BASEBALL DIGEST  OPENING DAY EDITION 

A Special Publication of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

* * * By Abe J. Schear April 2013 “Player and ” Some players like Merv Rettenmund can Schear: I am in San Diego with Merv Did your family follow baseball? just . Big park or small park, daytime or Rettenmund and am about to learn a My dad loved it. My mother really was nighttime, home or away. Sure you can get lot about baseball. What are your first a good softball player and they followed better when you practice but if you can’t memories of baseball? my career when they were healthy hit . . . Rettenmend: First memories of baseball enough. They showed up at every World would probably be my uncle taking me Series I was in and usually every opening I first met Merv (really!) in Ephesus down to watch the in Tiger day. They liked to go to the games. (Turkey). A couple of us were talking Stadium. We lived sixty miles away and Did your dad play ball with you when baseball and Linda noted Merv’s Oakland it was probably the highlight of growing you were a little boy? ring (green and huge). We up. I used to just love to go down and We’d play catch all the time and stuff talked over the course of the cruise, hitting, look at the grass and I’d sit out there like that after he’d get home from managers, ballparks, pitchers. Merv has and watch the field and watch them take working his eight hour shifts. He was a eight World Series rings – I listened – really. batting practice and I felt like that’s what supervisor and he never was too tired to I wanted to do. go out and play catch or hit fly balls to What came through, in all of the And how old were you? me down the street. I don’t know how conversations, was Merv’s love and respect I was probably six or seven. he did that. I’d be hitting them on roofs for the game. Baseball has been Merv’s You grew up in . . . or something, you know. life and he insists that the game be played correctly, intelligently, and thoughtfully.

What a delight it was to visit Merv in San “Everybody enjoys the swinging of the Diego. He has wonderful memories and, for sure, you will surely enjoy his perspective bat” and his memories. Flint, Michigan. You got the ball a little bit more as a *** And who taught you to throw a pitcher and you were out in the middle baseball? of the field. We had a gentleman by the name of Oh for sure. Monk and he was very wealthy. He was What position did you first play when the largest shareholder of General you were a little boy? Motors stock and he supported all of the I was a . The truth is I was a local athletic programs. Flint was an catcher my whole career. The reason industrial town but we had tremendous for that is my dad was a catcher. I used

sports teams and everybody had the to really enjoy it. When I went to high opportunity to play the sports they school, I was a catcher and I was a I Remember When, a book which includes wanted to. We always had instruction catcher on our American Legion team. the first 35 interviews in this series, is and we always had equipment. My We had six players out there signed, available for $20. A check should be made parents both worked for General Motors three pitchers. We really had a talented payable to Abe Schear and mailed to him at and when I got older they gave me the group of players. I really and truly think Arnall Golden Gregory. opportunity to go to baseball camps. that catching was my calling. I signed A r n a l l Go l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | April 2013 as a catcher with the Orioles leaguers. I can watch them over at this pitch, you can’t hit it. You can’t pull it and I went to at that time. facility I teach at and they come in there all the time, you know. You gotta take It was in Thomasville, Georgia and the and one day they’ll have a leg kick, the that pitch. If you watch a really good one thing I could do – I could . We next day they won’t have a leg kick. hitter, they should be watching the spin had a sixty yard dash track there and They’ll watch a major leaguer and if he’s on the ball. everybody had to run. I don’t know why. doing good they’ll copy him. I don’t When did you first think that you You don’t run sixty yards in baseball, think that’s all bad. But my first major could be a really good player? you know? My time was really, really, league instructor that helped me out When I went to college, I had athletic well it was pretty tops because I was a was Jimmy Frey. In the minor leagues skills, the running. I could really run. I running back in college and I was drafted I had a hitting coach by the name of could really jump, anything in sports I by Dallas because I could run. As soon Billy DeMars and he really helped me could do. Football, I was really pretty as I ran my sixty yard dash they sent me out. He gave me an opportunity. He was good at but I didn’t enjoy it. Baseball, upstairs and I was done working out for the day and I showed up the next day and the coach gave me an ’s “Making the big leagues was really and glove and he said I was going to be a centerfielder. truly one of the easiest things I ever did” You played ball in college? Right. At Ball State? my A and he was a hard I was much better than in high school, At Ball State, right. man to work for but you had to work. I but I enjoyed it. When I first started Did you catch there? remember one time we took a bus trip , after my second I was a catcher and a centerfielder there. from Toledo up to Rochester, New York. year, I was invited to Major League They had a catcher so I’d catch half the That’s a long ride. As soon as we got camp and it was a nice situation too time and play centerfield half the time. I to Rochester, we got off the bus, he told because I went to Major League camp kind of knew they were going to switch me to get dressed, we’re taking batting with the . I looked me but I wish I had stayed with the practice. It was like eight in the morning around and liked the rules. I knew that catching part because I did like it a lot. or something, you know. But the thing I’d make the major leagues. Making the Did you catch any in the Majors? is when you do stuff like that, I mean, big leagues was really and truly one of No, I didn’t. I tried it one time in an you keep working at it and keep working the easiest things I ever did. And that’s exhibition game and that was after at it. tough for most people to say that and I not catching for four or five years and What was the big difference between appreciate that because I didn’t have to I spiked myself and rolled over and hitting in the batting cage where you work really hard. I could run it, throw couldn’t get up, so I gave it up. I mean saw everything down the middle and it, hit it, you know. So making the big you either do it or you don’t. You have hitting in a game where you got just a leagues was simple. to be comfortable back there and I was few pitches and then went back to the What was it like to get in the locker flinching and I was grabbing at the ball bench for a while? room the first time to see all the ball and I wasn’t following it off the bat. I That’s a very good point. I think one of players? mean you have to be able to do that. the biggest issues in baseball today for I was scared to death. Our locker room Now when you were a little boy, did hitters is they don’t realize that they go then was in Miami in the old ball park, in you like to hit more or field more? into slumps taking batting practice. You the city ball park. They actually had two I liked to hit. Everybody enjoys the don’t have to track the ball. You don’t locker rooms. They had the big locker swinging of the bat, you know? But have to control your eyes. You don’t room where all the major leaguers went I hated to go out and shag but I sure have to, you hit the high and inside pitch and then they had the other room, we liked to stand up and swing the bat and to left field and you hit it in the seats called it the “head ‘em up and herd ‘em I think everyone does now because even in batting practice. In the game no one out room” because this was going to be when you go to the big leagues, strength can hit the same pitches so why practice the first wave going back to the minor training is what they do. They hit for swinging at it? You know you swing at leagues, and the lockers were stuck in hours, that’s all people do. They just hit pitches you can hit. I think in batting the corner somewhere. I mean it was a and hit and hit and hit. I’m not sure if practice you have to have a game plan terrible situation but you didn’t give a it’s too much really. and all the kids that I taught over here, darn. We were happy just to be there. I And who really taught you to hit when they’re not old enough to have a game would say I was probably nervous every you were a little boy? plan yet, but if I get high school kids or day. I don’t think anyone did. I think you major league kids, I’ll tell them to lay Do you know what your number was? figure it out as you go along. In little off the inside pitch and cover the others. Yeah, minor leagues I remember it. I was league, no one told me how to hit or how That’s where 75% of the pitches are. like forty something or fifty something. to hold the bat. I think that kids today Your .250 hitter cannot hit the inside That was different, but when I was in the do the same thing, they’re like major minor league camp the first year, it was 2 BASEBALL DIGEST by Abe J. Schear

