Saturday, October 15, 2011
Gerritsen Avenue
Gerritsen Ave is the Main St of Gerritsen Beach, just about anything you needed was on Gerritsen Ave. My Grandfather "Pappy" was well known on the avenue, he use to take me with him every morning to visit his favorite stores, every store we'd go in they'd yell "hiya Pappy". This warm Summer morning we walked down to Channel Ave towards Jimmy's Deli we go in and there is no one there, Pappy yells out Jimmy because he wanted to pay the ten cents for the two packs of baseball cards for me, Jimmy pops out of the back says hi to us then runs back to the back room. We continue walking down the avenue Solly Ryback and his Dad are standing outside their store Pappy says hello and tips his hat as Solly and his Dad return the hello. Ryback's is right across the street from the bus stop and the Barracks housing for the WWII veterans, the Barracks starts right there and runs to Florence Ave. Each Barracks was home to eight families, four families on each floor. There were many buildings in the Barracks complex including a three room school for first to third grade. We continue our walk down the avenue going past Hobans bar, Sal's Barber shop, Cardboard Joes shoe store, the Cort Club to Fran & Izzy's candy store. This is the middle 1950's so Fran & Izzys was still on the corner of Gerritsen Ave & Devon ave. When you walk in Fran & Izzy's you see rows and rows of candy under the cash register on the counter you see big jugs of penny candy, bubble gum and baseball cards. The stools and counter where you drink your 6 cent cokes, egg creams, malteds and eat your devil dogs, ice cream or bag of potato chips is on the right. Izzy made the best malteds in town and I still have his recipe. They also sold comics, magazines, newspapers ( remember the four cent NY Daily News), toys such as water guns, cap pistols, tattoos, they had everything a kid enjoyed. Pappy goes in and buys the News and Mirror like he does everyday, I had five two cent bottles to return so I buy two more packs of baseball cards. Pappy kibitz's a bit with Izzy a big burly guy with a small mustache and Izzy jokes with Pappy, Fran working on the other side of the store comes over to say hello. We continue our stroll down the street go past the Park Tavern (It was always called Tagney's after owner Pat Tagney, I hung out and played ball with his son John when I was older). Next to the bar was Doc's Pharmacy later it was owned by Marty who I worked for delivering prescriptions, Marty was just out of the Army and loved telling war stories. As we go down closer to Food Haven we see D-TV owned by Vinnie who was a tall skinny guy with a mustache, I hung out with his son George a few years later, Vinnie could fix just about anything you brought in. We arrive at Food Haven our local grocery store it is owned by John McBride a wonderful hard working man who worked there for years before he bought it from the original owner of Ralston's grocery store. John had his son working there part time, later on Bob Olson took over when his son went in the service then I worked for John when Bob went in the service. After chatting with John and buying some bananas and a loaf of bread we went on to Bill Doyle's Meat market to buy a 1/2 pound of Bologna, I also hung out and played ball with Bill Doyle's son Billy. Now we were ready to go home for lunch, I will visit more places in Gerritsen Beach in my next Blog.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Brooklyn Dodgers
This was a big day for me, I woke up early to go to school at the Barracks school across Gerritsen Ave, I was going to Ebbets field to see my Dodgers play the Giants. When I arrived at school I told my friends Diane, Rich and my teacher Mrs. Esser about going to the game that night. It was very hard for me to concentrate all I thought about was going to the Dodgers game. Mrs Esser announced to the class that I was going to the Dodgers game. She picked me first for "Show and Tell" that day I brought in my new baseball glove and told the other kids I was bringing it to the game. The day dragged on finally the lunch bell rung I ran across Gerritsen Ave past Fran & Izzy's, Cardboard Joe's, Sal the Barber's and Ryback's down Channel Ave to Dictum Ct. I was at 84 Dictum Ct in less then 5 minutes, my Mom was at the door to greet me and my lunch was on the kitchen table, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk was waiting there for me. My sister Tina who was 3 years old a week ago ate lunch with me while trying to feed her doll, my Mom comes in to find peanut butter all over the doll and Tina, I finished lunch it was only 12:22pm so I spent some time looking at my new 1953 Topps cards. I was a little disappointed because after buying many packs there was still no Gil Hodges my favorite player, but I did get a few Dodgers including Number 1 card Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. My Mom tells me it is now 12:45pm time to go back to school, I didn't want to go. There was only one thing on my mind today that was my Brooklyn Dodgers. With some urging from my Mom I ran out the door down Channel Ave towards the school, I had a nickel burning a hole in my pocket so I stopped at Jimmy's Deli where I bought a pack of Topps cards. I made it back to school just in time. In between our reading and math lesson I snuck a look at my new cards there were no Dodgers but I did get five cards I needed for the set. The afternoon dragged on but finally the bell rang at 3pm and I ran home with my book bag and glove in hand.
