Five-time All-Star Mike Sweeney joined the Irish American Baseball Society for a conversation about his life and career. Mike took questions from our members and shared some great stories about his first and last MLB at-bats, growing up an Angels fan, meeting the Pope, and his hopes for the future of Irish Baseball. Join the Irish American Baseball Society to watch the full interview and gain access to future virtual discussions!
Mike brought us back to his childhood in California and shared how his father’s pro baseball experience inspired him to become an Angels fan:
“He was one of the top prospects in the Angels organization, but when my mother got pregnant with the first of our eight children, he gave up his dream. He said, “I can’t support a family playing in the minor leagues right now.” So he came back to Orange County and started driving a beer truck. I always felt like I wanted to root for the team my dad could have played for, but I also wanted to live out the dream he gave up for us.
Growing up, I was always an Angels fan. I despised the Dodgers. Bob Boone was the catcher for the Angels in the latter part of his career. When I was in high school, I had Bob’s poster, number 8, on my wall. I wore number 8 in high school because of Bob Boone.“
He also recounted breaking in with the Royals as a young catcher, hitting his first MLB home run, and his first and last major league at-bats. In this clip, Mike reflects on his first postseason appearance late in his career and how Ryan Howard returned the respect Mike had shown him years earlier:
