Blind sportswriter Ed Lucas reflects on remarkable career
Though he couldn’t see the game, Lucas was able to develop skills to help him cover it. “After I lost my sight, I was able to tell by the crack of the bat, where the ball was hit most of the times,” Ed said.
The Lucas family recently stopped by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown to promote the book and tell stories as part of the Museum’s Author’s Series.
During the presentation, the pair shared moments from Lucas’ personal and professional life. Christopher would tell the stories with Ed interjecting comments along the way.
Baseball has taken my sight, but given me a life.
Ed credits much of his success to Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto – who he met at a young age and served as both a friend and inspiration to Lucas. Rizzuto was both a confidant as well as a pal for Lucas, helping him in both good days and bad.
“He was my best friend in life, he was always there for me,” Lucas said. “He was my greatest PR guy at the time before I got into baseball because he’d always mention my name on the air. He told me not to listen to the naysayers; he didn’t listen to ’em.”
Throughout his life, and into his career, Lucas endeared himself to a number of Hall of Famers. Among them, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle.
One of the most poignant stories during the Hall of Fame event that Lucas shared was an interaction he had with Mantle when he was a young boy. Lucas and one of his friends from camp went to a Yankees game with the hope of meeting the Hall of Famer. Lucas and his friend, who was deaf, blind and mute, were able to meet The Mick prior to the game.
Upon meeting Mantle, the friend was ecstatic and began finger spelling Mantle’s name into Lucas’ hand over and over. He was chanting.
Mantle was so overcome with emotion by the moment that he eventually stepped away. One of the most popular players in baseball at the time was reduced to tears.
Ryan Turnquist is the 2015 public relations intern in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum