A classy, classy gentleman... in Mobile he was a legend.
We lived across from Ladd Stadium...one day my dad was hitting fly balls to me in the grass parking lot...I was about 10 -- 1961 or so. A young African American man comes out and asks Dad to hit him some as well. He was so fleet and Dad could not hit a fly ball that he could not run down. I was stunned...as we went home my Dad said that the man was going to spring training....his name was Tommie something. I later saw him on TV -- Tommie Agee.
Several times a year the black kids and white kids would meet on the parking lot, divide up teams, and play. They were not allowed to play on our Little League, etc. We had a great time...and it was then that I realized how slow I really was.
Sad times but good times...we all learned a lot.