Jack’s Winning Words 4/6/15
“I have a darned good job, but don’t ask me what I do.”  (Stan Musial)  Musial also said, “Back in my day, we didn’t think of money as much.  We enjoyed playing the game.”  I miss that kind of attitude in baseball.  I guess that times change.  Is it only the old fogie who misses some of the past?  A new baseball season reminds us that life goes on with new hopes.  Did you know that the silhouette on Major League Baseball’s logo is that of Stan the Man?    ;-)  Jack

FROM BS IN ENGLAND:  Easter greetings to you and Mary from across the pond!  Have enjoyed a busy week leading up to a joyful Easter Day.  On Palm Sunday it rained so we abandoned the walk from the village green, but processed around the church, inside, waving our palm crosses and singing.  All glory laud and honour------no donkey this year!  From Monday an evening short service of compline was said throughout the week.  Maundy Thursday the service of Chrism in Norwich Cathedral at 11am.  I love this service.  The Cathedral is filled with  robed clergy, canons, archdeacons and bishops who renew their ordination vows and collect oils that have been blessed.  These oils are taken back to their parishes for the anointing of the sick and for the signing of the cross during baptism.  A light lunch is served after the service.  That evening in our church we had a Passover meal with all the readings and rituals of the Seder. Followed by the stripping of the altar and the watch.  Good Friday an hour at the cross in our church at 11am, then several of us carried the cross and walked to the other church in our benifice.  A walk of 3 miles or so ending with an hour at the cross, finishing at 3pm with the words,  Truly this man was the son of God.  Saturday, an evening service at dusk when a fire is lit, outside the church.  Baptism vows are then renewed.  Easter Sunday the joyous rejoicing of our risen Lord.  The church filled with flower arrangements and people!  Alleluia!  Today,  a restful one.====JACK:  Thanks for giving us perspective.  Some things really are more important than the start of the baseball season.====BS:  Games are important.  They give both players and spectators lots of pleasure.  The money side of it has  got out of hand, I think.
We have 2 little leaguers playing this season,  the Sinha cousins Max and Enzo----watch out for their names!

FROM TARMART REV:  Learn something new already this week . . . when in high school and about to graduate, I thought that making $10,000 a year would be a reasonable goal to pursue . . . looked very reasonable then.====JACK:  I remember that, during the Great Depression, the father of a friend of mine had a job (that was darned good in those days).  He was a typesetter at the local newspaper.  I wonder what job a typesetter, with those skills, would have today?  I truly feel sorry for those who are jobless, without the skills that today's world wants.====REV:  Me too...definitely a world changing and challenging culture.

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  Are you a Cards or Cubs fan? Cards won yesterday 3-0. ====JACK:   This year, especially, I'll be a Cubs' fan.  A friend of mine, a life-long Cubbie supporter, died last year.  I'm hoping that he'll be able to see "his team" finally win the World Series from his box seat in heaven.

FROM HY YO SILVER:  Correct. That is Musial!  Happy opening day!   It's the third holiday about rebirth and renewal!====JACK:  I'll be looking for a shot of you among the opening day crowd.  The TV camera always seems to focus in on you.  I don't know if it's the seat location, or your good
looks.

FROM PASTY PAT:  Opening day --- yes! I'm in New Mexico so will have to catch the score later. ====JACK:  Whose name is on the back of the Tigers' uniform that you'll be wearing?

FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  I did not know about the silhouette; thanks for the trivia.  My kids already miss the past vis a vis sports so no, not only us old fogies.  Happy Easter.====JACK:  I wonder at what age it is that we begin to look back and see the past as the past?

FROM CPA BOB:  I did not know that about Stan.  Will you be at Opening Day today?  With my occupation, being at Opening Day is just fantasy.  My kids did & now my grandchildren ask “what do you do?”  I try to explain “accounting, financial statements & tax returns”.  Maybe my response should be the same as Musial’s.  Go Tigers!====JACK:  Some people think that pastors have a pretty easy job, working just one day a week.  I had a darned good job.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Would you consider me an old foggie?  The Tiger's games were always....either the TV or radio...mostly radio because we were always in the yard playing baseball with neighborhood kids or cousins.  We had a double lot in Harper Woods on one of those long lots. 
Our side lot was big enough for a full-sized baseball field.  Many many people played baseball on that field and it is still called Chappel field.  I did not know it was Stan's silhouette!====JACK:  We sometimes played baseball with a ball, wrapped in black electrician's tape, because the cover had come off, and we didn't have enough money to buy a new ball.

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  Yes. It was taken from a photograph of when he struck out. ====JACK:  From what I've just read...We're both wrong.  The logo's designer said that it was not based on any player.

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  After Stan passed, Willie Mays said that in all the years he knew Stan that he never heard anyone say anything bad about him.  I wonder how many of us could make that claim? ====JACK:  He's a Hall of Famer in more ways than one.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  So interesting to read BS England's account of Holy Week. Wow! sounds intense and GRAND! That is a real celebration of the Passion of Christ.  But wherever you are Easter is a Joyful Day! It certainly was here.  As to celebrating Opening Day of Baseball; The Cubs didn't make it much of a celebration, losing 3-0 to Cardinals....guess we're already thinking "Next year?"  (No not really, hope springs eternal....) Yes professional sports are really into Big money now. Boggles the mind. Bill's salary with the Bears in 1950 was $5600 for the season!. I doubt the "stars" were paid a whole lot more under Halas!====JACK:  One of the Bears' coaches advised Bill right... "Go into the ministry.  That's where the big rewards are."  (or something like that)====OAKS:  Yes, his lineman coach; "Bill, you're a great young man; Go home and marry that pretty fiancee, and have  a happy life. This is a rough life; It won't make you happy. In Ministry you'll reap a different type of rewards! You've made the roster, you proved you were good enough to do it, now think about making a life."  This was after his knee was badly injured, in the first game of the season (He played during the pre-season) & he was out for the season, and he was considering whether to come back and try  out again next Fall, or not. You're a Tiger fan, too, of course?! Is Mary?====JACK:  The whole family.  In fact, our granddaughter did an internship as the first female athletic trainer for the Tigers.  And after that, an internship with the Cubs in Mesa, where she met Soler.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  No I did not know that.  I am waiting for the first Rays game which will begin very shortly now.  They have had lots of changes this year.  They play the Orioles. You are probably rooting for the Tigers?====JACK:  I will have to apologize tomorrow, because the logo information is false.  BTW, Thanks for letting us have David Price.  Because of him, the Tigers are now 1-0.