so that you could work on your skills . Why did you decide to hold off on joining the majors ?
A : Back when I was recruited in 1957 , if you got more than a $ 4,000 bonus package , you were required to take up a spot on the 25-man active roster in the Major Leagues . They made that rule to discourage the wealthier teams from spending a lot of money and stockpiling talent . At 18 , I was not ready to pitch in the major leagues . My father read about “ Bonus Babies ” ( young and inexperienced players recruited to the Major Leagues with large bonuses ) through The Sporting News . He followed the stories of several players that got big bonuses , but never found real success in the Major Leagues . When the White Sox offered me $ 25,000 , my dad told me to
take the $ 4,000 that the Washington Senators offered me , because they had room for advancement . I ended up going to the lowest division of the minor leagues and worked my way up . I made it to the majors in two years , but that time in the minor leagues was very helpful to me . My dad really helped me get my career started on the right path .
Q : What advice would you give to young pitchers who are just getting started in terms of how to elevate and improve their game ?
A : I tell young pitchers all the time that it ’ s important to keep an open mind and listen to advice . I was fortunate that one of my early coaches told me , “ Kid , if you don ’ t hurt your arm , you ’ re going to pitch for a long
time .” I said , “ Why do you say that ?” He said , “ Because you ’ re curious . You ’ re always asking questions , and you want to know about how this works .” I was always inquisitive , so I felt like it was a nice compliment when my coaches would tell me I was coachable .
Q : Speaking of advice , you also penned an open letter to the Washington Nationals ’ star pitcher , Stephen Strasburg , in 2012 . In the letter , you told him how important it was to advocate for the ability to pitch in a World Series Championship . What motivated you to write that open letter ?
A : I played in two World Series Championships , one in 1965 with the Minnesota Twins , and one in 1982 with the St . Louis Cardinals . I hold
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