64: Brovia/Bauman/Crues-MLB

Joe Bauman was the first player in professional baseball history to hit more than 70 homeruns in a season. Bob Crues nearly hit 70 homeruns in a single season but came up just short with 69. Joe Brovia had nothing left to prove in the minor leagues and finally realized his dream of playing Major League Baseball when the Cincinnati reds called him up in 1955 at the age of 33. All three were stars for the minor league teams they played for, and only Brovia ever experienced the thrill of playing in the Show. Hard to imagine a guy could hit 72 homeruns in a year and never play in the Majors, but that’s the story of Bauman who got as close as Hartford and Milwaukee in the Boston Braves organization, but never adjusted to weather outside of his favorite places to play: Amarillo, Artesia and Roswell. As for Crues, his 1948 season in which he hit 69 homeruns went barely noticed and he never advanced beyond low levels of play even though he also hit .404 in 1948. Baseball has always been a tough and in certain instances a cut throat game, and not only did you have to be good, but you had to lucky to make it bask in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Crues never got an opportunity. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes we visit with Gaylon H. White who wrote the book, “Left On Base in the Bush Leagues,” a terrific celebration of the careers of several minor league ballplayers including Brovia, Bauman and Crues. Additionally, we’ll talk about Ron Necciai, the only man in the history of professional baseball to strike out 27 batters in a 9-inning game.

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