 |
| Sweet signature, but a sweeter swing. He had 114 career hits. Take that, DH rule! |
“Please, let me try pitching!”
For years, no Little League coach heard my plea. This left-hander never got the chance.
I looked at my baseball cards. I saw their squinting faces and confident smirks. I wanted to be THEM.
That’s what led me to choose the latest group I wrote to. Say their names, and I see their cards still dancing in my head. The rotation includes:
Dennis Bennett
Wally Bunker
Bud Byerly
Pat Combs
Danny Darwin
Eddie Fisher
Joe Gibbon
Steve Hargan
Steve Renko
Pat Zachry
Coming Friday: My review of the new book Ron Santo: A Perfect 10.
I met Pat Zachry at a combination Reds/Mets fantasy camp (perfect for Zach, since he played for both teams) in Sarasota in 2000. Quite a character! He said one of his greatest thrills in baseball was starting a World Series game for the Reds as a 21-year-old rookie.
I’ll be interested in what Wally Bunker has to say. He was a favorite of mine. I bought a Rawlings Wally Bunker model glove in 1965 even though I wasn’t a pitcher. It was the biggest glove the sporting goods store carried as I recall. I still keep it in usable condition and I break it out from time to time to play catch with my sons when they come home from college.