HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 4-13-13

A Friend

I’m sure most of us have had many friends throughout their lives. Some are fleeting, such as fellow soldiers in the military. We leave at the end of training vowing to stay in touch but somehow we never do.

Some of our friends are local boys and girls who became men and women and seem to always be there. One of these for me was the late C. R. Hook. We knew each other as Little Leaguers and renewed that friendship during the baseball card craze of the mid 1980’s. We went to many vintage card shows atWillow Grove, Pa., by far the biggest and best show in the country. Generally, you had to wait behind three or four people just to view dealers’ cards. The cards we sought were the cards of people from the Eastern Shore or had played in the old Eastern Shore League that had made it to the Majors.

I was also trying to finish up my 1951-58 sets from both Topps and Bowman. Since I had many doubles, I usually got half price for them in trade. C. R. got to looking at the cards I had brought to trade and I told him that if he wanted any of them, he could have them for half price, which is what I would get for them. Since the ride was about three hours and he found many cards he wanted, he was usually broke by the time we reached Willow Grove. No matter. Since we were both avid New York Yankee fans, we had plenty to talk about.

C. R. related a story that exemplifies the feelings of a true 10-year old fan. His father drove a produce truck up to New York and one of his stops was Yankee Stadium where he knew the club house man, Pete Sheehy. On one of his trips he took C. R. with him and they just happened to run into Pete. Pete asked them if they wanted to see the field. To C. R., it was like a trip to baseball heaven. The great expanse of green seemed to go on forever. Pete asked C. R. if he’d like to meet Mickey Mantle, the idol of every American boy. Mick came trotting over and Pete asked Mick if he’d like to meet a friend of his. Mick said sure and walked over to C. R. and put his massive arm around him and said, “How you doin’, kid”. C. R. was so overwhelmed he wet his pants right then and there. I don’t think that brand of idol-worship is existent in today’s society.

Another episode with C. R. was this time in May, 1986, that C. R. called me and said I just had to go to Baltimore with him to see the greatest home run hitter since “The Mick”. We went to a card show beforehand and met this phenom, who just happened to be Jose Canseco. He delivered as promised a tremendous blast that didn’t clear the left field wall but Dave McNally said it was the hardest bell ever hit off him. If that ball had some height on it, there is no telling how far it would have gone. I still have the “rookie card” that Jose signed for me.

When we were in the locker room after the game, I waited for my chance to get Earl Weaver’s autograph. He was holding court with a bunch of reporters. I had a press pass C. R. had obtained for me so I didn’t feel bad being there. I waited until everybody had cleared out before I made my move. I said, ‘Mr. Weaver” and he looked at me and in his gruff manner asked who I worked for. My honest nature came out and I said, “Nanticoke Seafood”. At which point he said something like, “What the hell are you doing in here?” I quickly explained having to help C. R. with his chair and that I would like for him to autograph one of his cards for someone. He quickly grabbed it and, asking who it was for, personalized it and signed it.

Some great stories with my old friend are fondly recalled. R. I. P., C. R., ol’ buddy.