... surround yourself with good people.
Bob Oldis
Bob Oldis was reflecting on 60 years in professional baseball when he came to the conclusion that two fundamental principles enabled him to have a prosperous career in the sport: Surrounding himself with good people and taking advantage of his opportunities.
Oldis said those ideologies are lessons that people of all ages can employ in any career path. In his case, he said his skills improved greatly as a youngster when he competed against players four and five years older, including his brother, Edward.
"I was lucky enough to play with people a lot older than me," Oldis said. "I wasn't very good, but I learned from older people. You get better when you play with people better than you, and you're never at the top of the ladder because you're learning things."
Oldis climbed the ladder into professional baseball coming out of City High. He got his first big break in 1949 as a minor leaguer in Emporia, Va. Oldis was a back-up catcher until the starter, a Cuban named Orlando Echevarria, told the manager he wasn't feeling well enough to play during a doubleheader on a hot summer day.
Thus, Oldis got his opportunity.
"In the second inning of the first game of the double-header, believe it or not, I hit two home runs in one inning," Oldis said. "In the fourth inning, (Echevarria) comes out and says, 'Coach, I feel better.' (The manager) said, 'You just sit here. Bob will catch both games.' From then on, I played pretty much the rest of the season. Getting a break at the right time, that was a great break for me."
Oldis reached the big leagues four years later with the Washington Senators. He spent seven seasons in the majors, playing for the World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960, getting three hits in one game off Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax and throwing out legendary base-stealer Maury Wills twice in one game.
Oldis has been a professional scout for nearly 40 years, currently working for the Florida Marlins.
— Andy Hamilton
