Hey, Fans,
Those of you who have visited us here in Pomfret probably remember that
Paul Newman's Hole
In the Wall Gang Camp for terminally ill children is eight miles
and a couple of towns away in Ashford. At the end of each summer, the
Camp has a benefit gala. This includes both a silent and live
auction and a Fandango performance in their spectacular theater. This
year's gala took place this past Saturday.
Our local Vanilla Bean Cafe
provides evening refreshments for the gala. The last few years Mary
has donated her time to VBC owner and friend Barry Jessurun. In lieu
of field hockey, I was hoping to join this year, but Mary had to juggle
her work schedule for her own participation and we ran out of time to
clear my presence with Barry.
Unfortunately Paul Newman was too sick to attend this year, although
his daughter was there. Last year's Fandango skit featured Pomfret
resident Renee Zellweger
along with Paul and Joanne Woodward. This year's
entertainers included Bette Middler, who brought the house down with
her "Wind Beneath My Wings," and Alec Baldwin, who won the Botswana
Wilderness Safari for some $14,000, then generously gave it to the
woman he
topped in the live auction.
So, why am I telling you all this? At one point in the evening, Mary
noticed a tall, 70ish man giving out a few autographs. Mary leaned
towards Barry and said, "Who's that?" Barry replied, "I don't know,
ask her," pointing towards a camp staff woman. Mary approached the
woman and repeated, "Who's that?" The woman looked directly at Mary
and said, "Sandy
Koufax." Mary said, "No!"
Now, Mary is a relative baseball neophyte, but the significance of this
circumstance did not escape her. She found a program and pen with some
difficulty and approached him with, "My husband would be so ...."
Sandy asked her
my name and he personalized the autograph accordingly, left-handed, of
course.
Mary resisted the temptation to send me an immediate text message
reporting the news, but couldn't
wait to show me her significant addition to the Dudley Museum when she
got home. I was blown away and couldn't stop asking "Sandy Koufax was
in Ashford?" Mary heard he was at the gala in support of a friend's
child. Might he return next year?
I told Mary that she went clear to the top. Given that Jackie Robinson
died in 1972, there is no one higher on the totem pole. Not many
minutes went by in the early to mid-60s that I didn't think of Sandy
Koufax. The three days between starts were excruciating, and I longed
for his post-game interviews with Jerry Doggett on KFI. In the off
season, I would fantasize over and over about him shocking the world
with a Perfect Game come Opening Day.
Mary knew, but forgot to tell Sandy that we got married on his 70th
birthday, but honestly I might have lapsed there, too.
I had to discipline myself to wait to send this out until today, which
is the 43rd anniversary of his Perfect Game and then-record fourth
career no-hitter.
Ah, the Quiet Corner.
Cheers,
D
