A Voice Stilled

I was at work in the studio when my phone started to buzz. First once, then again and finally a 3rd time. A blogger reported the death of Rancho Mirage's Ralph Kiner at 91. I didn't know how I would feel. You see Ralph Kiner was a Valley resident, a Baseball Hall of Famer and also a voice of my youth.

I grew up in Northern New Jersey on the outskirts of New York City. Many a night was spent watching the New York Mets on WOR Channel 9. Ralph Kiner with Bob Murphy and Lindsey Nelson recounted both the highs and lows of each Met season.From the worst team in baseball in 1962 to the Miracle Mets in 1969, this golden trio was a constant.They became like Oxford Dons tutoring a kid with horrible eyesight and terrible coordination who eat slept and breathed Mets baseball. My mother, who hated baseball, was always kind to me about watching the games.

Every night my Dad's carpool would drop him off from the New York FBI office.He would catch up on the days comings and going before heading to the "playroom". My brother Chris and I would lie on the floor and he would sit in his easy chair. There was the break about inning 5 to unload the dishwasher but I was pretty much set for the night. Ralph would talk about Wayne Garrett and Jerry Grote but he would also regale with tales of all of the baseball greats. Ralph had either played against them or had a connection.

Years later when I worked with radio legend Bud Furillo, he would be amazed as I would rattle off stories of the PCL league or other such trivia. I never confessed but these were Ralph Kiner stories. Ralph Kiner taught me baseball..

I got to interview Ralph once and I wish I could say it was memorable. I was very nervous but I did get him to talk about Ty Cobb who used to write letters to him. Amazing.

Ralph Kiner was a legend on the field and off. I can not help but smile as I think back to all those warm summer nights with the crickets chirping through the screen windows as the Met get set to battle another evil foe.

 I lost a hero today but heaven not only got a Hall of Famer but a great teacher as well.