Boski's Blogopoluza!

Yesterday, I heard about the passing of Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe. It took me back to September of 1996 when a young Boski freshly matriculated from the C.S.U.F. had finished his five year tour of duty at Disney. The end of that summer the Better Half and I went back to visit her family in Southern Illinois. But in the course of the trip we caught a game a Busch Stadium and thanks to her work connections, at the time, a game at Comiskey. We flew in to Chicago and raced to Comiskey see the Sox drop a game to the Tigers on Labor Day. A game that they, if they had won would have set up a possible playoff with the O's for the Wild Card that year (well that's what I going to keep telling myself). But that loss did have a bright side. Playing for the Tigers was former C.S.U.F. All-American and former EDHS alum Phil Nevin. Who we were able to flag down after the game (thank god I had my Titan sweatshirt) and say hello to. We were able to chat for a couple of minutes and he was gracious enough to give us tickets (great tickets) for the next night. Hey he was in a good mood, he had hit his first American league Homer. He must of also forgotten all the passes I dropped on him in practice.

So where am I going with this, well the next night Team Boski gets to the New Comiskey and took a tour around and soak it in. We had finished our tour around and were going to head to our seats when we say a elderly gentleman in a wheelchair. He must of known that I was not a local. The shorts, polo shirt, White Sox hat and goofy look on my face may have given it away. But he said hello and we talked for a couple of minutes. At first I did not realize who it was, the usher who was assigned to him let us know. Then I could almost hear a melancholy version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and David McCullough narrating. I had just watch that Inning of the documentary about three months back. So realizing I was talking to baseball history I excused myself and ran to the souvenir stand and got a baseball. The usher also let us know that he would sign it. So here I was talking to a man who played with Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Josh Gipson, Cool Papa Bell, I could go on and on. And it not like he was a utility man who hung on. The man was an All-Star. Hell, the man got his nickname for catching the first game of a doubleheader and then pitch the second. In fact I think there is a story of him catching a Satchel Paige no-hitter then he pitched a shutout the second game. Which sounds great, but Paige was pissed that he gave up a hit and didn't talk to him for a week. We both thanked him for his time and the autograph and that we were very honored to meet him. The Better Half even got a couple of photos of it. Which I will drag up one day and put them on here. But he was just such a nice man even if he was not a former baseball player. I can still remember him telling me as the Better Half was taking the picture that I should marry her and not let her go. Which I did. I know that sounds hokey, but he did say it. That was one of those moments in my life that gives me chills in the positive way. That here I am seeing history in its purest form. Like going to the The Huntington. Walk by a copy of a Gutenberg Bible, then being able to view actual Mark Twain manuscripts. I know I have said this before, but its like porn for historians.

That night was sports hat trick. Met a baseball legend (Double Duty), watch my hero play in the uniform he should have always been in (Harold Baines) and the Sox won 6-4. Not too shabby.

So thank you again Double Duty.