Episode 298
Trader Jack McKeon and '62 Mets Pitcher Craig Anderson
Host Bill Donohue welcomes legendary manager Jack McKeon, also known as “Trader Jack,” a World Series champion (2003) and two-time NL Manager of the Year (1999, 2003). McKeon shares great stories and insights from his long career, including some memorable moments and what made him successful.
Later, former New York Mets pitcher Craig Anderson joins the show to talk about his time with the original 1962 Mets, giving a firsthand look at the ups and downs of that first season. Together, the conversations bring a fun mix of baseball history, behind-the-scenes stories, and personal experiences from two guys who lived it.
Show Highlights
- Bill Donahue speaks with legendary field manager Jack McKeon about his remarkable career.
- Jack McKeon shares anecdotes from his time managing the Marlins and Padres, revealing insights into baseball management.
- Craig Anderson, a pitcher for the original 1962 Mets, recounts his unique experiences during a challenging season.
- The episode highlights the importance of mentorship in baseball, with McKeon reflecting on his influences.
- Listeners gain valuable perspectives on the evolution of baseball strategies over the decades from both guests.
- McKeon emphasizes the significance of persistence and adaptability in achieving success in sports management.
Transcript
The views expressed in the following program.
Speaker B:Do not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.
Speaker B:Live from the WGPB studios in Merrick, New York, this is Sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:Good evening and hello again everybody.
Speaker C:Welcome to Sports Talk New York on WGB in Merrick, Long Island, New York.
Speaker C:I am Bill Donahue.
Speaker C: th day of April,: Speaker C:Very Happy Easter to all our friends celebrating out there.
Speaker C:Hope you had a great day.
Speaker C:The kids enjoyed themselves and you gave a thought to what the day really means.
Speaker C:Our engineer Brian Graves is with us at the board running things.
Speaker C:Very, very happy you could join us tonight, folks.
Speaker C:We have got a nice show for you tonight.
Speaker C:Up first, we'll welcome in the legendary field manager and front office executive manager of the year, World Series champion, Trader Jack himself.
Speaker C:Jack McKeon will chat with us in the second half.
Speaker C: ll welcome in a man who was a: Speaker C:Original new York met Craig Anderson will stop by with some great stories.
Speaker C:So we got some great baseball men tonight.
Speaker C:Sit back, relax, enjoy the show.
Speaker C:Some great sports talk ahead waiting for you as always.
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Speaker C:Well, our first guest, a legendary field manager and general manager.
Speaker C: ear, World series champion in: Speaker C:He was elected to both the Marlins and the Padres halls of fame.
Speaker C:Honor and a pleasure tonight to welcome to Sports Talk New York, Trader Jack, Jack McKeon.
Speaker C:Jack, welcome.
Speaker D:Thank you, thank you.
Speaker D:Great to be with you.
Speaker C:Great to have you.
Speaker C:Jack.
Speaker C:Now folks may not know that you're a local guy from New Jersey, grew up in South Amboy.
Speaker C:Who were your teams and sports heroes when you were a kid?
Speaker D:Jack well, the Yankees were number one and kind of guys like Bill Dickey was one of my favorite guys and Phil Rizzuto.
Speaker C:Gotcha.
Speaker C:Yes, some great names.
Speaker C:Great names for sure there.
Speaker C:Let me get back to where I was.
Speaker C:There we go.
Speaker C:I lost my spot.
Speaker C:JACK well, you were a catcher in the minor leagues.
Speaker C:What sparked your interest in managing?
Speaker D:JACK well, you know, well, you know, I was one of Those kind of guys that played in the minor leagues for a few years and hit three ways, right, left and seldom.
Speaker D:So, yeah.
Speaker D:So I kind of scouted myself a little bit and realized, you know, in those days you had guys like Walker Cooper and Joe Garrigiola and those guys, Yogi all and, you know, the, the guys hitting.300.
Speaker D:So in order to, to move up the ranks, you had, you know, hit.300.
Speaker D:That was a goal, you know, the level that everybody looked to as far as advancing their career.
Speaker D:Now it's, you know, now it's home runs.
Speaker D:But those days it was you a.300 hitter.
Speaker D:You moved up quick, you know, and I was at my weight 180, so.
Speaker D: , I don't know,: Speaker D:And watching I was going on the field and spring training with him and watching Howie talked to the infielders and the outfielders and stuff.
Speaker D:And I was trying to get, you know, get the knowledge of the game because I realized then that I wanted to stay in the game and like, I didn't think I could make the big leagues in as a player.
Speaker D:So I figured, well, I'll, you know, change my goal and try to make it as advantages.
Speaker D:So I kind of hung around with Danny and picked up all this possible pointers I could.
Speaker D:And he ended up and recommended me to Mr. Ricky to be a manager.
Speaker D:And eventually, a few Years later, at 23, 24 years old, I was not my first manager's job in the Carolina link.
Speaker C:Yeah, not too bad.
Speaker C:And not a bad guy to have as a mentor.
Speaker C:Jack.
Speaker C:Danny Murtaugh.
Speaker C:You kids out there, Google Danny Murtaugh.
Speaker C:Great manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Speaker C:Just a great baseball man.
Speaker C:Now, Jack, in 73 with the royals.
Speaker C:You guys had a nice year that year.
Speaker D:Yeah, it was the first time, I think the club finished over.500.
Speaker D:We were really went down to the last week of the season.
Speaker D:Played the Oakland A's and, you know, Catfish Hunter and all those guys, Holtzman.
Speaker D:And we had a four game series and they took us three out of four and kind of knocked us out.
Speaker D:So we finished up, you know, about a game and a half or two out of first place and lost the division that year.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:We're talking with Jack McKeon tonight on Sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:Now, you managed in the Oakland Athletics organization, Jackson.
Speaker C:So you worked for Charles O. Finley.
Speaker C:Now, I've spoken to some Athletics in the past and they didn't have such great Things to say about Mr. Finley.
Speaker C:What was your experience with Charlie O.
Speaker D:Well, it was a great experience really.
Speaker D:I managed twice for him.
Speaker D:I managed the first year I replaced Chuck Tannery, if you remember, and he traded Chuck to Pittsburgh.
Speaker D:So I ended up managing with him and I was 26 and 27.
Speaker D:You know, we had traded everybody on the club, Reggie and Rudy and Mando and all those guys and we had a triple A call and I was 26 and 27 and he fired me.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And then he said, how about staying on as the assistant general managers?
Speaker D:Which I did because what are we going to do, you know.
Speaker D:So I hung out and then at the end of the season he called me again and said, well, I'll be in the third base coach next year.
Speaker D:I said, fine.
Speaker D:When I was the third base coach, Bobby Winkles was the manager that he went about the first month of the season and he quit and Charlie fired him and I became the manager again.
Speaker D:But with Charlie it was, you had A, you had to figure out option A, B, C and D because you're going to be wrong at every one.
Speaker D:And every morning, every morning at 6 o', clock, I mean I feel I could, I could sit here and, and talk for three hours on stories on Sorry, Philly.