I got out of my school clothes put on my t-shirt, dungarees, and Keds sneakers that were bought at Cardboard Joe's. I still had two hours before Uncle Bill would arrive to take us down Bedford Ave to Ebbets Field. I decided to go over to Rocky's house to see if he wanted to have a catch, Rocky the only Yankee fan in the area puts on his Yankee hat and we run over to the Tamaqua parking lot. We had our catch for about an hour until our Mothers called us in, Rocky for supper and me to get washed up before my uncle arrived.
My mother had my Dodgers uniform laid out on my bed, it was a bright white with royal blue Dodgers across the chest there was a small number 14 in red on the lower left and a large 14 in royal blue on the back. It is now 4:50pm so I start to put my uniform on, I hear my Dad returning from work, Uncle Bill and Aunt Jean will be here soon. Aunt Jean will spend the night with my Mom, Grandma and Aunt Louise while the guys go to the game. My Grandpa is in his room putting on his Sunday best, I hear the door bell I run downstairs to greet my Aunt and Uncle, most adults dressed like Grandpa for the ball games. They wore Fedora hats, suits, white shirts, ties and dress shoes, my father and uncle liked dressy casual but always wore a hat. Around 5:15 my uncle said it was time to go we all piled into his 1952 Ford and headed down Gerritsen Ave towards Bedford Ave. We had taken this route many times in the past, my Uncle Pete is meeting us at the game because he lives near the ball park, every time we took the route I'd ask a bunch of times how much longer until we arrive at Ebbets Field. We arrive at the gas station across from right field, my uncle knows the owner, he parks the car and I get out to the smell of freshly baked Bond bread.
We got there early it was about 5:50pm, Uncle Pete was waiting, so we stopped to buy a pennant, yearbook, scorecard and a new Dodgers hat for me. The gates opened up at 6pm, my uncle bought five box seats ten rows up to the left of the Dodgers dugout, the Giants were taking batting practice and the Dodgers were playing catch near the dugout. My Uncle Pete worked as a special cop at Ebbets Field so he knew all the players and became good friends with Gil Hodges. He took me down to the railing to see Gil, Gil said "Hi Pete how are you" then reached over the rail to pick me up with his big hands and hugged me. Gil signed my yearbook and program while talking to my uncle about getting together, Gil called over Roy Campanella who also signed my two books. Now it was time for Dodger batting practice so Gil and Roy left us to go into the batting cage, I stood and watched as Gil then Roy hit ball after ball into the left field stands. My father and uncle went to get hot dogs and drinks for everyone, I had a coke the four adults had a beer, the game was starting in 15 minutes. Both teams had their regular lineup in the game with Billy Loes pitching for the Dodgers and Jim Hearn for the Giants, the Dodgers are on a 4 game win streak while the Giants lost their last game. The Dodgers take the field led by Pee Wee Reese, the Giants go down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, in the bottom of the inning Jim Gilliam the rookie walks and Pee Wee knocks him in with a triple after one inning it is 1-0 Dodgers. In the top of the second Hank Thompson singles advances to second on a hit and run then scores on Tookie Gilbert's single. The score remained 1-1 until the top of the fourth when Thompson hits a home run to left field, then in the bottom of the inning Campanella homers to left to tie the score at 2. The Giants come back with a run in the top of the 5th on a home run by Wes Westrum, The score remains 3-2 until the bottom of the ninth inning. Jim Hearn is still in the game for the Giants, Joe Black relieved Billy Loes in the 8th inning, Jim Gilliam leads off and grounds out to second base. Pee Wee walks, Duke Snider flies out to right field, Robinson gets on when Al Dark bobbles the ball. Roy Campanella is coming up with Gil on deck, runners at first and second with two out Hearn tries to sneak a fastball by Roy and he hits it deep into the left field stands. The Dodgers win the game 5-3 a perfect ending to a perfect day, I don't remember getting home because I probably fell asleep on Bedford Ave about 5 minutes from Ebbets Field.
