BILLY SAMPLE JUST KEEPS ON GOING

I am a Billy Sample fan and had been as a kid watching him play the Yankees as a Texas Ranger.  When he came to the Yankees in that single season of 1985, Sample continued to contribute as a ballplayer and I couldn't have been happier to see him in pinstripes. 

It was then that Billy Martin was at the helm, Guidry was dominant and Donnie was the starting first baseman. And the team as a whole was in the beginning stages of working their way back to a decent, championship club.

Sample and I wrote back and forth to each other for a lot of years and it started because I asked him to sign a baseball card for my son back in 2003.  He was not only happy to do it, he wrote me a letter as well.  Here's a small portion:

I wrote him back and we kept it going from there.  When my second boy was born... it started all over again... and then when I had my other children, more letters, more autographed baseball cards, more conversation.

I was and am forever grateful to a man that not only gave his all on the field, but was nice enough to share a little of that with me, a regular guy with a regular life.

And so, because of all that, I helped promote Billy's film Reunion 108, a funny movie about baseball and it's clubhouse.  He had great success with it, and I even own it on DVD.  I still watch it from time to time. Here's Billy talking about his movie in a trailer:



And now I get to help Billy again, with his book, currently out on Amazon and titled:  A Year in Pinstripes ... And Then Some.  A terrific book about his year back in 1985 with the Yankees.

He talks about his career, his courage to play the game he loved and there are also some great nuggets in there you need to check out.  For the price, you get a ton of fun info on that 1985 team, and learn about a great man, underrated in my opinion.

If you haven't seen the vast pages of BYB, know that on the top of our home page there is a tab called the BYB Book Club.  Billy's Book is listed there along with many others I recommend.  I suggest you check out A Year in Pinstripes ... And Then Some.
 

We'll reach out to Billy again soon. I have a bunch of followup questions I want to ask him about his baseball career, as well as talking to him about his current life as filmmaker and author.  I also want to hear about his children and grand kids and how he is enjoying himself in life after baseball.

Billy's a good man.  Support him.  Buy his book.

This one's for you Billy.