There are times in life that alter a person’s view of the world. For Ed FitzGerald, it was the summer of 1950 when, as a Catholic boy growing up in a blue-collar Kansas City neighborhood, he got a job working for the hometown Blues baseball organization. A stint as ball boy led to an unlikely promotion to clubhouse manager for the visiting teams – a dream-come-true job for a 14-year-old baseball fan. It was an unforgettable season of fielding grounders before games, long doubleheaders, and ballpark banter. 

Now in his 80s, FitzGerald reflects on that fateful period of his youth in a discussion of his book The Summer with the Blues. Local author Pat O’Neill interviews FitzGerald about his clubhouse experiences, whether it was fetching hotdogs and drinks for opposing players, playing catch with future Hall of Famers, or being introduced to Arthur Bryant’s barbeque by the Blues’ trainer.

FitzGerald is a retired attorney who practiced law in Kansas City for over 60 years. O’Neill, a retired publicist and marketing executive, wrote the authoritative book on Kansas City’s Irish history, From the Bottom Up, and is co-author of the forthcoming Ted Sullivan, Barnacle of Baseball.