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Old 11-23-2009, 03:56 PM   #10
professordp
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Location: New Jersey
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bear View Post
Thanks for sharing the personal memories of Jimmy. We all have some personal sports memories like that.

My dad took me to my first baseball game back in '59. Sox vs. Yankees. Earl Torgeson was sent up to pinch hit for the Sox. My dad told me to watch what he did at the plate. He fidgeted around in the batter's box in between pitches to try to upset the Yankee hurler's rhthym. He pretended to get something in his eye, asked for time and stepped out of the box when the pitcher had begun his wind up. My dad taught me more about the subtleties of baseball with that at bat than 95% of the color commentators I've heard over the years. We have a ton of memories like that that invlove a number of athletes in different sports.

I rember Ingo's appearence on the Dinah Shore show prior to his defense vs. Floyd. Toonder and Lightning. He appeared to be the picture of confidence. Made Floyd's recapture of the title seem all the more impresive to me back then.

My all-time favorite hockey player is the very ordinary Al MacNeil. He sparred with HW fighters in the off-season and I was at the Stadium once when I saw John Fergeson skate away from him rather than fight. He became my hero that night. Got one of the leagues most belicose goons to behave himself without doing anything.
I guess you and I are getting to that age! Funny that you mention the Dinah Shore thing. I had also seen it. Ingo did this silly duet with Dinah on this little ditty where each refrain began, "Jo-han-SSON!" Sadly, while I don't remember the rest of the lyrics, the melody continues to haunt me to this day. I find myself humming it whenever I think of Ingo!

A few seasons later the Yanks wisely picked up Torgie, and wow, John Ferguson skating a way from a fight!

Bear, as Sam Spade said in The Maltese Falcon, "It's the stuff that dreams are made of."
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