Do you mean a REAL Hall of Famer?!?
I heard from a Ford Frick winner, tireless broadcaster Bob Wolff. The writers and announcers have brought such baseball joy to me, I struggle to put an asterisk by their name. Technically, their name gets added to one huge award in Cooperstown. They aren’t enshrined with their own plaque.
Once I read Wolff’s DETAILED memories, I was sure he deserved some kind of HOF recognition. His revelations were jewels I had never found in any published history.
The same goes for pitcher Stan Williams. He returned a two-page letter full of amazing stories. The gritty pitcher is scouting for the Washington Nationals this year, he wrote. Quick, someone write him for an account of Stephen Strasburg. Does he seem glimpses of himself?
What Williams lacks in career stats, he makes up for with jaw-dropping insights. I think book publishers would race to get a memoir out of the former relief ace.
Additionally, I’ll have a great account of two “cups of coffee” from 1950s abbreviated careers, one from the Cincinnati Reds and the other with the Detroit Tigers. There’s no July vacation here. Superb baseball memories are sizzling on the grill.
Tom,
Will you ever be posting the full text of your letters you get back? I know that I would love to read them.
Kyle
Yay!! Can’t wait to read them
Excellent question, Kyle. There’s a few variables to consider here. I haven’t offered scans (illustrations) of the actual letters, due to the “interesting” handwriting of some of the veterans. In fact, I seem to get weekly apologies for penmanship. (They’ve never seen MINE! I type my letters to players because my southpaw scribbles are challenging.)Only rarely have I skipped over a sentence due to impossible-to-read writing. I’m grateful to my supportive wife for decoding several baffling correspondences.
I’ve offered some abridged transcriptions because some of my questions miss the mark. Reds coach George Scherger seemed mystified by a flattering tribute from pitcher Jack Billingham. “You’d have to ask Billingham what he meant,” was the basic reply. Other times, a retiree might get wordy, making a short story quite long.
If there’s ever a post that seems too abbreviated, please let me know. I’ll share why. When there’s a juicy memory, I’ll do whatever it takes to get it shared.
Good to hear from you, Tony. I think the replies from Wolff and Williams have one common thread. HONESTY! Both men pull back the curtain on baseball lore, revealing 1950s and 60s stars as real people.