6 Comments

On the field, Joey was an interesting character.

Yes, he had his moments with umpires, getting ejected 15 times with a few that were overly aggressive. After the heat of the moment and adrenaline cooled, he usually felt remorse for his outburst.

He also would be one of the first (only) to complement you on a call or your work the night before behind the plate.

Personally, I'll remember Joey for going out of his way to be one of the first (there were only 3) players to shake my hand and congratulate my coming out publicly.

It was the first spring training game of 2015. Not knowing what, if any, response my announcement 3 months earlier would bring, his heartfelt gesture was much appreciated.

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Always wondered about this dude.

Great piece.

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Outstanding piece full of great insight. I think Joey will be voted into the Hall. His stats are strong but not automatic. But then I didn't think Joe Mauer was first-ballot-worthy or think Scott Rolen particularly stood out. Don't even get me started on Harold Baines. But what a great individual and player, a great example for so many. Appreciate this.

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Thanks, Whick. Would have loved to have covered Votto. Fortunately, guys like you, Hal, Daugherty, have brought him fully to life for us.

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Excellent read

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From the description of this man it sounds like he already is in life's Hall of Fame. I confess, as a long time baseball fan (O's') I new very little about his off field life. This article helps fill in that void. Thank you.

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