Fall Weekly ReaderVolume 93, Issue 155, December 4, 2014 The Plano Rotary Club www.PlanoRotary.com UPCOMING MEETINGS FFaannttaassyy BBaasseebbaallll December 4 Dr. Gerald Edelman- led the Pledge today. pers of “Where’s Bob?” But Scary Bob was AWOL UBERT AARON [delivering a talk at another Rotary], leaving his He was resplendent, as always, in his “Staying Fit & Young by photo duties to Randy Wright.) Karen Shel- Overcoming Your Secret HH colorful sweater. Sainted Editor com- don was thanked for Greeting, and Addiction to Sugar” plimented him on it, asking if it was Maori, Ser- geant Barbera was up for the Welcom- ing of Guests. December 11 Annual Holiday Party & “Christmas Cops’ Coat Drive @ Haggard Party Barn, 7pm Plano Sunrise & NT Pioneers Attending. NO NOON MEETING December 18 There were none, or rather the Tim Hoch - only guest was “50 Rules for Parents and brought by a Visit- Grandparents” ing Rotarian, so Nathan chided us December 25 for our lethargy. However, he wel- No Meeting comed Austin Rogers (N. TX Pioneers), Christmas Holiday Howard Matson (Portsmouth, VA), Lisa Leach (Plano West), and PDG Rod Kreie DECEMBER (5690). Bob Vedder was Rod’s guest. BIRTHDAYS which prompted the story of its acquisi- tion…at a garage sale. He expressed interest to Joan’s horror, but bought it anyway for Vance Bryson Dec 03 $3. Decked out in it one day, he ran across a James Lowe Dec 03 lady who asked, “Is that a Coogi?” It turns Dec 03 Earl Simpkins out the brand was made famous by Bill Dec 09 Nathan Barbera Cosby during his TV sitcom. Sainted Editor Johnny Lewis Dec 10 asked if it was therefore Kenny Wilson Dec 11 homage, but Hubert de- Jamee Jolly Dec 13 nied ennobling Cosby’s Nancy Humphrey Dec 19 current fortunes. Lori Roberts Dec 20 President Wonderful Jim Cooper Dec 23 herded his brood at 12:14, Herbert Hoie, Sr. Dec 23 calling upon PDG Secret Santa for the Invocation Nathan interviewed new member Den- and Hubert for the nis Hōgg, and expressed an interest in Pledge. (There were whis- “somethin’ to stand on.” continued on page 2 to Kenny Wilson, a man, by his own admission, of few words. Kenny called Rotary “a great organization.” Earnest bade us consider the ramifi- cations of “Jive Turkeys” in the audience before suggesting we provide 10-15 lb. birds to John Paul High School 10 am to noon on Saturday, November 22. Lucky ones among us will win “a photo-op” with Mayor LaRosiliere. Program Chair David McWhorter delivered the introduction for speaker Bob May. Bob May is an author and speaker. He has al- ways been passionate about baseball and baseball Dennis had brought a framed poster of the 2014 Texas board game simulation. When he was 7 years old Titans to brag on his son whose championship was instru- (summer of 1949), his Dad took him to his first base- mental in his signing on with Texas A&M. <ignored groans> ball game at Fenway Park in Boston to see the New York Yankees play Had he not been the subject of an Inside the Rotarian the Boston Red Sox. He has been a baseball fan ever since. Studio, he’d have earned a fine for that brag. He has lived in Rockwall since 2000 with his English wife, th Dennis was born and raised in Columbus, OH, moving Michele. They just celebrated their 48 anniversary last week. <ap- to CA with his Mom in time for high school. He denies plause> They have three children and eight grandkids. Bob is a substi- having had a nickname but does admit he was always “tall- tute teacher in Rockwall ISD. er than everyone else.” It’s no surprise he played basket- His topic today is Honoring Twenty-One Forgotten Baseball Play- ball. He was on the team at Washington State University, ers from the Black Ball Era (Negro Leagues or segregated baseball). In where he majored in RTF, Radio-Television-Film. July 2012, he published his first book, The Best Season—The First 90 Dennis’ first job out of college was not memorable, so Games, honoring Black Ball through baseball game simulation. This is he couldn’t remember it. A knee injury kept him from pro- the first book in a two-book series. The second book, The Best Sea- fessional basketball in the States but not in Europe. He’s son—The Challenging Finish, is planned for a 2016 release. been in Real Estate for 16 years. In response to “what do When the projector was fired up, it displayed Bob’s you wish you did?” Dennis said, “Good question.” But computer’s desktop but not the running PowerPoint®. even though basketball was a denied option, he’d rather be Sainted Editor, who had set it up, rushed to the laptop to working in the NBA. cycle through the many external screen setups, finding the Favorite movie: Little Man. Singers: Temptations. right one on the second try. This didn’t prevent him from Athlete: Kobe Bryant. 