Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 25 July 2018

Benched! Foul ball made its mark on me at 1969 All-Star Game

By BEN WALKER mom’s basement in subur-
Associated Press ban Maryland, almost half
WASHINGTON (AP) — How of them featured the San
my dad got tickets to the Diego catcher. He hit .220
1969 All-Star Game is still a that season. He never got
mystery to me. Great seats, into the game, by the way.
too: Section 127, Row 1. I also found my weathered,
That was the last time the black autograph book.
Midsummer Classic was in An hour before the game, I
the nation’s capital, at RFK took it down to the NL dug-
Stadium. I was 11, loved out — it was easy, in those
baseball, grew up watch- days — stood at the railing
ing the Orioles and Sena- and asked Carlton to sign.
tors. I’d never seen a Na- He said sure, even though
tional League player in per- he was the starting pitcher.
son. I only saw them on our Then he just disappeared
black-and-white TV, and into the dugout. With my
had no sense of Dodger book. I can remember be-
blue or Cardinal red. ing confused and afraid
Thanks to Steve Carlton, I it was gone forever. I had
collected some neat auto- worked hard to fill it over
graphs that day. More on the years, too, with signa-
that later. Pointing my trusty tures from Brooks Robin-
Kodak camera, I took a son, Harmon Killebrew and
bunch of great pictures — even Mrs. Babe Ruth.
Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson, This collage of photos shows Ben Walker holding the Johnny Bench foul ball that hit him in the Five anxious minutes later,
Roberto Clemente and head, Ben Walker reaching for an autograph from Atlanta Braves pitcher Phil Niekro and the ticket Carlton emerged. He said
Juan Marichal. to the game that was rained out on July 22 and played on July 23, 1969. he’d gotten NL starters Cle-
And because of Johnny Associated Press on Jones and Felix Millan
Bench, I wound up with a off something. I might’ve who tossed it back into the the American League stars. to sign, and apologized for
very cool souvenir I never heard it whizzing at the last seats. I wanted to see Chris Can- not getting more.
saw coming. second, but I’m not sure. (We went to the game nizzaro. Can you imagine?
Bench was among 19 fu- It definitely dazed me, and with my best friend, John. I Who? Now, back to the best sou-
ture Hall of Fame players my mom was worried. texted him last week in Col- Major League Baseball venir of all.
on the rosters, and he’d al- “I think he needs to see a orado to ask what he re- had added four expan- You might think it was the
ready hit a home run when doctor,” she told my dad. membered about the day. sion teams that year — the ball Bench hit. I still have
he came up in the fourth in- “I think he needs to see Wil- His answer: “You got a hard Montreal Expos, San Diego it. But that wasn’t the top
ning. Facing Denny McLain, lie Mays,” dad answered. head, buddy”) Padres, Kansas City Royals prize, at least not that
fresh off a 31-win season, it Crisis averted. Anyway, the next inning, and Seattle Pilots. To me, week. Instead, it was the
was quite a matchup. A couple fans dumped their the great Willie Mays ap- the Padres were by far the knot the ball left on my
And I had a front-row seat, Cokes so my parents could peared as a pinch-hitter. most interesting. head. A badge of honor
down on the field, out to- use the ice. They wrapped And I clearly saw him. That’s because I’d heard from a real-live big leaguer.
ward left. it in a handkerchief and put Funny thing, Mays wasn’t all about the Padres’ crazy I proudly showed off the
So when Bench hooked a the pack on my head, and the player I really wanted brown uniforms, but hadn’t bruise the next day when I
hard foul over the dugout that helped. to see. Neither were Pete seen them in color. When pitched for the Dub’s Pizza
behind us, I barely turned I felt even better when a Rose, Willie McCovey, Ernie I recently found those Seals. Now that was some-
around. When I did, it was fan brought over the ac- Banks, Tom Seaver or any of washed-out pictures in my thing no one else had.q
too late. tual ball — it bonked off my
Thwack! noggin, flew onto the field
The ball hit me right in the and was picked up by third
forehead. It caromed base coach Leo Durocher,

Associated Press writer Ben Walker shows his autograph book
from the 1969 All-Star game, when he was 11-years-old in In this July 23, 1969, file photo, American League’s Boston Red Sox’ Carl Yastrzemski leaps high over
Washington. the left field fence to prevent a home run during the MLB baseball All-Star game in Washington.
Associated Press
Associated Press