Speaker D:But you know, it was kind of guy, he was, he was, he used to always say, I am not only the owner, but I'm the general manager and I'm the part manager.
Speaker D:So don't do it away.
Speaker D:Don't do it.
Speaker D:If you don't do it my way, you does the highway.
Speaker D:So anyway, I got, I got to finish two years in Oakland with him.
Speaker D:But I mean I, I don't have enough time to tell you the stories.
Speaker D:How crazy, how crazy was.
Speaker D:I mean, yeah, but you know, every morning, six o' clock I get a phone call whether we win or lose.
Speaker D:And he pre kicked the game.
Speaker D:Now you got to remember he had this guy, MC Hammer, 16 year old kid, right?
Speaker D:Broadcast, broadcasting the games from Oakland to Charlie in Chicago.
Speaker D:And you know, the kid would tell him, the picture's losing it, there's nobody warming up.
Speaker D:And Charlie, pick up the phone, call me and get somebody ready down there.
Speaker D:But anyway, it was, it was an experience and, but I, you know, after my second time with him, I got to realize there's no sense arguing with you.
Speaker D:I just.
Speaker D:He tells you you're wrong on everything you do.
Speaker D:So I just said, you know, Charlie, you're right, I should have done that.
Speaker D:He said, well, that's okay.
Speaker D:You know, we all make mistakes.
Speaker D:So from then on, I had a great relationship with him because I disagreed with him, even though he was wrong.
Speaker D:But.
Speaker D:But it was quite an experience.
Speaker D:Everybody, every manager, should have to go spend a year managing for him.
Speaker D:He'll become a better manager, I'll tell you that.
Speaker C:There you go, folks.
Speaker C:Charlie o'.
Speaker C:Finley, and you kids can look him up, too.
Speaker C:He's the gentleman that tried to bring orange baseballs into Major League Baseball, among other things, among other gimmicks, the mustaches on the Oakland A's.
Speaker C:Just a plethora of things that Jack just touched the surface on.
Speaker C:Now with San Diego, Jack, you moved into the front office there.
Speaker C:That's where you got the nickname Trader Jack, right?
Speaker D:That's correct.
Speaker D:I was managing for Denver, Denver Bears.
Speaker D:And I got a call from John McHale, who I was.
Speaker D:He was growing me to be the manager of Montreal.
Speaker D:And he said, I just got a call from, gave permission to San Diego to talk to you.
Speaker D:And I said, tom, I don't want to go over there.
Speaker D:They're bad.
Speaker D:You can't win.
Speaker D:No, he said, go over there and listen to him.
Speaker D:He said, it's something you might be interested in.
Speaker D:So I went over there and I became assistant general manager.
Speaker D:And about the middle of the season, they fired Bob Fontaine, the general manager, and they appointed me as the interim gm.
Speaker D:And Ray Krot was the owner of the club.
Speaker D:And Ray said.
Speaker D:When I met with him the first time, he said, you're not going to get the job now because I'm going to go from experienced guy and everything like that.
Speaker D:In the meantime, he said, do whatever you think is right and don't even tell me.
Speaker D:Well, that's how I got the nickname Trader Jack, because we had a whole bunch of goats.
Speaker D:We had a bunch of goats over there, old guys that were about the end of their career.
Speaker D:And I started weeding him out and trading them, getting rid of them, bringing up some young kids.
Speaker D:And the club started to progress a little bit.
Speaker D:And all these guys are passing my office in San Diego.
Speaker D:Dean Mock and Cedric Tallis, Lou Gorman.
Speaker D:And all these guys are saying, you know, hi.
Speaker D:Hello, Jack.
Speaker D:Hey.
Speaker D:And I'll be an interviewer.
Speaker D:And finally, about three, two, three months later, Ray called me down to the office, and he said, we've interviewed all these guys, and they tell us what, you know, what they could do.
Speaker D:He said, you already showed us what you could do.
Speaker D:Do you want the job?
Speaker D:So that's how I ended up getting a job in San Diego.
Speaker C:You drafted guys like Tony Gwynn Kevin McReynolds.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And you signed free agents like Garvey, Goose, Gossage, and you really molded that team into a wonderful ball club.
Speaker D:Well, that's the thing.
Speaker D:Ray Clark, when I got over there, Ray Truck says, hey, how many years does it take to take to get.
Speaker D:To get to the World Series?
Speaker D:I said, ray, it's going to take me five years.
Speaker D:Because we had never had a club that was 500.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And we ended.
Speaker D:We ended up getting there in four.
Speaker D:But I, you know, Ray was a great, great owner.
Speaker D:Never bothered you, and was really.
Speaker D:The cat was in signing Garvey and Gossage.
Speaker D:When I was reading with the agent, Jerry Capstein, and he was the agent for the Goose and Garvey and them, they come up there and look like we were in competition with the Braves for Harvey and Gossage and looked like we looked like we were handsome.
Speaker D:And then all of a sudden, I go back to the office and the bean counters off.
Speaker D:Oh, have a meeting.
Speaker D:Oh, I don't think we can afford.
Speaker D:And went open this.
Speaker D:Well, Ray is.
Speaker D:Ray Clark is in the hospital and violence met the president of the club, said, let's go up and talk to Ray.
Speaker D:Let's go up and see Ray.
Speaker D:We didn't think about going and talk baseball, just go and visit with him.
Speaker D:And he said.
Speaker D:He said, val, what do you think about Garbian?
Speaker D:Well, it's not too much money, Ray.
Speaker D:Jack, what do you think?
Speaker D:I said, well, I work Ray.
Speaker D:He's the kind of guy.
Speaker D:We got a young club here.
Speaker D:We need some experience down there.
Speaker D:Sign them.
Speaker D:So the next year was almost the identical situation with Gus.
Speaker D:We had him locked up, I thought.
Speaker D:And then all of a sudden, the bean counters decided, oh, we can't afford it.
Speaker D:And Ray was in the hospital again.
Speaker D:This time he died.
Speaker D:And he said, how about.
Speaker D:How are we doing with the process?
Speaker D:Well, you know, the Beam Council said, well, I don't think that's too much money.
Speaker D:A million dollars a year, that's too much.
Speaker D:What do you think, Jack?
Speaker D:I said, we're getting a wind defendant.
Speaker D:He said, sign them.
Speaker D:So that's how we got those two guys.
Speaker D:And then opening the day before opening day, I traded for nettles.
Speaker D:And that was the key part of our club.
Speaker D:Put nettles, garbage and ghost.
Speaker D:He won the benefit here.
Speaker C: And in the New York Times in: Speaker C:Jack.
Speaker C:Jack McKeon with us tonight on the program.
Speaker C:Why do I trade?
Speaker C:I'm aggressive, I'm confident, I'm a gambler.
Speaker C:I'm willing to make a trade and not be afraid I'll get nailed.
Speaker C:That's what you told the Times back in 88, and that's true.
Speaker D:Well, that's fine.
Speaker D:I said, you know, I traded.
Speaker D:Trade my mother, but if it could help us win.
