Post by doc on Jun 14, 2021 14:38:05 GMT
You may have seen former Major League pitcher, Mudcat Grant passed away on Friday. I had the good fortune of meeting Mudcat on several occasions - he was a very close friend of one of our friends and we met at a charity golf outing for JDRF in 2010. The following year Mudcat was actually the celebrity for our golf foursome at an outing for the Jimmy V Foundation in Louisville which was hosted by Bob Valvano (Jim's brother). He wasn't very mobile at the time so he basically rode around in a golf cart telling us stories about his career and life - there was no doubt we had the best celebrity at the event that day.
Our friend attended one of those dream week camps for baseball and just before he went had learned all three of his daughters had juvenile diabetes. While at the camp, Mudcat (who was one of the former pros at dream week) noticed that our friend was upset and asked if he could help. Our friend shared that his daughters had just been diagnosed with diabetes and as I recall, Mudcat said - well what are WE going to do about it? As it turned out, Mudcat was also diabetic. That was the start of a wonderful friendship - Mudcat helped our friends establish a celebrity golf outing and through the years they raised over a million dollars.
Mudcat had some amazing stories - he was invited to dinner at the White House with President Kennedy, he was the first African American to win 20 games in the American League, he won 2 games in the 1965 World Series and hit a 3 run homer in game 6, he was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 1965, he was a 2 time all star. He shared a story of how Ted Williams shamed a racist bellhop into carrying Mudcat's luggage into a hotel after the man had originally refused. With all due respect to the man in the Dos Equis commercial - Mudcat may have been the most interesting man I've ever met. I could sit and listen to him tell stories all day long.
Mudcat was also a singer - he could really sing the blues! He sang at our friend's daughter's wedding. He sang at the golf outings. He was a natural. I've linked a video of him singing at a memorial service for Harmon Killebrew, try watching without tearing up. He was such a kind man. Hopefully someone will honor Mudcat by singing this song at his memorial service - better yet, maybe the should just play a recording of him singing. He certainly helped make a 'wonderful world' for everyone he met.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu8iu4xTDMU
Our friend attended one of those dream week camps for baseball and just before he went had learned all three of his daughters had juvenile diabetes. While at the camp, Mudcat (who was one of the former pros at dream week) noticed that our friend was upset and asked if he could help. Our friend shared that his daughters had just been diagnosed with diabetes and as I recall, Mudcat said - well what are WE going to do about it? As it turned out, Mudcat was also diabetic. That was the start of a wonderful friendship - Mudcat helped our friends establish a celebrity golf outing and through the years they raised over a million dollars.
Mudcat had some amazing stories - he was invited to dinner at the White House with President Kennedy, he was the first African American to win 20 games in the American League, he won 2 games in the 1965 World Series and hit a 3 run homer in game 6, he was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 1965, he was a 2 time all star. He shared a story of how Ted Williams shamed a racist bellhop into carrying Mudcat's luggage into a hotel after the man had originally refused. With all due respect to the man in the Dos Equis commercial - Mudcat may have been the most interesting man I've ever met. I could sit and listen to him tell stories all day long.
Mudcat was also a singer - he could really sing the blues! He sang at our friend's daughter's wedding. He sang at the golf outings. He was a natural. I've linked a video of him singing at a memorial service for Harmon Killebrew, try watching without tearing up. He was such a kind man. Hopefully someone will honor Mudcat by singing this song at his memorial service - better yet, maybe the should just play a recording of him singing. He certainly helped make a 'wonderful world' for everyone he met.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu8iu4xTDMU