| I Could'a been a Contenda | | | | wanted to see was how I would do with a batter |
| I am not going to say that I could have been a | | | | because until now all I had ever done was throw the |
| contender, but at one time in my life, as well as I am | | | | baseball into the glove of a catcher with no batter. |
| sure most men my age we thought we were | | | | Well everyone by now had heard about the new kid |
| destined for the "Big Show". I mean Baseball was our | | | | with the fast - ball and all the crazy pitches he had, |
| world. I remember all I ever wanted to do was get | | | | but no one had put a batter in front of me. Well I |
| out of school and play. I would do anything I could to | | | | went to the mound a rookie and a virgin as for |
| get my brothers to throw me a ball but when they | | | | pitching to a batter, and wouldn't you know it the |
| were busy I would throw the ball as high as I could | | | | batter hid the catcher and made him look small. So |
| running up the street and pretending I was Willy | | | | there I was 8 years old and on the stage. The |
| Mays or Mickey Mantle. I would make up games and | | | | catcher just kept saying go - ahead pitch it like |
| lineups for my All - Star teams and if I missed the ball | | | | you've been doing. I took the ball beat my glove as I |
| as it came back to earth, then that player would be | | | | had always seen Whitey Ford do and swung my |
| a base runner. I used to throw the ball at the curb | | | | arms up over my head like Bob Turley and reared |
| and bounce it off and try to field it. Again if I missed, | | | | back and then forward gripping the ball as it slid out |
| the batter would advance. These were my childhood | | | | of my hands and it headed for home plate with the |
| games and they taught me the basics of playing | | | | batter standing there ready to hit. The only thing |
| Baseball. There was never a time that I can | | | | was the ball did everything I wanted it to do except |
| remember when I didn't have my Jim Davenport | | | | hit the catcher's glove, no instead it hit the batter |
| glove or Stan Musial one as I got older. | | | | and ouch! I know it must of hurt. |
| I tried out for the Little League and was put on a | | | | Well now everyone was just saying and trying to |
| Farm team, in other words I wasn't good enough for | | | | calm me down, It's Ok just simmer down and do it |
| the Coach. It didn't matter because I still got to play. | | | | again. No problem! Here we go again and the same |
| I was on the Gallante Giants and since I hadn't made | | | | thing happened. Now I have two men on the bases |
| the grade as a third baseman, which was what I liked | | | | and my creditability as a pitcher is waning fast. Oh |
| to play I tried out to be the starting Pitcher. I was | | | | well Rome wasn't built in one day so I tried again. |
| fast and I could throw that ball every which way but | | | | Low and behold I was awful. I hit the third batter. |
| loose. I had a great wind-up and when I concentrated | | | | Well that was the end of that career but it taught |
| I could throw a curve ball or knuckleball dead center | | | | me a valuable lesson. Stick to what you know not |
| over the plate. I remember the catcher calling the | | | | what you think you know. See I was a third |
| Coach over and telling him how good I was and that | | | | baseman not a pitcher but I wanted to play so much |
| he should try me out as a pitcher. I was so excited. I | | | | I at least tried and no one can fault someone for |
| just couldn't wait. Sure, the first thing the Coach | | | | trying except maybe the three kids I hit that day. |