Harvard Boxing Dreams

While at Harvard I was an active participant in the intramural boxing program

which was run by two fighters who were ex-professionals

On a lark one day I asked one of them if I could ever become a professional

The answer I got was that I had the basic skill but would have to train exhaustively 

The rest of the tale is pure fiction, reflecting an old man's dreams

I never became known as a boxer emerging from Harvard College but

I still believe it would been a wonderful stunt, even if it lasted only three or four fights

The Harvard crowd would come in large numbers to see If I could win, and townies to see the opposite 

Also in my dream was a young lady I'll call Lorelei

Who shared my dream in every possible way

She provided every creature comfort a man could desire

And did not deter my dream despite cat-calls from many a compatriot 

The point of all this is never forget what we once thought possible

It provides  pleasant moments of remembrance from our youthful days

And occasionally I think that had I acted differently

I might just have prevailed in boxing ways

Rockies and Vegas Odds

Early in May I wrote a poem which discussed the Las Vegas odds
Of the Colorado Rockies winning the World Series, then 150 to one
Checking on July 25, the odds were then 500 to one
Vegas is unimpressed by what the Rockies have thus far done

When I wrote the poem the Rockies record
was nineteen losses and twenty wins,  pretty fair
Completing a three game win streak against Arizona
It seemed quite believable this might be their year

Unfortunately from that point on, things did not go well
By the time of the All-Star break, for a variety of reasons
The Rockies had eight more losses than wins
And they seemed likely to repeat their last five losing seasons

But since the All-Star break there has been a complete turnaround
In the last eleven games, nine resulted in Rockies wins
And they are one game under .500 ball
Far better than the record before the All Star game had been

The primary reason for their recent success is  their pitching staff
They have been consistently effective, both starters and relievers
Making those of us who are serious Rockies fans
Starting to be true believers

Of course there is no guarantee
That this great pitching will endure
But watching a number of Rockies games
It looks like the pitching staff  has become quite mature

I am reminded of the time in 2007
Where the final 23 out of 24 games the Rockies won
And they ended up winning the pennant
Against early seasons odds of 70 to one

So Rockies fans, let us pray the Rockies can repeat
What the 2007 pennant success had been
And show Las Vegas it is really unwise
To underestimate the chances of any Rockies team

Dan Middleman

I have a relative

Dan Middleman by name

Who as a distance runner

Attained considerable fame

When Dan was about seven

He was a member of a soccer team, as I understood quite an ace

Which came to Virginia for a match

And the day before, Dan spent some time at my place 

Thinking Dan might be somewhat nervous

About the forthcoming day

I concluded that a distance run

As a calming agent  might be the best way 

I took Dan to Haines Point

Which when circled was about three miles, perhaps a bit more

I told him if he completed the course

We would then head for the ice cream store  

Dan ran the course

For a seven year old, quite a feat

So we headed for the ice cream store

To complete his treat 

Many years later I attended a meet in which Dan was running

In a Penn Relays 10 kilometer race

I stood at the rail, and shouted " ice cream" as Dan went by

In the hope it would inspire a faster pace 

I don't know whether Dan heard me,

Or whether his running was affected in any way

But in my mind it was the most meaningful

Shout of encouragement on that day

 

Dan became qualified in 1996

As an entrant In the Olympic 10-K race, which he didn't win

I wasn't there that day but had I been present

And able to shout "ice cream", who knows what might have been

House of David Baseball Team

I had a cousin, Les Sand by name

Who pitched for several different baseball teams, four at least

In the Eastern and International leagues, and also the House of David

Where his record was 28 wins and five defeats 

The House of David was unusual in several respects

It started in 1917,and lasted thirty-eight years

With a few exceptions, its players were subject to two rules

They were required to leave their hair uncut, and to wear beards

The House of David had very varied opponents

They played against town teams and semi-pro teams in the main

And occasionally even major league teams

Winning the overwhelming majority of their games

Babe Didrikson, perhaps the greatest female athlete ever

At times played for the House of David

For her the requirement about having a beard

Was clearly waived 

Babe Ruth was offered a contract

Seeking to exploit his fame

He declined, but the fact the offer was made

Reflected the desire to attract large crowds to their games

The House of David broke ground

In a very different way

They played Negro League teams

An early step toward letting blacks play 

Eventually a House of David museum was erected

Where various artifacts were shown

It was certainly a fitting tribute

To one of the most unique baseball teams, today largely unknown

Jackie Robinson and the nutted cream cheese sandwich

April 15th, 2016

Was Jackie Robinson Day

Celebrating the 69th anniversary of a major league baseball team

Permitting a black person to play

Robinson's Dodger career lasted for ten years

From its beginning in 1947 to its 1956 end
He subsequently became a VP of Chock Full of Nuts
Whose specialty was a nutted cheese sandwich on dark raisin bread

My connection with Robinson goes beyond watching him play

When he became a Dodger, he lived on Tilden Ave., an East Flatbush zone
About a 1/4 mile from my high school-Tilden High
And about 3/4 of a mile from my home

