Catcher Ed Herrmann Scores Many Holes In One Following Baseball Career

Some time ago, I made a conscious decision to change my focus when writing. I had become too deeply entrenched in the negative cloud that surrounds the sport I love. I felt as if my stories were always written about steroids, salaries and negativity.

And though, I still dabble in some occasional Yankee bashing, it was at that point that I made a choice to change my course.

Funny how God works. I didn’t start looking under rocks to find the good that flows from baseball and it’s players every day. The good seemed to find me. I’ve since been blessed with several God-incidences (because there are no coin-cidences) in which I was brought in touch with the good guys that make up the very cloth that is baseball.

Though not nearly as exciting to us blood thirsty fans, the Jason Grilli’s and Brent Maynes and the Ed Herrmann’s are far more abundant than the Manny’s and A-Rod’s and Clemens’. My involvement with the book “A Glove of Their Own” opens up more doors daily. There are stories waiting in my head to be told and eager story tellers lining up to give me more.

So as I update you about what special project former MLB catcher Ed Herrmann has his hands in, remember we choose our friends and we are what we write about. No soap box here, simply an observation about life’s course.

Ed Herrmann is another one of the good guys. A guy we want to write about instead of a guy I have to write about. Whether on the field, in his home or on the golf course, doing the right thing for his fellow man exhumes from his very being.

I became acquainted with Ed via Linked in and Facebook of all places. Who would think I’d find an ex-major leaguer playing the games of 2009? I guess like everyone, Ed puts his pants on the same way I do and although baseball players often seem larger than life, they too want to kibitz with the regular Joes like you and me.

On paper his career would be classified as a good one. Rarely a superstar in the daily box score, but a steady performer day in and day out. his life following his retirement from the game however has been approaching Hall of Fame status.

Herrmann’s career bio reads as follows. Ed is a native San Diegan who was a pitcher/outfielder on a star studded high school baseball team.

In 1964, as a 17 year-old, Ed signed directly out of high school with the Milwaukee Braves. His grandfather, Marty Herrmann, played with the Braves in the early 1900’s so although other teams offered him contracts, the Braves was his chosen team.

Three years later, the Chicago White Sox put Ed on their major league roster and he remained with them until 1974 when he was traded to the New York Yankees. During his career he also played for the Los Angeles Angels the Houston Astros and the Montreal Expos.

Ed’s career highlights included his 1970 season when he batted .283 with 19 home runs and 52 RBI’s. He was also elected to play in the 1974 All-Star Game and in 1976 while playing for the Houston Astros he caught Larry Dierker’s no-hitter.

As I said, his career on the pages of MLB.com would be classified as more than respectable. But in the book that really counts, Ed’s career contains substantially more highlights.

Since leaving the major leagues, Herrmann has worked in many capacities in baseball including a baseball scout, tutor, a coach, and a manager of youth teams ranging in age from 13 thru college.

Of these travel teams, he coached 4 national championships. Many of the players he tutored or coached on his teams, have gone on to have successful careers in professional baseball or used their talents to receive college scholarships.

Herrmann is the Director for West Coast Recruitment with Seminara Sports Agency of New York. He is also a year-round coach for Del Mar Powerhouse. During the summer months, he works with high school age baseball players on travel teams. He also works many baseball camps and tutors most levels for hitting and catching.

His greatest passion is as a volunteer coach with The Rock Academy Baseball Team, the Junior High and High School associated with The Rock Church in Point Loma. He also volunteers with the San Diego Coalition for the Homeless. He tries to surround himself daily with the things he loves, family, baseball and helping those less fortunate than him.

Herrmann is currently preparing for his upcoming charity celebrity golf tournament to be held at the Rock Church as part of the Christian Music Award festivities.

“On August 22nd, the Christian Music Awards are being held at the Rock Church. United One Productions which puts on the Awards Ceremony has a golf tournament to raise funds for their ministry called “Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life” (www.bbnbtl.com)” explains Herrmann.

“The Rock Church has been offered the opportunity to assist with this event. It will be a celebrity Golf Tournament with a mix of some CMA celebrities and athletes. The Golf Tournament will be on the August 20th (tee time and green fees TBA) at prestigious Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club in North San Diego County.”

“It was my focus to get as many athletes and celebrities as I could to participate in the event, but I have no idea who the entertainers will be,” explained Herrmann whose website can be found at www.edherrmann.com

With two weeks remaining before the tee-off at hole number one, Herrmann has the commitments from stars of, not only baseball, but boxing, football, basketball and television with a handful more in the on-deck circle. Confirmed celebrities to date include,

