The Club also brings back some lesser known players such as Howie Bedell
1962 Topps #76 Howie Bedell (rookie flair but not a RC)
Howie Bedell only played 9 games with the Phillies and I don't think he ever represented the local team on card. The remainder of his career was 58 games with the Braves - The Team that is town to face the Phillies during the Alumni festivities.
On Opening day of the 1962 Season Bedell made his Major league debut as the leadoff hitters for the then Milwaukee Braves versus the San Francisco Giants and their Hall of Fame starter Juan Marichal. Bedell played Left Field along side Center Fielder Hank Aaron, They backed up Warren Spahn and another Hall of Famer Eddie Matthews started at 3rd Base.
Unfortunately for Bedell and the Braves lost 6-0 that day, but Bedell got his first career hit, a 3rd inning single off Marichal
Chester County Baseball
Bedell is more a representative of the Phillies and the Philadelphia region for his post playing career baseball activities. He did some coaching with the Phillies and more recently has been part of a group trying to bring a minor league team to Chester County.
I haven't heard much about the project recently but at one time there were proposals for West Chester, Where Howie Bedell went to College, and Phoenixville which has made a strong resurgences over the last decade. According to the 2010 Phoenix article cited above Bedell has been involved in the building of close to a dozen stadiums.
I am disappointed that the one that Bedell hasn't gotten done is in ChesCo, but understand there are a lot of factors that aren't positives for a community - including the high monetary cost. Regardless I hope that Howie Bedell, now a few weeks short of his 80th birthday gets a chance to see a local stadium.
Sources and Links
The Phoenix
baseball-ref
Topps Baseball Card Database
3 comments:
Howie looks younger in his 62 card then in 61.
Wow! Howie Bedell! He's not one of the top 500 ex-Phillies I would expect to see at an alumni event.
I think all of Bedell's appearances with the Phillies (in 1968) were as a pinch-hitter.
Howie is also known for ending Don Drysdale's scoreless innings pitched streak as a member of the Phillies by hitting a sacrifice fly to RF. A true gentleman and ambassador for the game of baseball and a man I admire and respect.
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