Dykstra: All In on Intel

The game of baseball was supposedly invented by Abner Doubleday in a cow pasture in 1839 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Over the years it evolved into America 's pastime. There has always been a Rockwellian quality to baseball. Baseball was played by real men who honored and respected the traditions of the game. While their off-field antics were not always exemplary (witness Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth), the code they played by was universal and unquestioned.

Today we often dub stars "throwback players" or "players from another era" in an effort to compliment their style of play. Sadly, baseball lost one of those players last week, and I lost a mentor for whom I had the utmost respect.

John Vukovich was a third baseman, a third-base coach, a bench coach, a husband, a father and a friend. Above all, "Vuk," as we knew him, was a real man. He epitomized the way baseball was intended to be played. He conducted himself in a manner befitting the code that had its origins in that cow pasture in Cooperstown.

Vuk was fiercely loyal, trustworthy, and had an uncanny ability to read people. He could readily detect purveyors of the commodity that invariably permeates the cow pasture, and his distaste for such was undeniable. Nonetheless, if you were able to earn his trust, he became an invaluable resource with tremendous insight and unlimited knowledge.

My initial encounter with Vuk certainly did not engender a warm feeling. On the contrary, it was more like frostbite. I was a rookie with the Mets and he was a coach with the Cubs. I attempted to strike up a conversation with him, but was met with a frigid shoulder. I was initially miffed at his snub.

However, I later came to realize the reasons for it. Vuk was old school, which dictated that you did not give opposing players the time of day. Quite frankly, until I was fortunate enough to understand him, I was intimidated by Vuk.

During my tenure in Philly, Vuk was the bench coach, an incredibly important position in baseball. The bench coach is responsible for the lineup, positioning players, keeping track of who is available, orchestrating double switches and knowing the strengths and weaknesses of all the opposing players.

Additionally, Vuk was responsible for running spring training. Characteristically, the coach who runs spring training is hand-picked by the manager based on his capabilities, and perhaps more importantly, his dependability.