Sabo s All-Star Career Shared With MLB s Greatest

Manatee County resident Chris Sabo has seen his share of baseball Hall of Famers, up close and personal.

In two weeks, on July 23 in Cooperstown, New York, tens of thousands of baseball fans will flock for Inductions Weekend. On the grounds of the Clark Sports Center, the two newest members elected to the game s shrine, Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen, will step before the podium and thank all who made it possible for them to be there.

Winfield, Brett, Carew, and Ortiz Hall of Famers all will be joined by dozens of their peers, to welcome in the newest members of their exclusive club.

When I was recently thinking about the many current and former MLB players who have chosen Manatee County as their permanent home, one name stood out.

Chris Sabo enjoyed a nine-year run on the MLB level, in the late  80s through the mid-'90s, with four clubs.

Coming to the Cincinnati Reds by way of Detroit, MI., Sabo s big-league career took off on a high note, in 1988 when he played the first of more than 1,300 games at third base. Sabo was also selected as the National League Rookie of the Year.

During his seven seasons playing in ""The Queen City , Sabo was chosen as a member of the National League All-Star team three times, and in the fall of 1990, a World Series championship ring was collected.

The Reds defeated the heavily favored Oakland A s in the Fall Classic, by sweeping their American League foes in four games.

So when I look over Sabo s MLB resume, I m amazed at how many future Hall of Famers he either called teammates and or played against.

With the Reds, fellow infielder Barry Larkin (Class of 2012) and Tony Perez (Class of 2000), Sabo s first hitting coach and future manager in Cincinnati, helped his career grow.

After becoming a free agent at the end of the 1993 season, Sabo signed with the Baltimore Orioles. That one season was based in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Four future hall of famers were Sabo s teammates. Cal Ripken Jr. (Class of 2007), Mike Mussina (Class of 2019), Harold Baines (Class of 2019), and Lee Smith (Class of 2019) all shared locker rooms and stories about their adventures on and off the diamond.

During the 1995 season, Sabo split roster time for two clubs, first, with the Chicago White Sox, and finishing off the season with a brief stop as a St. Louis Cardinal.

In the 20 games in Chicago s lineup, ""The Big Hurt Frank Thomas (Class of 20014) and Tim Raines (Class of 2017) called Sabo a teammate. And during his limited time as a Cardinal, Joe Torre (Class of 2014) was his manager, and Ozzie Smith (Class of 2002) shared the left side of the infield with Sabo.

The more I revisited Sabo s playing career, one name stuck out. Another possible hall of famer managed Sabo during his first six seasons playing home games at Riverfront Stadium. Lou Piniella, winner of 1,835 games from the dugout, guided the Reds to their World Series championship 33 years ago.

This coming December, Piniella could be elected to the Cooperstown-based baseball shrine, as the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee may have Piniella s name on the ballot. This time, the committee will consider a ballot with names of former managers, executives, and umpires.

Piniella is one of several former skippers who may well have made the final cut for voting.

Sabo is bullish on his former manager s chances of securing a plaque in the Hall of Fame gallery at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown.

""I loved Lou, said Sabo when contacted this past week by phone. ""I never had a problem with him. He put my name out there in the lineup and helped me a lot with my hitting.

Sabo instantly remembers his former bench boss as fiery; a bit of a loose cannon. However, Sabo remains still in the dark as to why Piniella decided to leave the Reds after the 1992 season. But he does believe that Piniella, a Hillsborough County resident, is worthy of permanent residency in Cooperstown.

""Lou won the World Series as a player and manager, and he was a general manager. I m surprised that he isn t in the Hall of Fame already, explains Sabo.

Sometimes longevity alone doesn t influence committee voters. Beginning in 1986 with the New York Yankees, Piniella managed his last game with the Chicago Cubs in 2010. With possible competition for the final ballot with fellow managers Davey Johnson and Jim Leyland, Piniella could have a tough going just to make the final cut.

Today, Sabo has a different motivator for keeping up with the Reds on TV. His daughter, Annie Sabo, is in her second season working for Bally Sports Ohio. Working select Reds Live pre- and postgame shows, Annie keeps the legacy of her dad, a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame (Class of 2010), front and center.

""The Reds have been fun to watch this season, says Sabo of the National League Central Division-leading club. ""They (Reds) are hustling, winning, attendance is up, this season s club reminds me of when I played.

Keeping in touch with his buddy and former Cincinnati teammate Paul O Neill and playing a lot of golf are what make up his daily retirement menu these days. Retired from coaching on the college level, however, Sabo isn t done with baseball altogether just yet.

Baseball United is an upcoming professional baseball league set to begin its inaugural season later this year in the Middle East and South Asia. Baseball Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Barry Larkin are among the founding stakeholders. The Mumbai Cobras, the first franchise announced this past May, will be managed by Sabo.

""I m excited to bring baseball to the world, declares Sabo.