May 26, 2004
Juco

Memorial Day weekend.  In Grand Junction it kicks off JUCO week.   And you know you’ve been spending this weekend at 12^th and North longer than most when: 

You not only know how to pronounce JUCO you know what the initials stand for.

Grades five through ten never saw you actually witness a JUCO game because every evening was spent with your friends under the bleachers, at the refreshment stand or on the football side of Stocker but you knew the coolest players were from San Jac. 

You know Stocker is pronounced Stoker.

You still smile remembering the prankster who changed the M to an H on the Dick Mead sign in right field. 

You remember clearly the, roly-poly outfielder from Triton by the name of Kirby Puckett who could hit like no JUCO player before, or after. 

When the College of Southern Idaho featured an absolute stud by the name of Chris Hanks. Yes that Chris Hanks. 

When Hamilton, Hill, Starr and Bergman were the young guys on the JUCO committee.  

How the Iowa tournament teams never won a game between 1972 and 1994.  A twenty-two year losing streak is even beyond the Rockies reach.  Isn’t it? 

When the pine tree just outside the right field foul line mysteriously vanished overnight. 

The excitement of listening to a JUCO game on the radio and hearing the play-by-play voice say “And you can bet your little blue booties that ball is gone.”  Miss you Gene-o.   

When the JUCO banquet was held at the Mesa State Student Center. 

And the speaker was Bobby Richardson, former Yankee second basemen, who kept the entire audience mesmerized for over a half an hour with a motivational talk that had you going home a foot taller than when you arrived. 

And the speaker was Billy Martin, Yankee second basemen, who stood up and said, “It’s nice to be here, thanks and now I wanna get up to Gobbo’s place and do some fishing.”  And then he sat down.  Speech over. 

Most of us old-timers think Bobby Richardson was the all time best Yankee second baseman.  We know he was the better JUCO banquet speaker. 

Being in the press box during a Saturday morning walk fest and killing time talking Jayhawk hoops with Patty, Cardinals baseball with RB, Western Slope high school athletics with Dale or ABA basketball with Rick, “Did you know Jumbo Jim Eakiins is teaching high school in Provo?”  

Sitting in the stands behind home plate and though you had no radio being able to hear every word of Larry Cobb’s KQIL play by play when the window was open on his closest to home plate seat in the press box.  Decades later I still hear that voice only now I’m standing on the green at 15 and he’s strolling up the fairway on one. 

You remember Doug Ault the star for the Panola, TX. Ponies who became the last position player throwing left handed but batting right to play in the major leagues.  (Major league managers think lefthanders hitting from the right side a waste.  They insist their lefties hit left.  Ault was the last to beat the odds.) 

Jim Burns wandering through the press box on a sleepy Sunday morning handing out baked goods from Holsum Bakery.  It was so long ago all goodies were quickly consumed without any questions about calories or carb content. 

RT Mantlo and Si Grantham spending most of May visiting local service clubs to promote JUCO ticket sales.