Greene County Daily World: Blog: Jungle Jim and a Bunch of Savages

Jungle Jim and a Bunch of Savages

Posted Saturday, May 30, 2009, at 8:53 PM
<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>

The Ballplayer.

The last thing I would have considered possible this morning was being surrounded by a bunch of Savages. I just thought that I'd go to The Phil and have a nice day of golf. However, before I could tee off they were all around me. They weren't aborigines or wild men or a bunch of Indians, they were Savages. I felt a lump in my throat and wondered if I would survive the day. I always had this premonition that I would not live to see my 56th birthday and here I was just two days away and these Savages had descended upon me. I wasn't about to give up...I decided to go down swinging. And that is exactly what I did; I swung and swung and swung for several hours.

It was a beautiful day for golf and I was extremely fortunate to have been placed on a team with the Savage brothers; Leo, Lonnie and Byron. Being surrounded by these guys today was a truly enjoyable experience. These gentlemen hail from Beardstown, Illinois (probably founded by Jerry Beard around the turn of the century) and all three are retired linemen. Leo still lives in the area but Byron and Lonnie now reside in Colorado. When I chose the term gentlemen for these three, it was definitely the proper choice of words and it was great to have them be a part of our Friends of Phil Harris Golf Tournament. Even though we didn't win anything, we all went down swinging.

Our celebrity today was a true favorite of mine. As many of you know, I am a baseball fanatic and today I played with and got to talk baseball with a former Major League player. Jim Rivera broke into the Major Leagues with the St. Louis Browns in 1952 but spent the majority of his 10 year career with the Chicago White Sox. He led the Major Leagues in triples with 16 in 1953 and led the American League in Stolen Bases in 1955. He was also second in Stolen Bases in the AL for 6 years. Jim was a member of the Go-Go Sox who played against the Dodgers in the 1959 World Series (the first World Series to be played on the West Coast). We talked a lot about that Series and I learned a lot about Sandy Koufax, Early Wynn, Bob Shaw and another old favorite of mine, Ted Kluszewski. Ted hit two home runs in the first game of that Series and the Sox won 11-0. After that first game, it looked like they were a much better ball team than the Dodgers, but they lost in 6 games as the Dodgers pitching staff (Koufax, Drysdale, Craig, Podres and Sherry) took control. Bob Shaw shut-out the Dodgers in game 5 for the White Sox only other win. In the seventh inning with two runners on and two out, Charlie Neal of the Dodgers blasted one to the fence in right field but Jim Rivera made a terrific running catch to preserve the shutout.

I asked Jim today about his nickname, Jungle Jim, and he told me the story of how a sports reporter gave it to him. Jim stood up, leaned over at the waist (just like he was taking a lead off of first base) and gently swung his arms from side to side. When this reporter saw him, he wrote that Jim looked like he came from the jungle.

We talked about the '59 World Series, about his teammates and about baseball now versus in his day. This man would be making millions of dollars if he was playing today, and yet, he signed his first contract for $11,000. The most money that he made in a year was $34,000. The minimum salary allowed in the Major Leagues in 2009 is $400,000. Our fine shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, Khalil Greene, played last year in San Diego for 4.5 Million dollars. He is a career .246 hitter and currently hitting .200. I'm not sure what the Cards are paying him, but I'd guess too much.

I asked Jim who was the toughest pitcher he ever faced and he initially said there were a bunch, but he nailed it down to one guy, Whitey Ford. He said Whitey had one heck of a spitter, but they never caught him. Jim said that by the time the ump would get the ball, it was dry. He also talked about the Vaseline that Gaylord Perry used on his pitches, about playing with Minnie Minoso, Luis Aparicio, Jim Landis, Nellie Fox, Sherm Lollar and a host of others. I could just sit and listen to this guy all day.

My thanks to those Savages and Jungle Jim for a wild and wonderful day at The Phil.

Comments
Showing comments in chronological order
[Show most recent comments first]

Gaylord always looked dirty. I think they caught him once, but whether it was a grease deal or a cut I can't remember.

Had 15 hours at Huntington Field this week. All of the weekend games are sold out. I keep trying to get in there, but I end up working them instead.

-- Posted by M Boyd on Sat, May 30, 2009, at 11:15 PM

UPDATE: Day 2 at The Phil

I'm pretty excited this morning because I'm scheduled to play golf this morning with 2 celebrities. The first of whom is Hal Naragon, former catcher for the Indians, Senators and Twins. Hal was in 3 World Series, 1 as a player and 2 as a bullpen coach. He worked with Johnny Sain, saw "The Catch" in the '54 Series, was a coach on the '65 Twins and a coach on a winning team (finally) with the '68 Tigers.

The second celeb is none other than Greene Co Commish, Steve Lindsey. What a thrill to be playing along side of one of my boyhood idols. I'm normally not an autograph hound, but in Mr. Lindsey's case, I may give it a try.

-- Posted by simmons on Sun, May 31, 2009, at 6:08 AM

Terry Joe, if you and your magnificent slice are out there somewhere, I know you are green with envy. Drop me a line sometime, mr.sims@comcast.net

-- Posted by simmons on Sun, May 31, 2009, at 6:44 AM

Happy Birthday, Simmons! I hope you have a good one. My 56th comes up in August, a birthday (but not birth year) I share with our 42nd President.

