Thoughts For The Day From Papa ‘a

Good Morning All!

Josh, Judy & I had a great time at the Spokane Indians game last night.  And what a great game it was…3-2 win over the Boise Hawks with an exciting game ending play by the third baseman, who fielded a line drive hit down the third base line by throwing his body in front of the ball, stopping it, and then making a picture perfect throw to first base with no time left to get the runner and end the game.  Wow!!!  Blaine Crim for the Indians was the hero, going 3 for 4 with a big double.  He has close to a .500 batting average so far this season!  And Sam Hellinger from Gonzaga University pitched extremely well in the middle of the game, coming up with at least 7-8 strikeouts (maybe more…I lost track!).  All in all, it was the best Indians baseball game we’ve ever seen and it was fun to see it with our grandson Josh, who plays third base for his team.  Take in an Indians game at the beautiful Indians ballpark in Spokane (one of the best fields in all of baseball, for sure)…you’ll be glad you did!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my grandson Bobby, who turns 10 today and to my good friend Al in Ohio!  Here’s to you two!  And Happy Birthday to actress June Lockhart (who can ever forget her in “Lassie” & “Lost In Space”?), who turns 94 today; to singer/songwriter Carly Simon, who won an Oscar in 1989 for Best Original Song in “Working Girl,” who is 74 today; to one of my heroes, civil rights activist James Meredith, who turns 86 today; and rock musician David Paich (Toto), who is 66 today!  Here’s to all of you!!!

 

Here’s some more from my recent World War II-related adventure with my friend Harold Voltz:

Come to find out, Munich, like Salzburg, was an important center for the salt trade.  Evidently, much of the salt mined in and around Salzburg ended up going through Munich, which was the major trade center for that part of the world back in the day (11th & 12 century, most especially).

In traveling across Germany on our way to Munich, we witnessed many different, massive construction projects…buildings, roads, bridges, etc..  Much prosperity in southern Germany at the present time.

Munich is a city of bicycles…many young people use them as the major form of transportation.  With the price of petrol being what it is (approx. $5-6 U.S. per gallon), you see why they seek other forms of transportation in the city.  You have to be on the look out for bicycles, as they move fast and they typically don’t yield to pedestrians…the order of things here is cars first, bicycles second and pedestrians a distant third in order of priority.  There are two pathways along the street…part of it designated for bicycles and part for pedestrians.  There was also a streamlined tram/train that ran along the front of our hotel that took people in and out of the city center.

Each morning we were in Munich I ran out to the 1972 Olympic Games site.  It’s located about one mile from our hotel (Hotel Europa) and I got to see where some of my sports heroes, Frank Shorter & Dave Wottle won their gold medals in the Olympic Stadium.  The facilities (stadiums, venues, etc.) from the 1972 games are well preserved and maintained.  Everything looked clean in the park area…no signs of any litter…. remarkable, really, given the number of people who use the park on a day to day basis.   The site is a great venue that is now a beautiful park with lots and lots of running paths and bicycle routes that circumvent the Olympics site.  There’s a huge flea market going on in the Olympic venue’s parking lot today (Friday).

Downtown Munich’s major streets are connected by squares that feature roundabouts and feature impressive architecture from centuries past that show off the fabulous workmanship of stone masons, bricklayers, window designers & makers, etc..  Lots of ornate statutes adorn many of the buildings.  Definitely an attention to detail in many of the buildings in the center of Munich.  As I think I mentioned before, 70%-80% of Munich was destroyed in World War II.  The Marshall Plan provided funds to rebuild the cathedral and many other structures in the city.  During the rebuilding period, many immigrants came to Germany to take jobs not wanted by local Germans.  During the 1960s & 1970s many Eastern Europeans immigrated to West Germany to seek better opportunities.  East Germany suffered, as Russia did not adopt the same policies as did the Allies in helping to rebuild that part of Germany.

I saw the beautiful Munich/Bavarian Opera House that featured many operas by Wagner.  The former palace is located just to the left of the Opera House in the large square in the center of Munich.  The Hall of Field Marshalls is located just down the street from the Opera House & Palace.  It was this route that the Nazis took on the “March of The Brown Shirts” on March 7, 1923 when they attempted to take over government buildings.

