MY BASEBALL MEMORIES

HELLO GUYS AND DOLLS,

 I told you the other day, I would like to write about my baseball days and memories as a youngster.  My first glove was a "Scooter" Phil Rizzuto glove.  It looked liked the ones from the 1920's, small with a little web to catch a ball with but it was all mine  I never threw that glove away and I still own it today.  Once on my birthday, I received a first baseman's glove from my aunt it was my favorite glove.  Growing older I purchased an infielder's glove which I wore out playing baseball on the local fields or parking lots.  I loved the game, but never had a chance to play Little League.  My parents thought it was too dangerous being hit with a hard baseball and I never made an issue of the fact.  I'm sorry I never questioned their decision.  My sons Joey and Jeff played Little League baseball and I'm glad I allowed them to enjoy the sport.

The fondest of Roe and my memories is taking the boys to see games at Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia.  We also attended Spring Training games and minor league games here in Florida.  Glad we had the opportunity to do so.

I would like to thank my Dad for my memories of baseball and him.  Dad was a Yankee and than a Met's fan.  I always was a Phillies fan and I want to pass along some memories about my Dad and me attending those games in Philadelphia.  Dad, his friend Ted, Ted's son and I would go several times during the season to see the games.  At that time, Connie Mack Stadium was the Phillies Ballpark which was located in North Philadelphia.  We had to park on the street in those days and walk a few blocks to reach the stadium.  The first time I ever saw Connie Mack Stadium, it looked like the Roman Coliseum, but a little more modern. On the lower level outside stood the ticket windows and up above the offices were deals and decisions were made.  It was a sight to see for a small boy.

Across the street was a cafe/bar that was packed before and after the games, selling beer, hot dogs and all those other baseball treats.   I remember the fans standing in line to get in.  Connie Mack Stadium had those old time turn stile gates to enter the sacred field of play.  Once in you could smell the aroma of the beer and dogs that would be served during the game.  You had an usher who showed you to your seats and cleaned them off for you.  To a young boy who loved baseball this was heaven for me.

I saw some of the best in Phillies history to play the game, Robin Roberts, Richie Ashburn, Curt Simmons, Del Ennis, Don Cardwell, Ruben Gomez, Chris Short, Sparky Anderson, Turk Farrel, Harvey Haddix and Stan Lopata just to name a few.  One September, Sunday afternoon in 1958, I remember the game was a double header, which to my distraught the game was rained out and reschuled for Monday as a double header to start at 5:35 p.m.  The National League Batting Championship was on the line Richie Ashburn and Willie Mays.  Ashburn won the title that night going four for four.  Coming home, Dad told me it was okay for me to miss school the next day.  Thanks Dad for the great memories of you and baseball.

This will be my last post for a week or so as I have personal matters to take care of.  Please feel free to read all my posts. Will post upon my return.

I'M BACK AND AS NASTY AS EVER

HELLO GUYS AND DOLLS:

HAPPY TO REPORT THE RIGHT MAN WILL BE PRESIDENT AGAIN.  WORKING FOR US THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE AMERICA RUN AND NOT THE RICH AND CORPORATE PHONIES.  TO THOSE I SAY "SUCK IT UP AND START MAKING THIS COUNTRY ONE AGAIN."  ENOUGH FOR POLITICS.

AS YOU MIGHT HAVE READ, OLD JOEY Z WAS IN THE HOSPITAL ONCE AGAIN FOR THE OLD TICKER.  THINGS DID NOT WORK OUT JUST RIGHT HOWEVER I'M ALIVE ALL IS WELL AND I DO HAVE SOME COMPLAINTS FOR HOSPITALS IN GENERAL.  THE CARE OF THE DOCTORS AND NURSES WERE OUT OF THIS WORLD, A PLUS, PLUS TO THEM.  FOOD SOME GOOD, SOME BAD, SOME COLD AND THEY NEED TO CHANGE THE MENU ONCE IN A WHILE.  TV BAD, F GRADE.  TEN KID'S CARTOON NETWORKS AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HECK THOSE CHARACTERS WERE. NEWS STATIONS GALORE, RELIGIOUS STATIONS AND GOSPEL SINGING AT LEAST FIVE.  THANK GOD FOR ESPN, THE FOOD CHANNEL AND TMC.  PLEASE HOSPITALS CHANGE YOUR MENUS AND TV PROGRAMMING EVERY SO OFTEN.

I AM ALSO GLAD THE POLITICAL ADS ARE OVER, I WELCOME WITH OPEN HEART THE CHINESE GUY SELLING DIRECT APPLIANCES FOR THREE HOURS AT A TIME OR THOSE OTHER INFO COMMERCIALS.  IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME WATCHING THE HISTORY CHANNEL OR A GOOD MOVIE ON THE CABLE NETWORKS AND EVEN STORAGE WARS AS A LAST RESORT.  FREEDOM IS MINE TO CHOOSE.

THANKS FOR READING WHILE I WAS AWAY.  MY SPEAKIES ARE THE BEST AND I APPRECIATE ALL THOSE WHO STOP BY.  WITH THE HOLIDAYS APPROACHING, WRITING MAY BE A LITTLE SLOWER, BUT I WILL INJECT MY THOUGHTS AS USUAL TO GET YOUR SPIRITS MOVING.  HAVE A GREAT DAY AND A WONDERFUL EVENING.

JUST LIKE OUR PARENTS

HELLO SPEAKIES:



JUST HAD TO WRITE AND LET YOU KNOW THAT ROE AND I HIT THE ROAD FOR OUR FIRST SENIOR CITIZEN BUS TRIP YESTERDAY SPONSORED BY AN ORGANIZATION WE JOINED CALLED H2U.  THEY ARE LOADED WITH TRAVEL TRIPS, HEALTH FUNCTIONS, YOU NAME IT THEY DO IT FOR THE SENIORS IN OUR AREA.

