3/12/2012 6:54:33 AM
Ben Ford and I had the pleasure of meeting up with Louisville Slugger's Chuck Schupp yesterday. I'm not sure of Chuck's exact title with Louisville but it is probably something like "Director of Major League Baseball Operations". He was there, near the end of his annual Spring Training swing, to see the two directors/founders of the Dominican Prospect League, Brian Mejia and Ulises Cabrera, who both used to work under him for Louisville Slugger.
As I remarked to Ben, if there was a Hall of Fame for people that no one outside the game have ever heard of but who are part of its fabric, Chuck would be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He has been working with Louisville since 1984 and knows practically everyone in professional baseball, from future Hall of Fame players to assistant clubbies and traveling secretaries. The amount of equipment he's moved into professional baseball player's hands in the form of bats and gloves and helmets looks like Cy Young's 511 wins in relation to what any other salesman have moved.
I wouldn't doubt that he knows more players than the Peter Gammons and Buster Olney's of the world.
I first met Chuck around 1990-91 ordering minor league supplies for the Astros organization. Ben remembers Chuck giving him a glove in the Yankees clubhouse even though he was signed with a rival glove company. He says he still has the glove somewhere at home.
Lots of good stories were told. My grandfather was the director of college football sales with McGregor Sporting Goods back in the 50's and 60's when McGregor was huge. Chuck reminds me of him in many ways