Header - Baseball by the Letters

LOL: Baseball E-Mail Autographs?!?

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Imagine ol’ Case’ saying:
“No autographs. But you
can find me on Facebook!”

Christmas is coming, not Halloween. Therefore, why are reply times for former players getting so scary?

I’m not giving up on old-fashioned U.S. Mail contacts with baseball’s past. I am simply pondering the non-replies and years-long delays from Rip Van Winkle-like retirees. We’re not talking Hall of Famers, but cup-of-coffee guys and those who left the diamond years ago.
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That’s why I’m trying an experiment. E-mail. Websites. Social media. Any way to take the pulse of a former player before sending out my envelope of hope.

I’ve never imagined being a collector who would print out an e-mail to save in a scrapbook. I want a handwritten reply, proof that a person gave special thought to my question.

Then again, are retirees becoming so cynical that they’d delight in the lack of resale value in an e-mail? They could still transmit their memory, cyber-sending their thoughts without the fear of my selling an unsigned printout on eBay?

Additionally, I think the rush of E-immediacy may prompt some non-mail signers to reply. Have you ever been at a shop checkout counter, money in hand, only to be brushed aside by the person supposedly waiting on you? Why? The unknown caller and the ringing telephone seemed more important.

Of course, I’ll share whatever responses I receive, both from tortoises and hares.

Coming Friday: Did Mark Cresse witness the wildest day ever in the L.A. Dodgers bullpen?

Where Are the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers?

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Is the ex-hurler’s sig still
so swell? I hope to find out!

In this installment of “Tom’s 10 Most Wanted,” I thought of those near-miss Milwaukee Brewers of 2011.

Do they answer fan mail? I’m not hopeful…I struck out trying to get their bullpen catcher!

Instead, I decided to revisit the past. I thought of another mystical Milwaukee team: The Blue Crew of ’82.

Here’s the “10 From Then” getting letters from me:

Jerry Augustine
Dwight Bernard
Jamie Easterly
Pete Ladd
Don Money
Rob Picciolo
Chuck Porter
Ed Romero
Harry Warner
Ned Yost

Stay tuned…

Coming Thursday: Seeking other ways to correspond with baseball’s past.

Padres Pitcher Ed Wojna Compares Experiences In Little League, Major League Baseball

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What to ask in letters?
Check cards for clues.
Here’s one I missed —
what’s that fashion
statement at Wojna’s
left sleeve?

Hurlers. Humility. The two don’t always mix.

Not here! Pitcher Ed Wojna bypassed the chance for some chest-thumping when I asked about what seems like the ultimate game of his career.

Thanks to http://www.retrosheet.org/, I found the details for his three-hit gem in front of a sparse San Diego crowd. On Sept. 11, 1986, Wojna (pronounced Wo-hee-na) limited the Braves to three singles. How did he remember his 9-1 complete-game win?

“One of those nights when everything was working.”

I wanted to know the catcher he most liked working with — and why.

“Mark Parent. Pitcher-catcher timing is everything. When you are thinking of a pitch and he calls it with his first sign, that gives you all the more confidence in throwing it.”

Wojna offered one more fascinating reflection:

“Tom,

I can appreciate your interest in baseball. No matter how long your career went, it’s all the same to the individual. I was just as nervous for my first Little League game as the first game in the majors. Nerves are nerves, whether you’re 10 or 24 years old.”

Wojna concluded his letter with thoughts about his faith as a Jehovah’s Witness, thanking me for my time.

I thank all the former players, those willing to look back as they look ahead. As Wojna wrote…

“There will always be more to learn. Isn’t that what keeps life exciting?”

Coming Wednesday: Tom’s “10 Most Wanted” — Milwaukee Brewers edition!

Don’t Be An Autograph ‘Grinch’

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Collect carefully
at Christmas!

 Santa Claus may not have time to warn you, so I will.

Sending a Christmas card to a favorite retiree, especially with words of thanks to someone who’s signed an autograph for you is good. Chances are, you may get a card in return.

However, do not go fishing for autographs, using Christmas cards as bait.

I’ve talked with more than one former player about fan mail. They are pleased to mention the majority of kind, polite letters requesting signatures.

However, I’ve heard too many “but there was this one guy who…” beginnings to stories.

I can’t help but think that many non-signers closed the door on autographs with one objectionable request. Don’t be that “one guy.”

Your continued good behavior will preserve the hobby. You’re giving a gift to all of us.

Santa Claus thanks you. I do, too.

Coming Tuesday: Insights from Padres pitcher Ed Wojna.

The Pride of Swifton, Arkansas: Bobby Winkles Remembers George, ‘Skeeter’ Kell

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Bobby Winkles is still proud of the
company he keeps!

(Photo courtesy of Guy Lancaster and
the Encyclopedia of Arkansas website.)

It’s nice to get a second chance.

I wrote about Bobby Winkles twice in this blog. He sent me an epic letter, describing what it was like to coach Reggie Jackson in college. Later, he recounted the work ethic and sincere charm of pitcher Nolan Ryan while skippering the California Angels.

I asked about everyone but Winkles. He mentioned growing up near Swifton.

Swifton is the hometown of Hall of Famer George Kell and his brother Everett “Skeeter” Kell.

Both Kells made an impact in Winkles’ rise to success. He remembered…

“I was born in Tuckerman, Ark. Moved to Swifton when I was 9 years old.

Skeeter Kell was one year ahead of me at Swifton High School. We didn’t have baseball. Small school, 19 in my graduation class. Skeeter and I played on the Town team. We played each Sunday when our cotton was plowed for the last time. We played Thursday and Sunday.

Skeeter and I were like brothers.

George Kell was my idol. he was my teacher in the 7th grade. There’s a 10 by 15-foot sign on the highway honoring the three of us. The only city in Arkansas to have three major league participants at the major league level.

Swifton had a population of 520. We also have a three-star general, Billy Paul Bowden.

I lived 3-1/2 miles from Swifton on a cotton farm. We lived in a 2-story house. The upstairs windows were boarded up and we had no electricity or plumbing.”


Winkles will be 82 on March 11. I’ve always thought his humble roots would make a good book. He agrees.

“I have a book coming out around the first of the year. Those who have read the manuscript says it’s good reading. Tell your friends. Ha ha.”


Coming Monday: a holiday warning for autograph collectors.