Tag Archive for Bob G. Miller

As You Were

The photo above of the Bobbsey Twins (Bob “Righty” Miller and Bob “Lefty” Miller) comes from our friend Paul, who noted it was a wire photo dated May 8, 1962. The Mets were at Wrigley Field that day, as the scoreboard in the background should give away, and we won — a momentus occasion indeed.

One interesting fact that photo unfortunately doesn’t show is that on that day, the uniform Lefty Miller is wearing was No. 23 — and not the No.36 he’d be dressed in once he appeared in a Mets game. That’s because although Lefty Miller was obviously with the club — he’d only just been traded for two days before, from the Reds for Don Zimmer — by the time the Mets returned from this roadtrip Miller was assigned to the minors and Joe Christopher called up: He’d be wearing No. 23 when Miller returned.

The other gentleman in the photo — like the newest Met, Gary Matthews Jr. — is notable for having been one of 35 men who’ve played for the Mets, then someone else, then the Mets again. Few have made their second go-round significantly better than their first, but Bob Miller did, and we may as well hope Matthews can. Behold the list:

 

Frank Lary                             1964                      1965                      17
Al Jackson                             1962-65                 1968-69                 15/38
Jim Gosger                             1969                      1973-74                 18/19, 5
Bob L. Miller                         1962                      1973-74                 24/30
Ray Sadecki                          1970-74                 1977                      33
Tim Foli                                  1970-71                 1978-79                 19
Mike Jorgensen                      1970-71                 1980-83                 16/22
Dave Kingman                       1975-77                 1981-83                 26
Rusty Staub                           1972-75                 1981-85                 4, 10/10
Tom Seaver                           1967-77                 1983                      41
Bill Almon                              1980                      1985                      25/2
Lee Mazzilli                            1976-81                 1986-89                 12, 16/13
Clint Hurdle                           1983, 1985             1987                      33/13/7
Alex Trevino                          1978-81                 1990                      29/6
Hubie Brooks                        1980-84                 1991                      62, 39, 7/7
Jeff McKnight                        1989                      1992-94                 15/5, 7, 17, 18
Kevin McReynolds                  1987-91                 1994                      22
Greg McMichael                    1997-98                 1998-99                 36
Bobby Bonilla                        1992-95                 1999                      25
Josias Manzanillo                   1993-95                 1999                      39
Jeff Tam                                 1998                      1999                      38, 36/36
Bill Pulsipher                          1995, 1998             2000                      21/25
Lenny Harris                          1998                      2000-01                 19
Pete Walker                           1995                      2001-02                 49/43
Roger Cedeno                       1999                      2002-03                 19
Jeromy Burnitz                       1993-94                 2002-03                 5/20
Tsuyoshi Shinjo                      2001                      2003                      5
David Cone                           1987-92                 2003                      44, 17/16
Todd Zeile                             2000-01                 2004                      9/27
Roberto Hernandez                2005                      2006                      39/49, 39
Kelly Stinnett                         1994-95                 2006                      33/36
Marlon Anderson                   2005                      2007                      18/23
Brady Clark                           2002                      2008                      15/44
Anderson Hernandez              2005-07                2009                      1, 4/11



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Know Your Millers

They weren’t related but shared a name and a Polo Grounds locker room for the 1962 Mets, becoming one of the mildly amusing sidelights in that sadly comic debut season.

 

That’s Robert Lane Miller on the left. He came to the Mets in the expansion draft from St. Louis, where he was a 1957 Bonus Baby and though unproven at the major league level, was just 23 with a promising right arm. Observers of the ’62 squad would say Bob L. Miller (No. 24 in your scorecards) had some of the best “stuff” on staff, but they also felt he hadn’t handled adversity well despite getting his share of it with a 1-12 record. He was traded after the season to the Dodgers and quietly began building a solid resume as a relief pitcher. Miller wound up pitching for 17 seasons for 11 different teams — including the Mets again in 1973 and ’74, when he suited up in No. 30. In retirement Miller became the first pitching coach in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays, and was a scout for the Giants when he was killed in an auto accident in 1993.

His roundfaced teammate to the right was Robert Gerald Miller, also a former Bonus Baby (Detroit, 1953) but a lefthanded minor-league journeyman when acquired by the ’62 Mets in midseason.Bob G. pitched exclusively in relief for the ’62 Mets, including five times in relief of Bob L. Miller, racking up a 2-2 record but a 7.08 earned-run average that year, wearing No. 36. He was released shortly after the season and never pitched in the majors again, but confessed to reporters he was often mistaken for his more accomplished teammate.

BIG thanks to longtime MBTN supporter Ed A. for providing the cards (he sent along even more cool stuff we’ll get to). And stay tuned for ruminations on the Bobby Joneses, Pedro Martinezes and Mike Marshalls.

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