One good thing about Barry Bonds: his imminent busting of Hank Aaron's home run record is giving a classy guy one more day in the sun.
The juxtaposition of Bonds against the former Brave and Brewer is stark--Bonds is everything Aaron ISN'T. Bonds is a living stereotype of all that's wrong with today's athlete: arrogant, aloof, a piss-poor teammate and, if the accounts in the best-selling steroids tell-all "Game of Shadows" are to be believed, a pretty rotten human being in general.
Aaron, on the other hand, is gentlemanly, humble, and dignified. This, I know, from personal experience, having had the honor of interviewing him when his book, "If I Had A Hammer", came out in the 90's. It qualifies as one of the highlights of my professional and personal existence.
And then...there's Dick Arndt.
Expect to hear alot about him in the days ahead, as Bonds edges ever closer to Aaron's 755 home runs. That's because Arndt caught the last one.
We found out this week, through GPS readings, precisely where the ball landed that July night in 1976. Arndt was there, as it landed, to gather it in.
Trouble is, Arndt worked on the County Stadium grounds crew, and the team ruled that he couldn't keep the sphere. He said he'd give it back, if he could do so personally to Aaron. The Brewers refused, Arndt got canned, and even docked the five bucks for the ball on his final paycheck.
But, he got to keep it.
This is where I come in...myself and my partner, Bob Reitman.
We'd read about Arndt and Aaron, thinking we could serve as mediators. This was well into the 80's, perhaps around the tenth anniversary of Aaron's circle-clout, if memory serves. How cool would it be if our little radio show could reunite Aaron with a ball that obviously meant so much to him?
We were able to track Ardnt down, and the drama began. We were go-betweens for the Brewers and the former grounds crew guy, working out Arndt's demands--I remember he held fast to the one about handing the ball to Aaron personally, and also wanting plane fare for himself and his family. Things started coming together and it looked as though the great reunion was about to happen.
And then, Arndt pulled the plug...literally keeping the ball and going home.
Adding insult to the injury, Arndt would show up at an Aaron autograph show where the all-time home run king would unknowingly sign the very ball he wanted so badly, boosting the value of Arndt's questionable gain.
Arndt later sold the ball, and gave a portion of the take to charity. Suffice to say, he got a handsome return on his five-dollar investment.
The ball is now with a deep-pocketed fan, instead of Aaron who thinks it should be in the Hall of Fame. That, of course, speaks volumes about the kind of guy Aaron is: he respects the game, and thinks it's artifacts should be available for all to see, instead of gathering dust in someone's safe-deposit box.
The best seats in the house go to the folks with the deep pockets. Collectors and card freaks turn our childhood memories into investments. Guys who luck into the game's artifacts turn their good fortune into momentary fame and seven-figure portfolios. That's how time changed our game.
What stays the same?
Our untainted memories of days gone by, and the eternal class of one of baseball's true elite: Hank Aaron. For every Bonds story you read in the weeks ahead, keep the Hammer in mind, especially if you need a reminder of what's right about the game. And, remember this story when the plaque goes up in the Miller Park parking lot, showing where Aaron's final swat came down.
Want to read a different take on Arndt? Check out this blog:
My Journal/Sentinel buddy, Tom Haudricourt, gives a detailed account of Aaron's swat, the ball, Arndt and all that followed:
1 comment:
I didn't know anything about this piece of history, so I started out feeling sorry for Arndt. Getting fired and all.
Pfft.
I remember seeing Hank Aaron on tv a couple of times (even an appearance on Happy Days, way back when) and you could tell even thru television that he is a humble, sweet man.
Post a Comment