06-09-2015, 04:56 PM
Don't know if this was brought up somewhere, but I caught it on Bleacher Report.
"It was one of those obituaries that grabbed my attention only because Lennie Merullo, 98, was the last living player who played in a World Series for the Cubs, back in (of course) 1945.
And it just went to prove there is a story everywhere you look.
Turns out, Merullo set an MLB record by making four errors in one inning on Sept. 13, 1942, while playing for the Cubs. And they were all on back-to-back plays.
But here is the priceless part: He explained that he had a rough game because he had just learned that his wife had gone into labor back home in Boston.
So, naturally, his oldest son, Len, was nicknamed "Boots" because of his dad's awful game. And Boots Merullo wound up playing some minor league baseball.
How great is that?
And as an aside, Lennie's grandson (and, yes, Boots' son), Matt Merullo, played in 223 MLB games from 1989 to 1995 and currently is managing in Baltimore's system in the rookie-level Florida Gulf Coast League.
I covered him with the Minnesota Twins in '95, and I only wish I knew this story then. I would have loved to have talked with him about it."
"It was one of those obituaries that grabbed my attention only because Lennie Merullo, 98, was the last living player who played in a World Series for the Cubs, back in (of course) 1945.
And it just went to prove there is a story everywhere you look.
Turns out, Merullo set an MLB record by making four errors in one inning on Sept. 13, 1942, while playing for the Cubs. And they were all on back-to-back plays.
But here is the priceless part: He explained that he had a rough game because he had just learned that his wife had gone into labor back home in Boston.
So, naturally, his oldest son, Len, was nicknamed "Boots" because of his dad's awful game. And Boots Merullo wound up playing some minor league baseball.
How great is that?
And as an aside, Lennie's grandson (and, yes, Boots' son), Matt Merullo, played in 223 MLB games from 1989 to 1995 and currently is managing in Baltimore's system in the rookie-level Florida Gulf Coast League.
I covered him with the Minnesota Twins in '95, and I only wish I knew this story then. I would have loved to have talked with him about it."
Signature.