LUCKY 7s: THREES & FOURS

Hello Baseball Fans,

“Threes” was a left-handed pitcher. And could switch-hit. “Fours” was a right-handed slugger. And could anchor the field that is right of center. Threes was born in late spring of ’78. Fours retired from MLB in early fall of ’76. Threes was a longtime Blue Devil and Brewer throughout high school, college, and beyond. Fours was a longtime Brave and also a Brewer in his career’s twilight as he returned to where it all began, in Milwaukee, of course.

Threes was an all-time great teammate. Fours was a great all-time multi-generational icon. Threes was an exuberant, almost child-like figure that towered over many of his teammates who were referred to as brothers. Fours was quiet and soft-spoken and a giant civil and social rights leader to say the least.

Threes was a leader too. A great, big cheer-leader. He was there for the team. It did not matter whether he was the man on the mound or might only help warm up another pitcher or grab one late-inning pinch-hit plate appearance. Energetic and uplifting and dependable. He could make you forget your recent bad at-bat or misplay in the field. He was your guy and he made you know that you were his. Again, a brother. Fours was dependable too. He played 21 seasons in the National League and another two in the American. He played 150 or more games in 14 different seasons. He may not have ever hit 50 HRs in a season, but he did hit 40+ HRs eight times. So there. He also had ten 100+ RBI seasons. That’s some big balling!

Picture early October of 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix, Arizona is a long way from Rochester, New York. A talented squad of 20 and 30-something year old ball players travels via a Southwest flight from Buffalo, N.Y. to catch some more summer via the autumn of the big A-Z. The plan is to play at least five or six nine-inning games in four or five days of tournament matchups against local Phoenix teams as well as other all-star teams from Northern California and Colorado among other baseball hotbeds. If you’re a pitcher, you only get one shot at a premiere start or multi-inning appearance on a condensed trip with a tournament such as this. You want it to be at least great, if not perfect.

But perfect can’t happen for every pitcher on all of the teams. There will be ‘fights at the bat rack’ as teams break out and explode for the occasional furies of runs. Threes was on the mound for one such start. He was throwing decent, but not his best. Perhaps a missed pitch or two. For the most part, it was some very good hitting by an excellent NorCal team. Mix in a misplay or two in the field and it was ugly before the second inning ended. Two very long innings. A ton of pitches thrown in a very short amount of actual clock time. The defense weary and on its heels and the type of game that wears down a certain Masked Man’s feet and legs. The batters from team NorCal could feel it. They got real comfy. Running for extra bases and all. Even with two attempted base stealers cut down at second base in the 2nd inning by a certain Masked Man, there was still a ton of pitches thrown by Threes and a 7 to 1 deficit to boot. It did not look good. Far from it in fact. That pace and that projection, ouch. Sometimes, this is how the crazy game of baseball treats any of us, wicked and cruel.

But baseball has nine innings. 7 to 1? No matter to Threes. As our team was getting ready to hit in the top of the third, Threes was still up for a fight. “They’re no good. We got this.” He was slated to yield his place on the mound, and was reduced to rallying the ROC team from the bench. Standing and holding a towel on his shoulder at all times of course. Threes was right. There was a lot of baseball yet to be played. And we had traveled a looong way to do just that: play the game of baseball. He was more ready to field and bat and throw than perhaps any of us. Admittedly, a start like that will at least slow a team down for a moment before continuing a high level of battle, if they are to re-focus to a level worth mentioning at all. But we did. And Threes was there loving every second of every pitch. He willed us to do so and practically willed the contest to be just that, a contest.

Fours knew about playing through a mountain of adversity and down right torture better than perhaps anyone. Although Jackie Robinson first broke through the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, which was seven seasons prior to Fours breaking in as a twenty year old, Fours had to play in the deep South after the Braves re-located to Atlanta. And by the early ’70s, it was clear he would be chasing and eventually pass Babe Ruth’s career HR mark of 714 home runs. Hate mail and death threats and personal security for him and his family is adversity of the gravest of flavors. Life was most serious and difficult. Baseball was just a game.

Back to Phoenix, 2004, Team ROC rallied despite multiple relief pitchers failing to keep NorCal out of double digit runs. Threes was in the entire game. Emotionally that is. He did not pitch nine innings of course, but he was a force nonetheless. The ROC had a huge comeback. In one inning, there were two grand slams hit AFTER there were two outs. Also, a certain Masked Man walked with two outs on a 3 and 2 pitch to load the bases PRIOR to the first grand-salami!! That’s a mouthful folks. Check it again: the first grand slam of the inning was hit with two outs!!

Threes roared at every run like we had won the World Series. And like he was the winning pitcher. And it may not have been a teaching moment, but it was certainly a poster for anyone nearby to take that “Why not us?” approach. Why not celebrate and show some child-like exuberance and emotion! Live to the fullest. Team ROC went on to CRUISE to a victory with a football-like-score of 20 to 12 after Threes willed his team to a win despite his limited time on the field on this particular day. And in retrospect, that is why you battle as long and as hard as necessary. If Threes did not do so, perhaps he does not hold NorCal to just seven. Perhaps he does not complete the second inning. On a condensed trip such as this, every run and every pitch had to be contested and accounted for. Some legs and most arms were short on supply and sore for sure. All innings are created equally as important.

Fours was and always will be a most important figure in baseball history. 755 Home Runs. And here’s a favorite: if he had never hit even a single home run, he’d STILL be in 3,000 hit club. That’s pretty cool. He and Eddie Murray (another all-time great who just so happens to also be a ‘Threes’) are the only two ballplayers with 2,000+ singles and 500+ HRs. And Fours has 251 more HRs, which happens to be the total number of HRs hit by fellow Hall of Famer, Robin Yount. Fours also had at least 449 at-bats in twenty different seasons. That’s some serious swinging!

But even more importantly, Fours was a tremendous man off the field and a great ambassador for the game. He taught people how to be classy and respectful, among many other things. And so it is that our teammate Threes, from the true tales mentioned above, has the great element of teaching in common with Fours. Threes showed us how to love the game and love our brothers. Combined, we are lucky to have learned of Fours and his ways as well as to have known oh so well our brother, Threes. Together, Fours and Threes make Lucky Sevens. Rest In Baseball, Threes and Fours.

Later Baseball Fans.