7 Posts Today: 2 each time consuming, but absolutely great articles, some good stuff, and for all of the many new visitor's - I decided to repost: A little background on a Cowboys love of the game ... / I am working on putting together a great week for you, and of course the great game of baseball will lead me to postings as the season unfold's daily. As usual there will be Terrific Tuesday, Super Saturday, and Video Sunday 11 ... / If you missed Video Sunday 10, please just scroll down ... / Thank you for visiting ...
Until next time, so long everybody ...
Lee [ Cowboy ]
A Cowboys Love of the Game
I am a born and raised St. Louis Cardinal fan; as well, I have been a Rockies fan since their inception. Of equal importance I believe, I am a true fan of the game. The game of baseball has been in my mind, heart, spirit, and soul since I was two years old. I have been so blessed to have had a father who gave to me the gift of the game. As well, I have never taken for granted that in my lifetime I have seen play Hall of Fame caliber ballplayers like Stan Musial, Roberto Clemente, Henry Aaron, Bob Gibson, Willie Mays, Ozzie Smith, Ron Santo, Johnny Bench, Lou Brock, Larry Walker, Albert Pujols, Ryne Sandberg, and Ken Griffey Jr., just to name a few.
I grew up listening to Harry Carey, Jack Buck, and Vin Scully. As a child and eventually a young man, who could have asked for more? It was from these sportscasters and my father that I learned the game with all of its intricacies and learned to love the game. I grew up on the smell of the grass and the crack of the bat; on country field baseball, on acrobatic defensive plays, game winning hits, and walk off home runs. I collected baseball cards and I played the game. I became a sportscaster as well, although never on radio or tv - only in my backyard or my living room.
Other than love and those that I love, and, even as a cowboy, there was never that which was more important to me than the game of baseball. It has brought me joy, great excitements, and even correlations of hard-learned lessons in life. Through baseball I learned of leadership, teamwork, hard work ethic, never say die, and so much more ...
That's part 1 of my love of the game. Why not share yours ...
Swing & a long one ...
Until next time, so long everybody ...
Lee [ Cowboy ]
My Dad grew up in Woonsocket, RI. After graduating from high school, he needed to earn money to go to college so he played minor league ball in the St Louis Browns system from 1939-1941 including a year at Helena, AR in the Cotton States League and one Greensboro NC in the Piedmont League. He played SS, batted over .300 each year and played a season with Vern Stephens. He got promoted to the Eastern League (AA) at the end of the 1941 season, but then Pearl Harbor occurred and like most of the WW II generation, he enlisted. By the time he got out he was 26 years old so baseball was over.
ReplyDeleteI was weened on baseball, which in my Dad's house meant the Red Sox. On my 6th birthday, I got my first hardball, a Ted Williams glove and a Louisville Slugger 29" Ted Williams bat. When my Dad came home from work, my brother (1 year younger), Dad and I went out to field grounders and hit before going in to listen to Curt Gowdy broadcast the rest of the Sox game.
In our house Ted Williams was idolized. On July 20, 1959, my grandfather took my Dad, my brother (age 8) and me (age 9) to my first game at Fenway. For the hour and an half drive, my Dad told us about the greatness of Ted Williams: he had won the last 2 batting titles in 1957 (.388) and 1958, about hitting .406 in 1941, his stats, his great eyesight, ability to play the wall etc. But each time Ted came up he didn't get a hit. In fact he made the last out of the game on a fly ball to right field. I had just watched Jim Bunning of the Tigers pitch a no hitter. All I knew was that the great Ted Williams didn't get a hit.
The summer of 1967 (age 17) cemented me as a Red Sox fan and baseball addict forever. The Red Sox Impossible Dream Team, who had finished 9th in 1966, were fighting for the lead with Detroit, the Angels and Twins. There was the 10 game road win streak in June and 10,000 met the Sox at Logan Airport. They swept the Angels in a double header in August with rookie Reggie Smith hitting 3 HRs and by coming back from an 8-0 deficit in the second game keyed by Norm Sieburn hitting a pinch hit triple with the bases loaded and Jerry Adair's ball just clearing the left field wall. I was in the centerfield bleachers as the Sox swept the Twins and beat Dean Chance on the last day of the season to overcome the Twins and Tigers to win the pennant. I also attended the 2nd game of the World Series when Yaz hit his 2nd homer of the game off Joe Horner of the Cardinals. I sat in the bleachers as Bob Gibson beat the Sox and Jim Lonborg (pitching on 2 days rest and his 4th start in 11 days) in the 7th game.
After that I was hooked for life.
When the Sox finally won a world series in 2004, my Dad (then 84) said: "God can take me any time he wants now."
For me, baseball started with my grandma. She taught me to knit and watch baseball. And you did those at the same time. She was a life-long Cubs fan and her dream was to live in one of the apartment buildings on Waveland Avenue across from Wrigley Field so she could watch the game from her apartment. What can I say, she was ahead of her time.
ReplyDeleteWe watched the Cubs together on WGN. At that time, "GN" broadcast home games of the Cubs and the White Sox. I know that my grandpa watched whatever baseball was on, but for my grandma and me it was Cubs only. When the Cubs were on the road, we listend to Lou Boudreau and Vince Lloyd. To this day, I love to listen to baseball on the radio.
Baseball was cemented in my heart after my first visit to Wrigley. It was Billy Williams Day, and the Cubs were playing a double header against the Cardinals. I will never forget walking up the ramp under the bleachers and stepping out to see the expanse of the field. All that green! To a kid from the west side, where their was not much grass, well, it just blew me away. I cannot tell you who won either of the games.
Over the years there has been more losing than winning. And, while I would love to see the Cubs win a World Series, I would not trade my baseball allegiance for anything. Because for me, it is more about the experience than the winning. Some of my first excursions out into the world occurred because of the Cubs. I could take the "el" by myself or with friends and sit in the bleachers for $1.00. What independence!
Following Ernie Banks, a great hitter AND a great human being! Ron Santo, who may have ended up more famous for his interesting color commentary than for his baseball ability--too bad, because he was a pretty good ball player AND a great human being! Fergie Jenkins. Billy Williams.
I attended my first night game at Wrigley just two years ago. I will never do it again. I have attended night games at Miller Field and other baseball stadiums around the country, but baseball should be played in the daytime at Wrigley. While I am a big proponent of change in other aspects of life, day baseball at Wrigley should have been left to stand as far as I am concerned.
Notice that my recollections do not include any stats or specifics about particular games. Because for me, while the stats and the box score are interesting, it is about the experience. I will end with a quote from that great baseball philosopher, Annie Savoy (Bull Durham),
"Walt Whitman once said, 'I see great things in Baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will repair our losses and be a blessing to us.' You could look it up!"
Woody3715:
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable!
You saw Ted Williams, the greatest hitter to ever play the game, swing a bat! Additionally, on your 6th birthday you were gifted a Ted Williams bat & glove ... Forever memories ...
Deb Gurke:
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing some of your baseball background. I believe that you are so-o right when you shared that your love of the game is largely about it's being, '' more about the experience than winning.'' / It had occurred to me from the beginning of your comment that Annie Savoy would get one of her comments in as well ...