Ron Blomberg and Legends Of Baseball Celebrity Cruise

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing New York Yankees legend Ron Blomberg. Major League Baseball's first ever Designated Hitter discussed his career and the upcoming Legends of Baseball Cruise (12/9-16/23).

After being selected first overall by the Yankees in the 1967 MLB Draft, Blomberg made his big league debut in 1969. After spending the 1970 season and the beginning of 1971 in the minors, he was called up by the Yankees for good.

On April 6, 1973, Blomberg grabbed his bat and stepped into the batter's box to face Luis Tiant of the Boston Red Sox. In doing so, Blomberg etched his name in baseball history as the first DH in baseball history. The DH had just been approved for the American League and Blomberg beat other teams' DH's to the plate to earn the distinction.

Injuries derailed Blomberg's career. In 1975, he appeared in just 34 games, followed by one in 1976 and none in 1977. After that season, he signed as a free agent with my beloved Chicago White Sox. Despite a great start in which he hit an Opening Day game-tying home run, Blomberg battled injuries and was limited to 61 games. That would be it for his career, as the White Sox released him at the end of the season.

Despite the injuries, Ron put up excellent numbers in limited playing time. Overall, he batted .302 with 52 homers, 224 RBI's and 184 runs scored, in just 461 games played.

After retiring, Blomberg stayed close to the game he loved. He has run camps, managed in the Israel Baseball League and written two books. The first book, Designated Hebrew is fantastic autobiography.

His second book, The Captain and Me was even more of a labor of love. It focuses on the deep friendship between Blomberg and the late Thurman Munson. Another highly entertaining book, it is as much about their bond as it is about baseball.

Blomberg's latest endeavor is again related to baseball, but with a unique twist (or you might call it a curveball). Currently he is promoting the Legends of Baseball Cruise.

As far as I can tell, this is the first of its kind anywhere. Departing from Fort Lauderdale, the cruise runs December 9-16, with stops in Key West, Belize, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. Some of the legends announced so far include Ron, Graig Nettles, Mickey Rivers, Orlando Hernandez, Chris Chambliss, Jeff Nelson, Cecil Fielder, Oswaldo Cabrera, Michael Kay and Marty Appel.

That's already a fantastic lineup of baseball legends. The players span 50+ years of baseball and include many stars from several World Series teams.

As big as the New York flavor is, it's not exclusively about the Yankees. It is about baseball. Hernandez (aka El Duque) was a big part of the 2005 MLB champion Chicago White Sox. My White Sox. Likewise, although he played only one season with the Sox, Blomberg's 1978 season makes him a Sox alum. As Blomberg promised in our interview, there will be plenty of entertaining stories about the Bronx Zoo, but characters like Mick "The Quick" definitely have tales from their many other years and teams.

The Legends of Baseball Cruise includes various optional activities along the way. There will also be plenty of baseball talk, panels, Q&A's and more. There will also be a baseball game played pitting the legends against willing cruise participants. How cool is that?!

This cruise is going to be amazing. Baseball fans will love it, but you certainly don't have to be a fan. The guest list is full of interesting baseball figures with fun stories to tell. Plus, there are some beautiful locations and fun activities along the way.

I am not involved with the cruise. I am merely a baseball fan and writer. I heard about the Legends of Baseball Cruise and took the opportunity to interview one of my childhood baseball favorites. It was a thrill talking to Blomberg and I am proud to help spread the word on this great cruise.

For more info, go to LegendsofBaseballCruise.com. I will also provide updates here on the Patch.