“Say, didn’t you used to be
Brooks Robinson?”
It’s funny, but some variation of
that question has been put by fans
to retired players for decades.
“Didn’t you used to be” Willie
Mays ... or Duke Snider ... or Juan
Marichal?
It’s as if once they left the playing
field, they ceased to be the
icons fans had come to idolize.
Worse yet, with hair turned gray,
wrinkles on faces and paunches
rather than flat abs, they somehow
ceased to be even the same
people.
Most retired players understand
how important an imprint
they planted on the memories of
those who watched them play, and
have a ready reply to the “didn’t
you used to be” question.
“Yes,” they will say. “As a matter
of fact, I still am.”
As it turns out, Brooks Robinson
is still Brooks Robinson, and
he will be appearing with fellow
Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Ferguson
Jenkins, Phil Niekro and Paul
Molitor on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the
inaugural Hall of Fame Classic at
Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.
Few players ever dazzled baseball
cognoscenti the way Robinson
did when playing third base for
the Baltimore Orioles. The skills
are certainly long gone, but what
an opportunity it is to see him
once again in uniform playing the
hot corner.
For that matter, it’s not only a
privilege to see the Hall of Famers,
but also the other retired
players, all of whom made it to
“the show” _ the major leagues.
Just about every boy who ever
had a catch with his dad dreamed
of one day being a major leaguer.
Very few actually attain that
dream’s ambition. These guys did.
When Major League Baseball
decided last year to do away with
the annual Cooperstown exhibition
game involving big-league
teams, the Hall of Fame could
have just done nothing.
Happily, it came up with a
plan to replace the game with one
involving retired players. The
oldest is Feller, who is 90. But the
exploits of most of the players who
will be gracing Doubleday Field
on Sunday remain fresh in our
memory.
There are still tickets available.
We believe this to be an important
event for our area, and the Hall
and other organizers should be
rewarded for their hard work and
enterprise.
If you are a fan, you know that
this old-timers event should be
nurtured and become a valued
part of Father’s Day for many
years to come.
“Didn’t you used to be” a fan of
these players?
Editorials
Classic a chance to see stars
- Editorials
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Embargo no longer serves a purpose
Fifty years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 3447, banning trade with Cuba "in light of the subversive offensive of Sino-Soviet Communism." As this anniversary passes, it's worth asking whether this policy has had its desired effects and how much longer it should remain in place.
Continued ... -
Have a heartfelt Valentine's Day
"I love you." "Be mine." "You're cute when you're spending money."
Continued ... -
Embargo no longer serves a purpose
Fifty years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 3447, banning trade with Cuba "in light of the subversive offensive of Sino-Soviet Communism." As this anniversary passes, it's worth asking whether this policy has had its desired effects and how much longer it should remain in place.
Continued ... -
Women must win fight for opportunity
The Pentagon announced Thursday that it will recommend that Congress officially allow women to serve in more jobs closer to the front lines.
Continued ... -
Center helps victims of child abuse and neglect
We learned some good news about some terrible news in a story by reporter Joe Mahoney in Tuesday's Daily Star.
Continued ... - Wednesday, February 8, 2012
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Chamber made excellent choices on service awards
A special committee selected by the Otsego County Chamber has made two excellent decisions regarding the organization's annual awards for service to our communities.
Continued ... - Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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Cheers
To Michael Shea, Terry Bliss, and the passage of the bill to allow Otsego's exit from MOSA.
Continued ... - Monday, February 6, 2012
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A sad tale may come to an end with arrests
People are almost always sad, and sometimes outraged, whenever something awful happens to a fellow human being.
Continued ... - Saturday, February 4, 2012
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Pill abuse should be a priority for police, pols
Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Mark Pryor of Arkansas proposed a bill this week to help police combat a disturbing trend of increasing prescription drug abuse.
Continued ... - Friday, February 3, 2012
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More needs to be done to aid vets with PTSD
The recent story of Stamford grandmother Melody DiGregorio grieving the loss of her grandson, Air Force veteran Edward "Drew" Snyder, brings home the debilitating and often-unreported effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on our service men and women.
Continued ... - Thursday, February 2, 2012
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Area 'shocked' at underage drinking? That's shocking
It has been referenced so often that it has become a cliché.
Continued ... - Wednesday, February 1, 2012
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School's new lease on life a welcome development
It is a big place designed to echo with the sounds of young people in a healthy learning environment.
Continued ... - Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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Cheers
To the Central American Youth Ambassadors Program, to Ray Preston and to the NCOC building trades class and the Prattsville Fire Department.
Continued ... - Monday, January 30, 2012
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Mitt's not at fault for loopholes in tax code
As the longtime frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney has faced withering attacks from rivals seeking to upset him.
Continued ... - Saturday, January 28, 2012
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Rest in peace, Naples and Stalter
Our area recently lost two important and influential members of our community: Oneonta surgeon Dr. Kenneth D. Stalter and newly elected Sixth Ward Council Member Mike Naples.
Continued ... - Friday, January 27, 2012
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Case closed on 2 years of turmoil
"Case closed."
Continued ...
Oneonta Mayor Dick Miller was referring to possible criminal charges against fired police officer Michael Breen on Wednesday, but Miller just as easily could have been talking about the more than two years of turmoil the city has endured with its police department. - Thursday, January 26, 2012
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Obama played his cards right Tuesday
Despite a daunting economy and a challenging re-election campaign, on Tuesday night President Barack Obama displayed what Mark Twain called "the calm confidence of a Christian holding four aces" in his State of the Union address.
Continued ... - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
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Searching for votes instead of honor
Say what you will about John McCain, the Republican nominee for president in 2008 who inflicted an ignorant Sarah Palin upon an unsuspecting nation.
Continued ... - Tuesday, January 24, 2012
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Cheers
To MLK Jr. Day events, Diana Nicols, and Jordan Beers and Mariah Ruff.
Continued ... - Monday, January 23, 2012
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Dignity not enough to show in speech
After weeks of watching the often unseemly, if not downright humorous, antics of the Republican candidates for his job, President Barack Obama should have little trouble providing at least one thing Tuesday night in his State of the Union address. Dignity.
Continued ...
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Embargo no longer serves a purpose