As I mentioned previously, there was a huge flea market in front of the Olympic Stadium…all the treasures (or junk depending on your point of view!) are available at this event.  There must have been close to 100 vendor stalls.  I really wanted to spend some time there looking around, but alas, so many flea markets…so little time!

On my last run through Olympic Park on Saturday evening, there was an e-bike event and a number of concerts going on.  This park gets lots of use, to say the least!

Stopped off  for a gin and tonic on the way back to our hotel.  One thing (among many) I like about our hotel here in Munich is the “rain forest” shower in our bathroom.  It covers your whole body and feels great.  The hotel also served a wide-ranging breakfast buffet…meats, cheeses, granola, eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, yogurt and list goes on and on!

To be continued…

 

I came across the 1969 Topps Football Card for Jimmy Burson, who played defensive back for St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons from 1963-1968.  He was born in 1940 and was from LaGrange, Georgia.  He played college football for Auburn and was the 142nd overall pick in the 1963 NFL draft.  Not much is known about Jimmy Burson (little info from the internet), so if any of you know more about him, please let me know!  His card says that, in 1968, he “established himself as one of the top defensive backs in the league as he pilfered four enemy aerials to lead the Atlanta Falcons.  One of his interceptions resulted in an exciting 73 yard TD run.”  Burson also led the Falcons in punt returns in 1968…Here’s to Jimmy Burson!

Speaking of sports figures, there was a great article about the late Bill Buckner in the Spokane Indians baseball program last night.  He played for the Spokane Indians in 1969 & 1970.  Spokane was the AAA farm team for the Los Angeles Dodgers at that time, managed by none other than the legendary Tommy Lasorda.  One of Kiwanis Club friends, John Pele, used to have Tommy Lasorda over to his house for pasta.  John was an Italian merchant marine who was interned in a camp in Missoula MT during World War II…but that’s a story for another time…The article in the Indians program featured one of Bill Buckner’s Spokane teammates, Steve Garvey.  Garvey believes that the Pacific Coast League Spokane Indians squad of 1970 that included Bill Buckner, Bobby Valentine, Davey Lopes and Ron Cey deserves a place among the best teams in Minor League history.  Spokane went 94-52 that year and had a plus-209 run differential, 799 scored to 590 allowed.  Unfortunatly Bill Buckner is remembered for the ground ball he fumbled in the World Series that caused the Red Sox to lose the crucial Game 6 against the Mets (was it 1986?).  However, Garvey said that when Buckner recently died of Lewy Body dementia, he was quite sure that God re-created that play and Buckner fielded it cleanly and stepped on the bag, at that was it.”  Here’s to Bill Buckner, Steve Garvey and all of the 1970 Spokane Indians greats!

 

Here is the silly question for the day:

Q:  Why do cows make so much noise?

A:  So they can be herd.

 

Here are some thoughts for the day:

“Oh yeah, I would have been a coal miner, I would think, if I hadn’t had tuberculosis when I was 12.”

—Tom Jones, Welsh singer of “It’s Not Unusual” fame

 

“Experience isn’t interesting until it begins to repeat itself.  In fact, till it does that, it hardly is experience.”

—Elizabeth Bowen, Irish novelist

 

“Frankie, dear, your birthday gift reveals to me

That at heart you’re really not so bad.

If I add, your funny face appeals to me.

Please don’t think I’ve suddenly gone mad.

You have all the qualities of Peter Pan;

I’d go far before I’d find a sweeter pan, and yet…

I love your funny face, you sunny, funny face;

For you’re a cutie…with more than beauty…

You’ve got a lot of personality…a thousand laughs I’ve found

In having you around.

Though you’re not Gloria Swanson,

For worlds I’d not replace

Your sunny, funny face…”

—George & Ira Gershwin, “Funny Face,” from the delightful Fred Astaire & Audrey Hepburn movie “Funny Face”

 

Here’s to a great Tuesday and lots of love always!

Press on,

Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)