Speaker D:In fact, I traded my son in law.
Speaker D:So, you know.
Speaker C:You did, that's right.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Folks, Jack McKeon trades his son in law.
Speaker C:What a great story that is.
Speaker D:Well, you know, I was interested in winning.
Speaker D:You know, I didn't play favorites.
Speaker D:If I could help myself by making a trade, I want to make it right.
Speaker C:No, you're exactly right, Jack.
Speaker C:Now you go to Cincinnati, you started in the front office, you returned from the field to the field.
Speaker C:You had great success.
Speaker C:I remember, Jack, that one, being a Met fan, I remember that one game, playoff against.
Speaker D:Yeah, I do too.
Speaker C:Yeah, that was a tough one.
Speaker C:Al Leiter pitched a game of his career.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:And a little second basement, I forget his name now.
Speaker D:He hits the home run in the second inning.
Speaker D:And the funny thing is, Pete Harness was my best pitcher, but I had to use him.
Speaker D:We were in Milwaukee and we had to win this game in Milwaukee because the Mets had won already and I had to pitch Met Pete and I ended up after pitching one of my, you know, my fourth or fifth starter.
Speaker D:And we got beat.
Speaker D:Yeah, but it was a lot of fun.
Speaker C:Tough one.
Speaker C:And that's one instance, Jack, with the Mets.
Speaker C:Came out on top.
Speaker C:Being a.
Speaker C:Being a Mets fan, not easy, as you folks out there know.
Speaker C: ith the Marlins, the Marlins,: Speaker C:You beat the Yankees in the World Series, you're the National League Manager of the Year.
Speaker C:And as they said, the oldest manager to win the World Series, right?
Speaker D:Correct.
Speaker D:Correct.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:You know, the funny thing about it is I was a Yankee fan growing up all my.
Speaker D:All my life.
Speaker D:You know, as a young kid, you have dreams, right?
Speaker D:My dream was someday.
Speaker D:Someday being in Yankee Stadium and win the World Series.
Speaker D:You know, I was thinking as a player.
Speaker D:Then I end up.
Speaker D:I won.
Speaker D:I ended up winning the World Series in Yankee Stadium.
Speaker D:And one, like I said, Ray Kroc.
Speaker D:One of Ray Kroc's favorite things was persistence is the key to success.
Speaker D:And dreams do come true.
Speaker D:And boom, when he beat the Yankees, all I could look up to the sky and say, dear Lord, you're right.
Speaker D:Dreams do come true.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Now, you said that Game 6 of that series, Jack, was the greatest thrill of your career.
Speaker D:Well, yeah, because, you know, the funny thing is we were up three to Two in the Yankees.
Speaker D:And we had to go into New York for the final two games, and Mike Redmond was supposed to be the starting pitcher.
Speaker D:I mean, it was his turn to pitch, but the Cubs had kicked the heck out of him and the Yankees had beat him in the second game of the World Series.
Speaker D:And I said, I can't.
Speaker D:He's the type of guy the Yankees would tee off on, huh?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And I had.
Speaker D:And I called him back and I said, you know, can I pitch you with three days rest?
Speaker D:You know, he's let me go out and throw a bullpen.
Speaker D:So he went out and threw a bullpen.
Speaker D:He came back and said, I'm your guy.
Speaker D:Well, you know, the heat I had to put on, I don't know if you remember or not, but every sports writer in the country said, oh, you know, he's crazy.
Speaker D:Picture that guy with three days rest, history says they're 4 and 20.
Speaker D:And I said, I don't give a damn about history.
Speaker D:Just.
Speaker D:That's.
Speaker D:Just.
Speaker D:That's in the past future.
Speaker D:I said, I can't afford to go seven games unless I have to with the Yankees.
Speaker D:Because the seventh game with the Yankees, they seemed to.
Speaker D:Something had that mystique about them that they always seem to get the breaks and deliver.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And I said, I'm going to make the Yankees beat us before, but I'm going with three days rest.
Speaker D:I checked with all my people, people in baseball and in the offices and all.
Speaker D:I couldn't.
Speaker D:I said, what do you think about pitching back there with three days?
Speaker D:Well, I don't know.
Speaker D:You know, I don't know.
Speaker D:I said, well, he's going to pitch regardless.
Speaker D:So he pitches, you know, of course, after we close it to his shutout.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker D:Everybody said, hey, nice going.
Speaker D:I was with you all the way.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Thanks, folks, for your confidence.
Speaker C:Right, Jack?
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:Well, that's it.
Speaker D:You know, I had confidence.
Speaker D:I had confidence in winning that thing, and I had confidence in Beckon.
Speaker D:And he delivered.
Speaker C:He did.
Speaker C:Josh Beckett, folks.
Speaker C:Great game in that World series.
Speaker C:Trader Jack McKeon with us tonight on Sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:Now the Marlins go to rebuild and a managerial change in the offing.
Speaker C:What did you think about them trading everybody off, Jack?
Speaker D:Well, I was kind of disappointed, you know, after we won, you know, we had put Rodriguez, he was free agent again.
Speaker D:Derrick Lee and really.
Speaker D:And really, Phil, in those days, they didn't want that much money.
Speaker D:Not, not compared to what you're seeing today.
Speaker D:I mean, 7, 7 million or 10 million or 8 million and we didn't have any money.
Speaker D:They said, okay.
Speaker D:So we had to unload them.
Speaker D:But then I said, you know, you've got that nucleus of the ball club here.
Speaker D:Why, why won't we shoot for next year?
Speaker D:But didn't work out.
Speaker C:No, no.
Speaker D:So I retired anyhow after that.
Speaker D:Well, I want another year or two.
Speaker D:And retired.
Speaker D:I said, no, I'm not going to fight it.
Speaker C:How is it, Jack, managing great hall of Famers like George Brett and Griffey Jr?
Speaker C:How is it having those guys on your team was any problem or some stories you could tell us about those guys?
Speaker D:No, not much.
Speaker D:Especially a guy like Brett was a real gamer.
Speaker D:I mean, you know, you talk about a winner.
Speaker D:He was a winner.
Speaker D:He made it happen.
Speaker D:I mean, there's a guy that, you know, I brought him up to his first experience in the big leagues when I was managing the Royals.
Speaker D:And I brought him up and he, you know, was pretty good first year.
Speaker D:And then it really took off after that.
Speaker D:And the same thing with Tony Gwynne.
Speaker D:I scouted Tony in San Diego State and all my scouts and all.
Speaker D:I had other people in mind.
Speaker D:Well, I had McReynolds on number one, and I wanted to take Gwen two.
Speaker D:And the guys, all the scouts, these super scouts, you know, no alternative.
Speaker D:They didn't turn me down, but they suggested this guy was better than Tony Gwynn.
Speaker D:I said, you're kidding me.
Speaker D:Have you seen.
Speaker D:And I hadn't seen the guy.
Speaker D:They were talking about Billy Long.
Speaker D:And I said, you seen Billy Long and Tony, Gwen?
