Bernie Carbo
Encyclopedia
Bernardo 'Bernie' Carbo (born August 5, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan
) is a former outfielder and designated hitter
who played from through for the Cincinnati Reds
(1969–72), St. Louis Cardinals
(1972–73, 1979–80), Boston Red Sox
(1974–76, 1977–78), Milwaukee Brewers
(1976), Cleveland Indians
(1978) and Pittsburgh Pirates
(1980). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was raised in the Detroit suburb of Livonia
and graduated in 1965 from Franklin High School
, playing for the school's baseball team while there.
. In his rookie season, Carbo posted career highs in batting average
(.310), home run
s (21), runs batted in (63), hits
(113), on base percentage
(.454), slugging average (.551), OPS
(1,005) and games played
(125). Carbo was selected Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News
. But he slumped in the next two seasons and was sent to the Cardinals. Then, he landed in Boston in 1973 in a trade.
to the Red Sox for Reggie Smith
and Ken Tatum
. He said of coming to Boston: "When I first met [Red Sox owner] Mr. Yawkey, he was shining shoes in the clubhouse,’’ said Carbo, “and I went up to him and gave him $20 and told him to get me a cheeseburger and fries." While playing for the Red Sox, he was a part of the "Buffalo Heads", with Bill "Spaceman" Lee
and Ferguson Jenkins
. Carbo would also carry around a giant stuffed gorilla that was named Mighty Joe Young. The gorilla sat next to him in the middle seat on planes. Carl Yastrzemski
wanted the gorilla placed on the bat rack in the dugout.
On June 26, 1975, in a game against the Yankees, Carbo made a daring catch at the right-field wall at Fenway Park of a hit by Chris Chambliss
, crashing into the wall and losing his chaw of tobacco, then asking the umpires for time so that he could search the outfield for the missing chaw; after holding up the game for nearly 10 minutes, he found it lying on the warning track and put it back in his mouth.
In the 1975 World Series
, the huge favorite Cincinnati Reds
were looking for their first title since 1940
. Boston also suffered a drought by not winning a Series since 1918
. Both clubs battled back and forth, with the Reds winning three of the first five games. Carbo was excited to see some of his old teammates. Carbo would be on the bench, and his former teammates were sympathetic. Clay Carroll
inscribed a picture for him and it read "Good luck in the World Series.". After Game 3, when Carbo hit a home run off him, Carbo said "They told me Carroll was in here and just went crazy, ripping up the picture into little pieces."
Game 6 was postponed three days because of rain. Carbo did not take batting practice at Tufts University
because he said he couldn’t find it. He spent the early part of Game 6 working on his Louisville Slugger. "I’m sitting there and I’m whittling this bat, I took a lath
e and took all the polish off. It’s nice and smooth. Rick Wise
is sitting next to me and says, ‘You know, you can’t use that bat. It doesn’t have an emblem on it.’ So as the game was going I took a magic marker and wrote ‘Louisville Slugger’ on it. That’s how I kept myself amused."
In Game 6 (October 21), with two outs and two batters on base in the 8th inning, Roger Moret
was up at bat. Darrell Johnson
told Carbo to get ready.
Carbo's pinch
3-run home run tied the score at 6-all, paving the way for Carlton Fisk
's legendary game-winning homer in the bottom of the twelfth for a 7-6 Red Sox victory. Carbo's pinch homer was his second of the Series, tying Chuck Essegian
's record (1959
) for most in a World Series. Game 7, watched by an estimated 71 million TV viewers, saw the Reds triumph in the ninth inning on a bloop single
by Joe Morgan
for a 4-3 win.
Tom Yawkey
would pass away in 1976, and Carbo wept. Carbo saw Yawkey as a father figure, because his father didn't really care about him. Even after his game tying home run in Game 6, he waited all night for a call and did not receive one. New owners Haywood Sullivan
and Buddy LeRoux hired a private detective to follow Carbo. They didn’t have to look far for evidence of drug use.
in June 1978. This made Bill Lee mad and he called the owners "gutless" and staged a walkout.
His major league career ended in 1980 with the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Carbo went on to cosmetology school and opened a hairdressing salon. In 1985, in a federal drug distribution trial, former Cardinal Keith Hernandez
said Carbo was the man who introduced him to cocaine in 1980. Carbo subsequently lost his house and his salon because of the bad publicity.
In 1989-90, while playing in a senior league in St. Petersburg, Florida
, Carbo hit rock bottom. His mother had committed suicide, his father died two months later, and his family was disintegrating. He was spending $32000 a month on drugs (mostly cocaine).
