Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

Mrs. B (Jeanne Brown) gave me the information about Dan Blocker. Maybe I shouldn't have taken her word for granted and done more research.  Thanks for clearing me up on the facts Suzi! Also Suzi, isn't Curt Raydon and you related to a former Bloomington police officer?

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

Same guy.  He injured his thumb on his pitching hand.  He had surgery but never made it back to major leagues again.

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

Milan,

OMG I about died laughing, but I'm also glad they didn't shoot you! Is Garen still your friend?

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Suzi,

You are so right-on about Milan's story. And I had the same question. So, Milan, what happened after that?

I also loved your stories, especially the one about the firefighters strike.

These are great stories. I hope everyone will keep them coming.

Thanks Max, for being brave enough to get this rolling. I've been to the House on the Rock. Scared the s__t out of me to walk out on that wedge overhang. At least now I know exactly where you are, I mean geographically. Keep on keeping on. You are solid as gold.

And Helen, just to add to the editorial comments, I think it was Hoss rather than Haus. But please remember what my nephew always says, "Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story."

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

I too, have visited the House on the Rocks with my husband.  What a fascinating place!  I was also impressed with the HUGE sound tape displayed in the glass top coffee table! If you haven't been there, it's definitely worth visiting. 

Marilyn Evans (Tate)

I have been to the House on the Rock several times. It is one of those places I never get tired of and will return again. I always see something I missed on prior visits. There is so much stuff. Something of interest for almost everybody.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Jack & Steve  --  You guys did a pretty nice job on the Elliott Bros.  There was quite a scandal when Pete left Illinois, but I can't really say who was right or wrong.

Milan  -  I have no idea if Barry Spitznass has ever had 15 minutes of fame, but I can tell you that one time he was very famous.  One evening when Jetton, the Becker Bros., Myself, and a few others were playing ball in the street by Jetton's house, Barry came around the corner in his faded green Studebaker.  He put his arm out the window to wave, and guess what.  The door wasn't latched and he fell right out on the street.  He was famous with us for quite some time.  Ha! Ha!

Since I really love the Sports World, I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with a great number of famous athletes, including the likes of Evil Knievel.  I say him, because he was quite and interesting subject.  I met him while playing golf.  Anyway, I guess to list a moment that was truly 15 minutes of fame would be:  I delivered my daughter in the back of a Ford Station Wagon, while my uncle drove, on a Sunday morning in 1969.  Now I wasn't famous world wide, or even city wide.  But, I was the most famous guy at Brokaw for nearly 2 hours.  She was actually born at the corner of Clinton &  Emerson, right at the dip.  I always said if she had been a boy, I would have named him, Clinton Emerson, and called him Clint.  I guess my Wife was also famous, but after all, I did all the work.  Her and the new arrival were very nice though, because after all was said and done, my uncle and I still made out Tee Time at Highland Park.  With our story, we were pretty famous there too for awhile.

Suzi, I knew Curt.  Didn't know you were cousins.  He was a pretty good pitcher till he got hurt.  He was with the Pirates, right.  I think I actually have his card.  That was really too bad.

Jack Habich

Barry Spitznass's claim to fame was when he suckered me out of my 1909Svdb penny for $7....in front of Fried's coin shop on Front Street, where a lot of street transactions took place.  (Actually, that was a good buck back in about 1960, and I walked away smiling..would have smiled more if I kept it though.) 

Marilyn Evans (Tate)

Don't feel bad Jack. Didn't Barry take the City of Bloomington for a few pennies, too?

Milan Jackson

Barry was a gambler. :)

Jack Habich

Know only some, but not most, details of Barry's later business acumen, but I swear I tagged him as a sharpie at age 13.  Lot of sharpies gathered around Fried's, including my older buddy Eddie Chovanec, who introduced me to the coin game in the first place.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Oooooh Marilyn.  I didn't want to get into that pennies for Bloomington thing.  Just chalk it up to falling out of that car.

Marilyn Evans (Tate)

yeah, must have rattled his brain. I could name a few others but I won't go there.

