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WHAT IS IN A NAME?
When I first read this story, actually 2 stories, I was in awe that this really happened!
1st Story:
Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.
Capone had a lawyer, nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago city block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago Mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had nice cloths, cars and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object, and despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son. He could not pass on a good name or a good example.
One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, and clean up his tarnished name, at which he could offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this he would have to testify against the mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.
Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read:
Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.
2nd Story: WHAT IS IN A NAME
World War ll produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to the ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the Lexington he saw something that turned his blood cold, a squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way towards the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet, nor could he warn the fleet of approaching danger.
There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane then another. Butch wove in and out of the nowbroken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.
Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the Lexington. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect the fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.
This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first ace of World War ll, and the first naval aviator to win the Congressional Metal of Honor.
A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WWll hero to fade, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. So next time you find yourself at O'Hare International Airport, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Metal of Honor. Its located between terminals 1 and 2.
So what do these two stories have to do with each other?
Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's son!
"What is in a name!"
I love war stories like these, its not to hard for me to comprehend people like this, in all my years of Coaching kids, I tell them that the minute they put on their baseball uniform, that, "They are going to war!" Its a war of success vs/ failure! I have always had an attitude of that once committed to doing something, I just refuse to fail! I have been doing this for a long time, and I could write a book on the kids I have Coached over the years. Especially the ones that accepted the challenge and worked hard so that they did not fail!
Trying to do great things in this game of baseball is not easy, its hard! What is the challenge if it were not hard to do! Having an attitude and confidence to work for something you really want is never impossible!
Best Always, Glen Crooker League Commissioner
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " WATCH THEM WORDS! "
2009
* * * * * Today its crappy outside, rain and more rain! No Baseball! 2008
I took this picture at Gettysburg of a union color guard monument, but there was more to this monument than some of the others. This is of an 18 yr old boy from the 143rd Pennsylvania. He was assigned to be their color bearer. This was an important honor for units that fought in that war. When the flag advanced the unit advanced, if the flag bearer fell someone else would stop fighting to pick it up! During the first days of fighting at Gettysburg, the 143rd was west of town along the Chambersburg Pike near McPherson's farm. The regiment was ordered to retreat slowly to delay the Confederate advance. During this retreat Benjamin Crippen would plant the colors where the regiment would rally and fight for some time with determination! As the regiment would pick up and retreat, Crippen would be last to go and as he slowly retreated he would turn around and wave his fist and shake it at the advancing rebels as if to say to them "Try to take the colors, I dare you!" A bullet finally found its mark and as Crippen fell with the colors wrapped around him, his comrades advanced again to take the colors from the brave boy before the rebels reached him. So if you look at this one monument and look at it very closely you'll see the likeness and attitude of this split moment in time of a young boys gallant gesture just before his death. It was stated after the war when veterans of the 143rd dedicated their monument that they wanted something so important to them that they made a life-size likeness of Crippen chiseled into stone and placed it on the very spot where he fell. At the monument's dedication on September 11, 1889 a veteran stated that, "When Crippen fell the advancing enemy was but a few yards away, yet when....attention...was called to the fallen colors the command, One hundred and forty-third rally on your colors, was obeyed with a rush, and the battle flag was saved!" Today its tattered remnants occupy a post of honor still in the military cabinet of the state of Pennsylvania. An article appeared in this popular magazine after the war, a conversation with General A. P. Hill Confederate States of America. He stated he was there, and "The Yankees had fought with determination unusual to them!" He pointed out a railway cutting, in which they had made a good stand, also in a field in which he had seen a man plant the regimental colors, around which that regiment fought for some time with much obstinacy, and when at last it was obliged to retreat, the color bearer retired last of all, turning around every now and then to shake his fist at the advancing rebels. General Hill a Corp commander, stated he felt quite sorry when he saw this gallant Yankee meet his doom!
I read this story in a Civil War magazine last week and had to sort thru my pictures and yes, there it was, the photo attached! All those monuments have some kind of story, but when I read this story I recalled being there. - You see, going out west to the National Parks you are overwhelmed by the vast beauty of such a place, and then realize there is God's work for us to enjoy! But when you go to a Civil War Battlefield the feeling is different! Its like the spirits of those people are still there! Deep - deep sadness sometimes hits me when I'm there, I guess its God's work again, to really understand these people who were no different than us, but they lived in a different time! Yes, they did these things and I guess I'm obsessed with it!
Today as a Baseball Coach you tell stories like this to the kids to help them understand how important it is to work had for a cause, and sometimes when the odds are against you - you have to do heroic things to motivate others! Being a hero is the last thing from your mind, but you just react to a situation and this powerful monster inside you comes out!
