fugly does salemfrowsy ballpark in Roanoke's shadow had a corrugated tin outfield fence old wooden slatted green painted seats and lucky numbers every inning kids stomped drink cups pop syrup stuck to your shoes few came except hard core fans player wives, elderly, and munchkins This was my house of worship. My gods were mostly too young or too old with steel gloves and marshmallow bats threw flat hummers hung break balls were wild as Borneo natives or stuck with Venus De Milo arms making 700 to a thou a month. John Dean ripped off a hunk of athletic tape scrawled his name on it and stuck it on his apartment mailbox. These guys would talk to you. Memory's Everest is a July '74 Salem weekend spent hanging out in the clubhouse with Salem bummed from Gary Wilson (he'd been to double a), asking Doug Nelson for the Sunday comics, and handing slumping Jerry Thomas (my idol) a rattlesnake rattle and fake story about it being good luck. (manager John Lipon had him stick it in his pocket when pitching) Only way to get closer was to wear a uni. No ordinary club, this- Carolina League pennant winners, 7 made the bigs. John Candeleria sent me for hotdogs. Stinky Nicosia was league all star catcher. Rick Langford won 19 for the A's. Mitchell Page was his mate both places. Miguel Dilone stole everything in sight. Al Holland's fastball loosened bowels. Their best talent hit .350 stole 50 plus bases and 4 weeks after I left died on the field at 17. ALFREDO EDMEAD's favorite poem was 'If'. Salem faced Penninsula- the last game lives as long as I do. When the P A announced I'd aced a trivia question for 2 steak dinners Dave Nelson led the bullpen cheers. Tied at 9 in the top of the tenth Lipon stuck Jerry Thomas and rattlesnake rattle on the mound. In one shaky inning he gave up a run AND WON!!!!!!! Before heading home one last clubhouse look showed guys whipping off uniforms padding to the showers and doing the dozens- shared comeraderie of which I'd ceased to be a part. Steve Pasternak closed my book- he wished me luck and called me BIG GUY! Me and Reggie Jackson! See the family resemblance? Dan Taylor Leave feedback on our message board. |