Bielecki on Baseball: Q & A on Dundalk, the Big Leagues, and the Orioles

Before Mike Bielecki broke into the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1984, on his way to a 14-year big league career, he grew up playing ball little league ball here and pitching for Dundalk High School. Career highlights include an 18-7 record with the Chicago Cubs in 1989 and an appearance in the 1996 World Series with the Atlanta Braves. On weekends during baseball season, he’ll participate in a Q & A for Dundalk Patch with longtime friend Lonnie Nelson, president of the Sharing Hopeful Hearts Foundation, on his playing career, the state of baseball, the Orioles – and playing ball locally – among other topics.

Dundalk Patch encourages readers to submit questions for upcoming Q & A’s, via e-mail, to ron.cassie@patch.com. To start things off, the focus this week is growing up in Dundalk.

Patch: Who in sports were your idols when you were growing up?

"My older brother Andy who excelled in lacrosse and football at Dundalk Senior High. Both him and my younger brother are in my high school Hall of Fame for sports, but I’m not ! Jim Palmer was my pitching Idol."

Patch:  Growing up in the Eastfield area as a kid, who influenced you the most with your career?

"Mr. Sonny Yeager, my little league coach. He turned a rightfielder with a good arm, who couldn’t play, into an all-star pitcher every year after. He wasn’t even the coach of my team!"

Patch: As a Dundalk High School grad, what was your most memorable experience during high school?

"Graduating. I also remember there were no color lines between friends. All of our parents, black and white worked at Sparrows Point, GM or Lever Brothers. On the weekends we all hung out. We would go to the McDonald’s on Dundalk Avenue where the white kids congregated or the boat yard in Turners Station where the black guys hung out. We were friends and classmates and didn’t see race."

Patch: Did you think you had a future pitching in pro ball?

"I wasn’t thinking about baseball. I was an above -average high school player and they are a dime a dozen. That summer in American Legion ball is where I grew and developed arm speed."

Patch: Growing up who were some of the best players/athletes that you played against and/or with?

"I remember the Nelson brothers in little leagues –baseball and football – they were the feared athletes. Fuzzy, Richard and Ronnie. They were all bigger than everyone else and very athletic. Fuzzy even went on to play in the NFL."

Patch: When you were drafted by the Pirates, what were your expectations for your baseball future and how many of your goals did you achieve?

"I wanted to play one day in the Major Leagues just to say I made it to the top. I ended up playing 14 years and played for three teams that went to the World Series ...( lost all 3)."

Patch: What is the best advise you can give to the kids coming up through Dundalk area youth baseball leagues today?

"My best advice is a cliche but still holds true. STAY IN SCHOOL. It’s hard enough getting a job and making a living out there with a college degree. Can you imagine how hard it is for a drop out? Don’t set athletics as a goal for an occupation in the future. It is so competitive and the odds are stacked against you.

If sports get you a scholarship to college you have beat the odds and if it goes from there – super. You can't go looking for jobs in sports. If you are good enough, believe me, they will find you!  Actions have consequences, whether they be good or bad, and can affect you for your whole life."

Patch: Last question. With the home-opener Monday, what are your thoughts on the Baltimore Orioles this season?

"You can’t win with your club in the tub...( the whirlpool). Injuries cannot be forecast or avoided and it seems the O's get bit by the injury bug every year.

With Buck, starting off with a new slate and the players knowing how he rudders his ship, along with the new thump in the lineup, I am pretty excited for them for the first time in a long time. If the young pitchers step up and stay healthy, I reasonably think, come September, they could give a run for the wild card.

If they were three or four games out of the wild card in September, Baltimore would be on fire with excitement. It’s been awhile since O's fans have had a reason to show up at the ball yard in September. O's 3rd:  87-75."