Via the Columbus Dispatch:

The Dublin Jerome pitching coach was animated as he broke down a young player’s windup and delivery in the bullpen more than two hours before a game.

It wasn’t just a workout. It was a classroom on dirt.

Ed Whitson, who once was the highest-paid pitcher in the major leagues when he made the then-outrageous sum of $800,000 with the New York Yankees in the mid-1980s, was comfortable in a high school uniform.

In this case, Jerome coach Chris Huesman isn’t trying to buy success or big time anyone. Whitson, whose son Drew is a sophomore left-hander on the team, is volunteering his time.

“Two years ago, Ed came over and introduced himself,” Huesman said. “I’m thinking, ‘He has 17, 18 years experience in the big leagues and he has been working with Drew anyway.’ So I’m thinking, ‘Why not ask if he’ll be our pitching coach?’ Ed has so much knowledge. As a kid, I remember his Topps baseball card.”

Whitson met his wife, the former Kathleen Mulholland of Columbus, when he pitched for the Clippers in 1977 while in the Pirates organization.

The family moved back to Columbus after an arm injury ended Whitson’s playing career in 1991.

There have been offers to become a pitching coach at the minor league level, but Whitson, 53, has refused them to remain with Drew.

“I really enjoy working with the kids,” Whitson said. “You can pick up flaws, but you still have to be able to show it to them. That’s what I enjoy the most. I could be on the West Coast as a pitching coach, but I’m staying with Drew. I don’t want to miss him growing up. You never get these years back.”

Whitson was an interesting story. After 11 years in the big leagues, he finally learned how to pitch – at age thirty-four. But, then he was cooked by his 36th birthday.

In his major league career, he faced 9,479 batters and allowed the following BA/OBP/SLG line: .261/.316/.391. But, you have to remember, at that time, a mark of .259/.325/.389 was the league average.

Pitching for the Yankees, at Yankee Stadium, Whitson faced 391 batters and went .316/.351/.486 – allowing 10 homers in 19 games. Fourteen times he made starts for the Yankees at the Stadium. In his last start there during 1985 he went 2 innings. And, in his first two starts there during 1986 he went two-and-two-thirds innings and just two-thirds of an inning. That second start of 1986 would be the last time he started a game for the Yankees.

Here’s a fun fact for you. The last time Whitson faced a batter, as a member of the Yankees, was during the 9th inning of a game on July 2, 1986. He struck out the only batter he faced – pinch-hitter Johnny Grubb.

I used to know something interesting about Johnny Grubb, I think? He was the answer to some baseball trivia question, or, there was something that I once saw on the back of his bubble-gum card that once stuck with me. I can’t remember it now.

But, I remember Ed Whitson. And, I think most who were Yankees fans back in the mid-’80’s remember him as well.