Many like to call sportswriter and sportscaster Peter Gammons “The Commissioner” because of the intelligence and wit he brings to his analysis of the national past time. I’m honored to know the guy. I read him in the Boston Globe as a kid growing up in Maine; I met him at the paper when we worked there together, and he was moving on to ESPN. And then we’ve re-met again at many charity-rock-baseball functions. As many know, Peter Gammons, who’s in the Baseball Hall of Fame, survived a serious medical situation a while back after a cerebral aneurism, but is now A-OK, I’m happy to report.
As many also know, Gammons is a very good amateur guitarist, and he’s put out the CD, “Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old” - a pipe dream for players and rockers alike – on which he plays acoustic versions of those songs with Boston Red Sox GM/guiarist Theo Epstein and members of his band -Mike Gent, Ed Valauskas, Pete Caldes and Brett Rosenberg. Proceeds from the CD sales go to Theo’s A Foundation to be Named Later, which serves disadvantaged Boston youths. By the way, in Bill Nowlin’s new book, The Impossible Dream 1967 Red Sox: Pandemonium on the Field, Gammons has a piece written in 1992 that best encapsulates the thrill of that season and what it meant. Anyone have any 1967 Impossible Dream stories? Send them along to the HOFMAG.com blog.
August 18, 1967. I remember it well. The night my all-time favorite player went down. The beginning of the end for Tony Conigliaro. While he did make a comeback, his career was cut way too short, as was his life at the age of 45.
Tony C was the youngest player to lead the AL in HRs in 1965 with 32 - and also the youngest player at the time to reach 100 HRs in MLB. Most fans will remember he hit a home run in his first AB at Fenway Park at the tender age of 19, but does anyone remember what he ‘almost did’ (and against whom) in his very first AB?
Thanks for bringing back those memories, Jim.
Comment by Don41 — May 3, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
Okay, so what did Tony C do in his very first MBL AB? He hit a bullet to third and ‘almost’ hit into an around-the-horn triple play. He just beat the throw at first. It was at Yankee Stadium against the great Whitey Ford!
Comment by Don41 — May 6, 2007 @ 7:43 am
Peter, sorry I’m late, welcome back. You’re not only enjoyable, but positive, and trusted. Too bad that’s such a rarity.
Comment by Skip — May 25, 2007 @ 2:31 pm