Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

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Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby vintagebrett » September 13th, 2011, 1:24 pm

Here is the contest for September:

Share a story about a glove - some examples (but not limited to these) - possibilities are endless:
-How you acquired your favorite glove
-Your favorite find
-Most crushing loss
-Work of fiction (The glove in black fled across the desert and the gloveslinger followed)
-Poem (There once was a glove from Nantucket...)
-Dissertation on your favorite glove manufacturer


All entries that are posted in this thread by September 30th are eligible for the prize. You can post up to 3 different entries and they will all count. Prize is an XL Victor shirt as posted below. Have fun!
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby peterb69 » September 13th, 2011, 4:36 pm

I was eating oysters in an outdoor cafe on Nantucket
When I pulled out my knife and was about to shuck it.
When suddenly out of the corners of my eyes
In an antique shop is a Babe Ruth glove I spys
But wait, it's just a Hoboken replica, ahh #@&% it.







Hope the above falls with the code of conduct. Didn't mean to offend anyone, just be funny.
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby ebbets55 » September 13th, 2011, 4:40 pm

Great limerick peterb69. Brett I think you have your winner and should end the contest now. :D

JD
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby vintagebrett » September 13th, 2011, 8:17 pm

I'm open to voting at the end of the month to choose the board's favorite if that's how we want to work it this time.
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby Kenny Wel » September 14th, 2011, 12:37 pm

The story of the one that got away, and how I got my start....
We bought our house from an elderly man named Carl, who became more our grandfather than just the former owner of the house. He would stop by frequently to make sure that I figured out the trick to get the heater to work, etc. Carl left the basement full of junk. After some time of making repairs to the house, including that faulty heater, it became time to clean out the basement.

With my trusty sidekick and son Matt, I ventured into the land of darkness and cobwebs beleived to be our basement. All was pretty routine until I pushed a broom under an old refrigerator. A hard brown object slid out the other side of the appliance. Unsure what kind of carcass we were approaching in the dim light, we were not too eager to investigate (we found dead cats under the porch, so we already had a history of dealing with the deceased). After working up the gumption, I ventured close enough to the unknown, and still did not know what it was until I had picked it up. What I found was a split three finger button back glove. I took it upstairs to more light, and marveled at the discovery. It was very dry, but in good shape. After evicting the spiders that had taken residence in the finger stalls, I put the glove aside for another day.

Some time after that, my town was having a large homecoming celebration. People that had not been in town for several years all gathered, including Carl's sons. They stopped by the house to see the changes that we had made and reminisce about their childhood in the house. During their visit, I took out the old glove to show the sons. The older told me that "Dad was quite a ball player in his day. Wait until he gets a look at this again." With that, the man put the glove under his arm and went to join the reunion celebration. With a tear in my eye, I watch the glove go, not having the heart to wrestle the glove back.

I saw Carl again some time later, and asked if he enjoyed the glove. I was hoping he would offer it back, or at least though conversation give me some way to ask for it back. "Yep," he said, "We are going to get all the old gang together and have a game." I hope Carl and the boys are having a great game out in the cornfields of Iowa (or at least upstate NY since that is where this takes place), as Carl soon passed shortly after.

I don't even know what brand it was....(sniff).

Ken
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby PEETHOOK » September 15th, 2011, 4:28 pm

Great story! Hopefully someone in Carl's family hung onto that old glove!
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby cjw » September 15th, 2011, 10:04 pm

Here's one glove story I am pleased to be a part of. Chris

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news ... p&sid=t435

Image


(Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, BC) - I don't get sentimental very often, but every once in a while, I hear of a story that makes me human (guys way of saying he gets that 'lump in his throat').
I didn't well up with tears when Rose let Jack's hand go in Titanic, nor did I shed a tear when Mohammad Ali lit the Olympic Torch in Atlanta back in '96 (although, that moment was pretty cool).

But let me tell you the story about a man and his glove.

For years, those came out to historic Nat Bailey Stadium seemed to feel right at home when a slender man approached them ready to tell a small tale about the ballpark they may not have known of. Bud Kerr was the best at telling you that one piece of information you never knew about - unless you remembered the last time he told you.

Whether it was how the sod here at 'The Nat' was transplanted from the old field at Athletic Park or how Babe Ruth and his barnstorming bunch stopped through Vancouver for a few innings against our city's best, when Bud was recollecting a story from Vancouver's baseball yester years, there was no one better.

Bud went from local fan to self proclaimed 'historian' to well, actual historian. The one person that you knew had the answer to your local baseball question.

The media eventually picked up on Bud and he would oblige with his stories that at times were a bit drawn out, but you enjoyed them none the less because of the sparkle in his eye as he told the memory to you.

Several years ago, a local newspaper asked Bud to head out to the ballpark for a story and a photo shoot. Bud hardly slept the night before as he couldn't wait to fill the reporter's ear full of amazing moments and spectacular spectacle's from his days here at 'the Nat'.

