What do you say when a good friend dies and you miss it? I just found out a guy I knew from the time he was about 9 years old until now died a month ago. I knew him through little league baseball. He was after my time as a little leaguer but I had the chance to watch him and his two brothers play and grow up.
I watched him start out pretty bad, and end up one of the best. His coach called him Corny. I never quite knew why, but knowing his happy go lucky personality and pension for joking around I suspect it was related to that. He had a way of being at bat when the bases were loaded in his last year of little league. I’ve never seen someone hit so many grand slams in my life.
I remember watching him in an all-star game….the bases were loaded. I turned to the score keeper next to me and said you watch he’s going to belt it out of here. She didn’t appreciate that because her son was pitching I think. Corny not only belted it out of the park he smashed that ball to bits. It was a long homerun.
I remember talking to him a few years later about religion. He was about 15 and wondering. He never came to terms with it that I ever knew. I lost touch with the family for years. Though every now and then we’d run into each other.
I last saw them at my father’s funeral. They all came. Being a member of the family I really didn’t get to sit with them all that I wanted to. My wife told me afterward that his mother told her that Corny had cancer. After things settled down I desperately tried to find email addresses, I did find some home addresses. I should have written. As usual I struck out. Face Book finally came through, but a month too late.
In life he and his family are in my mind the equivalent of a grand slam; kind, generous, friends, almost family. But, I’m upset that I missed his funeral, and wasn’t there for them after they were there for me. I will always remember his happy smile, his fun loving character, and his love for his family. He is missed and one day I hope to be able to announce another of his ball games, talk to him about life, about work, about him with him.
Corny isn’t wondering about religion anymore, except perhaps to pick up things he didn’t learn here. As far as I know he was as knowledgeable as any bishop. But if he didn’t he now knows there’s more than what is here on this earth. There are friends and family that he may have never met there with him now. Maybe he looked my Dad and his old coach up. One day I feel sure I’ll see him again. I know he’ll live again in a resurrected body; one that won’t betray him again. Don’t keep the bench warm for me Corny, I’ll be there soon enough, but make sure the microphone works when I get there.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
The Best of the Best
I have a friend (I do too!) who is tired of talking about politics and the state of the country. So he decided we would debate who the best Beatle was. He said George Harrison. He was wrong of course, but had some good points. Everyone knows it was Paul, by far. John was a close second, then George. George wrote some interesting music that had some jazz influences and may have more complicated music than Paul, but the bulk of Paul’s work and the work he did on side B for Abby Road, plus the songs that will last forever like Michelle, and Yesterday, make him immortal. John had Imagine and George had Here Comes the Sun. But poor George also stole the tune to He’s So Fine for My Sweet Lord. John just never was the same after the Beatles, but the synergy with Paul was amazing, but without him…well like I said John had Imagine.
That’s all very interesting, but I got thinking (I did too!) what is the greatest Rock and Roll band? These are my choices: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Who, Credence Clearwater Revival, and the Beach Boys. The Beatles would beat the Who and Credence. I would have to say they are also better than the Stones. So that leaves the Beach Boys and The Beatles. The Beatles did do homage to the Beach Boys in Back in the USSR, so they respected them. The biggest difference is the Beach Boys were about fun songs for the most part, but Good Vibration holds up against the Beatles stuff. In the end though I’m still going to have to go with the Beatles, because of how they defined the generation globally.
Who is the best male vocalist? My picks would be Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Elvis, and Tony Bennett. Frank would easily out sing Elvis. Tony and Frank, now that is an interesting match up, but I think Frank would still win. However for pure voice my favorite is Nat King Cole.
What about the best female vocalist? Barbara Streisand puts them all to shame, though Ella Fitzgerald in a different genre could outdo Streisand. Streisand’s technical purity and clarity just isn’t possible to beat. Judy Garland comes close.
Then there's the question about who is the best baseball player of all time? Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron? Babe was always my favorite. He could throw and hit. Joe DiMaggio was a great hitter, but wasn’t as all around great like Ruth. Ty Cobb could hit. Hank Aaron I just don’t see the influence he had like Ruth. I have to say though the greatest was Jackie Robinson. I know I was throwing you a curve on that. Robinson could do it all too, but did it under some intense pressure, that say Willie Mays couldn’t claim.
Finally the best President of the U.S. (you don’t think I’d let it go do you?) It would be Lincoln, then Washington, then Reagan. The worst, Johnson (Lyndon), Harding, Nixon….and it’s becoming clear Obama, who is going down a similar road as Johnson only magnified about a trillion times.
Come on...George? Really?
That’s all very interesting, but I got thinking (I did too!) what is the greatest Rock and Roll band? These are my choices: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Who, Credence Clearwater Revival, and the Beach Boys. The Beatles would beat the Who and Credence. I would have to say they are also better than the Stones. So that leaves the Beach Boys and The Beatles. The Beatles did do homage to the Beach Boys in Back in the USSR, so they respected them. The biggest difference is the Beach Boys were about fun songs for the most part, but Good Vibration holds up against the Beatles stuff. In the end though I’m still going to have to go with the Beatles, because of how they defined the generation globally.
Who is the best male vocalist? My picks would be Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Elvis, and Tony Bennett. Frank would easily out sing Elvis. Tony and Frank, now that is an interesting match up, but I think Frank would still win. However for pure voice my favorite is Nat King Cole.
What about the best female vocalist? Barbara Streisand puts them all to shame, though Ella Fitzgerald in a different genre could outdo Streisand. Streisand’s technical purity and clarity just isn’t possible to beat. Judy Garland comes close.
Then there's the question about who is the best baseball player of all time? Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron? Babe was always my favorite. He could throw and hit. Joe DiMaggio was a great hitter, but wasn’t as all around great like Ruth. Ty Cobb could hit. Hank Aaron I just don’t see the influence he had like Ruth. I have to say though the greatest was Jackie Robinson. I know I was throwing you a curve on that. Robinson could do it all too, but did it under some intense pressure, that say Willie Mays couldn’t claim.
Finally the best President of the U.S. (you don’t think I’d let it go do you?) It would be Lincoln, then Washington, then Reagan. The worst, Johnson (Lyndon), Harding, Nixon….and it’s becoming clear Obama, who is going down a similar road as Johnson only magnified about a trillion times.
Come on...George? Really?
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