Ex-major leaguer still in the game
BUTLER TWP — Todd Erdos has pitched at old Yankee Stadium and at Fenway Park.
He was a teammate of Butler native Matt Clement in San Diego and owns two World Series rings as a member of the Yankees in 1998 and 1999.
Now 37 and nine years removed from his days in Major League Baseball, the Cranberry Township resident has found a way to keep his arm and his competitive nature moving forward in the Eagle County League.
"It's a great opportunity," Erdos said. "There's some good talent out here. These are a great group of guys who still love to play and play hard. It's fun, and I enjoy helping out the other guys and answering the questions they have."
Erdos pitched seven innings and picked up the win for Cranberry Township in the deciding game of its semifinal series with Saxonburg Thursday night.
The 8-5 triumph sent Cranberry to the league championship series for the first time.
Erdos joined the team two years ago when he heard about the club and the league while working out at Rose E. Schneider YMCA in Cranberry Township.
He's battled arm problems that date back to his days in the majors throughout his tenure with the Cranberry squad.
"I have a torn labrum that I never was able to get fixed," Erdos said. "There are some days I show up to warm up to pitch and I just can't go."
Thursday wasn't one of those days. Erdos battled through a grueling seventh inning in which he gave up two runs and faced the potential tying run at the plate before getting out of the jam with a game-ending double play.
"I figured if I was going to lose, I was going to lose with my best," said Cranberry player-manager Bill Clinefelter.
Erdos carved out a five-year career in the majors as a relief pitcher, going 2-0 with a 5.57 ERA in 93X\c innings.
A Meadville native, Erdos was tapped by the Padres in the ninth round of the 1992 draft. He made his major league debut with them in 1997.
Erdos spent two-plus years with the Yankees before going back to the Padres at the end of the 2000 season. He spent parts of the 2001 season in Boston before shoulder woes ended his career.
He is a member of a rare fraternity of men who have played for both the Yankees and Red Sox, lumped in with the likes of Babe Ruth, Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon.
"Just the mystique of walking into those stadiums," Erdos said of old Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. "Especially with the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry, it just escalates the games into a playoff-like atmosphere.
"I was kind of one of those guys who wasn't a well-known player and was under the radar when it comes from being a guy who played with those two teams, but it was a great experiencing that rivalry from both sides," he added.
