Taking Care of Business:Johnny Berardino

Johnny Berardino played eleven seasons of major league baseball. While playing mostly 2nd base and shortstop, Berardino batted .249 with 755 hits over his career. Berardino retired from baseball after the 1952 season.
Previous to his baseball career, Berardino acted in the Our Gang comedies. After retiring from baseball, he resumed his acting career full time.
Many years ago, when I contacted Berardino, he told me, "I had been thinking about leaving the game as early as 1947 to concentrate on acting. Few people know that I was acting before I played baseball or even while I played! I always loved to act as a kid."
Aside from his uncredited role in the Our Gang series, Berardino had several roles, starting with the Trainer in The Winner's Circle in 1948. He continued to get steady work, but in 1963 he landed the biggest, longest and most well-known role of his career.
On April 1, 1963, General Hospital debuted, with Beradino (note the new spelling) in the role of Dr. Steve Hardy, one of the main characters. Beradino remained in that role for just over 33 years, until his death in May of 1996.
The multi-talented Beradino left his mark. He remains the only person to have won a World Series and to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Beradino was a child actor who became a solid baseball player who became a solid actor. That's quite a resume.

John Berardino's 1951 Bowman baseball card.

John Beradino as Dr. Steve Hardy-1960's.

Taking Care of Business:Dave Dryden-Part 2

A couple days ago, I wrote Part 1 of a series of pieces on Dave Dryden, former goalie and current driving force behind Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW). My original goal was an online piece for Global Traveler (which ran Wednesday), but I had so much material that I had to share it on this site.
Dave went from stopping hockey pucks to helping children around the world sleep better through SCAW, the organization his father had started in 1970. Last year, SCAW achieved the original goal of one million bedkits distributed. Having passed that milestone, I asked Dryden what was next.
Now that we have achieved the one million bedkits we have spent much time this year looking forward through a Strategic Planning process. What we have learned is that it is more than just about setting another target number. Yes, it is important that we reach another million children, but it is even more important HOW we do this. We encourage giving from the heart, not from a guilty conscience. If we can be a trusted conduit for donors who really want to help kids, then we will feel that we are doing our best.
Dryden told me about previous bedkit recipients coming out to meet the SCAW group many years later to thank them again and how awesome it feels to see their happiness and love. Dryden's genuine passion comes through clearly when he describes how this sort of validation and motivation really "turns his crank".
I couldn't let Dryden go before I asked him about his career. For his favorite memories, he mentioned playing against his brother, his first game (when he was called from the stands to fill in for Gump Worsley), playing with Bobby Hull and Wayne Gretzky and playing in an All-Star game with Gordie Howe against the Russians.
He also was instrumental in improving goalie equipment. Dryden said, "I loved inventing and improving my 'tools'. So I got a great thrill from redesigning my gloves, pads and of course designing the first cage-mask combination."
Dryden said his hockey career was more than he could have expected. He also said his teaching career was fulfilling and satisfying (although demanding). After teaching, when he returned to hockey as an Injury and Equipment Consultant, he found that interesting. Finally, his involvement with SCAW has been a thrill. Clearly, Dryden is a special man who loves what he does and gives it his heart.
Dryden says he still receives hockey cards (for autograph requests) through the mail and is amazed by it. He is also amused by the many pictures (some of which he has never seen before) sent to him. Recently, his grandchildren uncovered a gem on YouTube, Wayne Gretzky's first goal...right past Edmonton Oilers goalie Dave Dryden!
Also on YouTube is the rest of my interview with Dave Dryden. We talked about the Blackhawks recent Stanley Cup win, a bit more on SCAW and of course, Wayne Gretzky's first goal.
I really would like to thank Dave Dryden for his time and consideration. It was a thrill speaking to him. I enjoyed following his playing career (even after he left my beloved Blackhawks) and collecting his hockey cards (many of which he later signed (through the mail) for me. It has been a pleasure learning about Sleeping Children Around the World. Dryden is a fascinating man. Please, check out SCAW when you have a chance. It truly was my honor doing this.

