Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Happy Fathers Day (Belated)

When I arrived home this evening, a nice surprise was waiting for me. My son, Richard, had sent me a (belated) Father's Day gift. Better late than never and he had really put considerable thought (& $) in it:

3-D replica of Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field ), home of the Cleveland Indians.

I placed it on my dresser where I will see it everyday (and think of my son and the good times we've had a "The Jake").

The text on the back says:
     The most deserving baseball fans in America were those who braved the dank, lakefront conditions of Cleveland Municipal Stadium. When they were rewarded with sparkling Jacobs Field in 1994 they responded in record-setting fashion. After averaging near capacity the first two years, Indians fans set the most prestigious attendance mark ever: fire straight sold out seasons: 455 consecutive games.  The string began when the 1996 season sold out entirely before opening day. A 1995 World Series and record-setting 30-game romp to the AL Central title had its benefits. Every seat for every game sold until the beginning of the 2001 season. Punctuating that stretch was the 1997 All-Star Game and another World Series in '97 amid a string of five straight division titles.
      Designed by HOK Sport, among Jacobs Field features are angled seats beyond first and third base that point to the pitcher's mound. It was the first stadium to open after Baltimore's Camden Yards revolutionized new construction with retro styling and "The Jake" followed suit. Its exposed steel blends with the area's bridges. Unique vertical light standards complement nearby high-rise buildings. Ever-changing downtown comes inside with its open left field. 
      Fans have new ownership in 1985 to thank. Richard and David Jobs bought the team with the purpose of building a new stadium and revitalizing a big portion of downtown. Working with the Gateway Economic and Development Corporation, the Indians funded 52 percent of the $175 million price tag and a 15-year county tax the remainder.
      New ownership has succeeded the Jacobs brothers but "The Jake" will remain their legacy. And the "Mistake by the Lake" is just a cold memory.
Capacity: 43,345
Outfield distances (l-r): 325, 405, 325.

But wait! There's more!

Tin sign for Bertman Ball Park Mustard

I hung this in my dining room, by the door into the kitchen. This is great mustard (especially on a juicy hot dog).

And still there is more:

What the F is this?

We really don't know exactly what this is, other than it has the Chief Wahoo image. We love the Chief but he is being phased out due to ignorant PC. His smile reminds us of good times watching the Tribe (win or lose). Due to its unusual shape, we think this might be a fan Have no idea what the white flexible handle/hook does. If anyone knows what this really is, let me know. Thanks.

-------------------------------------------------
Links:
http://bertmanballparkmustard.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Wahoo
-------------------------------------------------
Written Sunday August 12, 2018.
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Independence Day - "Early Thunder"

Front of dust cover to my copy of the book (hb).

Completing this book, Early Thunder by Jean Fritz, on  Wednesday July 4th (Independence Day) was quite appropriate.

From the inside front dust jacket:
"The time is 1775, when early thunder rumbled over Massachusetts, thunder before the coming storm of the Revolutionary War. The place is Salem - for a brief strategic period the capital of the colony. The  hero is fourteen-year-old Daniel West - a boy with a decision to make.
"Tough he was a dedicated Tory, Daniel hated the growing violence of the Whig-Tory conflict which split Salem and its people. He despised the rowdy Liberty Boys creeping up to Tory porches with their "Liberty Gifts" - buckets of garbage. 
"Yet as the year went by, the events that were shaping a new nation reached relentlessly into every corner of Daniel"s life. England disappointed him. His father disappointed him. Then, on a night when Salem went wild, Daniel disappointed himself. 
"Daniel's struggle to find his place, a stand he could take proudly, is resolved in a confrontation between the British troops and the townspeople - a true incident that nearly started the war. This is the first time in children's fiction that the events of this decisive year in Salem have been chronicled in such detail. The result is a real and engrossing novel of a boy's year of decision which has special significance for today."
I found this book at a used book sale in May. I bought it because it is illustrated by Lynd Ward who also illustrated Johnny Remain, a similar book about a boy living in Boston as the American Revolution was beginning. Last summer I read another Lynd Ward illustrated classic, The Swiss Family Robinson. Finally, the Lynd Ward illustrated The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge was one we discovered during my son's childhood and has become one of my favorites.

British General Thomas Gage
(Illustrated by Lynd Ward)

With the July 4th Holiday on the horizon, I decided to dig into Early Thunder.. Almost immediately I was struck by the similarities of the political tension between the Whigs  and the Tories (Loyalists) and a similar (but not corresponding ) tension today between the "Progressives" and Conservatives (e.g., MAGA) .

Early Thunder was published in 1967. It is 256 pages long  spread out over 14 chapters plus an "Author's Note" and  "About the Author" and "About the Illustrator." In addition to the frontispiece, each chapter has an illustration at the start.

Frontispiece - Note the coat of arms

The coat of arms in the lower right of the frontispiece contains the motto of the monarch of England, Dieu et mon droit, which is French for "God and my right." It means that the king is "Rex Angliae Dei gratia" (i.e., King of England by the grace of God). It is used to imply that the monarch of the nation has a God-given (divine) right to rule.

In the story Daniel is faced with the dilemma of obeying the king or becoming a renegade.  This is very similar to how Protestants view the relationship between humans and God. The author, Jean Fritz was born in China where her father was a Presbyterian missionary. They returned to the USA when she was thirteen. I was startled to discover that her family had eventually settled in my town, West Hartford, Connecticut and she had graduated from High School here. What a small world!

Daniel sailing the boat, Libera (freedom).
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, June 3, 2018

Trails Day #2: Bushnell Park


Yesterday I was at Cedar Hill. Today (June 3rd, 2018), Day #2 of Connecticut Trails Day, brought me to the "Bushnell Park Trees and Arch Tour Tour" (held from 4:30 -6:30 p.m.).

This oak tree is an ancestor of the legendary CT Charter Oak tree tree.
This one even has a lightning rod!

According to the 2018 CT Trails Day Events Brochure, this educational walk is an opportunity to "learn about Bushnell Park's Trees and Trinity Arch with CFPA's Executive Director (Eric Hammerling), CT DEEP's Urban Forester (Chris Donnelly), Hartford's City Forester (Heather Dionne), and the Bushnell Park Foundation Manager (Mary Zeman)."

Bushnell Park looking east toward the Travelers Tower.

We began with the trees and after about an hour or so, we returned to the Memorial Arch for a tour including being able to climb to the top.

Bushnell Park Foundation Manager Mary Zeman (green shirt).


View of the CT State Capitol Building from the top of the arch.

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)