Baseball #1

March 27, 2011

Daniel Gould to Jim Driscoll

 

Hi JD;

(…)

Baseball season begins for me next Friday when the Cubbies open at Wrigley Field. There was a radio program, on the BBC World Service, several years ago, called "Anything Goes." You could make a request for songs, poetry and comedy routines. Every year I would submit a request like: A&C "Who's on first," V. Price reading "Casey at the Bat" etc. And every year I would predict the the Cubs would go to the World Series. The moderator had an American friend in London, from Chicago, so he knew a little about the team and he would make comments like, "Well, it has been 50 years." Anyway, check out the piece I wrote about the Cubbies opening day for 1969: scroll down five "pages."
 
Here are a couple more baseball anecdotes. Twenty years ago, I was at an outdoor concert, at an Amsterdam park. The man next to me, I noticed, was wearing a U of M (Michigan)  sweater. At an intermission, I asked if he had gone there. He said, "Yes." I said, "Where did you grow up? He answered, "Detroit. And I  still live there." I said, "Well, of course your a Tiger fan..." He interrupted before I  finished the sentence and said, "The Tigers are my second favorite team." Well, I bit and said "What is your favorite? He replied, "Anyone who beats the Yankees."
 
I then told him that I had living in New York and it was the first time that I lived in an American city with a major league baseball team that I could not follow the home team(s). He said, "The Mets are all right." I said, "No they aren't!" And went on to explain that I was living in Chicago in '69. At the end of August, the Cubbies were in first place. At the end of September, the Mets went to the World Series.
 
And speaking of the World Series...The arrogance of America's can amaze me; and especially when viewed from across the ocean. Several years ago, an NBA all star team was touring Europe to promote the game and league just prior to the start of the season. I read an article that mentioned that one of the players was upset that when he turned on the hotel cable TV and there was NO world series. He was flummoxed. "How come there are no games being telecast. After all, it is the World Series."
 
I have been disappointed that I have not been able to encourage you to develop a dialog. I mean, after all, I say to myself, he's retired and has the time. Then I remember the "book" you're writing. When I was writing my first, my girlfriend, at the time, a Dutch lady, grew to hate the book. I was always making excuses about why I couldn't do this or that by saying, "I'm working on writing a book!" It becomes as demanding as a lover.
 
Sincerely;
 
Dan  


 

March 27, 2011

Jim Driscoll to Daniel Gould

 

HI DAN!!  

I'm sorry about my responses. I'm not very long-winded mostly because I get so many e-mails that I don't have a lot of time to string out long responses.  It has nothing to do with the book I'm on.  One reason is it's not my computer; it's at my son's home in BC.  I'm up there now, obviously, but the computer is not always available.  All 3 of my grandchildren go on it, as well as my D-I-L, and it seems I'm seldom up here when they're away at school.  

Weather breaking and spring is beckoning.  Baseball is alive up here now!  My granddaughter (14) plays on the senior Thunder fast-pitch softball team, and Colin(8) is on the Mighty Eights (machine  pitching...not my preference...he's ready for live pitching...) , and Ryan (12) begins his "senior"  LL season.  His dad is the coach, and Ryan he is a very good ballplayer. Should be really fun this year....lots of Grampa attendance (LL scorekeeper and chief bottle-washer).  

So....when are you returning to the good ol' USA, or are you, ever? It seems like you are pretty well entrenched back there.  At any rate, I wish you well and hope you keep in touch.  I was starting to worry a while back when several of my e-mails returned as if it was a bad address, another reason why you didn't hear from me for a bit.  Don't know what that was, unless your box was too loaded up, like cell phone messages can be.  Is that even possible?  

I'll read your little diitie you referred to later today, and let you know what I think.  I myself have a pretty basic writing style.  That's why I never got into fiction. 

All the fiction I've read seems to require flowery similes and other figures of speech to describe what's happening.  It literally fills up the book, at times.

That's not me.  I like to write with a bent on humor and to inform, more than entertain....while trying to do both!  You'll see.   

Stay well!!!  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> JD   

 

***HERE'S A QUICK BB QUIZ!!  

1) How many legitimate hits can one team possibly have in one inning's AB and not score a legal run??  

2) Many times a major leaguer has hit 2 grand slams in one game.  Has anyone ever done it in ONE INNING?  

3) Who was the major leaguer who hit 2 grand slams in one game, ...as a PITCHER??  

4) Who was  "The Splendid Splinter" ???  

5) At least 2 major leaguers have hit 5 HR's in ONE DAY.  Name one.  

(20 pts each.....80% passing....GO!...)

 

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