Unpossible Autograph Friday- Bob Turley & Grady Hatton

Sadly, two more former Orioles players have passed away since my last unpossible autograph post just two weeks ago. And both of the two that passed away had very kindly signed my TTM autograph requests in recent years. 

"Bullet" Bob Turley was the 1958 AL Cy Young award winner, three-time All-Star, and two-time World Series champion (he was even the '58 World Series MVP). All of those accomplishments occurred with the Yankees, but I'll look past it since it was so many years ago, and he was so nice to sign my card for me. He passed away on March 30, at 82 years old, from complications from liver cancer. 

Grady Hatton, whom I wrote about in depth here, just passed away yesterday from effects of old age. He was 90 years old, so at the very least, it's comforting to know that both of these guys lived long lives, although I don't know how comfortable Bob might have been in recent years.

I'm very appreciative that both of these men took the time to sign TTM requests. And in what has become somewhat of a theme on my blog, I will echo my statements that signatures always mean more to me when they are personalized. It just adds that little extra touch of acknowledgment for me I guess.

After my last unpossible autograph post from a few weeks back, I have finally ramped my TTM requests back up after a long hiatus. I enjoy writing the requests and putting everything together while I watch Orioles games, so they kind of go hand in hand.

I hope that both of these nice men rest in peace. Thank you both for having taken the time for your fans!




To briefly explain the misspelled/made up title of these weekly posts: Every Friday, I profile a former Oriole who has passed away. I've substituted the word unpossible for impossible as an homage to a line from "The Simpsons". Young Ralph Wiggum, who is not very smart, says "Me fail English? That's unpossible." 

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.