2020 Losing Baseball Legends

[spanky]

That is a great post Shoes. 58 years ago huh? While I'm in my early 60's, don't recall the Colt 45's. I certainly recall listening to the World Series when Joe Morgan and the Big Red Machine were mowing down teams. I think Spider has a history with the Reds. I rank Joe as a medium baseball broadcaster but he called games for many years. 

We have lost Whitey Ford, Lou Brock, and now Joe Morgan this year. I'm missing a couple of others I'm sure...

[hugh]

One of my all-time favorites - Al Kaline.
Enjoyed watching him as a kid, and later would do play by play for the Tigers with George Kell in the booth with him.

[shoes]

Spanky, As I've said here a few times, I grew up a Tigers fan (right there with you on Al Kaline hugh), and became a Pirates fan because of my love for Roberto Clemente. In addition I used to play Strat-o-Matic baseball with my best friend neighbor. We would have our own draft of the teams, play our own schedule solitaire style, compare stats and then play each other in an all star game and World Series. That old Houston team fell to me in the draft and I grew to like them: Jim Wynn, the "Toy Cannon," Rusty Staub, and Joe Morgan. While he didn't hit for average in Houston, he was excellent getting on base, and I used to lead him off.

Sure I have told the Mantle/ Whitey Ford story before but I'll repeat it:

In June 1962, My Dad and Mom, my late sister and I took our annual trip to Detroit to see the Tigers play. That year it was against the Yankees. When we checked into our hotel, the old Statler Hilton, there was a large banner that ran "Welcome New York Yankees." After going to a Saturday night game, the next morning, my sister and I went downstairs and waited for the Yankees to finish their breakfasts and we along with probably 30-35 other kids politely asked for autographs. We got manager Ralph Houk, Yogi Berra, Hector Lopez, Bill Stafford and several others. Roger Maris, unfortunately declined to sign any autographs. Finally the Yankees had all cleared out and taken the bus to the ball park. There had been no sign of Whitey or Mickey. Only my sister and me and two other kids remained of the autograph seekers. At this point the lobby elevator opened and out stepped Whitey and Mickey. They grabbed a quick breakfast, which we waited on, then each of them signed autographs for my sister and me and the two other kids. They were as nice as can be and gave us each a huge thrill.

[spanky]

I recall you were a Tigers fan. 'shoes. Great story. I had a very similar experience with Cal Ripkin, Jr. having breakfast in Dallas. He was there as part of the All-StarTeam. My oldest son was with me and Cal signed the Cleveland Indians baseball cap he was wearing. I was coaching an All Star team and was taking the team to breakfast. Cal signed everything asked of him. Jimmy Wynn could launch one with the best of 'um. I liked 3rd baseman Doug Radar.