To date, no one has shown a genetic predisposition to follow in the footsteps of Clark Griffith "Catfish" Williams. The Old Curmudgeon acknowledges that he may be the one that somehow filtered out the genetic material. Never-the-less, we were treated to some good ball today.
Lauren glares at the pitcher and dares her to throw some heat.
Having seen a pitch to her liking, Lauren singled. Seen here, she awaits developments as the first baseman (sic) takes care of an over-throw to the pitcher.
She eventually scored for the team and her Twisters shut-out the opponents. The game was eventually called on account of the "10 run rule."
Before the game, Grif awaits the official team portrait.
Later, warming up for his turn at bat, he tries to channel his grandfather.
In fact, he singled and stole second but was left stranded. In the bottom of the ninth, down by one run with bases loaded and two outs Grif carried the hopes and dreams of his Mets. He had a good hit in the opener. But with all the pressure of the situation, he inadvertently channeled Mighty Casey instead of Catfish. So for today, there is no joy in New Pal, but it's early in the season...
7 comments:
Ah, baseball. How I miss it. I remember my own storied career. Starting as a bat boy for the Greensboro Little League team coached by Hoop Williams, I quickly moved on to my own less than stellar career (cue up Paul Stookey singing 'Playing Right Field'). I'm afraid that Catfish might have been a genetic mutation that will never again be repeated -although rumour has it my own father played a mean Second Base. Each spring, I begin checking the Cincinnati Reds website hoping beyond hope that this will be their year. After a good start this season, things are going 'pear-shaped' (a nice British turn of phrase). Now, my beloved Reds appear to be a dreaded JATC. (Just Above the Cubs).
The famous coach Hoop Williams! (Or "Hoopus Poopus," as the Old Codger occasionally said.) Your reference brings to mind the epic tale of how Uncle Hoop once set out to teach Catfish about the spiritual blessings of sharing one's baseball cleats with those less fortunate. I am a little fuzzy on the story but I believe it involved recreating a tableau of Jacob wrestling with the angel.
C.G. managed my teams all but one year, but his magic was not powerful enough to infuse me with talent. As I recall he was a popular manager, except with the dad of one Italian kid who looked a little like Broadrick Crawford with a mustache and always wore a big fedora and a trench-coat. He used to threaten Catfish cause his kid didn't get enough playing time and "...the kid's got a hell of a swing." It was like a scene cut from The Godfather.
With regard to the Reds, as a Son of Chief Wahoo, I feel your pain. But you never know. I can see Adolph Hansen standing before us commenting on the "possibility" of our teams going all the way this year, (drum roll) "but on the other hand" there is that probability thing.
Lovely Lauren wears number 7 which was worn by one Bobby Garner playing for the Green Team in the Greensboro / Kennard little league. In the championship game against the team coached by the famous Hoop Williams said Garner doubled to right field bringing home Melvin Wood from first base to win the championship. Said Williams stated that he should have walked Garner but was afraid that Garner's father and Uncle Elmer would not speak to him again.
I would give anything for another round of golf with Dad, Uncle Clark, Uncle Elmer and Uncle Hoop. I never will forget Uncle's Elmer and Hoop almost coming to blows on the 11th hole at the American Legion.
Folklore is often enhanced with age. Please note my first comment on this particular subject. Said Garner probably didn't 'double' to right field, I'm sure that the quality of rightfielder in the good old days wasn't much better than when I played right field 5 years later. After all, we are only drawing from the burgs of Greensboro and Kennard (and all points in between). So, the lined shot which is now called a double was in fact probably a dribbler that passed by a very slow second baseman and into right field, where the ball was probably lost in the high grass that Buddy Starbuck had forgot to mow.
As far as Hoop Williams making a poor managerial decision based on the threats of two brothers-in-law -that to me seems to be the basis of a scandal. Mark has already pointed out how the mob infilitrated his own little league career, and it was only through the moral character of Catfish that the game was then saved from disrepute.
Hoop Williams however seemed to be a less reputable character. He even went to New Castle once, without Pete's permission. If Eib hadn't pointed out this indiscretion to Pete, Hoop would have got off 'Scot' free. As it was, his clandestine return to the homestead was greeted at the kitchen door by the fist of Pete.
In conclusion, I believe the shady character of Hoop and the now disclosed threats that he was under place the whole championship game in question. I think a board of enquiry should be established to get to the bottom of this.
Hoopus Poopus? Marcus Parcus? Who would have thought that with only an 8th Grade education, Pete could be so adept at classical languages, i.e. Latin.
You bring up an excellent point. I have often wondered if this adeptness signifies something more at work than innate intelligence. For example, how are we to understand the miracle of turning the saplings into canes? How are we to understand the subsequent utilization of a mere cane to shoot invisible birds from the sky? How are we to understand the damming of the creek? What about making the clock in the basement chime no matter what the hour? And speaking of the basement -- how are we to understand a basement materializing beneath a house not built upon a basement? What about causing the locust trees to grow squirrel skins at the ends of their branches? Are these things that mere mortals accomplish?
You may be on to something! How about his ability to roll checkers without a push from the kitchen door to the living room door? Or his ability to take hair from a horses tail, add water, and turn it in to a snake like creature? And his intellectual ability wasn't confined to classical languages. I attended a prayer meeting in which Rev. Ethan Waller (an obvious heretic) told the gathering that the family trees of Jesus presented in Matthew and Lukes gospels were different and were never meant to be taken historically or literally. Well, Grandpa accused him of being a false prophet and even hinted that he might be the anti-Christ. And walked out. It took a great deal of cajoling by Ida to get him back through the front door.
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