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Bob Aspromonte Starred Off the Field

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Sure, Bob Aspromonte owns the stats to back up a 13-year career in the majors.

A few feathers in his baseball cap, worn 1956 and 1960-71…

* NL record for consecutive errorless games by a third baseman (157, in 1962)
* NL record for fewest errors (11) and highest fielding percentage (.973, also in 1964)
* Houston franchise record for career grand slams (6, later matched by Jeff Bagwell)

Interestingly, “Aspro” didn’t quote statistics when asked about some of his memorable career moments. For instance, regarding his debut with the 1956 Dodgers, this Brooklyn native and resident recalled:

“Taking the field in a Brooklyn Dodger uniform as a 17 year old kid just out of high school, sitting alongsdie Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Duke Snider and many other superstars, are some of my greatest memories.”

Aspromonte’s devotion to a young fan in need inspired the 2008 docu-movie “Blind Faith: Bob Aspromonte,” one installment of “Amazing Sports Stories,” seen on FSN.

Bob promised a boy who had been struck by lightning on a Little League field that he’d hit a home run for him. Not once, not twice, but three times. The happy ending is recounted in this fine Memphis newspaper article. The legend remained largely untold for more than 30 years. I wanted to know if Bob’s Houston teammates had any idea of what happened.

“Gene Elston our announcer made the players aware of the Divine Intervention story.”

The Astros wound up on the other side of a headline in 1968. June 9 was declared a National Day of Mourning after the assassination of presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. Team owners insisted on playing. Aspromonte, Rusty Staub and Dave Giusti sat out the game in protest. While Houston played, no Astros challenged their absent teammates.

“They completely understood how strongly we felt about the National Day of Mourning for Robert Kennedy.”

All three players were dumped from the Houston roster at season’s end.

Bob and his brother Ken Aspromonte found fulfilling careers beyond baseball. Both are retired and live in Houston.

Pilot Jerry McNertney Never Forgot Seattle

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Catcher Jerry McNertney found that his most productive season in a nine-year career came with the 1969 Seattle Pilots. Looking back, those career highs at bat weren’t the only things he missed about the Pacific Northwest. McNertney wrote:

“Wonderful time in Seattle! Great fans, loved the game! Great outdoors country! Wish we could have returned!”

McNertney relocated to Milwaukee, serving as opening-day catcher for the Brewers. He returned there in 2010 to relive those uncertain first days with the Brew Crew in a special ceremony.

Ribbed by author Jim Bouton in Ball Four
for his clean-cut Midwestern attitude, McNertney claimed years later that he never read the book. Bouton didn’t seem to recall McNertney’s one-day vacation from good behavior. McNertney wrote:

“That ejection in Detroit: I can’t remember the ump. But I remember the hitter and pitcher, Norm Cash and John Gelnar. We had him K’d, but the ump disagreed!”

The ever-fascinating www.retrosheet.org uncovered McNertney’s clash with authority. Cash was awarded a walk. Subsequently, umpire Larry Napp provided McNertney a long walk back to the dugout, ejecting the normally-stoic backstop.

One of McNertney’s greatest accomplishments in baseball came in never forgetting his Iowa roots. His hometown honored him in 2009 with Jerry McNertney Day.

Ernie Broglio, Beyond Lou Brock

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Ernie Broglio is more than just a trivia question. Today’s fans often hear, “Who did the Cubs get in return for future Hall of Famer Lou Brock?”

Finger-pointers seek scapegoats. The teams staged a three-for-three swap. Bobby Shantz and Doug Clemens accompanied Broglio to Wrigley Field on June 15, 1964.

Broglio had been traded before. He was part of a five-player deal in October, 1958. He wrote:

“The Giants traded me to St. Louis. I was really surprised because I had two really good years in the Giants minor leagues.”

Broglio notched consecutive 17-win seasons in 1957-58, first in Double-A then graduating to AAA the next year. He unveiled his full potential in Class C ball in 1955, winning 20 games.

As a Cardinal, Broglio enjoyed two years of glory. His 21 wins led the National League in 1960. The righty followed that with 18 victories in 1963. Surprisingly, the triumphs offset a career-worst 13 wild pitches. Broglio noted:

“I don’t believe there was that much difference between the two years, except in 1960, I either won 7 or 9 games in relief. The wild pitches were caused from a shoulder problem. I eventually took 16 or 18 (cortisone) shots in the shoulder.”