There are 2 things that someone once told me years ago and I have never forgotten how true those words are! "ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO!"
and
"THINGS ARE NEVER AS BAD AS THEY SEEM!"
What is life without those thoughts!
Best Always, Glen Crooker League Commissioner June 2008
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Are we helping our baseball players? A story from League Commissioner Glen Crooker 2007 Did you ever win on a scratch ticket? Or did you ever get a large tax refund from the IRS? How about that feeling when you get out of work on a Friday afternoon and its the beginning of a weekend!
Excited! What a great feeling, and frame if mind!
How about when your team wins the Super Bowl! You say to yourself, "This is a great day!"
A few years back our Baseball Team was in the State Tournament, we were losing by 3 runs going into the last inning, his name was Ray Powers, he was not a superstar, just your average kid who worked hard to do well at a sport he loved. While he was on deck he studied the pitcher, there was a small breeze blowing from left field towards right. With 2 outs and 2 Stoneham runners on Ray thought about the Stoneham hitter that was up, please get on! Save my ups! I guess that's confidence at the highest! That Stoneham hitter walked, now the tying run is on first and Ray got his wish! The Gloucester High pitcher threw hard, but maybe he was tired, "I know he is going to throw me his best pitch to end this thing!" Ray thought. Soon Ray digs in with his right foot to get a good footing at the plate, he knew what was coming, but do not think, just react! The season is over if he makes an out. The tall righty glares in for the catchers sign, the crowd that gathered from both towns are chanting for their team, the pitcher goes into his wind-up and throws his fastball straight down the middle at Ray, but Ray is focused and see's it all the way, he loads up at the release of the ball from the pitchers hand, its like slow motion to Ray, and starts to pivot as the ball approached. "Crack!" that sound is unique when contact is made with all your weight turning into that swing. The ball exits off Ray's bat at a high velocity, its going up towards right-center, "way back!" "WAY BACK!" It clears the fence out onto the Stoneham High School Football Field, as Ray is rounding first base! "HOMERUN!" - "GRANDSLAM HOMERUN!" Its a walk-off win for the Spartans, and as Ray see's it bounce on the football field he must have leaped 6 feet into the air with joy. What a moment for this kid!
The excitement that kid must have felt is hard to describe, but he now has that memory for the rest of his life!
A year ago, when my summer team was getting ready for a night game at the Stoneham High School, I saw Ray running out on the track around that football field. Then I heard him yell, "Hi Glen!" as I turned to look I saw him wave at me, so I yelled back, "RAY, YOU HIT THAT HOMERUN!" As soon as I said that I could see that smile on his face!
Failure was far from Ray's thought that day, since he was a little boy playing Little League he had an attitude. Confidence meant success! Ray did have his War Face on that day! Its moments like that - that I tell my current players! It seems that when I do tell stories like that to these kids, that they just look at me and do not understand that just maybe they can repeat something spectular! How do you get the best out of someone? Coaches have to motivate! That is what I do! Teaching baseball I am always seeking help, and over the years have had great Coaches, Pitching and Hitting Instructors. Last Summer's Team had a lot of negative things going on when we started, we lost games due to mistakes that should not have happened. This group of kids have great potential, I have seen them do great things in the past when they were younger, so why all of a sudden are they doing stupid stuff! Pressure? Loss of confidence? Yes, maybe.
All those years we had great teams and some top prospect, I had never seen a lack of confidence! The 1995 team that won a State Title was so confident that every game they would seem to be thinking how or who was going to win this game!
Sometimes I just tell the kids its time to cast off those demons who love to see you strike-out! I even bribed the team before a game, I told them if they played this game tonite without making a single error that I would take out the whole team to the 99's for dinner! It was a hot nite in Billerica, but that got their attention! It seemed that every time a ball was hit at a player they had a look on their face and an attitude, like, its not going to be my fault that the team loses a dinner at the NINE'S! Yes, they won the game and made no errors! What an amazing site to see, especially after they came off the field and up to me to tell me what they were going to have at the NINE'S!
Success is not hard to find, it really depends on how bad you want it!
Attached is a picture of Billy Thompson pitching in the State Finals in 1991, right after he pitched a 9 inning East Massachusetts Championship Game in Lynn 2 days before! Bill received the East Massachusetts Most Valuable Player Award that year. Of the 21 wins Stoneham had that year Billy pitched a record 9 wins - 0 loss!
OK, all you kids, when I ask you if you took 50 swings with your bat today? your reply is, "Yes!"
Best Always, Glen
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