Sometimes, you gotta do it yourself

Happy birthday to my son. Answers for questions nobody asked.

You would think, 25 years in the newspaper business, all kinds of contacts, your kid makes the major leagues, you’d have to think somebody would have called me and asked, how did this happen? But nobody did. Since he turns 32 years old today, at 5:11 p.m., actually, it seemed like I had to do it myself.

Q: When was the first time Nogo showed baseball talent?

A: He couldn’t have been more than five or six and all the kids from his day care were invited to a birthday party. For most of the party, they did the usual little kid things, using the swing set, playing grab ass, the usual kid stuff. Then one dad gets a whiffle ball bat and a whiffle ball and says “Batter up.” It was a cool fenced-in backyard and the little squirts all lined up. Some of them didn’t know how to hold the bat, nobody hit one much past the dad if they hit it at all. Then John got up and wham! He hit the whiffle ball OUT of the backyard. Everything got really quiet.

My favorite player turns 32 today! Here's what you didn't ask me!

Q: Since you were his dad AND his hitting coach, who did he listen to more?

A: The hitting coach. Mostly. Once, when he was about 11, we were on our way to Pensacola and on the drive, I said, “You know, you’re at the point now where you could try to hit a home run, if you get the right pitch.” I’d never said that before. He looks a bit surprised, but nods. He comes up in the first inning, couple guys on, pitcher falls behind 2-0, I figure he’s going to get a fastball. “Get your pitch,” I holler out. He gets one right down the chute. Doesn’t swing. I say it again, “Get your pitch.” Louder. He looks at me, like, “Hey, I’m in charge here.” Steps back in. Gets another fastball and he hits it way over the left field fence. Then, he looks up at me in the stands as if to say, got it?

Q: Even though he was a left-handed thrower, why did he play SS in Advanced Play?

A: He was our best infielder. One of the coolest moments was when a really nice kid on the other team got his best hit of the season, a double. The outfielder threw the ball in to John, standing near the base, the ball’s still in play, the kid arrives at the base and John says, “Hey, man. Nice hit! Hey, uh, I’m kinda funny about this but the base is kinda dirty. Do you mind if I clean it off?” And the kid, excited that John complimented him, says, “Not at all” and he steps off the base. And John tags him out.

Q: Why was Cooperstown Dreams Park so important to John’s career?

A: When Coach Eddie West brought him in to pitch as an 11-year-old to shut down two-time champion Beaver Valley Red — nine K’s in four innings, I think it showed him he could play with anybody. The next year, he went 30-for-39 to lead the Titans to the championship, setting a hits record that still stands, hitting 16 homers and driving in 36 runs, tying the RBI record. In the title game, it was like a final exam for youth baseball. What did he learn? Pitching for the third time that day, he had to win with smarts; picked two runners off first base in the first inning, got a runner out at third on a fielder’s choice, got a runner out at the plate on a passed ball and threw a complete game. He also went 3-for-3 with a couple steals. Dig that! He said later, “Everything good that happened to me in baseball started at Cooperstown.” The next morning, we went for ice cream at 10 a.m..

Q: He’s hit over 100 professional home runs. Which was the best one?

A: There’s really at least three answers to that question. If you ask John, it might well be this one, whacked against the American Association champs, the Kansas City Monarchs in August. They threw AT him all night, hit him twice and had just thrown a 98 MPH pitch at his head. Scary. You see his gestures. In the dugout before the at bat, he told teammates he was going to be thrown at again. “And when I hit it out, I’m going to stand there and watch before I leave the batter’s box.” Then he did just that.

Q: And the other two home runs?

A: For Mom, her favorite might be when he was at Cooperstown the second time and she was unable to go. But the games were streamed so she was watching from her desk at work. I’d explained to John previously that there was a microphone behind home. In the fifth inning, he hit one out and as he crossed home, hollered up at the mike, “That one was for you, Mom.” For Dad: Has to be his MLB home run at Arizona on July 20. I have the official MLB lineup card framed in my den.

Q: As a kid, did he ever talk about being a major-leaguer?

A: Never. We didn’t want to jinx it. But, riding home from Mike Martin Camp one summer, he was about the age of this Cooperstown video. Since I’d played and covered baseball with the Detroit Tigers and FSU, he asked me if I thought he could be good at baseball? And I said, “Yeah. You can hit, throw, catch, you love the game. Yeah, I think you can be good. And he looked at me with fire in those eyes and said, “I don’t want to be good. I want to be GREAT.”

Q: What are your memories of him being a Pittsburgh Pirate?

A: It all happened so fast, it was like a dream. He got off to a record-setting start, pitched a shutout inning, got to play right field under the Roberto Clemente sign in his first game, so many moments will — and he — will never forget. Here’s a feature they did on Nogo on the Pirates’ Highlight Show. (Volume is a bit soft…turn it up!)

Q: What have you learned about him in all these years, after all these games?

A: There’s nothing he can’t do. Almost nothing he hasn’t done already.

Q: What’s your birthday message to your son?

A: To John: Nobody gave you anything, you earned what you achieved. As a Dad, I couldn’t be prouder, more excited to see what lies ahead for you. You’re a wonderful son, loyal, generous, (traits you got from Mom.) Calling me “your best friend” well, that was just as good as seeing you wearing a major-league uniform, playing on a major-league stadium against the very best. Happy birthday, buddy. What a ride!