He gathered his trusty hat that morning, followed by the glove he had carried with him for almost his entire life. A glove that was designed for a first baseman even though Bud hadn't played the position since he was a mere child.

The day the reporter came to the ballpark, Bud was in his element. He would reflect on the names, the moments and his journey through it all - and never once let go of that glove.

Days after his dealings with the local scribe, a photo would come out in the paper with Bud peering steadily into the lens of the camera, glove in hand, accompanied by one of the most flattering articles about his life in baseball.

We all got a copy as Bud was the best at finding the office photocopier and making enough copies for you to enjoy and maybe even wallpaper your living room. I only say that because once I said that to him and he gave my ribbing a good chuckle.

Bud would remain the 'protector' of 'The Nat' before succumbing to a handful of health problems in 2009. To be honest, that hit everyone here at the ballpark pretty hard.

We still look at the spot he called home here at Nat Bailey Stadium over in Section 7, Row 3, Seat 2 and reflect.

Canadians ownership was kind enough to paint his seat white shortly after his passing and accent it with a humble plaque designating it as "Bud's seat". A kind gesture to a man that seemed more than deserving.

I still have a handful of Bud's items from those days when he would come, archived memorabilia in hand. I still have a hat from the Pacific Coast League days and more newspaper clippings than I can shake a stick at, but one man trumped me in a big way recently when it comes to Bud's "belongings", and yet had the kindness to put together the ending to a most wonderful story.

Chris Wood is a local sports fan who just happens to fancy baseball and collecting the odd piece of baseball memorabilia. His wife always rolls her eyes at him when he joyfully brings home yet another sports artifact, all except one.

Perusing the aisles of a local second hand shop a few weeks back, Chris came across an old baseball glove. At first glance it didn't look like anything exciting other than the fact that it was a worn in first baseman's glove.

With a price tag of just ten dollars, Chris didn't have to talk himself into the purchase especially when he read the fine print. The glove, had a local phone number etched into the raw leather along with an address and a name.

Bud Kerr.

How fortunate that of all the people that fingered their way through the glove bin over time, that a diehard Vancouver Canadians fan would be the one drawn to the glove that held a thousand childhood memories.

Chris held onto the glove for just a few days before contacting the Vancouver Canadians and saying that he had something that he believed belonged here at Nat Bailey Stadium. The C's agreed promising to put the glove in the stadium museum named after the late Bud Kerr.

When the glove arrived, not one staff member would dare put their hand into the worn leather mitt. It was Bud's glove, and for the first time in a long time, it was home. Back in the place where it was held along with a thousand memories and joys that one man experienced because of the game of baseball.

Personally, I don't want to know how the glove got into the bin, or who would have put it there - all that matters it that as Bud lives on through all of us here at the ballpark, for the first time in a long time, he can walk the park once again with his trusty glove and smile as the C's gear up for another season in the sunshine.

Now, I don't get sentimental very often, but every once in a while, I hear of a story that makes me human.
WANTED -1977 Toronto Blue Jays game used items and Vancouver baseball items -Capilanos, Mounties, Canadians
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby bing » September 18th, 2011, 10:53 am

The two I threw away.....Before gloves were so much fun

About 15 to 20 years ago my wife and I moved form Charleston South Carolina to metro Atlanta. We wanted and old house that we could work( her part was mostly drinking wine and pointing... Haha. We loved it) on and to be close to a college community. After a lot of looking around we settled on a really old house in Oxford. Oxford is the home of the original Emory University campus and this house was right in the middle of campus. It was a perfect fit. The house was built in 1835 and the college was founded in 1837. We bought the oldest house in the whole town! Although very small, just 4 rooms,It was really cool. The whole thing was put together with wooden pegs and all the timbers were marked with Roman numerals so that erecting day would have gone smoothly. I became engrossed in anything and everything that had to do with antique construction methods. It was nuts! I added a barn to the house and used only antique hand tools. All of the wood came from trees I personally cut down myself and no nails were used. Man, what you came get into before you have kids! There have been a few other " addictions" since the wood/antique house phase and I guess it's now gloves.:)
I remember this like it was yesterday. It was late on a work week night. I had a plan to fix a bad place on the hallway ceiling. Someone had repaired it years ago and they had nailed Sheetrock on top of the original plastering. As work progressed I ended up being in the attic and looking down into the living space. In my mind, this small fix was close to becoming a huge mess. Should I tear out the whole ceiling and fix it properly or should I just "rig" it like someone else had done years ago. While sitting across the ceiling joist with my legs hanging down and a fresh brew in my hand, all the options of what to do surfed around in my head. I reached over to grab the next joist over so I could reposition myself and in doing so caught a glimpse of an old boot resting between the joist. ( there was no floor in the attic so there was cavity like areas between each joist). I picked up the boot and noticed there was another one just like it and an old glove as well. I slid the glove on my right hand and thought" this is cool. The glove has no fingers. This is one of those old baseball gloves.. Cool beans". My real focus was on what to do with the repair but these items were fun to look at while I took the brew break. I checked out the old boots and put the second fingerless glove on my beer hand. I guess they gave me a second wind because those gloves and I decided to just tear out the whole ceiling and fix it the correct way. I threw the old boots and gloves down to the hallway floor and got started tearing the damage out. Although the intention was to save the boots and gloves, they ended up getting buried and forgotten about. It was no big deal at the time. So, I had a set of old black fingerless gloves on my hands and the boots that went with them in my lap. We all enjoyed a beer together and then I deserted them. Threw them to the wolves.... The two that got away