Speaker D:I said, yeah.
Speaker D:I said, you're telling me that?
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:I said, okay, fine, but I'll tell you what, there's no discussion.
Speaker D:Tony wins next.
Speaker D:And we were lucky to get it.
Speaker D:We were lucky to get him in the third round.
Speaker D:Yeah, but, but you know, you talk about all these guys.
Speaker D:So they all talk about, you know, giving these guys extensions and how they did.
Speaker D:I signed Tony Gwyn at his first year in the big leagues to a five year contract.
Speaker D: -: Speaker D:And he won three batting titles in the meantime.
Speaker C:Imagine that, folks.
Speaker D:Yeah, but he was, he was, he was, he was probably the.
Speaker D:I say he was the, the father of the Internet.
Speaker D:Not the Internet, but the video.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:He bought his own video.
Speaker D:We couldn't afford to pay it.
Speaker D:He went and bought his own video equipment so he could study hitting.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And whatever he did, it worked, Jack.
Speaker D:And good Lord's been good to me.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C: Keon retires with a record of: Speaker C: managers to have: Speaker C:Now, that's a pretty good stat, folks.
Speaker C:You can look that one up now, Jack.
Speaker D:I'll give you another one, Phil.
Speaker C:Sure.
Speaker D:I'm the only guy in the history of the game that's won a thousand games in the minor leagues and a thousand games in the major leagues.
Speaker C:That's right.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And I'm one of the few guys in baseball that was in the Junior World Series, in the Major League World Series.
Speaker D:That's when they had the International League and playing in the Junior World Series with the American Association.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's another great stat, Jack.
Speaker C:Yeah, to bring out.
Speaker C:Thanks for bringing that up.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's a great statistic.
Speaker D:And you know, the funny thing is playing.
Speaker D:We played Syracuse in the Junior World Series that year.
Speaker D:They beat us in a Junior World Series.
Speaker D:But the third baser for the Syracuse Chiefs was Bobby Cox.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:There's another guy who won a few games, right?
Speaker C:His manager.
Speaker C: ber him, Jack, back in, like,: Speaker C:Bobby Cox at third base.
Speaker C:Jake Gibbs Stottlemeier was about only the.
Speaker C:The only bright spot on those Yankee ball clubs.
Speaker C:They call it the Horace Clark era, named after poor Horace Clark.
Speaker C:Taking the brunt of the abuse for that.
Speaker C: this being easter Sunday, the: Speaker D:That's right.
Speaker C:Tell us about that.
Speaker D:Well, it was.
Speaker D:That was one of my favorite saints, in fact, the owner, Jeffrey Lorian, great owner.
Speaker D:The best owner I ever worked for.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:New Yorker himself.
Speaker D:I had a picture.
Speaker D:I had a picture portrait of the little flower in my office.
Speaker D:Donna.
Speaker D:And I don't forget every time we.
Speaker D:We'd lose two or three games and he'd come in and he'd say, you better talk to a lady here and just get.
Speaker D:Get this clip going.
Speaker D:But, yeah, it was funny.
Speaker D:I was in Chicago, I used to always go to.
Speaker D:He's always going to go to Mass.
Speaker D:When I was in Chicago.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:And I went.
Speaker D:And I go in there and I guess it's October 1st or somewhere around there.
Speaker D:Anyway, I go in there and then fast it comes by me.
Speaker D:And he said.
Speaker D:He said, I wish you good luck tonight.
Speaker D:But he said, I'm a Cub fan, you know, and all that stuff.
Speaker D:And he said, today is the feast of Saint Therese of Avilia Avila.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker D:I said, oh.
Speaker D:I said, well, that's good.
Speaker D:I said, she's a cousin of the little flower saint.
Speaker D:The rest.
Speaker D:I said, we're in tonight.
Speaker D:So I figured we're going to win tonight.
Speaker D:And, you know, just so happened.
Speaker D:We did.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker C:And There you go, St. Teresa at work, folks.
Speaker D:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker D:She was the Most Valuable player of the year.
Speaker C:What do you think of the American Pope, Jack?
Speaker D:I don't know.
Speaker D:I don't know the guy.
Speaker D:I know he's from Chicago.
Speaker D:He's a White Sox fan, but, you know, if he was around long enough, I'd change him to a Marlins fan at the time.
Speaker C:Well, he's got to be something special, Jack, if he's a White Sox fan.
Speaker C:I mean, you know, he's got to have patience.
Speaker C:He's got.
Speaker D:Right, Yep, you're right.
Speaker D:Well, you know, you talk about that is we play the Yankees and, you know, the writers say, well, you know, Joe Torre's got a.
Speaker D:He's got an advantage over you.
Speaker D:Of course, his sister's a nun and everything like that.
Speaker C:Yeah, right.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:I said, don't feel bad.
Speaker D:I said, oh, I have.
Speaker D:I said, right now, I got about three letters from the nuns in Boston.
Speaker D:They're all rooting for me.
Speaker D:So we got it covered.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I remember nuns used to show up at Shea Stadium back to root.
Speaker C:I remember they used to have a sign for Cleon Jones, and they'd be rooting on the Mets.
Speaker C:The good sisters.
Speaker C:A great memory.
Speaker C:Now, of all the guys you manage, Jack, who would you name as the greatest player in your tenure?
Speaker D:I tell you, I got.
Speaker D:So I get that question all the time, but I got to so many guys that were keys, that I thought were tremendous guys.
Speaker D:I probably got about five or six of them.
Speaker D:I got Jim Kot, number one.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker D:George Brett, Holly Gwynn, Robbie Alomar, Sean Casey.
Speaker D:I got Brett Casey, and Pudge led with this.
Speaker D:You know, I could probably name six or seven guys that were really the most outstanding guys.
Speaker D:Tony Oliva, you know, guys like that and, you know, it's tough to signal one guy out, but.
Speaker C:No, you did a great job.
Speaker C:There's some.
Speaker C:Some great ball players you had under you there.
Speaker C:It was good to see Tony Oliva finally make it to Cooperstown.
Speaker D:Yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker D:Yeah, I. I had him down in Dallas.
Speaker D:Fort Worth, Texas.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:In the.
Speaker D:In the Pacific Coast League the year Kennedy got killed that year.
Speaker D:And he started off poorly hitting.
Speaker D:You know, he hit 3 or 350 in double A.
Speaker D:And it brought him up to the aaa and he.
Speaker D:He struggled.
Speaker D:And Randy Johnson was the owner of the Dallas club.
Speaker D:And after about three weeks, he called Calvin Griffin and said, oh, this guy can't play and everything.
Speaker D:Calvin called me and he said.
Speaker D:I said, calvin, don't worry about this guy.
Speaker D:I said, we're going on a road trip for about 10 days.
Speaker D:He'll be fine.
Speaker D:We went on the road, he was hitting.119 when we went on the road.
Speaker D:We went on the road as 3 for 3, 3 for 4, 4 for 5, 2 for 3.
Speaker D:We came back, he was hitting.329.
Speaker D:Never had another question.