After a while most every Dodger fan knew where he lived

And many biked or walked past this address, which became quite renown
hoping to catch sight of Jackie at his modest rental residence
At the times when he was not playing out of town

I did this many times, but never caught site of Robinson

On one occasion a young black woman was sitting on his porch
When I asked if she was waiting for Jackie, she said she was his wife
And thus I met Rachel, now in her nineties, but still active though 94

Robinson was an excellent fielder and hitter

But in my mind his greatest ability was in stealing a base
In his first 3 years with the Dodgers he led the Nat’l League twice in steals
Becoming a legend as a base stealing ace

I saw Robinson play many times, and when on any base, he took a long lead

Just far enough to minimize his pick off exposure
He almost always drew many throws from the opposing pitcher
Clearly upsetting the pitcher's composure

Robinson's Dodger career came with significant opposition from many fans and teams

He was verbally abused by those who thought allowing a black to play was wrong
Pitchers threw fast balls at his head, and runners would slide into him aggressively
In an attempt to damage his legs, which on one occasion produced a gash six inches long

Even a number of Dodgers were reluctant to play with a black

Leo Duroucher was the Dodger manager, and letting Jackie play was his very strong view
He informed the team that Robinson would make them all rich
And promptly trading any player who refused to play with him was what he would do

Despite all the above, Robinson played many years at a very elite level

Because of his physical ability and mental toughness
He did not allow any abuse to detract from playing his best
Whatever he faced in verbal or physical roughness

In my mind he was the greatest base stealer there has ever been

And the bravest player in the history of major league ball
Jackie is dead, Ebbitt's field is gone, the Dodger's left Brooklyn
But the legend that was Jackie will forever loom tall

On a lighter note, I have a suggestion for all restaurant chains

On every future Jackie Robinson day
Put a nutted cream cheese sandwich on dark raisin bread on the menu
To celebrate Jackie's career in an additional way

Gorgeous George who inspired Ali

 

When Muhammad Ali died on May 3, of this year

His death was mourned by millions, from sea to sea

Much less known was his connection with Gorgeous George, a wrestler

Whose outrageous conduct provided the model for Ali 

Gorgeous George was born George Raymond Wagner

But adopted Gorgeous George as his ring name

After an attendee at a match loudly proclaimed he was gorgeous

It was as Gorgeous George that he came to wrestling fame 

As George walked down the aisle to the ring in a sequined robe

His valet would spread rose petals at his feet

And then spray Chanel #10 as a disinfectant over the ring

As George entered for the actual meet 

George grew his hair long,

Like Marilyn Monroe, utilizing platinum blonde bleach

And inserted gold- plated bobby pins in it

Which he subsequently distributed to those within reach 

There is no doubt that George was an excellent wrestler

But it was his self -promotion that led to success that was enormous

By the 1950's George was in such demand

That he could get half the gate for his performance 

When Ali was nineteen, he met Gorgeous George, then 46

At a Las Vegas Radio Station, where George was promoting a wrestling bout

Ali certainly took notice of George's claim to be the greatest wrestler in the world

And later said "I am the greatest.", and usually predicted he would his fight in a rout 

If there is any insight to be gained

From the story of George and Ali

It's that sometimes some self-promotion

Is the best way to be

Pete Reiser- All Out

 

I was an ardent fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1940's and 1950's

living in Flatbush, and the Dodger stadium was a short subway ride away

I attended Dodger games on numerous occasions, and listened to radio broadcasts

And can vividly recall the exploits of several of my favorite players to this day 

One of my favorite players was Pete Reiser

In 1941 he won the National League batting crown

He also lead the League in doubles, triples and runs scored

A record any ball player would be proud to own 

In addition to his excellent batting record

He was twice the National League leader in stolen bases

He stole home a record seven times in the 1946 season

Ranking him high among base stealing aces 

But it is not because of his excellent batting

Or his ability to catch fly balls

That comes to my mind when I think of Reiser

It was the frequency with which he crashed into outfield walls 

He fractured his skull on one occasion

Was temporarily paralyzed another time

And was taken off the field on a  stretcher eleven times

Playing it safe was never on his mind 

Reiser knew only one style of play

Which meant he went all out on all plays

The risk of injury never deterred him

And undoubtedly shortened his playing days 

When asked by a writer after he retired

If it would have been better to keep safety on his mind

And thus probably been able to prolong his career

Reiser replied he only knew how to play all out all of the time 

The Last Four Hundred Hitter in Baseball- Ted Williams

 

