Real baseball fans enjoy the holiday season but their true passion doesn’t always take a back seat to the holiday spirit. So, with apologies to Nat “King” Cole & Mel Torme, here’s the baseball nerd version of the Christmas Song.
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”
(Virgil “Fire” Trucks pitched for 17 years in the big leagues and made two All-Star teams)
“Jack Frost nipping at your nose”
(Dave Frost was a 16-game winner for the Angels in 1979)
“Yuletide carols being sung by a choir”
(Dae-Sung Koo pitched in 33 games for the Mets in 2005 after being called up from the AAA Norfolk Tides)
“And folks dressed up like Eskimos”
(The Edmonton Eskimos were part of the Western International League in 1953 & 54. One of the pitchers on the ’53 team was former Negro League star Leon Day…he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995)
“Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe”
(Turk Wendell pitched for 11 years in the majors and never met a foul line he liked)
“Help to make the season bright”
(Harry Bright was a big league infielder for eight seasons in the 50’s & 60’s)
“Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow”
(Tot Pressnell pitched for the Dodgers & Cubs from 1938-42)
“Will find it hard to sleep tonight”
(Sleeper Sullivan played professional baseball from 1881-84 and had a lifetime batting average of .184)
“They know that Santa’s on his way”
(F.P. Santa-ngelo finished 4th in the 1996 NL ROY balloting)
“He’s loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh”
(Ival “Goodie” Goodman made the NL All-Star team in both 1938 & 39)
“And every mother’s child is going to spy”
(Harry Child pitched in five games for the 1930 Washington Senators)
“To see if reindeer really know how to fly”
(“Reindeer Bill” Killefer was a major league Catcher from 1909-21)
“And so I’m offering this simple phrase”
(Jose Offerman led the AL in Triples in both 1998 & 99)
“To kids from one to ninety-two”
(One of Ted Williams’ nicknames was “The Kid”)
“Although its been said many times, many ways”
(Bobby Seay was a situational left-hander for eight seasons and had one Save)
“A very Merry Christmas to you”
(Steve Christmas had 37 major league AB’s in the 80’s and hit .162)
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