Baseball's Bob "Hurricane" Hazle-- Part 2: Quite the Call Up!

BOB HAZLE  (1930 to 1992)

Played three years in the majors with the Reds, Braves and Tigers. He was a member of the 1957 World Series Champion Milwaukee Braves.  Played 101 games in his major league career, batting .310 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs.  Most all of that coming in his late season call up from the minors for the Braves in 1957.  He was a big reason they got to the World Series.

In music he would be called a One Hit Wonder.

Born in Laurens, S.C.

Hazle is best-known for his meteoric play for the Braves in 1957 when he was called up late in the season to replace injured outfielder Bill Bruton, but didn't play until the Braves' 100th game.  In less than three weeks, from August 9 through August 25, he batted .473 with 5 home runs and  and 19 RBI in just 14 games.

This unexpected burst of offense earned him the nickname of "Hurricane" after Hurricane Hazel which had struck his home state of S.C. in 1954.

That Was Some Start to His Career.  --CootHazel

That Was ONE REALLY ROUGH Hurricane

The date was Oct. 15, 1954, when what is considered the worst natural disaster ever to strike the state of North Carolina, particularly along the coast, struck. And, that would be Hurricane Hazel.

At Carolina Beach, 98 mph winds destroyed 362 cottages, including the one belonging to my grandparents on the Southern Extension. Another 663 were badly damaged. I myself (at age 3), lived through it in Goldsboro, about ninety miles from the coast and even there, much damage took place.

At Topsail Beach, to the north of Carolina Beach, 231 cottages were destroyed (but not the concrete reinforced missile towers). Only 22 cottages were left.

One Big-Bad Storm. --Cooter