141 and that was in the grey uniforms. What was it like the first year you was great for the hitters? The grey uniforms were the regular played? Do you remember? Great stadium and then the 3rd deck had players. The white uniforms were the I don’t remember the first year on the, to be reinforced. They were spending pitchers. We had six or seven minor Jesus, that’s a long time ago. Very more money in the off season reinforcing league teams and my number was 141. different too. No one wore batting the stadium. That was one of their Who told you that you were going to gloves. World Series games were all in biggest expenses. make the major leagues? the afternoon. Did you used to follow baseball on the No one had to tell me. When you grew up who were your radio or TV or the paper? When you found out you made the favorite players? Radio all the time. and I team, who told you? Harvey Kuehn. was a favorite mean it was Jerry Purdy was their second In 1968, I broke with the ball club. Billy but Kuehn was my favorite player. baseman, the Tigers’ . Hunter told me I was going to make the He was a great hitter. I remember him. One year he slid to team. had the flu or he was Great hitter, really good, in fact he was home and broke his ankle and I felt like sick or something. I don’t know what traded for Rocky Colovito one year and that broke mine because I felt so bad you it was. So I opened with the club and I they traded the league leading hitter for know. But they always have finished went two for three and then they sent me the champion and that made second so they’d get your hopes up. down. You know they said don’t rent a big news in Detroit but Kuehn was a The Yankees were pretty good. house but then the year after that I was really good hitter. The Yankees were good. minor league player of the year and I What about your favorite pitchers? The Yankees won every year. knew that, I mean no one had to tell me I liked all the Detroit pitchers. The Every year. Every darn year. I was going to make the club. I knew Tigers were my team. They never could It was like the Yankees and the either that or they were going to trade win. They were always in second place Dodgers, the Giants. me. you know. It was like I said that to Yes. What was it like to play for that one time when he was the Now a couple of other questions. Baltimore team? They had some great manager of the Tigers. We went to a What’s the favorite team you played ballplayers. function together and I said you might for? Well, when you played with the as well let me speak first because we’re The strangest thing is it would have Baltimore Orioles back then, they went always in first place and you can speak to be a team that I did well for, so it to spring training just to get the pitching second because your team is always had to probably be the Baltimore team set up for the World Series. That’s the in second. Billy Martin, one reason I because I really, really did well the first way you had to feel, because you were said that to him, I was in Flint and I felt few years there. I really, really did well going to be good. When we played comfortable there. and my on-base percentage was leading every game in spring training, we played What about that Detroit ball park? the league. It was really up there high. to win every game. We would go 20 and I liked to go to that old ballpark I thought it was excellent until I saw 6 in spring training. No one remembers downtown, , and I loved to Bonds a few years ago had oh my God records in spring training but we did. play in there. I really hit well there. It numbers. His numbers were special, you That meant something to us you know. was a good park to hit in. know. I mean I hit for power and then You did not want to lose in any spring Big centerfield. my numbers were good across the board training games and we didn’t. We won 460 feet maybe to center. I don’t know for two years. 108 during the year. We went to Japan, what it was. What was it like to play in the World we went 15-1-1. You had to win. did not like to lose very much, did he? “Weaver sent me into the game to pinch Oh, he said that, and that was repeated to me the other day [Note: Just after Earl run for ” Weaver had died.] The worst loser ever, well that was Weave. But we had to win games and he was so tough about the A long ways. Series for the first time? game and you’d appreciate this because A long way to centerfield. It was built, The first time was 1969 and we were you were a baseball player. But when it was a square you know. It’s short to in Shea Stadium. Things were not you’re leading off first base and the first right, kinda semi OK to left, right center going very well for us and I was the baseman is playing behind you or on the was short and then centerfield was a long fastest guy in the team and there was a bag and there’s a line drive behind you to way away. situation