Our guest this episode is former big league pitcher Todd Stottlemyre. Todd and his brother, Mel Jr., grew up as self-described “baseball brats’’ who had a blast roaming Monument Park pre-game when their dad, Mel, was the lead dog in the Yankees’ rotation in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Todd lived the dream over 14 seasons as a starter with the Blue Jays and four other clubs, and was a part of back-to-back World Championship teams in Toronto in 1992 and 1993. He received an education in baseball economics in 1994 when players went on strike to fend off a salary cap, commissioner Bud Selig canceled the World Series, and he joined dozens of other players at a camp for unsigned free agents in Homestead, Florida, the following spring. It was a career, a grind and an adventure, all rolled into one.
Chapters
- (00:00:00) - Introduction to Todd Stottlemyre
- (00:00:30) - Growing up as a Yankees baseball brat
- (00:03:15) - Memories of Mickey Mantle and Mrs. Babe Ruth
- (00:08:47) - Mel Stottlemyre's legacy and character
- (00:11:46) - Family life split between Washington, Florida, and New York
- (00:14:49) - Draft decisions and choosing college over the Yankees
- (00:17:30) - Signing with the Blue Jays
- (00:19:19) - Earning respect as a rookie in a veteran clubhouse
- (00:22:33) - Breaking through and finding his groove in the majors
- (00:25:37) - World Series memories and the Philly mayor incident
- (00:27:55) - Working with Harvey Dorfman on mindset and focus
- (00:32:31) - The 1994 strike and canceled World Series
- (00:35:34) - Free agency limbo and signing with Oakland
- (00:37:43) - Union solidarity and lobbying in Washington
- (00:41:54) - Lessons from labor history and family perspective
- (00:46:01) - Branch Rickey and Lou Gehrig Awards reflection
- (00:49:19) - Closing credits