Paul Splittorff RIP

Passed away this morning. Splitt was 64.

 

Re: Paul Splittorf RIP

The news I have been bracing far. Good pitcher, super person.

Moddy: let's give Splitt that second F to end his last name.

 

Re: Paul Splittorf RIP

Such a sad story. He's one of those people I never met in my life, but still felt like I knew him. I've never heard anyone publicly or privately, utter a bad word about him.

He'd had some serious issues with his voice during the last three years, but until two or three weeks ago, almost no one, including many in the Royals organization, knew he was battling cancer.

 

Re: Paul Splittorf RIP

I swear he was doing Royals games a couple weeks ago. Seems surreal now that he's gone.

I was 7 when Splitt retired, but I remember he was one of my dad's favorites. I thought he was as solid of a broadcaster as you'd find.

 

Apologies. Depressing.

 

As I mentioned on the other thread, he was a great baseball broadcaster, but also did a helluva job on College Basketball as well.

RIP Split.

 

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/25/2902340/royals-great-paul-splittorff-dies.html

 

He taught me how to throw a slider the summer after my father died. RIP, friend.

 

For real? Like in person or on TV?

If in person, tell the story.

 

Sure thing ...

After my father died, I was pretty depressed, so that following summer my mother put me in Marty Pattin's baseball camp to get the baseball fix I lost when my father passed. One day, Splittorff saw me in the cafeteria sort of sitting glumly and sat down next me. A lot of the Royals came to the camp since Pattin was, of course, a former teammate.

George Brett was there that day as well. Splittorff took a look at me and said "keep an eye out for George." He took a napkin and stuck it in Brett's peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Brett ate half of it before he caught on, getting a pretty good laugh out of me. That got me a little out of my shell, so Splittorff asked me what was going on. Good man.

After lunch, during a rest period, he took me out on the field and showed me his trick. Without going into great detail, he taught me his pitching motion and the slider grip by using a sandwich-making analogy. It has stuck with me ever since. He was a good, good man.

My son is 5. One of these days, he's going to be old enough for me to teach him. I can't wait.

Wow. Telling this story is making me tear up, but lord, I'm also smiling. Thanks for asking, YankeeFan

 

That's a really great story. You got me emotional reading it.

Thanks for sharing it.