Friday OT - It's All Relative

[CloneFan4]

I am so incredibly blessed with the family I have and love all of them. If I were to pick one that I admired the most I'd go with one of my grandfathers. He contracted polio at the age of 3 and was given a less than 10% chance to live. He is now in his mid 60s and still kicking like a champ. He lost a lot of feeling in his right leg and has always had to walk with a brace that goes from his foot to his knee. Even with this disability he qualified for state wrestling in Minnesota, back when there was no class ranking (2A, 3A etc.) and the best 16 were taken regardless of school size. Went on to start a pretty successful business here in Iowa, sold it and now is retired golfing and fishing.

 

[oldman]

My father-in-law is a pretty interesting guy. He grew up in Hinkley MN. He was a pitcher with a rocket for an arm. Got drafted to a farm club for the Brooklyn Dodgers when he was 18.

He played ball with Gary Thompson in northern Iowa. Went to Florida for winter ball and spring training. He actually played pick-up BB with Jackie Robinson. Roomed with Fergie Jenkins for a while. Watched Popeye Zimmer break a pool cue one night and hold it to a guy's throat.

Never did make it to the bigs, but probably could've in more modern days--would've made it as a reliever I think.

He had an autographed baseball by the 56? Dodgers. His boys played catch with it one morning and the dewy grass washed most of the signatures off it.

The first time I ever met him, he was telling me this story about how he and his Native American buddy were hunting partridge. Shot one down that landed on this small pond. There was a swirl and it was gone. He said the next day he and his buddy brought their fishing poles, and fished the pond. He caught a 15 lb northern pike, and his buddy caught a 20-something lber.

I said, "Well Fred, that sounds like kind of a fish story to me."

Out comes his billfold with a pic of the two of them and their fish. I've never doubted another story.