A Tribute To Frank Pastore

Frank Pastore pitched 8 seasons in the Major Leagues. His best season was in 1980 when he won 13 games and posted a 3.27 ERA. For his career he won 48 games, lost 58, and his ERA was 4.29. By no means will his name ever grace Cooperstown, but his life was much more than baseball. 

He passed away Tuesday after a motorcycle accident in November left him in a coma.  I didn't see anything on Twitter, or Yahoo, or any major news website. I saw the story on the OC Register website, and immediately knew I'd be talking to my mom about it. She listened to his radio show for the past I don't know how many years, and frequently talked to me about him. I knew she would be upset about his passing, and she asked me to write a blog about him. Unfortunately I don't know much about the man, and I told her that if she wanted to write something, I'd be more than happy to post it. Here are her words. 

"I lost a friend yesterday. I didn't really know him, but I felt like I did. Frank Pastore died yesterday. After a month in a coma following a motorcycle accident, Frank succumbed to his injuries. I don't remember him as a baseball player, although he pitched for the Cincinatti Reds from 1979-1985, then for the Minnesota Twins in 1986. A line drive off the bat of Steve Sax at Dodger Stadium in 1984 shattered his pitching elbow and was the beginning of the end of his baseball career. Some of his teammates invited him to a BBQ after the elbow incident and asked him to stay for a Bible study. As a self proclaimed atheist, he voiced his criticism of Christianity and was challenged to read some books and critique the conclusions. After studying the books, he was unable to do so and knew his life was changed forever. He became the host of the Frank Pastore show in 2004 on KKLA-FM. That's when he became my friend. I learned of his baseball past by listening to his radio show. I learned about his path to Christianity from listening to his show. I grew to respect and admire him by listening to his show. He was open, honest and confident in his beliefs. He wanted the best for everyone, whether you agreed with him or not. This world needs more people like him. I already miss him."

Whether or not you're religious doesn't matter. We all make connections to people we've never met. For my mom, she had a connection with Frank Pastore.  This is why sports are so important to me. He had an effect on her life, just like John Wooden had an effect on mine. I remember exactly where I was the moment I heard Coach had died. I was at work and had to go in the back because I literally had tears running down my face. Even as I'm writing this it's hard not to get emotional. I never met Coach Wooden, but what I know about his life inspires me.  If it weren't for basketball, I'd probably never know about him.  Pastore is the same way. My mom learned from him on his show, a show he got in one way or another because he was a baseball player. There's a line from a song that comes to mind when I think about this that says, you'll always be here with me even when you're gone. I know I'll never forget about Coach Wooden and one day I'll tell my kids about him. Just like I know my mom will tell them about Frank Pastore.