Bear's tried out for 48 yr old Team

Bear's tried out for 48 yr old Team
last week.

Yep, as unbelievable as that is
would you believe this bad body ol' man tried out for a 48 & over the hill Baseball League last week.

And I got a phone call last night, and I made the friggin team !!!!.

Boy did this bring back.....'wait by the telephone...days for THE phone call'.

The skipper said his 'scouting report' said move me to the 30 & over league.

The phone call went like:
Gene: Hi TJ, this is Gene Strachum of the Over 30 Team K?

I selected you to be on my fall baseball team. Are you interested ?

Answer: Yes, but over 30 !. I thought I was trying out for the over 48.

Gene's Response: OK, but is this the Bear?

Answer: Yes

Gene's Response: Bear, you & I have met. You punched me out out 5 times in
Arizona when I was playing for Chicago. Do you remember that?

Answer: Gee Gene, I usually don't get those types of questions. I usually get
"hey Bear, Do you remember the time I bombed one off you in California (....
or Maryland, or Tenn, or Florida, or Canada)

Genes Response: That's funny, but I think it was in maybe 1993.... maybe.

Answer: Gene, I think we (Balt) played vs Chicago in Pittsburgh in July of 93.
I was playing 1b, & we got beat up by you guys pretty bad.
The coach of Baltimore that year was Dan Konick. One of the catchers was Peter Kirk (owner Baysox, Keys)
Peter got pissed from all the bs from the Chicago 'dugout' and got us all excited. In the hotel rooms that night, Peter and Dan got on me and made me promise to throw vs Chicago in the Sr World Series should we ever meet.

Gene: Our Chicago team in 1993 was the best of all those teams for the past 7 years. And the only time we did not win the World Series title !

Answer: Gene, you guys were great. Gee you had a three former pros at SS, CF & the LHP from Cubs- What was his name? Wasn't it Richie Nye. I remembered him
from Lodi California.

Gene: Yes, Richie said the same thing in the dugout in Pittsburgh, and also at the World Series. They were trying to figure out how to pitch to your catcher....what was his name...Maxey.

Answer: Yes, Bobby Maxey, Pretty darn good hitter & he's now a HS Baseball Coach & AD. Been on the field for twenty years. & his son is improving ever day at & behind the plate.

Gene: But then Rich Nye said: "I think I can handle Maxey, but has Bear swung a bat in the Sr. World Series yet? Anybody know?

Answer: I don't think I was swinging for Dan. I swung awful in Pittsburgh...until I faced Nye that day.

Gene: Yeah, Richie said the same thing.

Answer: So why did Richie plunk me in the back on the first pitch? I was
sore for weeks after?

Gene: But next time up, you screamed
one off his chest, and had to
leave the game.

Answer: I didn't mean to, but
you guys were all excited in the
dugout from the start of the game
until the end.

Gene: After Nye left the mound,
all we heard from your bench was
Throw it & Duck.

Answer: So what's going on with your ball club.

Gene Game time 8:45 am Wheaton Regional #1, Gray Shirt, Gray Pants.

Answer: Do they have one 'big' enough.

Gene: Oh yea, someone said you picked up some lbs. But they also said you
were still throwing gas, throwing to spots. The two studs of the league
said you punched them both out on 'friggin' change ups. Gee Bear
I dont' think you threw a single change in 93 vs Chicago.

Answer: Yeah, I remember, all Maxey put down that game was # three all game.
Slide balls all over the 20 inch dish.

Gene: Yeah, but Bear, they were 82 mph sliders on the black.

Answer: Oh that game. Yeah, I remember. Maxey hurt his fingers
slamming his first down at the Blackjack tables in Las Vegas the night before. Max woke me up at 2:00 am
and tried to drag me out on the red eye.
Bobby was carrying about $300, but
they were all one dollar bills. His
pockets were bulging when he left,
and he was real skinny when he returned.
I saw his hand in the morning, it
was swollen badly. But Max never
told me about it. I got a stiff neck from shaking him off. & Maxey
hates for me to shake him off, so I just stand there waiting for another one.

Gene: yeah, we thought we had Maxey's signs, and you were showing your grip to us once in a while.

Answer: Yeah, Maxey put his messed up fingers down (for #3), I would wait for the one or two. He'd put down five, I would regrip in the windup spread the fingers off the slider and it would spin like a fork/spitter.

Gene: Good golly, I finally got some pitching in this league. It's been 7 years.

Answer: Thanks, Gene. It''s been a long time. I miss the stories after the game.

Gene: And you will get the ball sometime on the mound for Saturday morning @ 8:45 AM Wheaton Reg #1.

Answer: Gene, I will be there,
might be sleeping, but I will be there.

cheers
Bear

ps. Somebody's Stop Me.
Am I excited or what, very nervous, soooooo out of shape, (& praying for the rain to stop.)