We Remember — Baseball Bench Coach

MLB has made the most of its 2020 shortened season and 16-team October postseason, despite some well-founded concern that it would not navigate play safely through the finish line. But we are almost there, as baseball awaits the World Series beginning this Tuesday night between the Dodgers and the Rays. Unfortunately, 2020 has been a time when we’ve lost too many baseball legends. They made many of our childhoods better because we found baseball through them. I chose eight of the departed players, highlighted their achievements, and personalized some memories. I’ve also asked readers to share their memories. We remember . . .

Glenn Beckert. I was always in the infield during my playing days (maybe it was because I wasn’t very fast and had a little trouble catching fly balls). So when I think of teams from the past, my thoughts turn to the great infields – Cubs second baseman Glenn Beckert, and Banks, Santo, and Kessinger, alongside him. Beckert’s play was solid in all respects. At the plate he garnered a .283 lifetime batting average, and demonstrated what it means to be a contact batter and #2 hitter. Beckert led the National League for five seasons in fewest strikeouts per at bats. (See “Batting Second”, 05/20/2019.) His steady fielding allowed him to capture the Gold Glove and four appearances as an NL All-Star in his ten-season career. He passed on April 12 at the age of 80.

Tom K., Chicago: “I remember that Beckert wasn’t his roomy Santo type of hitter, or Banks or Williams. But I always felt quite safe when Beckert was up with the game on the line or when a ground ball came his way. This last spring was the last time I saw Beckert (at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona). Before the park opened he would stand on the grass berm in the outfield looking out at the field. I guess he’ll complete the infield up there now.”

Lou Brock. I miss the days of the base stealers – Rickey Henderson; Maury Wills; and my favorite, Lou Brock. I remember fondly in 1974 seeing Brock break Wills’ single season SB record with 118 during the season. He also broke Ty Cobb’s MLB career stolen base record. (Henderson now holds both records.) Brock’s World Series fame came during those memorable October afternoons in the 1960s, helping his Cardinals win 2 of 3 World Series. (See “Turning Points”, 07/15/2019, and “Watchful Eye”, 10/21/2019.) Brock starred in the leadoff spot for almost the entirety of his 19-year career. By the numbers, he recorded a career .293 batting average, 3,023 hits, and 938 stolen bases. Brock died a little over a month ago, on September 6, at age 81.

Mark W., St. Louis: “Lou Brock was one of my earliest baseball heroes. I remember watching him at the old Busch Stadium in St. Louis, usually from the upper deck seats in left field. I picture him at the place where he most excited me – taking a lead off first base, eyes on the pitcher, then stretching that lead. When he took off for second there was an explosion of motion.”

Whitey Ford. Whitey Ford was the ace of the most dominant team baseball has seen, the Yankees in the 1950s and early 1960s. From his rookie year in 1950 to 1964, the Yankees represented the American League in every World Series except two. Ford’s record of 236-106, a .690 winning percentage, was the top won-loss record in the 20th century. He holds numerous World Series records, games and starts (22), innings pitched (146), wins (10), and a string of 33 consecutive scoreless innings (breaking Babe Ruth’s mark). His teammates called him “Chairman of the Board”, because no one could lead a team like their left-hander. Mickey Mantle said this about Ford: “He was the best pitcher I ever saw and the greatest competitor”. Ford died on October 8, at the age of 91, just hours before his beloved Yankees lost to the Rays in Game 5 of the ALDS.

Amy L., Orlando: “I’ve been a Yankee fan for as long as I can remember. I would often take the subway from my home in Brooklyn to Yankee Stadium. The quintessential summer afternoon was the upper deck there. To look down on the field, real grass, watch the greats, was perfection on a Saturday afternoon. Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle were my favorites. Can you imagine a glorious day with Ford on the mound, Mantle in center, and me in the upper deck, adoring them. Those were the days.”

Bob Gibson. You have accomplished much in sports when your dominance causes a rule change. That sums up the career of Bob Gibson. In 1968 he finished the season with a 1.12 ERA and was named the NL MVP. (See “Shattering Records”, 08/03/2020.) The next season MLB had no choice but to lower the mound. Gibson spent his entire 17-year career with the Cardinals, pitching 3 games in each of the 1964, 1967, and 1968 World Series. And incredibly, he completed eight of those nine games! His career numbers were outstanding, 2.91 ERA, a record of 251-174, and 3,117 strikeouts. For me though, there are two distinct memories – his glare toward the hitters from the mound, and that he taught me how to throw a curveball in his 1968 book, “From Ghetto to Glory”. Gibson passed earlier this month on October 2, at age 84, on the same date when he struck out 17 Tigers batters in his Game 1 victory in the ’68 Series.

Jim S., St. Louis: “I saw Bob Gibson pitch in the final game of the 1964 championship season (10-4-64, the date engraved in my mind forever), at Sportsman’s Park with my brother and father. My father wasn’t a big sports fan so it had to be a big deal for him to get us out of Religious School to go to that game. My brother and I still reminisce about that game.”

Al Kaline. Kaline will forever be known as “Mr. Tiger”. He was an 18-time All-Star in his 23-year career with Detroit. Known for his strong throwing arm, Kaline was an exceptional outfielder, a ten-time Gold Glover with a career .987 fielding percentage. In 1955, at the age of 20, he became the youngest player ever to win the AL batting title with a .340 batting average. Lifetime at the plate he batted .297 and recorded 3,007 hits. In his only World Series appearance, 1968, he led his Tigers to a world title. Down 3 games to 1 and a 3-2 score in the seventh inning of Game 5 against St. Louis, it was Kaline’s bases loaded single that ignited the Tigers to win the game and the Series 4-3. He passed on April 6, at age 85.

