This may be too boring a topic to respond to, but the other day I was in the car traveling and heard an hour long storytelling session of Ron Santo (hey, he played for our Sox, too) and Mike Shannon on some St. Louis station.

 

It was so cool to hear these guys talk about their first at bats, their first home runs.

They suggested in the good ol days players cared a lot more.

Santo talked about going out with Don Drysdale in Chicago the night before Drysdale was to pitch.

Santo told a drunk Drysdale at 4 a.m. he had to take him back to the hotel.

When he let him out, a drunk Drysdale told Santo, "Tomorrow when I step between the white lines I have no friends."

Santo said: "Just the way I like it."

A hungover Drysdale pitched 9 innings the next day with no set up men and no closers involved.

 

No point to this story except ... does anybody else like hearing old time ballplayers tell stories about baseball?

It was a classic hour. I was mesmerized to the radio.

 

 

I would love to hear an hour with a.) Dick Allen. b.) Bill Melton. c) Chet Lemon. d.) gary Peters. e.) Pudge Fisk. f.) Bob Lemon. g.) Ozzie Guillen. f.) Pete Ward. g.) Richie Zisk. f.) Harold Baines. g.) Greg Luzinski. i.) Tom Seaver. j.) Ross Baumgarten.

 

I am out.

I enjoy listening to the old ballplayers tell their stories. That's why so many of them are in the broadcast booth. They not only have the expertise to talk about how the game should be played, they have the "war stories" to enhance it.

I'd personally like to hear Fisk's story. He was there through the transition period (at least what I think was the transition) from the "old" school game to the "new" school... he was there for the end of the "good ol days," as greg put it...

I love hearing old ball players talk baseball. You learn so much and its just so enjoyable. Its why I always loved Hawk and Whimpy doing Sox games. There stories would always be real interesting.

Don Drysdale was as tough and as mean on the mound as anyone. He had a "two for one" rule. You hit one of his teammates, he hit two of yours. Honestly, if guys like Sal (the barber) Maglie, Early Wynn, Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale and Stan Williams pitched today I don't know what the batters would do. They'd think twice about charging the mound every time a pitch came close because these guys were fearless and they would kick your ass.