Al Lopez

(from Baseball For the Love of It. Hall of Famers Tell it Like it Was by Anthony J. Connor)

In 1928, Brooklyn called me up at the end of the year after my minor league season at Macon, GA, had ended. So I sat around on the bench for 2 1/2 weeks. Finally Wilbert Robinson (manager) put me in the last 2 days of the season; a doubleheader on Saturday and a day game on Sunday.

It was a great experience but I did not get a hit. We were playing the Pirates, and they had Glenn Wright, who was a great shortstop, and Pie Traynor at third-base. I was a pull-hitter and I hit some hard shots to the left side, but every ball was either to Wright or Traynor. I was hitting the ball good, and I thought I had hits several times, but each time I'd see that ball flying into the first-baseman's mitt.

I'd never seen infielding like that at Macon and it was kind of discouraging. I went home to Florida for the winter, thinking to myself, what have I got to do to get a base hit in this league?

(Been there, done that. Anyone who has played baseball has, bet on it.)


Kevin Marquez