4 COMMUNITY THE NATIONAL HERALD, OCTOBER 6, 2007

Marathon Bank Continues to Branch Out to Long Island A Grudge About A grand opening party and rib- bon cutting was held at the new branch of Marathon Bank in Perfection Lasts for 35 Years Manhasset, New York. From left to right: Piraeus Bank general Continued from page 1 pas asks rhetorically, "when no for international activi- one's gone to your right to touch ties Yiannis Kyriakopoulos; Paul he needed but one more out. first base? So I don't buy that." AStathopoulos; Tina Chandra; , a .232 career hitter, Nikos Tsakanikas, Council- stepped to the plate as the only Pappas goes around telling woman Maria-Christina Poons; Padre between Pappas and perfec- everybody he took it in the shorts Bill Kartsonis, Zoe Koutsoupakis tion. and that's not what was the case. and Nikos Kostakos. This branch The left-handed batter swung Froemming, now in the final is the 14th Marathon Bank in the and missed at the first pitch. month of a 37-year major league United States. Marathon recently Legendary Chicago broadcaster career, remains adamant that the opened new branches in Staten Jack Brickhouse set the tense scene gravity of the moment should never Island and Downtown Brooklyn. for his WGN-TV audience: be a factor. Marathon Bank is a member of ", Chicago, Sept. 2, "As an , you're not think- Piraeus Bank S.A., a $26.6 billion 1972. , two outs in the ing on the pitch, 'geez, this is a per- asset banking group, headquar- bottom of the ninth, heading for a fect game,'" says Froemming. tered in Athens, Greece, with op- . Cubs ahead eight-to- "You're not into that; you're an offi- erations in Greece, South-East nothing; Larry Stahl pinch-hitting cial, not a fan. I can't give him Europe, Egypt, and London, U.K. for the ; strike one the something that he doesn't have Mr. Kyriakopoulos stated that count." coming, either. It's either a ball or a “Marathon Bank is looking to Stahl didn't swing at the next strike, and that's the way I've um- open new branches throughout pitch, and umpire Bruce Froem- pired all my life." the country where there is a large ming called it a ball, outside, to Hundley says the 3-2 pitch was a Greek American community.” even the count. "hair low," but the couple before There was no stalling by Pappas were "excellent." between deliveries. "I don't think anybody would've "Pappas fires away. Swing and a squawked," says Hundley, if Froem- miss! Ball one, strike two." ming had called any of the three a Pappas was just one strike away strike. Metropolitan Evangelos Honors Greek Deputy FM from immortality. In Stahl's recollection, the 3-2 "Here it comes. Outside! Ball pitch was "about four to six inches By Dimitri Soultogiannis off your busy schedules to come and Today, Greece is a modern Euro- Mr. Valinakis offered the Metro- two, strike two." outside." He adds that all four balls Special to the National Herald see me, I certainly appreciate it,” pean country, an equal member of politan of New Jersey a painting of Pappas and Froemming were were accurate calls and that Froem- Mr. Valinakis said. the European union, a model of his hometown, the island of Kalym- both born in 1939; both midwest- ming appropriately called them as NEW YORK – Metropolitan Evan- He thanked the omogeneia for peace and stability in the region.” nos, as a sign of appreciation for the erners with roots in Europe. The he saw them, rather than helping gelos of New Jersey hosted a lun- its sympathy and support through- According to Mr. Valinakis, the metropolis’s hospitality. The Metro- home-plate ump was a Pappas. "You can't do that. It'd be cheon, on Tuesday, October 2, at the out last month’s difficult times in Greek American community is a pri- politan of New Jersey symbolically native of German origin. The pitch- throwing a game," says Stahl. “Graycliff Fine Catering Hall” in Greece, when wildfires killed 66 ority for the Greek government. offered Mr. Valinakis the holy cross er had entered the world in , Television coverage of the pitch- Moonachie, N.J. honoring the people and burned thousands of “In June we will be passing a res- and urged him and all the guests to with the unmistakenly Greek sur- es in question is inconclusive. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece acres of land. olution in the Greek parliament live humble and peaceful lives. The name of "Pappastediodis." videotape from the high-angle cam- Yiannis Valinakis who visited New “I am proud of the Greek Ameri- which will allow Greek Americans expenses for the luncheon were After 13 years of toiling in the era fuels, rather than settles, the de- York early last week to address the can community and all its achieve- to vote in the Greek national elec- covered by “Graycliff Fine Catering minors and nearly two seasons in bate. 62nd Session of the UN General As- ments.” Mr. Valinakis said and tions from their local embassy or Hall” co-owner Mr. Tony Papa- the majors, Froemming was now Time often heals old wounds, sembly. Among the distinguished urged the community to also be consulates in the United States,” he markos. After the event, Mr. Vali- one of 14 men on the diamond -- but not this one. Pappas says he on- guests, his Excellency Metropolitan proud of Greece. “You should also said. “This is a big step that no one nakis went to the UN building four umpires, nine players, one bat- ly recently came across footage that Paisios of Tyana, abbot of the Patri- be proud of your motherland, has taken before. It brings the omo- where he addressed the 62nd ses- ter -- who could determine whether is new cause