Shaun here….and no, you won’t have to deal with me after today. Turns out Ms.Random and Odd’s scorching case of Shaunarrhea is cured with about three days rest and relaxation. Sorry we didn’t get to ‘Head’s Up 7-Up’, but our school district couldn’t afford the licensing deal. I’m sure everyone still enjoyed our game of ‘Head up time, Lemon-Lime’. Shut up, neither game has caffeine.
OK, so for my entry to this week’s SPF:
Something with a story behind it
The guy’s name is Elford. I met him while I was taking pictures, and this very uinique yard caught my eye.. As I was snapping away, he came out to water his lawn and to tell me his story. I’m guessing he gets visitors a lot.
Back in the 30’s, he lived with an aunt and uncle who wanted him to work in the family’s farm supply business. Elford, however, had a different dream: to play baseball. Elford had received an invitation to play for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. His family wasn’t poor, but they weren’t in favor of paying for the young Elford to play a game while avoiding becoming a businessman. So Elford ran away, and hopped trains all the way to San Francisco. He saw more of the country on those few days than in his entire life. If it wasn’t for the baseball field waiting for him, he might not have ever left that train.
The Seals had recently changed ownership, and had no record of Elford when he arrived. He pleaded for a chance to pitch, and they let him throw against the rookies. After some wild warm-up pitches, he struck out the first batter. The next batter hit a line drive off Elford’s throwing elbow. Elford hit the ground, and his baseball career ended with one strikeout.
Elford never made it back to Missouri. He got a job in California working for Union Pacific, where he worked hard for the next few years. One day in the mail, he received an envelope from the New York Yankees. Inside was glossy signed photograph with the notation: “To Elford, the only pitcher I couldn’t touch”….it was from the rookie Elford struck out in his one appearance. The rookie had made a name for himself, and remembered the day when Elford’s dream ended. Along with the photo was 500 shares of Union Pacific Railroad stock, which Elford saved and eventually used to buy the house in the photo above.
To remember the life the railroad gave him, Elford has collected a crossing signal from every train station that’s closed on the West Coast since the 60’s. People come from miles around to see the signals and to talk baseball. And while he’s now very retired, once a year he sends a few shares of Union Pacific stock to a minor league ballplayer who went down with an injury. He doesn’t sign the letter, just offers it the same way he was offered hope almost sixty years ago by a young outfielder named Joe DiMaggio.
A Random and Odd Photo
When you reply to this post, lhave a story or caption for this!!
Something Borrowed
An empty bed. the empty house, I like. It’s quiet and doesn’t mess itself up after I’ve cleaned it. The empty bed sucks. I’ve shaped the pillows like Kristine to try to get some sleep, just not the same. I’m giving this empty bed thing back!!!
Did you play?
(Oh, the first story is made up….just the house of some crazy old bastard who loves train stuff. I did say hi to him though)