Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission and Scientech member. 

The speaker will cover the remarkable life of Carl Erskine, one of the great human-rights champions of our time. From the dirt-poor alleys of Anderson, Indiana, to a storied career with the Brooklyn Dodgers’ fabled “Boys of Summer”, Carl Erskine lived the American Dream and spent his lifetime giving it to others. After his playing days, he returned to Anderson and spent the rest of his life as a Hoosier. Without Carl Erskine, we would not have the Special Olympics International. Erskine with the support of teammates, Jackie Robinson and Johnny Wilson, advocated for 60 years for people with intellectual disabilities such as his son, Jimmy. Carl helped effect profound social change through his core values of grace, humility and servant leadership.

Zoom Meeting Info

https://zoom.us/j/97527634510?pwd=eWcyTFJRMkZGanBQekJxTWxwSTdxdz09

Meeting ID: 975 2763 4510

Passcode: 946584

Program: Live and Zoom: The Best We’ve Got “He Is Living A Perfect Game”

Speaker: Rick Whitener standing in for Jerry Karwowski, Senior VP (retired), Wells Fargo Advisors; Scientech Club member.

Introduced By: Andy Ratermann

Attendance: NESC: 86, Zoom: 24

Guest(s): Mark Fasbinder, Bea Hewitt

Scribe: Bill Dick

Editor: Bill Elliott

No Zoom recording of this talk was obtained.

Rick Whitener filled in for Jerry Karwowski, who was unavailable. Jerry was part of the team that produced the movie about Carl Erskine, who died earlier this year at the age of 97.

Carl Erskine was born in Anderson, IN. in 1946. Just before Carl broke into organized baseball, the U.S. was segregated in schools, restaurants, etc. Carl was not that way. He was friends with Johnny Wilson at Anderson H.S. The team made it into the basketball final four at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Later, Johnny played for the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.

Carl was in the U.S. Navy and was discharged at the end of the war. The Brooklyn Dodgers had scouted Carl, who went to the minor leagues for a year.

Carl pitched for two years for Brooklyn and became a starting pitcher in 1951. When Carl met Jackie Robinson in 1947, there was no problem with race. He was good friends with Jackie Robinson and supported him in the clubhouse. Mr. Erskine won 14 games in 1952 and in 1953 he was the best pitcher in the National League with a record of 20-6. He won 18 games in 1954. He hurt his arm in 1955, but the Dodgers finally beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. Erskine struck out 14 batters, including Mickey Mantle four times. Carl was part of Roger Kahn’s book, “The Boys of Summer,” which was about the great Dodger teams in the 1950’s.

It was in life after baseball that Erskine really shined. Carl used to say that he had one team, one wife, and one home run. Jimmy, his boy with Downs Syndrome was born in 1960. Rather than place him in an institution, the Erskines’ made him a normal family member. Jimmy played in the Special Olympics for many years. Carl played a large part in the Special Olympics, and he was a founding member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Mr. Erskine graduated from Anderson University and coached their baseball team. He later worked for a bank in Anderson. Jimmy worked at Applebee’s for twenty years and eventually lived on his own.  Jimmy and Carl played the harmonica together. Carl wrote two books: “Tales from the Dodger Dugout,” and “What I Learned from Jackie Robinson.”

Carl Erskine was a humble man, who had a lot of stories. Many Scientech members have met Carl Erskine, and they discussed Carl in the Q&A period. Former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, who helped with the movie about Carl and coined the term “The Best We’ve Got. “

Here is a preview of the movie:

The Best We've Got Preview

     Rick Whitener