Taking Care of Business:Dave Dryden-Part 1

One of the great things about writing for Global Traveler is that I can do pieces about some of my childhood favorites. I recently had the chance to do just that, by interviewing Dave Dryden, former NHL and WHA goalie and current President of Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW). That piece ran online yesterday on GT's site. I learned so much about Dave and SCAW that I had to share more of the info here.
Dave was an outstanding junior hockey player who hoped to gain a university scholarship to pursue his goal of teaching. In 1962, while attending a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers, Dryden was plucked from the stands when Rangers goalie Gump Worsley was injured. In those days, teams did not carry a backup goalie. Unfortunately for Dryden, he was now considered a pro and his hopes of a scholarship were gone.
He went on to have a fine career with the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Cougars and Edmonton Oilers. Dave played in the 1973-74 NHL All-Star game, gave up Wayne Gretzky's first pro goal and was the WHA MVP for the 1978-79 season. After retiring, he coached for a bit, but eventually his passion led him to SCAW, the organization his father Murray had started in 1970.
Murray Dryden loved the beauty of a sleeping child. He loved photographing them and planned to put together a book of such photos. On one trip to India, he saw a child sleeping in a street and decided he wanted to do something about it.
Thus SCAW was born and fifty bedkits distributed on the first of what would become many such distribution trips. (A bedkit consists of a mattress, a pillow, a blanket and whatever other bedding necessary for any given area.) Murray set a goal of one million bedkits by 2010.
Sadly, Murray passed on in 2004, but Dave oversaw the one millionth bedkit distributed last year.
SCAW has helped make Dave quite a global traveler. According to him, he has logged in over 300,000 air miles on trips to India (5x), Bangladesh (4x), Tanzania (2x), Honduras, Uganda, Kenya and the Philippines. I asked Dave about problems during the travels.
During the early days of SCAW, my dad did the distributions by himself and due to his adventurous nature, was in some very dangerous situations. He was often "flying by the seat of his pants". Now that we have more distributions each year and travel in teams of 6, we need to do a great deal of preparatory work before a team leaves. Fortunately, this has minimized the "scary situations". However, virtually on every distribution I have been on, there have been situations where our team is out in a rural area usually using a school playground as our base of operations and having about 600 bedkits sitting out ready to give them to 600 previously selected children. Due to curiosity, thousands of people have gathered to see what is going on. These are all very poor people who would like to get a bedkit. Will they walk in and disregard our process to get a bedkit? There really isn't anything to prevent that. This has never happened. I am amazed at the self-control exhibited by the rural people.
I inquired about travel memories.
When I think of travel memories, if I am on vacation, what I remember is places and things I saw. When I get back from a SCAW distribution trip, my memories are all of people. I am always amazed at the universality of the children, rich, poor, in India, in Africa, they are all the same. They have bright inquisitive and enthusiastic eyes. They smile, they cry, they need love and they all do need a good night sleep to be healthy. They and their caregivers all value education. The adults are like us. In fact, some of the aspects of life that they value most, I think that we sometimes forget. The importance of "Family" is an example. I remember talking through an interpreter with an impoverished rural farmer in India, who very sincerely said he felt sorry for us. I was quite startled at his statement. He commented on the breakdown of "the family and our seeming need to carry guns". I didn't have a good rebuttal.
Dave had a lot more interesting things to say and I will be sharing those here in the next few days. In the meantime, please check out Sleeping Children Around the World.

Dave Dryden, Laura Harper, Ted Swanston, Ken Graham and Clarence Deyoung in Toronto, Canada-Late 2000's.

