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Old 12-12-2009, 12:50 AM
Potomac Yank Potomac Yank is offline
Joe P.
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 624
Default My compliments to all the aficionados .....

The images are beautiful.
You caballeros are serious collectors, and I applaud you.
Kenny, I'm very impress with your collection ... Bravo!

I wish my father was around to see this display, because when I started collecting cards in the early 1980's, I didn't know these cards existed.
These are players that he would talk to me about.
In 1944, he took this 13 yo to the Polo Grounds to watch the NY Giants take on the Pirates, it was my first game.
Nap Reyes played in that game, but my father made it a point to point out the Giants pitching coach, and that's when he told me the story.
The pitching coach was an old friend of his from Cuba, and around 1932 or '33, when he pitched for the Giants he would often come by to where my father worked, it was a bakery that specialized in French Bakery, cakes, and Latino take out food ... plus a hang out for Cuban players like Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Adolfo Luque the pitcher, and Champ Kid Chocolate, the boxer.

Anyway, when I was about 1 1/2 or two, my mother brought me by, and it happen to be a day that Luque was holding court with all his Cuban companeros around him.
My introduction to Luque was an enjoyable one ... depending on who's telling the story ... my father, or mother.
As I understand it, Luque put a hand under each armpit, raised me to his eye level, at that point, my father, and all the companeros were chuckling, then, being that Adolfo was a ball player, he tossed me just a little bit in the air and caught me ... my father and all the companeros were now roaring with laughter ..... NOT my Mother .......... I must have had a surprised look on my face.
The kicker is ... I don't remember any part of it.

I wish my father was around to see these ... any more?
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