HOMETOWN HEROES--THE MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER IN EACH CLUB'S HISTORY

My picks for nationwide contest to be shown soon on ESPN were fun to select. I divided my choices into the classics, multi-teams, inseparables, and had-tos. I added one more--the most outstanding player in baseball history.

In the had-to category, I chose Carl Crawford of Tampa, Rusty Staub of Washington, Dontrelle Willis of Florida, Todd Helton of Colorado, Luis Gonzalez of Arizona, Joe Carter of Toronto and George Brett of Kansas City.

In the inseparables, I simply couldn't choose one player. How does one distinguish between Robin Yount and Paul Molitor of Milwaukee? Also Nellie Fox and Frank Thomas of Chicago? Killebrew and Puckett of Minnesota? Finally, Johnny Bench and Tony Perez of Cincinnati? I couldn't do it.

In the mulit-teams category, I selected Ken Griffey, Jr. for Seattle/Reds; Rod Carew for Anaheim/Twins; Reggie Jackson for Oakland/Yankees; Tom Seaver for New York/Reds. But only one was listed for both teams--Nolan Ryan for Houston and Texas, and I picked him for both.

The classics were relatively easy. For New York and for the most outstanding player ever to take the field --Babe Ruth. For the Tigers--Ty Cobb. The Braves--Hank Aaron. The Dodgers--Jackie Robinson. The Pirates--Roberto Clemente. The Giants--Willie Mays. The Cardinals--Stan Musial. The Red Sox--Ted Williams. The Indians--Bob Feller. The Cubs--Ernie Banks. The Phillies--Mike Schmidt. The Orioles--Cal Ripken, Jr. The Padres--Tony Gwynn.

I will be fun to watch who the winners are. It was a good contest, open to speculation, judgments and disagreements. Kinda like the game itself.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROL

So like a teeter totterist, the man on the bottom in the picture to the left is the one in control. How we gain control, what controls us, and how we become out of control affects us in different ways.

We gain control by position. Position can be earned or forced. It can also be given.

What controls us can be natured or nurtured. It, too, can be forced upon us. It too can be freely given.

Losing control or being out of control can be habitual or reactionary. It cannot be forced upon us, but we can choose if we desire.

I watched a neighbor totally lose control with some lawn workers at her house yesterday. When they weren't suiting her, she grabbed the lawn mower (the item, not the person) and proceeded to show him how to mow and lower the back end to cut on a hill. He didn't seem impressed. And when she turned her back, he went back to mowing the way he wanted to.

Then she got after the hedge trimmer (the person not the item.) She also disarmed him and showed him how to trim. This time she added a gesture pointing two fingers to her head indicating he should think. In between the two outbreaks, she's on her cell, presumably calling the company assigned those tasks for our subdivision.

She must have gotten someone of a supervisory nature, because he came to see her in action. Pointing, throwing arms to the sky, yelling at him she continued her out of control tirade. He yelled back. And after all the yelling had subsided, she was worse for wear, but her yard didn't look any different to me that it normally did.

All I wanted to do was blog and surf the net (you don't hear that much anymore), but all the action just outside my window caused a temporary distraction. Had I wanted to see someone act stupid and lose control, I'd have gone to the golf course.

COME ON, HOLLYWOOD

Maybe if all the writers/directors/choreographers/actors/actresses would get off their collective cans and start practicing their crafts instead of exerting so much effort to denigrate the current administration, then maybe I would go back to the movies again.

When we first moved to Arizona, a perfect day was 18 holes of golf followed by a late matinee starting at 4:00 or so. Now I can't find anything I want to see. Either at reduced matinee rates or full pop. I get a complement of movie channels with sports packaging on cable and there's almost nothing there either.

The last best movie I saw was Eight Below. About dogs. The last worst movie I saw was The 40-Year Old Virgin. And why, oh why, we didn't get up and leave, I don't know. Only the part where he got hair pulled off his chest was funny. I wouldn't have laughed at the rest of that stuff when I was a seventh grader.

To those reader(s) who don't know me, I'm really not a prude or fogey, honestly. But I don't think I'm too stupid either.

It's time to shape up Hollywood. You couldn't even make a movie based on a bad tv series worth watching. Of course, I'm talking about The Dukes of Hazard. As bad as that tv show was, they outdid the flick. Hollywood, you can't even copy a bad concept.

MT. VERNON RAM TOUGH

I never thought it possible that Mt. Vernon would become a football town. I never thought the fans could leave 1954 behind. Actually, a string of State Champions in basketball for '49, '50, third place finish in '52, and another state title in 1954.

