Specs Toporcer

From an early age, like most children at the time, George Toporczer was obsessed with baseball. In an interview, he admitted that for the last 75 years he had thought about the sport nearly daily. He stated that in spite of his obsession he was always picked last during childhood games because of his slight build and glasses. He went to school and became friends with actor Jimmy Cagney, staying in touch into the later portions of their lives. Toporczer said the first thing that hooked him on baseball was when he was six and went to the 1905 World Series. At the World Series he watched the Giants' Christy Mathewson pitch three shutouts The experience was further reinforced by his two older brothers who, being diehard Giants fans, idolized the players, speaking of little else but the performance of their favorite team. The fanaticism of his older brothers influenced him and he too became a diehard Giants fan. When they lost the pennant to the Chicago Cubs in 1908, due to Merkle's Boner, he cried himself to sleep. By the time he was ten he would walk the five miles from his house to the Polo Grounds. Although the one cent allowance provided by his father, a shoe and boot seller, was not enough to get him a ticket, he found a spot on Coogan's Bluff that he could take advantage of an open space in the roof of the Polo Grounds.[3]

Unlike most of his peers, he was enthralled with what was known then as inside baseball, which were the strategies and tactics of the "dead-ball" era. While still loving the Giants players, Toporczer held a special admiration of the Giants' manager John McGraw, who he considered the best of his time. Out of all of the Giants players, George's favorite was the left fielder, George Burns. When he was thirteen Toporczer got a job at a local saloon as a scorekeeper, writing down the scores of the baseball games in exchange for fifty cents and free meals. While in seventh grade his history teacher formed a school baseball team but he was turned down because of his slight figure and his glasses. Even though he was not on the team, Toporczer still went to all of their games to cheer them on. On one occasion, he was the only one watching, and as the team was short one player he was asked to play centerfield. During that game he made a difficult catch and contributed two hits. Around this time his father died and passed the business on to one of Toporczer's older brothers, and George had to forgo high school and help his brother run the store. Between working at the store and picking up odd jobs on the side, Toporczer was making more than enough to buy tickets and would regularly go to the Polo Grounds.[3]

In 1951, while managing the Buffalo Bisons, Toporcer became blind after a fifth operation to save his failing eyesight was unsuccessful.

During his time as the farm director for the Red Sox, Toporcer had begun to notice spots in his vision that were obstructing his sight. After visiting an eye specialist and having a lengthy examination, the doctor diagnosed him with a detached retina. Toporcer got the required surgery and the doctor proscribed a thirty-day bed rest, forbidden from moving his head so as not the dislodge the retina while it healed. Once the thirty days were over, the doctor removed the bandages to find the surgery had been unsuccessful; Toporcer had lost sight in his left eye. Another attempt was made to save his left eye, but it was unsuccessful. Then, while managing Buffalo in 1951, Toporcer began to experience problems with his right eye. After three more unsuccessful surgeries on that orb, Toporcer became blind in both eyes.[3]

The Cardinals and Red Sox held benefits to defray the expenses of Toporcer's eye surgeries, but because years of playing baseball had toughened his fingertips,[4] he was not able to master Braille. He became a motivational speaker and was known as "Baseball's Blind Ambassador."[4]

In 1944, Toporcer wrote an autobiography, Baseball – From Backlots to Big Leagues, still considered one of the best manuals of instruction for coaches and young players. His life story was featured in a network TV show in which he played the lead.

Toporcer died in Huntington Station, New York, at the age of 90 from injuries sustained in a fall at his home. He was the last surviving member of the 1926 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

• Branch Rickey once told this story about Specs Toporcer: "A 19-year-old boy who weighed 142 pounds and never had played a game of pro ball came off the field at Orange, New Jersey. I watched this kid and saw him take off his glasses and, with his hands outstretched, grope his way along the wall to the showers. My captain turned to me and said, For God's sake, who sent him up?" - Norman L. Macht, baseball writer and statistician

• The Glory of Their Times, 1966 book

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Skelton, David E., Specs Toporcer. Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project
• Specs Toporcer at Find a Grave