Don Larson died
last week.
I may have been a Brooklyn Dodgers fan back in the day but I always respected the talent on the teams in Manhattan (NY Giants) and the Bronx (Yanks).
My childhood hero was Gil Hodges and I will go to my grave angry that he isn't a member of the Hall Of Fame.
So I ask you...
Who were your childhood heroes?
4 comments:
Tom Seaver, who IS in the Hall of Fame, and Cleon Jones, who is not in the Hall for obvious reasons, but flirted with .350 for most of that one year, showing it was possible for a Met to actually compete for an offensive title.
Tug McGraw, too - got my attention when he beat Sandy Koufax in a start at the age of 21(?). He made you BELIEVE.
Dave Kingman, too - flaws and all, his mammoth shots gave me something to root for, and in an era were 50+ homers was deemed extinct, he would have done it twice were it not for injuries in both of those years. I loved his HR as an ex-Met Chicago Cub on that windy day at Wrigley - cleared the fence, clear the stands, cleared the street, then bounce up and hit the front door of the fourth house down the block. KONG!!!!
Rick Monday for his flag rescue incident
Video of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbr1hNp-nI4
My dad would take me to Prospect Park in a stroller on Saturdays from our Flatbush apartment when I was a toddler (48? 49?). On the way home we would stop by Ebbetts Field to watch morning "practice." I don't know how we got in, or why we were allowed in, but there were very few (if any) fans there. We would stand near the Dodger dugout and leave before game time.
We dis this enough times that one player, at least. recognized me and would come over, pat me on the head, and talk to my dad. That was Billy Cox, my all time favorite baseball player.
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