BASEBALL DIGEST WORLD SERIES EDITION A Special Publication of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP * * * By Abe J. Schear Doug Flynn October 2012 “Loving the Game” Having had the good fortune to conduct Schear: Were you born here in probably in their twenties and thirties. nearly sixty interviews, I have found that Lexington? My dad at the time was probably thirty many of the very best moments and lessons Yes. Not Albany, New York as it says in and he could play. I mean he was a come from those who are not particularly Wikipedia. I know it’s hard to tell with player! He could hit. He played a year famous. This interview proves that point. my accent but I wasn’t born there. I’m in the Brooklyn organization in Hazard, very proud of being from Lexington, Kentucky with Johnny Podres. Dad Doug Flynn had a remarkable career and Kentucky. hit about 350. They wanted him to continues to have a remarkable life. His What are your first memories of return, but they got pregnant with me career, if measured by his love of the game baseball? and so they moved from Hazard back and that of his teammates, is nothing short My first memories are of my dad to Lexington because they thought they of inspirational (and his charitable work playing, which was pretty neat because could get better care at the hospital. I which was not the subject of the interview my dad was a great player. He was born in 1951. sets a very high bar for us all). Doug played a year in the Brooklyn Dodger What position did your dad play? played baseball because he loved it, an old organization and I remember him playing He was a second baseman. fashioned value for sure, and this unbridled in what was called the Bluegrass League. Would he rely on his bat or his glove affection for baseball shines through each We would go after church and I used to or his speed? and every answer. Having spent the best part of the morning with Doug, it was truly wonderful to watch “I got cut from a college team that wasn’t how well he treated people and how he put a smile on each face that passed his way. This very good.” is a basic people skill, one clearly learned from his family, shared with his teammates and now with his community. Doug is like it because my dad would jump in All of the above. He had so many better clearly a leader, one with the unique skill the back seat and change clothes and qualities that I did. He could run. He of being able to inspire those around him. put his uniform on. I was just a small could hit. He was quick. He had really child but going to the games with my great quickness because he played *** dad and watching him play and compete basketball at the University of Dayton at were my first memories of what baseball 5’8”, so you know he was a pretty good was really like before I actually started athlete. He was just a good ballplayer getting interested in it and starting and fortunately I got part of that. I wish playing in a league. I’d gotten more of the hitting side but I Was that semi-pro ball? didn’t. Yes, it was semi-pro and they were good Your dad was at the top of the lineup? I Remember When, a book which includes players. I mean, Governor Chandler He was the leadoff hitter. the first 35 interviews in this series, is played in that league, Woody Fryman So he’d get on and a single was a available for $20. A check should be made played in the league. It was college guys double? payable to Abe Schear and mailed to him at Arnall Golden Gregory. and men. I thought they were all old A single was a double. but they really weren’t. They were all Now when you were little, did you play A r n a l l Go l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | October 2012 all sports? Well, I had a fast ball, a curve ball and of man, asked if I had a baseball uniform I played basketball and baseball growing course everybody tried to get away with because I was in a pair of shorts and a up. I played one year of little league my junk because I couldn’t throw it very tank top. I wasn’t really serious. And I football when I was nine and then didn’t hard. said yes sir. He said come in two weeks play again until I was a junior in high When did you first start thinking that with that baseball uniform. So I went school. Then one of the coaches came you might be able to play, be on your to another tryout camp, tried out, didn’t and said he wanted me to come out for college team? hear anything for two weeks. I get a call football and I said, “Why? I’m 5’6” and Well I got cut from my college team. So and they say they wanted me to come 120 lbs. Why would I want to do that?” my thinking was my dad knew a lot of to Riverfront Stadium with ninety guys He said he was trying to recruit athletes scouts. I got cut from a college team from three different states and they were and he thought I could help the ball club that wasn’t very good at the University going to take a good look at me. So in some ways. So I played three sports of Kentucky. We only won four or six when it was over with, he said he wanted in high school. games I think. So I figured if my dad to see me one more time. So we came Were you more of a baseball player in knew scouts and they didn’t think I could back to Lexington. high school? play and my college coach didn’t think I really wasn’t very good at any of them I could play, that probably I couldn’t He tried me out and he asked what would to be truthful with you. I was the kind play. So I went to a junior college and it take for me to be a professional ball of guy that was fundamentally sound was playing softball during the week player? I said a coke and a hotdog. So I and I could help a good ball club but I and baseball on the weekend because I signed for a coke and was very fortunate. wasn’t the type that could carry the ball enjoyed competing and we had a team Two years later I was in the big leagues. club. So I was a point guard, played that ended up going to Wichita, Kansas Not exactly the way most people do it. good defense, which afforded me the for the summer league and I had two No, most people are drafted and that’s opportunity to go to the University of pretty good games and was approached the story I get all the time. What round Kentucky and play as a freshman – by a scout who asked if I ever thought were you drafted in? Well, I wasn’t. But basketball, but I was small. I was 5’8” about playing pro ball? And I said, “No I think the things that helped me were (1) and 147 lbs when I graduated from sir, I really haven’t.” He said, “Well, that I was a later bloomer; and (2) that high school and went to the University we’d like for you to go to Arizona State I loved to play and so I just continued of Kentucky. I was 5’8” and then the for a couple of years first.” I said I really playing and fortunately somebody saw summer after my sophomore year, I grew didn’t want to go back to college. I said me. a couple of inches and starting maturing. there are some other things I’d like, but You haven’t said that your dad pushed So I was kind of a late bloomer. if I go to college I didn’t want to go to you very hard in this. I guess he Going back just a little bit, you played Arizona State. didn’t. little league ball didn’t you? He didn’t. Not at all. The only thing my dad told me as far as my career was, I remember wanting to go out with my “So I signed for a coke and was very friends in high school one day and my dad said OK, go ahead, but you won’t fortunate.” be playing sports. I said what do you mean? He said it was a choice. You can either go hang with your friends or you I played five years of little league ball, I didn’t know the history behind how be dedicated to whatever sport you’re two years of pony league ball, a year good baseball was out there at that going to play, but you won’t do both. of colt league, two years of Connie time because the team I was on here And he said to trust him on that and he Mack and then played a couple of years in Lexington were all local guys.