by Ed Botti Reprinted from: June 3, 2021 *** Recently I had the privilege of "interviewing" ex-Yankee Ron Blomberg, and discussing his new memoir "The Captain and Me". Known to have a hearty appetite, he was put to the test in a diner outside Kinston. Apr 17, 2022, 5:19 PM (GMT+3) baseball. 3 Peter Ephross with Martin Abramowitz, Jewish Major Leaguers: In Their Own Words, (Jefferson, NC: McFarland 2012), 156. I was very, very lucky to play with the greatest organization in the world. If not, the bill was $25. Wow, that must have been an incredible feeling. Now, you pull a hamstring, and you take your time to recover. I didnt blend in to the Chicago clubhouse as well as I had hoped. But some day, Ill be in the lineup every day. Not so much against Carter because he was in the National League, but they all had great careers. Blombergs new book, The Captain and Me, details his friendship with Munson and helps to shed light on what the Yankees legend was like off the field. But I am gradually catching on.8. . The book is a deeply personal story of a friendship between two teammates, and of a human bond which ultimately transcends the game itself. You can follow Ron Blomberg on Twitter @RonBlomberg1 and at www.RonBlombergYankees.com. I want people to see that he loved his family and friends and that he did so much for charity. What no one expected, though, was just how the 6-foot-1 first baseman would seal his place in baseball history. But Art and I became very good friends. 1draft picks for the New York Yankees, Ron Blomberg and Thurman Munson made for an odd couple. The Yankees played their home slate at the Mets Shea Stadium for the 1974 and 1975 seasons. I am just so blessed that I was able to do something that I always wanted to do. Cadet branches. But nobody confronted Blomberg because he was often the best player on whatever team he played for. We now have Captain Long Sleeve T-Shirts in our store as a way to help Ron and his efforts to get The Captain into the HOF. Mara was a senior at Syracuse University, and the next season, Blomberg was promoted to Syracuse in the AAA International League. Now, hes hoping to help his best friend Munson make his own history. The main problem was that, as with many players who do not give an inch between the lines, injuries cut short his career. But with this book, I want to do everything I could to get him in the Hall of Fame. Fans love that team and the stories. Yankees Can Dream, Cant They? The Sporting News, May 11, 1968: 42. Virdon also employed a platoon system, using Bill Sudakis, Roy White, and Blomberg in the role of the DH. He was drafted first overall by the Yankees in 1967. He told you I didnt know one guy on my team? Do you remember when you first met Thurman? In1971, he hit .322 for the parent club in 199 at bats. 1 draft picks for the New York Yankees, Ron Blomberg and Thurman Munson made for an odd couple. Rons income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful American Athlete. . Hitting is his best feature and his running is above average. The following season at Kinston of the Class A Carolina League, Blomberg was switched from first base to center field, a position he had never played. Genres Baseball Sports. In 1973, when Blomberg was mostly healthy, he batted .329 and made baseball history when he became the first ever DH. Who is Ron Blomberg dating? This unforgettable story is the journey of one man as he learns to balance life, religion, and ultimately, baseball. I love to play, but I know Im a better hitter than anything else. 1 overall pick by the Yankees in 1967, Blomberg By doctors orders, Blomberg wore a harness to immobilize his arm. I saw it. I dont want to have to look at the lineup every day to see if Im in it. Can you talk about your friendship with him? We didnt have any money, so that was my first time on a plane. [9], Blomberg was selected by the Yankees with the first overall pick of the 1967 amateur draft, and signed for $75,000 ($610,000 today). Blomberg, who went 1 for 3 on the day, was quite surprised at the gathering of reporters at his locker. Every club in baseball had him high on their draft list, but since we got first choice, we got him.5, Signing with the Yankees was a dream come true for Blomberg. For years, Blomberg has been asked why he thinks Munson has been left out of the Hall of Fame, and the usual refrain is that he didnt cozy up to the media as a player. When the time came to make a decision on his path forward, the options he had on the table were playing basketball for John Wooden at UCLA alongside Lew Alcindor, going to play football for Bear Bryant at Alabama or signing with the Yankees, who chose him as the first overall pick in the 1967 draft. Expansion caused each league to be split into two divisions of six teams apiece. My idol was right there; it was like I was living a fantasy. During a Jan. 12 virtual event hosted by Temple Emanu El in Orange, Ron Blomberg, the first designated hitter in baseball history, recounted his career in the major league and his close friendship with former New York Yankees captain Thurman Munson. The New York Yankees owned the first draft selection in the free agent draft on June 6, 1967. They named a sandwich after me at the Stage Deli! Blomberg is a German city in the middle of North Rhine-Westphalia, with Detmold as its capital, founded between 1231 and 1255. All he has to do is learn how to play center field.7 Learning a new position at 18, he slipped to .251, but welcomed the change. Expectations