Speaker D:So now, at the end of the year, I'm making my reports out, and the owner, Ray Johnson, he said, can I have a copy of these?
Speaker D:I said, well, you have a copy.
Speaker D:And he looked at him, he said, yeah, I think you're making a big mistake here.
Speaker D:And I said, what's that?
Speaker D:He said, tony Oliva.
Speaker D:I said, no, he.
Speaker D:He's not ready for the Bay League.
Speaker D:He needs another year here.
Speaker D:I guess so, because he was a hell of a player for Dallas.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:So I go.
Speaker D:So after the season, I go to Minnesota and spend a week up there with the major league club.
Speaker D:And Calvin Griffith gets the press together.
Speaker D:And he said, jack, I want you to talk to the press about some of these players.
Speaker D:So the press is all grilling me about all the players we had.
Speaker D:And he said that I'll leave him now.
Speaker D:What do you think?
Speaker D:Do you think he can play up on the middle?
Speaker D:I said, you're talking about regular?
Speaker D:I said, yeah.
Speaker D:He said, yeah.
Speaker D:I said, well, there's only one thing that bothers me, and, boy, they all got their pencils out.
Speaker D:He said, what.
Speaker D:What bothers you?
Speaker D:I said, the only thing that bothers me is I don't know how much above.300 he's going to hit.
Speaker D:Yeah, he led the wing in hitting two years in a row.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:One thing Tony could do was hit.
Speaker D:Oh,.
Speaker C:And Jack McKeon, it's been an honor and a pleasure.
Speaker C:I thank you, Jack, for taking time out of your Easter Sunday night to spend it with us here in Sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:I wish all the best to you and your family, Jack, and hopefully we'll get to talk to you again.
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker D:I need more time next time, Phil.
Speaker C:Yeah, we'll get more time, Jack, and we'll dig into Charlie O and.
Speaker D:Oh, boy, oh, boy, we'll have a ball there.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Thanks again, Jack.
Speaker C:You take care.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:Thank you so much.
Speaker D:Right off.
Speaker C:That's the great Jack McKeon, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker C: we'll welcome a member of the: Speaker C:Stick around, folks.
Speaker B:You're listening to Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B: FM and: Speaker B:You're listening to Sports Talk New York on Long Island's wgb.
Speaker B:And now back to the show.
Speaker C:All right, fol.
Speaker C:We are back with Sports Talk New York ON WGB AM FM radio, live from beautiful downtown Merrick, Long Island, New York, USA, on this blessed Easter Sunday, you heard Jack McKeon talking about St. Teresa, so we're getting a little religion in there along the way.
Speaker C:Let's welcome in our next guest.
Speaker C: eing one of the few remaining: Speaker C:Along with other distinctions in his major league career, he was the losing pitcher in the final game ever at the Polo Ground.
Speaker C:So it's an honor and a pleasure to welcome to Sports Talk New York tonight Mr. Craig Anderson.
Speaker C:Craig, good evening.
Speaker D:Good evening.
Speaker A:Thank you very much for having me on.
Speaker C:Wonderful.
Speaker C:It's great to hear your voice.
Speaker C:Great to have you with us, Craig.
Speaker C:Now, you grew up in the D.C. area.
Speaker C:Who are your favorite teams and sports heroes when you were a kid?
Speaker A:Well, Washington Senators and the Washington Redskins were my two main teams that I followed, like the Sammy Ball, quarterback for the Redskins.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, and Camilo Pasquale and Jackie Jensen for the Senator.
Speaker A:Mickey Vernon, Jim Busby, Gil Cohen.
Speaker A:Yeah, Pasquale, he was an excellent picture.
Speaker A:And they, you know, they were first in war, first in peace and last in the American League.
Speaker C:Yeah, I had, I had Camillo Pasquale's card when I was a kid.
Speaker C:He stuck around a long time and like you said, a good pitcher.
Speaker C:Camilo Pasquale.
Speaker C:Folks, look up that gentleman.
Speaker C:He's still with us.
Speaker C:He's living in Miami, I believe.
Speaker C:He's still around.
Speaker C:Camilo.
Speaker A:Now, that's good.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Your major league debut, Craig, you got Maze and McCovey out.
Speaker C:What a great appearance.
Speaker C:You doubled in your first at bat, right?
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:I'll tell you what, that was a special moment that I had no idea was Going to be a special moment because I was called up the night before or the afternoon before I got into St. Louis and all I did was get ready to go to the stadium the next day and get my uniform and go through pre game.
Speaker A:And then I was sure I was just going to be sitting in the bullpen as a rookie and watch the game.
Speaker A:Well, I was sitting in the bullpen.
Speaker A:That part was all.
Speaker A:Everything was all right to that point.
Speaker A:But about the fifth or sixth inning, we're losing 54 to the Giants.
Speaker A:And the pitching coach, Howie Paulette, there goes back a name, too.
Speaker C:Yeah, there's another good one.
Speaker A:Anderson.
Speaker A:They want you to warm up.
Speaker A:Well, I mean, I was shocked.
Speaker A:I was shocked.
Speaker A:But hey, you're there to play ball.
Speaker A:So I got up and with, you know, my stomach pumping and everything else, but I warmed up and I felt okay.
Speaker A:And we were losing and they brought me in the game in the bottom of the sixth, I want to say bottom of the sixth, and it might have been the fifth, I can't remember.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:But anyway, I came in and we're down one, and I had to face.
Speaker A:Fortunately, the first hitter I faced with a man on first and one out in this inning was a pitcher.
Speaker A:And I was pumped up to throw hard, and I threw hard and I actually got a third strike called.
Speaker A:And that was two outs.
Speaker A:There was one out when I came in, and there was two outs, and the guy on first thought he was going to steal.
Speaker A:And my catcher, Carl Sawatsky, threw the runner out at second.
Speaker A:So I had a quick entrance and a quick exit, which was good, good, because we're only down one.
Speaker A:And so now I pitched the next inning and we didn't score.
Speaker A:It was still 5 4.
Speaker A:I came up.
Speaker A:I was the first hitter up in the bottom of the top of the seventh.
Speaker A:Excuse me, the bottom of the seventh inning.
Speaker A:And the pitcher on San Francisco was a relief pitcher, but not a.
Speaker A:Not a fireballer.
Speaker A:And I was ready to swing the bat, so he threw one about chin high or right over the plate, and I hit a line drive down the right field line, which I'm.
Speaker A:Jeez, I haven't got it all together yet, but I ran all the way to second base and got all second base.
Speaker A:And I looked up and I stood down second, looked at the next crowd.
Speaker A:My God, here I am, you know, I'm talking to myself.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:But anyway, I was really pumped up at that point.
Speaker A:Well, the next guy up, go tie, Julio, go tie.
Speaker A:Right, shortstop, he hits a single, the left center.
Speaker A:I'M glad it was left center because I wasn't a great runner.
Speaker A:And I scored the tying run.
Speaker A:Well, indeed.
Speaker D:Got a hit.
Speaker A:I got out of the first inning.
