The Philosopher-Home Run King

Today is the birthday of Ben Oglivie, Born February 11, 1949 in Colón, Panama. 

Oglivie — one of the first fifteen Panamanian baseball players to reach the major leagues and a kind of baseball philosopher — endured over a decade of anonymity before making his mark as a left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Eager to become fluent in English after moving to the Bronx from Panama following his father’s death, the 18-year-old read as many large, complex books as he could get his hands on. His original plan was attend college and become an electrical engineer, but everything changed when a Red Sox Scout noticed him and selected him in the 11th round of the 1968 free agent draft.

The initial excitement, however, soon gave way to frustration. “When I first came up, I was just happy to be there. I figured I'd just wait my turn. My turn never came. I'd play two games, and then I was back on the bench again. I couldn't comprehend that."

In his three years with the Red Sox, and four years with the Tigers, Oglivie never secured a consistent spot in the lineup.

What he remained consistent in, however, was his desire to learn and grow. Wherever baseball took him, he also pursued his education — attending Bronx Community College, Northeastern, Wayne State, and the University of Wisconsin. Plato, Rousseau, Thoreau, and even Bruce Lee all served as guides in his time on the bench. Sports Illustrated once described him as an, “...intelligent, bookish man who read philosophy…and studied Zen Buddhism because, he said, it merges into one with sports. He would let the game come to him.” 

And in 1980, during his time with the Brewers, the game finally did. Thanks to an injury that opened up a spot in left field, Oglivie at last had a regular role in the lineup. That season, he hit 41 home runs, drove in 118 RBIs, and posted a .304 batting average with a .563 slugging percentage.

By the end of his nine years with the Milwaukee team, he had played a key role in the Brewers’ 1982 World Series run, become the first ever foreign-born player to win a home run crown, earned three All-Star selections, and won a silver slugger award. 

So Long, ESPN?

• A Storm Could be Brewing – The major discussion point this week in Florida among MLB owners? A salary cap. The collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of 2026, and with some owners publicly agitating to better manage the spending gap between teams, it’s something The Athletic suspects most team owners are open to, but with a threat of a lockout, it’s not certain they’ll go for it.

• Remembering Uecker – On Monday, the Brewers revealed the patch that the team will wear on their uniforms for the entirety of the 2025 season to honor and remember Bob Uecker. The broadcasting legend died last month at 90.

• Home is Where the Rings Are – Pete isn’t the only one returning to his 2024 team. Kiké posted on social media Sunday ‘Walking through the open door’. After 2020, he left Chavez Ravine for Boston. This time around he’ll be looking to run it back.

• A Game of Chicken – After 36 seasons of carrying Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN might walk on the final three years of their seven year contract (‘26-’28'). If so, MLB is signaling that they won’t sign a new deal with the broadcaster. The deal, which pays the MLB $550m a year, would be hard to replace. So maybe this is all some public posturing.

• 1974 — With the reserve clause on its last legs after the Flood case, forty-eight major league players look to settle contract differences with their teams using a new arbitration procedure. The first to present their case is Dick Woodson, looking for $7,000 more than Minnesota Twins were offering on his $23,000 contract. He’ll eventually win.