Cole Buchanan played Indy Ball in 2003. I know him because he plays on my dad's team in ABA. He was (and is) a lefthanded pitcher.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Steve Demme
Steve Demme is the founder of Math-U-See. I like Math-U-See because it gives visual aids in addition to a thorough explanation of not only how to do a problem, but why, taking each problem step by step. Demme is also a devout Christian who founded Building Faith Families, a program for improving Christian life in the home.
On doing Math-U-See's Precalculus course, I began to admire Demme's writing and teaching style. I decided to do more research on my teacher, and found that he is a great guy. One of the links included his contact information, and I sent him an email expressing my appreciation for his good work. To my excitement, he wrote me back!
At any rate, although I have never actually met Steve Demme, I was able to communicate with him about his work, an exchange that I'd consider a Brush With Greatness.
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Mike Crudale
A few months ago my dad found some of his little league games on videotape. One season (I think it was 1987), a team parent recorded a couple games and some highlights for each player. One of the tapes had footage of future Major Leaguer Mike Crudale at age 10. My dad said that he remembered playing against Crudale in little league and with him in high school. A pitcher in the Majors, Crudale didn't pitch much in high school, he remembered, but was more of a first baseman.
Crudale made the Major Leagues in 2002, posting a 1.88 ERA for the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched a few games in 2003, turning in a 2.61 ERA for two NL clubs. Injuries ended his MLB career in 2004, but he pitched for independent teams until 2009.
My dad was a catcher through college and caught a couple other future Major Leaguers. Two of them were Scott Randall, who went 2-5 for the 2003 Cincinnati Reds, and Brandon Kolb, who pitched 21 games in 2000 and 2001.
Friday, January 27, 2023
Pope Benedict XVI
On October 11, 2009, I traveled to Rome to witness the canonization of my patron saint, St. Damien of Molokai. The Mass was celebrated by the late Benedict XVI, who resigned from the papacy in 2013 and passed away on December 31. A gentle, holy pope, Benedict will probably become a saint himself.
When you think about it, not many people can say that they've been to Mass with the pope, especially a canonization Mass. I consider myself very lucky that we were able to afford that trip, and very grateful for all that St. Damien and Pope Benedict have done for the Church. That was a day that I will never forget.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Imagination Movers
The Imagination Movers are the consummate children's band. They've been around for 20 years now, and have achieved moderate success.
We've met the Imagination Movers a few times after their concerts and have gotten to know a bit about their personal lives. In fact, Rich is friends with my mom on Facebook.
The best memory I've had involving the Movers is the second meet and greet we had with them. My brother asked Smitty about his three legged dog, which seemed to astound him. "How did you know I had a three legged dog?" he asked us. It must have been strange that a four year old knew so much about him.
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Trent Horn
Trent Horn runs a podcast called Counsel of Trent that he uses to help Catholics defend their faith. He also appears every week on Catholic Answers live, a Catholic radio program. Horn covers a variety of different issues, including apologetics and the culture of life. We have a few of his books and DVD's.
During the 2021-2022 school year, Trent Horn sent a couple of his kids to our school. Some of our teachers went into fangirl mode, and seem to have roped the poor man into giving a talk to the high school students. Nonetheless, he seems to like the school, and will probably stay there.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Alph Coleman
My dad plays for an adult baseball team based in Euless. Some players on the team also play for another club based in Arlington, and they asked my dad to join them. On the Arlington team was Alph Coleman, a former minor leaguer. Alph was one of the star players on the team, pitching to a win in his first game, batting cleanup, and stealing a couple bases.
An outfielder during his career, Coleman played five minor league seasons, three of them in the Atlanta Braves organization. He had a fine season in 2001, hitting .300 with 38 stolen bases for Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League. He finished up playing indy ball in Corpus Christi in 2004.
The minute we met Alph, we knew that we liked him. For one, he was a great player, completely dominating the opposing team. However, our best Alph Coleman memory came when he was in the dugout. Between innings he walked up to us with a picture of a Braves player on his phone. He asked us if we thought the guy on his screen was better than Freddie Freeman. My brothers and I kept trying to figure out who it was, but I figured it out when he put the phone right next to his face. Take away 20 years, and it's the same guy!
Saturday, January 7, 2023
Chester "Buck" Sloan and Henry Bohner
Every year we enjoy visiting the Commemorative Air Force in Dallas. In 2021, the visit was particularly memorable. In the hangar was a table where two veterans were answering questions and taking pictures. One of them was Buck Sloan, a WWII vet who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He had suffered shrapnel wounds in his legs when a hand grenade exploded right next to him. Although he must have been at least 94 at the time, he was very enthusiastic, energetic, and quick-witted. The other veteran at the table was Henry Bohner, who was a Korean War veteran. He was very kind, but he had trouble hearing. Unlike Sloan, he had two large hearing aids. During his service, he repaired damaged plane engines while they were still flying, and thus suffered damage to his ears.
I, being a history buff, had a few questions for the two of them. They gladly answered my questions and seemed to admire my enthusiasm and appreciation for their service. After our conversation, we shook hands and took a picture. When I got home I decided to look them up on the internet. I couldn't find much on Bohner, but Sloan, it seems, was relatively famous. Here's a link I found on him, showing his picture during his service:
Friday, January 6, 2023
Raymond Arnold "Sandy" Hitt
Image of a very good friend, Raymond Arnold “Sandy” Hitt, a WWII veteran, December 3, 1918 - February 1, 2021
We used to go to Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Grand Prairie. On the same property was a Gospel of Life Dwelling (GOLD), where lived Raymond Arnold "Sandy" Hitt, a former WWII veteran. My brothers and I met him in 2018, when he was celebrating his 100th birthday. We were impressed with his memory and his stories, as well as grateful for his service. Every time we went to IC, we always wanted to visit Sandy.
While with the U.S. Army, Sandy served in the Central European Campaign. A teletype operator, he received an honorable discharge in 1946, decorated with an EAME Campaign medal with two bronze stars, an American Theater Campaign medal, a good conduct medal, and a World War II victory medal. After his service, Sandy worked for many years at Texas Instruments. He met his wife while working there, got married in 1956, and stayed together until her death in 2002. They enjoyed painting and pottery together.
We celebrated Sandy's 101st birthday in 2019, but scarcely saw him after the outbreak of COVID-19. He continued to live in the GOLD until his death on February 1, 2021. We attended his funeral at Webb Chapel in Farmers Branch.
Introduction
Every once in a while you may meet someone who has made (or is making) some kind of history. You may tell stories about them for generations to come. I have met a few notable people in my time, and have decided to relate their stories (and mine) on this blog. So, away we go!
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