But it looks like it's happening. Defeating Belleville East, Triad, and a school from Chicago. All in the first three games. Being ranked first in the state last year before dropping a quarter-final game to a mid-state school, either Bloomington Central or Normal Community. Mt. Vernon defeated the other one.

I mean I remember playing Chester and Benton and Goreville. Ok, we never played Goreville. But I'm talking about the big boys now. (Also, this is to take nothing away from any of the teams who played the old South Seven schedule--you didn't get to choose who you played.)

But when those teams advanced in state competition, they were almost always mauled. I still remember Brian Fox, one of the hardest of the hardnosed kids I ever watched play, limp into my classroom the day after a playoff whalloping. Battered and bruised, he had been to war. And now the Belleville kids are talking about how hard the Rams hit. What?

It's early, but I'm congratulating Big Dan Mings and his staff. Way to turn around a program. And a town.

And will they be tough next season? You can set your clock on it. (Ok, that was a stretch to get the tee-shirt and the Rams in there together, but there may be money to be made on a shirt like that with Coach Ming's mug in the middle.)

JACOB'S LADDER OR A STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN?

I've climbed into the Lady's crown at the Statue of Liberty. I've also climbed to the top of the castle and kissed the Blarney Stone.

I've climbed the bleachers to the MTV Press Box. I've graded countless papers on the second and third floor fire escapes outside C Building.

I've read the account to Jacob and his vision of a ladder that allowed angels to descend and ascend to heaven. Although I never really undertood the lyrics, I've listened numerous times to the song "Stairway to Heaven".

But the first sign that I was getting older was when I had to breathe harder after climbing just a couple of flights of stairs. You'll have to bear with me since my high school class reunion and subsequent birthday last week, I guess I'm having thoughts of mortality. And how danged old I'll be at our next reunion.

Anyway(s), I'd suggest taking the escalators and elevators. Ward off old age. And any symptons that get you thinking about it.

VARIOUS AND SUNDRY THOUGHTS

Just exactly what has President Bush done that has made so many people dislike him? Sure the war in Iraq is bad. Was it better to allow Hussein to treat people the way he did? Are human rights to be ignored there and not in other parts of the world? Could he/ should he have seen where the insurgents got their strength, their weapons? Would the world be a better/safer place had we not removed Hussein?

I simply say thanks for trying. And for succeeding in keeping the USA safer from terrorists plots. Will there be another 9/11? Unfortunately, yes, I'm afraid so. But there's much good leadership can do to try to prevent terrorism. And at least I think George W has done that.

And Bill Clinton is trying to censor ABC's showing of a 9/11 docu-drama tonight and tomorrow night? Howl, howl if it's the other side. Can you imagine all the screaming of violation of artistic freedom had it come from the Republicans?

One complaint about the show from a Wash D.C. scribe said it was wrong to show Clinton saying "I never had sex with that woman," to imply that he had other things on his mind than terrorism. The reporter blamed Kenneth Starr and the Clinton impeachment for diverting the nation's attention.

It seems the playing field is not level. And if you don't buy into the far left liberal beliefs, then you are intellectually inferior. And don't dare stray from the truth. You might upset Michael Moore.

THE OLD SQUARE IN MTV
123 s. 10th St., MTV. Law Offices of Neubauer and Overstreet. That's Scott's new address after he occupied two other law offices all on the Square in MTV.

And when I found this picture entitled Candy Store Checkers, it made me think. You see that's where my parents met. At the Candy Kitchen on the Square in MTV. (Is it any wonder I have a sweet tooth?)

The Candy Kitchen was located where the beautiful Register-News Building now sits. What the heck is the deal with all the strand steel buildings in MTV? It used to be called the King City. It should now be call Pole Barn City. I know, the RN bricked a facade, but it's still tacky.

But I digress. I don't know that the Candy Kitchen looked much like the one in the picture, but that's where my folks met. For much of their adult life, they owned and operated the Red and White Grocery on S. 10th St. It was near Bullock Garages and the old WG Motors, currently a carpet store, but still South 10th and not far from where they met and from where their grandson practices law. (I think it's ok to practice law, but I don't want my MD practicing medicine.) When Dad left the grocery store he worked at The Wooden Indian/The Mt. Vernon Tobacco Company one block off the Square and current law office of Kent Renshaw.

For most of my wife's working years, she either resided at the County Courthouse on the Square or on the top floor of the Susan Shop, also on 10th Street.

The proximity or irony continues. For my working years, I went four blocks southeast and worked on South 6th Street. The MTV water tower, visible from the Square marked my work location.

Is a picture worth 1,000 words? Well, I didn't write that many, but it got this old boy reminiscing about the Square and its importance to us still today.