Taking Care of Business:David Clyde

Twenty seven years ago, David Clyde made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers. Clyde worked five innings, giving up one hit and striking out 8 in gaining the win against the Minnesota Twins. Clyde's career did not turn out as planned however. Arm troubles and mismanagement by the Rangers organization hindered his success. Clyde finished with a record of 18-33 over 5 seasons with the Rangers and Cleveland Indians.
As I have documented here before, I had the opportunity to sit down with Clyde in Houston to discuss his career and the aftermath. Surprisingly and refreshingly, Clyde is not bitter. He is no pollyanna, but he just doesn't care to think of the negatives. "You can't change the past, but you can learn from it and move on," said Clyde.
Clyde retired from baseball in 1981 at the age of 26. He had been traded back to the Rangers, but was released in Spring Training. After a successful year in the Houston Astros organization, Clyde retired while pitching in the Instructional League.
Clyde explained, "One day I asked myself 'What am I doing here?' and I knew it was over. I always asked 'When am I going to get on the field?'. I never questioned it negatively. At that point, I knew it was over. I wasn't being fair to the organization, because I couldn't give it everything I had. I wasn't being fair to teammates and I wasn't being fair to myself. I decided, let's get on with our lives while we're still young enough to make something of it."
After baseball, Clyde moved on to the lumber business. After about 23 years of success, Clyde retired from that business.
Over the last decade or so, Clyde has been at the Miracles Baseball Academy. The owner approached Clyde about building materials while Clyde was still in the lumber business. Clyde donated the materials and eventually came on board as a full-time coach.
Clyde is very committed to his students. He does all he can to prepare them for whatever the future holds.
Clyde said, "My goal is to steer the kids in the right direction, give them the proper fundamental base and hopefully they can enjoy the game better. I try to give them every opportunity for success, while (Clyde is) absorbing all the pressure."
Having jumped from high school to the big leagues, Clyde knows all about pressure. Clyde says he "felt my talent had to make that jump also." He tries to teach his students to stay within themselves and not overdo it.
Speaking to Clyde, I couldn't help but feel positive. The man has been through stuff that would have crushed others, but he remains positive and wants to protect kids from the pitfalls he faced and other problems. Meeting and talking to Clyde was one of the best experiences I ever had.
I couldn't let the chance go without asking Clyde about baseball cards. Clyde responded, "I threw out bags of them. I had 3-4 Mantle rookie cards, but back then they weren't like they are today." As for his cards, Clyde said, "I'm not one who likes to sit and talk about myself. Don't get me wrong, I am happy and proud of them, but at the same time, it's not that big of a deal."
What does Clyde want for his future? "Good health, a happy life and I hope to continue to passing on to kids what I have been passing on," Clyde says (although he wouldn't mind being 25 years younger and making $25 million a year).

David Clyde and me at the Miracles Baseball Academy in Houston, TX-December 2008.

Taking Care of Business:Tim Kerr

I recently wrote about meeting Tim Kerr at a convention in Oaks (PA). Kerr had an excellent career for 13 seasons in the NHL.
Kerr has kept busy after his retirement from the NHL. He owns Tim Kerr's PowerPlay Realty and the Pensacola Ice Flyers, a minor league hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League. Kerr had previously owned the Pensacola Ice Pilots.I asked Kerr how he got involved in the ownership of a hockey team. Kerr said, "The opportunity came along from a friend who knew the team was not going to operate and we stepped in and took over in 2003."
Certainly owning a team is different from playing on one. How does the excitement level rank for Kerr? He said, "It is the same feeling as playing. The passion of being around a bunch of young men who want to work together and try and win games is fun and being a part of that is exciting." That was interesting. Many ex-players don't find the same level of excitement in anything after playing. I asked Kerr about the difference between playing and owning. Kerr stated, "As an owner, you have to worry about 18 players and all your staff and how game opps are run. As a player, you really only worry about getting yourself ready to play each night."
As usual, I had to ask Kerr about hockey cards. He told me, "I have never collected cards. My kids get a kick out of seeing all the cards that were made. It was a long time ago, but I am sure I was excited to see my first card back in the day."
It was great meeting Kerr and a couple of his ex-teammates last year. I appreciate Kerr taking time to answer my questions.

Tim Kerr, Ken Linseman and Brian Propp in Oaks, PA-October 2009.

Taking Care of Business:Harry Saferight

Recently, I wrote about Harry Saferight, a former catcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Saferight sent me a very nice letter after I set him some extras of his card for him to keep.
A few weeks ago, I came across a few more of his cards and sent them to him, along with a request for him to appear here and answer a few questions.
I asked Saferight about his Topps baseball card. Saferight said, "It was nice to get on a Topps card after spending all of those years in the minors."
Saferight played with some big stars, including the 1979 World Champion Pirates. I wondered if he had any memorabilia from baseball. Saferight said, "I did start a collection at the end and wished I had started sooner. I've got about 30 balls signed by Hall of Famers. Also, I started a bat collection and boy did Hooley, our clubhouse guy in Pittsburgh, get a little tight when I would get him to pack them to go back to Pittsburgh."
Saferight retired after the 1982 season with the Toledo Mud Hens. Saferight told me, "I worked for Waste Management for 13 years after baseball. My father got sick so I took early retirement and stayed with him until he passed. Took another year off and a friend at the bank suggested I try Mortgage with them. So I spent 8 years with BB&T. Got tired of the corporate bull and now I work when I want with a friend at a smaller bank. Went from Baseball to Trash to Banking. It's funny, after my first meeting with the Bank, my manager asked what I thought. The answer was that the meeting was no different than any other meeting I had been in. You have people producing, people complaining."
I also asked Saferight if baseball played any role in his post-baseball career. Saferight stated, "It sure got me interviews and it was nice for each business that I worked in. People would recognize my name and that helped to get in the door."
It was a lot of fun following Saferight's career. It has been a lot more fun reconnecting a bit and writing about it here.
By all accounts Saferight is successful and happy in his post-baseball career. It is great to hear that things have worked out for him. He really seems like a nice guy.
I was happy to be able to get some of his cards to him. It's always nice to give back to the players. I really appreciate Saferight taking time to answer my questions.

Harry Saferight's 1980 Topps baseball card.

Taking Care of Business:Cheryl Miller

Last week, I wrote about Kevin Miller, who started his own business (Kevin Miller Financial Services) after a successful 17 year pro hockey career. Kevin isn't the only entrepreneur in the family however. Kevin's wife Cheryl is the co-owner/co-creator of Rock N Go.
In their own words, Rock N Go LLC is a collection of vibrant, hip, musically relevant all-inclusive and mobile products designed to combine teaching with music. Their math products utilize 11 musical genres in their original songs.
Cheryl told me that Rock N Go was actually developed out of frustration with other products. Cheryl said, "I have four daughters and spend a lot of time driving to activities. I decided there had to be a better use of the driving time. I ordered some educational music that my children did not like because it was boring. At the time I was running every day with my business partner Heather Lewis, who is a school teacher and a musician. We discussed the concept on our daily runs until we felt we could create original and fun educational music and workbooks that would fill a unique niche in the marketplace."
I had to ask why both Cheryl and Kevin embarked on new businesses instead of taking it easy after the hectic pace of 17 years of pro hockey. Cheryl said, "We are both excited to pursue our careers. I received a BS at MSU in Engineering Arts and a Masters in Finance and Marketing with emphasis on Entrepreneurship at Washington University in St. Louis. It was difficult to work when we moved so often, so now that we are settled, I can pursue my career again." Rock N Go is off to a great start. The first year, they won two national awards: The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval 2009" and "Creative Child Seal of Excellence 2009".
The great start has encouraged them to expand a bit. They are finishing development of "Major Multiplication" and "Dominate Division", which they would like to launch in the fall. Other topics like spelling, grammar and science are possibilities for future development.
One area which probably won't see expansion is video. Cheryl states, "The concept behind Rock N Go is that children can be educated anywhere with just a cd player or an Ipod." As a kid who grew up on School House Rock, I really like Rock N Go for that reason.
Their music is so good, children will want to play it again and again (and it won't drive adults crazy). It is also versatile. As Cheryl said, "It can be used as an all-inclusive educational package or just as background music."
Combining the pull of a good song with the versatility of the program makes Rock N Go great for improving the education of all children. Cheryl added, "It can also be useful for special needs learning children due to the audio, visual and tactile learning domain approach."
It sounds like they have all bases covered. So what is next for Rock N Go? Cheryl said she'd like Rock N Go to expand nationally and internationally and eventually donate some proceeds to children's foundations.
I encourage everyone to check out the product at www.RockNGoLIve.com. The educational sets are also available at MuseumTour, Amazon and other local stores. The music can also be found on iTunes.
I am grateful to Cheryl and Kevin Miller for sharing their business stories with me. As a long-time fan of the Miller brothers, it was interesting to get to know Kevin and Cheryl a little better. I wish both the best of luck and I am sure both will be successful in their businesses.