where high, as Ron was heralded as "the next Mickey Mantle." Though injuries would prevent Ron from ever matching "The Mick's" statistical glory, he still never failed to generate productive seasons, and was the . It's the story of a Designated Hebrew?and there is no other tale quite like it. Ilived in Riverdale, and when I was injured, people came up to me and waved to me and hugged me. Ron Blomberg - 1st Major League Baseball - Designated Hitter Speaking Engagements History is made 1st DH in MLB History In the beginning Drafted #1 Overall 1967 When it started MLB Debut Sept. 10th 1969 Batted Left Career Avg .293 The career NY Yankees (69, 71-76) Chicago White Sox (78) MLB'S FIRST DESIGNATED HITTER, EVER Ron is a phenomenal celebrity influencer. The Yankee-Red Sox tilt was the first game scheduled on the AL docket. The Yankees were in town and they went to town, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Blomberg was the first major leaguer to bat as a designated hitter in a regular season game. First published March 1, 2006. I definitely want to get into your book and thoughts on Thurman Munson, but first lets start at the beginning. Blomberg spoke to Palm Beach Post reporter Joe Capozzi before the annual Joe DiMaggio charity old-timers game in Fort Lauderdale. He played for the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox , and was the manager of the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox in the Israel Baseball League . Before Blomberg arrived in New York, the Yankees only employed three Jews in the entire organization. I lit everyones candles for every bar mitzvah in the city. People will see him different after reading this. Blombergs Opening Day homer was the highlight of his year. As back-to-back #1 draft picks for the New York Yankees, Ron Blomberg and Thurman Munson made for an odd couple. Ron Blomberg had a relatively unnoteworthy career but on this day in Yankees history he made his mark and etched his name into the history books. He played in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder. AL owners realized it was a 14-13 slugfest that put fans in the seats, not a 1-0 pitchers duel. Unfortunately, his long-range plans were interrupted by constant injuries. If Ron would just go spend a month or two at Des Moines, getting his stroke back, who knows? said new Sox manager Don Kessinger. I also had a football scholarship with Bear Bryant at Alabama. Born: Aug. 23, 1948 One at-bat gave Ron Blomberg a unique distinction in baseball history. Then he saw the crowd joining them to daven behind the food concession. His first stop on the Yankees minor league chain was Johnson City, Tennessee, in the Rookie Appalachian League. "[4], Through 2010, he was seventh all-time in career batting average (behind Hank Greenberg, Ryan Braun, Buddy Myer, Lou Boudreau, Phil Weintraub, and Kevin Youkilis) among Jewish major league baseball players. The DH worked Boston starter Luis Tiant for a walk, driving in the first run of the season. He was given a full share of the winners pot, $27,758.04.18. The Chicago White Sox signed Ron Blomberg in 1978 after he played for a decade in the New York Yankees . I hope he does. 1 Obituaries, Atlanta Constitution, April 22, 2961: 18. After he overcame anti-Semitism in his hometown of Atlanta to become the number one overall pick by the New York Yankees in the free agent draft in 1967, his dream of playing in New York City, where there was a large Jewish population, was going to be fulfilled. Theres been a lot written about the relationship between Thurman and George. . He touched thousands of people as a coach at Peshtigo . It is subtitled On and Off The Field with Thurman Munson. For 87 years, Ron Blomberg was one of those special people. Bostons DH was Orlando Cepeda. He started in right field in a home game against Washington on June 25 and stroked a two-run homer off the Senators Pete Broberg in the bottom of the third inning. "[7] He also received 100 football scholarship offers. The deeply personal story of a friendship between two teammates, and of a human bond which ultimately transcends the game itself. He would get in your face in a second if he didnt like something, but that was only at the ballpark. Houk used a platoon system in some cases, and Blomberg was no exception. He played for the New York Yankees (1969, 19711976) and Chicago White Sox (1978), and was the manager of the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox in the Israel Baseball League (2007). There would be new faces on the field and off as the Yankees and Blomberg looked towards 1974. We now have great Captain Long Sleeve Hoodies in our store as a way to help Ron and his efforts to get The Captain into the HOF. Yankee Stadium was shut down for two years as the ballpark underwent extensive renovations. Blomberg is using the book to advocate for Munson's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.[20]. He told you I didnt know my players names, but did he tell you we won the championship too? In 64 games, Blomberg batted .322, with seven home runs and 31 RBIs. We had crazy guys on that team, thats why they called it The Bronx Zoo. [8] Roger Couch, Blomberg's basketball coach, said: "Blomberg is the finest basketball player I ever saw high school or college. He was one half of the battery for the 1986 Belleville Recreation Farm League Champion Indians. A terrible scandal. Once he left the park, he was a different guy. 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