Steve Blass

It's been a very tough day.

Well, we played a lot of golf whenever we could, so that was always good.

But rooming with him, going out after a night game on the road, having a couple beers, come back and just talking.

He didn't say much.

He was not a big talker.

But when he spoke, some of the stuff that he said still resonates with me.

For instance, when I was a rookie, he said, you know, Steve, you're in the big leagues now.

No excuses.

People don't want to hear why you didn't as an excuse or why you didn't do this, why you didn't.

They want to hear why you did, because you're in the big leagues.

And he said, don't ever forget, the name on the front of the uniform is more important than the name on the back.

You know, he didn't say much, but when he said stuff, it had some meaning.

And he was so good to be around, you know, because he was easy.

He was comfortable as a human being.

And then, you know,

when, when I went to first spring training, I went to in 1961 as a, as an 18 year old still, uh, I was in that clubhouse in Fort Myers.

This is a world champs.

I didn't even dare talk to any of those guys.

I just looked around the corner into the big room of the major leaguers.

We were minor league invitees, but, uh, he caught my eye.