for consternation. The archal Stavropegial Monastery of Greece is not the country you or geneia and especially young Greek- sion of the United Nations General Pappas and "perfect" would become video shows Froemming, after Saint Irene Chrysovalantou, Bishop your ancestors once left years ago. Americans closer to Greece.” Assembly. synonymous that day, before Stahl's , looking to- of Apameia Vikentios, the General 12,979 fans at Wrigley Field. ward Pappas and then walking Consul of Greece Mrs. Aikaterini "Here it comes. It's a ball! Ball away, following an earful of invec- Boura, chairman of the PanGregori- three, strike two. Low and away tive from the pitcher. an, New Jersey, Inc. Mr. Ioannis that time." On WGN, Brickhouse said the Sakellaris, President of the Cyprus In the most famous of perfect following: "Froemming, the umpire Federation of America, Mr. Panikos games, 's 1956 World walks out, he knows what's on the Papanikolaou, President of the Pan Series gem for the Yankees, veteran line here, he knows how important Dodecanese Federation Mr. Ioannis umpire Babe Pinelli called the 2-2 this is, he has his job to do, he called Kourdistos, President of P.G.E.I. of pitch to the 27th batter in Larsen's it as he saw it." America Charitable Foundation, Mr. favor. Pinelli raised his right hand James Logothetis, Medical Profes- to ring up Brooklyn's Dale Mitchell, sor at Rutgers University Dr. Panos though many saw the climactic Time often heals old Georgopoulos and many others. pitch as high and outside. wounds, but not this Metropolitan Evangelos and Mr. Yogi Berra leaped into the arms of Dimitrios Foulas, Vice President for the newly lionized Larsen. one. Pappas says he only the Metropolis of New Jersey In this case, Froemming's call on recently came across Board, welcomed the Deputy For- 2-2 was a ball. footage that is new eign Minister to New Jersey on be- Catcher recalls half of the entire Greek American that 2-2 pitch as "a strike, not 'right cause for consternation. community. “Mr. Minister every sin- down Broadway,' but on the outside gle person who came here today did corner … a pitcher's pitch." But The Brickhouse description did- so for you,” Metropolitan Evangelos Hundley didn't dare argue, he says. n't capture what Pappas sees now, said. “We appreciate you being here Earlier in the game, he'd raised more than three decades later. for the third time within three years Froemming's ire by inadvertently From Pappas' perspective, the um- as we know how busy your sched- brushing dirt on him when Hundley pire appears to be enjoying the mo- ule can get.” Metropolitan Evange- was really upset at himself for hav- ment. los also congratulated Mr. Valinakis ing popped out on an at-bat. "When he (Froemming) turns for his recent reelection as a Greek With the count full -- just the sec- around and walks back to home parliamentarian and told him that ond time all game that Pappas got plate, he has a smirk on his face, the Greek-American community of to three balls on a hitter -- Hundley which I never noticed before," says New York and New Jersey appreci- gave the sign for a third straight Pappas. "Right then, again, I want- ate him very much. slider. ed to kill . I said, “I want to thank each and every Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis gives a speech during a luncheon in his honor hosted by "Now here comes one of the 'This man cost me a perfect game. single one of you for taking the time Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 in Moonachie, N.J. most fateful pitches of the year. Ball Not only that, now he's smirking as three, strike two, two outs, perfect he's walking back toward home game on the line, no-hitter on the plate, like' 'Ha ha, I gotcha.' " line. Watch it. It's a ball. And Pappas "That's so inaccurate, it's unbe- is enraged. Ball four. There goes the lievable," Froemming says. "It's perfect game. The no-hitter is still stuff that he's made up in his mind. The Declassified Story intact. Milt Pappas doing a burn." I don't derive any pleasure if he got Focused on what he'd lost, not a perfect game or a one-hitter. It what he could still achieve -- name- doesn't mean anything to me." of Captain Nick Pappas ly, a no-hitter -- Pappas unleashed a On that day in 1972, Pappas did tirade toward Froemming. get a no-hitter. After jawing at Continued from page 1 tree - my feet were not even on the After all, Pappas went from the Froemming, he got Gary Jestadt on ground - and we were getting shot verge of being the only Cub to a pop-up, setting off a celebration. their trucks. The tremendous ex- at from every angle. Explosions throw a perfect game to the only Pappas is the only man to miss out plosion rocked the earth and their were heard coming from the for- pitcher in history to walk a game's on a perfect game with one out to trucks were blown to smithereens. est." 27th batter after retiring the first go and then complete a no-hitter by They were surprised and dazed. Even after the war, Capt. Pappas 26. retiring the next hitter. One of my men was so close to a continued to serve his country. In Far from subsiding, Pappas' bit- In his postgame interviews, Pap- German truck he was injured by the June 1955, was at a conference in terness has been brewing for 35 pas didn't call out the man who backfire of his Bazooka. We went Geneva, Switzerland with Presi- years. called ball four. up to them, and I started shouting dent Dwight David Eisenhower the "I still to this day don't under- The next day's , in German, 'Lassen Sie Ihre Waffen 34th President of the United States. stand