Rico Carty - "The Beeg Boy"

Rico Carty was one of the great personalities of the game. He did some time with my Texas Rangers in 1973 when I was eleven. Hopes were high because he had hit an astounding .366 to lead the league with Atlanta just a couple years previous.

I recall an interview of him, either on TV or in print, in which he was asked about his mediocre start that year for Texas. He assured the reporter that there was no need to fear because, "When the weather gets hot, the 'Beeg Boy' will get hot too," he always did . . . Hmm.

Well, the weather got hot--after all, this is Texas, but Rico, the Old Beeg Boy himself, never really did, managing only three home runs & the lowest batting average of his career up to that point, a paltry .232.

Maybe it just hadn't gotten hot enough for Rico, for he was sold to the Cubs by August 13, so there were still a couple good months of Texas heat awaiting him. Oh, well, you never know; you never know what might have been . . .

Funny what an eleven-year-old remembers. And don't get me wrong. Rico Carty is one of my all-time faves. And wouldn't you know it, the old devil went on to have some more great years . . . out of this miserable Texas heat.

Card is a 1973 Topps

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