Clay A., Chicago: “Everybody in Detroit felt connected to Al Kaline. For me as a young child watching the ’84 Tigers win it all, it was with Al Kaline and George Kell as the TV announcers on WDIV. But I still remember hearing about my Grandfather who was a high school teacher, coach, and athletic director, spending his summers working part time on the grounds crew at old Tiger Stadium, just to be closer to Kaline and the Tigers. One of my grandpa’s fellow coaches and teachers was the son in-law of Ed Katalinas, the Tigers scout, who told the story for years about signing Kaline right out of high school. Whether he actually went to his high school prom the day after signing to the Big Leagues may be a bit of an exaggeration!”

Don Larsen. It’s so fitting to remember Yankee pitcher Don Larsen the day before the 2020 World Series is to begin. Larsen’s 15-year MLB career is highlighted by a single October day. In Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Larsen threw a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. His perfect game is the only one in World Series history, only one of two no-hitters in Series history (Roy Halladay pitched one in 2010), and just one of 23 perfect games ever in modern day baseball. Yes, the naysayers can point to his pedestrian 81-91 career won-loss record, but Larsen’s pitching performance day 64 years ago was indeed baseball perfection. Don Larsen passed earlier this year on New Year’s Day, at the age of 90.

Joel K., Chicago: “I’m old enough to have watched Don Larsen’s perfect game on a black and white television set on Monday, October 8, 1956. I stayed home from school that day just to watch the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Yankees got a run via Mickey Mantle’s home run in the fourth inning and scratched out another run partly thanks to Larsen’s sacrifice bunt later. The excitement continued to build as Larsen completed his masterpiece, recording 27 consecutive outs. I remember seeing his catcher, Yogi Berra, jump into his arms at the end of the game.”

Joe Morgan. Little Joe was the catalyst for the Big Red Machine. In 1975 and 1976, he captured the NL MVP awards, the same years his Reds won back-to-back world championships. He was a 10-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glover. (See “Numbers Game”, 05/13/2019). Offensively, he could hit with power and steal bases, the first player to hit 200 HRs and steal 500 bases. Over the past week I’ve heard many reminisce about his trademark chicken flap of his left arm as he stood in the box and awaited the pitch. I have other images, such as his putting two feet on the artificial turf outside of the first base dirt cutoff, daring a pitcher to throw over. Morgan stole 689 career bases, and had a lifetime on-base percentage of .392. My other image is his sitting next to Sparky Anderson in the dugout, discussing strategy. (See “Player Images”, 06/29/2020.) His teammate Johnny Bench: “Joe wasn’t just the best second baseman in baseball history. He was the best player I ever saw and one of the best people I’ve ever known.” Morgan died this past week, on October 11, at the age of 77.

Tom D., Cincinnati: “Growing up in Cincinnati in the sixties, my favorite Red was Tommy Helms, perhaps because he and I shared the label of being a solid defensive, yet light hitting, second baseman. He remained my favorite Red until November 29, 1971, the day the Reds traded Helms to the Astros and acquired rising star Joe Morgan in an eight-player trade. Little Joe played a different brand of second base, more athletic. There have been few, if any, second basemen that possessed the offensive skills as the Reds #8. His combination of speed, power, and clutch hitting undoubtedly rank him as 1 of the top 3 all-time Reds. Morgan knew the game like few others, played the game like no other second baseman (including Helms), helped to carry a team to back-to-back World Series titles, and left us far too soon.”

Tom Seaver. Tom Seaver had so many accolades in his career – 12 time All-Star; ‘69 World Series Champion: 3 time NL Cy Young Award winner; 3 time NL ERA leader; and 5 time NL strikeout leader. For me, I admired his textbook pitching style, an incredible lower body, leg drive to the plate. Seaver’s dominance on the mound was mostly as a Met. He did notch his only no-hitter as a Cincinnati Red, on June 16, 1978, one year after his trade to the Reds (a night I remember celebrating at Riverfront Stadium with friends). In 1992, his induction into the Hall of Fame was at the highest percentage of votes (98.4%) ever. That number has only been surpassed by Rivera, Jeter, and Griffey Jr. Seaver died on August 31, at the age of 75.

Jerry A., Cincinnati: “1969 World Series. It was the coming of age for my affection and appreciation of baseball. At 10 years old, our first ever color TV was delivered on Saturday, October 11, 1969. All the boys in the neighborhood crowded into our living room to see baseball in ‘living color’. Watching future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, the eventual Cy Young winner backed by his 25-7 record and 208 strikeout season, ‘Tom Terrific’ was not so much in World Series Game 1. Seaver only lasted five innings giving up four runs and striking out only three Orioles. Seaver returned in Game 4 for the win, pitching a complete 10 inning game, the Mets winning in the bottom of the 10th inning. The fond memory of that day still resonates with me 51 years later.”

The readers’ quotes say it all. World Series heroes, childhood playing days, recollection of specific days and dates, being at the ballpark, watching on television, family connections, and cutting school to see the great ones play. These are wonderful memories we all share. And from all of us, thank you baseball legends for being such a big part of our lives.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach