The subject of one of my greatest baseball memories passed away today. Perennial MLB player, manager and coach, Don Baylor is gone. God rest his soul and comfort his family.
He is best known (to me) for losing a wager on a Yankees baseball game against the Orioles to my then 6 year old son Rob. We sat near the first base end of the visitors' dugout at Memorial Stadium and Rob was engaged in a conversation with Designated Hitter Don Baylor while his team was in the field. Among the topics discussed (everything else long forgotten) was the bet that Rob's O's would beat Baylor's Yanks. Rob told me of the bet but I didn't think too much about it at the time. It was almost forgotten until the end of the game that New York lost. Ignoring the many fans trying to get autograph, Don was searching for my son still seated with me a few rows back. In Don's hand was Rob's winnings, a baseball. I sent him down for his reward. You never saw a prouder winner.
He offered as proof for his story that when he got back to the dugout, Don Baylor walked up to him and said "You sure walloped that one!" Coming from a guy who knew how to hit the long ball a long ways, that was quite the compliment. 
