Wayne and Big Mo in Da Housie!
Like Two Wareham Gatemen Passing in the Night
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1992 Topps Wayne Housie (#639) - Card of the Day
Judging by his statistics, you might say that Wayne Housie was a “perfect” outfielder — but it did take him a while to get there.
The Tigers picked Housie out of Riverside City College in the eighth round of the January 1986 draft, and he spent the next four seasons split between Double-A and Triple-A stops in the Detroit system.
Along the way, Housie showed good speed, topping 30 stolen bases twice and 20 two more times, along with five-plus triples three times. Problem was, his bat wasn’t quite up to the standards of his legs — batting averages in the .250s or below, along with single-digit home run power.
That all led to the Tigers releasing Housie in April of 1990, and he languished on the shelf until August. That’s when the Red Sox picked him up and sent him to Double-A New Britain.
After a return engagement to start 1991, Housie pushed his way to Triple-A Pawtucket that summer and hit a combined .285 with 45 stolen bases, eight homers, and 33 doubles.
All of a sudden, the 26-year-old found himself in Boston for the stretch run.
Up 4-3 and looking for an insurance run against the Orioles, Red Sox manager Joe Morgan brought in Housie as a pinch runner in the bottom of the eighth inning on September 17 to pinch run for Jack Clark after the Ripper’s leadoff single.
Housie stole second, but his BoSox teammates left him stranded.
Overall, Housie played in 11 games that month, though he picked up just ten plate appearances in the process. He hit .250 with a single, a double, and the one steal, and he scored two runs during his cup of coffee.
Housie also made four appearances in centerfield, including one start (the last game of the season, on October 6). That’s where the “perfect” bit comes into play.
In those games on the grass, Housie handled all three balls hit his way — three chances, three putouts, a 1.000 fielding average.
That turned out to be Housie’s lifetime mark, too, as he never did handle another chance in big league play.
But Housie wasn’t quite finished in the majors, either.
First, while Topps was proffering up the rookie card you see at the top of this post, Housie was struggling back at Triple A, hitting .219 in 1992.
Mo Than a Mouthful
The starting first baseman for the Red Sox in Housie’s first game was a young man who had debuted for Boston earlier in the 1991 season. Before he crashed the big leagues with his big swing, though, Mo Vaughn spent two-plus years in the minors.
And before that, he was a Cape Cod prospect — a designation that yielded a baseball card with a Bromdignagian title. Read all about that gem right here.
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I guess you could say that’s a wrap for our Mo-nday edition of Pasteboard Prattle. Or maybe you could wow your friends with this little riddle…
Where did Wayne build his pantry? In his Housie, right next to his shirtry.
Thanks for reading (and groaning).
—Adam