My grandfather was my 1st sports coach.

He often counseled me when I skinned a knee or got myself into another fix.

“Life is not fair,” he would say, “but we have to learn to life with it. Now dry those tears and act like the big boy I know you are.”

Life will throw you curve balls, brush back pitches and occasionally send you to 1st base with a throbbing arm or leg that you knew was going to hurt even worse in the morning.

Bitter Coffee

Local author Doug Gladstone has written a book about this called “A Bitter Cup of Coffee: How MLB & The Players Association Threw 874 Retirees a Curve.”

These retired players receive no Major League Baseball pensions. Among them are Frank

Among them are Frank Lane “Pete” Charton of Irmo, who turns 79 Dec. 21.

Charton pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the 1964 season. He appeared in 25 games, 5 as starter. In 65 innings, he gave up only 67 hits. If he played today, that would be enough for a pension, Doug wrote.

He receives none because the rules for receiving a pension changed in 1980. Charton and the other men do not get pensions because they didn’t accrue 4 years of service credit.

That was what those who played between 1947-79 needed to be eligible. Instead, they receive non-qualified retirement payments based on a complicated formula that an actuary must have been calculated.

For every 43 games a player accrued, he’s paid $625 to the maximum, $10,000 before taxes. A vested retiree can earn up to $230,000.

Unlike military and other pension plans, the payment cannot be passed on to a surviving spouse or designated beneficiary. His loved ones will not receive a dime when he dies. Nor are these players eligible for an MLB health insurance plan.

To date, the Major League players association has been loathe to divvy up the collective pie, Doug wrote.

MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark – the 1st former player to hold that position – has not said a word about these non-vested retirees.

Some have had to file for bankruptcy, banks foreclosed on their homes and are sickly and poor but can’t afford proper health care.

After hanging up his spikes, Charton earned a Ph.D in geology and taught for 35 years at Roane State Community College in Harriman, TN, where a scholarship is named in his honor.

He wrote a Christian devotional book, “Off to College with King Solomon: A Devotional Handbook for Beginning College Students,” 5 years ago.

Life may not be fair but it’s tough to take late in life when there’s not much you can do about it.

To help, email Doug at flackscribe@aol.com .