First time soccer coach seeks sage help!

[lanesra]

Originally Posted by Ozark Coach

My dad played pro baseball for 17 years and [thank goodness] gave my brothers and me a healthy perspective about sports.

Anyone we might have heard of? I followed the pro game pretty closely in the 70s and 80s, though I've tailed off a bit as I've found that I can follow soccer now stateside.

[Ozark Coach]

My dad, Ferrell "Andy" Anderson," spent 15 years in the minor leagues as a player, then manager, but WAS in the majors as a catcher for the 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1953 St. Louis Cardinals. He used to joke that he was "only there for donuts and coffee." In other words, no, you wouldn't have heard of him. Still, I'm proud of him even though I was born after he retired. I never saw him swing a bat. Here are some pics of him! Thanks for asking!

[Val]

I know a little bit about baseball, if he was on the 46 Dodgers then wasnt't he a teammate of Pete Reiser? One of baseball's great stories, this kid broke into the majors, won the MVP award his rookie year, hit .343 with power and was a centerfielder as good as Willie Mays(!). Problem was, he kept running into the walls in centerfield, kind of like he didn't know what the warning track was. Knocked himself out so hard once, they thought he was dead and last orders were performed on him once. I've talked to a couple of baseball writers who thought he was the best player in the post war period, better than Dimaggio, better than Williams. Now that is saying somethimg...

[74offsuit]

Very cool pics.

[Jerzy]

Originally Posted by Val

I know a little bit about baseball, if he was on the 46 Dodgers then wasnt't he a teammate of Pete Reiser? One of baseball's great stories, this kid broke into the majors, won the MVP award his rookie year, hit .343 with power and was a centerfielder as good as Willie Mays(!). Problem was, he kept running into the walls in centerfield, kind of like he didn't know what the warning track was. Knocked himself out so hard once, they thought he was dead and last orders were performed on him once. I've talked to a couple of baseball writers who thought he was the best player in the post war period, better than Dimaggio, better than Williams. Now that is saying something...

For the English types, Mays, Dimaggio and Williams, that is the equivalent of Cruyff and Beckenbauer. That really is some comparison. I'm going to have to a bit of research....

Val, you didn't look at the pictures did you? Pete Reiser is second from left in the team gathering.

[Ozark Coach]

Here are some othe pics I thought you might emjoy:

- 1946 catchers for Brooklyn (Bruce Edwards, my dad, etc.)
- Dimaggio, my dad, Dizzy Dean
- my dad with Stan [the man] Musial during an autograph session around 1965. They played together when my dad played for the Cards in 1953.
- Leo Durocher joking around with some players during spring training. (You may notice names written on this photo. My mom suffered from Alzheimer) and wrote on some photos, probably to help remind her of what they were. She passed away a couple of years ago at 89.)
- More Dodgers striking a pose.

Enjoy!

[Val]

Stan the Man, now he is one of my all time favorites that I never saw play. Your dad certainly has a couple of great teams to be associated with.

To complete this threadjack, my brush with athletic history was my grandfather who was a professional footballer with the Detroit Lions from 37 to 41, won a national championship as a rookie, played with Dutch Clark, a hall of famer who is most likely remembered as the last effective drop kicker in the league. My grandfather's career ended when he was the first professional player drafted in WWII (which proves he was only a marginal player, Dimaggio and Williams were among the last professionals drafted).

[Ozark Coach]

Very cool info on your grandpa. Got pics? Would enjoy seeing them as well!
Todd