Arnie Costell on baseball and baseball cards

 Arnie Costell pitched in the Tigers, Yankees and Astros organizations from 1971 to 1975. His best season was 1973, when he went 1-4 with 2 saves for the Oneonta Yankees, striking out 42 batters in 39 innings. He is now a motivational speaker and mentor for MLB and NFL players, and an accomplished artist as well. I had a very enjoyable call with him today where he shared many stories about his baseball career, cards, and art.

On his career:

"I grew up on Long Island, in Wantagh. I went to MacArthur High School in Levittown. I threw harder than anyone I knew. We all played stickball as kids, couldn't afford little league. We played on an elementary school field, Seaman Neck School in Seaford. When we played they were blood games. The big kids would kick you off the court. When I was 12 I would I would make the 18 years olds play a challenge game. They couldn't hit me.

When I was coming out of high school they said I was throwing 102. Wasn't a question of mechanics (I was real wild), but when you love something . . . it's like my artwork, I never took a class, I'm colorblind, I just love it! I abused my talent, but we all did. I wish my talent had taken me farther. First round pick, thought too much of myself. You get humbled in a heartbeat. Jim Leyland was my first minor league manager. I heard him say a few years ago, "Verlander notwithstanding, the hardest thrower I ever saw was Arnie Costell." Very humbling to hear that.

I'm 69 years old, I've had 22 surgeries, Tommy John twice, hip, knee replacements, I still throw in men's leagues. Just asked to pitch again to some D1 kids. I threw yesterday, even thought it was 90 degrees out. I just love throwing a baseball. If I have an addiction, it's throwing a baseball. I just get a high from it, I relive my memories throwing against a ball."

 On baseball cards:

"I do artwork. This picture is the baseball card, I did images of myself in three different pitching forms on my website.

My most cherished moment from when I was invited to Tigers camp, was when Topps was taking my photo. Got a picture and $5 check. We all said we would keep the check. I still have it somewhere, wish I could find it. When I was having my picture taken I would stand from the stretch position, looked like I was taking a sign. 

When I was a kid everything was about flipping the baseball cards. Scale them up against the wall. Leaners, things against the wall. Talking about it brings back amazing memories. My mom would throw out my cards, probably threw out a million dollars worth.

A few years ago I saw one of my minor league cards. One of my friends had bought a bar. Right behind the beer pull was one of my minor league cards. They found it on the internet. I asked what they paid for it, they said $12. Soon after I got a card in the mail and they asked me to sign it. I am humbled and honored to get a request like that.

Someone sent me a card last year of myself, Billy Martin and Jim Leyland with the Tigers. Jim was one of my first minor league managers, I am very close to him to this day."

 On his favorite player:

"I am left handed and Jewish. Sandy Koufax was the ultimate! I once got to meet him at a sports dinner at Island Trees High School. I stood in front of him and I couldn't talk. One time he was a roving in the minor leagues, in Lakeland, Florida when I was with the Tigers.  I would emulate him, he was the ultimate of who I wanted to be! He comes down, everybody was so excited for me, knew how much he meant to me. When it was over, Jim Leyland calls me up and says, "Arnie, what did you think?" I told him "Jim, I don't remember a damn thing!" I felt like I was in the presence of a deity. He is above and beyond a human being. He is humble, great, everything they make him out to be and more. I would love to have the type of energy he had. You could understand how great he was. Not just the talent, that's not what made him great. It was his makeup that made him great. In November of 1966 when he retired, I was 14 years old, I cried. My mother heard the news first, didn't want to tell me. 

In high school I felt it was a disrespect to wear #32. In my first four games at MacArthur I three three no-hitters and a one-hittter. I wore #34 to be near him. His number should be retired in a higher league, not just MLB. When were kids trading cards I would always try to trade for them if someone got him before I did. I would trade Clemente, Aaron, Drysdale, Gibson to get a Koufax, I didn't care. Not for the money, I just wanted the Koufax. I even did a piece of artwork painting him, called “The Left Arm of G-d”. My brother says to me, that picture that you painted, it's the poster we had on our bedroom.

I did another painting of Koufax called “Dreams of a Young Left-Hander”. Notice at the bottom is a New York Mets hat. People kept saying to me I put on the wrong hat because I played for the Yankees. I tell them this is my dream and I always grew up dreaming of playing for the New York Mets."

Thanks! Here is his card from my collection: