Alan Trammell was a great player, and, as I was lucky enough to see firsthand, a great person.

As a 16-year-old kid, I was all about baseball. Played it. Watched it. Dreamed it. Knew every stat. Knew every piece of its history. Knew every player.

Like every other high-school-aged kid with a dream, I was going to play professional sports.

My parents though, knew the reality and the slim likelihood of that happening. Despite that reality, though, on Christmas 1985, they surprised me by enrolling me in the San Diego School of Baseball. I’d learn from the best.

So, they loaded me up shortly after Christmas for my five-day school, and off I went.

Those five days, as a baseball-dreaming kid, were the best.

I’m reflecting on that experience today as I just saw the news come across that Alan Trammel and Jack Morris have been selected for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

As a kid with a pretty decent arm, I topped out at 74 mph without warming up.

I fancied myself a great-fielding shortstop. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hit a curve ball.

Still can’t, even though my hitting instructor at camp that week was Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn.

My shortstop and fielding instructor was …Alan Trammel.

Just coming off the 1984 World Series Championship, Alan Trammel took the time to teach kids like me how to improve as a shortstop.

I remember him complimenting my side-arm delivery. He told me I had a pretty good ability to transfer the ball from the glove to my hand in a double play situation. My stutter step and bag swipe needed work.  We worked on it and he made me better.

He liked my glove too: a brand new Rawlings with the old web netting that was barely broken in.

I beamed.  I’m beaming today with the news he was selected by the Modern Day Committee for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

Not a lot of people can say they learned how to better play their position from a Major League Baseball player.  Fewer can say they learned from a Hall of Fame shortstop.

I’ll always have that. Wish I still had my 74 mph arm. Of course, I wish I could have hit a curve ball.

Congratulations to Trammel and Jack Morris. I’ve been waiting a long time to see this. I wish I still had my Magnum P.I. sweat-covered Tigers ball cap to wear. But, like my arm, the ball cap is gone, having seen better days.

That hat, that player, that experience. Today, a lot of memories came back. Really happy to have had that opportunity, really happy for baseball, for the Hall and, of course, for Trammel.

Great things happen to great people. He deserves this honor.