Old Times with Harry Saferight...Thanks to Connie

The Chicago Cubs are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates today.  Therefore it is the perfect time to present a couple vintage photographs of one of my favorite Pirates from my youth.
I wrote about Harry Saferight a few years ago at Autograph Tales: Harry Saferight.  Saferight was a catcher in the Pirates organization when I first started following him.  He had previously played in the Phillies organization and would later play in the Braves, Orioles and Twins systems.  Saferight is pictured on a 1980 tri-player "future stars" card.  He did make it to the majors with the Pirates, but never got into a game and is considered a "ghost" player (Meaning he never officially got into a game, but was actually on the roster for at least one game).
After that piece ran, I received a nice note from Connie, who knew Saferight from back a few years.  She told me of some fun times and I appreciated her note and hearing about those days.
Recently, Connie contacted me again and sent three pictures and the following note:

Hi Johngy:
It's Connie Bay again and I finally found pics of Harry at FSU. The first two are old newspaper clips and the third was at my home. He and Ron Cash came by to see me before one of his games. Of course I was thrilled. They were really sweet guys and good friends.
Seems like a life time ago, but we all enjoyed the games and still love FSU games!!

How cool is that?!  Not only did Connie remember me, but she sent those great pictures.  I love seeing old pictures of former players, especially former favorites of mine.
Ron Cash did make it to the majors with the Tigers for parts of two seasons.  Unfortunately, he passed away in 2009.  His nephew, Kevin Cash, had an eight year career in the majors, mostly as a backup catcher and is currently a coach with the Indians.  One fact spills into another and then into several more.  I love old baseball.
As for Connie, she became a school principal for twelve years.  I wonder if she had old baseball pictures in the principal's office.  Now that would be cool!
I really appreciate Connie sending these pictures.  As I have written so many times, in the pre-internet era, you rarely would see pictures in any papers of non-stars.  Seeing these cool pictures brings me right back to my childhood.
I feel good.  I am ready for baseball.  Thank you Connie!

Taking Care of Business:Harry Saferight

Recently, I wrote about Harry Saferight, a former catcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Saferight sent me a very nice letter after I sent him some extras of his card for him to keep.
A few weeks ago, I came across a few more of his cards and sent them to him, along with a request for him to appear here and answer a few questions.
I asked Saferight about his Topps baseball card. Saferight said, "It was nice to get on a Topps card after spending all of those years in the minors."
Saferight played with some big stars, including the 1979 World Champion Pirates. I wondered if he had any memorabilia from baseball. Saferight said, "I did start a collection at the end and wished I had started sooner. I've got about 30 balls signed by Hall of Famers. Also, I started a bat collection and boy did Hooley, our clubhouse guy in Pittsburgh, get a little tight when I would get him to pack them to go back to Pittsburgh."
Saferight retired after the 1982 season with the Toledo Mud Hens. Saferight told me, "I worked for Waste Management for 13 years after baseball. My father got sick so I took early retirement and stayed with him until he passed. Took another year off and a friend at the bank suggested I try Mortgage with them. So I spent 8 years with BB&T. Got tired of the corporate bull and now I work when I want with a friend at a smaller bank. Went from Baseball to Trash to Banking. It's funny, after my first meeting with the Bank, my manager asked what I thought. The answer was that the meeting was no different than any other meeting I had been in. You have people producing, people complaining."
I also asked Saferight if baseball played any role in his post-baseball career. Saferight stated, "It sure got me interviews and it was nice for each business that I worked in. People would recognize my name and that helped to get in the door."
It was a lot of fun following Saferight's career. It has been a lot more fun reconnecting a bit and writing about it here.
By all accounts Saferight is successful and happy in his post-baseball career. It is great to hear that things have worked out for him. He really seems like a nice guy.
I was happy to be able to get some of his cards to him. It's always nice to give back to the players. I really appreciate Saferight taking time to answer my questions.

Harry Saferight's 1980 Topps baseball card.

Autograph Tales:Harry Saferight

Harry Saferight appeared on his only Topps baseball card in the 1980 set. He was pictured with two other players on a "Pirates Future Stars" card. I had followed Saferight's career and was happy to see him on a Topps card. I never knew (or maybe I had forgotten) he actually made it to the majors with the Pirates in September of 1979.
Several years ago, I sent Saferight a couple cards, asking him to sign one and keep the other if he wanted. I also offered to get him a few more of his card if he wanted.
A couple weeks later, I received a nice note from Saferight. He thanked me for the cards and told me that he was in the majors. He had spent September of 1979 with the Pirates. That included a trip to Wrigley Field. Unfortunately, Saferight never officially played in a game though. He was in the on-deck circle four times, but the batter made an out each time. Saferight never appeared in the majors again.
Players who made it to the majors, but never actually played are sometimes called "phantom players". They usually do not appear on baseball stat sites such as Baseball-Reference.com, although there is a movement to change that. Saferight (and any others like him) should be included with the rest of the major leaguers. He was on the roster, on the team, in uniform and ready to appear in a game.
I had followed Saferight's career, including seeing him play in person in Columbus in 1978 and Toledo in 1982. I also was at one of the games in Wrigley when Saferight was with the Pirates.
This is why I believe I just forgot. Everyone here knows I am an encyclopedia for backup catchers. Being that I followed Saferight's career, saw him play twice in the minors and was at one of the games in Wrigley, I just had to have known he was in uniform. It doesn't make sense otherwise.
Either way, I really appreciated Saferight's letter. I had a lot of fun following his career. It's always nice to get a little extra with any autograph request. In a near future post for Taking Care of Business, I will be highlighting Saferight again.

Harry Saferight's autographed 1980 Topps baseball card.