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Ed Buis !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Jim Pierce !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jack Habich

My greatest brush with fame had to be in 1957. Without being exposed to baseball as a youngster, except for what Norton taught me on the playground, I was nevertheless able to negotiate a diving catch that preserved Chuck Yurieci’s 3-2 victory over Pepsi Cola. Chuck made headlines and went on to HS baseball excellence. No wonder he was in the first line of donors for this web site.

On that same day, though, my achievement was eclipsed by Milan Jackson. Playing for the lowly Banner Bread, bread which I didn't even eat, Jackson was able to get the only 2 hits off the feared Phil Baker, as his team still went down for an 18-1 thumping.

Steve Jetton

Lots of old names - friends and classmates - in that article, Jack.  A throwback to old time Bloomington.  You don't see those articles in the sports page anymore.

Didn't see my name or Rod's; we must not have played that day, right Rod?

Jack, were you a star centerfielder or was that just a lucky grab?

How 'bout Milan's 2 hits.?  You suppose he was cranking them out on a daily basis or was that a career day?

Milan Jackson

Funny thing, I had a good season with Banner Bread but Banner Bread didn't. (laugh)

Jack Habich

No, I was not a star center fielder and no, it was not a lucky grab.  As a soccer player, I was still trying to learn the nuances of baseball.  Catching a ball is kind of a general skill, so I concentrated on those things I understood and could do so as not to be a complete washout.  Believe it or not, I still remember catching that ball, and the burning sensation I felt sliding for about three yards on my stomach.

Ed Stanfield

Some things will stay with you. I can still feel the water going thru my hand from when I was tackled on a flooded football field. I landed on both knees and one hand and hydroplaned for 4 or 5 yards... coolest feeling ever..

Steve Jetton

Okay Jack.  I am impressed that you dove and slid going after that ball and I'm sure your pitcher was grateful.  You know I was just giving you a hard time about a "lucky grab."

Here's a story on me in the Legion baseball program that I think is funny, at least looking back on it.  I loved baseball and my mom knew somebody and got me in when I was a year younger than the minimum age.  Thought she was doing me a favor.  Well, I either struck out or walked every tiime at bat.  Never hit the ball. 

There was another kid on team in the same situation, Brubaker.  Could it have been our star discus thrower, Jim Brubaker?  Thing is, he would have been even younger than me, class of '65.

In any case, rest of the team was merciless.  If I got a walk, the chant from the bench would be, "Jetton's not the worst player on the team, Brubaker is!"   The other way around, of course, when Brubaker was fortunate enough to get a walk.

I really don't remember it bothering me much, though.  I thought it was cool to be on a team and wear that Legion baseball shirt & cap.

Jack Habich

Steve, you and Rod may not have been in the baseball article on that day, but you can be justifiably proud that you and Hayes were once part of what had to be the best, and biggest, backfield ever assembled by a Twin City school.

At the time, Ed Pointer needed 14 running backs, presumably because of the punishment dished out by opposing linebackers.

Jack Habich

Toward the end of the season, with most of the backfield now on injured reserve, any fool could see the price our proud core of running backs had to pay.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

You're right Steve.  We must not have played that day.  We probably played 36 innings of wiffle ball to hone our skills.  As far as Physical Ed wanting the biggest and best backfield.  I think maybe he wanted quality and quantity.  Because when you get down on that list, several of us certainly weren't the biggest.  However, we certainly had a fast backfield.

By the way Jack.  I see Arnold is definitely going to make a new movie.  Forget the movie.  I would love to follow him around to see how he is going to get in shape.  He knows how to work out, and he knows the right juice to take and how much.  But, at his age, the body doesn't respond like it did in his 20's and 30's.  And, there are a lot of fatty areas that may look alright, but they will never look tight.  Maybe he will be a suit and tie guy.

Jack Habich

Rod,

I think it's fair to say we all played physical for "Physical", and as the season wore on, it took it's toll not only on the backfield, but also the line.

It's also fair to presume that Arnold's new movie will not be "Conan the Barbarian".  He'll pump the arms up to look good in a short sleeve shirt, but you'll see a minimum of skin.

Ed,

Yep, I remember certain sports experiences like it was yesterday.  They say you remember best under stress (like you will remember what you read if a guy sticks a pin in you now and then), and that's probably why we remember sports.