A Look Back at the Legendary Characters That Crossed Mike Epstein's Career Path
Cal baseball alum Mike Epstein crossed paths with a who’s who of baseball celebrities during his nine-year major league career. He played with eight Hall of Fame players and three managers who found a place at Cooperstown.
None of them are bigger than Ted Williams, perhaps the greatest hitter in baseball history. Teddy Ballgame was Epstein’s manager with the Washington Senators for portions of three seasons.
“Ted was just an unbelievable guy,” Epstein said. “Later we became really good friends.”
*** How a fullback on a terrible Cal football team became a first baseman for the A's 1972 World Series championships team.
Epstein loves this story from the Senators’ 1971 spring training in Pompano Beach, Florida. Williams was holding court with baseball writers one afternoon when Pete Rose approached him.
“Would you sign this ball?” Rose asked Williams.
“Is it for you?” Williams responded.
Rose nodded and Williams picked up a pen and signs, “To Pete Rose, a Hall of Famer for sure, your pal, Ted Williams.”
Moments later, here comes Johnny Bench, with the same request.
Williams confirms the ball is for Bench, and signs, “To Johnny Bench, a Hall of Famer for sure. Your pal, Ted Williams.”
Epstein took all this in, and decided it was his turn.
He asked his manager for an autograph and handed him a baseball.
“To Mike Epstein,” Willams writes. “Your pal, Ted Williams.”
Epstein laughs about the moment.
Fifty years after he hit 26 home runs to help the Oakland A’s win the 1972 World Series, we caught up with Epstein to get his reflections on an assortment of his former baseball colleagues.
We’ll start with one more recollection about the player they called the Splendid Splinter:
Ted Williams
Photo by Tony Tomsic, USA Today
— TED WILLIAMS was Epstein’s manager with the Washington Senators from 1969 until he was traded to the A’s early in the ’71 season. In Epstein’s first year playing under Williams he hit a career-high 30 home runs.
Epstein on Williams: “It’s hard to say this because he was my mentor, but he really couldn’t teach hitting. He would get in the batting cage sometimes, and say, `Just watch me. Do what I do.’ You want to be a great hitter, copy the great hitters.”
Reggie Jackson
Photo by Malcolm Emmons, USA Today
— REGGIE JACKSON hit 47 home runs as a 23-year-old in 1969 but his total dipped to 25 in ’72 when the A’s won the first of their three consecutive World Series crowns. Even so, Reggie was a star. And, boy, he knew it.
Epstein on Jackson: “It was Reggie and the A’s, and he tried to keep it that way. That’s just the way it was.”
— FRANK ROBINSON, the Oakland-born slugger won MVP awards in both the National League and American League. Epstein had brief stints with the Baltimore Orioles in 1966 and ’67, and also got to know Frank and Brooks Robinson during spring training.
Epstein on Frank Robinson: "Best right-handed hitter I ever played with or against. He was just awesome. The difference between Frank and me was he kept his hands inside the ball as good as anybody who played the game. I didn’t. I needed to extend my arms over the plate.”
Brooks and Frank Robinson
Photo by Malcolm Emmons, USA Today
— BROOKS ROBINSON was the American League MVP in 1964 while also winning a remarkable 16 consecutive Gold Glove awards at third base for the Baltimore Orioles.
Epstein on Brooks Robinson: “One of the nicest guys you’d ever want to be around. I don’t think he ever had an enemy. He wasn’t real talkative. He came to the ballpark, made a few outstanding plays and got some hits.”
Nolan Ryan
Photo by Malcolm Emmons, USA Today
— NOLAN RYAN owns major league records with seven no-hitters and 5,714 strikeouts. Epstein was the starting first baseman and batting cleanup for the Angels on July 15, 1973 when Ryan threw the second of those no-hitters while striking out 17 in a 6-0 win over Detroit in front of 41,411 fans at Tiger Stadium.
Epstein on Ryan: “Nice guy — he had that Texas drawl. Threw hard and I watched people just be so off balance against him because he had the dominant curveball. He was a horse — could throw 140 pitches in a game.”
Note: Ryan actually threw 235 pitches in a 1974 game against the Red Sox, striking out 19 in 13 innings on the mound.
Curt Flood
Photo by Darryl Nuremberg, USA Today
— CURT FLOOD was another Oakland product who became a .293 lifetime hitter and seven-time Gold Glove center fielder. After the 1969 season, he refused to accept a trade and took his fight against baseball’s reserve clause all the way to the Supreme Court. Epstein and Flood were Senators teammates for a month to open the 1971 season before Flood retired.
Epstein on Flood: “I liked him because we really were going through the same thing. I went through it with Baltimore, questioning the reserve clause when I went home. I deserved a chance to play in the big leagues after the minor league career I had. We had some really good conversations in the hotel. He told me, `I’m not going to let them get the best of me. I’ve got too much pride to get handled like this.’ He left the next day.”
Note: Flood lost his legal battle, but free agency came to baseball in 1976 and generations of players since have him to thank for the freedom and millions of dollars they enjoy.
Frank Howard
Photo by Malcolm Emmons
— FRANK HOWARD was one of the biggest men ever to play in the majors. Listed at 6-foot-7, 255 pounds — bigger, Epstein says — Howard hit 382 career home runs, including 44 in 1970 when he and Epstein played together with the Senators.
Epstein on Howard: “He was in a slump in ’69 and Ted (Williams) came over to him and says, `I just talked to the trainer. He said you got on the scale and you weigh 300. I want you to weigh in at 270 by next Sunday.’ Frank didn’t even eat that week. Before the game he’d be in the whirlpool. The week goes by Frank doesn’t get any hits all week, but on weigh-in day Frank gets on the scale. Standing there butt-naked, he weighs 270. The next day, night game, he weighs in at 294 pounds.”
Denny McLain
Photo by Malcolm Emmons, USA Today
— DENNY McLAIN was 31-6 with a 1.96 earned run average for the Tigers in 1968, winning the Cy Young Award and the MVP. After the “year of the pitcher,” baseball shrunk the strike zone and lowered the mound from 15 inches to 10. McLain won 24 games in 1969, but by the time he and Epstein were teammates at Washington in 1971 his record dipped to 10-22. McLain’s post-baseball career was beset by run-ins with the law, including some serious ones.
Epstein on McLain: “He was a nut. He was a smart guy but he just heard a different drummer. He was an overhand pitcher. He had a rising fastball and lived at the letters. When they lowered the mound he lost that leverage on that overhand fastball.”
— DAVID CLYDE was one of the most hyped high school pitching phenoms in history. At Westchester High School in Houston, Clyde was 18-0 with five no-hitters and an 0.14 earned average as a senior in 1973. The No. 1 pick by the Texas Rangers in the MLB draft that year, Clyde was promoted directly to the majors by owner Bob Short and made his debut on June 27 — barely 18 and just weeks after graduating high school.
Epstein on Clyde: “It’s like these great collegiate quarterbacks — you just can’t start them in the first game of (their rookie) season. That’s Bob Short — he was a showman. The kid was shaking like a leaf out there. That’s the problem when we didn’t have agents or stuff.”
Note: Clyde’s career was over by age 26 due to arm and shoulder injuries. He won his first game, but finished just 18-33.
Cover photo of Mike Epstein by Malcolm Emmons, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
