Back in the day our Little League banquets would have current or former major league players as guests. With current salaries I don’t know if that happens any more. I remember meeting Paul Blair, Ed Kranepool and Jeff Turborg.
My brother was lucky to have Rusty Staub at one of his. My father was very impressed by how nice he was. Usually the guest would give a little speech and tell some funny stories then kids would line up for autographs. Rusty Staub went to every table and sat down with every single player on every team. He spent a few minutes one on one with each kid. It’s not something he had to do but that’s the kind of guy he was.
British comedy actor Bill Maynard has died, age 89. He was in a sitcom in the 70s called Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggit, which was quite something to behold. He’s one of those people who I thought was already dead long ago.
Legendary conservationist and shark fishing guide Billy Sandifer is dead at 70. Probably not a big celebrity, he was known nationally to surf fishermen and the Coastal Conservation Association, and by a couple of generations of beach-goers at the Padre Island National Seashore.
I met him a few times, and would frequently see him stop his truck on the beach to give help and advice to novices/tourists.
I remember going to an Astros game shortly after he started playing with them. What would have been a routine ground-out to first, he beat - that man could run!