Remembering Robin Roberts

May 31 1957 was a magical night for a young baseball fan from South Texas. My family was visiting my mother's family in Bordentown, New Jersey for a couple of weeks. My dad and my uncle took me to Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia to see my first Major League game in person.

The Phillies' pitcher that night was the awesome right-hander Robin Roberts. He was in the midst of 6 consecutive seasons of 20 wins. And he was facing the Brooklyn Dodger with their awesome line-up, Gilliam, Cimoli, Snider, Furillo, Hodges, Campanella, Neal, Zimmer, and the Don Drysdale as the opposing pitcher.

The game lived up to my imagination. There was excellent pitching and defense. There was a majestic by the great Dodger catcher, Roy Campanella, off the top of the stadium. But Roberts only gave up three hits, pitched a complete game and got the win. For years after that magical night I would want to be a second baseman like Junior Gilliam. And, in my mind, I would pitch, copying Robin Roberts and throwing the perfect pitch in the pressure situation.

Robin Roberts passed away yesterday. But the memory of his mastery will live as long as I do!

Another Honor For Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan has been honored in many ways over the years. I thought of several ways he has been rewarded for his excellence as a pitcher and as a man. He received a big cash bonus. He has gotten many gifts especially appropriate to him or his family. He has been awarded plaques & trophies, had proclamations or news releases to honor him. There have bee several who have written a book about him. Ryan has had videos made about him, had schools establish a scholarship in his name, had children named after him, and streets named for him. This week, in the town where he grew up, the district announced they have named a school after him.

Who Do The Voters Think They Are?

Not only does the exclusion of Mark McGwire from the Hall of Fame seem wrong to me, there is more I do not understand about the voting practices of the baseball writers. The negative reaction to McGwire’s alleged steroid use has some grain of sense to it. But how in the world can a writer not include Tony Gwynn or Cal Ripken Jr. on their ballots. Neither was unanimously elected. No player ever has been. It is the height of smugness to withhold a vote from a first player eligible for election if they are without a doubt going to be elected. It does not preserve anything of value; it only shows that the writer thinks he is superior, maybe even a god!

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