Jerry Grillo

A Man on the Trail

This picture was taken on the Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail about five years ago, before Joe had a beard. This has become our favorite local trail, because of its accessibility and beauty — a lovely, wheelchair friendly path built on an old railroad bed, meandering through the North Georgia woods along a river. AroundContinueContinue reading “A Man on the Trail”

A Baseball Memory of my Father

The business card was crumpled after living a few days in Dad’s fat and crowded wallet. In green, yellow, and black raised ink it said, “Holiday Inn,” and “Rose Calderone.” My father was basically the Johnny Appleseed of bowling for the Brunswick Corporation at the time. His official title was Regional Promotional Manager. In theContinueContinue reading “A Baseball Memory of my Father”

Meeting Don Honig

One of the best things about writing “Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize” has been meeting Donald Honig – on the telephone and through the mail, because he doesn’t do email. Before exchanging letters with him almost 25 years ago, when the idea for a Mize book first planted itsContinueContinue reading “Meeting Don Honig”

Big Cat Makes Oisk’s Big Day

This happened 70 years ago today: Oct. 2, 1953, Game 3 of the World Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Ebbets Field. New York has won the first two games of the series, so this is a proverbial must-win game for Brooklyn, who calls on gutsy right-hander Carl Erskine toContinueContinue reading “Big Cat Makes Oisk’s Big Day”

Palmer Looked Like a 300-Game Winner

There are some great pitchers who, when I take the time to think about them, surprise me with what they haven’t done. Like, how is it that Bob Feller didn’t win 300 games and strike out 3,000 batters? And how is it that Nolan Ryan or Juan Marichal never won a Cy Young Award? RhetoricalContinueContinue reading “Palmer Looked Like a 300-Game Winner”

The Toby Harrah-Col. Bruce Connection

This Spirit of 73 story links Toby Harrah to Col. Bruce Hampton through Johnny Mize, a game of six degrees of separation that manages to include the two people I’ve written books about. Look at Toby on this 1973 baseball card, full of youthful spirit and mischief, early in his excellent career, his palindrome nameContinueContinue reading “The Toby Harrah-Col. Bruce Connection”

Spirit of ’73: Dick McAuliffe

How many players who are not Dick McAuliffe, in all of major league baseball history, have made the All-Star team as a second baseman and a shortstop? None many. Zero. Just Dick. This is another card that I remember when it still smelled of dusty pink bubblegum. It came in the bright red and yellowContinueContinue reading “Spirit of ’73: Dick McAuliffe”

The Big Progressive Cat

I never met Johnny Mize. He left the party years before my family moved to this part of the world, where Johnny was born and raised and died. But I’ve spent the past few years getting to know him well, and I’m left with the impression that the Big Cat was a live-and-let-live kind ofContinueContinue reading “The Big Progressive Cat”

Luke (Sky) Walker and the Force of Joe

For first-time readers (I am the hopeful sort), here’s what this is: Every few days or so, I’ll pick a random baseball card from 1973 and share a story. Basically, these stories are a version of show and tell. I’ll show you a picture of the card and tell you about the player on theContinueContinue reading “Luke (Sky) Walker and the Force of Joe”

Ray Lamb: Last Dodger to Wear Jackie’s No. 42

There are some collectors out there who would pay top dollar for a Ray Lamb. No, not this Ray Lamb baseball card from 1973, his last year in baseball. But I do mean the same Ray Lamb. Since his pitching career ended 50 years ago with a shoulder injury, Lamb has become world famous asContinueContinue reading “Ray Lamb: Last Dodger to Wear Jackie’s No. 42”