Dalton Jones
, a member of the Red Sox 1967 Impossible Dream team, took one look at Carbo and said, "You need Jesus."
In a 12-year career, Carbo was a .264 hitter with 96 home runs and 358 RBI in 1010 games.
. He states, "I probably smoked two joints, drank about three or four beers, got to the ballpark, took some [amphetamines], took a pain pill, drank a cup of coffee, chewed some tobacco, had a cigarette, and got up to the plate and hit." It was not just a one-time binge, however. In the same article, Carbo states, "I played every game high. I was addicted to anything you could possibly be addicted to. I played the outfield sometimes where it looked like the stars were falling from the sky."
“I threw away my career," said Carbo. “If I knew Jesus Christ was my savior at 17, I would have been one heck of a ballplayer, a near Hall of Famer. Instead, I wanted to die."
Carbo was out of baseball by age 33.
He has since become a born again Christian. In 1993, he founded the evangelical organization "Diamond Club Ministry." http://www.berniecarbo.com/ and now spends his time ministering to families and their children through his love for the game. He says he has not used drugs or alcohol in fifteen years.
On November 10, 2004, he was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001078563115#!/pages/Bernie-Carbo/136839046351460
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) is a former outfielder and designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
who played from through for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1969–72), St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1972–73, 1979–80), Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1974–76, 1977–78), Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1976), Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1978) and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1980). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was raised in the Detroit suburb of Livonia
Livonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
and graduated in 1965 from Franklin High School
Franklin High School (Livonia, Michigan)
Benjamin Franklin High School, also referred to as Franklin High School, Livonia Franklin and FHS, is a public high school located in Livonia, Michigan, a suburb west of Detroit.-History:...
, playing for the school's baseball team while there.
Career
Carbo was a journeyman outfielder who started his career with Cincinnati. He had been the Reds' number-one draft pick in the inaugural draft, ahead of Johnny BenchJohnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
. In his rookie season, Carbo posted career highs in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(.310), home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (21), runs batted in (63), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(113), on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
(.454), slugging average (.551), OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
(1,005) and games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(125). Carbo was selected Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. But he slumped in the next two seasons and was sent to the Cardinals. Then, he landed in Boston in 1973 in a trade.
Boston
The Cardinals sent Carbo and Rick WiseRick Wise
Richard Charles Wise is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons...
to the Red Sox for Reggie Smith
Reggie Smith
Carl Reginald Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and front office executive. During a 17-year big league career , Smith appeared in 1,987 games, hit 314 home runs and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime, he had one of the strongest...
and Ken Tatum
Ken Tatum
Kenneth Ray Tatum is a retired professional baseball player who played 6 seasons for the California Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball.-References:...
. He said of coming to Boston: "When I first met [Red Sox owner] Mr. Yawkey, he was shining shoes in the clubhouse,’’ said Carbo, “and I went up to him and gave him $20 and told him to get me a cheeseburger and fries." While playing for the Red Sox, he was a part of the "Buffalo Heads", with Bill "Spaceman" Lee
Bill Lee (left-handed pitcher)
William Francis Lee III , nicknamed "Spaceman", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox from - and the Montreal Expos from -...
and Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
. Carbo would also carry around a giant stuffed gorilla that was named Mighty Joe Young. The gorilla sat next to him in the middle seat on planes. Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
wanted the gorilla placed on the bat rack in the dugout.
On June 26, 1975, in a game against the Yankees, Carbo made a daring catch at the right-field wall at Fenway Park of a hit by Chris Chambliss
Chris Chambliss
Carroll Christopher Chambliss is a former Major League Baseball player who played from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...
, crashing into the wall and losing his chaw of tobacco, then asking the umpires for time so that he could search the outfield for the missing chaw; after holding up the game for nearly 10 minutes, he found it lying on the warning track and put it back in his mouth.
In the 1975 World Series
1975 World Series
The 1975 World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds . It has been ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest World Series ever played...
, the huge favorite Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
were looking for their first title since 1940
1940 World Series
The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning the Series in seven games for their second championship, their first since the scandal-tainted victory in...
. Boston also suffered a drought by not winning a Series since 1918
1918 World Series
The 1918 World Series featured the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to two. The Series victory for the Red Sox was their fifth in five tries, going back to . The Red Sox scored only nine runs in the entire Series; the fewest runs by the winning team in World Series history...
