The Cup of Coffee Club
The Cup of Coffee Club, Jacob Kornhauser. Rowman & Littlefield (ISBN: 9781538175453) 2023.
Summary: The stories of eleven baseball players who played just one game in the Major Leagues.
Most of the baseball books I’ve read recount the stories of championship teams or Hall of Fame players. This book is very different. It chronicles eleven members of the “Cup of Coffee” club, those who played just one game in the Major Leagues, just long enough to have a cup of coffee. One the one hand, it seems to be a dubious honor to be part of this club. Yet from another perspective, it is still quite a honor to be among less than 19,000 players who ever played in the Major Leagues.
One of the eleven, Charlie Lindstrom, was the son of Hall of Famer, Freddie Lindstrom. Two others had brothers who made the Hall of Fame, Larry Yount, brother of Robin Yount, and Stephen Larkin, brother of Barry Larkin. Most came from families where sports was a big deal. All of them had Major League dreams from early on. Many signed on out of high school, others after college.
And then came the long ordeal of working their way through the minors, often more than five years. Time spent honing skills, sometimes helped by coaches, sometimes in spite. One thing most had in common was to play at a position occupied by a star or strong player at the Major League level. In another farm system, they might have made it sooner, and perhaps stayed longer. Kornhauser chronicles the “grit,” the mental mindset that separates those who make it from those who don’t. Often, the biggest challenges is overcoming one’s own self-doubt.
After describing each player’s background and minor league journey, Kornhauser narrates in detail that one game. It was surprising how many hitters had just one at bat and finished with a 1.000 Major League batting average. Likewise, there were several pitchers who pitched scoreless or even hitless outings, ending with a 0.000 ERA (including one credited with an appearance who never threw a pitch). One wonders, why didn’t they stay. Usually, it was because the player they replaced returned. One player, Sam Marsonek, had a boating accident during the All-Star break and was never the same. Playing injuries hampered several others, who were never able to return to top form.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of the stories is how they dealt with life afterwards. Some thought they’d be back only to return to the minors. For some, it was devastating, reflected in their performance. Marsonek was in a deteriorating spiral of alcohol abuse until a mission trip led to faith and eventually, leadership of a sports ministry. For most, they eventually came to a place of being at peace with or even proud of what they achieved. Larry Yount achieved success in business. Others stayed in the game, coaching at various levels, mentoring younger players. Jeff Banister managed the Texas Rangers, being named AL Manager of the Year in his rookie year in 2015. Ron Wright went on to earn a pharmacy degree and works as a pharmacist.
Kornhauser concludes with other “cup of coffee” stories including that of Bert Shepard, who lost a leg in World War Two but pitched a game with the Senators. The stories he tells give us just as much sense of the “inside” life of baseball as the accounts of the star players. He helps us appreciate how hard players work just to make it to the Majors. He also helps us understand the challenge every player who plays the game and loves it faces when it’s time to hang it up. Yet each of the men here did navigate that transition, though not without struggles. Kornhauser combines good research and storytelling to celebrate those who made it, even for one game. A great book for anyone who loves the game.