Posted: 4:03 am
October 5, 2008
WHEN Mickey Vernon, a baseball lifer who twice led the AL in batting while with the Senators, died last week, it mostly made smallish news.
That stood to reason. Vernon was 90. When accomplished big leaguers pass at 90, their death notices don't make for the same news as if they had died at 70 or 75. If fewer editors and producers are familiar with a player's name, game and fame, the space and time given to his obit is bound to reflect that.
Heck, living newsmen who could best recall Vernon likely would be long retired.
Still, whenever I saw Vernon in 1940s top-step-of-the-dugout photos and footage, especially clips from HBO's wondrous "When It Was A Game" documentaries, Vernon stood out. He had a great and natural smile.
He certainly seemed happy for a fellow with Washington's "W" perennially stitched to the front of his jersey.
So, for what it was worth - nothing, maybe - that footage and those photos of Vernon stuck. He just looked like a very nice guy. So what? It's nothing I ever wrote. What for?
Last week, Don Wiederecht Jr., a reader from St. Petersburg, Fla., sent me an e-mail. He had just learned Vernon had passed and wanted to share a story:
In 1980, Wiederecht, still in college, landed an internship with the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees. The job paid zilch, not a dime. So he additionally accepted the job as "clubhouse guy," team grunt. For that he would get $2 per player, every two weeks.
When roving instructors came to work with the Yanks' minor leaguers, Wiederecht took care of their baseball laundry and spikes. He came to not expect anything in return, thus he was never disappointed.
But when Vernon arrived to spend a week, he was friendly. He went out of his way to let Wiederecht know that he appreciated his effort.
"Just before he left, he made it a point to find me and thank me for taking care of his Yankee uniform and his equipment," Wiederecht said. "He handed me a $20 bill. I told him that was too much. He told me that what I did for him was worth his money. Then he said goodbye."
So 60-plus years ago, the cameras told the truth. They got it right, got it good. For what it's worth, that's nice to know.
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