Don’t Shoot This Quail!
Unless you saw its majestic beauty with your own eyes, you never will be able to appreciate it because photographs and paintings don’t do it justice. The first time I saw it in person, it took my breath away because as a kid and an avid baseball fan, I knew that it was something a lot of other kids my age (We’re talking 16.) would never have the chance to view in person the way I did on a beautiful summer evening in Pittsburgh.
It was July 15, six days beyond my 16th birthday, and as a super present that I never expected to get, I had asked for the chance to see my first major league baseball game. On the evening of my birthday, I tore open an innocent-looking envelope, but when I opened it, I could not believe my eyes. I was staring at two tickets to the upcoming game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Braves.
And now I was walking alongside my dad up one of the myriad ramps in Forbes Field when the most amazing scent assaulted me. I had never smelled anything like it before, and the only times I’ve ever smelled it since were when I went to Forbes Field. It’s really an indescribable aroma, but the closest I can come is the smell of freshly popped popcorn and perfectly roasted peanuts thrown into a vat of cooking hot dogs waiting to be encased in an ultra-fresh, warm bun.
The closer we came to the top of the ramp, the stronger the redolence became, but as hungry as I was, I forgot all about that when the sight at the top greeted me. Here again mere words are insufficient to convey the late afternoon sun bathing the pristine beauty of the massive emerald sea comprising the Forbes Field outfield.
We managed to get one of those hot dogs and sit down just as the Pirates were taking the field, and as the outfielders jogged to their positions, (Bob Skinner in left, Bill Virdon in center, and Roberto Clemente in right) I couldn’t believe how effortlessly Virdon moved. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I might have thought he was ice skating instead of running.
I don’t recall how many times I returned to Forbes Field during the time Virdon patrolled centerfield in the mid-1950s to the early to mid-1960s. I watched Virdon make a veritable plethora of difficult catches look ridiculously easy because of his deceptive speed and grace. He was a true joy to watch, and I never tired of watching No. 18 glide around centerfield.
Several weeks ago my brother, who accompanied me to a number of Pirate games and who shared my admiration for Virdon’s graceful prowess as an outfielder, sent me a New York Times clipping announcing that Virdon had died on Nov. 23 at age of 90. Of course learning of his death awakened a ton of memories about watching him play, and when he retired from playing, he tried his hand at managing. In fact, he managed four different teams: the Pirates (1972-1973); New York Yankees (1974-1975); Houston Astros (1975-1982); and Montreal Expos (1983-1984).
Of course, all Pirate fans probably have their favorite Virdon story including the apparently routine grounder in the World Series that bounced up and hit Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek in the throat and ignited a five-run inning for the Pirates, who went on to win the series thanks to Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off homer.
Throughout part of his career, Virdon bore the nickname “the quail” hung on him by the late legendary Pirate broadcaster Bob Prince. One story is that Prince gave Virdon that nickname because of his grace in the outfield, but another version is that Prince called him that because Virdon was known for beating out soft infield hits. No matter what origin you choose to believe, the name stuck.
And so I read the New York Times article my brother sent me with a mixture of sadness at Virdon’s passing and the fond recollection of memories watching the quail (I would have called him a gazelle or an antelope.) make incredibly difficult catches look so easy in the vast Forbes Field outfield. What I wouldn’t do to relive those magical days!
This Is Disgusting
As we move into the prime time for Christmas shopping, a lot of children may ask Santa to bring them a puppy but be forewarned about buying a puppy online or from Petland. If you do a Google search for Petland, you will find that many of their dogs were born in “puppy mills.” If you are not familiar with the term, a puppy mill is a place that exists solely for breeding dogs with no attention paid to the dogs.
Here’s the way a puppy mill is described by an online on a site asking for people to pledge that they will not buy puppies online or from stores like Petland that get their dogs from puppy mills: “A barren cage, no veterinary care, and dirty water is the daily reality for dogs living in puppy mills. Puppy mills are large-scale commercial dog-breeding facilities where profits are put ahead of the wellbeing of the dogs. Puppy mill operators maximize their profits by producing large numbers of puppies as quickly as possible. As a result, unsanitary conditions, disease, and neglect are rampant.”
The Humane Society conducted an eight-month investigation of Petland stores, and here is part of the conclusion: “Petland stores investigated by the HSUS have been misleading customers about where their puppies come from. Petland claims it knows its breeders and deals only with those who have “the highest standards of pet care,” and that they NEVER deal with puppy mills. Our investigation revealed that the stores investigated DO buy puppy mill puppies. That is why we are asking Petland to get out of the puppy mill support business and to stop selling puppies.”
I’m an avid dog lover, and I hope people will research puppy mills before they buy dogs online or from Petland. The only way we can put these places out of business is to stop buying dogs from them. I’d like to see these dealers all locked up in cages with dirty water and unsanitary conditions. Buy puppies only from a reputable breeder and go online to see how you can help put the puppy mills out of business. Just Google Petland, and you will find plenty of material. Shut those bastards down!
Ponder This:
I was a bookkeeper for 10 years. The local library wasn’t too happy about it.
~ Anonymous
