James Dean Hitches a Ride

Today is the birthday of two-time all star catcher Clyde McCullough, Born March 4, 1917 in Nashville, Tennessee.

In late October, 1952, James Dean had enough of New York. The actor and two of his friends — William Bast & Dizzy Sherridan — decided to head out to Dean’s childhood home in Indiana for an impromptu vacation. With only enough money for food, the three of them hitch-hiked out of the city.

By 10 p.m. their first day, the three had made it to a small town in Western Pennsylvania. After looking for a place to eat and only finding an ice cream parlor, they walked back out to the main road and stuck out their thumbs. Eventually, a large man in a Nash Rambler slowed down and let them in. 

It was dark, and the driver — burly, with a gruff voice — made them tense. But after the trio told him they were actors, he softened up.

"You know more than any other people in the world, I admire show people, especially actors. When I think of all the sacrifice and heartbreak that goes into a career in the theater, I can't help but wonder how you kids manage to stick to it." He continued, “I think it’s great, having specific goals in life and sticking to it, regardless of the odds.”

The driver, Clyde McCullough, knew what it meant to chase a dream. He had played baseball all through his childhood in Nashville and kept at it until, at 20, he was picked up by the Yankees farm system, and then sold to the Cubs. 

McCullough was not a star — he never hit above .300 — but he was persistent. After serving in the Navy during WWII, he returned to the Chicago team just in time to pinch-hit during the 1945 World Series. Now, after his fourth season with the Pirates, he was driving overnight to play an exhibition game in Des Moines.

The group talked through the whole drive. McCullough shared stories about his career, wife, and children. Dean, Sheridan and Bast talked as much about their aspirations as they did their frustrations. McCullough listened intently, encouraged them, and bought them food at a roadside stop when he learned they hadn’t eaten. When he pulled over to let them out at an intersection north of Fairmount, Indiana, he tried to offer Bast cash to share with his friends after he’d driven off. He refused.

But years later, in his biography of James Dean, Bast wrote about the catcher from Nashville fondly: “Although I was certain that none of the three of us would ever see Clyde McCullough again, I knew that none would forget him.”

MLB News

Rose to Be Pardoned, A’s Making Noise, and Skene’s New Stuff

• Rose in the H.O.F.? - This weekend Trump posted on social media saying he would pardon Pete Rose (who served time for submitting falsified tax returns), and that the MLB should reinstate him so he could be inducted into the hall of fame. According to sources in the MLB, Rob Manfred, who in 2023 said he would not consider changing Rose’s status, is now considering a change.

• Play Ball - After the vicious fire this winter in the Palisades, baseball brings a community back together, and some normalcy for families who lost homes. Choice quote: “It used to be about playing baseball with my friends,” he said. “Now it’s playing for my community. I’m proud to be playing in a league that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

• Are the A’s…Gunna be Good? – The team has been through a lot. They’ve left a beloved fanbase in Oakland. There’s promise of a new home in Las Vegas. But right now? They’re stuck in Sacramento playing in a small park. But hey — maybe they’ve got the right stuff.

• Speaking of Stuff – Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is apparently working on some new stuff in spring training. The National League Rookie of the Year in 2024 told Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he’s added a cutter and a sinker, saying, “When you’re working on new stuff, you’re trying to figure out how it will affect each other”. So far, it looks pretty damn good.

• The Fight is Over – MLB has settled a long-running dispute between the Orioles and the Nationals over the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), freeing the Nationals to pursue their own TV rights starting in 2026.

On This Day

RIP to the Reserve Clause

• 1976 — MLB players Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally win an arbitration case against the league, leading to the dismantling of the reserve clause and paving the way to free agency.