We really need to treasure guys like Mike. They are our connection to a golden era long gone. The game has some great players now, but as much as I enjoy still watching, it will never have the charm of the past.
Mike was a teammate to some of my all-time favorites, Warren Spahn as a Boston Brave in 1942 (he was Warren's roomie, and he and Spahnie got called up together! Casey Stengel was their manager!), Pee Wee Reese with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946, and Ralph Kiner and "Big Poison" Paul Waner with the 1953 Pittsburgh Pirates. He was also Roy Campanella's teammate in Montreal in 1947, then the Dodgers' AAA affiliate.
Here's a great interview done with Mike in April of this year (appearing in the New York Times), for those that are interested:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/sp...ield.html?_r=0
Mike's first trip to Yankee Stadium was in 1931, and as a 15 year old, he saw Babe Ruth hit a home run over his head in right field. Wow! What a lifetime of memories.
I'd just love to talk with him, maybe sit down and have a beer with him like he used to do with Red Barber.
By the way, Mike has a few baseball cards, too. He appeared in the 1953 Topps set as a member of the Pirates, and in the 1954 Topps set he is depicted as a catcher with the Philadelphia Phillies. He never appeared with Philly at the Major League level, but his contract was purchased by them prior to the 1954 season.
I've decided to make Mike's card my first from the 1953 Topps set. Here it is:
