August 2, 2009

  • When gentlemen played the game...

    I caught this bit from the end of a Daily News article about the 30th anniversary of the death of Yankee captain Thurman Munson. Jerry Narron, the rookie who caught the game the day after Munson’s death recalls his first time meeting Yankee great Mickey Mantle in spring training of 1976:

    My first day of spring training of 1976 I walk in the door and Mickey Mantle is standing there. So I introduced myself and he introduced himself and he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Well, I just started laughing and said, “No, it’s my pleasure, not yours.” He was such a great guy. He was an outstanding ballplayer but also an outstanding person.

    Nowadays, players think they own the world and everyone owes them something. Few recognize that THEY are the ones who are blessed. Blessed with the ability to “play a game” for a living in a profession whose minimum wage in 2009 is $400,000 and which comes with adoring fans and the potential for many commercial endorsements. It is a blessing to be talented enough to be in their place, and yet...it’s all about them most of the time.