Who am I?

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-14-06 10:01 PM

A clue for #25. An answer in part. What had I accomplished? I pitched with just one leg ... which was something no one had ever done in the Major Leagues. The leg had to be amputated when my plane was shot down in Germany.

Originally Posted by Dave Visbeck

Who am I? #25 and #26

I played some minor league ball before the war and some at its beginning, but found myself drafted into the service just about like everyone else.

I became a pilot during World War II, flying combat missions in a P-38 Thunderbolt with the Fifty-Fifth Fighter Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force. I flew thirty-three night time missions. My thirty-fourth mission would be our first daytime bombing raid over Berlin and I volunteered for it, even though I wasn't scheduled to fly that day. I knew that we needed as many pilots as possible because there was going to be low-level bombing and plenty of strafing pilots were needed.

As we were closing in on our target, I got ready to strafe an aerodrome about a mile and a half away ... coming in real low to the ground, about 20-25 feet above it. When flying into an aerodrome to strafe it there are probably 100 to 200 automatic weapons trained in on you by the Germans in a crossfire. Some of our guys had already made a pass on the field and I could see some German planes already in flames, so there was a good column of smoke to line up on as I closed in at 380+ miles per hour.

Maybe a little less than a mile from the field I take hits from that cross fire and feel the sting of a severe wound ... then I get hit in the chin and start to black out and realize I have to pull up ... but I just couldn't do it. The P-38 slams into the ground at 380 miles per hour, explodes and burns.

I wake up days later in a German hospital talk some and am happy to be alive and they give me a shot for pain and I'm off to dream land again. Some time later after I'm recovered from my injuries, I'm off to a POW camp.

Months later, Red Cross came to the camp to interview injured detainees and identify those unable to return to combat. I was examined and cleared for repatriation in the next trade of POWs between the Allies and the Axis and after 8 long months as a prisoner of war I was on my way home aboard a Swedish Red Cross ship.

Who ever would of thought that about a month after getting off that ship in New York and ten months after being shot down and surviving a 380 miles per hour plane crash ... and that coming right after being severely wounded first ... could you believe that I'd get a try-out with a major league ball club. Then, within five more months I would find myself making my way to the mound in a relief appearance against the Red Sox that season. Who would believe it? I would.

There is a lot more to my story then what I've told. I had come into the game with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth inning with two outs. The first batter I had to face ... #26 ... was in his third season of his career with Boston. I got the count to 3 and 2, and I was saying to myself, hell, now you got to throw the ball over. You don't want to come in here and walk him.

With two out and the count full, the three base runners took off as soon as I went into my windup. I threw a fastball, above the waist and on the inside half of the plate. The batter swung and missed. I had struck out the first man I had ever faced in the majors -- with the bases loaded. With the inning over, I walked to the dugout to a standing ovation from the 13,035 fans in attendance.

I pitched 5.1 innings of relief that evening, facing 20 batters and giving up 3 hits and having one earned run scored against me. I walked one, hit one batter and struck out two. I even had two balls hit in my direction which I fielded and then threw each of the batters out at first. My earned run average stood at 1.69 ... and would remain there forever. I had done it. I had accomplished my dream of pitching in the major leagues ... and it was a first.

Who am I? Who was the first batter I faced and struck out? What had I accomplished?

.

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-14-06 10:30 PM

Clue #24 When you take a good look at me ... I sure could of used plenty of something that was caused by Reggie Jackson to happen - for me to have back then when I played ball. I liked the sound of it related to me.

What something was it that this player could of used to pick up some weight on his slender body frame? Reggie had a Candy Bar named after him.

**26xwc** · 01-19-06 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Visbeck

Clue #24 When you take a good look at me ... I sure could of used plenty of something that was caused by Reggie Jackson to happen - for me to have back then when I played ball. I liked the sound of it related to me.

What something was it that this player could of used to pick up some weight on his slender body frame? Reggie had a Candy Bar named after him.

I'm not throwing you a Curve here.

#24= The man believed to be the inventer of the curveball - Candy Cummings

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-19-06 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by 26xwc

#24= The man believed to be the inventer of the curveball - Candy Cummings

Thanks for playing. Please come back for more.

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-19-06 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by 26xwc

#24= The man believed to be the inventer of the curveball - Candy Cummings

? Do you think I should make them a little easier maybe? And maybe involve the Yankees more?