Speaker A:What else could happen?
Speaker A:Bring me in the next inning.
Speaker A:Bring me in the next inning.
Speaker A:Now this.
Speaker A:We also scored another run in that inning, so it was six to five.
Speaker A:And I go in to pitch the seventh.
Speaker A:The seventh inning.
Speaker A:I think I batted in the sixth and I.
Speaker A:And I batted in the.
Speaker A:Was the first batter in the seventh.
Speaker A:Bottom of the seventh, and.
Speaker A:And I got.
Speaker A:So then I went to the.
Speaker A:I went to the dugout and the next thing I know, the bases are loaded.
Speaker D:Oh, boy.
Speaker A:And Stan the Man's up there.
Speaker A:How?
Speaker A:Grand slam home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Speaker A:So now I'm up for 10 to 6.
Speaker A:And wow, it was just a thrill.
Speaker A:I could not, cannot imagine.
Speaker A:Anyway, so I pitched the next two innings without any problem.
Speaker A:I gave up a couple of hits, but no runs and we won the game 10 to 5.
Speaker A:And yes, that was something else for me, I'll tell you.
Speaker C:Nice debut, Craig.
Speaker C:That's for sure.
Speaker C:What an appearance.
Speaker C:You got interviewed by Joe Garagiola, Jack Buck and I think Larry Jackson took you out to dinner that night.
Speaker A:That is right.
Speaker A:Joe Garagiola brought me up on the radio.
Speaker A:First of all, Muesual said they were going to take Musial up for the grand slam.
Speaker A:He said, no, no, let the kid go.
Speaker A:Let the rookie go.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker A:So he opened the door and let me go up to do the radio interview and a Joe Garagiola.
Speaker A:Correct.
Speaker A:And then after that, I had nobody in St. Louis because my parents were in.
Speaker A:Were in D.C. and so I said, well, I mean, I'm just happy I won the game and I'm happy.
Speaker A:And Larry Jackson says, hey, nobody here with you?
Speaker A:I said, no, not everything happened too fast.
Speaker A:Just come with me, we'll go out for dinner.
Speaker A:So he did that.
Speaker A:I never forgot that.
Speaker A:That was a, you know, a gesture on Larry Jackson's path, you know, for me.
Speaker A:Rookie to go.
Speaker A:And he was one of their better pitchers that year, too, so.
Speaker A:Yep, that was a great day.
Speaker C:What a day for Greg Anderson, folks.
Speaker C:His major league debut.
Speaker C:Now the Cardinals end up leaving you unprotected.
Speaker C:And of course, the rest is history.
Speaker C:Drafted by the New York Mets.
Speaker C:They say that Solly Hemis may have had something to do with that because he left the Cards and was hired by the Mets.
Speaker C:Maybe he decided to bring you over to New York.
Speaker A:Yeah, he brought.
Speaker A:I'm sure that's one of the factors.
Speaker A:And he also Shook took three other guys, Bob Miller and Chris Cannizzaro and Jim Hickman.
Speaker A:All of us were in our earlier careers.
Speaker A:I was the youngest of the four, but we were all young compared to the rest of the draft.
Speaker A:The teams really sent a lot of older players and the Mets took a lot of older players.
Speaker A:Good players.
Speaker A:They did, you know, Gil Hodges and Richie Ashburn and so forth and so on.
Speaker A:And so I was just.
Speaker A:I was happy to have a couple guys that I knew pretty well to come along too.
Speaker A:Yes, it was.
Speaker A:I think Solly was the reason.
Speaker A:You're right.
Speaker A:Yeah, you're right.
Speaker C:That is probably true.
Speaker C:Now.
Speaker C:May 12, the Mets play in the Milwaukee Braves doubleheader Polo Grounds.
Speaker C:The first game was Roger Craig against the great Warren Spahn.
Speaker A:Now you bet.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Roger Craig leaves after seven innings, losing two to one.
Speaker C:And who comes in?
Speaker C:Craig Anderson.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:It brings me in, I think, with the idea of just keep the score down so we have a chance.
Speaker A:I mean, that's what I had in my mind.
Speaker A:And yes, I pitched the eighth inning and I think I actually faced Aaron either the eighth or the ninth in that game.
Speaker A:But I got out, I gave up a hit, I think, but in one of the innings and.
Speaker A:But I got out of the innings in the.
Speaker A:Of course I had a big.
Speaker A:Oh, wait a minute, we back up.
Speaker A:We forgot.
Speaker A:Did I tell you he grand slammed?
Speaker A:Did I tell you it's usually he had a grand slam for me in the seventh, right.
Speaker A:And then I pitched the eighth and ninth and hey, four run, four or five run lead.
Speaker A:I was, yeah, I won the game.
Speaker A:I just, I pitched two good innings after that and that was my first win on my first day and my first hit and everything.
Speaker A:Yeah, wow.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Yeah, you're right.
Speaker C:The game in the Polo Grounds.
Speaker C:Casey brings up Hobie Landreth as a pinch hitter, folks.
Speaker C:He was the number one draft pick for the Mets in the expansion draft.
Speaker C:As Casey said, you got to have a catcher or else you're going to have a lot of pass balls.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:Yeah, you're right.
Speaker A:He brought Hobie up against Spawn.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:And I was not aware of any reason why he did that.
Speaker A:I just thought didn't.
Speaker A:It just didn't occur, you know, I was surprised.
Speaker A:We had a runner on first, the score was one to nothing and we had a walk, one out and a runner on first.
Speaker A:And Hobie goes in and hits for a right handed hitter.
Speaker A:And I said, well, I guess Casey knows what he's Doing.
Speaker A:I'm.
Speaker A:I hope he.
Speaker D:Boom.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Home run, home run.
Speaker A:Game's over.
Speaker A:I get my first win.
Speaker A:I mean, the first, first win in the first game of the double header.
Speaker A:I wasn't my first win.
Speaker A:I think that was my second win.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker A:Yeah, it was.
Speaker A:That was my second win.
Speaker A:And so.
Speaker A:Okay, I'm happy after that game.
Speaker A:Let's get the next game going right now.
Speaker A:Yeah, the next game is 7.
Speaker A:7.
Speaker A:I come in the game that's a little different than the one nothing game.
Speaker D:Yeah, seven, seven.
Speaker A:So I pitched.
Speaker A:I think I pitched an inning and two thirds or something like that.
Speaker A:And so the bottom of the ninth inning came up and Gil Hodges came up and hit a home run to win the game.
Speaker A:That was.
Speaker A:He came up first or second hitter in the inning and hit a home run into the right field, right center field stands and, you know, not a gigantic hit.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:But hey, I never thought I'd win a double header that quick in my young career.
Speaker A:But that was a great thrill, a great, great story.
Speaker C:Craig Anderson wins both games of the double header for the New York Mets.
Speaker C:What an amazing story.
Speaker A:I never thought that the two wins would end up being something that I would be holding on my record for the rest of, you know, winning the first double header the Mets ever won.
Speaker A:I sign it on a ball now when I sign it, and it is.
