Back in the late ’80s, early ’90s, a few years after I started my sports broadcasting career, I put together a cable show called “Sports Innerview” that enjoyed a 17-year run and aired weekly on sports cable networks across the country. The show featured interviews I did with many of the greatest sports legends of our time. Many were well beyond their playing years and were more than happy to sit down with me and reminisce about their incredible careers, share fun stories, and express their opinions on all kinds of issues.
Personalities from Mickey Mantle to Yogi Berra, from Wilt Chamberlain to Martina Navratilova, Wayne Gretsky, Jim Brown, Florence Griffith Joyner, Arthur Ashe — to name a few — laughed, shed a few tears, and were as frank and open as could be. They all were passionate about their sport and most willing to share their amazing stories and opinions.
Not one of them asked for compensation.
With each passing year, my fondness grows deeper for these unique interviews, as well as my appreciation for those simpler times.
The show started in 1989, two years after WFAN-NY started, the first all-sports radio station, where I became an original host with “Hey Liguori, What’s the Story?” that aired weekly for over 24 years.
In addition to these two shows, The Golf Channel started in 1995 and hired me to host and produce a weekly, primetime show we created called “Conversations with Ann Liguori,” that featured my interviews with A-Listers who had a passion for golf. We would talk while we played — walking the fairways of some of the most prestigious golf courses in the country. I enjoyed talking with Matthew McConaughey, Alice Cooper, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Vince Gill, Joe Pesci, Sylvester Stallone, Pete Sampras, Charles Schulz, and many others.
Which brings me to this year’s Artists and Writers Charity Softball Game, taking place Saturday, August 21 in East Hampton. In a dream Artists & Writers game, let’s imagine that all of these legends were excited to play in this storied, Hamptons tradition.
Inevitably, team leaders would be fighting over who gets who. There would be some serious wheeling and dealing and politicking to cajole each legend to choose specific teams.
Who would Mantle align with, the Writers or the Artists? Mantle was a writer’s dream interview. Back then, writers traveled with the players and they became buddies.
How about Ted Williams? We know Ted had a love-hate relationship with Boston baseball scribes. Would those bad memories make the greatest hitter in baseball history lean toward being a weapon on the Artists’ team?
What about Yogi? His charming personality and creative mind would match both a writer’s talents and an artist’s ingenuity. Who would Yogi play for?
From the line-up of some of my guests on the “Sports Innerview” series, I put together a dream team line-up for the Artists and Writers Game. Be sure to let me know if you agree, disagree, or have enough cash to work an under-the-table trade. (Just kidding.)
This roster is based on interviews I personally conducted, so if your favorite player happens to be missing from this all-star line-up, I probably didn’t have a chance to interview them.
And, full disclosure — I play for the Writers’ team every year.
Writers Team
Manager: Davey Johnson — covering the NY Mets in the mid-’80s for ABC Radio Sports, I reported on Johnson managing the Mets to their 1986 World Series title. Johnson enjoyed much success in both Leagues as a Manager and was as easygoing with the writers as cutting butter with a hot knife.
G.M.: Joe McIlvaine — I got to know McIlvaine when he was the Assistant G.M. for the NY Mets when they won the World Series in 1986 and he took over as General Manager from Al Harazin in 1993. He’s not only a great baseball mind; he’s one of the nicest guys in the game.
Catcher: Yogi Berra. The 13-time World Series Champion and 18-time All-Star was a long-time friend and is a national treasure. I’ve revised one of his infamous “Yogisms” for the purpose of getting him on the Writers Team: “If there’s a fork in the road, play for the writers!”
1B: Stan Musial played both the outfield and first base during the 22 years he played for the St. Louis Cardinals. Musial broke loads of records including most NL career hits (3630); runs batted in (1951)” games played (3026); at bats (10,972), to name a few. This Hall of Famer led the Cards to three World Series titles. (Joe Pepitone is my back-up selection as first baseman, because he was the first player to use a hair blow-dryer in the locker room)
2B: Steve Sax won two World Series titles for the LA Dodgers. He was a good interview but not as colorful as Jimmy Leyritz, who played practically every position in the game during his 11-year career, for six teams. Leyritz actually played in the Artists and Writers Softball Game several years ago and the Writers Team was able to snag his talents! I’ll never forget the 1996 World Series game when Leyritz’s heroics in game 4 of the Yankees’ series against the Braves ended up tying the game to spark the Yankees amazing comeback. I still can’t believe the Yankees traded Leyritz after that season!
SS: Phil Rizzuto led the Yankees as short stop for 7 World Series titles in his 13 seasons. The beloved Hall of Famer was also one of the best bunters in baseball history, a skill the Writers team attempts to use frequently to get the job done, in addition to expressing “Holy Cow!” now and then.
3B: George Brett. The 13-time All-Star, 1985 World Series champ for the Kansas City Royals, would not let any balls get through his legs. Plus, he’s a batting coach, team executive, and would make a great owner if the team is ever up for sale.
RF: Hank Aaron. If the 25-time All-Star is playing in this game, the Writers Team is getting this legend! Cut to the chase. Home runs is what it’s all about. And “Hammerin’ Hank” always delivers! Aaron was as humble as could be for our sit-down chat and such a gentleman.
CF: Mickey Mantle: “The Mick” was my very first guest on “Sports Innerview.” The 20-time All-Star, 7-time World Series champion and Triple Crown winner was a great storyteller and, of course, a legendary figure in sports. There’s no way he’s playing for anybody but the Writers. Mantle got teary-eyed when he shared memories of Roger Maris and how close they were, despite reports to the contrary during their home run race in 1961, and Mantle grinned from ear to ear when he recalled many of his mischievous times with Billy Martin and Whitey Ford.
