#96 CHICO RUIZ
ATLANTA BRAVES 1978, 1980
ATLANTA BRAVES 1978, 1980
But what I remember him mostly for is a Monday night baseball gaffe by Howard Cosell. A better known player named Chico Ruiz played in the majors between 1964 and 1971, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds. That Chico Ruiz died in an automobile accident in 1972. Fast forward to the 1978 Monday night game and Howard Cosell states about the Brave Chico Ruiz about how this guy had been around the majors for a long time and such, clearly mixing up his Chico's. Howard obviously didn't get the news that the Chico he was thinking about died six years earlier. After a commercial break, Howard obviously was given the word that this was not the same Chico Ruiz and said something to the effect of "That's not the same Chico Ruiz." He didn't bring it up again that I remember.
The two things I remember about the Monday Night game: 1) Cosell thinking that the Braves were starting a deceased infielder at second base 2) The real Chico Ruiz reaching across the plate and executing a perfect hit-and-run on a Tom Seaver pitchout.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. This is my favorite era of Braves baseball.
Thanks! And I'm glad someone else remembers that game!
ReplyDelete