In 1955, I decided that I wanted to be a baseball player. My dad had taken me to my first Phillies game and I was enthralled by the smell of the grass and pure beauty of the game. Soon after, I joined my first baseball team, the Southwest Colts just before my 8th birthday.

Back then, things were different. Teams played to win and actually kept score. No trophies for just showing up. You had to earn them for individual achievement or by winning the championship. You had to beat out the other guy in order to play. Being the team’s youngest and smallest, my position was “bench.” We were undefeated, and the coach played the guys he thought were the best. I couldn’t get into the lineup, and it was frustrating.