Cheryl Miller and Heather Lewis-Late 2000's.
Kevin, Cheryl and the Miller children-Late 2000's.

Taking Care of Business:Kevin Miller

Kevin Miller had an outstanding four year hockey career with the Michigan State Spartans. He played with older brother Kelly for his first year and younger brother Kip for his last two years. All three Miller brothers would go on to have excellent NHL careers. They played together in various combos, but never all three on one team.
Kevin played professionally for 17 years. He states that he had three goals:to play hockey at Michigan State, to play for the USA Olympic team and to play in the NHL. He achieved all three. His post-hockey goal is to have his own successful financial services firm. Kevin began preparing for that goal while with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1997.

Kevin states, "I always had a big interest in finance and always found myself reading magazines and the Wall Street Journal. I was usually the guy other players came to when they had questions and I enjoyed leading them in the right direction."
Kevin kept learning and his interest kept growing. He got his series 7 securities license, worked at various prestigious financial institutions and became a Certified Financial Planner. In 2008, Kevin opened Kevin Miller Financial Services.
On the website, Kevin states, "I believe in building strong relationships through hard work, honesty and integrity." I asked him how hockey helped him with that goal. Kevin told me, "I think the same dedication and work ethic that made me successful in hockey will help me with my business."
Kevin Miller Financial Services is doing well, but how does it compare to the thrill on the ice? Kevin stated, "Nothing will ever give me the same excitement. Playing hockey was the best time of my life and I miss the game."
I can only imagine how awesome it would be to play professional hockey. You know me though, I always want to know how it feels to be on a hockey card. Kevin answered that for me, "That is your dream as a boy growing up collecting cards. Once you get your first the dream becomes reality. I think I carried my card around with me the first few weeks."

Kevin and his brothers are part of a special card called Bloodlines produced by Upper Deck. The Miller Brothers were all pictured on the card. How cool is that? As for playing with and against his brothers, Kevin said, "It was great playing with them. I wish I could have played more with them. Playing against them was not easy. You want them to do well and you find yourself watching them instead of concentrating on the game."

I have been a fan of Kevin since his time at Michigan State. I especially enjoyed his time in Chicago with the Blackhawks abd the Wolves. It was always a pleasure to watch him play. He always gave a lot of effort and output. Kevin gives that same effort with Kevin Miller Financial Services and I am sure that it will be quite a success, too. I really appreciate Kevin taking time to discuss his careers with me.

Kevin Miller at MSU in East Lansing, MI-late 2000's.
(Photo courtesy of MSUBlueline.org)

Kevin, Kelly and Kip Miller's 1992-93 Upper Deck Bloodlines card.

Taking Care of Business:Dennis Havig

Dennis Havig was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 8th round of the 1971 NFL draft. Havig and fellow Clemson teammates Cliff Branch, Herb Orvis and John Tarver entered the NFL in 1972.

Havig played 6 seasons. After four seasons with the Falcons, Havig played one season for the Houston Oilers and one final season with the Green Bay Packers. He retired after the 1977 season.
After retiring, for the last 30+ years, Havig has been a State Farm Insurance Agent in the Atlanta area. Recently, I asked Havig how he got started in the business. Havig told me that former teammate QB Pat Sullivan told him about the opportunity.
Sullivan was the 1971 Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn. Havig and Sullivan joined the Falcons in 1972 and played together for four years.
Sullivan is just one of Havig's notable teammates. Havig said he keeps in touch with many of them. "I have many insured and the out of town ones will always be friends. Reunions are fun," said Havig. I asked Havig if he ever soaked it all in while he was playing in the NFL. Havig replied, "I did after my first training camp when it was clear that I was going to make the team. Then every year after, you had to again make the team, so I was continually realizing that just making it each year was an accomplishment."
Another accomplishment was appearing on a football card. Havig actually had two cards, Topps 1974 and '75. Havig describes that as "a proud moment, although one of my cards (1975) lists Boise, Idaho as my home town and that was a mistake. My roots are in Powell, Wyoming."
Having has accomplished a lot, both on and off the football field. When talking about lessons learned in football and applied as a State Farm Agent, Havig said, "Perseverance. No matter what obstacles come your way, just grit it out."
Havig's 1974 card is one of my all-time favorites. Havig (#56) is far left, ready to block, while offensive tackle Len Gotshalk (#55) trails the play. Bob Lee (#19) is the quarterback and I believe the defender (#47) is Charley Stukes of the Los Angeles Rams. That's a lot of action for one card.
His football career ended a while back, but Havig is still remembered fondly. Recently Sportsviews named Havig as an Honorable Mention right behind R.C Thielemann for the right guard spot on the All-Time Falcons Offensive Team.

