When you think of someone outstanding in their field, whose name is connected to a team’s history, Dave Winfield is high on the list for the San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees. So, he was an easy choice for our special series featuring Legends. With his travel schedule and our timeline, we didn’t sit down with Dave again for an update, but I spoke with him at length on the phone and gathered video clips from several places visualizing and documenting what he has been up to since we last featured him One on One in 2001. Specifically, it’s wonderful to see how he has helped shine a light on the history of the Negro Leagues and helped that part of the game’s story be recognized and the stars from that difficult era celebrated.
I had also done stories with him for the pre-game show and saw him around the ballpark over the years, and our conversations were always thoughtful and substantive. He is not a chitchat kind of person, but takes interest in what you’re doing, shares details about things that matter to him, and is very respectful of others’ roles and activities.
Dave is a featured chapter in my book, and on the cover’s montage. (See Store for the book.) The two times I sat down with him in-depth, 1999 and 2001, were interesting and fun. He’s a serious guy, but when he laughs, it’s quite the punctuation mark coming from a man with great stature.
Baseball is America’s past time. Its diamond offers riches in the simple game of catch, in the dream realized of playing in the major leagues, and in the most brilliant, rare and revered honor: being enshrined at Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. His performance and presence made for a powerful combination. Dave Winfield was the first player to enter Baseball’s Hall of Fame as a San Diego Padre. This is the story of Dave Winfield’s life on the diamond and his journey, which has come full circle and then some – as he continues to use his platform for good, for business, and for both the past and future of the game.