Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
STATUS: New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher.
DOB: May 12, 1925 In: St. Louis, Missouri
CHILDHOOD HERO: Joe Medwick. I liked him. With the Cardinals. He used to be my newspaper customer. And I played golf with him.
FIRST JOB: Being a paperboy for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (age 13).
HOBBIES: Play golf, all sports, go to (New Jersey) Devils games.
FAVORITE MOVIES: Westerns, war movies, John Wayne, Greer Garson, Betty Grable and Gregory Peck movies. I like movies.
FAVORITE TV SHOWS: Anything that’s good, I watch [smiles].
MUSICAL TASTES: Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Louie Armstrong. I knew them too.
EARLY MEMORY: Well, I was happy to be on the team. Only a young kid, 21. Made it my first year (‘46). I had a good spring training and they kept me. Hit .305 that year.
GREATEST SPORTS MOMENT: A lot of them. Being called in the Hall of Fame (‘72). The phone call and the induction. Don Larsen’s perfect game (‘56 World Series). Playing in 14 World Series in 17 years.
MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: Didn’t have any painful ones. I enjoyed every moment of it. Beats work [laughs].
MOST TREASURED POSSESSION: 1956 catching glove, when I caught Don Larsen’s no-hitter. I had my glove bronzed. Never had that done before. Keep it at home. Right now my son’s got it, probably in a safe.
FAVORITE MEAL: Tripe (inside of a cow’s stomach), salad, celery, with a glass of water.
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Any kind. What are you doing? Writing a book?
TOUGHEST COMPETITORS: They all wanted to beat the Yankees. We had a lot of games with the Dodgers. We just happened to win more. The thing was, we were all friends…Campy (Roy Campanella), Jackie Robinson, Elston Howard…from St. Louis like I was.
PEOPLE QUALITIES MOST ADMIRED: I like all of them, if they’re nice.
FUTURE AMBITION: I did it all already. I enjoy now doing what I do…playing golf, relaxing a little, enjoying life.
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three-time MVP; 13 World Championships; 18-time All-Star; Major League career spanned from 1946-65.