1st car: Volkswagen bug (with the crowing on the first try. seat pulled WAY back). Restaurant: III Forks. Soda: . While tech support was fumbling, Flash rose to re- Coke late a story about a man his age who showed up with arm Rotary sponsor: Earnest! Dennis joined because he want- candy half his age. Flash queried him about his new ed to volunteer and is “still enjoying it.” wife to discover that he had lied about his age. He had Lisa Leach, our 5810 Rep, apologized claimed to be in his 90s. for having already sold all THREE bags of By this time, Bob had found his presentation and be- pecans her Club uses as a fundraiser. She’ll gun, telling us that he “bawled my eyes out” at the movie take orders, and return in a fortnight (BE- Field of Dreams. What gets him every time is the scene CAUSE THERE IS NO ROTARY NEXT where the Kevin Costner character asks his resurrected WEEK ON THANKSGIVING) with the Father for a game of catch. It was such a game that ce- goods. mented Bob’s relationship with his own Father. Earnest cautioned us that whenever we see Lisa, “we Bob admitted that should be on our best behavior,” but that’ll just encourage writing his book had mischief. Then he handed the mic to Austin Rogers whose been “my Field of Club is hosting a Pancake Breakfast at Bavarian Dreams.” In it, he won- Grill on December 6. It runs a “family plan” (kids eat free) dered what would have happened if Satchel for $10. Larry Flash Flannery wanted to know if it’s a Paige faced off against stag event, and Ken Roberts asked if Pioneers were the Stan Musial. group “that ran Allen Wickers into the ground.” See? He asked us what Mischief. was special about 1941. More specifically what was signifi- Earnest encouraged those of us inter- cant about 1941 for Joe DiMaggio, and before we could ested in administration to apply for posi- warp time, Bob said it’s not his marriage to Marilyn tion of Treasurer (in line for the Presidency). Monroe (1954). Someone suggested he’d had a 50 game Appli cations go to Captain Kirk. hitting streak, and Bob corrected that to 56. Ted Wil- Those interested in other services, see liams batted .406 in 1941. The same year Hilton Smith Kelly Palmer. had a 10-0 league record with the Kansas City Monarchs. John Caldwell stumped for the RI Foundation, issuing a Paul Harris+2 pin Hilton Smith was in the He to ld us of Oscar Charleston who he Negro League. He was considers in the company of Babe Ruth and Plano Rotary Club born in Giddings, TX, Willie Mays. Locally, William Blair, Jr., Board of Directors about a third of the way died in Dallas just last Easter. Bob’s convinced 2013-2014 from Austin to Houston. that God is using his passion for baseball to President He was inducted into the correct an injustice. Earnest Burke Baseball Hall of Fame He has self-published his books, so he’d President Elect posthumously. His stats appreciate any reference we have to speakers’ Kelly Palmer were amazing, leading Bob bureaus that might take him on. 214-734-0272 Secretary to wonder how he and others in Black Ball and [email protected] David McWhorter would fare against modern players. Earnest offered him “what all speakers Treasurer Bob lived and breathed covet, the Plano Rotary” and the Club finished baseball since 1949. He in unison, “perpetual calendar.” Pam Little Past President was in Little League but Then President Wonderful reminded us of posted 0-34 and decided he our Angel Tree Project kicking off Saturday, Kirk Bell wouldn’t “be replacing Ted December 13th from 11 am to 2:30 pm. There Sergeant at Arms Williams” any time soon. were donation envelopes on our tables that Nathan Barbera His brother, Warren, was would earn us Carroll Burgoon’s auto- Membership Chair the better player. “Donna, biographical journal, “a $60 value.” Pam Little across the street, was better than both of us.” Janis Allman asked if we were “doing Membership Vi ce Chair So he played fantasy baseball with the coats” again this year at the Holiday Party and Yoram Solomon APBA Baseball Card Game. He “loved the sta- was told that they would be collected. Service Chair tistical side of baseball.” And he would Alex Johnson said he’d like to see many “broadcast” games from his room; “It’s a high of us at his Citizen of the Month program the Bob Pikna fly ball to deep left field…” causing his family following day when Earnest would be present.