“I think you want to create a values-driven
the Cleveland Indians from 1947 to 1956, was also
culture … you identify those attributes and players
a role model.
that you recruit, you acquire, and that you actively
seek to establish that as a culture.”
of him, another thing that has been a constant,
contrary to popular belief, was his name. There’s
Those values may have been groomed very ear-
And so, while baseball has always been a part
ly on, in fact, since baseball and Shapiro go farther
been no shortage of times he’s been asked why he
back than the Indians. Way back. Son of Baltimore
pronounces his name as Sha-PIE-roh, instead of
attorney and sports agent, Ronald M. Shapiro, the
the usual Sha-PEER-oh. For the record — and he
game was ingrained at a very early age. “Baseball
wants to set the record straight to quell those silly
was a part of the fabric of my childhood growing
rumours — his name has always been that way.
up. It was a connection and a bond for me, with
my dad. It’s hard to separate out baseball from my
coming through Ellis Island, a name change, and
childhood,” he continues. “Whether it was stick-
an obligatory mispronunciation that stuck. Phila-
ball, wiffleball, little league or playing catch in the
delphia and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, lay claim to
street. Maybe it was the fact that my dad, at some
the “only places in the world you’ll hear ShapIro
point in my adolescence, started representing
spelled Shapiro, and you’ll hear Shapiro spelled
major league players and they started being part
Schapiro,” he says.
of my life. Baseball, informally or formally, was
always a part of my life.”
name as they are about the game. And if he could
impart one message to his skeptical fan-base it
Among his baseball heroes growing up was
The story is familiar to many: Immigrants
To be sure, fans are less concerned about the
Baltimore Orioles’ Brooks Robinson, for “consis-
would be that he’s here to win.
tency, the way he treated people, and his artistic
style of play.” Ball player Al Rosen, who played for
be written,” Shapiro says.
“My favourite Blue Jays stories are waiting to