|
Boston, Massachusetts A walk through the warrens of Fenway Park a couple hours before game-time reveals why Lou Gorman is among baseball's best ambassadors. He can barely make it from his tucked-away, windowless office to the grandstand for a photo-shoot so many hands extend his way for a shake. From veteran ushers to sausage vendors, from Red Sox ownership to interns, from the players to the press, affection and respect accompany each hand. For within these ranks are those who got that first break from Lou Gorman. "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives," said Jackie Robinson toward the end of his. Tallying up the impact Lou Gorman has had on others is still a work-in-progress for a good while longer. Lou Gorman is a kind of career relief pitcher who never set foot on a mound. His playing days ended as a first-baseman on some rickety bus in the minors back in the 1950s after a hitless July afternoon fanning at curves. But at 77, Lou is still coming in fresh and pumped when his teammates on the greater club of baseball are in a jam. His arm is strong and tireless from working the phones for the last 17 years for the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.), a dedicated roster of hall-of-famers determined to help players, coaches, trainers and their families down on luck.  Lou Gorman at Fenway Park Founded in 1986 by a group of former players and Major League Baseball, B.A.T. is the only formal initiative of its kind among the major sports leagues. The effort has awarded more than $15 million in grants to date, benefiting some 1,900 members of baseball's extended family, which includes former Major League players, managers, coaches, scouts, umpires and front office personnel. Add to the list Minor League players, Negro League players, their widows and children plus players from the Women's Professional Baseball League. All aid provided by B.A.T. is strictly confidential, allowing those in need to receive help discreetly. "And we couldn't have done it without the work of Lou," says Jim Martin, B.A.T. executive director. "He helps raise funds, reviews grants, reaches out to players, he's always on the job for us, all the time, wherever he goes." Here Martin pauses. "Lou knows people," he says, followed by a lengthy clarification that his comment refers not simply to numbers, but more to depth of insight. "Lou has a real human heart in there, he understands people. He's what we call an ‘old-school' kind of guy."
|
Newswire 
