FanNation | DC Sports Rant | Tim Russert, Baseball Fan

Since driving home from work yesterday when I first heard about Tim Russert’s death, I have been in the most profound shock of my life. Here was a member of my extended family, a Catholic (I’m an Episcopalian), who came into my house every Sunday morning for brunch with his show, 'Meet The Press'.

Tim was a HUGE Buffalo Bills fan. I don't think a Sunday went by during the season that, at the end of his show, he failed to get a 'Go Bills' in before his signature line 'If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press'. But, there was a side to Tim Russert that not many people knew. He was a HUGE baseball fan. I can think back to I think 1994 when baseball's players last struck.

During the strike, Tim Russert hosted Donald Fehr and Bud Selig on his show 'Meet the Press'. During the show, Tim mentioned how he was able to take his son to his first all-star game (I think it was at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh that year...) and as he and his son walked the field, his son Luke turned to him and said "Dad, I'd play this game for free."

In the 1994 season, the then-Montréal Expos' best season in their history was interrupted by the strike. They had the best record in baseball, 74-40, and were six games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East despite having the second-lowest payroll in the Majors (only the San Diego Padres had a smaller payroll). Some baseball writers were considering the Expos as major World Series contenders. Coincidentally, the only time that the Expos actually made it to the postseason was in 1981, the last time that there was a significant players' strike in Major League Baseball.

One of the few positive notes was that fans were spared from witnessing one of the worst division races in history. The Texas Rangers were leading the newly reformed American League West despite being 10 games under .500. The last-place California Angels were only 5 ½ games out despite having the second-worst record in the majors at 21 games under .500 — on pace for 96 losses. In fact, even both last place teams in the other divisions had better records than the Rangers.

Tim was a true baseball fan who loved the Yankees. I saw him on several occasions at Orioles games and at the Nationals games when the Nationals moved to D.C. One thing I didn't know, was that Tim was a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame Board.

As I sit here still in shock, I am reminded of a rhyme that Charles Kuralt, the great CBS newsman, uttered as his final words as host of the CBS Sunday Morning show:

"Farewell, my friends-farewell, and hail/I'm off to seek the Holy Grail/I cannot tell you why. Remember, please, when I am gone/'twas aspiration led me on./Tiddly, widdly, toodle-oo/All I want is to stay with you.' But...here I go. Goodbye."