what Bruce Froemming was under a headline "Pappas Pitches fallen, oder Sie sterben.' Drop your Capt. Pappas was the president’s going through in his mind at that No-hitter" and sub-headline "Per- weapons or die," he said. time," Pappas says. "Why didn't he fection Bid Ends on Walk," quoted a Capt. Pappas and his men were throw up that right hand like the diplomatic Pappas: "I wanted that also key figures in blowing up the umpire did in the perfect game with perfect game so badly. But I guess I Athens-Salonica Railroad lines and Don Larsen?" shouldn't be greedy. The pitches the Ioannina-Larissa highway. Pappas says his last three pitches were balls. They were borderline In October 1944, Capt. Pappas to Stahl, judged by Froemming to but balls. Froemming called a real and British Colonel C. Montgomery be off the outside corner, were all good game." Woodhouse (the Allied Comman- much better than Larsen's historic In Pappas's 2000 autobiography, der) led the unit in an attempt to pitch. "Out at Home," he explained the strike the railroad lines. "We saw "They were strikes or 'that close' postgame remarks as "a lot of things the Panzer-Zug (German Trains), to being strikes that he should've meant strictly for public consump- Tanks, and many German motorcy- raised his right hand. I had the op- tion at the time and to keep me cles going up and down patrolling portunity to have a perfect game from being fined." their area," said Capt. Pappas. and unfortunately, Bruce Froem- To this day, Pappas and Froem- He and members of his unit dis- ming did not help me at all." ming disagree on just about every- guised themselves as farmers Froemming says his lone con- thing. Pappas says they talked the drawn in a hay wagon by oxen to- cern on the last three pitches was, day after the no-hitter; Froemming wards the target. They cut straight as always, location, location, loca- says they never spoke until meeting through the middle and found tion. at a banquet several years later. themselves pinned down. "They were off the plate and I Froemming says Pappas had an au- Capt. Pappas said his Major don't care if he gets a perfect game tographed ball delivered to him the turned to him and asked, "What do or not. I'm an umpire and I have to next day; Pappas says Froemming we do next?" Capt. Pappas told call a pitch where it is." personally asked him for the auto- him, "We have no choice but to go But Pappas says the circum- graphed ball. in and attack, we will die fighting Above:Nick Pappas in military stances should have come into play Pappas tempers his take only for the United States of America." uniform. Top Right: Nick Pappas for Froemming, and would have for slightly in tribute to Froemming, He fought along side the Greek today Bottom Right: Nick Pappas any other ump. for the longest tenure in umpiring guerillas, General Aris Velouhiotis, took command of Group II after "It's a home game in Wrigley history. and General Napoleon Zervas. To John Giannaris stepped on Land Field. I'm pitching for the Chicago "I have to admire the guy for this day history recalls that they mine. Seven out of 22 members Cubs. The score is 8-0 in favor of lasting as long as he did, but I still were indeed the first and only are M.I.A. The first and only the Cubs. What does he have to lose feel in my own heart that he robbed American combat unit to reach the American combat unit to reach by not calling the last pitch a strike me of a perfect game. … I wish him Parthenon in Athens, Greece, in the Parthenon in Athens, Greece to call a perfect game?" nothing but the best. I just wish he 1944. of 1944. "If it's a blatant pitch that any- had retired 37 years ago." The Allied Airborne assault took body can see it's a ball, then he On what is arguably the most place over the Rhine River at We- right hand man and was in charge out to be a false alarm as it was just President but luckily it was just a should've called it a ball. But it was- controversial on-field episode of his sel, Germany on March 24, 1945. of his security detail. One night, a father and son looking out the father and son looking out of the n't." career, and the one he's always More than 1,000 troop transports Capt. Pappas saw two shadowy fig- window. When asked why he made window.” Froemming says he knew that asked about, Froemming offers a and 18,000 other allied paratroop- ures looking out of a window of the that call Capt. Pappas made no Capt. Pappas led his company Pappas had a no-hitter, but didn't succinct summary judgment. ers in two divisions crossed the sixth floor of the building across apologies. across the Rhine river into Ger- realize at the time that a perfect "Pappas goes around telling Rhine River. Capt. Pappas' para- the street from the hotel. He alert- “I was doing my job and made a many with veteran "OGS" on March game was on the line. "I didn't everybody he took it in the shorts troopers were off-course due to ed Swiss authorities and ran into decision at that time,” he said. 24, 1945. "Today I am 94 years old know if anyone was on base or not. and that's not what was the case." foggy weather. the building combing each floor “Many things were going through and proud to have served my coun- You don't pay any attention to "It was a bloody nightmare," while ripping phone cords off walls my mind that it might be the Rus- try and damn proud to be Ameri- that." The above was published by ES- said Capt. Pappas. "I got stuck on a and knocking on doors. It turned sians attempting to assassinate the can," he said. "How can you not realize," Pap- PN.com on September 27.