| Distributed by CroatianWorld Vote for Mickey Lolich and Roger Maris  
The following was forward to me by Richard Lolich. John Kraljic www.baseballhalloffame.org
There is an opportunity for two, not one, Croatian-Americans to be voted
into Baseball's Hall of Fame! Mickey Lolich and Roger Maris are on the
Players ballot of the 2003 Veterans Hall of Fame Committee.
All of us can help ensure they get enough votes by e-mailing or writing to
the committee.
Mickey Lolich, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, winner of the1968 World
Series, with a lifetime record of 217-191 and holder of the American
League's strikeout >record for left handed pitchers, is one of the
candidates. Mickey's grandparents both emigrated to the U.S. from
Dalmatia, near the city of Split.
Roger Maris, another Croatian-American, played for 12 seasons, primarily
with the New York Yankees. He broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run
record in 1961. He retired with a career batting average of .260.
The Veterans Committee is voting during January, so it's important that we
write or e-mail them and encourage them to vote for both Mickey Lolich and
Roger Maris. To e-mail them, log onto the website www.baseballhalloffame.org
Then click on "view the ballot." Go to the
bottom of the page and click on "Committee on Baseball Veterans." Once on
that page, click on "view the ballot" and click on "sending us
an e-mail." Tell them to vote for Mickey Lolich and Roger Maris. If you
want to write to the Committee, send your letter to: Hall of Fame Veterans
Committee, Post Office Box 590, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
This is something positive which we can all do for our
Croatian-American >community. Please be sure to do it soon, since the
voting stops at the end of this month. Results will be announced near the
end of February. Good luck to both Mickey and Roger!
Richard Lolich
Arlington, VA | Roger Maris 1934-1985 | Roger Maris was Baseball's Single-Season Home Run King from 1961-1998. He hit 61 home runs during the 1961 season while he was a member of the New York Yankees. Maris also played for the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals.
Raised in Fargo, North Dakota, Maris was a football and basketball star at Shanley High School. He played in the American League after trying out with the Chicago Cubs. Maris began playing for the Cleveland Indians in 1959, and hit 14 home runs. In 1958 and 1959, he hit 28 and 16 homers respectively, while playing for Kansas City. Maris was traded to the Yankees in 1960, and his legend began. He was voted Most Valuable Player in the American League that year, after hitting 39 home runs with 112 RBIs. The year 1961 saw Maris blast 61 home runs, one more than Babe Ruth hit in a season, and again Maris was named MVP.
Maris held the major league home run record until 1998, when Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals broke it. | MICKEY LOLICH | MickeyLolich became a regular starter in the Tiger rotation in 1964, only hissecond year with the big club. Lolich was the unexpected hero of the 1968 WorldSeries, winning three games. In 1971 and 1972, he had back-to-back 20-gamevictory seasons.
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