Thank A Vet!

I will have to admit that I have written this article before and I am going to write it again and probably not change much.  It's not because I am lazy or have run out of material it's because I like to honor the same people on the same day every year.  Over the years I have grown to respect our military more and more each year.  When I was a kid, it was a day off from school.  When I was a teenager, it helped me research my love of history.  When I was a twenty something hit closer as people I knew where now soldiers.

Our military deserves our support, right wrong, or indifferent.  These brave men and women volunteer to take a job to defend this great nation.  They should be commended, not condemned.  That is all I have to say about the respect our military deserves, because most Americans feel the same way I do.  As I normally do each year I want to thank these specific individuals for their service and everything they have done for this country.  If you would like to add someone to my annual list please drop me a message, I would love to honor them

Timothy MacCartney Sr. - United States Army
Timothy MacCartney Jr. - United States Army
Ron Scarborough Sr. - United States Air Force
Michael Scarborough - United States Air Force
Ron Scarborough Jr. - United States Marine Corp
Derek Gordon - United States Marine Corp.
Cary MacCartney - United States Army
Craig Tomanini - United States Army
Jill Murray Wildt - United States Marine Corp.
Sam Wildt - United States Navy
Don Mason - United States Army
Eric Catalanotti - United States Army
Robert Catalanotti - United States Army
Justin LaMonda - United States Marine Corp.
Denny Brigley - United States Army
John Finneron - United States Army - P.O.W. World War II
David Layman - United States Navy
Dan Thibodeau - United States Marine Corp.
Kim-Cameron King - United States Marine Corp.
Mary McCue - United States Marine Corp.
Rusty Williamson - United States Navy
Nick Fortunato - United States Navy
Paul Dell'ovo - United States Air Force
Paul Vigneault - United States Navy
DJ Gentile - United States Coast Guard
Glenn Peacock - United States Coast Guard

Thank you!

3D
If you don't take it from me, ask my wife

A True Baseball Unsung Hero

Saturday (Nov. 2) was a bittersweet day for me.  As I sat down to watch the "Rolling Rally" to honor the tremendous job that the Boston Red Sox had done this season to win the World Series, my spirits were dampened. I received a call from one of my best friends and he told me that the man we had worked with to help run the East Side Babe Ruth had passed away on Friday night.  Richard Zellmer was a man synonymous with youth baseball in this city that nobody knew, and he was ok with that.

I first came across Rich when I was eight years old playing in the Jack Barry Little League and he was a coach of an opposing league.  As I continued to grow up and play baseball Rich was always there coaching a team, with his wife Judy in tow.  They were always in it for the kids.  When his children stopped playing, he didn't stop coaching.  When I became a coach in 1991, there was Rich in the opposing dugout.  We had many battles on the field, but always had each other's respect.

When I became an umpire in 1997 I worked many Babe Ruth level games and Rich and I crossed paths again, and as always his wife Judy was there to support him.  The following year Rich took over the reigns as President of the East Side Babe Ruth league, a title he held until this past Friday.  We always said he would die doing work for the East Side Babe Ruth League.  I never imagined it would happen.

I was honored when Rich asked me to be one of his league administrators some years back.  That was when Rich was no longer a mentor but became a friend.  We had many conversations over the past twenty plus years, some joking, some serious and some heated, but we always had each other’s respect.

Being the President of the East Side Babe Ruth League, or any youth league for that matter, is a very thankless job.  That didn't matter to Rich, he wasn't in it for the accolades.  As Rich's health deteriorated over the years he became less visible at the field and some parents didn't know who he was.  He was the man that made that league go, he was the man behind the curtain, the one nobody paid attention to.

Each year the league faced it's own viability, dealing with some players whose parents could not afford to pay the registration fee.  That didn't matter to Rich, that child was going to play and the league was going to run.  He made it work every year no matter what.  He always dealt with the Parks Department and other City administrators to make things work for the league.  He wanted to create as many opportunities for kids to play baseball, no matter what obstacles it created for him.  Throughout all of these efforts was his wife Judy.  She supported her husband in every sense of the word.

As I moved up through the baseball umpire ranks, got married and started a family, my presence at the baseball field has waned.  I am still part of the league but in a planning way.  However, my friendship with Rich and Judy and their three sons Richard, Steven and Kevin has grown stronger.  We have become more of a family rather league colleagues.

I will miss Rich and everything we have done together.  I truly hope the former players, parents, and coaches appreciate what the man had done for baseball on the East Side of Worcester.  I know I will.

 God Bless you Rich.  May you rest in peace.

3D

If you don't take it from me, ask my wife.

It's Just a Game

During my younger years (20's and 30's) I attended many sporting events.  I have been to over fifty sporting venues in four countries and the one thing that all of those experiences have in common is, it was just a game, nothing more.  So, last week when I saw the video of a New York Jets Fan punch a New Patriots fan, who happened to be a women, in the face, I was beside myself.

Sport fanaticism has existed since the time of Roman gladiators, to 1912, when Red Sox fans were ready to trash newly built Fenway Park because owner John I. Taylor suggested to manager Jack Stahl that he throw a World Series game so he could get more gate money during the series, which the Red Sox ultimately won. To a near riot in city streets when teams win a championship.

We love our teams, no doubt.  But at what point does the love of our team take us away from reality?  In all those trips to stadiums not once was I disrespectful to the people around me and never did I engage in a physical confrontation with rooters from the other team.  Because in the whole grand scheme of things, it just was not that important to me.  I don't need to defend multi-billion dollar organizations in a physical manner and I should not expect the same from fans of another team.

Several weeks ago I read that a twenty four year old Dodger fan, who had just left AT&T Stadium to see the Dodgers play their rival San Francisco Giants with his dad, was stabbed to death for being a Dodger fan. That is just perplexing to me.  The worst part of all is that this is not the first time that this has happened and it surely will not be the last.

• 2003, a Giants fan was shot and killed outside Dodger Stadium
• 2004, a skirmish between players at the end of a Pacer-Pistons led to a brawl between players and fans
• 2005 a Red Sox fan took a swing at Yankee outfielder Gary Sheffield while he was making a play during the game
• 2011 a Giants fan was nearly beaten to death in the Dodgers Stadium parking lot, IN FRONT OF HIS SON
• In 2011 several arrests and injuries were reported at San Francisco 49ers vs. Oakland Raider PRESEASON game 

These are just to name a few.  Let's not forget the city of Vancouver nearly going up in flames after the Canucks lost game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Boston Bruins.  I won't even get into the soccer hooliganism, that's just not fair.

I love the local sports team and I root for them, that's it.  I have never had a problem with sitting next to a fan from another team at a sporting event and having a healthy debate about who has a better team and who will win the game.  It was also not uncommon for me to shake the hand of the person when leaving and thanking him for a great conversation.  I never threatened them and they never threatened me.  I hate to break this to all of Red Sox Nation, the Yankees don't "suck". 

It's just a game folks, nothing more.  We have been lucky as fans to see a large success in this area.  When the Red Sox won the World Series, The Patriots the Super Bowl, The Bruins the Stanley Cup or the Celtics the NBA Finals, think about what you personally gained from it, other than a few weeks of joy.

As you head out for a Patriots game, or go see the Red Sox in the World Series, or happen to catch the new season of the Bruins or Celtics, I have one bit of advice for you. Act like you've been there before.  Go Sox!

3D

If you don't take it from, ask my wife.