Advice from a baseball great: Have fun and be kind

NORTH CANAAN — Baseball legend Steve Blass made an appearance at North Canaan Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 4, to honor two students who shared the Little League pitching award in 2018.

Blass pitched for the Pirates from 1964 to 1974, and won two games in the 1971 World Series. He has worked as a Pirates broadcaster for more than 20 years.

Blass gave Carlos Lopez Gonzalez and Noah Schippa autographed baseballs, a bag of Pittsburgh Pirates swag and postcard-sized photographs of Blass leaping in the air after getting the final out in the 1971 World Series between Pittsburgh and the Baltimore Orioles. The photos were autographed by Blass and Pirates first baseman Bob Robertson.

Blass noted that he can’t jump as high these days.

He spoke to students in the cafeteria prior to the presentation. He began by saying he wasn’t much for inspirational speeches, and then proceeded to deliver just that.

Of the Northwest Corner, he said, “As you get older you realize this is a pretty neat place to grow up.”

He urged the students to read.

“It’s the basis of learning,” he said. 

He spoke of his adult mentors growing up in Falls Village and playing baseball in North Canaan, and he recommended this exercise: “If you want to do something nice, think about three people you care about. Then write them a little handwritten note. Not a text, a note. Tell them you care about them and thank them for their friendship.”

He recalled going into Little League in 1950, age 8.

“The coach said ‘I’m going to be your coach, we’ll have some fun, if we’re lucky you’ll learn a little about baseball.”

He paused for a moment, and added, “After the National Anthem, the umpire doesn’t yell ‘Work ball!’ 

“It’s ‘play ball!’”

He wrapped up his remarks with this:

“Be kind: We’re all in this together.”