Talk:Gary Peters

From BR Bullpen

Gary Peters began his professional career with the Holdredge White Sox in 1956 in the Nebraska rookie league. He was a outfielder for most of that season, and arguably the best hitter on the team. He hit the most unbelievable home run I have ever seen, an absolute line-drive that continued rising as it cleared the light pole in right field, continuing upward as far as one could see in the diminishing light.

Manager Frank Scalzi asked him some weeks into the season if he could pitch, and he said, "yah, I can pitch a little." Scalzi did not call on him to pitch until late that summer, bringing him in from the outfield in maybe the eighth inning of a game which Holdredge was losing by quite a bit (that had become a pattern for the team by then). Gary struck out the side. Even though the team was desperate for pitching, it was a week or so before he was brought in again for late inning relief. He struck out the side on nine pitches. I was thinking, this guy has some stuff. His delivery was deceptive, so easy, but the ball just snapped to the plate.

I was the bat-boy on the team, and also bullpen catcher who got to warm Gary up on those appearances.