Saturday, April 2, 2022
Today was another good day for me, this time split between accompanying our grandson Jacob to an American Civil War Reenactment and with Laurie watching the NCAA Men's Final Four basketball games on TV.
But first, more photos from EuroBall teams sporting some of the donated clothing that we've been shipping the past few months.
Italy's Siena Lupi looking SHARP!
Romania's Giurgiu Gladiators
sporting Agoura H.S. colors
In Romania today, the Bucharest Titans
scrimmaged the Baia Mare Miners
The Titans only use the jerseys and pants that we sent them as practice gear which is the norm.
Now, the Miners in the maroon jerseys are a different story altogether.
About seven years ago the Miners, who use blue and yellow as their team colors, contacted me about getting some practice jerseys through our program.
No problem as then Alemany H.S. Head Coach Dean Herrington had donated about 150 jerseys to our program's endeavors to promote the games growth globally.
A few months later, the Miners sent me photos from one of their games. In it, just as in the photo above, they were wearing their blue and yellow helmets and pants as you would expect.
The strange thing was that their game jerseys were maroon and gold and said Alemany across the front of them.
When queried about the clashing colors, their answer was simple enough. The Alemany jerseys were of such superior quality as compared to their current game jerseys that they said the heck with the fashionistas, they were going with quality.
All these years later, they are still using those old jerseys. I hope they find one more for that oddball player in the back row.
I tried this spot the other day
in Newbury Park
While the service and the servers were upbeat and good, the food was only so-so.
It's Official
Brasil Onças Head Coach Brian Guzman is now also the Offensive Coordinator of the Pumas Acatlán, a university team located near Mexico City.
As some of you may recall, our son Michael is both active in Civil War reenactments fighting for the North and plays baseball in a league using the rules from the 1880s.
This weekend he had a Civil War reenactment in Simi Valley, California and an even stranger 1860s rules baseball tournament in Bisbee, Arizona.
Michael opted for the baseball tournament so, I took Jacob to the Tenth Annual Simi Valley Civil War Reenactment today.
Jacob in his period clothing as the
young aide to Michael's 19th Ohio Regiment
The band was there to greet us
Take a listen
Buckeye Regiment
Jacob had no trouble
in finding his Regiment
The brass reviewing the day's
battle plans with Jacob
The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy
of Company B?
The Corps of Engineers trying
to sign up new recruits
The 19th Ohio Regiment falling in
Sharpshooters
Weapons check
Jacob likes to fight with his bare hands, Jack Reacher style.
President Lincoln was visiting
the troops today
They also serve who are
good with arts and crafts
Marching about to begin
All of the social niceties
had to be observed
OH, NO!
The Rebs had a cannon
But the North had good music
on their side
I think that the cannon would have been a better choice though.
Parade March with Jacob
pretty much in step
It was getting tense on the battlefield
Final instructions
The Rebel band seemed relaxed
despite the impending carnage
Weapons at the ready
A burst of rapid fire from a
period correct Gatling Gun
The Confederates looked
battle hardened to me
Are the going to . . .
. . . FIRE THAT CANNON?
They did and it was amazingly LOUD!
Always look good in your uniform!
Cleaning his weapon just in case
Yankee sidearms
Rebel sidearms
Discussing all sorts of Civil War
weapons and their uses
A bushwhacker, plain and simple
Check out that knife in his boot.
More Second Amendment
related discussions
Harriet Tubman and
Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley
These two ladies gave us great insights into the periods Underground Railroad that helped escaped slaves in their journeys to relative freedom in the North.
It was a BEAUTIFUL day to sit
and watch a battle!
We heard the battle starting
in the distance to our left
Seeing the Union soldiers retreating at a full gallop was not comforting.
The 19th Ohio Regiment with Jacob
in tow was reforming their line
The Rebs were relentlessly
peppering our Boys in Blue
Pistols at the ready
The pistols were no match for the
Confederate's smoothbore muskets
The Ohio Regiment is trying to
outflank the Rebels
This is a suicidal tactic, I'm afraid.
The entire 19th Ohio Regiment was killed, wounded or captured.
Jacob had been mortally struck by a musket ball through his lungs.
DAMN!
At the end of the battle,
the playing of Taps
Magically, Jacob came back to life!
I asked him what happened and his response was, "I'd rather die than surrender to those Rebels."
OK, then.
The battle lost, there was only one thing for the Union soldiers to do.
Play baseball with a
ball made out of rags
Jacob connected for a triple!
Later he bunted his way on base
I'm not sure if that was legal back in those days.
March Madness always ends in April
As for watching the NCAA Men's Final Four with Laurie on TV, we had an ok game followed by a great one.
Semi-Final Game #1
Kansas 81 - Villanova 65
Semi-Final Game #2
North Carolina 81 - Duke 77
This was not the way that legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's many fans, including Laurie, wanted to see him end his career but still, what an amazing 42 year run as the Blue Devils Head Coach that included five NCCA titles.
Kansas and North Carolina will meet Monday night in the 2022 NCAA Men's Championship Game.
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