Baseball

[Andy]

A little less than 36 years ago there was some baseball I was interested in. The World Series featured the St. Louis Cardinals and my Red Sox. All the games started at 1 PM, remember that, and Massachusetts is 12 hours different in time zones from Vietnam. Each day/night of a game I?d swap with others and stand guard on the companies bunker line from midnight to 6AM. Each night it was Lonburgh and Yaz for the Sox and a SOB named Bob Gibson for the Cards. Great series even if the bad guys won. It sort of put the war in perspective.

Tonight is the first time the two teams are playing against each other since that October of 1967, an October we spent in the Hobo Woods. I?ll not wear anything green, no bugs allowed in the house and I may have a cocktail as I watch this one. Will be watching for a few other guys who did not make it to ?03, several didn?t make it to ?68.

It?s funny how people come and go, players come and go, wars come and go; but there is always baseball. Strange how I grew up with Ted Williams, lived with Yaz and Fisk, Lynn and Rice and now grown old with Pedro and Nomah. Grew up learning about WWII, lived through RVN and grow old with a government that found fighting in the desert is more user friendly than jungles. It?s as though the universe has a rhythm, and idiom, that for 150 years has been tied together with a sport.

Didn?t mean to get that serious, enjoy something tonight.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[phuloi]

That sure raised up a bunch of memories!The Sox finally have a chance to exorcise the Curse of the Babe,and I was just up the road,and like you-12 hours off kilter.October was one hell of a bad month for me..lots of ..what is it you say,'Bad Ju Ju".Unfortunately,I remember more about the shit than the World Series. Thanks for the memories,Andy.(I think)

[sn-e3]

Hey Andy I caught a foul ball in the Kingdome off Jim Rice sure wish I could of got him to sign it.

[Jerry D]

I know what you mean about Bob Gibson In 67' I was just a kid collecting baseball cards and every other pack seem to have a Bob Gibson card and I was looking for a Nolan Ryan hope your team did well tonite Andy

[Packo]

Off the mound, one of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. On the mound, he was one of the biggest SOB'S I've ever met.

In 68' I asked if he would pitch me a few, knowing I'd probably never get in a game. He agreed. It was a big moment for me. I used to like to crowd the plate, which was a big mistake. He played a 90+ song of chin music on his first pitch knocking me to the ground. He then said, as I looked at him in horror with the whole Pgh bench laughing, "Thats my plate rookie". I jumped up, looked at him with the sternest eyes I could gather, and said, "Yes Sir Mr. Gibson". I did hit him a few times, but not as many as I missed. I did not crowd the plate again.

That was a great series......I am glad baseball, but not as we knew it, is alive and kicking.

By the way....Sosa's use of the cork bat an honest mistake....yeah, and I'm going to be inducted in the Hall of Fame.

Packo

[MORTARDUDE]

Did you play in the major leagues ? Did not know that. What teams and years ? Thanks.

Larry

[Andy]

It was an interesting game, tied in the 9th and the Sox lost. I suppose that means that all is right in the universe and the earth will rotate around the sun again today. The definition of an optimist is anyone who cheers for the Sox or Cubs.

Phuloi, you were up the road in the fall of ?67? We were guarding Rome Plows that were knocking down the jungle, along with the green being sprayed with AO. For some reason I thought you were in the Hobo?s.

Sn-e3, you came very close to not catching that ball, for a number of reasons. One of them being that Rice was recruited by Nebraska to be a football running back. At the last minute after signing a letter of intent with that collage he decided to play baseball.

Packo, I?ve heard that story before and know it?s just stone cold true. Jerry Remmey, former short stop for the Sox was announcing the game last night. He said the first time he went up against Mr. Gibson, he made a big deal out of digging in real close to the plate. Gibson stepped off the mound, toward home plate and yelled, ?Dig a little deeper. That?s were I?m going to burry you.? Good control, 95 mile per hour fast ball and a bad attitude - frightening, simply frightening. (I liked hitting fast balls, it was the junk, especially inside, that could not be hit. Course I was just playing high school and Legion ball.)

Stay healthy,
Andy

[Packo]

I was only called up to Pittsburgh in 68' for less than a month due to the injury to Jerry "Jay" May, their starting catcher. There were 2 other catchers, Chris Cannizzaro and the other guy's name was Taylor but can't remember his first name. I had been playing for the "Charleston Charlies" at the time. I never got in a major league game. Worked in the bull pen with Jim Bunning, Bruce Dalcanton, Bob Moose, Juan Pizarro, Bob Veale, Doc Ellis, and some others. We had a night game with St. Louis when I met Gibson. We were all at the park early and that's when I got him to pitch to me. I also played in Hickory and Salem. Those that know me know I don't talk much about it. Vietnam ended any hopes, and they were slim, that I would ever get to stay in the bigs after Vietnam. I was a better hitter than a catcher, but loved catching. In those days, the catcher moved the outfield and the infield, and called the pitches. Now it all comes from the dugout. Even my mom doesn't talk about it much because it was very painful for me and my family. Last visit though, she broke down and told my darlin' Deb and her family, "Tom used to hit that ball and it would just fly out of the park." They were good days.

Packo

[phuloi]

Huh..The longer you hang around here,the more incredible things come to the surface.I had no clue you ever played ball,Packo.Talk about Vietnam ruining a career,just think what kind of numbers Mr. Ted Williams could have put up if not for his service in WW11.Andy:That`s what I meant about being just up the road from you.Had no idea you were in the cut at the time in Hobo Woods.Exact times and places are not my long suit,but I`d give a dollar to a donut that we crossed paths.

[SEATJERKER]

...Andy, If you see a good looking woman in the stands tonight, she's from NY...It's my wife's co-worker, she, and another are probably already sitting down there somewhere having a beer...

...went on a spur of the moment invite, and headed over earlier today...

...was that a traveling circus the other night at Fenway, or was it "farm team night"... nah, won't go there...