I got to know Bob Wood, Smoky Joe's son, in the early to mid-90s at the Ft. Washington shows at which he always set up as a dealer. It's possible that we actually first met at one of the last Willow Grove shows before they moved, but I can't remember if Bob was set up there also. Given the famous pitching duel his father and my grandfather played against each other in 1912, we had a natural bond from the start. Bob was also a very nice man and quite interesting to talk to. He wasn't really doing the shows to make money, but more to promote his dad's legacy and especially to try to get him into the HOF. He had a packet he gave to people like me he thought might be able to help in that endeavor that included a nice colorized photo signed by his father. I was always conflicted when he would broach the subject, being friends with Bob as I was but not thinking that, as great as he was for a time, Joe Wood should be in the Hall. I visited Bob at his farm in Maryland and also while I was staying at a friend's house in Burlington, Vt., and he came over from his place in Keene, N.H. In 2006, I got a call from the Boston Red Sox inviting me to come up to help commemorate the first time a Washington team had appeared at Fenway since 1971 along with the famous 1912 game of my grandfather's there. I asked if they knew Bob Wood, they said sure, and I suggested they invite him and we could do it together. This is a picture of us throwing out the first pitch that night, one of the great baseball thrills of my life. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Bob passed away several years ago. If not, he would be well over 100 years old. Regarding Joe Wood, his interview in the "Glory of Their Times" is a must read, and the audio version one of the very best on that set.
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09-06-2023, 04:25 PM
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