Speaker A:I look like on that.
Speaker A:Yeah, that was something that.
Speaker A:Not now.
Speaker A:You don't hardly ever get a double header win anymore because they don't play double headers.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:These guys don't want to play two games in one day.
Speaker A:You got it, you got it.
Speaker A:So it was a show.
Speaker A:I came out of the dugout and I said, I'm gonna.
Speaker A:My wife was sitting about 10, 10 rows back behind the dugout.
Speaker A:I turned around and was gonna flash two fingers at her.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And she.
Speaker A:And I looked at her and she already had the two fingers up in the air.
Speaker A:Yeah, already done.
Speaker A:So, yeah, it was a Sabbath, a special day.
Speaker A:It really was.
Speaker C:Now after that, the Mets proceeded to lose 17 games in a row after that.
Speaker C:And for the remainder of the year, you lost 16 decisions in a row.
Speaker C:And that's just the.
Speaker C:Really the story of the 62 Mets and the futility that these guys had to put up with.
Speaker C:And do you remember the rest of the year, Craig, and how it was?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:I want to say one thing, though.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:As tough as it was and the losses that happened, the players on that team never quit trying to win games.
Speaker A:And I.
Speaker A:And I would not I would have told you that if I thought that, but they didn't.
Speaker A:We had the right veteran players there and we played hard and we just got a lot of bad breaks when we had a chance to win some games.
Speaker A:But we, but, but, you know, I, I was glad when the season was over and, you know, move on to the next year and then move on to.
Speaker A:In my career.
Speaker D:But.
Speaker A:I will say the players never quit trying to win games, and I should have won.
Speaker A:I say this.
Speaker A:I started about, oh, nine or ten games that year, and I had some victories going for me, and at least three games I could have won, but the relievers that they brought in didn't hold it right.
Speaker A:So that's.
Speaker A:That's baseball.
Speaker A:I had a chance to win three games and then I really blew one myself in Chicago.
Speaker A:I had four to one.
Speaker A:Richie Ashburn had hit a home run, which he was surprised and happy to do that.
Speaker A:We're head four one, and there's two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and ground ball hit the Rod Kinneil third, and the game's over.
Speaker A:He boots the ball.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:I walk the next guy and Ernie Banks comes up and I make a bad pitch to him and he ties the game.
Speaker A:So that was my fault.
Speaker A:But that error cost me a victory.
Speaker A:I would have had one right there.
Speaker A:That was the last season.
Speaker A:One of those near the end of the season, that game.
Speaker A:That's baseball.
Speaker A:That's baseball.
Speaker C:That's it.
Speaker C:Hot Rod Kinneil, folks.
Speaker C:There's another name for you.
Speaker C:Rod kinneil for the 62 Mets.
Speaker C:And like you said, Craig, the baseball gods weren't kind to you.
Speaker C:They weren't kind to the Mets for the rest of the year.
Speaker C:And as you said, that's the game of baseball, and that's the way it goes.
Speaker C:We're speaking with Craig Anderson Tonight.
Speaker C:1962, Met on Sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:Now, some great names came along with the 62 Mets.
Speaker C:Craig, Casey Stangle, the hit.
Speaker C:The hitting coach was Rogers Hornsby.
Speaker C:The pitching coach was another hall of Famer, Red Ruffing.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker C:Give it.
Speaker C:Give us a story or two about one of those guys.
Speaker A:I got one for every one of them, almost.
Speaker A:All right, let's go with Casey because Casey actually couldn't have been.
Speaker A:He's the best guy that ever could have handled a team like that, as successful as a manager he was.
Speaker A:When we started to lose and we were suffering through all the tough times, he managed to protect us from the press in his own way.
Speaker A:I mean, he was happy to do it because he Loved to talk to the press, and he'd bring the press into his office in the Polo Grounds, and his office was upstairs from us, and we're dressing down in the lower part.
Speaker A:And every game that.
Speaker A:Every game where, you know, he really just thought it was a tough day.
Speaker D:He.
Speaker A:He made sure those press people stayed with him.
Speaker A:And I never thought about that after the season was over and the players mentioned it because you have enough.
Speaker A:You're.
Speaker A:You're upset enough as it was when you lose a game.
Speaker A:When we won a game, he was fine.
Speaker A:He'd come down to the clubhouse and talk to us and things like that.
Speaker D:Yeah, he was good.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker D:He was good.
Speaker A:Red Ruffing was the pitching coach.
Speaker A:And he would be out in the bullpen with us.
Speaker A:When I was in the bullpen most of the time, Casey would call, let's call.
Speaker A:In the middle of the season.
Speaker A:We played maybe 50 games, maybe more.
Speaker A:He called down the.
Speaker A:Red and said, you know, there was a situation where we may have to get a pitcher into the game.
Speaker A:So he'll call down.
Speaker A:He says, red, who you got down there?
Speaker A:Now, this is halfway through the season.
Speaker A:Halfway through the season.
Speaker D:And here at.
Speaker A:Red used to laugh.
Speaker A:He said I had to name.
Speaker A:He named every player Anderson and Miller and Onward and upward.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then Casey would say, give me a right hander.
Speaker D:It doesn't.
Speaker A:You pick it.
Speaker A:Give me a right hander.
Speaker A:This is what Red told us.
Speaker A:So I can imagine he had a heck of a year with that.
Speaker A:But he liked me, so he called on me quite a bit.
Speaker A:But Casey did ask for me sometimes.
Speaker A:I know that.
Speaker A:And he.
Speaker A:And we had Ken McKenzie, who had a winning record, the only picture with a winning record from Yale.
Speaker A:And he.
Speaker A:He did a good job.
Speaker A:And so anyway, that was one thing.
Speaker A:Casey, he.
Speaker A:He would make him.
Speaker A:He would ask Red to name all the pitchers in there, and then he'd say, give me a right.
Speaker A:Give me a right hander.
Speaker A:You pick it up.
Speaker D:Yeah, there we go.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker C:That's great.
Speaker A:Who else?
Speaker A:You mentioned somebody else.
Speaker D:Who?
Speaker C:The great.
Speaker C:One of the greatest hitters in the history of Major League Baseball.
Speaker C:Yeah, The Raja.
Speaker C:Rogers Hornsby.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:I did not have too much contact with him, but he was around.
Speaker A:He was very friendly.
Speaker A:I wish I'd have gotten his autograph because.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Every time.
Speaker A:Do you get his autograph?
Speaker A:I didn't get it.
Speaker A:I didn't get it.
Speaker A:He didn't sign the team ball.
Speaker A:But anyway, yeah, he was around.
Speaker A:The hitters liked him.
Speaker A:And he was kind of like in the in the background.
Speaker D:He didn't.
Speaker A:He wasn't always at every game that I remember.
Speaker A:Maybe he didn't travel with us all the time, but he was there, he was around, and his name was big.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But I didn't have as much to do with him, but I liked him a lot.
Speaker A:He was very friendly.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker C:Rogers didn't last too much longer.