• Evander Holyfield: 4-time Heavyweight Champion of the World!
• Billy Ray Smith, Sr: Nicknamed “The Rabbitt” NFL Rams, Pittsburg, Baltimore
• Brian Sullivan : Punter and kicker specialist for K.C. Chiefs and Baltimore Colts 1981 – 1983. Ranked #1 in college in 1980. I hold the record in the East/West Shrine College All-Star Game with a 52 yard field goal.
• Chris Cannizzaro : Major League Baseball catcher, 13 years. 1969 All-Star. Played with the original San Diego Padres and New York Mets. Also played with the Dodgers and St. Louis.
• Craig McEwen : American football tight end in the National football League for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers
• Darren Carrington : Played safety for 8 seasons in the NFL. He started in Super Bowl XXIX for the San Diego Chargers and was the Denver Broncos kick returner in Super Bowl Super Bowl XXIV. He finished Super Bowl XXIV with 6 kickoff returns for 146 yards, including a 39-yard return that set up the Broncos only touchdown of the game. His best season was in 1993, when he intercepted 7 passes and returned them for 104 yards.
• Dave Scott: KUSI Meteorologist who has been nominated for more than 2-dozen Emmy’s, and has won several Associated Press and Emmy awards for his feature story work. Yearly host for Jerry Lewis Telethon.
• David Frost : Major League Pitcher, 6 years with the Chicago White Sox and California Angels.
• Dokie Williams : His game was as exciting as his name. Williams was known for his explosive speed and his big game play-making ability. A member of the Super Bowl XVIII winning team, his presence on the field was a threat to secondaries around the league. Williams played for the Raiders from 1983-87, and helped establish some of the most prolific offenses in Raiders history.
• Ed Herrmann : Major league Baseball Catcher, 11 years. 1974 all-star. Teams: Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, California Angels.
• Felix Giles : Felix ‘Nighthawk’ Giles is the first Black American in history to race the world famous and extremely treacherous Baja 1000 Endurance Desert Race in Mexico. He was also the first to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
• Gene Locklear : Major League Baseball Player, 5 years. Teams: San Diego Padres, Yankees, Cincinnati Reds. World renowned artist of Sports and Native-American art. Highlights include: Exclusive Artist-San Diego Host Super Bowl and NFL Artist for the Pasadena Super Bowl.
• Henry Tillman : Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Won the Heavyweight gold medal for the United States at the 1984 Olympics.
• Jim Anderson : 6 years: Major League Baseball: Played on the Anaheim Angels during the 1979 American League Champion Series, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers
• Jim Weatherley : NFL Player with the Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Falcons
• Mike Merriweather : American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Pittsburg Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Green Bay Packers
• Pete Shaw : American football safety who played eight seasons for the San Diego Chargers and the New York Giants. He played college football at Northwestern University and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL Draft.
• Randy Jones : Major League Baseball pitcher, 10 years. 1976 Cy Young Award Winner. Teams: Padres, Mets.
• Rashard Cook : former NFL Player – Eagles
• Sam Scarber : Played with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders. Has had feature film work including; “Against all Odds, All in the Family, My name is Earl, Family Matters, The Shield, Amen, Desperate Housewives, Jag, Over the Top, Karate Kid, Cheers, Barbershop, Cold Case and many, many others.
• Stan Miller : Stan Miller is an Emmy award winning San Diego Newscaster… having anchored the popular KUSI Morning News as well as the KFMB Evening News. He is also an ordained Baptist minister, and regularly preaches at churches across San Diego County. Stan also founded and holds a yearly motorcycle ride to raise funds for Camp Hope, a summer camp for severely abused children and teens in Ramona.
• Willie Buchanon : NFL Football Defensive Back: 11 years. 3-time Pro Bowler and 1-time first-team All-Pro: Green Bay Packer, San Diego Chargers
• Zack Jones : Former NBA player for the Nets and Cavaliers, CBA player, SDSU player, High School McDonald’s All-American and Liberty University Asst. Coach. Head Coach for 11 years for San Diego City College.

The tournament will be held on August 20th at prestigious Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club in North San Diego County Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club  and is co-sponsored by United One Productions, who is putting on the award ceremony.

In addition to raising funds for BBNBTL, the tournament will benefit the Rock Golf Ministry to reach out to foster youth and inner city children in the San Diego area.

Green Fees for the event are $250 per player or $800 per foursome.

“Please contact me if you have any interest in entering the event as a single or getting your company to sponsor a foursome”, explains Herrmann. “This will be an awesome golf tournament to play on a gorgeous course.”

“We expect to have 1 or 2 athletes per foursome and will also be holding a silent auction. I’d love for athletes to contact me so we can make it a memorable event for all”, contiued Herrman, who can be reached via Facebook or Linked in messaging or by emailing him at hoggy@baseballmail.com

“It’s a great way to meet and mingle with some celebrities for a good cause.”

Registration is a 10:30 AM with an 11 AM Celebrity Clinic, with Tee Off scheduled for 1:00 PM. Teams will consist of five-somes with one celebrity per team. A sit down dinner, raffle, silent auction and raffle prizes will top off a great day of golf. TC

Todd Civin is a freelance writer for the Bleacher Report and Seamheads. He can be reached at toddcivin1@aim.com for hire or comments or on Facebook, Linked-in and Twitter.  He is a supporter of A Glove of Their Own, the award winning children’s story that teaches sharing through baseball.  For more information visit the site at www.agloveoftheirown.com and purchase under today’s donor code NYP212-New York PD Baseball.