The Coach

Greatest man I ever knew.

Sixty years ago – in 1957 – my dad began his brief but highly successful career coaching youth baseball. Although I have many pictures of Dad standing alongside his boys in team photos, this is the only solo one I have of him from his coaching days (from his last year, 1964, when he was manager of the Covina Post 790 American Legion ballclub). It's a great portrait, too; probably the best close-up of him that I have.

Anyway, this past week, I scanned this tiny print and made an enlargement of it at one of those self-serve photo kiosks, and the result was definitely suitable for framing. So now, the portrait has taken its place in my family shrine in my living room, next to his trophy for the West Covina American All-Stars' third place finish in the California State Little League Championship Tournament in 1957. (More on that later this summer!)