I got out of my school clothes put on my t-shirt, dungarees, and Keds sneakers that were bought at Cardboard Joe's. I still had two hours before Uncle Bill would arrive to take us down Bedford Ave to Ebbets Field. I decided to go over to Rocky's house to see if he wanted to have a catch, Rocky the only Yankee fan in the area puts on his Yankee hat and we run over to the Tamaqua parking lot. We had our catch for about an hour until our Mothers called us in, Rocky for supper and me to get washed up before my uncle arrived.
My mother had my Dodgers uniform laid out on my bed, it was a bright white with royal blue Dodgers across the chest there was a small number 14 in red on the lower left and a large 14 in royal blue on the back. It is now 4:50pm so I start to put my uniform on, I hear my Dad returning from work, Uncle Bill and Aunt Jean will be here soon. Aunt Jean will spend the night with my Mom, Grandma and Aunt Louise while the guys go to the game. My Grandpa is in his room putting on his Sunday best, I hear the door bell I run downstairs to greet my Aunt and Uncle, most adults dressed like Grandpa for the ball games. They wore Fedora hats, suits, white shirts, ties and dress shoes, my father and uncle liked dressy casual but always wore a hat. Around 5:15 my uncle said it was time to go we all piled into his 1952 Ford and headed down Gerritsen Ave towards Bedford Ave. We had taken this route many times in the past, my Uncle Pete is meeting us at the game because he lives near the ball park, every time we took the route I'd ask a bunch of times how much longer until we arrive at Ebbets Field. We arrive at the gas station across from right field, my uncle knows the owner, he parks the car and I get out to the smell of freshly baked Bond bread.
We got there early it was about 5:50pm, Uncle Pete was waiting, so we stopped to buy a pennant, yearbook, scorecard and a new Dodgers hat for me. The gates opened up at 6pm, my uncle bought five box seats ten rows up to the left of the Dodgers dugout, the Giants were taking batting practice and the Dodgers were playing catch near the dugout. My Uncle Pete worked as a special cop at Ebbets Field so he knew all the players and became good friends with Gil Hodges. He took me down to the railing to see Gil, Gil said "Hi Pete how are you" then reached over the rail to pick me up with his big hands and hugged me. Gil signed my yearbook and program while talking to my uncle about getting together, Gil called over Roy Campanella who also signed my two books. Now it was time for Dodger batting practice so Gil and Roy left us to go into the batting cage, I stood and watched as Gil then Roy hit ball after ball into the left field stands. My father and uncle went to get hot dogs and drinks for everyone, I had a coke the four adults had a beer, the game was starting in 15 minutes. Both teams had their regular lineup in the game with Billy Loes pitching for the Dodgers and Jim Hearn for the Giants, the Dodgers are on a 4 game win streak while the Giants lost their last game. The Dodgers take the field led by Pee Wee Reese, the Giants go down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, in the bottom of the inning Jim Gilliam the rookie walks and Pee Wee knocks him in with a triple after one inning it is 1-0 Dodgers. In the top of the second Hank Thompson singles advances to second on a hit and run then scores on Tookie Gilbert's single. The score remained 1-1 until the top of the fourth when Thompson hits a home run to left field, then in the bottom of the inning Campanella homers to left to tie the score at 2. The Giants come back with a run in the top of the 5th on a home run by Wes Westrum, The score remains 3-2 until the bottom of the ninth inning. Jim Hearn is still in the game for the Giants, Joe Black relieved Billy Loes in the 8th inning, Jim Gilliam leads off and grounds out to second base. Pee Wee walks, Duke Snider flies out to right field, Robinson gets on when Al Dark bobbles the ball. Roy Campanella is coming up with Gil on deck, runners at first and second with two out Hearn tries to sneak a fastball by Roy and he hits it deep into the left field stands. The Dodgers win the game 5-3 a perfect ending to a perfect day, I don't remember getting home because I probably fell asleep on Bedford Ave about 5 minutes from Ebbets Field.
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