They were a couple of neighborhood guys from the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Lenny and Tommy. Common names. Uncommon talents. Lenny Wilkens and Tommy Davis grew up playing stickball and church league basketball against one another. At Boys High School, they became friends. Davis was a prep baseball and basketball standout. Wilkens was trying to find his way. When … [Read more...] about How Lenny Wilkens got an assist in choosing right path
Scout’s honor: How Whitey Herzog became talent evaluator
A player with the baseball smarts Whitey Herzog had didn’t need to be told when it was time to quit. It was autumn 1963. Herzog just turned 32, but his prime playing days had past. “His baseball epitaph could read: A Nice Guy Who Couldn’t Hit The Slow Curve,” Detroit columnist Joe Falls noted. A journeyman outfielder, Herzog squeezed out every bit of talent he had, lasting … [Read more...] about Scout’s honor: How Whitey Herzog became talent evaluator
Classic combo: Jim Kaat, Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter
A run-of-the-mill second game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at Wrigley Field turned into a showcase featuring a trio of future Hall of Fame pitchers. Jim Kaat and Lee Smith were the starters in the Cardinals versus Cubs game on June 26, 1982, at Chicago. Kaat got the win and Smith took the loss in a 2-1 St. Louis triumph. The save went to Bruce Sutter. All three pitchers … [Read more...] about Classic combo: Jim Kaat, Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter
How Lee Smith got wake-up calls on career and health
In 2025, relief ace Lee Smith was interviewed by Jon Paul Morosi for the Baseball Hall of Fame podcast “The Road to Cooperstown.” Here are excerpts: Lee Arthur Smith was from rural Louisiana. On the recommendation of scout Buck O’Neil, the Cubs selected Smith in the second round of the 1975 amateur draft. Smith: “I was playing sandlot baseball and we didn’t have a catcher, so I … [Read more...] about How Lee Smith got wake-up calls on career and health
1982 Cardinals played Jim Kaat style of baseball
In 2025, Jim Kaat was interviewed by Jon Paul Morosi for the Baseball Hall of Fame podcast “The Road to Cooperstown.” Here are excerpts: Being enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Kaat: “I’m probably the only pitcher inducted based on longevity, dependability, accountability (rather than) dominance … There are a lot of guys who are there because they’re thoroughbreds, but … [Read more...] about 1982 Cardinals played Jim Kaat style of baseball