Saturday, June 23, 2012

Honoring The Mayor -- Sean Casey

What has mostly been an impressive month for the Reds has gotten a little dicey lately with the team having lost a seasons-high four straight and seen its division lead shrink to a game.  But they'll be plenty of time to rehash the month of June later.  This day is all about Reds Hall of Fame Weekend and its inductees.  None more special to my heart and to the hearts of many Reds fans than Sean Casey.

We honor "The Mayor" --as he was known-- by having his image serve as the background for the blog this weekend.  And while Casey is worthy of being a Reds Hall of Famer for what he did on the field, you won't find a better individual off of it.

I first met Sean Casey in the minor leagues, covering him while he played for the Kinston Indians in the Class A Carolina League.  He won the batting title that year even though he finished the season on the disabled list with a foot injury.  The night he received his award for leading the league in hitting, I recall telling him what a pleasure it was to cover him for my media outlet and watch him play.  He was genuinely appreciative.

A few years later he was traded to my beloved Reds (one of the better moves Jim Bowden ever made as general manager).  My family called me and asked what I knew about him (remember he was traded for the Reds projected opening day starter that year Dave Burba).  I said he's not a home run hitter but he's got gap to gap power and will hit for average.  How's that for a scouting report?!

I did a follow up story on Casey in 1999 in Atlanta.  Not only did he remember my name, but he started  rattling off names of the people he met back in Kinston, asking how they were doing.  It was my first glimpse into the type of guy he was.  Casey's manager Jack McKeon told me later his ability to remember your name is probably why he's called "The Mayor."

Fast forward to 2003 where I traveled to Spring Training in Sarasota to do another piece on Casey.  He was coming off his most disappointing season in big leagues at the time, hampered the previous year by a shoulder injury.  Perhaps the most memorable part about this encounter was that Casey had left the game mid-way through with the rest of the starters and was already in the Reds clubhouse.  Barry Larkin was outside and before he went in to the clubhouse I sheepishly asked the future Hall of Famer if he could get Casey for me, which he did and Sean and I did our interview.

That was the last time I spoke to Sean and he was the same guy from the first time we met.  And there are plenty of Reds fans who have similar stories about Sean Casey.  Which is why his induction Saturday means so much to the Reds faithful.  He not only touched our lives on the field, but he did so by the way he interacted with the fans as well.  A big part of me wishes I could be there today hoping I would get the off chance to congratulate him in person and thank him for all that he did for the organization and the city of Cincinnati.  But I sent him messages on Twitter -- @TheMayorsOffice --and I'll be watching the festivities on TV.  

So the least the current Reds teams could do is break its four-game losing streak today.  Not just for the Sean Casey, but for Dan Driessen and the rest of the 2012 Reds Hall of Fame class.

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