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Baseball Memories!A Brother's Tribute and Heroes Remembered!"Joltin Joe" and the Boys of Summer--Oh Yes
Joe Dimaggio "Joltin Joe" has passed and left us with many wonderful baseball memories. Today thoughts of the legendary Yankee Clipper bring back fond memories of boyhood days and of my personal all time favorite players of the game, there was Mickey, Roger, Whitey and Yogi, all sportingly attired in their Yankee pinstripes....
Then there was Stan, Willie, Ted and the like...Gentlemen baseball players were they all. Remembrance of their smiling faces and comical antics flash vividly through my mind as fond baseball memories for these baseball greats remembered. How they graced their respective teams with style of Guts and Glory with a commitment to the game while most, if not all, have gone on to play on that unmatchable diamond in the sky- Oh how I would love to see these baseball immortals at play once more. To see "The Mick," swing the bat just one more time..driving the ball deep into the "upper deck," grandstands...bringing his teams cheering fans to their feet in jubilation. These are only a few of the wonderful baseball memories. To witness "say hey" Willie, gracefully run under a high outfield fly ball and at the last second, drop his glove to belt-high level, bringing in the ball in his patented basket-catch style.
It would be nice to see all my boyhood heroes play again. Yogi as the backstop throwing out a would be second base thief with ease. Whitey striking out the side, notching another victory for the "Yanks"... "Stan The Man" and "The Splendid Splinter," working their magic with a 35 ounce, funnel-shaped, tapered piece of hickory wood. All of these baseball memories are grand and most wonderful to recall, but my most vivid recollections and memories of the game ..that instilled within me a love for the game were the sandlot games played on the old Hewitt High Baseball Diamond, by a group of boys from several surrounding communities. These are great baseball memories. The ballplayers coming from Trussville, Clay, Happy Hollow and the like, would gather there on a Sunday afternoon to play the game. I remember their hustle and commitment to win, as if there was a packed grandstand filled with cheering fans. But normally the fans were few, but did these boys "give a rip?" No way Jose Canseco! These boys came to play not for recognition, not the fame and especially not for pay. These boys met on the sandlot on a Sunday afternoon, for years one thing bringing them together, that being their love for the game of baseball. These boys came to play and ball playing brothers formed a bond between them becoming a baseball players Most Loyal Fan. I remember the play of one talented player especially, a left handed hitter with an exceptional eye for the ball. Getting on base and driving in runs were his forte'..equipped with a rifle right arm and cat-like quickness he could "scoop and shoot" with the best of infielders. My brother, Brownee, played with enthusiasm and talent ...his hustle and demeanor on the field have never been matched in my mind!. When I watched him play I knew without a doubt that I wanted to be a competitor as he. Bro. Brownee may not have stood in pro baseball's limelight, but this I want to share with you..Bro. Brownee is a winner in life, always has been, always will be. I will forever be in Bro. Brownees debt. Bro. Brownees encouragement to me during my formative years, provided within my being, the desire to compete and the skills to win. The importance of fair play and being a team player ... ...to accept victory graciously and to "Hang Tough" in defeat. Bro. Brownee was a scholar of the sport, sharing fundamentals of the game to those who cared to know more ..believing that by perfecting the fundamentals you gain the winning edge. I find it hard to comprehend what my life would have been if Bro. Brownee, in his unique and wonderful style, had not instilled within me the desire to compete, to challenge my foe, and win the victory...and foremost, I want to give Bro. Brownee the credit for introducing me to the wonderful game of baseball and these great baseball memories. Oh how I loved to play the game of baseball...You know there are thrills and then there are thrills but getting good-wood on a high fastball is hard to beat...
Yes..this baseball memory of baseball playing and baseball playground youngsters growing up together like a Baseball Playing "Babe." These cherished memories as provided are courtesy of my younger brother Bailey, not only do they bring back fond memories of the game of baseball, it also brought a tear to my eye due to his glowing tribute to "me" his older brother. You will also enjoy his reminiscence of Trussville Little League as he talks of "A Small Town Boy." I had to share this with you all, along with many other stories I'll be passing along from Bailey, as time goes by...because when Bailey talks Baseball Stories, I listen! One other thought that I must share and that is that Bailey has always been partial and true fan of those Yankees so when I chose to identify "The Splendid Splinter" The Greatest Baseball Player but my choice over the legendary Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the great "Georgia Peach" Ty Cobb of the Detroit tigers was a tough call and it made me pause. Those baseball playing youngsters of my sandlot days are now part of the Baseballs Over The Hill Gang. Once we could jump a picket fence and run like a deer now we need a new landing gear. But it sure brings back some fond baseball memories. Pitcher Ready? Baseball memories and the formal education for our baseball players should continue right on through our college years. Check out the information available at College Baseball Scholarship
Return to Top of this Page: Baseball Memories. You might also like to take a moment and visit with some of our Business and Baseball Partners. Batter Up----Let's Play Ball.... Return to BaseballFarming our home page which is an introduction to the concept of baseball farming which includes ideas on strategies, training, and winning
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