Dave Skaugstad 1957 Redlegs

Dave Skaugstad appeared in a couple of games for the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1957. Dave very kindly took the time to send me a great, funny note about his career in baseball.

Dave also sent an a wonderful picture of him at Wrigley Field from his career. He notes that "the photo is the closest I have to a baseball card. When I played MLB you had to stay in the bigs for 90 days before they'd do a card."

Dave proudly points out that his dad can be seen in the back of the photo wearing a suit. His dad was traveling with the team at that time.

Mr. Skaugstad says that he does not have a current favorite team. He rarely watches a regular season game on TV. "I only tune in during the World Series," he says.

He also doesn't follow any of the current players. Bob Feller was a player he followed growing up and later he liked Nolan Ryan.

He says that he favorite memory relating to the Reds "was the first game I pitched in. I was a bit nervous, only 17 years old... but got by, pitched 4 scoreless innings."

Dave says he was in the game relieving Claude Osteen who had replaced Jay Hook. He remembers it was a night game, and the manager wanted to pitch all of the rookies.

Dave says that he never played ball in Kentucky but he tells me a fun story about his manager, Birdie Tebbitts, taking only the pitchers and catchers out to dinner one night at the end of the 1957 season. He thinks they went to Covington to a a nice place where Birdie had a banquet room for them.