LF: Barry Bonds. This 14-time All-star and 8-time Gold Glove Award Winner is one of the greatest all-around players of all time. Doubtful he’ll get into the Hall of Fame based on the steroid scandal, but with 762 homers in his career, the writers are ecstatic to have him on our team, not only because he’s the Home Run King and a 7-time National League MVP, but also because he provides lots of fodder for columns.
Pitcher: Roger Clemens. The Rocket always gave writers a lot to write about, from his dominant pitching career where he earned 354 wins, 4672 strikeouts, and maintained a 3.12 ERA to allegations of steroids use late in his career. The 11-time All-Star won two World Series, (both with the Yankees) and an unprecedented 7 Cy Young Awards. Roger is an avid golfer as well and recently I interviewed him again, this time about his passion for golf.
Relief: Phil Niekro
Artists Team
Manager: Pete Rose. “Charlie Hustle,” a 17-time All-Star and 3-time World Series champ for the Cincinnati Reds, would not be banned from the Artists and Writer’s Softball Game, that’s for sure! When I asked him about his suspension and if he thought he’d be banned from baseball for life, Rose clearly looked and sounded agitated at my question. Rose would be the perfect Manager and Player for the Artists team. If his team under-performs, he would not hesitate to put himself in the game as a player, show-off his switch-hitting talents, and live up to one of his other nicknames, the “Hit King.”
General Manager: Syd Thrift was such a compelling interview; he had so much to say having spent 50 years in the Major Leagues as a GM of the Pirates, player, scout and executive. In 1988, Thrift turned the last-place Pirates to a 2nd place success. The Artists would have a field day drawing his name, one of the best names in baseball.
Catcher: Johnny Bench: The 14-time All-Star was both a defensive (10-time Gold Glove Award winner) and offensive threat for the Big Red Machine (Cincinnati Reds) who dominated the game in the mid-seventies. Bench is a passionate golfer as well and when I interviewed him for the show, he dared me to “read” a 30-foot putt and then make it. He went first and missed. I then putted and drained it. You can be sure that footage made the show!
1B: Cecil Fielder, 3-time All-Star, 1996 World Series winner with the N.Y. Yankees, was known for his clutch hitting and power, but how amusing it was when Fielder was clearly frightened of my golden retriever puppy when we taped our “Sports Innerview” show in a suite at The Plaza in Manhattan.
2B: Roberto Alomar was playing for the Cleveland Indians when I interviewed him. Being originally from Brecksville, Ohio, I was thrilled to be interviewing the player regarded to be one of the greatest second basemen of all time. The 12-time All-Star won a record 10 Gold Glove Awards at that position. He was very unassuming off the field, and quite shy, but on the field, Alomar dominated and helped lead the Toronto Blue Jays to two World Series titles.
SS: Ozzie Smith, a Hall of Famer known for his defensive brilliance, was a 15-time All-Star accumulating 2460 hits and stealing 580 bases. I recently reconnected with “The Wizard” on the golf course as we both played in the BMW Charity Pro-Am, a Korn Ferry event in Greenville, S.C. Ozzie is one of the classiest guys in the game.
3B: Brooks Robinson, the 18-time All-Star, 2-time World Series winner and 16-time Gold Glove Award winner is considered the best defensive third baseman in baseball history. Robinson earned the nickname “The Human Vacuum Cleaner” because of his genius play at third base for 23 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. He was a true artist at that position and such a gentleman and fun to play golf with.
RF: Bobby Bonilla. Bobby played both 3B and RF during his career where he played for nine teams, was a 6-time All-Star and won the World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997. When he played for the Mets, he sometimes had a contentious relationship with the media. But signing the biggest contract in sports at the time, he was right when he told the media, they “would never wipe the smile off his face.” And to this day, the Mets are still paying him!
CF: Duke Snider. “The Silver Fox” was an artist in the field and behind the plate. The 8-time All-Star and 2-time World Series Champion for the Dodgers is the only player to hit at least four home runs in two different World Series. When I interviewed the Duke on “Sports Innerview,” we taped the show in an apartment I was renting on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was a six-story walk-up and Duke had just recovered from a heart procedure. When he finally made it, his heart apparently racing, he looked at me and teasingly said, “I hope that was as good for you as it was for me.”
LF: Ted Williams. Ted was one of my all-time favorite interviews. He was a genius when it came to talking baseball, and even at the age of 80, when I interviewed him before he made his one final pilgrimage to Fenway for the 1999 All-Star Game, waving to the fans from the golf cart as he was driven around the stadium, he was as passionate and enthusiastic about the game as a wide-eyed rookie. But during his career, while he was playing and earning records galore, the 19-time All-Star, 2-time Triple Crown winner, 4-time American League batting champ and 4-time Homerun leader, had a love-hate relationship with the press. As much as I’d love to put him on the Writers Team, I think Ted would be more comfortable playing for the Artists.
Pitchers: Whitey Ford, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Tommy John
Relief: Goose Gossage
Ann Liguori hosts the radio version of “Sports Innerview” every Saturday at 7 AM on WLIW 88.3 FM and hosts “Talking Golf” on Sundays 7 AM on WFAN 660 AM, 101.9 FM, and audacy.com.
Ann’s podcasts are distributed on https://www.si.com/golf/podcasts.
Ann is the Brand Ambassador for IBKUL Athleisure apparel and has her own jewelry line, the Hamptons Rope Collection, at Dune Jewelry.
Visit www.annliguori.com.