The Essays of Sam Person
Nice
Guys Don't Finish Last
Recently, our younger son became engaged, which set me to thinking about
some of the events in his life which stand out. My thoughts turned to
baseball, which is always at the top of my mind anyway, and in fact, was
always a source of enjoyment that we had together.
I remember a particular event which gave the great lie to one of the most
memorable lines quoted in the history of baseball - "Nice Guys Finish Last."
Legend has it that this line was spoken by Leo Durocher, then the fiery
manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers in reference to Bill Terry, his counterpart
with the cross-town rival New York Giants.
As those stories go, however, while the line was rather dramatic and
indicative of the personality of Leo Durocher, in truth, as Durocher said
years later, what he meant to say was "Bill Terry, nice guy. Finished last,"
which of course has a slightly different connotation and referred to the
standing of the New York Giants in the National League at the end of the
previous year.
In any case, the fact is that nice guys do not necessarily finish last - in
baseball as in any other endeavor. To prove this, I offer an event that
occurred at New York's Yankee Stadium, and involved Carlos May, a player who
lasted parts of ten years in the major leagues, and whose career, while not
exemplary, placed him above the level of mere journeyman.
Carlos May played for the Chicago White Sox, the New York Yankees, and the
California Angels. He was twice an American League All Star, itself a rather
notable feat, and was highly regarded as a rookie. Indeed, he was named
Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News in 1969.
Unfortunately, during August 1969, while on reserve duty with the United
States Marines, a mortar accident cost him part of his right thumb. The
promise of a brilliant career was shattered with that blow, but May did go
on to play in the Major Leagues through 1977.
It was in 1976 that I encountered Carlos May, and the event that leads to
this story unfolded.
I had taken my younger son, then seven years old to Yankee Stadium. As was
customary, as the players leave the field following batting practice, a few
balls will be thrown into the stands - a nice enough gesture. In
anticipation of this event, I led my son to a vantage point directly behind
the New York Yankee dugout, and he stood there, glove in hand (and heart
beating rapidly, no doubt), and waited.
As Catfish Hunter of the Yankees was about to enter the dugout, he flipped a
ball in my son's direction. The ball bounced off his glove and landed at my
feet. I bent over to retrieve the ball and found myself engaged in a tug of
war over a baseball with another youngster. It seemed silly to me to fight
the unknown youngster for the baseball, so I let it out of my hand and he
grabbed it. But the story does not end there.
I could not see my son facing the field, and obviously he had on his face a
look of major disappointment. But, Carlos May saw it as he headed into the
dugout - the last Yankee to come off the field. Carlos May looked at my son
and said, "Don't leave, I'll be right back." With those words, May went into
the dugout and came back with a baseball, looked at my son, pointed at him,
and said "This ball is for you." He flipped it to him gently so that he
could not miss catching it.
The next day I called the New York Yankee office to get an address to write
a thank you note for Carlos May. I was connected with the Yankee Public
Relations Director, with whom I had a nice chat about Carlos May. I learned
that May was a genuine nice guy, a fact which prolonged his baseball career
despite the fact that the promise of his rookie year, unfortunately, was
never realized.
Neither my son nor I will ever forget Carlos May.
But, there is a further conclusion, to me at least. It is given that many
factors dictate whether or not into an aspiring young player will make it to
the big leagues, and stay there. Obviously, this does not apply to those
with the physical talent that speaks for itself. But there is a second tier,
as it were, of those whose talents are not better or worse than those of any
other newcomer looking to make it to the big leagues. Here, I am convinced,
luck, being in the right place at the right time, and a nice personality
help tilt the balance in favor of one player as opposed to others. It is a
thought that Carlos May has solidified in my mind - and one that arguably
applies to every undertaking in life.
All other things equal, nice guys finish first.
