My Dad played center field for the Cincinnati Redlegs' Pacific Coast League team. My birth certificate lists “Professional Baseball Player” as his profession. One San Francisco newspaper columnist proclaimed that he would be “The Next Joe DiMaggio” on the day he was signed by Babe Pinelli. Babe Pinelli is also the behind the plate umpire who called New York Yankee Don Larsen’s perfect game during the1956 World Series.
My Uncle was an incredible baseball player, too. He played for Sacred Heart and San Francisco City College. He is also a pretty good golfer and an expert horse racing handicapper! However, he didn’t do so good yesterday at the races!!
My Godfather played AAA ball for the San Francisco Giants, and one of my cousin’s played baseball at Stanford University.
When I was a little girl, we would spend our Sunday afternoons at Big Wreck and watch baseball. After the game or games, we would go to Nono and Noni’s for dinner. If Noni was not cooking dinner, Big Noni was cooking just across the street. When Big Noni cooked, everyone came for dinner! I treasure those memories of my childhood. Now more than ever.
My Uncle would come over almost every day when I was recently caring for my Grandmother. During baseball season, we would watch as many baseball games as possible. In the morning and afternoon, before dinner and after dinner. Noni is a HUGE baseball fan and she would have been so excited when the Giants won the World Series.
I told her about the Giants, the World Series and the parade during a recent visit, and I want to believe she understood what I was talking about especially when she heard about the parade!
Lori Ann DeMartini
March 26, 2011
March 26, 2011
