LEFTIES: LOOKING AT THE WORLD BACKWARDS

There were over 2,500 deaths to left handed people in the US last year solely attributed to being left handed in a right handed world. All the things we righties do naturally has to be a learned reaction for the left hander. A left handed buddy of mine, Virgil DeBoer claims, "God made all people left handed, but only a few could handle it."

One reason I was so excited about the University of Illinois basketball team this season was because of the three big men all being left handed (as stated in a previous blog.) Does anything look better than a left handed swing in baseball? Can you even think of a great right hander's swing? Well, Mr. Pujols, but who else?

The same with pitching. A smooth left hander looks better than a smooth righty. Once in minor league baseball, a friend of mine Bill Glassman, claimed he could throw right or left, and occasionally someone will come along who can do that, though I'm afraid none have ever been very successful at it. Another friend of mine, Ferrell Wiman plays golf right handed until he putts and then he turns around. I've done that myself when my putting got bad. I played 18-holes recently putting left handed. I've also tried looking at the hole instead of the ball, cross-handed, the claw, the one-handed claw, an extermely open stance, lining up the ball with my back foot, even closing my non-dominant eye. All worked for a short time: none worked over the long haul. I'm still a lousy putter. But I probably looked better putting left handed.

The only thing they do that looks awkward to me is eat. My nephew Mark turns his left hand at an 80 degree angle, pointing his elbow up higher than his hand when he eats. I hate eating next to a lefty. I've seen some hold pencils that way, too. I remember the days when grade school teachers used to turn them around and make them write right handed.

I use my left hand a lot. Even shaving the left side of my face with my left hand. But I remember all the trouble I had starting a friend of mine's car when the ignition of his Mercury, I believe, was on the left side. And any teacher that turned a kid around should have to drive a car like that forever.