“Wizard of Oz” Still Making Saves

Written by: Jerry Milani on 1st July 2010

"Wizard of Oz" Still Making Saves | read this item

Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith saved hundreds of runs with his fancy glovework in 19 seasons with the Cardinals and Padres. Today, he’s hoping to save even more lives by working with the Depend Campaign to End Prostate Cancer, increasing awareness of testing and the options available to men.

The program launched last year and has expanded significantly for 2010. Smith, Ken Griffey Sr., football legends Jim Kelly, Len Dawson and Rod Woodson, hockey champion Mike Bossy and celebrated boxing referee Joe Cortez are the other sports celebrities assisting with the cause.

Smith and Griffey are making a particular push around the All-Star Game. “The Wizard” took a few minutes to talk to Baseball Digest about the campaign and his career.

BBD: Why is the Depend Campaign to End Prostate Cancer such an important cause for you?
OS: As an African-American male I have an increased risk for the disease. Knowing that one in four African-American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 27,000 were affected last year alone, it’s so important for men to be proactive about their prostate health.

The statistics speak for themselves, but I also have many friends, numerous within the MLB community, that have been diagnosed with the disease, so it is personal for me. If I can use my work with ‘The Depend Campaign to End Prostate Cancer’ to get just one man to get his yearly PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, I’ll feel my involvement has meant something.

BBD: What are some of the risk factors that men should be aware of?
OS: Age, race and family history all play a part in determining your risk for being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Once men reach age 50, their risk for prostate cancer increases significantly and nearly two in every three instances of prostate cancer are found in men over the age of 65. At age 55, I am right in the age range where being proactive and talking to my doctor to determine my risk is all the more important.

As I mentioned previously, prostate cancer is even more prevalent in African-American men, with one in four at a lifetime risk, compared to one in six for the population on the whole.

Finally, family history also plays a key role in determining your risk for getting the disease. If a man has just one immediate male family member diagnosed with prostate cancer, his chances of getting it jump to one in three. This is why it is so important for men to talk about their family history with relatives.

One of the best resources out there right now is our campaign web site, www.depend.com, there’s tons of good information about prostate cancer as well as first-hand testimonials, including yours truly, about our involvement in the campaign.

BBD: At what age should men begin testing and how often should they be tested?
OS: Generally, those with family history should begin getting screened at age 40 and it is suggested that the general population should start at age 50 to get a baseline of their PSA reading. I encourage all men to consult with their family doctor to decide on what the best course of action is for them.

I know men don’t like going to the doctor, but a simple blood test can alert a physician to conduct further testing, and ultimately save their life. When I was at the height of my playing days, we were getting physicals ever year, so it’s not even something you think about. I realize that’s not the case for all men, which is why they really need to be proactive about their health. We all want to be around as long as we possibly can to see our families grow – so it’s really about making the commitment not only for you, but for those you care about.

BBD: Even though you grew up in Los Angeles for the most part, you are one of 10 Hall of Famers born in Alabama, a list that includes fellow Mobile natives Hank Aaron and Willie McCovey. Why do you think that area has produced so many stars?

OS: I have no idea, I think its just coincidence more than anything because I don’t think we all had the same coaches or anything to that nature. I’m just proud to be part of a heritage that includes players like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.

BBD: Do you think your election to the Hall of Fame legitimizes the importance of defense in the game, particularly from the demanding position of shortstop?
OS: Well, it surely adds to that legitimacy. Defense is extremely important in baseball as it is in all sports but the baseball writers who vote for the Hall of Fame have always held defensive prowess in its rightful place., I am very proud of the fact that when I ended my career in 1996 I was a complete, well rounded player.

BBD: You had almost 2,500 hits and stole almost 600 bases. Do you think that being such an outstanding defender obscured your offensive contributions?
OS: No, I think my offensive contributions contributed greatly to my overall success as well as to my first ballot election into the Hall of Fame.

BBD: Leaving yourself out of the equation, if you were asked to rank the top three shortstops of all time, all-around, who would you list?
OS: Luis Aparicio, Garry Templeton, and Omar Vizquel

BBD: Your career is full of highlights that most players can only dream of: dazzling plays, a game-winning post season home run, Hall of Fame induction and a statue immortalizing your likeness. Which do you consider the most memorable and important for you?
OS: I can honestly say that one is no more important than the other. All of them combined to make my baseball career complete, consistently successful, hugely satisfying, and extremely memorable.

BBD: You played for five managers in your career, including such notables as Joe Torre, Whitey Herzog and Tony LaRussa. Who was your favorite? What did you learn from some of them?
OS: Whitey Herzog is my favorite. He came out to San Diego and let me know how important I could be to the Cardinals success in 1982. His strong confidence in me is what made me make that choice to give up my no trade clause with the Padres and make that leap of faith. We won the World Series that year, and I never looked back.

What did I learn from some of my managers? From Joe Torre, I learned how to win and lose with class. From Whitey I learned what it meant to be a professional. I also admired his ability to improvise in any situation and it taught me how improvisational skills are a huge part of success, not just in baseball, but in life.

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Topics: African American Men, all star game, Baseball Digest, Football Legends, Hall of Fame, Hall Of Famer, Jim Kelly, Joe Torre, ken griffey, Ken Griffey Sr, Len Dawson, Mike Bossy, Ozzie Smith, Prostate Cancer, Prostate Cancer Increases, Prostate Specific Antigen, Prostate Specific Antigen Test, Referee Joe Cortez, Risk Factors, Rod Woodson, Sports Celebrities, Tony La Russa, Whitey Herzog, Wizard Of Oz, Wizard Oz

TTT July 6 – and some other links « Bats:Both says:

July 6, 2010 at 5:01 pm

[...] been particularly inspired by the transactions, though I have been interviewing some author and Hall of Fame shortstop and TV executive types for some stories on BaseballDigest.com and NewJerseyNewsroom.com, so feel [...]

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