Home Run Derby

If you didn’t know it, it’s the 20th anniversary of the movie masterpiece that is Coming to America … the film that let loose “Soul Glo” on America.  You know, the homage to Jheri Curl – that awesome, dripping wet looking ‘do from the seventies and eighties that would stain anything it came in contact with.

Baseball is often a great place to see some fashionable hairstyles and facial hair trends and it was no stranger to Jheri Curl.  So let your Soul Glow and enjoy the best curls in baseball.

Sammy Sosa

When Sosa came up with the Texas Rangers, teammate Rafael Palmeiro described him as a skinny Dominican with Jheri Curls.  Seriously … check out Sammy protecting the ‘do by barely wearing an oversized hat.  A 1-year old could knock that thing off with a sneeze.

Sammy kept the ‘do after being traded to the White Sox.  After he trimmed his long drippy locks … his power stats eventually exploded.  Call it the “Reverse Samson” effect. 

The Perez Brothers – Melido and Pascual Perez 

The Perez boys owned the ‘do in the late 80’s early 90’s. 

Hey wait a minute … that’s three Dominicans already.  The hairstyle was very popular among Dominicans - there was even a DR street gang in New York called the “Jheri Curls.”

Lee Smith

That … is … awesome.  Do you ever wonder if the former all-time saves leader was ever doctoring the ball with some of that Jheri Curl juice right before he struck out some guy?

Deion Sanders

All I can say is … what has been seen cannot be unseen.

In 1989 (with that ‘do) the two-sport star known as ”PrimeTime” scored a touchdown and hit a home run in the same week.  First man to ever do that.  In Jheri Curls no less.

George Bell and Jesse Barfield

Another Dominican with the Jheri Curls!! And we’re not done either.

The Blue Jays had that incredible outfield of Bell, Barfield, and Lloyd Moseby in the mid-1980’s … and they had even better hair.  I even think Moseby had the Jheri Curls at one point as well … but since he ripped the Jays’ Powder Blue uniforms at the unveiling ceremony last year – he gets the snub here.

I’m pretty sure George Bell was the first player to win an AL MVP award in Jheri Curls.  And Barfield led the AL in Home Runs in 1986.  Love the moustaches.

Steve Jeltz

Gotta love that middle card of Jeltz wearing the batting helmet while playing defense.  Not to mention the do-rag in the third card.

There’s an unsubstantiated rumor out there that Jeltz petitioned the League to be able to wear his batting helmet in the field to protect his hairdo … and was denied.  I’d love confirmation of that.

Felix Jose and Juan Guzman and Julio Franco

Just another set of Dominican MLB’ers who had great Jheri Curls.  And decent careers.

Guzman went 40-11 during Toronto’s glory years in the early 90’s – Jose hit .280 over 11 seasons – and Julio Franco was the 1990 All-Star Game MVP (pictured), won the 1991 AL Batting Title, and played until his birth certificate said he was 49 … and could still probably play today. 

Pedro Martinez

But the most wonderful curls in baseball history have got to belong to Pedro Martinez (yet another Dominican).  And he wore them all across this great continent with stops in Los Angeles, Boston, and New York … and maybe even a stop to the salons in Montreal. 

And if Steve Jeltz could wear a helmet on the field to protect his ‘do … then Pedro could wear a bucket in the locker room after his Red Sox won the 2004 World Series.  After all – it got trashed after the ALCS.

Mind you … he trimmed it off for the Cockfight.

That was eight Domincans with great Jheri Curls … in case you lost count. 

I’m sure I missed a few from your favorite team … let me know who they are/were in the comments.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 12:32 am and is filed under Hair, Viva Beisbol. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.