Memories of Immortality « Atlanta Braves « Baseball

On Sunday, Chipper Jones became immortal. I don’t mind admitting I bawled the entire time he was speaking. There is a reason for that, part of it being baseball sentimentality. The other is about my father. You see, Chipper Jones was his all-time favorite player.

He started watching him his rookie season. I would brag about picking Johnny Bench the first month of his career – to go to the Hall of Fame. My father would tell me that Chipper would be in the Hall of Fame. When I was still in SC, I had a dish, the parents did not. My father would constantly come over to the house. He’s have his golden retriever and be carrying his cat. My mother would call and tell me to send them home. I’d end up fixing him a snack, while he watched the Braves. When the game was over, he and the dog would go home. I’d end up keeping the cat and driving her over to the house the next day.

Baseball is about family and tradition. My niece Rachel is married to Parker, who grow up with Chipper as his baseball hero. He and his dad would drive down to Atlanta to see the Braves. When my sister and I were growing up, my father would often (reluctantly) drive down to Atlanta to take us to see the Braves. My mother was a rather vocal Henry Aaron fan. Me – my heart belonged to My Man Johnny Bench.

Braves fans of my ear have a problem that way. You will find we’re both Braves and Reds fans. Until the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, which is about the time I discovered baseball. Until then, Cincinnati, was the nearest MLB team. You would find Braves fans were also Reds fans.

Funny how we look at the Braves. Their yearly caravan was one of the highlights of my life when I was growing up, about an hour and a half from Atlanta. Watching the ceremony on Sunday, I was so pleased to see Phil Niekro. He was very good friends with the sports editor of a local paper. I was the kid who always made a nuisance of myself when Major Leaguers would come to town. I would end up with my picture in the local paper, which isn’t a good thing when I’d skip school for baseball. Word to the wise, if you skip school to meet Ted Williams, don’t end up with your photo on the front page of the paper.

We were family. Fans had an opportunity to get to know Milo Hamilton and Ernie Johnson who did the play by play. When they came with the caravan, people were just as interested in meeting them. In those days no one realized in 1974 history would be made, and we would be in the middle of it. No one even thought all that much about Hoyt Wilhelm or Orlando Cepeda doing the caravan. In a few short years, Henry Aaron would not be able to go out and hang with the fans the way he did with us, all those years.

Henry Aaron is special. He is a part of our lives. Watching him, watching Knucksie, and even Joe Torre who caught for the Braves, then managed them is like visiting with people we love. That is what baseball is. Obviously, it is a billion dollar institution, but it is also intimate, small, with players becoming part of our lives.

My father would be thrilled, today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SJ Reidhead (aka The Pink Flamingo) is a writer based in New Mexico. The author of two published novels, both westerns: Dust Devil and The Second Mrs. Earp and two published works of non-fictions: TRAVESTY: Frank Waters Earp Agenda Exposed and A Church for Helldorado, Endicott Peabody's 1882 Tombstone Diary. One of the leading authorities on the life of Wyatt Earp and Tombstone during the Earp years, she is writing a series of murder mysteries set in modern day Tombstone. The author is also working on a book about fashion in the Wild West. When complete, there will be over 2100 unpublished antique photographs dating from 1855-1910.

The author's work has appeared in Wild West, True West, Blogcritics, and The Tombstone Times. Recently the author has had to deal with a father who succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease. This is leading to a book dealing with the frustrations of dealing with the frustrations of the disease, finance, legal, health-care, and things no one bothers telling families about it. A portion of the book will contain entries from a blog she kept, detailing the struggle with her father's AD. She is also working on a murder mystery series set in modern day Tombstone and Cochise County. Several books of essays on Christian living are currently in edits. A book of essays and revisions of articles about Wyatt Earp has been completed and will include her latest work detailing her theory about the murder of his second wife, Mattie.

SJ Reidhead has been involved in Republican politics since she was 'a little kid'. During the Reagan years she was a lobbyist working with various non-profit organizations who were attempting to salvage NASA and the American space program after the disastrous Carter years. In spite of ups and downs, and numerous disappointments, politically, it is obvious the only political hope for this country is via the Republican Party. Along with politics she is an opera fanatic, has been known to stalk baritones to the point of being a baritone junkie, and loves baseball.

The Pink Flamingo went on line on October 4, 2005.

THE PINK FLAMINGO STORY

It started out as a joke. During the seven years I worked with the girls of my parish, leading a youth group, one of the things that I stressed were manners. Part of having manners, the way I see it, is to know how to set a proper table, host a party, cater it, and clean up afterward. I was fortunate enough to have a group of very talented girls in my youth group. They learned how to plan for, and execute large church functions, very properly. During one such function I noticed there were several incredibly tacky pink flamingos sitting on the table. Knowing the girls were up to something, I said nothing. A few months later they did the same thing at a function I was hosting at my home. I said nothing. They had a birthday party for me. More pink flamingos appeared - and a joke was born.

Thanks to the girls, all of whom are now grown, I have a collection of pink flamingos. It has become an ongoing joke. When I began working on my political blog, I realized the only possibly title was The Pink Flamingo!