I remember watching Andy Van Slyke play as a minor leaguer in Double-A in 1982. He was playing for the Arkansas Travelers (at the time an affiliate for the Cardinals).
In my opinion, Andy was the reason I became and still am a huge baseball fan. Only being six and remembering watching him is a big deal to me, because I don't seem to remember much from my younger years. I remember playing baseball in my friend's back yard and stepping up to the plate left handed in an Andy Van Slyke-esque stance though I'm right handed.
I remember how thrilled I was for him when he made his first All Star Game which was very deserved. I remember taking trips to Spring Training six years in a row with my father and brother and always trying to get his autograph. Though he was never the biggest of signers, I managed to rack up six autographs from him including and 8x10 that he personally signed for me "To Mike, My Best!".
I remember feeling great pain for his family when he almost lost his son by almost drowning in their pool, but feeling relieved for them when I found out that he would be okay. I remember Andy making a comeback during Spring Training with the Cardinals and having very impressive numbers, however it seems that Andy knew that his body wouldn't hold up to an 162 game season.
Unfortunately, what I remember most is, when I realized that Andy was never going to play another major league game and that I would no longer watch my idol play even as a young adult. If I could, I would thank him for making me a true fan of the game and playing hard every game. His witty sense of humor, love of the game, and all around play is still to this day missed by me, but because of him, I refuse to not be a fan of the game.
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Posted April 26, 2002.
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