YESTERDAY WITH CLOSE FRIENDS WE TRAVELED VIA BUS TO HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, FLORIDA AND STOPPED BY A GERMAN BAKERY CALLED YAHALA BAKERY.  THEY HAVE A GREAT VARIETY OF BREADS AVAILABLE AND FRESH BAKED PASTRIES TO CHOOSE FROM.  ROE PURCHASED A LOAF OF ONION BREAD AND NOW THE KITCHEN SMELLS LIKE ONIONS, GOING TO ENJOY A SLICE SOON.  AFTER THE BAKERY THE BUS MADE ITS WAY TO MISSION INN WHERE WE ALL ENJOYED A GOOD ITALIAN BUFFET AND THEN WE WERE OFF TO RUSSELL STOVER CANDY OUTLET.  HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE NOT ONE BOX OF CANDY PURCHASED.

HEY SENIORS OUT THERE SEIZE THE MOMENTS TO TRAVEL WHEN YOU CAN, ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT YEARS, I NEVER FIGURED TO BE THE ONE FOR BUS TRIPS BUT WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME.  DO IT AND REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR MINDS SHARP.  DON'T SIT HOME GRAB YOUR DOLL AND DO STUFF, I'M HAVING FUN AND TRULY WANT YOU TO DO THE SAME.

BRING BACK WOODY WOODPECKER PLEASE

Happy Hump Day Guys and Dolls:

Hoped you enjoyed my post from yesterday it's fun sharing stuff with my faithful readers that's the reason I enjoy writing in my weird sort of way.  Let's talk movie theaters as I promised yesterday.  I received a gift certificate from the people I work with movie tickets at one of the local AMC theaters in Central Florida.  Roe loves movies and I promised her that I would go with her to the movie of her choice.  The day before we checked out the times for the movie Dark Shadows and found it to be playing at noon, so after a nice breakfast we proceeded over to the entertainment plaza to purchase our tickets for the show only to find that the movie started in 10 minutes at 11o'clock instead.  Hey great, early show out early do something else okay with me.  Now like I said in my book I never cared going to the movies always because the weirdo's of the world sit in front, in back or along side of me.  Joey Z the "Brave" will give it one more chance.

Entering the theater your path was clearly marked going past the "Goodies Stations"as I call them, yes the sodas, popcorn, candy, nachos with cheese just calling out to you begging for consumption.  I felt like pulling out a cross and expelling the demons from my sight.  I felt good passing up their callings and the prices they charge for consumption.  If you took a family of four to the movies paid for the tickets and snacks you'd be broke. As the thrifty shopper my wife is purchased 2 boxes of candy and the local WalMart for 98 cents each.

Making it past the snack line we located our theater, however as usual we both had to make the before hand pit stop.  As we entered the theater I looked like a scout searching for my territory to sit and not be disturbed by the nimyo's of the universe that may enter later.  Hell it was 2 minutes to 11a.m. how many more will enter before the show begins. We spot our seats and staked our claim.  Not many people in the theater this is good, only the sound of popcorn being chewed a few rows down by a family of four.  A few mores heads pop from around the corner wall, okay find a seat, not near me; good they pass like ships in night. All is well as the WHAT BEGINS? - TV COMMERCIALS FOR UPCOMING SHOWS.  Where are the cartoons when you need them?  This is the movies I don't want to see TV commercials that I can see at home. They finally go off and now comes 10 advertisements for upcoming movies, it's now 11:15 a.m. and no movie yet.  Finally the movie starts at 11:30 as I sit back to enjoy and in the background the crunching sound of popcorn reminds me of my younger movie days.

Thanks for letting me share my movie day memories with you, have a great day Speakies.

WHAT A WAY TO START A DAY

Hello Speakies:

Tropical Storm Ida struck the Mobile, Alabama Bay area late last night, I hope the damage was not severe and the residents are doing fine. The storm will bring rain to Florida and start extending northward later in the day. Be careful traveling and always keep your eyes peeled for the other guy.

Today we celebrate:
Area Code Day – I remember the good old days just a few numbers.
Marine Corps Birthday
National Young Reader’s Day

I’ll share a hospital test story with you today. This morning I had a CT Scan scheduled at our local hospital for 8:30 a.m. with an arrival time of 6:30 a.m. I knew the early arrival time was for drinking that awful stuff they call contrast prior to the test. Well I was up and at them at 4:00 a.m. shaving, brushing teeth and showering. Today was also garbage day so that went out before I left. I got all my stuff ready for work, my soup for lunch, my little ditty bag that holds all the necessities of day and with 5:30 on my watch I headed out. I arrived at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. a little early, but if I get in there’s a chance I’m out earlier. Once checking in at the reception desk, I was ready to begin my adventure. Out comes a technician with 2 bottles of a clear liquid advising me I must drink both. With stomach starting to turn I opened the first, took a swallow, not bad, no taste just like ice water, drank that one down with one more to follow. At 6:00 in the morning I rather have coffee than ice water and the second bottle was half finished and dumped. I was finally taken to the ready room as I call it, the place you receive your IV needle and finish off another bottle of wonder water. Having bad veins it was a struggle to set the IV but finally a young nurse with ice cold hands kept pounding my arm trying to find a vein. Success at last she said as she set the IV needle into my hand. Now she said, “Please drink this other bottle of contrast before the test.” I did my best but could only down a 1/2. I proceeded to the testing area and all went fine. I was happy to be on my way, looking forward to a large cup of coffee and some cookies at work.

May your day be pleasant and happy Guys and Dolls and I maybe back later if I don’t fall asleep.