Baseball has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started playing the game when I was five years old. I was actually too young to be on the team. My dad made me the batboy for the games, but I got to practice with the team.
From that first practice until after I graduated high school, we played ball every chance we got. Playing catch, hotbox(Pickle, or rundowns, whatever you want to call it) or hitting flyballs and grounders to each other, we were playing baseball. If we could round up enough guys we'd play a pick up game. Some of my best memories with my buddies is centered around baseball. My best friends today are the guys that I grew up playing ball with.
I'm not sure how or maybe if it was just the times, but we all played the game the same way. First and foremost, we loved to play. Second, we played with toughness. Win or lose we played every game like it mattered. Every at bat counted. Defense was played with an attitude of whatever it takes to make the play. After games, not a single player didn't have a dirty uniform. Third, we played for the team. It wasn't about our own stats or accolades, it was all about the team. Sacrifice bunts and sac flies were celebrated like home runs because it helped the team. Lastly, we played the game with integrity and sportsmanship. Cheating the game wasn't even a thought. Sportsmanship was instilled in each and every one of us. We were taught to win with class and to lose with class. How we carried ourselves in victory and defeat was as important as how we had played.
So, why the autobiography on baseball in my life? I noticed when talking about several different players in my blog I'd make the comment "I like the way he plays the game." I got to thinking that I've never really explained what that means. To be honest, until I started writing this I'm not sure I could have put it into words. So, here's a shot to try to explain what I mean when I say "I like the way he plays the game."
The first step in explaining my thoughts was to share a little about my life with baseball. To me, the way we played the game as kids is the right way to play baseball. To play because it's fun. To play with toughness. To play for the team. To play with integrity and with sportsmanship. These are the qualities that I seem to gravitate to with the players that I enjoy and collect. I like the way they play the game.
First and foremost, the player has to have fun. No player exemplified fun more than Adrian Beltre. If you've ever doubted that Beltre had fun playing the game, just watch the video.
Beltre enjoyed playing baseball. He always played to win, but he was going to have fun doing it. I love the 2014 Topps Beltre card. This is how I will remember him as a Ranger. In the dugout, after hitting a home run and someone getting ready to touch his head. Classic Beltre.
When it comes to playing with toughness, I think of players like Cal Ripken Jr and Marcus Semien who show up everyday to play. Not taking a day off just to take a day off. I think of Nolan Ryan pitching with blood dripping from his mouth after being hit by a ball. Kirk Gibson's walk off home run in the '88 World Series and limping around the bases. Guys who would give anything to be on the field. Guys who don't quit. It doesn't matter the score, the wins or the losses, they are going to give it their all.
George Brett said, "Nolan's scary under normal conditions, but facing him when he was all bloody was another level of intimidation altogether." Yeah, not something that I think I could do. Not something I could do if he wasn't bloody. There are so many cards of Cal Ripken Jr, to choose from that I went with The 1996 Topps card commemorating Ripken breaking the consecutive game streak.
2023 Topps card represents a special season for the World Champion Marcus Semien. He played in 179 games in the '23 regular season and playoffs. Not including the COVID shortened season, Marcus has played in all but one regular season game over the last 4 years. Kirk Gibson's '88 walk-off home run is something that I will always remember. I was indifferent when it came to Gibson, but that was an awesome moment in baseball. The 2001 Topps card captures the golden moment.
I am a firm believer that teams that play for each other are the teams that win. It was obvious this past season for the Rangers. Those guys truly enjoy playing ball together. When players put the team ahead of their own stats or concerns, those teams are hard to beat. There have been a number of players who put the team ahead of themselves, but for me, the best example of this is Michael Young. Young came up as a second baseman, moved to shortstop to make room for Alfonso Soriano. He goes out and becomes an All-Star shortstop and win a Gold Glove. Next, he moves to 3rd to make room for Elvis Andrus and then to DH/1B to make room for Adrian Beltre. The thing was, Michael Young was the face of the team, the leader in the clubhouse and he did what real leaders do, sacrifice for the team. I love those players who put their teammates first.
Just a couple of my favorite Michael Young cards. '05 Topps and '11 Topps.
Integrity and sportsmanship is a little harder to define. It would be easier to write about the players that don't have integrity and sportsmanship, like the steroids guys and the Astros. Integrity and sportsmanship gets overlooked today. I think there are probably more players that play the game with integrity and in the spirit of competition than those who don't. Most don't get the credit they deserve. The biggest name that comes to mind when I think of integrity and sportsmanship right now is Mike Trout. He's played on some really good teams and some really bad teams. He showed up and played. When Ohtani left the Angels, the topic of conversation was would Trout request a trade. His response was to honor his contract. That's integrity. Now, I'm sure that there might come a day when he does request a trade, but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't.
Trout has so many cool cards that I went with two of my favorites. The 2011 Topps Update rookie card is on my list of grail cards and the 2016 Topps is just a cool picture.
There's really one more trait that I've thought of that I'm not sure how to quantify. I love players that play with passion. The most recent example that I can think of is Corey Seager's home run to tie game 1 of the '23 World Series.
Seager is normally a player who keeps his emotions in check, but on this occasion he didn't. The thing I like about him is, to me, its genuine. He's not trying to show up the other team. He's just letting out his emotions. I think today, there's a lot of players that do all of these antics to say 'look at me" or to show up their opponent. I don't believe so here.
I'm not sure that I've effectively defined what I mean by "how he plays the game" but I tried. I would love to hear some of your thoughts on players that you think really have fun playing, play with toughness, are team oriented or display integrity, sportsmanship and passion.
There have been moments in my life where I almost got to meet some great ballplayers.
