New York, NY – I’ll start by telling you of an old baseball legend. His name is Tom Giordano and for over 70 years, he was a MLB Scout. For those of us who knew him, we addressed him as, “T-Bone.” The baseball lifer who many of us have known and loved throughout his life passed away on Thursday, February 14, 2019. He was 93-years-old.
With the 2019 MLB Season right around the corner, not having T-Bone physically around is going to be awkward. For as respected as T-Bone was, he always made it a point to make everyone feel that they belonged in the Majors.
Whether you were a security guard, a cook, a dishwasher, an intern, a rookie baseball writer, T-Bone always made it a point to greet you and make you feel welcomed. If you were eating by yourself in the Media Dining room, he would insist you joined him and everyone else in his table. Just to be clear, T-Bone didn’t have to do that.
My relationship with T-Bone was made possible through our longtime sportwriter and friend, Rich Mancuso. Knowing T-Bone, he would understand why I’m taking the time to remind our audience that for over the past decade, Rich has been the one writer who has been our workhorse during the MLB Season.
Year in, year out, day in, day out, Rich’s meat and potatoes approach towards his MLB coverage is appreciated by us, our friends over at NYSportsDay.com, and of course, our audience. Thanks to Rich, I was able to establish a bond with T-Bone.
Whether at Yankee Stadium or at Citi Field, whenever T-Bone arrived, he lit up the atmosphere with his smile and personality. It didn’t matter what you were doing, if you saw T-Bone, you dropped what you did and gave the man the respect he’s earned over the past seven decades in the Majors.
When it came to T-Bone and myself, instead of talking about baseball and its latest rumors, we always talked about the weather and everyday life. Regardless of the game’s outcome, we would always end our conversations with a firm handshake and a verbal reminder of, “See you soon.” Thanks for the memories, my friend.
Rest in peace, you’ve earned it.
When the time is right… I’ll see you soon, T-Bone.
