Dear People,
Congratz to all on last weekend's riveting 10 inning 19-18 exemplification of softball as it was truly meant to be---raw, pungent and sublime in its ultimate nail-biting won-on-the-last-hit denouement. I still remain awe struck by the sheer intensity of its competitive rigor, as well as by the chutzpah of that hun in center field who refused to bag his mangy mutt's defecatory excess after we all pleaded for hygienic compassion. That he would strut off from our previously pristine sods with nary an apology leaves me once again nonplussed by the apparent collapse of America’s most basic recreational values.
And speaking of stark hazards in sport, it turns that this Sunday, September 26th, is the 60th anniversary of the day that Cleveland Indians pitching great Bob Feller experienced one of the most traumatic incidents in the history of professional baseball. Feller was opening against the fearsome Chicago White Sox in front of 25,000 ravenous fans, including his very own mother and father, who had bused in all the way from Van Meter, Iowa to see their darling Bobby give those pernicious Chicago boys a well-deserved whuppin. Suddenly, in the bottom of the 3rd, Bob hurled a surprisingly sensual sinker toward the legendary outfielder Marv "sniff" Owens, who promptly sliced the ball into the seats behind homeplate, and directly into Betty Feller's lower forehead! Although this poor woman was soon to endure the pain of six stitches caused in part by the broken shard of her just destroyed glasses, she stoically sat through the rest of the game as if nothing had happened, lest Bobby's unparalleled focus end up as shattered as her spectacles!
Six decades later, I still shudder when I think how Bob must have felt when he saw his beloved mother's right eye take on the unexpected roll of catcher's mitt. Amazingly though, after quickly verifying that mom wasn't dead, the famously oversensitive Feller immediately preceded to strike out 'ol sniffie, retire the rest of the side, and lead the Indians to a convincing 9-3 victory. Yes, such a compelling display of athletic composure is rare in these callow times, and that is why it is especially appropriate to acknowledge Bob's courage, as well as that of his cherished mother--- the stout Iowa farmer's wife who remains the only person in the history of the majors to have been beamed in the head with a ball pitched by her very own son!
Therefore, there will be a game at Codornices this Sunday, September 26th at 11AM, IF I get enough commits by tomorrow noon at the absolute latest. So do what you must; This time, do it for Bob and Betty Feller, two towering icons of the love between a man and his mama, and the glorious but deadly game that nearly extinguished it forever...Raymond
PS: Apologies for the late missive, but I just got back from a stirring and distant land, where the thirst for softball is palpable, yet internet access is both spare and taut (and other adjectives that I like).