared in the minor leagues. I especially remember seeing Capt. Dynamite who survived the detonation of explosives placed around his prone body. Am certain the man had no hearing left.

Anonymous said...

By most accounts Max was a pretty talented player in his own days in the minors, and despite a "career ending" injury had worked his way back to the point where he could have played in the bigs in the early 40's with the replacement squads if he hadn't enlisted instead. He was a truly gracious gentleman who knew the game as well as any manager, and several players noted that a word from Max in the right ear after he'd watched them in double A ball led to quick call ups to better teams in the farm systems and ultimately the majors. And he was genuinely funny.

Anonymous said...

Paul, Could you say this loud enough so us old-timers can hear you ?