September 26, 2003
R.I.P. George Plimpton
What is there to say about George Plimpton, who died last night at the age of 76, that others who knew him haven't already said. He was a writer, an editor, and an intellectual patron.
A friend of the Kennedys, he trafficked with the world's elites. But in his role as a fearless sportswriter, he never blanched from mingling with earthier folks that populated the world of sports he loved so much.
A lot of younger readers might not remember him, but Plimpton was a pioneer in what became known as "Participatory Journalism," by his exploits on the field in a number of sports He started in the 1960s with titles like Paper Lion (can you believe Alan Alda played him in the movie?), Shadow Box and the underappreciated Open Net -- where Plimpton followed the Boston Bruins through an entire NHL season, and capped it off with five minutes in goal in an exhibition against the Philadelphia Flyers.
In fact, Plimpton was back in Detroit only a few weeks ago to help celebrate the 35th anniversary of Paper Lion with former Lions defensive lineman Alex Karras, as well as a number of other Lions greats.
But the Plimpton moment I'll remember best came when I was sitting in my high school library in April 1985, and read about the curious case of Sidd Finch, a Mets pitching phenom with an interesting background:
The secret cannot be kept much longer. Questions are being asked, and sooner rather than later the New York Mets management will have to produce a statement. It may have started unraveling in St. Petersburg, Fla. two weeks ago, on March 14, to be exact, when Mel Stottlemyre, the Met pitching coach, walked over to the 40-odd Met players doing their morning calisthenics at the Payson Field Complex not far from the Gulf of Mexico, a solitary figure among the pulsation of jumping jacks, and motioned three Mets to step out of the exercise. The three, all good prospects, were John Christensen, a 24-year-old outfielder; Dave Cochrane, a spare but muscular switch-hitting third baseman; and Lenny Dykstra, a swift centerfielder who may be the Mets' lead-off man of the future.
Ordering the three to collect their bats and batting helmets, Stottlemyre led the players to the north end of the complex where a large canvas enclosure had been constructed two weeks before. The rumor was that some irrigation machinery was being installed in an underground pit.
Read the rest yourself. It's classic Plimpton, and one of the best pieces of sportswriting I've ever come across.
What an amazing and full life. Though I'm sure his family and friends are devestated, it should be clear that Plimpton was a man who enjoyed his time on earth more than most mere mortals. His was a life to be celebrated, and remembered with joy.
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.ericmcerlain.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/2474
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference R.I.P. George Plimpton:
» A Curious Case from Cooped Up
George Plimpton, who died yesterday, was a near-ubiquitous, though rarely intrusive, figure in American culture. A member of the New [Read More]
Tracked on September 26, 2003 05:44 PM
01:44 PM