The Orioles are playing baseball in October. I watched Game 2 against the Yankees on TV the other night. I saw those orange and black colors and the cartoony bird on the O’s helmets and the warm breath shooting out of the hitters’ mouths into the cool Baltimore air of early October . . . and I thought of the day my dad died when I was at Memorial Stadium, covering the World Series for the Washington Star in 1979.
It was Wednesday, Oct. 10. Today.
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I recall Mike Flanagan's mom very well. She was a regular caller to Upton Bell's old radio call-in show.
Great article Dan!
Thankyou Dan.
What I expected to be another entertaining, glib article by Mr. Shaunessy ended up being so moving it brought me to tears. The pain of losing a parent never goes away - my sympathies to you and your family.
I used to remember my sister's birthday was 4 days after Bobby Orr's birthday. I too have always used sports to remmember important dates by.
Dan, Thanks for a great column. What a tribute. All of us who have lost their fathers have a lump in our throats as we read these great words. Despite what year they died they are never forgotten. I will say a prayer that your Dad continues to watch over you and your family. Do you think he could help with helping the Sox pick the right manager. Rest in Peace, Mr. Shaughnessy.
July 25, 1967. My ninth birthday. My grandfather, who had spent the last year teaching me the importance of the Sox, died that morning. He never lived to see the Impossible Dream...not in his mortal coil. But I'm sure he enjoyed it.
Dan, I'm sure your dad was very proud of you. Thanks for sharing.
Good stuff.
Take care my friend...I miss my father every day but he died on my brother's birthday...sigh.
Dan, My grandmother died on the same day as Babe Ruth. That's how my Dad remembers it. It's also how he found an error in Curse of the Bambino. I have not read the book, but you had the incorrect date for the Babe's passing in it. Dad knew that. How could he forget?
Thanks Dan - an actually nice story on sports. It would be great to get more of these inspirational stories that remind us why we love sports.
I remember another time I called into a sports talk show -- it might have been Upton Bell's show -- and Steve Grogan was the in-studio guest, and I related to him my stories about being a beer vendor at Schaefer Stadium during his heyday, and how those were some of the best memories of my life, and Grogan said to me, sports is all about remembering special events.
It's not just a "guy" thing. Plenty of women are sports fans and do this too. Shame on you for what's at best an oversight and at worst blatant sexism.