Monday, February 20, 2006

Baseball!!!!!
I describe myself as a guy who likes all sports but I LOVE baseball. My love affair started with the baseball cards of the 1940's and is still going strong in 2006. I saw my first game at Sportmans park in 1948 and it was the St.Louis Browns against the Chicago White Sox for a Sunday doubleheader. [remember we originally had two teams and usually on Sunday we played two games]In the late 40,s I went to the YMCA camp in Potosi,MO for summer camp. One year one of my cabin guys was a young kid by the name of Skip Carey. [I guess I should have made an effort to keep in touch]I really have been very lucky to have witnessed some big time baseball events and I will share a few of the major ones.1-On May 4th of 1954 I was at old Sportsman park on a Sunday afternoon when Stan Musial hit five home runs in a doubleheader. This was a major league record and it was the 1970,s before the record was tied.2-On July 9,1957 I attended my first all star game as it was played in St.Louis. American League won 6-5. I was with my Uncle Bob and we sat in the bleachers an area where you sat in the sun and could take your shirt off.3- In October,1964 again at Sportmans Park I saw games number six and seven of the World series. Game six I sat in the bleachers with a good friend Sam Dimatteo. Game seven was won by Bob Gibson and I witnessed the team, fans, and the city go wild. For game seven I had a very good seat near the first side of the field. In 1964 Mickey Mantle,Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford where still playing for the Yankees. In addition I saw games 3 & 4 of the 1967 series, both victories by the Cardinals. In 1982 I was at games one and seven and again witnessed a game seven go wild victory by the Cardinals, fans, and the city.In 1987 I was fortunate again to see games number three, four, and five all victories by the Cardinals. Right now my personal World Series record is seven wins and two losses. Not bad for an old guy from South St.Louis.4-My wife Nancy and I were at the last night game played at old Sportsman Park in early May of 1966. We topped the evening off by eating at a famous steak house called Musial & Biggies.5- 7/12/1966 I saw my second all star game and the only one played at the new/old Busch stadium. It was a day game and one of the hottest days ever at 105 degrees. It was hot but again I was lucky as after the second inning we sat in the shade and at least in the shade maybe it was only 99. Ha Ha. The National League won 2-1. I was with my father-inlaw, Jim Mccoy.6-On a Friday night in 1973 my daughters Terri, Sherri, and I saw Bob Gibson get to 2,999 in strikeouts by the fifth ininng but even thought he pitched the entire nine ininngs he could not notch number 3,000. On 9/11/74 my two daughters and I where there when Lou Brock set the stolen base single season record by stealing number 104 in a single season.7-On a cool April the 26th 1974 my two daughters and I saw the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins and the total runs scored between the two teams was twenty three. This was a Royals stadium record for many years.On 5/14/77 my entire family was again in Kansas City and this time we saw the opposite type of game as Jim Colburn of the Royals pitched a no hitter. So far this is my one and only no hit game.In 1978 a friend Ron Ollipant and I drove over to Kansas City and saw the Royals play the Yankees in an American League play off game.The weekend of 8/31/97 was a big one as I took my eight year old grandson Todd on his first airplane ride. We went to Kansas City and saw the Cardinals play the Royals in two games.What a great expierence that was for me to take a nine year old on a special baseball weekend.8-In the summer of 1980 I took my eleven year old son Edward on a father son trip as we headed for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown New York. It was quite a thrill for me to walk and view the hallowed sights of the Hall od Fame. It was the fullment of a life long goal.Along the way we camped out, visited the Indianapolis 500 auto track, Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio, Niagra Falls, Gettysburg Battlefield, and maybe my sons favorite the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio. One word sums up our trip. WOW!!!9-I retired 12/31/97 and in the spring of 1998 I realized another life time goal by going to the Cardinals Spring Training. That was a great expierence and I continuted to go every year thru 2005. Finally in 2006 we have decided to do some different trips. In addition to spring training I have been to baseball games in Yankee Stadium, The Houston Astrodome, Minnapolis Dome, the old Seattle Mariners Domed Stadium, Arlinton Texas Stadium, the old Cinnicati Stadium,the Atlanta Braves stadium of the 70,s, and wonderfull Wrigley field in Chicago.10-In addition I saw two National Leaggue playoff games in 1982 Cardinals versus Braves,the Go Crazy Folks playoff game of 1985 when Ozzie Smith hit a home run in the 10th batting left handed against the Dodgers, two playoff games in 1987 against the Giants, Three playoff games in 1996, and at least one playoff game of every year since that the Cardinals have participated.11- On 9/8/1998 my wife Nancy and I were in attendance when Mark McGwire hit home run number 62.I guess that might have been my biggest baseball moment because of the anticapation. Will he do it tonight? In addition the record was over forty years old and I had a televison memory of Roger Maris hitting home run number sixty one.It simply was a huge thrill when Mark hit the ball and we saw it barely go into the left field stands.A great list of wonderfull memories by a guy who started out flipping baseball cards in the neigborhood parks.
posted by Ed. Tritschler 2:57 PM

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posted by E.A. Tritschler | 2:26 PM

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On a cool fall Oct. Evening in 1956 I met a young woman name of Nancy and as fate would direct we are still sharing our life together. At the time I was in college and Nancy was a senior in high school. From that fall evening until a warm May 9th 1959 we had what could be described as a rocky courtship. It was certainly on again and then off again for one reason or another. My blog title states it is a great life and since that warm May evening in 59 it has been. We have had three wonderfull children and with help from their spouses they have given us six terrific grandkids. We have a passion to travel but our love for our grandkids always brings us back home. Some of our favorite places are Maui Hawaii, Spring training with the Cardinals, Paris, Germany,Grand Canyon, New York City, Boston, Nova Scotia and really I could go on and on.