Comments on: Card Corner–Billy Sample

By: MichiganYankee

MichiganYankee — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:20:16 +0000

I believe that Martin’s directive to Gossage was to “hit the nigger in the head.”

Sample was still a minor leaguer in 1978 (only 15 TPA with the Rangers), so I doubt that Martin would have known him from his Texas tenure, which had ended mid-1975.

By: Alex Belth

Alex Belth — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:18:15 +0000

I met Sample a few years ago and he had me on his show when I was promoting the book I wrote about Curt Flood. He was an exceedingly good dude. That’s a real shame he isn’t on mlb.com anymore. How come he’s not on the MLB network?

By: Diane Firstman

Diane Firstman — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:02:32 +0000

I’d love to hear Sample on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball …

By: Chyll Will

Chyll Will — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:00:45 +0000

[2] Ha… good thing you don’t work for a clinic. Yunnow, back when hip-hop was good, I actually thought Joe Sample was somebody’s attempt at a deejay name. Under those circumstances, that’s got to be kinda… yeah, stupid.

By: williamnyy23

williamnyy23 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:49:22 +0000

I used to love listening to the Yankee radio post games in the 1980s, and can still vividly remember an interview between Sample and Frank Messer. Sample was selected as the star for two defensive plays in a 1985 game against the Red Sox (he gunned down Boggs on a throw). He seemed like such a nice, likable guy in the interview that he quickly became one of my favorites. I also enjoyed him on MLB.com and hope he lands another gig soon.

By: Diane Firstman

Diane Firstman — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:32:27 +0000

[1]

In my job, I deal a lot with Billy Sample’s brother …. Random.

By: Chyll Will

Chyll Will — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:54:15 +0000

Billy Martin was dead wrong about a lot of things. Do you think he would fit in a YES platoon somewhere? I don’t recall seeing or hearing the man, but if you say he’s that good… wonder if he’s related to Joe Sample…