When I was in high school, my mom had to go to St. Louis, Missouri for work and she took me with her. While my mom was working, I hung out with a family friend who lived in the area. My friend worked as a tennis pro at a club there and someone had given him tickets to Opening Day. He couldn't go, so he gave them to me. It was 1980 and the Cardinals were opening the season against the 1979 World Series Champions Pittsburgh Pirates. I had never been to Busch Stadium before, so I had no idea where my seats were. When I finally found the seats, I couldn't believe it. Six rows back, right behind the Cardinals dugout!
Before the game started, the co-MVPs Keith Hernandez of the Cardinals and Willie Stargell of the Pirates were given their awards right in front of the Cardinal dugout. As they are giving the guys their awards the announcer introduces two Cardinals legends...Stan Musial and Lou Brock. They are sitting together one row ahead of me and about four seats down. I was awestruck. I wanted to go meet them, but I was a shy teenager and not very self-confident, so I had to work up my courage to do it. As the second inning was coming to close, I had convinced myself to go talk to them. As I stood up to make my way down the row of seats, they both stood and walked up the aisle. They didn't come back. I missed the chance to talk to Hall of Fame legends. Ever since then, both of those guys have had a special place in my love for baseball. I have a few of their cards and have my eye out for a few more.
Nolan Ryan is one of my heroes. I've never met him, but I came really close one time. My brother-in-law used to work for the FAA and every time the Rangers had a fly over, someone had to be on the ground at the site for communication if there was an issue. Well, that meant he got tickets for the game. It was Opening Day at the Ballpark in Arlington and somehow we both ended up on the field right in front of the Rangers dugout. People were milling around on the field as the stands were filling up. I glanced down the tunnel and saw Nolan Ryan heading my way. I started edging closer to the dugout and as he is coming up the steps to the field, I step in his direction and...someone called his name and he turned and went back down in the dugout. Before he made is way back to the field, we were gone. So close. Being in Texas my whole life, I can say that I'm tempted to drive down to Alvin and see if I can run into him. Who knows? Two of the Nolan Ryan cards that I don't have, but one day hope to own are his rookie card and his 1969 Topps card.
I have had the opportunity to meet a few MLB players. When I was in high school(a long time ago), I worked at a card shop that once a year put on a card show in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Most of the time I covered the table selling card supplies, wax packs, plastic sheets. etc... Other times, I got to hang out with the players who were there to sign autographs.
One of the first players that I met was Brooks Robinson. There were several adults around him and me, just being a teenager, I was kind of shuffled off to the side. I did get to talk to him and shake his hand which I thought was pretty cool. I don't remember anything about the really brief conversation we had, but I do remember him being a friendly guy. He signed a picture for me.
I have a few of his cards from the '70s, but there are couple of his vintage cards that I'd like to own one day.
I was also blessed to meet and spent a short time with Gaylord Perry and Fergie Jenkins at a different show. Those guys were great. Telling stories about their time playing, laughing, joking. The funny thing is, I don't remember anything about that conversation either. I wished I could have stayed and just listened to them talk. I know that when I walked away I thought they were really cool guys who enjoyed talking baseball. I did get a couple of autographed balls.
Both Jenkins and Perry pitched for my Rangers, so I think the cards I want, but still don't have, will be with them both in Ranger uniforms because, that's how I'll always remember them.
I think my all-time favorite Major Leaguer that I had the privilege to meet has to be Enos Slaughter. This goes back to the days of working the card shows and watching the sales table.
Our table sat near the entrance of the show. It was late in the day and the crowd had thinned out. The next thing I know, up walks Enos Slaughter. To be honest, I wouldn't have known it was him if I hadn't seen him earlier in the day signing autographs. He asked if it was alright to to pull up a chair and sit while he waited for his ride. He began asking me questions about myself and we talked for a few minutes. The talk quickly turned to baseball and he began to tell stories of his playing days. Before you knew it a small crowd had formed around him. He was talking to all of the little kids that had sat on the floor around him. Every now and then a dad of one of the kids would ask a question and he'd laugh and start on some tale to answer the question. He was like everyone's granddad. I really wished I knew more about the era that he played in so I could have asked some questions.
He told one story that stuck with me that to this day I can picture him doing it. Here's the story.
It was a hot summer's day and things weren't going well. Enos was playing in the outfield and the manager had just called time and was heading to mound. Slaughter said that he looked down and noticed what looked like a trap door in the outfield. He opened up and saw that it was where the water valve was for the field. He said that's a pretty big box down there and he thought he could fit in it. So he climbed down in the box and lowered the lid. Just as he lifted the trap door just enough to see out, and to his surprise, he saw the pitcher throw a pitch to the batter. The batter swung and lifted a high fly ball in his direction. He popped out of the box, made the catch for the third out and jogged off the field. He laughed a big laugh and said he always wondered what was going through that pitcher's mind when that ball was hit to the outfield and there wasn't anyone there.
I don't own an Enos Slaughter baseball card, but that signed picture is mine that I got at the last card show I went to. I'm looking for the right card of Slaughter and I'm leaning towards the '53.
I know why I love baseball. It's not just the skills of the players being able to hit a round ball with a round bat, thrown so fast and with movement that defies logic. It's not just the amazing plays in the field or throws from the outfield to home plate to get the runner. All great reasons to love the game, but there's more. It's the stories. My stories from my childhood playing ball. My stories from my days coaching my boys and now coaching high school. My stories from the games that I was able to attend. The stories of the those who played the game at the highest level. Stories of Satchel Paige, Willie Mays and Enos Slaughter to name a very small few. The stories that are to come.
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