Bolstered by a 38-21 record in August, September and October, the Yankees surged in the AL East standings. Ive got a lot to learn, though, especially how to throw overhand from out there. Ron along with many great fans will boost the charge and do whatever humanly possible to make this happen. Mr. Ron Blomberg, age 72, of Oxford formerly of Conyers passed away Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at Emory University Hospital. Yankees great Thurman Munson was one of the best catchers in the game when he died in a stunning plane crash at age 32 in 1979. But he didn't . Blomberg was a natural hitter who had a remarkably quick bat with tremendous power. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and I told Diana Munson I was going to do everything I can to get him into the Hall of Fame. He runs the Ron Blomberg Baseball camp in association with Total Specialty Camps, offering instruction in all facets of the game from the camps location in Milford, Pennsylvania.23 He is a yearly participant at the Yankees fantasy camp and one of the more popular instructors. 12 Jim Ogle, Blombergs First DH Bat Earns Cooperstown Niche, The Sporting News, April 28, 1973: 17. The leagues (Eastern, International, Texas and New York-Penn) called the new role pinch-hitting specialist or wild- card pinch-hitter.10 Each league used the new player with varying criteria. He ended his career having amassed a life-time .293 batting average, with 52 home runs and 224 RBI. And so, he wore his religion on his sleeve. Id like to see what happens.21, Although Blomberg liked the city of Chicago and its people, life was different in the White Sox clubhouse. [9], Blomberg was selected by the Yankees with the first overall pick of the 1967 amateur draft, and signed for $75,000 ($610,000 today). The book details the unlikely friendship between two teammates who were direct opposites. People will see him different after reading this. But I was lucky. 1992 The Wiz/American Express New York Yankees of the '60's - [Base] #_ROBL. Blomberg made his debut with the Yankees as a 20-year-old September callup in 1969 then came up to stay in 1971. Thurman was the same way. [1], Blomberg was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. What no one expected, though, was just how the 6-foot-1 first baseman would seal his place in baseball history. Rons income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful American Athlete. Add or change photo on IMDbPro Add to list More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy 1 nomination total Known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 8.3 Set Decorator (as Ron Von Blomberg) 2004 Ron Blomberg - 1st Major League Baseball - Designated Hitter Speaking Engagements History is made 1st DH in MLB History In the beginning Drafted #1 Overall 1967 When it started MLB Debut Sept. 10th 1969 Batted Left Career Avg .293 The career NY Yankees (69, 71-76) Chicago White Sox (78) MLB'S FIRST DESIGNATED HITTER, EVER If you can help us improve this players biography,contact us. Also learn about how he is rich at the age of 49 years old? He played in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder. RON BLOMBERG 2003 UD YANKEES SIGNATURE SERIES AUTOGRAPH CARD !! After his retirement from baseball in 1978, Blomberg worked with numerous charitable organizations, most recently the Israel Cancer Research Fund, where he serves as honorary chairman and spokesperson. On December 7, 1973, they acquired outfielder Lou Piniella and pitcher Ken Wright from Kansas City for pitcher Lindy McDaniel. Eventually, Blomberg had to prove he could hit lefties, and Virdon gave him his chance. After he overcame anti-Semitism in his hometown of Atlanta to become the number one overall pick by the New York Yankees in the free agent draft in 1967, his dream of playing in New York City, where there was a large Jewish population, was going to be fulfilled. I kind of see Thurman and I like the guys in the movie Bang the Drum Slowly. Back then, we had one-year contracts. A. Dan Epstein, a well-known baseball writer, assisted Blomberg, and Munson's widow wrote an introduction. Blomberg made his major league debut on September 10, 1969, two weeks after his 21st birthday. 9 Jim Ogle, Blombergs Wife Made Him Leave Slumps on Doorstep, The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), July 15, 1971: 48. But with this book, I want to do everything I could to get him in the Hall of Fame. (64 KB) Taken at Mallard Pointe, Cedar Falls, Iowa, in May 2002. First published March 1, 2006. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. It was the greatest rush of my life, he said. 3 Bid - 2003 Upper Deck Yankees Signature Series Pride Of New York Ron Blomberg Auto $ 3.25. You dont find many guys who came onto a team as a 22-year-old rookie and get the respect of the older guys, but thats what he did and thats why I think he was the best team captain ever. Dubbed The South Side Hitmen because of their prowess in hitting the long ball, the Sox finished in third place in the AL West with a 90-72 record. During a Jan. 12 virtual event hosted by Temple Emanu El in Orange, Ron Blomberg, the first designated hitter in baseball history, recounted his career in the major league and his close friendship with former New York Yankees captain Thurman Munson. Genres Baseball Sports. [7], Blomberg managed the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox in the 2007 inaugural season of the Israel Baseball League. However, he did enroll at DeKalb College in Atlanta to take classes in the off season. He is survived by his wife with whom he recently celebrated their fifty wedding anniversary, Jan . Contribute. For years, Blomberg has been asked why he thinks Munson has been left out of the Hall of Fame, and the usual refrain is that he didnt cozy up to the media as a player. }, Cronkite School at ASU "[7] He also received 100 football scholarship offers. 