An act of friendship

[AngelsWin.com]

By Joe McDonnell, AngelsWin.com Staff Reporter - 

On June 11th, Angels' manager Mike Scioscia was sitting in his office about an hour before game time, writing out what I thought was the lineup for that night's game.

"Any changes?" I asked, He looked up at me with a puzzled look on his face, before he could reply I said "that is the lineup you're writing down...."

"No. I'm trying to figure out how to get to Bobby"s funeral," Scioscia said with a melancholy you don't often hear in his voice. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to do it, but I really want to be there."

Bob Welch, Scioscia's teammate with the Dodgers and a Cy Young winner with the Oakland A's, passed away suddenly from a heart attack just a few days before, and the memorial service was scheduled for Saturday the 14th in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Angels would be in Atlanta for a three-game weekend series with the Braves. Scioscia checked every airline for a flight that could get him to Scottsdale and back to Atlanta. Up to that point he'd been unable to find any. 

It looked like Scioscia would miss a chance to say goodbye to his good friend.

"Bobby was one of the best people I've ever known," Scioscia continued. "This is tough. Really tough."

"He touched so many lives just by being Bob Welch. He played the game with a lot of heart, but as a person no one had a bigger heart than Bobby did.."

"It's hard to believe that he's gone."

I walked out of the office feeling Scioscia's pain. Welch had been one of the best friends I made in the sports world, and I wasn't quite over the shock of hearing about his death. I, too, was looking for a way to attend the service, but it looked like I'd be unable to go due to some matters that needed my attention. 

At the last minute, though, enough of it got cleared up and I was able to drive down to Scottsdale and attend the memorial.

It was held at the Grayhawk Golf Club, where Welch was a member and frequently played. It brought together a cross-section of Welch's life, including a who's who of baseball notables. In Tommy Lasorda,--his Dodger manager--along with Tony LaRussa--his Oakland manager. Former teammates Mark McGwire, Steve Yeager, Carney Lansford, Rick Honeycutt, Dusty Baker and Kenny Howell were also in attendance.

As was Mike Scioscia.

The Halo skipper walked over to where I was standing and extended his hand. "How did you figure out a way to make it here?" I asked. "There was no way I could miss this," Scioscia said. I had to be here. So, I talked with (management) and they said I needed to do what was best. This is it."

It was a great service that lasted over two hours on a 108 degree Arizona day. Welch's children spoke, as did their mother and many of his baseball colleagues, including Scioscia.

As the people started to disperse, Scioscia hurried to his rental car so he could hop a flight back to Georgia. Even though he missed the game--a 11-6, 13-inning win over the Braves--it turned out to be a very fulfilling day for Scioscia.

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[Chuck]

Thank you for sharing this, Joe.

 

We have so many Scioscia haters here, so perhaps this will tug at their hearts a little and clear their disgruntled minds about him. 

 

It's OK to second guess the manager, coaches, GM or owner, but when it's too often it becomes childish and grossly redundant -- and an act of trollage. 

[mtangelsfan]

Great piece Joe.  Thanks!

 

In our fandom, its easy to forget these are human beings, not just animals put on the field for our entertainment.

[JAHV76]

Nice article Joe. The Angels held a moment of silence for Welch when they returned to the big A. The Angels are a class act regardless of the outcomes on the field.

[OregonLAA]

I 2nd guess Scioscia a lot, but he's usually right more than I am. He's a good guy and I would love it if he could bring us another title

[T.G.]

I am a huge fan of Mike Scioscia, the man.  Even though I don't know him personally, I respect and admire the way he carries himself and how he conducts himself in public view.  I often think back to when Nick Adenhart was killed and how Scioscia handled that tragedy - never making it about him or the team and always keeping the focus on Nick's family.  I admire the way he seems to keep things in perspective.  I respected the way he handled Jose Guillen even though Guillen was a key part of the team's offense. There are many examples of instances where Scioscia did something that made me admire him more.

 

Thanks, Joe for sharing this story.  It gives us a little more insight into Mike Scioscia, the man and we all need to see a little bit more of that. I'm never surprised when I hear about stories like this when it comes to Scioscia because in my mind - he's always about doing the right thing.

Edited July 2, 2014 by True Grich

[tomsred]

Great job Joe.  Mike Scioscia is a great human being, he might not always do what we think is best baseball wise in managing the team but he conducts himself in a professional manner that is beyond reproach. Posters need to respect that in their postings, the name calling and snide remarks about him just show off their ignorance about his personal code of conduct.

 

RIP Bob Welch!

[Vegas Halo Fan]

One great measure of a man is how he treats his friends. Mike Scioscia never forgot his, and he was there to remember his friend who unexpectedly passed.

 

Sometimes we need a reminder of what is really important in life.

[mancini79]

Great write up Joe. I didn't know you were so close to Sosh and Welch. It's comforting to know Welch's closest friends were able to make it to his funeral. I'm sorry for your loss.

[Jason]

Scioscia has always maintained a professional attitude in everything he does. We all know that he is loyal to his friends (sometimes a fault in the baseball world) but that is the kind of legacy you want to have. Baseball really isn't all that important when all is said and done. Very nice article to read. Thanks for sharing it.

[Dave Saltzer]

This is why I am so happy to have Joe writing articles for our site. Great story, great writing, great job Joe!

[ELEVEN]

That was a great read Joe.