Grit and Gristle

 Chico Bigham celebrated his 79th birthday today, a long way from North Carolina.

If you look hard from third base, and the weather is clear, you can almost see how far Chico has come.

September 15, 1938.

On the day Chico was born, Gaylord Perry was born, too.  He stopped playing ball a while ago.

Everybody has somewhere else to go.

When leapfrog meets baseball.

Playing Ball in the Moonlight

P
l
a
y

b
a
l
l
!

"Couldn't have done better, myself!"

Game Moments

Now you see it:  now you don't.

Another one gone.

Billy makes it an occasion.

A Day in the Life of a Ball Player

All Floyd @ 92

"I am retiring today," Floyd said,
on his 92nd birthday, "because
I can no longer play up to my standards."

Floyd Lance has high standards.
Floyd is a high standard.

 They put Floyd back on First Base today, where he has played for most of the last eighteen years.

"No collisions today, please", the manager said.

"Amen!", Floyd said.

Reed made life down the right field line dangerous.  Reed made life over the right field fence dangerous.












Floyd scored his own run, one last time.

When the game was over, they met on the field to give a game ball to Floyd;
signed by all the guys whose privilege it had been to be there, on Floyd's 92nd birthday, on what Floyd said was his retirement day.

September 6, 2017