Doug Glanville is a man of many caps, besides those of the Cubs, Phillies and Rangers.
Before a crowd of current students and alumni last night, Glanville, ‘93 Engineering graduate, sat down with Director of Multicultural Outreach for Penn Alumni Relations Nicole Maloy to discuss his various careers as a baseball player, businessman, columnist and media personality.
The event, part of Penn Alumni Relations’ series of “Career Spotlights”, was designed to introduce the Penn community to the diverse accomplishments of alumni.
Glanville gained his initial fame as the leadoff batter for the Philadelphia Phillies, one of three stops during his nine-year playing career. In 1999, Glanville enjoyed his strongest season, batting .325 and finishing with 204 hits.
In 2008, Glanville gained further national recognition as an Op-Extra columnist for the New York Times. Writing in response to baseball’s steroid controversy and the media’s growing pressure to uncover suspected users, Glanville tried to emphasize the often-overlooked human nature of the athletes.
“We all are facing fears of slowing down or losing a step,” Glanville said. “These are people with insecurities and issues.”
In the spirit of his column, Glanville has also written a book to be published in May, focusing on the personal lives of baseball players. As Glanville explained, fans see only a small glimpse of the busy, complicated lives of athletes. In The Game from Where I Stand, Glanville hopes to show readers that professional baseball is not just a two-hour game.
Glanville also discussed his real estate development company, GK Alliance, which he founded while still playing professionally, as well as his recent job as a baseball analyst for ESPN.
Using his own career path as an example, Glanville stressed the importance of versatility. “There’s nothing wrong with having more than one dream,” he said. “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to do something else.”
After his conversation with Maloy, Glanville answered various questions regarding current baseball issues and signed autographs.
Though the event was primarily targeted for alumni, Wharton sophomore Triston Francis wished that more undergraduates had attended. “It touched on many different topics that appealed to many different audiences,” Francis said.
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