Wow. What a surprise. I was reading the July 5, edition of The Cabinet when his name hit me right between the eyes – Don Cardwell. His name was in the title of Michael Cleveland’s article “Willie, Mickey, Nolan Ryan, Don Cardwell and me.”

Cleveland’s article articulated his experiences as a young baseball fan while living near New York City. He had devoted a few wonderful lines to my old friend Don Cardwell. He wrote about Cardwell picking off Hall of Fame great Hank Aaron at second base during a game between the NY Mets and Atlanta Braves (I remember when they were the Boston Braves).

How did a guy from Milford, NH, become friends with Don Cardwell who was from Winston Salem, NC? It came to pass that my dad had moved the family to Winston Salem way back in 1951. I spent my last two years of high school there and graduated from Winston Salem’s Gray High School. Cardwell was a year behind me. His girlfriend, and future wife, was a neighbor and we all attended the same church. We even double-dated.

Cardwell was a star athlete at Gray High lettering in baseball, football and basketball. He was selected All-City in all three sports. He was the “ace” of the Gray High baseball team. As one with very limited athletic ability, I was a team manager. In my senior year, our baseball team won the 1953 North Carolina state championship. “Ace” Cardwell struck out 22 batters and hit the game winning home run over the left field fence to win the final game and the state championship. That was my greatest joy in baseball until the Red Sox captured the 2004 World Series.

Cardwell signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1954 and made it to the “big show” in 1957. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1960, where he pitched a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 15, 1960. In 1963, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates where he pitched until traded to the Mets in 1967. Cardwell pitched in the 1969 World Series. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 1970 from where he retired at the conclusion of the season.

Cardwell provided me with one of my greatest, all-time sports thrills. I had just been discharged from the Marine Corps in July 1957. It was Cardwell’s first year in the big leagues. I telephoned his wife and asked her if she could get in touch with Don and ask him if he could get tickets to a game for me and a Marine Corps buddy. My buddy lived nearby. Not only did “Cardy” get us tickets to the game, he invited us into the Phillies’ clubhouse after the game. What an adventure it was hanging out in that clubhouse chatting with the likes of Robin Roberts, Curt Simmons, Richie Ashburn, Harvey Haddix, etc. and drinking beer with them. Yup, there was a beer cooler in the clubhouse.

Cardwell spent 13 years in major league baseball. Sadly, my friend died in January 2008 in Winston Salem. I still communicate with his wife.

Mr. Cleveland’s article brought big tears to my eyes.

Lloyd Stimson is a Cabinet subscriber and former Milford resident who lives in Maryland.