Speaker C:He passed away after the 62 season.
Speaker C:I, I guess he had enough after that.
Speaker A:Yeah, maybe.
Speaker A:I mean, he was up there in years, but I, He.
Speaker A:I seemed okay to me, as far as I can tell.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And he seemed to be.
Speaker A:And he enjoyed himself, too.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:That's good.
Speaker A:Of course, Ali, Jimmy came as a coach, right.
Speaker A:And he's always.
Speaker A:He's always a fun guy to be around, and I like him as a manager of the Cardinals, and.
Speaker A:And he just lost his job there, but fortunately he came to the Mets, and that's how I got picked to the Mets.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:So, I mean, the Met story hasn't.
Speaker A:Has changed a lot in 65 years.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker A:We got on.
Speaker A:We're back in the news, so.
Speaker A:Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker C:What about Cookie Lavagedo?
Speaker C:Was he a Coach on the 62 Mets?
Speaker A:Third base coach.
Speaker A:Good guy.
Speaker A:Really good guy.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I really liked him a lot.
Speaker A:He was a very good, very smart man.
Speaker A:Very good coach.
Speaker A:Could have been the manager, too.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah, I like.
Speaker A:Yeah, he was good.
Speaker D:He was good.
Speaker C:We're speaking with Craig Anderson tonight on Sports Talk.
Speaker C: New York in: Speaker C:Now tell the folks about Doug Collins, Craig.
Speaker C:How.
Speaker C:How is he related to you?
Speaker C:Doug, the great basketball coach and basketball player, Doug Collins?
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, you're right.
Speaker A:I, I never.
Speaker A:I didn't know him.
Speaker A:You know, I'm.
Speaker A:I'm with the Cardinals in September of 61, and a beautiful young lady came and asked me for my autograph, and I gave it to her, and I said, wow, that's.
Speaker A:That's something special there.
Speaker A:Maybe I'll try to ask her out.
Speaker A:You know, hey, you know, you can't go and ask somebody out when you're playing baseball and reach over and say, hey, you want to go out for a kid?
Speaker D:I can't do that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I had to figure out how I could get her a message.
Speaker A:I had to go to the.
Speaker A:The guy that was the door guard of our clubhouse.
Speaker A:I said, would you mind just taking a note down to her?
Speaker A:And they did.
Speaker A:And then she saw we Went out on a date that night, and 44 days later, we got married.
Speaker A:44 Days.
Speaker C:Wow.
Speaker A:Judy McCarty from Benton, Illinois.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:So that.
Speaker A:So after.
Speaker A:After we got married and we came back to Benton in the off season, Judy asked me if would you mind going to talk to my cousin?
Speaker A:He's in the fifth grade.
Speaker A:Well, you know who we're talking about.
Speaker A:He was a fifth grader in Benton, Illinois.
Speaker A:And I went to the fifth grade, and her cousin Doug, Doug E. Collins, was sitting in the back of the room.
Speaker A:And that's how I got to meet him for the first time.
Speaker A:But of course, he was anxious to meet me.
Speaker A:So that worked out really good.
Speaker A:But he.
Speaker A:Yeah, now I'm related to him by marriage.
Speaker A:So Doug Collins become the number one draft pick in a 73 NBA draft out of Illinois State.
Speaker A:And, boy, he became a star at Benton High School and then a star at Illinois State.
Speaker A:And by that time, I was back.
Speaker A:I was working at Lehigh when he got drafted in 73.
Speaker A:I believe it was 73.
Speaker A:He got drafted and signed with this Philadelphia 76ers.
Speaker A:And we lived 75 miles away from where he's going to play basketball.
Speaker A:So that was luck.
Speaker A:I was at Lehigh.
Speaker A:I came back to Lehigh and got a job there and spent the rest of my career working at Lehigh.
Speaker A:And so we got to go to a lot of Saturday Sixer games because that was Judy's cousin.
Speaker A:Judy's cousin.
Speaker A:Thank you, Judy.
Speaker A:She's not here.
Speaker A:Great guy.
Speaker A:And, yeah, I've met a lot of interesting people through him.
Speaker A:You know, he was fun friends with the Philadelphia Philly players.
Speaker A:And we go a couple times, I went out with Mike Schmidt and Leg Brzezinski with him, and we went to a lot of his games because, you know, it was convenient.
Speaker A:So my kids got to go see him playing when they were young.
Speaker A:So, yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker A:He was a great, great guy and a great addition to the family, shall we say?
Speaker C:There's a story, folks, of Doug Collins,.
Speaker A:And we're still in good stuff.
Speaker A:We still in touch and do.
Speaker A:Yeah, we're still in touch with him.
Speaker C:Wonderful.
Speaker C:Well, I tell you, Craig, I got so many more things to talk about, but we're out of time.
Speaker C:I want to talk to you about Choo Choo Coleman, about your days at Lehigh, people living in Dunelin that I knew, and just so many things.
Speaker C:Can you come back on the show, Craig?
Speaker A:Yeah, let's do it.
Speaker A:We got to pick it up where we leave off.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker C:All right.
Speaker A:That sounds already 9 o'.
Speaker A:Clock.
Speaker A:Seriously, is it 9 o'?
Speaker A:Clock?
Speaker A:I didn't even look.
Speaker C:8:57.
Speaker C:Yeah, we gotta head out here.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:Craig Anderson.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:We didn't talk about it.
Speaker A:You're right.
Speaker A:There's some more people to talk about.
Speaker A:I'll be glad to do it.
Speaker C:Yeah, we got to get some more stories.
Speaker C:Craig, it's been an honor and a pleasure.
Speaker C:Thank you for taking time out of your Sunday evening, your Easter Sunday, to spend it with us up here at Sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:I wish you and Judy the best of health and happiness and we will talk to you soon.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:My best wishes to all the great New York Met fans that they are one of the greatest band of baseball fans that I've ever run across and stuck with us through thick and thin.
Speaker A:And the next time I talk to you.
Speaker A:Things change here.
Speaker A:In the last five years, I've getting so much publicity, I'm not sure how we're going to.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's been fun.
Speaker A:It's really been fun.
Speaker A:And a new owner was a big factor for that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker C:Yeah, he's taking care of the alumni again.
Speaker A:Maybe in the middle of the season somewhere we can.
Speaker A:I'll leave it up to you.
Speaker C:All right, I'll give you a call.
Speaker C:Craig, thank you so much.
Speaker A:Okay, that's Craig Anderson having me.
Speaker A:Thank you very much.
Speaker C:You're very welcome.
Speaker C:Okay, that's Craig Anderson, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker C:That'll do it for me tonight on Sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:I would like to thank my wonderful guests Jack McKeon and Craig Anderson.
Speaker C:My engineer, Brian Graves, and of course, you guys for joining us.
Speaker C:I'll see you on May 3rd for more sports Talk New York.
Speaker C:Till then, be safe and be well.
Speaker C:Bill Donahue, wishing you a good evening, folks.
Speaker A:The views expressed in the previous program.
Speaker B:Did not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.
