“Geography is destiny.” Abraham Verghese. The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers determined our state’s course and marked much of its border. The Rivers determined not only our destiny, but our nation’s as well. The Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology notes that the Sioux word Missouri means town of the large canoes, which accurately describes […]
Category: People
………. “Just because you are a Character doesn’t mean you have Character.” The Wolf (Harvey Keitel), in Pulp Fiction. Pete Rose certainly performed as a memorable character on the fields of Major League Baseball. He rose to the highest level of stardom; his descent after his playing career proved just as dramatic. […]
Fate carries some aloft like seeds to the wind dropping them amidst a sea of trees and saplings to compete for the sunlight. Those same winds carried Whitey Herzog both near and far until he finally settled near his place of origin. Dorrel Norman Elvert “Whitey” Herzog was born on November 9, 1931, in New […]
The MLB network recently aired a biography of George Brett—a dynamic player of the first order whose exploits dim with the passing of time. On a baseball channel that oft repeats programs, there appears to be no re-run scheduled anytime soon of the star who performed in the Midwest hinterlands. Factoring in his ability to […]
Categories
Missing Our Friend
Thomas Edward Hopfinger was first diagnosed with cancer back in January 2019. The disease took root in his kidneys, an especially virulent and aggressive cancer that takes a vast majority of its victims within a year. But Herr Hopfinger defied the odds due to his solid Germanic stock and will. He persevered for nearly five […]
Some critics once called Mike Shannon “the world’s luckiest man since Ringo Starr” when he was hired to work in the broadcast booth as color commentator with the legendary Jack Buck. Detractors called him “mush mouth” as his early radio voice lacked the refined articulations heard from seasoned broadcasters. But the green rookie learned […]
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The Earring
Hidden beneath the forest canopy of the Uncompahgre Wilderness, a single man pushes distance from the mechanized world that dogged him. A light wind stirs the aspen trees, their leaves sounding like feathered wings of wisp set off in flight. He stops at a snowmelt rivulet cascading down a mountain crease, and waits for his […]
“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Now 75 years old, Bobby Orr secured legendary status for his dominance in the National Hockey League. However, his achievements remain a fact. Orr’s aura shone like a supernova that burned brighter than any star. His ‘Achilles’ knees ended his hockey career much too soon. Young Bobby. […]
We remember those special players who wore the “Birds on the Bat” and played significant roles in making the St. Louis Cardinals—winners of 19 pennants and 11 world championships—the National League’s premier franchise. Those players who led their teams to championships remain indelibly etched in our local culture as a baseball town. James Timothy McCarver […]
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The Joy of Being Grandparents
Parents’ responsibilities for their children persist like the ocean’s surf that repeatedly laps upon their shore. Grandparents sit on higher ground. We find relief from the physical demands of our grandchildren—and they do wear us out—when we return them to their parents. Our time with them has limits, which generally arrives when enjoyment turns to […]