Connections

My dad found this recently while he was cleaning out some old boxes of papers. Pretty cool find. I don't think the auto is real. Though it isn't obvious that it's printed either so I don't really know. But I already have a ball signed and personally inscribed to me by Don Gullett. Reason being my dad went to high school with him. Gullett graduated two years after my dad and they never knew each other. But my dad remembers him being a star baseball player at McKell High School in South Shore, KY. On the other hand his mom was in my grandmother's quilting club. So my grandmother acquired the inscribed ball for me as a Christmas present when I was around 10 years old. Pretty awesome gift!

If you are not familiar with Don Gullett he made his MLB debut with the Reds in 1970 at the age of 19. He had a pretty successful career pitching for 9 years for the Reds and Yankees before he blew out his arm. He finished his career with a record of 109-50 and a 3.11 ERA. He also had the fortune to win the World Series four seasons in a row with the Reds in '75-'76 and the Yankees in '77-'78. I'm not sure I know of any player that has done that since him or before him other than guys on the Yankees in the 1930's and 1950's. Gullett was also the Reds pitching coach from 1993-2005. He has been out of baseball since and I believe he lives in Lynn, KY these days not far from my grandparent's house. I haven't had the privilege of meeting him yet but it would be pretty cool.