Show — ' ' — ' ' ' “ ' 1 in the stands He would see the same brother-sistwith before die start of them of games pepper played games and would occasionally buy them each an ice- cream cone Years later after his stint with the Cards Van Noy was playing with Phoenix (San Francisco Giants When the Giants triple-team) as a called up a young first baseman by the name of Willie McCovey Van Noy was switched to first Van Noy’s first game at first was against the club Howard was a member of Dodgers’ triple-that team and during the game he drew a walk “Howard walked to futt base and said ‘Mr Van Noy’ — police the respect — Do you know who I - er v- n las ‘ th b third-basem- an A xt ' ds A e ss” am” Van Noy recounted id “No I don’t you big bonus baby" Van Noy replied “I’m that boy you used to day pepper with and buy ice cream cones for” Van Noy said t I have a picture of my father on my nightstand It is yellowing and quickly fading Oldfilm I under- stand deteriorates quickly It shows a young man in a baseball uniform his eyes squeezed slightly staring keenly at the camera like he is waiting on the curve-- g ball The red trim and the red on his cap is slowly fading to white and I cannot tell if the number on his ' jersey is 11 or 17 Those eyes still watch over me as I drift off to sleep recounting savoring my favorite baseball memories In baseball both are important — dreams and memories Last year just my father and I made a pilgrimage to Dodger Stadium the epicenter cfboth our boy- hood dreams We watched the team the heirs of Koufax and Drysdale and we found ourselves unreserved kids cheering without care for stolen bases doubles and homeruns Strategies were discussed as the California sun beat down oh us We still jumped up every time a foul ball came near us We stayed until the sprinklers on the field had come on Wedid- n Y care about the score as long as we were there nd r i- - rt--' t I if- ig U ' m ng hid sty Sf-e-- i Vem Law who spent his Cy Young Award-winnentire career with die Pittsburgh Pirates has hu favorite memories of baseball as well “But as for a particular (favorite) game one that I wasn’t even supposed to pitch” Law said about a nm ha pitrW in IQS 8 “f ibm in Im hollered out ning My manager(Danny Murtaugh) and asked if I could pitch I said ‘Yeah’ “This was against the then Milwaukee Braves in Pittsburgh So the game gets started and afterfive innings the score was tied 2-- 2 but I shut them out the After nine innings he (Murtaugh) rest of the way asked me how I felt and I said ‘Fipe skip’ So he said OK you can stay in’ “So we go through 12 innings andnoonescored yet and he says ‘I better take you out’ and I said ‘Skip I’m fine I’m getting than out one two three noproblein’ Ifc said ‘Well OK so you can stay er ys ' pm ate' un n - it d id I 1 in’ “So we go through 15 innings and he said ‘I have to take you out’ I said ‘For Heck’s sake after pitch- He let ing this long let me win or lose this thing’ me stay through 18 innings and no one scores yet And so he says That’s it’ Andl say ‘Skip’ and he says' '‘I don’t want to hear it go in and take x show- - t' 3 er‘ in at i' er is ' ’ “So I go in Bob Friend relieved me He pitches die 19th inning but he gives'up a run But in our half of the 19th we scored two tuns and you know who : got the win? Bob Friend “ During those 18 innings I’d given up nine hits struck out 12 walked two and given up one earned run and did this all for a effort I had done that on two days restThen four days later against I ' Cincinnati I had to go 13 before I got thewin Former Los Angetes Dodgers pitcher Nick WHIhita watches went to two Work! Series with the Dddgers a pitcher throw off an inside pitching njound Willhite arid things like that” tell people I played during the golden age of baseball when it was a game and not just iqoney and that’s Partying and the nightlife had taken ahold of how it was for me and I enjoyed every minute of it” Willhiteand his modest roots sunk far away in Denver were lost for a time For Willhite his debut on June 16 1963 will “You think it’s going to last forever and then favorite his be memory always when things change you have to reflect and think “I’d never even been to a big league park I ' back on what you would have done different” walked into Dodger Stadium and it was a packed I would have taken betWillhite said “In my care I threw a shutout and beat the Cubs 2-house I was pitching the second game ter care of myself and not got so messed up in the Willhite said“ of a double header We were tied for first place in the nightlife so tospeak and the fast lane And Ithink it would have made a lot of difference” national league but that wasn’t even in my mind “I came thrbugh the parking lot and saw all those cars I couldn’t belieVC it I went to upper deck where People see what analogies they want to see in this die general offices are and they took me down to die game Baseball is not special because it mirrors life There are thousands of metaphors in baseball and dugouL I didn’t even know where die clubhouse was I put my uniform on I walked out there and I was too many parallels to count It is easy to find one that afraid to even look up because there was so many fits almost any situation This game stands put because it allows people of people there I went into the club house and threw upullages from all backgmunds to take their dreams as he For Willhite die glory was short-live- d bring their memories and their mitts and beckons Y bounced bade and forth between the minors and the ' them to keeping coming to the ballpark' "Come backcome back" whispers the warm major leagues It was a toss up which was more diffi- cult breaking into the Dodgers pitching staff or bat- "I spring breeze And we return happily to the same fields our tlingthe demons off the field “I would have liked to remember whert jny roots fathers and grandfathers came to bring with us even need- dreams not so unlike theirs expecting were I kind of forgot that du&’s the honest truth” j Willhite said “You get up in the Uipelight and get ' ing— to see a man j boyhood dream ofbecaning a hem come true over and over again around the stars and you kind of forget your values ' |