The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month pitched
in four decades, was a veteran of World War II and is one of only two pitchers
to finish with exactly 300 career victories.
Hall of Famer Early Wynn began his career as a 19-year old in
1939 by pitching three games for the Washington Senators. After spending the
1940 season in the minors, he went 3-1 with a 1.58 ERA in a brief stint in the
majors in 1941.
The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month was the
American League starting pitcher for the first three All-Star Games and five times
in a six-year stretch.
It didn’t take long for Vernon “Lefty” Gomez to become
established as one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball.
After posting a 2-5 record in 15 starts in 1930, Gomez quickly
became the staff ace. In 1931, at the age of 22, Gomez posted a 21-9 record and
2.67 ERA.
The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month was
just the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to have 11 straight
seasons with 20 or more home runs, yet could not sustain that greatness long
enough to earn a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In some sense, the legend of Rocco “Rocky” Colavito Jr.
began long before he ever started pounding home runs at the major league level.
Born and raised as a New York Yankees fan in The Bronx,
Colavito was playing semipro baseball before he was a teenager and dropped out
of high school at 16 after his sophomore year to pursue a professional career.
The major league rule at the time said a player could not sign with a pro team
until his high school class graduated, but after sitting out for one year,
Colavito was allowed to sign at age 17.
The Vintage Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month came to
national prominence in college basketball’s “Game of the Century” and then won
an NBA title while becoming one of the top players in league history.
A three-time college basketball All-American at the University of Houston, Elvin Hayes helped lead the Cougars to three straight NCAA Tournaments and a pair of Final Fours.
As we reach the halfway point of the NBA season, we recognize as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month the first in a long line of superstars to play for the Boston Celtics.
Before there was Bill Russell and Larry Bird, the Boston Celtics
were powered by a 6-foot-1 inch guard from Holy Cross. Bob Cousy was the
on-the-court leader for the Celtics in the era during which they emerged as a
basketball power.
The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month had two
separate careers in pro football that combined to make him one of the legendary
players of his era (or eras).
George Blanda, who played a record 26 years in professional
football and didn’t retire from the NFL until the age of 48, is best remembered
for his nine-year stint as the crusty old kicker and miracle maker for the
Oakland Raiders of the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, his career
transcended generations and connected legends.
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