. Both clubs battled back and forth, with the Reds winning three of the first five games. Carbo was excited to see some of his old teammates. Carbo would be on the bench, and his former teammates were sympathetic. Clay Carroll
Clay Carroll
Clay Palmer Carroll is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball with a 15-year career from 1964 to 1978. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves & Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, St...
inscribed a picture for him and it read "Good luck in the World Series.". After Game 3, when Carbo hit a home run off him, Carbo said "They told me Carroll was in here and just went crazy, ripping up the picture into little pieces."
Game 6 was postponed three days because of rain. Carbo did not take batting practice at Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
because he said he couldn’t find it. He spent the early part of Game 6 working on his Louisville Slugger. "I’m sitting there and I’m whittling this bat, I took a lath
Lath
A lath is a thin, narrow strip of some straight-grained wood or other material, including metal or gypsum. A lattice, or lattice-work, is a criss-crossed or interlaced arrangement of laths, or the pattern made by such an arrangement...
e and took all the polish off. It’s nice and smooth. Rick Wise
Rick Wise
Richard Charles Wise is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons...
is sitting next to me and says, ‘You know, you can’t use that bat. It doesn’t have an emblem on it.’ So as the game was going I took a magic marker and wrote ‘Louisville Slugger’ on it. That’s how I kept myself amused."
In Game 6 (October 21), with two outs and two batters on base in the 8th inning, Roger Moret
Roger Moret
Rogelio "Roger" Moret is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox , Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers . In 168 games , he posted a career won-lost record of 47-27 and an earned run average of 3.66...
was up at bat. Darrell Johnson
Darrell Johnson
Darrell Dean Johnson was an American Major League Baseball catcher, coach, manager and scout.-Playing career:...
told Carbo to get ready.
And I said, "Hey, I’m not going to hit. Juan BeniquezJuan BeníquezJuan José Beníquez Torres is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Texas Rangers , New York Yankees , Seattle Mariners , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays...
, grab a bat, you’re going to hit. Sparky’s going to go to the lefthander because Sparky goes by the book." Darrell said, "Well, go up and stand on the on-deck circle." And they introduced me. So I’m still thinking Sparky will come out and take Rawly EastwickRawly EastwickRawlins Jackson "Rawly" Eastwick is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1975 to 1981.-Career:...
out and go with Will McEnaneyWill McEnaneyWilliam Henry McEnaney is a former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of 6 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. He was a member of the 1975 and 1976 World Series champion "Big Red...
. But the umpire says, "C’mon, you’ve been announced, you’re hitting."
So I go into the batter’s box. I ain’t ready to hit. Next thing, strike one, strike two, ball one, ball two. Then he threw me a cut fastball, a little slider and I took it right out of Bench’s glove — the ball just dribbled out. I step out and I’m thinking, "Aw man, I almost struck out. I was lucky."
I hit the next pitch to center field. I rounded first base and I saw Cesar GeronimoCésar GerónimoCésar Francisco Gerónimo Zorrilla , known as César Gerónimo, is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball, who was a member of the famed Big Red Machine of the Cincinnati Reds during the 1970s. He batted and threw left-handed....
going back. Rounding second, I knew it was gone and I’m yelling to Pete RosePete RosePeter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
, "Don’t you wish you were this strong?" And Pete is yelling back, "Ain’t this fun, Bernie? This is what the World Series is about. This is fun."
Johnny BenchJohnny BenchJohnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
said after the game it looked like a Little Leaguer learning how to hit. Pete Rose said it was the worst swing he ever saw. Don ZimmerDon ZimmerDonald William "Popeye" Zimmer is a former infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball, currently serving as a senior advisor to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball organization...
said he thought it was over. Rico PetrocelliRico PetrocelliAmerico Peter "Rico" Petrocelli is an American retired baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career in the American League with the Boston Red Sox...
said it looked like a pitcher who hurt his arm, trying to make a comeback as a hitter.http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/04/01/cleaned_up_hitter/?page=1
Carbo's pinch
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
3-run home run tied the score at 6-all, paving the way for Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk
Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
's legendary game-winning homer in the bottom of the twelfth for a 7-6 Red Sox victory. Carbo's pinch homer was his second of the Series, tying Chuck Essegian
Chuck Essegian
Charles Abraham Essegian, Jr. is a former backup outfielder who played from through in Major League Baseball. Listed at 5' 11", 200 lb., he batted and threw right-handed....
's record (1959
1959 World Series
The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, four games to two. It was the first pennant for the White Sox in 40 years . They would have to wait until 2005 to win another championship...
) for most in a World Series. Game 7, watched by an estimated 71 million TV viewers, saw the Reds triumph in the ninth inning on a bloop single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
by Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
for a 4-3 win.