I appreciate Dennis Havig taking the time to answer my questions and help me with this piece. It was a lot of fun following Havig's football career. I am happy to hear that Havig is still going strong after 30 years as a State Farm Insurance Agent.

Dennis Havig's 1974 Topps football card.

Taking Care of Business:Randy Jones

This is the first in a new series on celebrity business owners.

Randy Jones was selected in the 5th round of the 1972 baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. He made his major league debut in 1973, was the Comeback Player of the Year in 1974, National League the ERA champ in 1975 and the Cy Young Award winner in 1976. Jones pitched for 10 seasons, eight with the Padres and the final two with the New York Mets. His career record was 100-123 with an ERA of 3.42. An injured nerve in his pitching arm ultimately led to the end of his career. The Padres have since retired his #35.
Since retiring, Jones has done some radio and television work, including hosting Randy Jones' Strike Zone on the Outdoor Channel. He is a spokesperson for the Padres and remains one of their most notable and popular players ever. Over the last 15+ years, Jones has made a name for himself in the barbeque business. In 1994, Jones started the Randy Jones BBQ stand at Jack Murphy Stadium
When I asked Jones how it started, he replied, "The BBQ sauce is a family recipe. It's been handed down a couple generations. When putting together the menu for the stand (at Jack Murphy Stadium) with Centre Plate (the concession company) I had my father come down and make a batch of BBQ sauce as he had done so many times at home, just eying the ingredients until the taste and texture was correct. Since I realized I would be needing much more sauce than we made with every batch, I sent a bottle to a lab and had them break down the exact ingredients so I could mass produce it."
The sauce is a winner. Believe me, I had some a couple years ago when I attended a Padres game. Of course, I am a Johngy come lately, as fans loved the sauce right from the start. Jones said, "After the first season, I had so many requests from fans about where they could purchase my BBQ sauce, it led to the start of marketing Randy Jones BBQ Sauce."
Being that I live in the Chicago area, I asked Jones about expansion. Jones replied, "Selling online is my main direction as we speak. I'm taking my time and want to do it right from the beginning." He continued, "I'm in the process of putting my sauce into Sysco Foods on a regional basis, but that could lead to expansion if we have success at the regional level."
Jones has gone from a successful baseball career to a successful business career. When asked about the connection, Jones stated, "I think the clear virtue you take from baseball to business is 'There's no substitute for hard work'. If you take the same work ethic that made you a successful baseball pitcher and apply it to outside business, you're going to have success." I couldn't pass the opportunity to ask Jones about baseball cards. Jones said, "I use the story that growing up we always put baseball cards in the spokes of our bikes with a clothes pin. It made that cool sound when you did it. Me and my buddies only used the best players' cards, like Koufax, Mantle, Whitey Ford, Warren Spahn and went through quite a few. I think that may be why they are so scarce today and so valuable."
As for seeing his first baseball card, Jones told me, "As a kid, we all dream of having our own baseball card and playing major league baseball. In 1974, seeing my first baseball card was a real thrill. I was very proud of that card. Dreams do come true."
Jones should be proud of that card and of his career on and off the field. To learn more about Randy Jones, please check out the Randy Jones website.
I want to thank Randy for a lot of fun following his career (except when he beat my Cubs). I also want to thank him for taking time to answer my questions. Finally, I want to encourage everyone to try the Randy Jones BBQ Sauce, because it's awesome!

The Randy Jones Barbeque Stand at PetCo Park in San Diego, CA-2009.