TTM Success- Grady Hatton

Grady Needs An Orioles Hat-He Would Be Smiling If Wearing An O's Hat

Grady was nice enough to sign and return my TTM request in only 28 days.  He has an amazingly smooth signature for an 87 year old guy, my handwriting is nowhere near that clear and I'm 60 years behind him. 

Mr. Hatton spent approximately 40 years of his life around the game of baseball as a player, coach, manager, scout and executive.  To list all of the positions he has filled and responsibilities he held could certainly be the start of a whole new blog, possibly "The Baseball Life of Grady Hatton" or "Grady's Baseball Memories".  But as a quick rundown, Grady played for the Reds, Red Sox, Cardinals, Cubs, Orioles & White Sox over his 12 year playing career.  His best years came at the start of his career as a member of the Reds from 1946-54, when he received MVP votes in '46 & '48, and made the '52 N.L. All-Star team.  He also spent about two and half seasons as the Astros manager from 1966-68.

He appeared in only 27 games for the Orioles during the 1956 season, and somehow no pictures seem to exist of him in an Orioles uniform.  That must be the reason that his "Orioles" Crown card pictures him in a Reds hat.  And yes, if you've followed this blog for any amount of time, I've had this complaint before.  I mean, it's not like players still had to sit for daguerreotypes in the 1950's! You mean to tell me that there's no pictures of Hatton in an O's hat that could've appeared in this set?!? Someone must have one somewhere!

Sorry for the rant, but that's how I feel.