Alright, so the other day, the name Steve Stone popped into my head. You know, the baseball player. And I thought, heck, what do I really remember about him beyond the obvious? So, I decided to do a little digging, just for my own curiosity, nothing too serious.
My Starting Point
First off, I just went with what I already kinda knew. Cy Young winner, right? And a long-time broadcaster. That’s the main stuff that usually comes to mind for most folks, I reckon. But I figured there had to be more to the story, or at least some details I’d forgotten or never picked up on.
So, I fired up the old computer. My usual first step is just a general search, see what bubbles to the surface. You get the quick stats, the big highlights. That 1980 season with the Orioles, yeah, that was the big one for him. 25 wins, something like that. Pretty impressive.
Going Down the Rabbit Hole (a bit)
Then I got a bit sidetracked. I started thinking about old baseball cards. I’ve got boxes of them somewhere, probably up in the attic, collecting dust. I even spent a good half hour actually looking for them, thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool to find his card from back then?” Didn’t find ’em, of course. Just found a lot of old junk I should probably throw out. My wife keeps telling me that. Anyway, back to Steve Stone.
After my failed attic expedition, I tried to find some older articles or interviews. Sometimes you get a better feel for a player from those than just looking at a page of numbers. I wanted to see what people were saying about him during his playing days, not just looking back with hindsight.
- Found out he wasn’t always a flamethrower. Seems he had to be smart, really pitch, not just overpower guys.
- Read a bit about his curveball. Apparently, it was a pretty decent weapon for him.
- Also saw mentions of arm troubles, which, let’s be honest, is a common story in baseball. A pitcher’s arm is a fragile thing.
Piecing it Together
So, what I gathered was this: he had this one absolutely stellar season. The kind every pitcher dreams of. But his overall career, numbers-wise, wasn’t super long like some of those Hall of Fame ironmen. That doesn’t take away from the Cy Young, though. Winning that award is a massive deal, no matter what.
And then there’s the whole second career in broadcasting. He’s been doing that for a heck of a long time, right? With the Cubs, mostly, I think. It’s always interesting to see guys transition like that. Some players just fade away after they hang up the spikes, but he found a way to stay in the game, stay relevant. You gotta respect that. He’s certainly got opinions, and he’s not afraid to share them, which makes for an interesting listen, even if you don’t always agree.
It seems like he really had to work for what he got. That Cy Young didn’t just fall into his lap. He had to battle, overcome stuff. It’s a good reminder that even the guys who make it look easy are grinding it out behind the scenes.
So, that was my little journey into remembering Steve Stone. Started with a name, dug around a bit, and came away with a bit more appreciation for his career, both on the mound and in the booth. It’s funny how you can know a name for years, but not really know the story behind it until you take a moment to look.