-- Posted by Lil' Hahn on Mon, Jun 1, 2009, at 12:34 PM

Happy Birthday Simmons & Lil'Hahn!! In July, I will also have my 56th birthday!

-- Posted by 6Blessings on Mon, Jun 1, 2009, at 5:38 PM

Happy birthday Simmons.

-- Posted by EggMan on Mon, Jun 1, 2009, at 5:46 PM

Was today, the 1st, your birthday? It was mine. Happy Birthday.

Ol'Dad

-- Posted by Ol'Dad on Mon, Jun 1, 2009, at 11:03 PM

Yeah, somehow I made it to 56. Thanks, I celebrated by going to the doctor. Seems that I have an ulcer. Probably from missing too many 3 foot putts. Also had x-rays taken of my left elbow, but I don't know the results yet. I felt a sharp pain when I hit a seven iron late Sunday. I'm falling apart.

-- Posted by simmons on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 3:53 AM

i had forgotten we shared the same birthday. well, ol'#1/2, can't stop the aging process. sometimes i can't raise my left arm high enough to put my coat on. tried to immulate Clemente too many times in high school.

Ol'Dad

-- Posted by Ol'Dad on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 7:26 AM

Happy B-day Buddy..

-- Posted by Mr. Robato on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 8:24 AM

Nice blog. I have been catching up on some blogs I missed during travel and came upon a comment by Wigs. It appears Wigs has discovered candor. I appreciate candor. Terry talks, more than many and you know what, I have never in all the things he has said heard him say one negative word about Wigs, actually just the opposite. I have heard similar things from the author, and I wanted to respond in kind, it is just not in my nature. However, I can think of many instances where I could try to hurt someone by bringing up one of their idiosyncrasies. Although I remember when they closed Furnace school and sent all of the students to Bloomfield School, and the thing I remember most was that all the kids from Hashtown were in the same rooms with each other, and you must with that Olympic memory recall this happening. Long ago I stopped asking myself why this was done. Everyone knew but me it seemed. And I must admit the kids from Bloomfield, even the South-end kids were much superior to those of us from the Township School. And of course how could one not notice how far all of the inner-town grads have thrived, in Bloomfield. Crane is a long road from little Ol Bloomfield, must have been a wonderful trip, all that scenery and, oh the riches received by those in the school rooms that were not held down by the children from Hashtown. The children from Bloomfield were just so intelligent, and modern, neat we might have said, it was too daunting to give it a good attempt. And now it comes to pass that the biggest mouth in town is on the face of someone who was brought there by one of the best guys I ever met there, Ol man Clark. Terry generally only shows his to friends and people who know him, I don't recall him pulling his down and showing his in the paper, nothing personally negative, unlike me, I could not reach the bar in that department.Terry is just a much better guy than me. I could bring up the term Bar here I but will refrain. And after reading the little ol lady gossip comment, of the column I am writing about, I can only say, there are not enough steroids on the planet for you to match up with the Old Man. I am sorry. The words do not come to me to express how sorry I feel for you. "That Midnight Train is Whining Low." My last quote: "Some people hurt easy/they just don't show it/ you can hurt someone and not even know it/and the next sixty seconds can feel like an eternity." I played golf a couple of times or more and concluded that if I ever wanted to meet the most arrogant, drunken, expletive,in the area I would go to a golf course. I still believe the same is true today. I will be banned again from commenting but I have no more to say, however I think I read that comments were not to be personal, it only takes a minute to read the rules, I just can not follow them, and apparently I am not the only one who does not follow the rules. But I was in one of the segregated rooms, I was not expected to be able to read them. It was extremely shocking to see who had written the comment. Loved the blobs, I don't even like my own comments.

-- Posted by oracle granite on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 9:37 AM

Mr. Granite, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever seen. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

-- Posted by EggMan on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 11:33 AM

Happy Birthday, 6Blessings! Lot of 56's going on around here.

-- Posted by Lil' Hahn on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 12:22 PM

Is there a hidden message in Mr.Granite's response? Im lost.

-- Posted by Mr. Robato on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 3:19 PM

Oracle,

I have always liked Terry. I still like Terry. I love hearing Terry talk. Would love to be in Florida golfing with him right now. Would love being anywhere listening to him tell stories. I have always thought Terry's ability to relate personal experiences a blessing. When Terry lost his voice it was because I, for one, was listening. I was told by one of my creative writing instructors long ago to write so you cannot be misunderstood. I just barely passed that class. Now I know why.

-- Posted by Wiglund on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 3:56 PM

Billy Madison rocked! nice EggMan. hehe

-- Posted by ckolemari on Tue, Jun 2, 2009, at 4:14 PM

I don't know. I kinda feel like an idiot sometimes. Although, I am an idiot, so it kinda works out.

-- Posted by simmons on Wed, Jun 3, 2009, at 4:27 AM

Mr. Simmons, I've known idiots. Some idiots have been friends of mine. Mr. Simmons, you are no idiot.

-- Posted by Lil' Hahn on Thu, Jun 4, 2009, at 7:59 AM