Tom Fitzgerald found!!!

Greetings to all...

It's been a crazy couple of days hearing about the reunion. Wish I could have been there. Had I known, I would have for sure! It's been awhile since I've been back to New York. My previous business life took me there all of the time. Now, I get back usually for the theater...or a good slice. Midwesterners want to put too much stuff on their pizza. Should be thin, doughy crust you can bend down the middle, and let the oil run down the cheese before you take a bite. Now, that's a good memory too.

Joe Gemmo and I were on the phone for a good half hour Tuesday night. It was great to catch up. By the way, he and I also played on the Van Buren team, as did Bob Borrelli. Re others... I wonder if Frank Cascio still has the big flat top going, and if Wayne Stack turned out to be a smooth salesman or politician. He was one of the slickest shortstops I ever saw play. Tom added this is another email....

Pitched: Known for a big curve ball taught to me by Arnie Goldfarb, coach or manager of the Tigers. Probably ruined my arm for later success, but was effective then. Played first: Good hitter, slick fielder, no wheels. So, first base was made for me. Both come into play in '58, but made '57. I started our first All Star game, and got rocked. The ol' curve that tricked so many at Glen Oaks, didn't fool a soul on the Long Island, I think, team.
We were down going into the last or next to last inning. I got a hit, and, amazingly, I got the sign to steal. Even more amazing, I made it. The catcher got the ball there in plenty of time, which wasn't a hard thing to do when I was running, but I was able to slide around the tag. A few hits later, we won our first game, and were on our way...all the way to Staten Island. It was my one and only stolen base in All Star competition, for good reason, but it was the right time at the right place.