Grumpy Old Men and Baseball

Ever since I could read a baseball box score I have been a baseball fan. I played the game until the competition exceeded my abilities.  Originally, I was a Brooklyn Dodger fan, then a Houston Colt .45s/Astro fan and eventually college baseball fan. After moving back to Beaumont in 1980 I started following the Lamar University Cardinal Team.  Being a LU graduate it was only natural that I throw my support to the locals. It didn't hurt that LU had a successful program and had made recent appearances in the NCAA tournament.

In 1982 I was coaching my sons in Little League.  As a fund raiser the coaches were asked to sell 15 tickets to a Lamar double header.  Rather than spend time hustling ticket sales, I bought all of them.  My wife was a teacher and I told her I would take the boys in her class to the game.  We crowded the eight year olds into our van and took them to the park.  I barely had time to watch the game. One of the kids slipped in with a can of skoal and got sick.  I knew Lamar was winning, but that was all.  When the game ended, the announcer said that Tony Mack had pitched a "No-Hitter".  I never realized it was happening.

As time passed I became more involved in following the Cards and in the early 90's became a season ticket holder.  A few years later I reconnected with my childhood friend, George Fortune.  His son-in-law to be was playing for Lamar.  Eventually, George bought season tickets and we made a few road trips.  We went to conference tournaments in Lafayette, LA, camped out to see one in Mobile, AL and made NCAA tournaments in Oklahoma City and Wichita, KS.  In a few years Billy Waugh and Richard Placette joined our group and we attended more road games, including NCAA tournaments in Austin and Houston.  Our little group started adding other road trips for some of the regular season games. 

Gilbert, Jay, Billy George and Abdul

Around 2000 we moved our seats to Section BB in Vincent-Beck Stadium.  Our little group grew and others started to make the road trips.  As you would expect when a bunch of guys get together,  a little smack talk, joking and practical jokes took place.  Anyone making a mistake could expect to be the subject of some abuse.
                                         

Chalk outline on the spot where George fell chasing a fould ball
at the Conference Tournament at Sam Houston State U.

Since most of our group had moved their seats to the same location, we became know as the Section BB gang.  We were joined by Jay O'Neal, Gilbert Garza, Richard LeBlanc and Master Chief Ted Parsons.  Typically we will make one weekend road trip during the regular season and also to the conference tournament.  A bonus trip is always added anytime we qualify for the NCAA regional tournament.  The last few years the Grumpy Old Men of Section BB has diversified by adding the Caywood Sisters,  and Johnny Massey and his wife, Arlene.  On occasion we would be accompanied by out of town high school classmates Bobby Katz and Buster Coats, Donnie Garcia, John Stevens and Christina Yancey.  We even have shirts indicating we are Section BB fans.

The group is made up of mostly 60+ retirees.  Some are tall, some are short. Some are thick and some are thin. ( I take that back, none are thin).  Some are democrats, most are republicans.  Some drink, most don't.  No one smokes.   Time permitting, we have visited local sites of historical significance and tried local cuisine.  During tournaments we have seen as many four games per day.  We have watched future major leaguers at the college level. 


The common thread of the group is the love of baseball.   We share stories at the others expense.  We have heard the story of Massey's minor league career where he gave up a spring training home run to Hank Aaron. (Actually, we have heard this story numerous times).  

GOM of BB John Massey, Richard LeBlanc, Jay O'Neal, Gilbert Garza,
Pattie Caywood Sistrunk, Jim Wright, George Fortune, Jim Wright,
Billy Waugh

Our last road trip was to Natchitoches, LA for the weekend series with Northwestern State, which included a stop at the Columbia Shuttle Museum in Hemphill, TX.  We had a record group of 13. 
Since there was only one game per day, we had time for sight seeing.  While Jay, Gilbert and Richard went to the Bossier City Casino, the rest of the group toured the sights.  We were even entertained by one of the local cast members of "Steel Magnolias". 

The rest of the time was filled by eating.  We had meat pies, red beans and rice, burgers and a special trip to the "Trail Boss" for steaks.  During each trip we usually have at least one anecdote that is talked about.  In Huntsville it was the chalk outline, in Corpus it was the hop scotch, the ticket scalping at Austin, the snoring, Sheldon Arnaud talking in his sleep in French, the heat of Ft Worth, and so on.   This trip was no exception.   The Trail Boss Restaurant provided the venue.  All thirteen of us went to eat there right after the Saturday game.  Many were wearing their "BB" shirts.  Gilbert Garza was one of these. 

Gilbert being short of stature went to the rest room.  While he was standing in front of the urinal two small boys came up behind him and asked if he had gone to the game.  The 70+ year old Gilbert replied that he had.  One of the young boys then asked, "Were you the bat boy?" Gilbert almost wet himself.

LU won all three games.

The Cat's Out of the Bag

My cousin, Tommy Simmons, recently sent me a link to the real estate listing of his old house on Smith St.  in Grapevine, Texas.  The house is listed on the market for $375,000.  Not bad for the house his parents built in 1937.  A little remodeling and a few upgrades by the current owners didn't hurt the original value either. 

After my family moved to Beaumont around 1950, we made frequent trips back to Grapevine.  Almost every weekend to be exact.  So there was a part of my brother and me that never left. 
My brother, Bobby, was 3 1/2 years younger than me and Tommy was between us in age.  We spent a lot of time playing together.   The rural setting of Grapevine and the dairy farm Tommy's parents owned provided different playground activities than Beaumont. 

After seeing this picture I was reminded of one particular adventure.  At one time a small barn and pasture was behind the house.  tI provided a haven for some stray cats that were probably brought from the dairy.  These cats were usually wild and untouchable.  One time while exploring the barn, we came across a litter of kittens.  They weren't too friendly, but were small enough that we could catch and play with them.  In an adolescent attempt to domesticate the feline, we found a small collar and I put it on one of the kittens. 

When we returned to Grapevine a couple of weeks later, the kitten had grown.  My Aunt was rather small is stature, but when she told you to do something, you knew she meant business.  This particular day was one of those occasions.  She told me I had better catch that "cat" and take off the collar before it strangled.  Since I was the oldest, I was the one held responsible. 

The house was built on piers with a small crawl space underneath.  We chased the cat all over the yard until it ran under the house.  Knowing this was our best chance to catch the cuddly little creature, I sprung into action.  Bobby and Tommy were covering the openings and I crawled under the house to bring the little ball of fur out.  When I finally got to the corner where he was holed up, I grabbed the little fellow.  This is when I learned that the kitten had grown into a full fledged wildcat.
He clawed, scratched and bit me the entire time.  Since I was more afraid of Aunt Day than this cat, I was not about to let go. 

The cat was out, the collar off and I was bleeding like a stuck hog.  I never saw that cat again. 

I still don't like cats.