Eric C. Gray

How a friendship is born

The greatest and most unexpected positive outcome of writing this book has been the making of new, good friendships.  I have detailed some of them already in other posts, and, as Sonny and Cher sang in 1967, The Beat Goes On.

Four or five years ago, I connected with a guy on one of the Facebook baseball groups I had joined.  I contacted Rick Lenaburg on Messenger, or whatever it was called at the time, telling him about my book project and asking if he had a story he would be interested in sharing.  I got a great one from him, one that spanned decades, starting with him going to a game as a kid, a no-hitter, and how circumstances led to a fitting conclusion to that story, when he was broadcasting a game many years later.  What he didn’t tell me at the time, and what greatly impressed me, was that he never mentioned that he was MLB’s Dodgers’ home game radio announcer.  There was no ego, no boasting, no self-promotion, I only found that out when I got the story.

Several years later, my good friend and spring training partner Barry Glovitch and I went to Arizona.  I arranged to get together with Rick and his friend Jon.  We met for lunch before Barry and I went to a game and we had a great time.  This commenced a stronger friendship with regular communication with Rick.  We would call and text, talking about music, politics and, of course, baseball, as well as personal things like family and how we were dealing with life.  I don’t know exactly what I did to make Rick put so much trust in me, but I am sure honored and pleased that he has.  We have, in the last few years, continued to have very personal conversations and, although to this date we have only met that one time, it is a friendship I value.

Scott, Sheldon, Harold, Rubin, Ron, Perry, Jon L., Ronnie, Seth, Jim, the list goes on and on with people with whom not only I, but Lynn as well, have become personal friends.  Please don’t feel left out, you all know who you are.   Baseball.  Who woulda thunk it.