Most people have heard of Ted Williams

The last major leaguer to hit for a .400 percentage over a year

Except for baseball aficionados

I doubt that many would be familiar with the details of his career 

In September,1941 Williams was hitting .400 with the Red Sox

Before the last two games against the Athletics

Manager Joe Cronin offered to let Williams

Sit out the last two Games to assure a .400 percentage 

Williams declined, preferring the challenge

Of hitting .400 while still active to the season's ending

He had six hits for his last eight at bats

Ending up with a .406 average after this remarkable batting 

Williams believed swinging at a pitch outside the strike zone

Was a batting sin that really did matter

He very rarely swung at a bad pitch

Greatly improving his productivity as a batter 

On one occasion an opposing catcher questioned the umpire's judgment

As to whether on a 3-2 count,  he correctly called a ball on the pitch

The umpire said he really didn't see it, but he was sure

That if it was a strike, Mr. Williams would certainly have swung at it 

Williams was commissioned a Marine Corps naval aviator in May 1944

And was discharged on January 1946, his service combat-free

He had a far different  experience  during the Korean War

After being recalled to service, he served as a combat pilot from 1952 to 1953 

Williams flew 39 combat missions during the Korean War

In the same unit as future astronaut John Glenn, whose view

Was that Williams was one of the best pilots

That he ever knew 

After Korea, Williams returned to play for the Red Sox

And continued to play until 1960, totaling sixteen years with the same team

He was American League batting champion six years

And is often deemed to be the greatest hitter who had ever been 

Weiss and Elway

 

 

Walt Weiss became the Rockies Manager in 2012

John Elway was named Executive V.P. of Football Operations the year before

Prior to the above, both had excellent playing careers

Elway only a Bronco, Weiss playing for different teams, for a total of four 

Elway was a quarterback for the Broncos for 16 years

In 1997 and 1998 he lead them to Superbowl wins, displaying skills that were great

Coincidentally, Weiss was voted American League Rookie of the year

In that same year-1998 

Since the beginning of Elway's and Weiss's managerial careers

The fortunes of the Broncos and Rockies have sharply diverged

The Broncos have been in the Superbowl twice, winning last year

A winning season for the Rockies has not yet emerged 

As of May, the odds quoted in Las Vegas

Were 150-1 against the Rockies having a World Series win 

As to the Broncos chance to repeat as Superbowl winners

Las Vegas showed odds of 12-1,before the football season begins 

The Rockies record in 2015 was 68 wins and 94 losses

However, as I write this they have nineteen losses and twenty wins

Excellent hitting ,with mostly sub-par pitching

But in their recent 3 game winning streak , Arizona had only 5 runs knocked in 

I very vividly recall the situation in 2007

When they had a 76 win and 72 loss record on the sixteenth of September

The Rockies went on to win  21 of their last 22 games to win the pennant

A feat for the reasons below, I will always remember 

I was living in Las Vegas at the time and my daughter lived in Colorado

I bet $10 on the Rockies to win the pennant when the Rockies hadn't shown much yet

The odds at that time were 70 to one

And thus was entitled to receive collect $700 dollars for my bet 

I had put the ticket in a "safe" place

As it would be months before it would be known who would win

The problem was that when I went to retrieve the ticket

The "safe" place remained forever hidden and I never could cash in 

This year the Rockies have a very potent offense

And if they can develop reliable pitchers

The unlikely might just happen

And they could end up as World Series winners 

Manning retired, and Ostweiler chose to  play with Houston

The Broncos acquired Mark Sanchez, and drafted Paxton Lynch, to fill the Q.B. position

The potent Bronco defense remains largely intact

And repeating as Superbowl Champs is obviously Elway's burning ambition 

The last time a city had both a World Series winner

And a Superbowl Champ in the same year

Was in 1979 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Steelers

And with good fortune it just might happen here

Fidel Castro and Rocky Marciano-Baseball Careers

 

There is an oft repeated tale that Fidel Castro received a tryout in the late 1940's

As a pitching prospect for the Washington Senators and was rejected

There is substantial doubt as to the accuracy of this story

And little evidence that this actually took place has been detected 

What is true was that Castro was a starting pitcher in his senior year in high school

But when attending college he doesn't appear to have been on the team

Several major league teams, as well as the Washington Senators, had scouts in Cuba

And speculation is rampant if Castro had been selected what history would have been 

This situation can be viewed in two different ways

If Castro was discouraged from pursing baseball by not being given a tryout at all

Or in fact had been turned down after a tryout by the Senators or some other team

It may be what influenced his decision to pursue politics instead of major league ball 

His interest in baseball continued after he became the Cuban Communist dictator

He regarded the development of Cuban amateur teams as part of his mission

And Cuban amateur teams consistently played at very high levels

In international amateur competition 

In high school Rocky Marciano played football and baseball

In 1947 Marciano and several friends traveled to North Carolina

To try out for the Fayetteville Cubs, a minor league farm team for the Chicago Cubs

He lasted 3 weeks before being cut, and failed to find a spot on any team in the minors 

After boxing in the Army, Marciano returned home to Brockton, Massachusetts

And began boxing training, with Charlie Goldman becoming his training boss

Marciano began his professional career in July, 1948

And went on to win 49 fights without a loss 

There are several reasons Marciano

Should not have become so great

He was short armed and relatively slow on his feet

And began his professional boxing career fairly late 

Marciano was a very tough fighter, and a very powerful puncher

Willing to absorb punches to inflict his own

Knowing also that Brockton residents were betting large amounts on his winning

So to the normal desire to win was added the wish not to disappoint his hometown 

So if you are a baseball official in charge of recruiting

Be aware that who you fail to retain or scout

Could alter the course of their lives

In a manner that at that time you would very likely never figure out