Dodger great Carl Erskine called over a couple of weary and sore fantasy baseball campers limping onto to the field Friday morning for a little pep talk.
"I woke up one day and my arm was so sore I could hardly raise it." the Boys of Summer pitcher said. "I was suppose to start that day so I walked into the clubhouse ready to tell Walter Alston, our manager, that I needed another day of rest. Before I could say anything, he handed me the ball.
"I couldn't hand it back to him and refuse the start so I went in and got a cortisone shot. I pitched one of my two no hitters that day," he said, smiling. "As sore as I was, if I hadn't taken the ball from Alston that day I would have missed a no hitter."
Another story dealt with his fiery teammate Jackie Robinson.
"We were coming to the end of our careers and Jackie had been moved from second over to third. In the paper that morning, one of the New York Giants exec's said Jackie, Campy and I were too old to beat them.
Well, I shut them out that day, Campy caught a great game, and Jackie made a diving play at third to rob Willie Mays of a double to save the game.
As the Giant's exec was leaving the field, Jackie reached into his back pocket, pulled out the newspaper story and waved it at him.
"Too old?" he yelled.