Going deep with 'the Bandit': Talking baseball, books and a brush with the movies

Third of 3 parts

Ken Berry covered a lot of ground as a major league outfielder.

Following his playing career, he has been just as wide ranging off the field, as a mentor to future big leaguers, a technical adviser and actor in a major motion picture and the author of children's books and novels.

Following his 1970 Gold Glove season, the White Sox dealt him, along with Syd O'Brien and Billy Wynne, to the California Angels in a trade that brought the Sox pitcher Tom Bradley, outfielder Jay Johnstone and catcher Tom Egan.

Speaking by phone from Topeka, Kansas, Berry laughed as he recalled how former Sox GM Roland Hemond later apologized several times to him and his wife Aleda for the trade.

But, Berry insisted, "It was a great trade for the Sox," especially since the Sox gained a pitcher in Bradley who would win 30 games over two seasons. "If I could make a trade like that, I would do it every time."

The trade would take him to his favorite major league field in Anaheim, where he enjoyed the Southern California weather.

Another bonus, he said, was getting away from the center field scoreboard at White Sox Park with all the lights, letters and ads that adorned it.

The backdrop in Anaheim, he said, was solid black, making it much more hitter friendly.

With right fielder Tony Conigliaro battling vision problems resulting from his beaning in 1967 by Jack Hamilton, and left fielder Alex Johnson avoiding both his teammates and fly balls, "I was basically given the entire outfield to myself except for balls that were hit directly at Alex or Tony."

Berry earned another Gold Glove in Anaheim in 1972 and also found his hitting stroke, hitting .289 in 1972 and .284 in 1973.

After his playing career ended in 1975, Berry embarked five years later on a 26-year career as a manager, coach, and instructor with several teams.

He returned to the White Sox organization, serving in 1989 and 1990 as manager of the Birmingham Barons of the Southern League.

There, he would help develop such prospects as Robin Ventura and both the "Big Hurt," Frank Thomas, and the "Little Hurt," Craig Grebeck.

Berry used Grebeck as a cleanup hitter after he saw how the 5-foot-8-inch, 160-pound infielder had a knack for getting the key hit, driving in runners from third with less than two out and moving runners along on a regular basis.

The move paid off. Grebeck drove in 80 runs, hit .287, and led the Southern League with 153 base hits in 1989.

With an 88-55 mark in 1989, the Barons earned the nickname "the runaway train," as they roared to the league championship.

Berry said his managing style drew upon Eddie Stanky's aggressive approach, Chuck Tanner's positive outlook and the use of the delayed steal he had learned from Del Crandall in Milwaukee when he played there in 1974.

Berry said the team led the Southern League in intentional walks, saying, with first base open, "I was not hesitant to walk a hitter who had a low strikeout ratio, as opposed to someone who was striking out three to four times every 10 times at bat."

It was baseball that led to Berry's brief film career.

In 1987, he had been managing the Royals farm team in Appleton, Wisconsin when a rival manager, the Kenosha Twins' Don Leppert, asked Berry if he would have any interest in a job he had been offered but turned down because of a conflict, being the technical adviser for a movie being filmed in Indianapolis, where Berry had played for the White Sox AAA team.

The movie turned out to be "Eight Men Out," based on Eliot Asinof's account of the 1919 World Series.

Berry said the experience was a blast, as he hit fungoes to John Cusack, playing Buck Weaver, and worked in the outfield with Charlie Sheen, portraying "Happy" Felsch.

"Overall the guys were fantastic," he said. "A few of them had some real talent."

However, some of the actors posed challenges. For one thing,

Bill Irwin, who played second baseman Eddie Collins, was a dancer on Broadway and had never played baseball.

Berry's yelling as he worked with the players impressed the casting director so much that Berry won a role in the film as the fan who heckles "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, played by D.B. Sweeney.

Director John Sayles approached Berry and told him the sun was good for one take, and Berry, appearing in the scene with his former roommate, ex-White Sox infielder Dick Kenworthy, who lived in Indy, finished the scene without a retake.

Since his part contained more than nine words, he said he had to join the Screen Actors Guild.

"Last winter I got a check for over $300 made out to Ken Berry," he said. "The only problem was, it was meant for the Ken Berry who was in 'F Troop' and 'Mayberry RFD.'"

Lately, Berry, a natural storyteller, has been engaged in literary pursuits. He is currently working on his third novel and has written seven children's books.

He said that one evening, he walked into his office and sat down at a typewriter that has been with him for nearly 40 years.

When he showed his wife his first children's story, "Artie the Awesome Apple," he said, "She made the mistake of saying, 'this is pretty good.'"

That was all the incentive he needed to continue writing.

"My kid's books seem to have a main character with a problem they have to overcome," Berry said, such as "Clyde the Clumsy Camel."

Berry's first novel "Twin Snipers," is a thriller that takes place along the border between Texas and Mexico. His latest novel focuses, naturally enough, on a former baseball player and is called "Comeback."

He is now completing work on "The Last Run," a murder mystery involving a potential Olympic runner.

There is something fitting about a Gold Glover writing about a possible gold medalist. In fact, it seems to fit just like a glove.

For those interested in purchasing one of his books, they can reach Berry at (785) 633-6837.