Before he left St. Louis, Broglio enjoyed a ringside seat for the evolution of Cardinals hurler Bob Gibson. When did Broglio know Gibby might be Cooperstown bound?

“There was never a doubt about him getting to the Hall of Fame. He had the instinct of getting you out from the time he started pitching.”

Broglio earned the attention of Sports Illustrated twice, first with a 1961 cover and later with this bittersweet 2000 article in which he reveals the inscription of his autographed photo from Lou Brock.

Meet a Field of Dreams Ghost Player

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Dennis Rima knows baseball. They call him “Coach” for good reason. He knows corn, too. Not as a farmer, but as a ghost player at Dyersville’s Field of Dreams.

The Ghost Players made just one appearance in 2009 and plan on reuniting once at the Field in July, 2010. Prior to that, Dennis sent a gracious reply to questions about his connections to the 1989 movie classic.

Q: Were you in the movie?

A: I was not in the movie. It was being filmed while I was a high school baseball coach in the summer.

Q: As a former high school baseball coach who won a state championship, how would you judge the athletic talent of stars Kevin Costner and Ray Liotta?

A: Costner and Liotta have very good baseball skills. Costner loves playing baseball. While filming the movie, when he wasn’t on camera he spent a lot of time playing catch. They both seem very athletic.

Q: You witnessed the Upper Deck-sponsored Old-Timers games in the 1990s at the Field. How did the former big leaguers look?

A: The old timer games were great. Many of these guys could still hit and field the ball. Many of them are not in playing shape and have put on pounds since their playing days. But guys like Lou Brock, Reggie Jackson, George Brett, etc. could still smack the ball. They were fun to watch and even more enjoyable to be around. The majority of these guys were just down-to-earth super nice!

Q: What message does the movie offer?

A: The message I get from the Field of Dreams is that you need to spend time with your kids!!! Don’t let time go by and you haven’t spent quality time with them. Also, dreams are meant to come true if you believe in them. Finally, baseball is America’s game!

Q: Will you and the Ghost Players come out of the corn for more action in 2010?

A: The US traveling military baseball team is coming to Dyersville in July to play the Ghost Players. We did this last year and it was very popular. That is all I am aware of right now. Joe Scherrman keeps up a website at www.ghostplayer.us so go there for more information. The documentary on the Ghost Players has won many awards at some film festivals.

I’ve seen both the book and DVD created by the Ghost Players. Fans of the movie will savor these stories.

Torre, Torre, Koufax: Ken Aspromonte’s Brooklyn Baseball Boyhood

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Ken Aspromonte enjoyed a magical time growing up as a ballplayer in Brooklyn.

Yes, his younger brother Bob made the majors, too.

But he crossed paths with three other guys who fulfilled the same dream.

“The Torre brothers (Frank and Joe) played against the Aspromonte brothers throughout the high school years and sandlot baseball,” he wrote. “Sandy Koufax went to the same high school, Lafayette in Brooklyn, with my brother Bob and I. He played first base but eventually moved to pitching –“

Ken’s career as a starter was brief. He did earn a full-time job in the 1960 Cleveland infield, batting a career-best .290. More time to make good wasn’t the only explanation, he noted:

“Success comes in the major leagues when a baseball player finally realizes that he belongs in the majors. It takes lots of patience and finally if you have talent, it will all come about –“

Ken returned to Cleveland to manage in 1972. He led the team through one of the zaniest, scariest nights in baseball history: “10 Cent Beer Night” in 1974. When drunken “fans” wouldn’t clear the field, the Indians forfeited.

When rowdy fans confronted Ranger Jeff Burroughs in the outfield, manager Billy Martin urged his team to grab bats and charge the field to defend a teammate. However, the Texas roster wasn’t big enough to confront the mob.

That’s when Ken Aspromonte sprang into action. He led his Indians onto the field to help defend the visiting team.

“It was a terrible unfortunate evening, something I knew was going to happen when you make beer available at such a LOW price,” he recalled. “I definitely would do the same today if I was managing.”

The world may offer 10-cent beers again someday. But there will never be another Ken Aspromonte.