when Weaver sent me into the the and the runner stands The upper deck in right field... game to pinch run for Frank Robinson. and gets doubled up, Weaver found Overhang. You could go back for a fly I had trouble getting out of the dugout there’s no excuse for that. That’s not ball and you’d wave for the ball and it because the pressure was so deep, you good base running. That’s not allowed, would fall on the upper deck. know. I was scuffling a bit. I jogged you know. You’d have to get back. Right. It had very bad seating but it up to second and Frank said “Look, I’m 3 A r n a l l Go l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | April 2013 going to go into the dugout this time, but Tigers Stadium was always a good park. I think so. I think one reason is because don’t ever come out to pinch run for me Maybe they had weak pitching, I don’t the pitchers throw too darn many pitches. again.” know. But I sure did love it. The pitchers today can’t command most Do you remember the first home run What’s the worst park you played in? of their pitches. These kids don’t pitch you hit? Oh, that’s simple too. . enough in the minor leagues. They can Yeah, I do. I don’t remember the The old park, Candlestick. What a manage maybe a fastball. They can’t pitcher. I’ll tell you what – it was 1968 miserable facility that was. command their breaking ball. They and I was just called up and we were in You’ve got a lot of stories. If you’ve don’t command their second, third and a pennant race and I won the game. It got one story you’ve got to tell that’s fourth pitches as well as the pitchers did was an Earl Weaver three run homer that funny, what’s a funny story? years ago. We had a four man rotation won the game for us and Weaver said in I don’t know. I’ve got a couple of things. when I first broke into the big leagues. the paper (it was the only nice thing he I was mentioning to you about talking And every day we would face a live ever said about me), he said, “That’s the about Earl Weaver. We would always pitcher, a real starter. What is it now? reason you call them up, just to win one say if he died, donate his heart, because They try to mix up pitches until they find game.” That’s the only time he ever said he never used it himself, you know. the pitch the hitter can’t hit, you know. anything good, though. There’s one funny story I remember, What’s it like to have so many World What was the favorite team you and this is the way the game used to Series rings? You’ve got a drawer full. coached for? be played. We’re playing the Boston I’ve got a bag full. I only have eight but Favorite team I coached? Probably the Red Sox and their pitcher was a guy by the thing is, I always say that I only have Padres. I was here for ten years and I the name of Luis Tiant and Tiant was a eight but my goal was to get ten and I coached for some really good teams. clown but he was very competitive. We missed it. I was short, but I know I was The Oakland A’s, that was good. We were battling for our lives out there. really successful. had to win because we had all the best We had a catcher in Baltimore named That’s a great big pile of them, that’s players but we only won one World and his eyebrows for sure. Series because that’s how we went grew all the way across his head so they Every once in a while I’ll go and look. in. We had a lot of injuries one year. I called him “one brow” and Luis didn’t They’re all at the bank but I usually take enjoyed the Padres. think he was too attractive of a man so one if I go on a trip. You had really good managers when he walked up to home plate one day, That’s how I met you. you coached too. looked at the plate and he looked back Right. In Ephesus, Turkey. Which one Well, I had, yeah. Most of the managers at Etch and when he looked back, he did I have? I worked with, La Russa, , went, “Ahhhh!”. He yelled like that and You had your Oakland ring on. a few of them that are really respected a it said, “Etch, do me a favor and don’t OK, and this is the got darnest thing. lot. Doug Radar and Jim Fregosi. take your mask off.” So he got the plate Every time they’d see each other they’d What was the best ballpark you ever again and he looked back and he said, have a trivia question and I was always played in? “Etch, you can be anything in the jungle at the game and I’m sitting in the movie I think Tiger Stadium. I swear I enjoyed you want.” And then every time he’d be theater and they would ask the question – that ballpark. I could see the ball running in the field, you’d hear him yell who hit the – “Frank Robinson”, good there. People don’t understand as he ran by Etch. and I’m answering every question.

it, it was like Wrigley Field a lot. The Has the game gotten a lot slower? Thanks, this was just perfect.

“Player and Coach” and “Player

Rettenmund Merv

59th EDITION 59th

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