Tom Yawkey
Tom Yawkey
Thomas Austin Yawkey, born Thomas Austin , was an American industrialist and Major League Baseball executive. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Yawkey became president of the Boston Red Sox in 1933, and was the sole owner of the team for 44 seasons, longer than anyone else in baseball history.-Early...
would pass away in 1976, and Carbo wept. Carbo saw Yawkey as a father figure, because his father didn't really care about him. Even after his game tying home run in Game 6, he waited all night for a call and did not receive one. New owners Haywood Sullivan
Haywood Sullivan
Haywood Cooper Sullivan was an American college and professional baseball player who was a catcher, manager, general manager and club owner in Major League Baseball...
and Buddy LeRoux hired a private detective to follow Carbo. They didn’t have to look far for evidence of drug use.
Later career
He was eventually sold to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in June 1978. This made Bill Lee mad and he called the owners "gutless" and staged a walkout.
His major league career ended in 1980 with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. Carbo went on to cosmetology school and opened a hairdressing salon. In 1985, in a federal drug distribution trial, former Cardinal Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez
Keith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts...
said Carbo was the man who introduced him to cocaine in 1980. Carbo subsequently lost his house and his salon because of the bad publicity.
In 1989-90, while playing in a senior league in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, Carbo hit rock bottom. His mother had committed suicide, his father died two months later, and his family was disintegrating. He was spending $32000 a month on drugs (mostly cocaine).
Dalton Jones
Dalton Jones
James Dalton Jones is a former Major League Baseball player who played nine seasons in the big leagues for the Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers , and Texas Rangers .-Biography:...
, a member of the Red Sox 1967 Impossible Dream team, took one look at Carbo and said, "You need Jesus."
In a 12-year career, Carbo was a .264 hitter with 96 home runs and 358 RBI in 1010 games.
Admissions to drug use
On April 1, 2010, in an interview with the Boston Globe, Carbo admitted to doing drugs during the 1975 World Series1975 World Series
The 1975 World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds . It has been ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest World Series ever played...
. He states, "I probably smoked two joints, drank about three or four beers, got to the ballpark, took some [amphetamines], took a pain pill, drank a cup of coffee, chewed some tobacco, had a cigarette, and got up to the plate and hit." It was not just a one-time binge, however. In the same article, Carbo states, "I played every game high. I was addicted to anything you could possibly be addicted to. I played the outfield sometimes where it looked like the stars were falling from the sky."
“I threw away my career," said Carbo. “If I knew Jesus Christ was my savior at 17, I would have been one heck of a ballplayer, a near Hall of Famer. Instead, I wanted to die."
Carbo was out of baseball by age 33.
After baseball
After retiring, he spent time as a hairdresser.He has since become a born again Christian. In 1993, he founded the evangelical organization "Diamond Club Ministry." http://www.berniecarbo.com/ and now spends his time ministering to families and their children through his love for the game. He says he has not used drugs or alcohol in fifteen years.
On November 10, 2004, he was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame was instituted in 1995 to recognize the careers of former Boston Red Sox baseball players. A 15-member selection committee of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, past and present media personnel, and representatives from The Sports Museum of New England and the...
.
Quotation
- I knew once they beat the Yankees, they were going to go to St. Louis and beat the Cardinals. Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
was tired of being put in the position to always be criticized to be looked at as the curse of the Red SoxCurse of the BambinoThe Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
. The Yankees have the curse now. They have to live with being up 3-0 and losing four in a row. That's hard to take and I know Yankees fans aren't going to stomach that very well. -Bernie Carbo, during his 2004 Red Sox Hall of Fame induction. http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_news.jsp?ymd=20041110&content_id=912676&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp
- "To watch people come back to the Lord, it’s better than hitting that World Series home run in 1975. Guaranteed. Ten times. Hundreds of times better, I don’t want anybody going to Hell."
See also
- Pinch hitterPinch hitterIn baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
- 1975 World Series1975 World SeriesThe 1975 World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds . It has been ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest World Series ever played...
- The Sporting News Rookie of the Year AwardThe Sporting News Rookie of the Year AwardThe Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1946 by The Sporting News .*In 1947-48, and again in 1950, a single award was given for all of Major League Baseball....
Sources
- The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia – Gary Gillette, Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English. ISBN 1-4027-4771-3
- Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments
- The Red Sox may not have won the 1975 World Series. But they certainly did not lose.
- The Sporting News
- Cleaned-Up Hitter
External links
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001078563115#!/pages/Bernie-Carbo/136839046351460