176 pages, Hardcover. Ron Blomberg, the first designated hitter in baseball history, talks about his historic at-bat in 1973 and why he thinks DH players should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. People connect with that. Theres even some stuff in there about hanging around with some of the gangsters like Gambino and Gotti. For his career, he hit .304 against right-handers, and .304 with two out and runners in scoring position, as well as .325 when the score was tied. In 2008, he and author Dan Schlossberg wrote his autobiography, Designated Hebrew, which was published by Sports Publishing. Apr 17, 2022, 5:19 PM (GMT+3) baseball. He seemed to make a splendid recovery, but he hurt his shoulder again in the final spring exhibition against the Mets. One of those offers came from UCLA, and Blomberg signed a letter of intent to play for coach John Wooden and the Bruins. Please scroll down to see information about Ron Blomberg Social media profiles. The deeply personal story of a friendship between two teammates, and of a human bond which ultimately transcends the game itself. Thurman Munson was obviously a huge part of that revival. I told my parents, if I got drafted by the Yankees number one, I was going to sign with them. 16 Insiders Say, The Sporting News, April 19, 1975: 6. [8] He tore his knee in the 1977 exhibition season when he hit the outfield wall, and missed that season too. In 64 games, Blomberg batted .322, with seven home runs and 31 RBIs. He also has a position among the list of Most popular Baseball Player. He played for the New York Yankees (1969, 1971-76) and Chicago White Sox (1978), and was the manager of the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox in the Israel Baseball League (2007). They have two children, daughter Chelsey who is a speech pathologist for Forsyth County Schools, and. He batted left-handed, and threw right-handed. Blomberg hit the free agent market and signed a four-year pact worth a reported $600,000 with the Chicago White Sox.19 Chicago was coming off a tremendous year in 1977. Through the end of May, he was batting .203 and, after hitting three homers in April, he went without a home run for 18 games until he hit his fourth on June 15. What do you think of the way fans have been reacting to The Captain and Me? The popular Yankee, who is best known as the first Designated Hitter in baseball history, wants to see to it that his best friend, Thurman Munson, gains his rightful place in Cooperstown sooner rather than later. His first stop on the Yankees minor league chain was Johnson City, Tennessee, in the Rookie Appalachian League. If somebody said something to me along those lines, it made me even stronger. I got to play in Yankee Stadium in front of the greatest fans in the world. He experienced some pain in his reconstructed right knee which contributed to diminished playing time. [1] After going 3-for-6 in his first season, Blomberg was out in 1970 with injuries. The Yankee fan favorite joins us for this weeks edition of Spitballin. The designated hitter still remains a controversial topic, with fans either loving or hating the position. Family Photos: Elizabeth Bennett Family (12 KB) Uncle Paul Brunning and Ron Blomberg. The main problem was that, as with many players who do not give an inch between the lines, injuries cut short his career. Baltic states. You had an incredible scholastic career as a football, baseball and basketball All-American. Ilived in Riverdale, and when I was injured, people came up to me and waved to me and hugged me. I lit everyones candles for every bar mitzvah in the city. Being Jewish and living in the South, there werent too many of us there. [12], The White Sox signed Blomberg as a free agent for $300,000 in 1978. Today the GHSA shows the 1987 title as "vacated." Bell, who died Tuesday at age 76, was one of Georgia's iconic basketball coaches. The Yankees were figuring that with Bonds, a right-handed batter in the lineup, they would face more right-handed hurlers. He is one of the Richest Baseball Player who was born in United States. Diana Munson was the wife of Yankee great Thurman Munson. It's the story of a Designated Hebrew?and there is no other tale quite like it. Houk resigned to take the managing job in Detroit. Rocco is a baseball writer with too much time on his hands who lives in the dusty corners of Baseball Reference. "Still, I gave 120 percent. Blomberg passed away on Monday, Dec. 7, 10 days short of his 88th birthday. But the Bombers were swept by Cincinnati in the World Series. A left-handed batter, the 17-year-old was the only player to participate in every game, and led the team in most offensive categories, posting a.297 BA with 10 home runs. [12] He played his final game for the White Sox on October 1, 1978, at 30 years of age. Many[who?] They kept him out of the Hall of Fame because he was tough at the ballpark to writers. $0.86. This illuminating remembrance of Munsonisfilled with untold stories about his analytical-yet-hard-nosed approach to baseball, as well as his kindness and generosity off the field. [15], Blomberg twice was voted the most popular person in New York. Discover Ronald Mark Blombergs Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. By writing The Captain and Me, Blomberg hopes to show a more personal side of Munson. Yes, we became very good friends. All those great schools in the south. On May 4, 1975, at Milwaukee, he suffered what was at first believed to be a right shoulder strain. 2. How do you think Thurman stacked up against those guys? He was at his best in the clutch, batting .296 with runners in scoring position and .319 as a pinch hitter. He was the first designated hitter in Major League Baseball history. Like Blomberg, Chambliss was a left-handed batter, and he would be the starting first sacker for the next several seasons. They didnt accept that I was Jewish and didnt want me to get involved, even though the meetings were supposed to be non-denominational.22. The pitching didnt make any difference to me when I was growing up. Hes still green, but he has all the tools, said Bauer. One was a good-looking, gregarious kid from Atlanta who cheerfully talked . Bostons DH was Orlando Cepeda. Unfortunately, he didnt get elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame because he didnt have that relationship with the writers. We now have Captain Long Sleeve T-Shirts in our store as a way to help Ron and his efforts to get The Captain into the HOF. So, when I was young, I pulled for the Yankees and Mickey Mantle was my hero. Expect More. But I am gradually catching on.8. I ran into a wall in Spring Training. 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