Rich Nye has fond memories of ’69 Cubs, signs for vets at National Sports Collectors Convention
ROSEMONT, Ill.—Rich Nye is living proof of the power of the 1969 Chicago Cubs and the lasting mystique tied to one of the best teams to never make the playoffs in Major League Baseball.
Nye, a left-handed pitcher, spent four of his five years in the big leagues with the Cubs from 1966-69. He signed autographs on Thursday at the National Sports Collectors Convention after replacing former Chicago Bear Jim Osborne as a late addition to the TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion.
Diehard Cubs fans of a certain age (well, 65 and above) remember the Cubs of ’69, a memorable year on its own with the Woodstock rock concert and the Apollo 11 moon landing. In late summer, the Cubs blew an eight-game lead to the New York Mets, who went on to win the World Series over the Baltimore Orioles.
On a Cubs team that ultimately produced five Baseball Hall of Famers, including Manager Leo Durocher, Nye was a fringe player. In '69, he appeared in 34 games as a spot starter and long reliever. Nye pitched 68.2 innings, producing a 3-5 record with 39 strikeouts, 21 walks and an ERA of 5.11.
There's a reason why the '69 Cubs stand out despite their epic collapse. The team had not been to the postseason since the 1945 World Series, and Cub fans were delirious with joy to finally witness a potential championship for a team that led the National League East for five months before succumbing to the Mets.
The turnaround started two years earlier when the Cubs climbed to first place during the 1967 season after not sniffing the top spot for 22 years, according to Nye. On July 2, the Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 at Wrigley Field and fans stayed in place after the game to see Wrigley workers move the Cubs flag to the top position flying above the iconic, manually-operated scoreboard in center field.
Nye remembers that moment well in what became his best season as a big leaguer, going 13-10 as a starter, with 119 strikeouts in 205 innings, posting a 3.20 ERA.
“The crowd went absolutely bananas,” he said. “They wouldn't leave the ballpark until they changed the flags. It was a very exciting time. We're in the middle of the '67 season and all of a sudden, we're in contention. We were playing well, a bunch of young guys, plus a few Hall of Famers.”
Nye, now 80 years old, became a veterinarian after his playing days, but he'll always be recognized as a ’69 Cub. He acknowledged the passion of Chicago baseball fans, whether they pull for the Cubs or the White Sox.
“If you have this history, it's very fun to be part of the action,” Nye said. “People come and show me pictures of when I was a youngster at 22. It's exciting to see the enthusiasm that people have for all of the athletes, even with the way it's changed with money dictating everything.”
Nye remains old school in his philosophy toward pitching. In the modern age, he sees too many hard throwers and too many injuries.
“I was a starting pitcher and the goal was when they give you the ball to start, you finish the game,” he said. “Now, the emphasis on the dollar changes the motivation that the player might have to perform. For me, it was exciting just to play the game. That's the attitude we had; there was very little discussion or conflict over getting a contract.”
For Nye, it's a tough thing to swallow when he sees big leaguers say they can't live on $12 million a year.
“Excuse me? How many things can you have? What do you need?” he said. “What you need is the thing that sports offers you and a lot of that is that social connection that binds you with a team. All the friends that I've made—I still communicate with my old teammates.”
There aren't too many of them left from the '69 squad. Nye mentioned catcher Randy Hundley and utility man Paul Popovich as two members of that team that he's kept in contact with, along with Ferguson Jenkins, Billy Williams and Phil Regan, now 88.
“It was a great time to be playing baseball,” Nye said. “I don't see people playing now that are the caliber that we look at for Hall of Famers in the past. Who's got a complete game? How could you be happy if you're making $13 million to $14 million a year and hitting .240?”
Nye would be happy to hear that some of his signed items from The National went to a worthy cause where money is no object.
Donnie Daugherty, a Cubs fan from Bourbonnais, Ill., a south Chicago suburb, will use Nye autographed pieces to be sold as part of Signatures for Soldiers, a 11-year-old charitable program that financially supports programs for homeless and disabled veterans.
“We use The National for our main fund-raising event,” Daugherty said. “We take consignments from people across the country who can't make it to the show and we help to get the athletes' autographs. People can then buy things [online] that we've had signed over the years. Every penny we raise goes directly to fund programs for those vets.”
Don Muret