Cheers
Bert
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby Number9 » September 19th, 2011, 6:27 pm

singletear.jpg
singletear.jpg (15.44 KiB) Viewed 13512 times
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby vintagebrett » September 28th, 2011, 3:31 pm

Only a few days left - come on, share those stories!
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby okdoak » September 29th, 2011, 1:48 pm

I doubt if it will top the great stories that have already been posted, but I'm working on my epic glove story. Hope to post it tonight or definitely tomorrow. Not sure if that's a promise or a warning. :wink:
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby murphusa » September 29th, 2011, 4:29 pm

Can I buy a shirt
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby Number9 » September 29th, 2011, 5:02 pm

murphusa wrote:Can I buy a shirt


At the National. :wink:
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby vintagebrett » September 29th, 2011, 6:27 pm

I hope to make these shirts available at some point for sale. I had a very limited number printed up because I wanted to make sure they would look good and not be blurry. In order to sell them, I need to figure out the logistics of copyright, etc. - I specifically printed up companies that no longer exist. When I have some free time (which is looking like 20 years from now) I'll make sure I have the proper permissions to be able to sell them. I have one more for October that I think everyone will like. When I do have more made up, you guys will be the first to know.
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Re: Vintage Baseball Glove Forum Contest - September 2011

Postby sunnyjim » September 30th, 2011, 4:57 am

This is a "hobby find" I experienced, with some powerful, personal spiritual significance:
I am a Christian minister, currently serving as a chaplain with a VA Medical Center. Next to
my love for the Lord's work and people, and my wife and family, I am a "vintage baseball fan",
especially the Cardinals:

Several years back, during a "big lull" in the economy, my full-time chaplaincy position with
a nonprofit organization was a casualty of financial budgeting and attrition. I was passionate
(still am) about ministry with people and families; this was the first time in my career journey,
to be laid off, and to say it straight, financially, emotionally, and about every way imaginable,
I was "hurtin for certain", after a few weeks looking for work, in my mid-forties!

Between praying, interviews, resume fine-tuning, working temp where I could, and attending job club
meetings, I did "selling, a little shopping, and very little buying on eBay", with regards to old sports
memorabilia, at that point in time.

I did run across (of all things) a rather well used 1934 "Knot Hole Gang" pass from Sportsman's Park St. Louis,
on eBay; the seller auctioned it once, then a second time ("price or best offer"); I corresponded with him,
and placed a pretty lowball bid (we "enjoyed eating", then and now, if you follow me!). Much to my mild
surprise, he accepted my bid, and forwarded to me some days later.

By now it had been several weeks in "the out of work wilderness", and though my wife, church friends,
and family had been most encouraging and supportive, truth be told, just then, I felt more like Jimmy Stewart in "It's
a Wonderful Life", before Clarence, or Roy Hobbs, after "Wonder Boy" was put out of commission, during his last at bat
in the playoff game.

What I'll never forget, in receiving that "Knot Hole Gang" pass in the mail, and holding it in my hand, was how WORN and
CRINKLED it was--much like a favorite baseball card, when I was a boy! I wondered about the kid who probably carried it
in his pocket--did he ride his bike to Sportsman's--did he grow up, to serve in World War II? Certainly, 1934 wasn't "the
best of years" economically for urban America, by any stretch of the imagination.

But the real surprise came, when I flipped the creased-like-worn glove leather cardboard over, and read the last name of the
owner/youngster, printed in faded black fountain ink on the pass:
"Lazarus"
As you may know, "Lazarus" is the name of a man Jesus raised from the dead, in John 11. (I have preached, and taught
Sunday School classes, about his story, over the years; I love it, and it's well worth your time in re-reading, if it's "been awhile"). Being reminded of Lazarus' story, and encounter with Jesus, reminded me of the hope and help that God provides us, sometimes
in dramatic and large ways, and often in subtle nuances, and daily encounters.

Eventually, I would find employment, and life would become a little smoother; I keep the "Lazarus" Sportsman's Park
"Knot Hole" pass, as a reminder, that "tough times will pass, in time", and that faith often grows the most, in the midst
of the tough times. Thanks for reading.
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