Baseball

Happy Birthday Bobby Bonilla!

Man I still get chills when I think about Bobby Bonilla hitting that homer in Game 7 back in the ‘97 Series. Previously struggling at the plate, Bobby Bo led off the bottom of the 7th for the Marlins and crushed the first pitch from Indians pitcher Jared Wright into the right centerfield bleachers of Pro Player Stadium. Boom!! Happy Birthday Bobby!

Your Senior League Champion St. Petersburg Pelicans

Thirty years ago on February 4th, 1990 The St. Petersburg Pelicans claimed the first & only championship in Senior Professional Baseball Association history. The Pelicans were led that day by our man Lamar Johnson , the Star of Stars, who hit a HR & had 3 RBI’s in the 12-4 win over the West Palm Beach Tropics. The league folded mid way through the second season.

Darren Daulton - 'Dutch' gets his ring with the 1997 Marlins

After missing the chance for a World Series Ring during his prime with the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies, Darren got a chance for another when he was traded to the Florida Marlins part way through the 1997 season, after 17 years with the Phillies organization. Dutch went 7 for 18 (.389 BA) with a HR & 2 RBI’s as Pinch Hitter during the Marlins World Series victory over the Cleveland Indians. Happy Birthday Dutch!! R.I.P.

Dave Kingman - Kong in The Tropics

Happy Birthday Kong! Of all the former MLB players to participate in the short lived Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989, Dave Kingman’s 442 career Homeruns was the most of any hitter. Dave hit .271 with 8 HR’s and 40 RBI’s for the 1st place West Palm Beach Tropics. The league would fold in 1990 midway through it’s 2nd season.

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Burn of The Week with Tippy Martinez

In a new segment here at The Amazing Blaze Zine titled ‘The Burn of the Week’ we’re highlighting a player who stepped up & dealt their opponent a wicked ‘Burn.’ Our inaugural ‘Burn’ goes to Pitcher Tippy Martinez who during a 1983 game against the Toronto Blue Jays picked off three runners at 1st base all in the same inning! What’s even cooler was that it happened during extra innings. The O’s went on to win it in the bottom of the 10th 7-4.