Dick and Eddie, baseball rookies

Baseball was a BIG part of Coolley life. From some time in the late spring or early summer and all throughout summer, every evening it seemed we spent going to somebody's ball game. Dad had a little league team, and Ron and Dick were each on their own teams. This meant, of course, that we were making the march to every single (or seemingly every single) one of their games.

I remember Jeanne and me spending our evenings trying to find stuff to do. The Birdland ballfield was the best because they had a whole complex of recreational activities that we could at least watch. Spending the hours shagging tennis balls for people on the courts was one thing I particularly remember. Otherwise, it was a (sorry Ron!) monumentally boring way to spend summer nights! (Except for the Frosty Malts, that is).

Ruthy used to like to tell the story about the difference between Ron and Dick when it came to playing on the Little League teams. Ron took his role on the team very seriously and was a good player. Dick on the other hand never seemed to be quite as serious. On one particular occasion when he first started to play on a team, Dick was placed at first base or near there. Ruthy watched as a ball was hit towards him and he just watched it go by without trying to catch it or chase it down. When she yelled from the bleachers "Dick! Why didn't you get the ball???", he yelled back "Why? I didn't hit it."