St. Paul, Nebraska : The hometown of a one-of-a-kind pitcher
St. Paul, Nebraska, is a relatively small city with a population of around 2,500.
It was the summer of 2015. While on a road trip across the United States, I visited the "Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball" located in this small city. You might be wondering why a city of only 2,500 people would have a museum with such an ambitious name; after all, one would normally expect a museum with a title like that to be in a major city. But there is a perfectly good reason for it.
I parked my car in front of the museum at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. When I got out and read the sign, I saw that it didn't open until 10:00 AM. I had arrived far too early. I decided to wait in my car, reading a paperback book I had brought from Japan.
However, at 9:00, a middle-aged white man unlocked the museum and went inside. It seemed he was getting things ready for opening. A short while later, he came back outside, so I rolled down my window and called out to him,
"Excuse me... the museum opens at 10:00 today, right?"
The man looked surprised; I was likely the first person ever to show up and wait that early. But he was very kind. He said,
"Would you like me to let you in right now?"
I couldn't very well take advantage of such a generous offer, so I replied,
"No, I'll wait until opening time."
The man walked away, but he returned at 9:20 and kindly said,
"Alright, let's go inside."
Deciding it was okay to accept his kindness this time, I got out of the car.
He was the museum's caretaker, and when I told him I had come all the way from Japan to visit, he was absolutely delighted. He then ushered me inside the museum.
So, what is the reason a small city like this has a museum with such a grand name as the "Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball"? I already knew the answer, but I asked the caretaker just to confirm. I got the reply I expected.
"It's because Grover Alexander was born near here, attended high school here, lived here in his later years, and is buried in the local cemetery."
I immediately said,
"Alexander was the first pitcher in Major League history to win the pitching Triple Crown two years in a row, wasn't he?"
The caretaker smiled and nodded.
Winning the pitching Triple Crown means leading the league in ERA, wins, and strikeouts. In the long history of the Major Leagues, only four pitchers—including Alexander—have ever achieved this incredible feat for two consecutive years. That is why no one finds it strange that the "Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball" is located in Alexander's hometown.
Naturally, the special exhibition area taking up the most space in the museum is dedicated to Alexander. Standing in that space, the caretaker said:
"This is a photo of the poster for Alexander's biographical film."
It was the poster for "The Winning Team" (1952).
Looking at the photo, I immediately remarked,
"The lead actor in this movie is a young Ronald Reagan, isn't it?"
Once again, the caretaker smiled and nodded.
Alexander was not only one of the four pitchers to win the Triple Crown in consecutive years, but he was also a rare figure whose life story was portrayed on film by a man who would go on to become President of the United States. A pitcher like that is truly one of a kind; we will surely never see another like him.
The caretaker also kindly showed me the exhibits dedicated to players other than Alexander.
There were reportedly around 150 Major League Baseball players hailing from Nebraska—a group that includes seven Hall of Famers. This count encompasses not only those born in the state but also players born or raised elsewhere who attended a Nebraska university before turning pro.
Displays featuring photos, names, and brief biographies of every one of them lined the walls; seeing such a large collection of major leaguers was truly impressive.
Among the many players featured, there is one I would like to highlight: Darin Erstad, a man who has long held my interest.
Erstad was not born in Nebraska; he was born in Jamestown, North Dakota, and graduated from Jamestown High School. He later enrolled at the University of Nebraska, where he excelled as a member of the baseball team. In the Major Leagues, he played primarily for the Angels before retiring in 2009. He was a fantastic major leaguer—the kind of player I really admired. He achieved a historic milestone by winning Gold Glove Awards at both outfield and first base—the first player in MLB history to win the award at multiple defensive positions. However, the main reason I was drawn to him was his 240-hit season in 2000. That figure remains the 13th-highest single-season hit total in MLB history. In addition to those 240 hits, Erstad posted a batting average of .355 that year. Since retiring as a player, he appears to have served in roles such as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Aside from Alexander, two other figures were honored with particularly large, dedicated exhibit spaces.
The first was Wade Boggs. He was a renowned hitter who recorded 200 or more hits for seven consecutive seasons—a record surpassed only by Ichiro (10 seasons) and Willie Keeler (8 seasons)—and amassed 3,010 career hits. His 240 hits in 1985 tied him with Darin Erstad for the 13th-highest single-season hit total in history.
Next up is Alex Gordon. Born, raised, and educated in Nebraska, he was an active Major Leaguer playing for the Kansas City Royals when I visited the museum in 2015 (he retired after the 2020 season). He won eight Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder and was selected for the All-Star Game three times.
After the caretaker had shown me every corner of the museum, he asked me an unexpected question,
"What do you do for a living?"
I was surprised he would ask something so personal, but I answered honestly,
"I'm a doctor. A pathologist."
The caretaker then had me stand in front of the Grover Alexander exhibit and took my picture. Furthermore, following the caretaker's instructions, I wrote my name and email address on a piece of paper and handed it to him.
Finally, smiling broadly, he said,
"I'm going to have you featured in the local newspaper, complete with a photo."
So that was it. That explained why he'd asked such personal questions and taken those photos. But I wonder—will that actually happen?
Five days later, while opening my laptop at a cheap motel in Minnesota, I viewed the photo the caretaker had emailed me. It was a picture of the newspaper article featuring me. The headline read "Interesting Visitor." ...That photo remains a wonderful memory for me. I will never forget the caretaker who did this for me.
By the way...it is well known that President Ronald Reagan—who played Grover Alexander in the movie "The Winning Team"—had another connection to Major League Baseball. My next column will be about that.
(If I've made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I'll try to make corrections or additions.)