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Norm Cash’s Table Leg Banned Against Nolan Ryan

Norm Cash, 1B Detroit Tigers

Norm Cash, 1B
Detroit Tigers

 

Thank to a nudge from friend and contributor Robert Blair yesterday, I was advised of an article by a fellow named Bill Dow.

Bill Dow reports that he has been searching for years for a still photo of the time that Norm Cash of the Detroit Tigers took a table leg to the plate as his choice of weapons in a 9th inning time at bat against Nolan Ryan of the California Angels at Tiger Stadium on July 15, 1973.  The special, but little remembered and hardly recorded circumstance that set up this odd event was simple to explain. Nolan Ryan was throwing a second career no-hitter against the Tigers that day and he only needed Mr. Cash’s scalp to finish off the job. And Norm Cash being Norm Cash didn’t exactly relish the fate of going quietly and surely.

The act/resolve/stunt of Mr. Cash just didn’t register far above the din of attention in that moment from the coming achievement of Mr. Ryan. Even iconic Tiger broadcaster missed it as he failed to report the Cash action at all in his broadcast. Neither, apparently, did the still camera and print reporting media as the next day came with only stories and pictures of the 2nd Ryan no-no.

Only Bob Costas apparently picked it up live for the MLB television coverage and reported it to an apparently not too interested public. And there was no Twitter in those days, remember?

At any rate, when Cash reached the plate, home plate umpire told Cash that he couldn’t use the bat. “Why not? – I won’t hit him anyway!” Cash chimed in  before tossing the clubhouse remnant aside and proving himself wrong by popping out to end the game with his MLB-sanctioned Louisville model bat.

Here’s a link to videotape report that writer Bill Dow discovered:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je8tttn017Q

And here’s a link to article by Bill Dow that Robert Blair sent me:

When Norm Cash took a table leg to the plate for the Detroit Tigers

 

Bob Blair, P Houston Babies

Bob Blair, P
Houston Babies

Thanks, Bob, you old Tiger fan to the bone!. Norm Cash was quite a character, wasn’t he?

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