Any other teams you want to see?

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-19-06 03:41 PM

Who am I? #31 1863

Some called me "Roxey" and I haven't been alive for some 58 years. When you are walking around in some cluttered messy areas ... sometimes you may have bad thoughts about me.

**26xwc** · 01-19-06 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Visbeck

Who am I? #31

Some called me "Roxey" and I haven't been alive for some 58 years. When you are walking around in some cluttered messy areas ... sometimes you may have bad thoughts about me.

Wilbur Charles "Roxey" Roach

That's it, more Yankees please!

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-19-06 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by 26xwc

Wilbur Charles "Roxey" Roach

That's it, more Yankees please!

You know you got it.

More Yankee ..............................
................................ Awwwwww $hit!

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-20-06 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by 26xwc

That's it, more Yankees please!

If that is what it takes ... my (5-time) winning friend... to get more of you people here. Here you go then.

Who am I? #32 and #33

(#32) No ... I don't have a cold ... I can breath just fine usually when it's cold outside. Do I sort of sound like I have one maybe? I called New York, New York home by birth and did have good times with the Yankees for awhile. Problem for me was that this guy comes along (#33) ... that had never-ever been a winner before and shows up and doesn't like me at all. All he had ever seen was at least four other teams were always better than his team for nine straight years... and his team was only once* a winner of sorts in that time ... imagine that... and it was ME that wasn't good enough for HIM once HE came here to the Yankees.

(#32) It's true though that I had shown most of my talent when the big guys were mostly gone during worldly problems, and when all that talent returned my numbers did slip some against the best ... but that is okay to say...because I did put 3 rings on my finger for God's sake in my day!

Who are we?

Hmmmmmmmm.

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-20-06 03:15 PM

Who am I? #34 1863

I'm not the all-time home run king in baseball ... that's for sure ... but something about me we do have in common. I started out in a Yankee uniform in a mask and had my best home run year in a year we blew it to the Red Sox.

I don't know how we let that happen?

Anyway, I was here in New York for my first 4 seasons. I got one ring and I had a very small part in another World Championship season with the Yankees.

I was never really a Tiger in New York ... but I turned into one later.

I watched balls fly over the Green Monster in the end.

Who am I?

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-20-06 05:11 PM

Who am I? #35

In Cuba they knew me as Dagoberto some 63 years past. I had a nice career and played with the Yankees. I even won three World Championship rings in my playing days. I've been known to play at catcher. I even pitched. Even played in the outfield - all three positions. I was a little short to play first base ... but I did.

Some Yankees I call a friend or teammates: Ralph Terry, Torrez, Gaylord, Bonds, Catfish, Rivers, Sparky, Winfield, Nettles, Mattingly, Guidry, Righetti, Gossage and Reggie! Quite a mixed bag of friends and teammates.

Almost forgot. I've fielded from third base too. Not to mention a little at second base. I forgot? Where else did I play? Oh! At short! A little of this and a little of that in my years.

Who am I?

**thecaptain** · 01-20-06 07:23 PM

Bert Campaeris

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-20-06 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by thecaptain

Bert Campaeris

Campy! You're right.

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-20-06 11:52 PM

Another one-time Yankee from the distant past.

Who am I? #36

Clear and Present Danger? Not me with a 5.45 one-year Yankee career ERA. The Hunt for Red October ... would come for me 3 seasons later when with Cincinnati ... but we would finish in forth place and 10 games back when I had a 9 and 11 record. We'd do one place better the following season if I had stuck around... but instead I ended up on the first place team at seasons end.

If I had been alive in the 1980's with reading as a choice, I probably would have been interested in the most popular author of that time. Do you wonder why?

Who am I?

**Dave Visbeck** · 01-21-06 12:36 AM

About as free a one that I can give you.

Who am I? #37

Like a Salami that is cooked, making it softer and more perishable... I had nice soft hands that helped me field very well in the outfield... perishing fly balls into outs. I was a backup outfielder playing 3 seasons with the Yankees and fielded .990... not that long ago.

Who am I?

**Casey37** · 01-21-06 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by Dave Visbeck

Another one-time Yankee from the distant past.

Who am I? #36

Clear and Present Danger? Not me with a 5.45 one-year Yankee career ERA. The Hunt for Red October ... would come for me 3 seasons later when with Cincinnati ...