What's the 411?

 

Earlier this year AT&T ended directory assistance for landline users. A couple years before that it ended the service for wireless callers.

Dialing "411" or "0" for information was a way of life for phone users for decades. I remember dialing "0" as a kid and "0" was the most fascinating number on the dial because of its special ability, you could get another human on the other end just by pressing a single button (or making that rotary dial spin all the way around).

I didn't use "411" but I became aware of it later, and thanks to a couple of musical references (Mary J. Blige's debut album, "What's the 411?" is now 30 years old), I knew it meant the key to unlock information.

In today's internet age, a service like that is pretty meaningless since we're all staring at screens. I can't imagine people are still dialing 411 or 0, although I guess other phone carriers still offer it for a fee.

I am probably just as archaic in expecting baseball cards to still supply information. I grew up with cards that taught me things, interesting backs, they were even my window into baseball before I became an active baseball viewer. That baseball card service kind of died out with the advent of Upper Deck and the '90s. Cards became nothing more than photographs with maybe a few stats if you were lucky. And just like the phone, people go to the internet to look up info on baseball, not baseball cards.

Still I cling to those informational cards, because I consider a card that can show a nice picture and supply stats as a "complete card," just like a pitcher who can pitch and hit as a "complete player" (another idea that's been dismissed).

I decided to find out the 411 on a few cards, which also happen to be numbered 411 to see if I could find anything I didn't know before -- new information, to me.

Ron Cey's 1982 Topps In Action card is No. 411, but since it's The Penguin, there is nothing here that I didn't know already. In fact, I lived most of it, although I wish I was paying attention for that 1974 NLCS.

Moving on to some "new-to-me" info, Reggie Sanders' 1995 Topps 411 card tells me that his dad was a black belt in karate and his mom played softball. Some of those '90s sets actually did still deliver the information, usually it was Topps flagship.

Dick Howser's 411 in 1967 is that he became the first American League shortstop to play in all 162 games in a season. I had no idea that Howser was a full-time starter, but the stats tell me he was -- twice. Later, Tony Fernandez appeared in 163 games for the Blue Jays as a shortstop and Alicides Escobar made playing 162 a habit a few years ago with Kansas City.

 

 

 

Scott Downs -- who looks almost nothing like I remember him looking as a reliever for the Blue Jays and Angels -- was traded for Mike Morgan and Rick Aguilera within six months! Also, I knew this already, but I've interviewed West Tenn manager Dave Trembley, he grew up 12 miles from where I live, and he went on to manage the Orioles.

I'm sure I knew at one time that Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish owned the longest name in major league history, but I've since forgotten it. And in that time maybe someone else has surpassed that. But I sure don't have time to figure it out.

Although I remember Carlos Pena's career quite well, for me he'll probably first be known as the player who was told by Jonah Hill that he was traded. It's good to know that I now have another factoid -- a real one this time -- that his hit left a seam imprint on a pitcher's forehead. Would love to know who the pitcher was.

This 411 card is a good opportunity to see if the single-season hits leaders need updating from 1979 (I already know that the career hit leaders do). Obviously, Ichiro Suzuki is now at the top with the 262 he hit in 2004. Suzuki is also at No. 10 with the 242 he hit in 2001. That knocks everyone off the above list that is below Sisler's 1922 total. For whatever reason, Chuck Klein's 250 hits in 1930 are missing here.

This 411 card lets you know that A) There used to be something called the Hall of Fame game in Cooperstown and B) Zaun knew how to keep the crowd happy. 

 

I had no idea -- but I should've known better -- that people are (or were) keeping track of the best batting averages in the first inning. I'd love to know who the all-time leader is for that, but again, no time.

Last 411 card. I have been clued into the info that Phil Niekro struck out four batters in an inning since my early days of following baseball. But I don't remember at all who it happened against, so let's dial 411, er, go to the internet.

The Braves played the Pirates on July 29, 1977. In the sixth inning, Niekro struck out Dave Parker and Bill Robinson to start the inning. Then Al Oliver doubled. Rennie Stennett struck out for what could have been the third out, but the ball got past Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba and Stennett reached first. Then Niekro struck out Omar Moreno for his fourth of the inning. The Braves won 5-3.

So there you are, 411 can still be useful and provide some information at least I didn't know after all these years.