“Just A Kid from Anderson”
When leaves are changing and the World Series rolls around, I can’t help remembering the most influential person from my hometown of Anderson, Indiana. 2025 is extra special because the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the Series. Our town has always been very proud of Carl Erskine, the excellent pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. When he died in 2024 at the age of 97, the local paper’s headline was how Carl described himself, “Just A Kid from Anderson.”
122 wins - 78 losses in twelve Major League seasons. He threw two no-hitters and set a World Series single-game strikeout record. In their Brooklynese, fans called him “Oisk’” After the Dodgers left Brooklyn, he won their debut game in LA in 1958. Dodger teammates included Duke Snyder, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, and Jackie Robinson.
After retiring, he returned to Anderson and built a very successful career in insurance and banking. His civic engagement and community service made him a beloved Hoosier. He coached the Anderson College baseball team for 12 years. My parents knew Carl and his wife Betty. Between the ages of 9 through 12, I played in the Erskine Little League. Teenage years, I played Babe Ruth and high school baseball with and against two of his three sons, Danny and Gary. I attended “Coach Erskine’s” summer baseball camp.
In 1996 our family made the trek from Oregon to Indiana to visit my mother in Anderson. Our kids were 8 and 11. Carl agreed to meet the family in his bank president’s office downtown. He was gracious in signing two baseballs for the kids then said, “I’m happy to sign these for you. The only thing I don’t like about signing new baseballs is that it means no one gets to play ball with them.” In his spacious office, a large glass case sported all kinds of trophies, photos, and memorabilia. I was curious about a bat with 14 symmetrical holes drilled through its barrel. It represented the record-breaking number of arch-rival Yankees he’d struck out in a 1953 World Series game. Beside each hole was the name of the batter he’d sent packing back to the dugout. Scanning the names, I saw this sequence: Mantle…Mantle…Mantle…Mantle. “You struck out Mickey Mantle four times in one game?!” He quietly said, “My best pitch was an overhead curveball, what you fellas in high school used to call a drop (curves downward, ‘falls off the table’). My curve was working well. I just got the better of Mickey that day.” The consummate professional. A famous photo shows #7 walking back to the dugout after his fourth whiff of the day.
As kids, we all knew he was a great Major League pitcher. Decades later I continue to learn what a great man Carl Ershine was. He and Betty’s third son Jimmy was born in 1960 with Down Syndrome. These children were usually sent to state-run institutions at birth or as young children. Medical professionals and society at large too often believed that people with Down Syndrome were a burden, incapable of learning, speaking, or caring for themselves. Families often believed their children were better off hidden away.
The Erskines would have none of that and decided to raise Jimmy at home. President John Kennedy’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver approached him during the formation of the Special Olympics. He was one of the first professional athletes to publicly support it. Carl Erskine promoted acceptance and inclusion. For over four decades, he volunteered and raised funds for Special Olympics Indiana. Their planned giving program is the Carl and Betty Erskine Society. There are great photos of Jimmy and his Dad at spring training in their Dodger uniforms. Carl saw many parallels between the civil rights movement and efforts to improve life for those with disabilities. In Roger Kahn’s classic The Boys of Summer, Chapter 5 is “Carl and Jimmy.” An excellent harmonica player, Carl taught Jimmy how to play.
Carl Erskine was a lifelong member of the first Baptist Church in Anderson. He did not tout his faith with empty words. He lived his faith through actions. He was a founding member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Son Gary reflected on his Dad, “He had a superpower of being a gentle, caring person without ever having to read a book on that or take lessons on how to do it. ‘Do your best and see the best in other people,’ he would say.”
Johnny Wilson and Carl Erskine grew up poor on the west side of Anderson in the 1930s and 40s. They played sports together from elementary grades through high school. Both were great basketball and baseball players. In 1946 Anderson HIgh School won the coveted Indiana High School Basketball Championship (think Hoosiers). “Jumping” Johnny Wilson was named “Mr. Basketball,” the very best player in the state. However, basketball-crazy Indiana University did not recruit him. Johnny Wilson was African American. Not a single Big Ten school had a black player on its basketball team. Johnny later played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters and professional baseball in the Negro Leagues, but neither sport for IU. Even in the 1940s, the Paramount Theater downtown Anderson would not allow African Americans to sit on the first floor. Johnny and Carl always sat together in the balcony to watch a movie.
In his book Tales from the Dodger Dugout, Carl tells this story about Jackie Robinson. It’s 1948 in Brooklyn just after a Dodgers’ game. Carl exits the clubhouse and stops to talk with players’ wives in a protected area. Fans press against the wrought-iron fence to glimpse their heroes. One of the wives he chats with is Rachel Robinson accompanied by Jackie Jr. The next day Jackie comes over to Carl’s clubhouse locker and says, “I want to thank you for what you did yesterday.” Carl was puzzled. “You stopped in front of all those fans and talked with Rachel and little Jack.” Carl replied, “Hey Jackie, you can congratulate me on a well-pitched game, but not for that.” Reflecting on his friendship with Johnny Wilson, The Kid from Anderson said, "That was just a natural thing for me to do.”
Participation and advocacy define the “everyday athlete.” Carl Erskine was the rare everyday athlete who participated at the highest level of a professional sport. His advocacy for civil rights and those with disabilities was of the highest order. His steadfast efforts to champion Special Olympics gave so many a chance to become everyday athletes. The 2022 documentary “The Best We’ve Got - The Carl Erskine Story” chronicles his stellar life and lasting legacy. It premiered at the Paramount Theater.
The 2025 LA Dodgers just won their second consecutive World Series title. It’s easy to imagine Carl and Johnny enjoying a celestial, celebratory game of catch.
